Far North company Lloyd Logging was named Forestry Family of the Year

Northland's Forestry Family of the Year: standing from the left - Patience Wiremu, Gary Rudolph, Rowena Lloyd, Shere Beehre, Isaac Lloyd, Camron Cave, Channing Green, Matty Lloyd, Blue Lloyd, Polly Beehre, Pat Lloyd and Gary Leslie (Northern Forest Products), in front Warren Abraham, Moki Tukariri, Sally Lloyd, Peter Lloyd, Monique Green, Grace Cave, Hilton Lloyd and Crystal Barron. Picture / Jess Burges, Exposure Photographics

Few would have been surprised when Far North company Lloyd Logging was named Forestry Family of the Year at the Northland Forestry Awards.

The company was described as a quietly competent operation that had built a solid reputation in the industry, with audited log recoveries in excess of 98 per cent and consistently of a very high standard. Isaac Lloyd was an active participant in establishing a professional standard for the local industry to enable it to attract good and retain a sustainable workforce.

"There is nothing much left to say about Lloyd Logging, except that they have an awesome crew culture," Summit Forests trainer, assessor and harvest supervisor Jason King said.

They had purchased the cable harvesting operation from Combined Logging and late 2017, and since then had consistently met or exceeded all of Summit's targets in terms of health and safety, environmental and production targets.

"They have a passion to give locals opportunities to enter the industry, and invest time into training," Mr King said.

"Lloyd Logging are always looking at ways to invest in areas of the business that improve efficiency and safer environments for their operators. They have worked with Worksafe, Waikato University and the local marae to instigate new initiatives around monitoring worker fatigue technology.

"They have made a solid commitment to training and upskilling every crew member currently working towards national certificates."

Gary Leslie, managing director of Northern Forest Products, said he was thrilled to sponsor the Forestry Family of the Year Award.

"Working with family is the hallmark of what it means to be truly local. Something worth encouraging and celebrating," he said.

"It's cool that this year's award has gone to Lloyd Logging from Kohumaru, across from the Oruaiti Valley, where I grew up.

"Isaac, alongside his three brothers and sister, have rolled up their sleeves, taken a risk and created an opportunity. Being in business is about staying in business.

"Challenges will come, it's not always profitable, but you hang in there with a business and endure the bad times to be able to enjoy the good later on.

"I commend them and wish them all the best."