Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine holds 24th Annual Meeting Friday, April 26

OXFORD – The Professional Logging Contractors (PLC) of Maine held its 24th Annual Meeting Friday, April 26, raising $51,866 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine and presenting awards to businesses, individuals, and legislators from across Maine for their outstanding contributions to the logging industry.

The meeting was held at a new location this year, the Oxford Casino & Event Center at 777 Casino Way, Oxford, ME. and included a morning meeting of the membership. The morning events were followed by a luncheon with President of the Senate Troy Jackson and Speaker of the House, Sara Gideon as speakers. A social hour in the afternoon was followed by the annual PLC Log A Load for Maine Kids Auction, then the annual PLC Dinner and Awards Ceremony. Second-district
Congressman Jared Golden of Lewiston was the featured speaker for the evening.

The $51,866 raised for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Maine was a new record for the PLC event, topping the previous record of $46,311 set in 2018.

“Our Annual Meeting is a time to reflect, a time to celebrate and a time to plan for the
future,” PLC Executive Director Dana Doran, said. “The PLC has made important strides on behalf of loggers, forest contractors, and forest truckers over the past year and stands ready to continue its work on behalf of the industry for years to come. Our members should be proud of what they have accomplished this
year, and especially proud of what was accomplished here for the children tonight.”

Awards were presented to the following individuals and organizations during the evening Awards Ceremony:

PLC Logger of the Year Award: This award recognizes a PLC Logging Contractor for their commitment to the sustainability of the industry and logging as a profession. The winner this year is; Kimball & Sons Logging of Poland.

PLC Impact Awards: Each year, the PLC recognizes someone from the public sector who has demonstrated a commitment to the industry and has made a significant impact for its improvement. This year the award will go to two individuals, Maine State Rep. Nathan Wadsworth of Hiram and Maine State Rep. Michelle Dunphy of Old Town.

PLC Community Service Award: This award is given annually to a PLC member, Supporting Member or affiliated organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to giving back to their community. The winner this year is; Scott Hanington of Wytopitlock.

Acadia Insurance Safety Award: In 1999, the PLC and Acadia Insurance partnered together to make safety a priority in the logging industry by creating a member benefit for PLC contractors, providing training and education, reducing claims and increasing profitability. This award is given to a company that continuously demonstrates safety throughout their business. The winner this year is; Chopper One Inc. of Eagle Lake.

PLC Supporting Member Award: The PLC Supporting Member of the Year Award is presented annually to a PLC Supporting Member that has demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to logging contractors in Maine. The winner this year is; Acadia Insurance.

PLC President’s Award: The President’s Award is presented to individuals or organizations within the PLC which have a significant and positive impact on the PLC and the logging industry in Maine. The winner this year is: Melanie Campbell (Cross Insurance).

The Annual Meeting is one of the PLC’s major fund-raisers for the Log A Load for Kids Foundation to benefit Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Last year total PLC fund-raising for the cause exceeded $122,000.

PLC members are well known for their generosity in supporting charitable causes benefiting children and are strong supporters of the Log A Load For Kids annual campaign which encourages loggers and others in the forest products community to donate the value of one load of logs, or any amount, to local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals. Log A Load For Kids is a national leader in CMN fundraising. For more information, or to donate funds to a CMN-affiliated hospital in your area, please visit www.logaload.org.

The PLC and the Northern Light Health Foundation (formerly Eastern Maine Health Systems Foundation) have raised more than $1 million for Log A Load since 1996. Donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children in Maine as possible. Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that has received support for years from the PLC’s Log A Load efforts.

In 2019, the PLC is expanding its Log A Load campaign by partnering with the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland to offer a second annual golf tournament in southern Maine (Sept. 6 at Lake Kezar Country Club in Lovell) in addition to its longstanding tournament in northern Maine (Sept. 20 JATO Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln). All funds raised will be disbursed equally between Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Maine’s loggers and logging truckers are a vital part of the state’s forest products sector, which is worth an estimated $8.5 billion annually. Maine’s logging industry contributes $882 million to the state’s economy each year and supports more than 7,300 direct and indirect jobs in the state.

The PLC of Maine was formed in 1995 to give independent logging contractors and sole proprietors a voice in a rapidly changing forest industry. A Board of Directors made up entirely of loggers makes the PLC the only logging organization in Maine run by loggers for loggers. The mission of the PLC is to promote logging as a profession, advocate for logging professionals, cultivate responsible forest management, and sustain a strong forest products industry.

Learn more about the PLC at www.maineloggers.com.