PERU — Andy Irish, a founding member of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine, was sworn in as president of the American Loggers Council on Sept. 24 at the group’s annual meeting in Branson, Missouri.
Andy Irish sworn in as president of the American Logger’s Council September 24.
Irish, an council delegate representing Maine for nearly two decades, became the second Maine president for the organization since it was founded in 1994. He accepted the position at the president’s farewell banquet, succeeding President Tim Christopherson of Idaho, and thanking the loggers in attendance for being involved with the council at a time of great challenges in the industry.
“We’re at a place in our industry where we have the chance to either move forward, or go backwards really fast, so we appreciate all the help from everybody,” Irish said.
Irish has been logging since the 1970s and founded Irish Family Logging in 1984. He shares ownership of the Peru-based business with son Jason Irish and son-in-law Dean Knowles. He has been a board member of the Professional Logging Contractors since it began in 1995.
Irish’s term ends in October 2023 when Maine will host the council’s annual meeting at Sunday River ski area in Newry.
Irish has experienced the same ups and downs and changes common to most loggers who have been in the business since the industry began transitioning from traditional logging with chain saws to fully mechanized logging. Irish Family Logging crews operate primarily in the hills and mountainous terrain of Western Maine, often on commercial timberlands. The company has weathered the markets and adapted to the changes and the loss of paper mills as many other logging firms have dwindled or disappeared entirely.
Maine’s loggers are a vital part of the state’s forest products sector, which is worth an estimated $7.7 billion annually. Logging contributed an estimated $619 million to the state economy in 2017.
Learn more about the Professional Loggers Contractors at www.maineloggers.com.
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