The American Loggers Council is proud to be selected by the Einari Vidgren Foundation “As an Honorary Award of very important work for logging and the whole forest industry” Juha Vidgren, Chairman of the Board for the Einari Vidgren Foundation, Finland.
This international recognition represents one of the few U.S. organizations selected for this honor. The American Loggers Council appreciates the $5,000 monetary award and support of the national work to promote the sustainable timber industry in the U.S.
“The Einari Vidgren Foundation is working globally to find companies and associations which make their work sustainable in a responsible way. Forestry work has a very important role in finding solutions for climate change, and giving education and knowledge to our work is one of the Foundation’s roles.” - Juha Vidgren, Chairman.
Finland is a leader in sustainable forestry practices and innovation. Silvicultural considerations and practices are factored into the machinery produced by Ponsse and are a hallmark of successful, sustainable forest management operations globally.
Ponsse is a Finnish forest machine manufacturer run by the Vidgren family. The company was founded in 1970 by Einari Vidgren. As a leader in Cut-To-Length machinery, Ponsse is the market leader in Finland, where 40% of forest machines are made by Ponsse. The company manufactures all equipment in the small town, of Vierema, where the company was founded. Ponsse Group employs approximately 2,000 people in 13 countries. Their machinery is now used worldwide in over 40 countries.
An entrepreneur, Einari Vidgren, built his first machine from scratch with scavenged parts in a blacksmith shop. Rumor is that the machine proved extremely functional and was part of the dawning of the age of mechanization in the timber industry. However, it was not the most aesthetic machine hence its name, “Ponsse,” after an ugly crossbreed hunting dog that came back from hunting successfully. Today, the futuristic-looking machines are high-tech “transformer” extensions of the operator.
The American Loggers Council shares the same commitment to public education and promotion of the environmental and economic benefits of sustainable forest management as Einari Vidgren envisioned through the Einari Vidgren Foundation. This award will be applied to furthering that mission.