Bobby T. Goodson, the fourth-generation logger who heads Goodson’s All Terrain Logging, Inc. (which is the subject of the hit TV series “Swamp Loggers”) made the heartfelt announcement on YouTube that the company was closing its doors.
The company, still doing episodes on its YouTube channel, has been hit hard by rising fuel costs and fierce timber market fluctuations. The cost of operation, just for fuel, had equaled around 68% of one of the company truck’s revenue. The turnaround time of going to wood mills further than usual and having to wait an extended amount of time to get unloaded did not help either.
Coming from a logging family, and being an owner-operator, I can understand the situation. When the amount you’re spending on fuel, paying the bills, and trying to pay yourself or your employees exceeds what the truck grossed, you have to shut down before you go “under water.”
The economic pains are hitting home
With diesel fuel hitting $6.50 (and some $7.99 sightings in the New York City and California areas, the pain is getting intense when you go to fill up the tanks. And with lumber trading at half the value it was only two months ago, you can understand why the profit margins are down.
I’ll be interviewing Bobby Goodson by phone next Monday to get more insights on what the situation is, future plans for the company and its employees, and his opinions on what business owners need to be preparing for.
I was a big fan of “Swamp Loggers” and am saddened by the news. Nobody wants to “retire” with the economic conditions the way they are. We can only hope for a fiscal turnaround sooner than later.
