Features Harvesting Logging Profiles
Forestry’s future leaders: Meet Stephan Posselt

As more forest industry professionals reach retirement, it’s more important than ever that we highlight the next generation of leaders. CFI’s annual Top 10 Under 40 contest is our way of doing so. This year marks the ninth consecutive year we have scoured nominations from across Canada to find individuals who exemplify the best of our sector, from outstanding log haulers to sawmillers, foresters and others. The result is a list of high-performing professionals who are poised to lead the industry.

To acknowledge and highlight each winner’s contributions, CFI will feature one of 2021’s winners every week for the next 10 weeks.

This week, we introduce our readers to Stephan Posselt, operations manager for Tahtsa Timber in Burns Lake, B.C.

Posselt grew up in the logging industry, spending weekends and summers working for his father, Klaus, at Klaus Posselt Logging Ltd., and later at Tahtsa Timber Ltd. After graduating high school, Stephan completed a carpentry program and a wood engineering and technology program.

Stephan then interned for a summer with West Fraser in Williams Lake, B.C., where he worked as a quality controller. During that time, he suggested innovative ways to improve the flow of the milling process, which mill management adopted.

After running a homebuilding/renovation company in Prince George for seven years, he moved back to Burns Lake, where he is now the operations manager for Tahtsa Timber. The 38-year-old oversees many aspects of the business, including logging, fire management, Indigenous partnerships, road construction, community forest partnerships, and specialty projects for the B.C. Ministry of Forests.

Stephan is also involved in growing Tahtsa’s trucking division, the associated maintenance shop, the company’s four logging divisions, and the three canter mills belonging to Pacific Timber (a subsidiary of Tahtsa Timber).

“His attention to detail and outlook towards the future help to move the Tahtsa Group forward and to stay competitive,” says Kevin Porowski, Stephan’s co-worker at Tahtsa Timber. “You will rarely find Stephan without a smile at work, lifting the spirits of his co-workers. He enjoys what he does at work and in life in general.”

Up next: we showcase the achievements of winner Keven-Derick Auclair Savard.