Features Harvesting Logging Profiles
The future of forestry: Meet Seth Dickinson

This week, we introduce our readers to Seth Dickinson, owner of Dickinson Logging in Hinton, Alta.

At the age of 35, Seth Dickinson has taken on a lot of responsibility and has worked very hard to get to where he is today, running his own logging company Dickinson Logging based in Hinton, Alta.

Growing up in New Brunswick, Seth started out logging with his family, and then moved to Hinton with his father. Three years ago, Seth started out on his own subcontracting for a local mill with one piece of forestry equipment. He subcontracted for some time and then was awarded a full stump-to-dump contract with the mill. With the support of his family, and a lot of perseverance, hard work and grit, Seth has grown his company significantly, going from one piece of equipment to 21 pieces, including six log trucks, in just three years.

“Seth has tackled a lot of challenges to get where he is today but he is a very determined young man,” says friend and associate James Farquhar. “He blew his first contract with the mill out of the water. Once the mill realized that this kid was for real, they kept giving him more and more volume. He should be very proud of himself.”

If you spend any time with Seth you will see he is very proud of his company. He respects his employees and his equipment. “He wouldn’t ask his staff to do anything, he wouldn’t do himself,” adds Farquhar. All of Seth’s equipment is spotless. He and his crew diligently keep on top of all preventative maintenance tasks to ensure the continued success for all his employees.

Not only does Seth take a lot of initiative, he is a very innovative young man. He realized he could increase efficiency with his operations by using an old loader to stack wood for the skidders at roadside. This significantly increased the skidder’s productivity, ultimately increasing the company’s daily production numbers.

He and his wife Charlotte are extremely dedicated to all aspects of the business. Charlotte runs the office and Seth runs the daily operations, and is very hands-on. Seth and Charlotte also have two young children who also keep them very busy.

“Seth is the first in the block every day, and the last to leave,” says Wajax Equipment sales specialist Barry McBride. “He is committed to his business and his family, he is a very hard worker and definitely leads by example.”

Up next: we showcase the achievements of winner Karie Berneche.