Cummings Lumber SENNEBOGEN 825 M log handler is equipped with a Rotobec 4552SHD Log Grapple, capable of picking up 6 to 8 logs ranging in size from 8 feet to 12 feet.

TROY, PA – Now in its 79^th year of operation, Cummings Lumber began life as a steam-powered sawmill in 1929 when Lee William Cummings built his mill close to a road and stream in Troy, Pennsylvania. In those days logs were skidded with horses and lumber was shipped on rail cars. From the beginning, Cummings Lumber made a commitment to providing its customers with a quality product and quality service. Today, the sawmill is fully mechanized and has recently undergone some updates and expansion. The acquisition of a purpose-built SENNEBOGEN 825 M log handler helps fourth generation lumberman, Scott Cummings, carry on the family tradition of commitment to quality.

Finding the Right Machine
“Back in 2005, my family was in the midst of expanding our sawmill facility and diversifying into a couple of new enterprises, with the goal of beginning operations in the summer of 2006,” says Cummings. “We were doing some comparison shopping for a new log handler designed specifically for picking and stacking logs and feeding them into the mill. Some SENNEBOGEN advertising and a visit to the company website peaked my interest. The purpose-built SENNEBOGEN machines looked exactly like what we were looking for.”

Cummings contacted Constantino Lannes, President of SENNEBOGEN North America, who scheduled a meeting in Troy, PA with Cummings and his father and company President, Roy, SENNEBOGEN Regional Sales Manager, Len Lawrence, and Marc Olgin, President of M&M Machinery, the local SENNEBOGEN distributor. Scott Cummings recalls how Lawrence and Olgin were “really nice guys and extremely knowledgeable about their product.” In the meantime, Cummings followed up with some SENNEBOGEN references.

Knowledge Gained During SENNEBOGEN Factory Tour Seals the Deal
Soon after this initial meeting, Roy Cummings took the opportunity to visit the SENNEBOGEN factory in Germany during a visit to Europe. Scott Cummings remembers how impressed his father was with what he saw at the factory.

“My father saw first-hand how the SENNEBOGEN factory is set up to accommodate special requirements easily as part of the machine’s original manufacturing,” recalls Cummings. “He witnessed how SENNEBOGEN purpose-builds each machine, engineering customer requirements into the design of machines before they’re built, not after. His excitement and enthusiasm for the SENNEBOGEN manufacturing process and integrity of the machines made a world of difference in our purchasing decision.”

After Roy Cummings’ return, the family worked out the specs and pricing with M&M Machinery and Constantino Lannes, and an order for their purpose-built SENNEBOGEN 825 M machine was signed in March 2006. Fitted with a Rotobec 4552SHD Log Grapple, the unit had a dead heel welded to the boom to balance/stabilize the length of the tree in the grapple, and a hitch added to haul equipment in the yard.  

“Adding the dead heel and making the other design adjustments was never a problem for SENNEBOGEN,” says an appreciative Cummings. “Their ability to do so ensures the efficiency and durability of the machine, and protects our customer warranty.”

One SENNEBOGEN 825 M or Two Loaders?
In operation since June 2006, the Cummings SENNEBOGEN 825 M uses its Rotobec log grapple to pick up 6 to 8 logs at once and then load them on to an 85 foot trough that carries them to the sawmill conveyor. The logs being loaded vary in size from 8 ft. to 12 ft. Sixty per cent of them are hard and soft maple, while 20% are cherry and 15% are red and white oak. Other types of logs account for the remaining 5%. According to Cummings, this new set up is much more efficient than the yard’s previous system with conventional wheel loaders.

Using the trough means that the log loader no longer has to travel from the yard to the mill to feed logs onto the conveyor. The SENNEBOGEN 825 M sets up in the middle of the stacked logs and picks from both sides, resulting in less travel and setup time. The unit’s generous reach of 49 feet enables the operator to stack and reach logs up to 35 feet high. Having taller stacks not only puts more stock within reach of the loader when feeding the trough, it results in less exposure and less weather and frost damage in the yard for the logs. “In this setup, the SENNEBOGEN 825 M does the job that it once took two loaders shuttling between the stacks and the mill to do. Fuel savings have been significant,” says Cummings. “The SENNEBOGEN elevating cab offers a great advantage over traditional loaders, too, as it gets the operator at eye level with the load.” This according to Scott is not only a productivity issue, but a safety issue as well. Better visibility means that operators can be more exact in their movements.

“SENNEBOGEN really means it when they say ‘every machine is a special,” says Cummings. “We just told them what we wanted and they did it. Their commitment to Leading Through Innovation has helped my family carry on its tradition of commitment to quality.”

About SENNEBOGEN
SENNEBOGEN has been a leading name in the global material handling industry for more than 50 years. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, SENNEBOGEN America offers a complete range of purpose-built machines to suit virtually any heavy lift or "pick & carry" application. A growing network of distributors supports SENNEBOGEN sales and service across the Americas, ensuring the highest standard of professional machine support and parts availability.

Constantino Lannes, President
SENNEBOGEN LLC
2835 Jeff Adams Dr., Charlotte, NC 28206
Call toll free: 1-877-309-0099 or fax (704) 347-8894
E-mail – sales@sennebogenllc.com
Visit the web site at www.sennebogen-na.com

- SEPTEMBER 2008 -