LATEST NEWS
Ponsse Awards American Loggers Council Einari Vidgren Foundation Grant
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.
Ponsse Expands to South, Opens Location in Florida
Ponsse North America Inc. has expanded its operations to Midway, Florida, which is near Tallahassee. The company said the move was in response to growing demand for cut-to-length wood and an increase in machine sales in the South.
“Forestry is our focus and all we do,” said Pekka Ruuskanen, president and CEO of Ponsse North America. “We are extremely excited about our expansion to the South because of the number of mill investments with new facilities opening, reopening of shut down mills, and capacity increases.”
“It is time for cut-to-length to be more dominant in the South like it is currently in the northern part of the USA,” he added.
Ponsse’s new Florida facility will offer sales, parts, and service – the same as all other Ponsse locations. Tyler Amundson is heading the new location.
“We want to provide all of our customers with the best machines in the world, exceptional service, and the best parts availability in the industry,” said Ruuskanen.
Ponsse North America is a subsidiary of Finland-based Ponsse and was established in 1995. Its headquarters is in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
In addition to its new Florida location, Ponsse has branches in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon. It also has full-line dealers and service dealers in various locations throughout the country.
Ponsse is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of rubber tire cut-to-length forest machines. The family-owned company was founded in 1970.
Ponsse machines cover all size categories, from first thinning and harvesting forest energy to heavy-duty regeneration felling, as well as all types of logging sites, from soft soil to steep slopes.
To contact the Ponsse facility in Midway, Florida, call (850) 513-3324. For more information about Ponsse machines, visit www.ponsse.com.
PONSSE Scorpion Future Cabin received the internationally acclaimed iF DESIGN AWARD 2022
Since 1954, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been an internationally recognised indication of excellent design and one of the world’s most prestigious design awards. The iF brand is internationally recognised as the symbol of design excellence. The award winners will be celebrated at the iF DESIGN AWARD NIGHT 2022 event at Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin in Germany on Monday, 16 May 2022.
The jury praised the design of PONSSE Scorpion Future Cabin especially for its improved ergonomics and for providing forest machine operators with a comfortable work environment. One of the most prominent changes in Future Cabin is the new one-piece windscreen that extends to the roof of the cabin. It offers even better visibility and work safety in varying conditions.
“The development of the new Scorpion model series started from forest machine operators’ feedback. Development was carried out based on this feedback, and its results were then successfully entered in production. The cabin workspace was modified to make it more practical, and now the cabin is like a quiet office with a view, developed to support the operator’s comfort and wellbeing. says Juha Inberg, Technology and R&D Director at Ponsse.
“We are more than pleased that our Future Cabin was ranked this high in the iF DESIGN AWARD competition. Thanks for this achievement go to our customers, the project team for their excellent work, and design agency Aivan,” Inberg says.
A total of 10,776 products and projects from 57 different countries were sent to the competition. This year’s iF jury consisted of 132 high-profile design specialists from more than 20 countries.
Further information: Juha Inberg, Technology and R&D Director, Ponsse Plc, +358 400 661 368, juha.inberg@ponsse.com
New PONSSE H8 Harvester Head
The launch of the completely upgraded PONSSE H8 harvester head will strengthen Ponsse’s position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of harvesting solutions. A powerful feed, firm grip and solid yet agile frame are characteristics of the H8 harvester head. Active Speed is available for the harvester head as a new feature, giving the harvester head a superior performance.
With Active Speed, the harvester head’s operating speed can be adjusted based on the tree species and stem diameter. Equipped with this new function, working with the H8 harvester head is smooth and productive, no matter what the tree diameter is.
“We have developed our product range of harvester heads actively with our customers. Many of our customers work in challenging conditions, which is why their development ideas give us the best possible feedback for product development. With its completely new structure, the new H8 harvester head is ideal for processing large trees,” says Janne Loponen, Product Manager for harvester heads.
Completely upgraded new structure
The new harvester head can be mounted on PONSSE Ergo and Bear, the strongest harvesters in our product range. The saw box area is even wider, making the harvester head an excellent choice for trees with a high butt diameter. The harvester head’s structure has been designed for easy maintenance, and the frame has been built to be even more durable. A powerful feed, combined with a geometry that firmly supports larger stems on feed rollers, guarantees high productivity and fuel economy. The automatic features of the Opti control system, developed and built by Ponsse, control the feed speed and saw movement, according to the tree diameter, and ensure fast and precise sawing.
All PONSSE harvester heads have been designed to withstand the toughest conditions. They are characterised by a simple and solid structure which is why they can be used in various harvesting applications. All PONSSE harvester heads are manufactured and designed at the Ponsse factory in Vieremä, Finland. Comprehensive design applies to both mechanical components and the electronic control system, controls and software. The manufacturing process is highly automated, guaranteeing a high level of quality and measuring accuracy.
Janne Loponen, Product Manager, Harvester Heads
Ponsse North America Featured on Tomorrow’s World Today
Pittburgh, PA: Tomorrow’s World Today, a cutting-edge television show for the latest developments on sustainability, technology and innovation will feature Ponsse on its Emmy-nominated television show in Season 4. Tomorrow’s World Today explores the concepts of science and technology that are changing lives today for making a difference tomorrow.
In this episode, Field Reporter David Carmine heads out to Eugene, Oregon where the 2020 wildfires of 2020 ravaged the state. In fact, 1.2 million acres of land were destroyed in just 72 hours. The show will explore how Ponsse helps with post-fire salvage, which not only supports local timber industries, but also promotes future forest development and reduces the chance of fires happening again.
Carmine meets with Pekka Ruuskanen, President and CEO of Ponsse North America to learn about the process. He also speaks with Matt Mattioda from Miller Timber Services, who discusses two Ponsse machines that are pivotal to post-fire salvage: the Harvester and Forwarder.
“Seeing the devastation first-hand was incredibly emotional,” said Carmine. ”And looking at the Bootleg fires happening now, and the difficulty firefighters are having to contain them, I know there will be a lot of work that needs to be done in a short amount of time for foresters to be able to salvage the trees that are damaged.”
Next, Carmine will take viewers through the sawmill process to learn how burnt wood is salvaged and then he heads back to the forest to discuss the importance of forestry management and shares technological advancements taking place in the milling industry.
Season Four, Episode Three of Tomorrow's World Today, featuring Ponsse, will air on Saturday, August 7 at 8:30 am EST on Science Channel and Sunday, August 8 at 6:30 a.m. on Discovery. It will also be available to stream on DiscoveryGo and ScienceGo the following week.
About Tomorrow’s World Today
Tomorrow’s World Today is an Emmy-nominated television show that focuses on finding a better way for us to live more sustainable lives. We spotlight the latest in technology and sustainability in four different areas: inspiration, creation, innovation, and production and our field reporters travel the world in search of the innovative pioneers who are utilizing our natural and technological resources. New ideas are the source of innovation. What will you do with yours for tomorrow’s world, today?
https://www.tomorrowsworldtoday.com/ and https://www.twtshow.com
