In 1974, Millwood Brothers Logging became possibly the first logging operation in the South to convert to whole tree chipping. The late Stooge Millwood saw a chipper working on a power line right-of-way and became interested in the idea. The company was soon chipping for Georgia Kraft Co. with a Morbark unit. They’ve been chipping ever since.
Today, Stooge’s son, Steve Millwood, 55, and Steve’s sons, Kyle, 33, and Bo, 32, run the business. Steve has been working for the company full-time since 1978 and has been a part owner since the 80’s. Kyle and Bo started in 2002 and 2010, respectively. They are now part owners.
The business used to consist of a logging crew and a clean chipping crew since the late 80’s. In March of 2013 they decided to go strictly to fuel chipping. “What we were getting paid for the clean chips wasn’t keeping up with the costs to do it,” Steve explains. “I had a grinder for five years, but it’s all fuel chips now.”
Although MBL has recently been on quota, they expect to be back to full strength soon.
When Wood Bioenergy visited Millwood Bros. Logging, they were chipping on a 100-acre tract. The tract was on pretty flat terrain, but sometimes MBL will cut in hilly areas. “A tract needs to be 50-60 acres in order for it to be worth cutting on,” Steve says. “If a tract is really close to home we can cut on 30-40 acres if necessary.”
Left to right, Kyle Millwood, Steve Millwood, Bo Millwood
On this tract, a logging crew will come in after MBL is done chipping and cut out the bigger timber. MBL was strictly cutting the fuel wood. This particular tract was only 20 miles from MBL’s main market, Graphic Packaging in Macon, Ga. MBL cuts strictly on private land. “Sometimes we’ll clear-cut the tracts and they’ll plant them back,” Steve explains. “A lot of what we cut is where folks have cut it 15-20 years ago and didn’t plant it back and they want to plant it back now. It’s pretty clean when we get through.”
The company starts chipping every morning by 7 a.m. and trucks come rolling in long before that. Steve usually gets to the jobsite at 6:30 a.m. while Bo and Kyle are not far behind. They shut down the operation anywhere from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day. MBL usually doesn’t work on Saturdays unless they weren’t able to work all five days during the week. MBL cuts before Charles Hill and Hill Logging on many occasions. Chuck Allen of Twin Rivers Land and Timber Co. buys a lot of stumpage that the company cuts.
When MBL is leaving a tract they have to make sure to leave it as clean as possible. “Depending on the landowner we have to keep the tract looking a certain way,” Steve explains. “A lot of times I won’t have to put in water bars and things like that because a logging crew is coming in behind me to get what’s left.”
Steve estimates that his business cuts more hardwood than pine and on the tract Wood Bioenergy visited there was many different types of hardwood as well as some pine. The company hauls nearly all of its fuel wood to Graphic Packaging but occasionally they will haul to Weyerhaeuser in Oglethorpe.
“When we started three years ago we were hauling 100 plus loads a week every week,” Steve says. “A lot of loggers have the smaller chippers now and they’re grinding up the tops and stuff. There’s a heap of them and it’s spread out a lot more now.”