Recognizing loggers as an integral part of the timber supply chain, the Logger of the Year Award is presented to an individual who is nominated by the forestry community and reviewed by a committee of professionals in the industry. The Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) and the Southeastern Wood Producers Association (SWPA) proudly announce Robert “Rob” L. Strother of Strother Timber Company in Washington, GA, as the 2023-24 Georgia Logger of the Year.
“Logger of the Year is really important because loggers serve as a critical link in our forestry supply chain,” says Andres Villegas, former GFA President and CEO, “linking landowners and mills, bringing value to the timber that they’ve growing for a long time. Really kind of that linchpin operator that’s out there connecting the entire forestry industry.”
Rob is a third-generation logger. Stemming back to the 1930’s, Rob’s grandfather began logging and sawmilling in the woods with Rob’s father joining the business in the 1960’s. Following in the footsteps of the Strothers before him, Rob began logging in the year 2000. Today, the legacy continues as the fourth generation, Rob’s son, joins the logging business. Throughout their family’s history of logging, the Strothers have operated within the same community. They hauled the first load of wood to the Georgia Pacific mill in Warrenton, Georgia, when it first opened in the late 1960’s. When the mill was renovated several decades later, the Strothers were the first to deliver again. Currently, the Strother Timber Company operates with forty employees, across four company crews, and a trucking and logistics fleet. On average, 240 loads of wood are hauled per week on 20 different company trucks across the middle Georgia region.
“It really means a lot to me to work with my son every day. Even though the logging industry is a tough industry to be in, a lot of people depend on loggers,” says Rob Strother. “When I was a little kid, I had little logging toys. I always knew this was what I was going to do. It’s an honor to be recognized as Georgia Logger of the Year from the GFA. It means a lot to me and my family, and my employees.”
In addition to running his business, Rob is heavily involved locally and with the broader forestry community. As a sponsor of GFA’s Northeast Georgia Regional Forestry Meeting, Rob is an active member of the Georgia Forestry Association and the Southeastern Wood Producers Association local chapter. Rob’s dedication to the industry also extends to the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources with students regularly touring his harvesting operations.
“It’s been by far the best job I ever had. We’ve got better equipment nowadays and he knows how to use it,” says landowner, Forest Kellogg. “They’re chipping everything they can chip within reason, so I’m a happy camper and I’m headed to another job I hope with him.”
As the Official 2023-24 Georgia Logger of the Year, Strother Timber has additionally been nominated for the Forest Resources Association’s Southeastern Logger of Year award, where he will be evaluated among his peers in surrounding states. GFA officially recognized Rob at this year’s Annual Conference in Savannah, August 10, 2024.
