John Willoughby
reporter2@greenepublishing.com
Working in the logwoods have fueled the Gray family for generations, and as Jerry Gray continues the legacy of sawing and hauling, there's no stopping this dynamic crew of timber enthusiasts.
The offices of Jerry Gray and Gray Logging are settled on a small hill in the Madison Industrial Park, in between State Road 14 and County Road 14. In the woods are where 14 trucks, log trailers and a number of crew members work vigorously, where their best work is performed.
The company began nearly 49 years ago with W.C. Gray. W.C.'s father had worked as a sawyer for a number of years, and the Thrift family, Gray's maternal family, had ties to the Okefenokee Swamp, in Georgia. When W.C. continued the same work in 1956, upon joining with James Stephens, in Homerville, Ga., that family legacy continued. Stephens later became W.C.'s brother-in-law in 1961, when W.C. married Sylvia Thrift.
After working in the mountains of New Mexico for two years, where the declining market pushed them back to South Georgia, W.C. went to work for a company based out of Perry, Fla., on 100,000-acre land that was later bought out by Buckeye-Foley. Over a decade later, the Madison business came to fruition and began growing as W.C. Gray Logging was birthed. Before 1980, W.C. Gray Logging had formed into W.C. Gray and Son's as his brother-in-law, Buck Thrift; and his children: Jackie and Jerry, joined the business.
In 1998, Jackie was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, and passed away in 2001. W.C. and Buck's retirement from the logging company followed suit that same year. As Jerry remained, the following year proved his endurance as he transformed the business into Gray Logging, LLC.
Today, Gray Logging, LLC operates 14 semi-trucks and log trailers, and their main duty is to buy and harvest timber for a number of their partners. Currently, Gray Logging's primary mill is PCA, in Clyattville, Ga. Additionally, Gray Logging hauls wood to West Frazier, in Perry, Fla.; Langdale Forest Products, in Valdosta, Ga.; and Rayonier Advanced Products, in Quitman, Ga. and Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Gray Logging partners with a number of mills within a 100 mile radius of Madison, Fla., allowing the mills to create a number of products from the timber brought in by the Madison-based company. Gray details that hardwood pulpwood, pine poles, pine sawn timbers, pine chip-n-saws, hardwood logs and others are all products of North Florida trees.
"Trees are a resource that God gave us. God gave us dominion over the earth; not to destroy it, but to harvest it and plant it back," said Gray, pointing to his desktop computer, which was made in part using fiber from timber. "It's a renewable resource."
As Gray's business continues to operate from day to day, it doesn't avoid the hurdles he says that arise on a regular basis. "This is one of most challenging businesses that you can be in because there's so much change in it. It's like the weather in Florida," Gray adds. "You've got to be willing to adapt and change with it to be successful and be motivated and just think out of the box to stay in this business."
Jerry and Gray Logging stay involved in community workforce development; namely through Gray Logging's partnership with North Florida College to provide opportunities to North Florida and South Georgia community members in obtaining their CDL license.
"I think, nationwide, there's a shortage of drivers and, in this area, the drivers are getting up in age as a whole," said Josh Ensminger, an employee with Gray Logging, LLC since 2004. "Our average driving age is somewhere in the late 50s right now. So there's going to be a gigantic need for drivers. We saw this coming and Mr. Gray said 'Let's do something.'"
"We were actually thinking about going to Perry to begin with," said Gray, who stated that he helped gather the involvement of area loggers and foresters, as well as the inclusion of state grants with the assistance from former Florida Governor Rick Scott. And while donations funded the program, Gray took it upon himself to take it one step further.
"It was important to me to have a log truck and a log trailer at this school," said Gray. "We actually bought a truck and log trailer and donated it to the college."
Since the beginning of the program, Gray added that students of the program have participated in on-the-job training with Gray Logging.
Aside from the business started by his father, Gray went in on a partnership in 2015 with the business now known as Genesis Timber. Matt Webb, who is married to Gray's daughter, JeriAnn, owned Greenville Timber with his father, Gary Webb, until Gray bought Gary out and partnered with Webb.
Genesis Timber, genesis meaning "a new beginning," offers a variety of services such as timber management, providing individualized plans giving a land owner detailed advice and instructions on how to optimize timber growth and land use; and timber cruising, where technicians of Genesis Timber prepare an evaluation of the value of a stand of timber. Genesis Timber also offers thinning, clear cutting, select plantation cut and production oversight.
Gray is a board member of Southeastern Wood Producers Association, and is preparing to move into the role of Vice President. Gray is also a member of the American Loggers Council and the Florida Forestry Association.