Dave tops Northland awards
DAVE WILSON SCOOPED THE TOP PRIZE AT THE NORTHLAND Forestry Awards in a record year of entries, celebrated in front of 540 guests in Whangarei last month.
As well as being awarded the Northland Forestry Skilled Professional of the Year, he also won the Harvesting Excellence Award.
Known as one of the most professional crew managers in the region, Dave has worked for Rosewarne Cable Loggers since 2013 and thrives on the challenge of running an efficient harvesting crew in often challenging terrain using a 90-foot tower.
While Dave has high expectations, he leads from the front. He has 11 national certificates, a testament to his quest to be the very best he can and with a keen eye to health and safety. He is a meticulous planner who is always looking to do a job better.
Growing up in Tokoroa, Dave always wanted to follow his father into the industry and worked for 13 years in the Waikato, starting as a breaker-out and rising to crew foreman, before shifting to Northland.
Since starting with Rosewarne Cable Loggers, he has been based in the Karaka Forest – an area with huge hills, long pulls, blind spots and open to the elements. Forestry companies he has worked for say he is the best around and the longevity of his own crew supports that.
Judge, Jacqui Apiata-Coyne, says Dave’s passion and expertise helped him develop into a highly skilled professional and an authentic leader, adding: “He is a man whose reputation precedes him – he leads a team who work in a demanding and complex environment.”
There was strong competition across the awards, now in their third year, including the newly Introduced Newey Transport Emerging Talent Award, which was won by Channing Green in a tightly-fought section.
Ms Apiata-Coyne says the calibre of entries was particularly high, adding: “The competition within the Emerging Talent Award, Harvesting Excellence and Roading Excellence was incredibly strong this year.
“The awards are becoming very difficult to judge, there is a high calibre among professionals within the industry and many of those recognised in our awards would be equally recognised on a national platform.”
2018 NORTHLAND FORESTRY AWARDS – WINNERS
Northland Skilled Forestry Professional of the Year 2018: Dave Wilson, Rosewarne Cable Loggers
Training Excellence
• Trainee of the Year: Brendon Sander, Douglas Logging
• Training Company/Contractor: Grimmer Contracting
Skilled Professionals
• Forestry Excellence: Hoani Te Taaki Poinga, Silviculture Contractors
• Roading Excellence: Tom Ringrose, Rosewarne Cable Loggers
• Harvesting Excellence: Dave Wilson, Rosewarne Cable Loggers
• Distribution Excellence: Daron Turner, Kaitaia Transport
• Wood Processing Excellence: Shane Mansell, Northpine
• Breaker Out Excellence: Jack Bryant, Rosewarne Cable Loggers
• Faller Excellence: Pepe Paniora, Douglas Logging
Special Award
• Emerging Talent: Channing Green, Lloyd Logging
Industry Development Awards
• Forestry Family of the Year: Subritzky Clarke Logging
• Contractor of the Year: Forest Protection Services, Kevin Ihaka
• Outstanding H&S Management: Forest Protection Services, Kevin Ihaka
• Outstanding Environmental: Wise on Wood, Michelle & Nigel Harrison NZL