Thompson Timber Harvesting - Peyton Thompson
Conecuh County native, Peyton Thompson, was first introduced to logging by his uncle who needed some help maintaining equipment. Starting off in his teens, Peyton learned how to grease and maintain all the equipment. He started off running the saw and over time learned how to run each piece of equipment. Two years after school he decided to join his uncle full time running the skidder. An avid outdoorsman, Thompson quickly realized he wanted to make a career out of logging because in his words, “I would go crazy if I had to work in an office all day”.
In 2010, Thompson went to work for Wilco Timber and soon after became a crew leader. Thompson realized early that, “a hardworking logger with good business sense could make a good living and support a family.” He worked tirelessly to be the best at what he does so that one day he could possibly own and operate his own crew. In 2015, that opportunity presented itself, and Peyton started Thompson Timber Harvesting. When asked, what keeps him logging…he quickly answered “I am good at it and I know if we do the right things we can be successful. We can help manage a landowner’s property so that is sustainable and profitable for many years to come. It’s very satisfying to look back at a job and know we are taking care of our natural resource but also the landowners in our communities.”
When asked how can we keep our logging force strong into the future, Thompson responded, “Find and train good workers who take pride in what they do.” Thompson has had the same crew since he went into business in 2015, each with varying degrees of experience. It was great to hear that he had trained one of his crew members “much like himself” starting in his teens and learning the ins and outs of the operation. When you find the right guys to work with, it makes work all the more enjoyable.
Hard work and passion has allowed Peyton to turn his logging aspirations into a successful reality. It is encouraging to see a logging crew like Thompson Timber Harvesting keeping the wood moving from Stump to Mill, NOW and for MANY YEARS into the future.