Shell Creek Logging - Reid Dumas

Much like a lot of Alabama forestry career stories, this one starts back a few generations in Wilcox County. Reid’s Grandfather, Ken Dumas, was hired by MacMillan Bloedel in 1966 and retired as the Manager Controlled Lands Administration. Both of his sons ended up working in Forestry and or the Pulp & Paper industry. Reid’s father, Clay, made his living in the woods (running logging crews, buying and selling timber, and consulting). Reid had always enjoyed spending time in the woods and as he puts it, “I feel at home when I am in the woods.” In between school years, Reid was looking for an opportunity to make some extra money and landed his first skidder job with Wilco Timber out of Camden, AL. For the next 10 years, he worked his way up learning the different parts of the operation, ended up becoming a crew foreman, and eventually had the opportunity to buy the crew and make it his own. When asked, what made it click this is what you want to do forever? Dumas responded, “Being out in the woods away from the hustle and bustle is where I want to be, I enjoy working with my crew…I love what I do, Honestly I couldn’t see myself doing anything other than this...Even if my phone never stops ringing.” Reid has also started to bring along the younger generation, finding summer or weekend help trimming loads, learning how to run the skidder, and taking care of our natural resources.

It’s great to see hard work pay off. More so, it is great to see a crew like Shell Creek Logging keeping the wood moving from Stump to Mill, NOW and for MANY YEARS into the future.