At the end of October we were in fortunate position of being approved for a LEADER grant to assist in funding our forestry growth. This has meant we are in the process of expanding of capabilities through reinvesting in some more equipment.

What will the LEADER grant provide to customers?

The funding has allowed us to invest in larger extraction equipment, meaning we can move/handle larger timber in greater volumes meaning more efficiency for both ourselves and our customers. We still strive for minimal impact on the ground with extraction equipment having large flotation tyres to leave the lightest footprint. The larger capacity also means we are able to move more timber in one go which means if you have a longer lead from the wood to your preferred stacking site there are less trips back and forwards.

One of the other significant changes is the purchase of a mechanised harvester. This is mechanical harvesting head based on a 5.5 ton excavator. This give us a low impact harvesting system ideally suited to sensitive sites and first thinnings where access is limited. We still manually cut alongside this machine on larger trees but the excavator gives us the ability to leave a tidy site ready for extraction with less manual effort = faster/cheaper for the customer. Paired with our alpine tractor and 3 ton trailer this set up is phenomenal in first thinnings not suitable/economical for large harvesters.

We were exceptionally lucky to have assistance from BRCC in compiling our LEADER application, with thanks to both Julie and Ros who kept us on the straight and narrow and ensured the process was as smooth and painless as these things can be.

If you would like to discuss what we are able to undertake with the equipment please feel free to give us a call or email Contact Us.

For pictures of the equipment as it arrives over the next few moLeadernths please keep an eye on our facebook page Red Kite Facebook