Was watching a...

[HiTech]

TV program about South American logging. They had the newest and best equipment...really putting wood up. Most of the species of trees I didn't know but they were big. I would imagine what they got per hour for wages wouldn't buy a cup of coffee here. A lot of it was going for saw logs and the rest to the paper mills that have been built there. I couldn't help think that the paper mill I worked at was one of them over there.

[Wudman]

One of my old college professors spent some time in Brazil a few years back looking at the logging industry there.  One of the jobs was supplying a local paper mill.  The wood they were cutting was literally just outside the gates of the mill.  His quote upon returning to the U.S. was "I have seen the future of forestry, and it is not in the U.S.".  He was telling me a little bit about the financials.  He said the delivered cost for that wood was about $7.00 / ton US.  I don't think we will be competing with that anytime soon.

Wudman

[Dom]

In 2008 the business I was working for wanted to open dealers in South America. Our President said "for all the mills that closed in our area, almost the same number opened in South America". North America will have to specialize its product in my opinion, as we can not compete on cost. Africa was also similar to South America.

[HiTech]

Everyone gets those annoying Telemarketer phone calls. I was told by a person who seemed to know about them and he told me those callers probably made less than $.50 per hour. I don't think anything is made in America today. I was looking at a new farm tractor (green) and was asking the dealer where it was made. He told me it was assembled in the US of A. The tires were mounted on it here. lol It's going to bite us in the butt yet.