FORTE = Operational Optimization

Derek Dougherty - Monday, August 02, 2021

FORTE = OPERATIONAL OPTIMIZATION ---- What do you think is the main limiting factor in your business? In the forest management / timber investment business, after decades of operational and research consulting, we have found that many people know what their biggest question is, and this is sometimes directly associated with their biggest limitation. Other times though, after a thorough assessment of their vision, methods, and structures, it is clear that they are blind to their real limiting factor, i.e. ‘they don’t know, what they don’t know’.  We’ve all been there, right?  The reason we don’t know at times is that we fall into ‘a box’ in regards to our actual potential.  We operate in a box when we don’t fully see or don’t keep up with expanding sector potential. This can occur for many reasons.
 
 How do we get out of the box? Our eyes must be opened. Insight must be encountered. Potential must be better visualized.  Vision must be grasped.  How? Where? Through research, observation and sharing. This is the power behind the Forest Owners Research and Technology Exchange (FORTE). When you get dozens of advanced timber investors in a room or circled up together in the forest with a focus topic, and you center the discussion around cutting-edge research results, that is a good place to be to either enlarge, or perhaps, absolutely destroy your ‘box’; to increase your vision of what is actually now possible.
 
 Out-of-the-box investors don’t just do the same old processes. Rather, they optimize the key processes that move the needle.  At this year’s Annual Exchange Meeting (September 14,15 --- Tuscaloosa AL; hosted by The Westervelt Company), we will discuss optimization of key forest plantation productivity and quality drivers and activities such as natural pine control, herbaceous weed control, genetic allocation, density decisions, and mid-rotation management. And we won’t just talk about doing the practices, but about optimizing the practices.
 
 The attached picture featuring Phil Dougherty is a great example of US South end-of-year-1 loblolly pine operationally optimized. On this 100-acre operational planting in SW GA, the year 1 average height was 3-4.5’, with many, many 4.5’ to 6’ individual trees. What was the secret? GenTreeXT LLC genotypes? Well-timed, non-toxic herbaceous weed and hardwood control? Soil stabilization and protection? Planting quality and timing? Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes --- Regime Optimization.

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