Shamco named ‘Logger of the Year’

Shamco has been named the recipient of the prestigious “Logger of the Year” award by the  Michigan Association of Timbermen. 
Established in 1997 by Jerry Shamion and his sons Todd, Scott, Eric and Ryan; Shamco is a full-service logging, timber harvesting and trucking company.

With over 80 collective years of experience in the timber harvesting industry, spanning three generations of the Shamion family, Shamco emphasizes efficiency, safety and environmental stewardship from the timber harvesting process to site cleanup and reforestation efforts. 

Shamco’s approximately 35 employees receive comprehensive training in sustainable forestry practices. Many have been with the company for more than 15 years.

Shamco runs six logging crews. The trucking fleet consists of eight self-loader log trucks and five tractors, which pull crib trailers or the company’s two lowboy trailers. Shamco also maintains a roster of road building equipment and dump trucks to build and maintain woods roads. In addition to its own crews, Shamco works with four subcontractor companies that together operate an additional six logging crews. 

In the past few years Shamco has expanded and diversified its business by forming Shamco Lumber in partnership with Jon Richter in 2018. The venture included retooling an existing lumber mill with new equipment, which was started up January 2021. Additionally, the  Shamion brothers partnered with Brad Suheski in 2021 and started S&S Tree Workx. S&S is a full-service tree removal, forestry mulching, site prep and excavation company. Almost 50 people are employed across the three entities.
Fundraising efforts for the company currently top $300,000, according to its own data, raised for cancer-related organizations including the Iron County Cancer Unit. Inspired by the family’s own experiences with cancer, the Shamion family has made it their mission to raise awareness and support cancer research initiatives. Shamco promotes cancer awareness with a pink logging truck and logging machines. They regularly participate in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, as well as the “Granny Gearing Up – Pedaling for a Cure” event. 

The company and its employees sponsor and host forestry field trips for grade school students. Its community involvement also includes support for veterans, local high school sports teams and business/trade clubs, and many community organizations such as booster clubs, local American Legion posts, the Iron County Fair and the U.P. Rodeo. Recently Shamco was named “Grand Marshal” for the 54th Annual U.P. Championship Rodeo Wild West parade through downtown Iron River.

The company has formed a unique partnership with the Purdue University Summer Forestry Class. For the past 10 years, university forestry students have spent a day at the Shamco shop with an overview of logging and lumber mill operations. A site visit to an active Shamco timber sale follows, allowing the students firsthand experience of the timber harvesting process and timber product merchandising. Since the addition of the mill, a tour of the Shamco Lumber facility has been included. The students scale and grade several logs and follow those logs through the mill, examining the resulting volume and grade of lumber produced from those logs. 

“We are deeply honored to receive this award from the Michigan Association of Timbermen,” Todd Shamion said. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, as well as our commitment to upholding the highest standards of excellence in the  timber industry.”