FEATURE SERIES

From Civil Contractor to Forestry Foundations

Reed’s positive outlook was built on hard-earned experience. His journey started with a major career pivot during the 2008 economic recession. At that time, he was a successful civil contractor accustomed to the fast-paced world of housing developments and public works. When the housing bubble burst, the phone stopped ringing.

“In 2008 and 2009, when the economy crashed, I couldn’t buy a job,” he said.

Instead of viewing the standstill as a dead end, he sold his assets and took a job as an employee for a local contractor. He spent the next five years running the company’s forestry division and learning the specific demands of timber infrastructure. He realized that while the civil contracting world offered higher individual paydays, the forestry sector provided more consistent, long-term jobs.

“Civil work and what we do now are quite a bit different,” said Reed. “The paycheck is a lot smaller with what we’re doing right now, but we do a lot more of it.”

When the owner of that firm eventually decided to retire from the forestry side of the business, Reed did not hesitate. He saw an opportunity to get back into ownership, bought the division and renamed it R4 Contractors.

Based in Ethel, located about 20 miles from Chehalis, Washington, the company has established itself in a region where timber is the primary industry. By focusing on a start-to-finish service — handling everything from the initial clearing to the final rocking of the subgrade — R4 Contractors has become a vital partner for five major timber companies in the Pacific Northwest.

Transitioning to a New Fleet

As Reed built his business, he faced a significant hurdle: aging construction equipment. He had purchased the original fleet from his former employer, but the machines weren’t keeping up.

“We had bought the machines worn out … and it really was a struggle for us for the first five years, just keeping equipment moving and going,” he explained.

Seeking a change, Reed looked toward more reliable equipment and a dealer with a responsive staff. He found both at Cascade Trader, a local dealer he had known for years. After researching the experiences of other owners, he decided to purchase his first DEVELON DX225RB road builder, an iteration of a crawler excavator.

“I’d looked around, and I’d talked to a lot of guys that had the DEVELON equipment at the time,” said Reed. “And they were all satisfied. So, I began investing in a modern fleet where every machine was a 2022 model or newer.”

This shift wasn’t just about having shiny new paint; it was about operational uptime. In the woods, a broken hose or a failed hydraulic pump doesn’t just delay a job: It can strand a crew miles from civilization. By standardizing his fleet with the excavators, a DL220-7 wheel loader and a DD130 dozer, Reed’s team spends their 10-hour shifts moving dirt rather than worrying about downtime.

Performance in the Peaks

Reed chose his equipment based on its ability to help his employees stay efficient in high-production environments. The DX235LCR-7 reduced tail-swing excavator was essential for fish passage projects, where digging a massive footprint was not an option. “In the sensitive ecosystem of the Washington woods, upgrading a stream with a large fish culvert required a machine that could dig deep without a wide counterweight swing damaging the surrounding trees.”

His road builder was purpose-built for the task. Unlike standard excavators, this machine is wider and taller — allowing it to climb over stumps and debris that would have high-centered a civil-grade machine.

The Art of the Logging Road

Building a road in the forest is a coordinated dance of heavy machinery and environmental care. The process begins after a separate contractor cuts the right of way to remove standing timber. Reed’s team then moves in for clearing using heavy excavators to remove stumps and debris to create a clean slate.

From there, they build the subgrade, the vital foundation of the road. On relatively flat ground, a two-person crew could build between 800 and 1,000 feet of road in a single day. “That’s just with two people,” said Reed.

Once crews establish the grade, a rocking crew follows with dump trucks and a wheel loader to provide the durable surface loggers need for heavy loading and hauling.

R4 Contractors also specializes in reconstruction — restoring roads that have been neglected for as long as 40 years. Reed’s team whips through these projects, clearing decades of overgrowth to reveal the established grade underneath and transforming forgotten trails back into vital infrastructure.

Comfort in the Dark

Because the Pacific Northwest winters are dark, damp and cold, Reed’s machines are equipped for operator comfort. His team spends 10 hours a day in the cabs, so he ordered them with upgraded heated seats and top-tier climate control. The visibility provided by modern technology also played a massive role in safety and productivity.

Combined with 360-degree camera systems, these features allowed R4 Contractors to maintain a high level of production even during the shortest days of the year.

A Crew That Has Stayed for Decades

While the machines provide the muscle, Reed’s crew provides the heart of R4 Contractors. Despite 4 a.m. starts and 14-hour days, including commutes, some of his operators have been by his side for 20 years. They have followed him through his transition from an employee to an owner, a testament to the culture he has built.

Reed’s approach to labor is simple: He treats his people as long-term investments. He looks for local talent who have a desire to master a trade. He brings new hires on as truck drivers, teaching them the logistics of the forest before moving them into the cab of an excavator.

“When I hire someone, they have a full-time job,” said Reed. “I pride myself in keeping my people busy. With the industry we’re in, it takes a special kind of person to work out there. They’ve got to really like it, because it’s usually a two-hour commute each way, and then they work 10 hours a day. It makes for a long day.”

When veteran operators eventually retire, Reed is ready with a pipeline of younger talent who have been trained on the latest equipment technology, ensuring that the skill gap never stalls production.

By picking a specialized niche, investing in the best equipment and taking care of the people who did the work, Reed has created a company that is truly resilient.

Reed’s success comes down to a simple, positive philosophy: If you provide a steady job, use the right equipment and treat people with respect, you can weather any economic storm.