HIGH PROFILE – EXPOFOREST BRAZIL 2011, CONTD Your friendly neighbour in Brazil
Komatsu Forest has been developing its Brazilian operations for decades and is perfectly placed to take advantage of the current boom in eucalyptus harvesting. International Forest Industries editor Chris Cann spoke with Komatsu Forest’s man-on- the-ground, Roger Amren, about the changing environment and the necessary technologies for coping with one of the toughest species in the industry
911.4 Harvester, 890.3 Forwarder, 370E Head
International Forest Industries: How did you get started in the forestry sector?
Roger Amren: I started working with forestry machines 35 years ago in Sweden. It was kind of a family business and my family had been working with forestry their whole lives so I grew up with it. Most of my family today are contractors, own forestry machines or work in the forestry sector in some capacity.
IFI: So how did you end up in Brazil? RA: I was working with a Komatsu Forest Company in Sweden many, many years ago now, which offered me the opportunity to go down to Brazil to represent the company there. That was about 22 years ago. I went to do that job and after spending four or five months here in that first trip I really enjoyed the job. The company sent me back again willingly and the second time I spoke with the dealer in Brazil and organised to stay and work with him. I got my chance to stay and I took it so since then I have been down here.
IFI: So Brazil obviously agrees with you then? RA: I went from a position in Norway where it was about -37 ° to a job in Brazil where it was close to 37° on the right side of zero so it was a pretty easy decision for me.
Roger Amren 48 International Forest Industries | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011
IFI: How has the forestry scene in Brazil changed in your time there? RA: When I first came here we were the first ones to really try to mechanise the industry. There were some machines already here but nothing really of any note. I was travelling around with the engineering managers from Sweden and we tried to see what we could find in the way of harvesting operations. We saw a lot of mules and horses still in the field and hundreds and thousands of chainsaw operations working around the country. So we saw an opportunity. Komatsu Forest had bought the dealer in Brazil so was already moving into
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