HUBBARDSTON — Pirner Logging & Land Clearing of Hubbardston has been named the Massachusetts Wood Producer of the Year for 2021 by the Massachusetts Forest Alliance of Marlborough, according to a press release.

Chris Pirner began working in the woods with his brother and a friend after graduating from the Stockbridge School at UMass, starting with just a chainsaw and cable skidder. Today, the six-person business, which includes his wife, Jenny, and their sons, is mostly mechanized, allowing for higher productivity and creating a safer work environment.

Every year the company works on a variety of projects, from clearing individual lots to allow people to build, to thinning woodlands for landowners, to working on habitat restoration projects for Mass Wildlife or the Ware River Watershed. The company harvests timber and pulpwood and sells firewood and wood chips for different markets.

“I’ve enjoyed working in the woods my whole life and I enjoy the mix of different projects we work on,” said Chris Pirner. “It’s a challenging business and you are always having to adjust what you’re doing to deal with changes. Right now, the costs for fuel, insurance and tires have gotten crazy; it’s hard getting parts or equipment, and the cost of equipment is incredible.

“The most important thing in our business isn’t machinery but people. Good employees are really important to the success and survival of any business and you’ve got to take care of them. We’re lucky that the group of guys we have are really good at what they do and they are very good at fixing problems before they become major issues.”

“I’ve been on many jobs where the Pirners have been working over the years and they’ve all been done carefully and professionally,” said MFA board member Jamie Dammann. “They are truly deserving of this award due to the quality of their work.”

The Douglas B. Cook Wood Producer of the Year Award is presented to a timber harvester, sawmill operator, or forest products professional who exemplifies the late Doug Cook’s spirit of innovation and leadership in the industry.

The Massachusetts Forest Alliance represents woodland owners, foresters, timber harvesters, and forest products businesses and advocates for a strong, sustainable local forest economy. For more information, see www.massforestalliance.org