Northern Ireland Visit to Glendale Tree Services

Members and guests of the N Ireland branch of IAgrE recently enjoyed an interactive presentation about the work of, Randalstown, Co.Antrim,  based, Glendale Tree Services. This family enterprise was set up in 2004 by the husband and wife team of Stewart and Kirstie Cameron on their family farm where at that stage its main enterprise was a 50 cow dairy herd. They described how they had started a farm diversification project, on the basis of a tree and hedge maintenance operation service, for others in the area. There was active demand and a management decision was made to expand the venture rather than invest in further development of the dairy herd which they sold in 2005.  

By 2009 mainstream forestry work was central and prompted the acquisition of more specialist equipment. Stewart trained and qualified as a tree surgeon and these skills were extended to other people in the team.

This high level of skill and safety management remains top priority for the present workforce, now involving 15 staff, including their two sons Sam and James and Stewart’s brother Malcolm. Together they cover a range of plant operation and manual chain-saw skills, which enables Glendale Tree Services to provide a broad range of services, including-
Tree and hedge maintenance
Tree felling and removal
Tree pruning and crown reduction
Stump removal
Site clearances
A 24 hour storm damage call-out service
Forestry contract services
Biomass chipping and fuel supply
Composted woodchip mulch and firewood sales

Harvest equipment
The present range of specialist machines has been acquired to harvest both mature standing trees and those wind fallen during severe storm conditions. This includes a modern 6 wheel-drive Komatsu 931 XC harvester, with its harvester head carried on a 90m folding boom.  The operator controls felling, branch removal and selected length cross cutting of the felled trunks from within the enclosed cab. A Komatsu 855 forwarder then collects and transports the harvested trunks for further stacking and facilitate subsequent collection by road transport HGVs. The 165 kW 855 forwarder is an 8wd rough-terrain center-steer articulated vehicle which can carry its 14t load of trunks over uneven terrain. It loads and unloads with its own 10m reach grapple crane.  

Felling standing trees with a team like this can handle up to around 180 tonnes / day. Dealing with fallen trees is more challenging, at up to 100 t /day, with manual chain saw work often needed to remove side branches. There also tends to be more wear on the cutting-chains due to soil contamination. Whilst 3-4 day service intervals are possible on peat soils,2 -3 days are more typical when working in more abrasive grit type soils.
GPS based electronic monitoring of machine performance and location is a developing management aid within the industry.

Chipper combination
It was of special interest to have Glendale’s high capacity wood chipper combination within the actual presentation location and to be able to examine all of its impressive technical features. The chipper unit is PTO powered by a forestry-specification 280 hp Valtra T255 tractor. The tractor is fitted with a long-reach crane and grab, 30 speed (forward and reverse) transmission and reversible operator seating position and controls. The closed centre hydraulics system can pump 200 litres / minute. The T255, directly tows the chipper, on its air braked trailer, on public roads between the various work sites.

During the static chipping work, the trailer remains coupled with the tractor powering both the PTO drive and the crane grab for loading the chipper intake table.  The Heizohack HM-10 500 chipper has a capacity of 60-90 cubic metres per hour and can chip solid trunk material of up to 500mm diameter (almost 20 inches) with its 495mm diameter, chopping drum.  Its radially spaced individual blades can be easily removed for sharpening. An outlet grid filters out course fragments before the stream of wood chips gets blown into adjacent transport or store via its pivoting discharge spout. Autoload intake sensing protects the system, and the operator can also regulate the flow remotely from within the tractor cab.   
After the harvesting and stacking of the commercially suitable timber, all the rest is taken off the site for firewood production, chipped for biomass fuel or organic composting to produce bulk woodchip mulch.

Woodchip is in high demand for fuel use. This involves pre-drying to 20 % DM. Glenvale’s own process involves a grain-type grid drying floor with heated air from their own wood fueled boiler. During summer conditions this takes 4 -5 days but 6 days, or more, during winter. The product is sold directly to customers or via other suppliers as fuel for biomass boilers.

With the increasing commercial activity, the next Cameron generation are now also involved. Eldest son Sam has a 1st class Forestry degree from Bangor University and is now Greenvale’s harvesting manager. His brother James is the tree surgery team’s manager and their sister Anna is the office manager.

The previous farmyard is now devoted to the tree service business, and 27 acres of the surrounding land has been planted with a selection of tree species for future harvesting.

This most interesting and enjoyable interactive presentation closed with thanks from NI Branch IAgrE chairman Peter Verhoeven. The well attended meeting was also unique to our Branch as its first joint presentation to us by a husband and wife management team. We wish them and their family continuing success with this impressive business. Thanks, are also due to CAFRE Greenmount Campus for use of their impressive indoor facilities for this event. Further information and contacts about Glendale Tree Services can be viewed here

Photos from L-R clockwise
Ian Duff with Stewart & KIrstie Cameron and Peter Verhoeven. 
Chipper, with intake folded for transport.
Hemzohack chipper, showing the feed inlet.
Ian & Kirstie with Peter