Timber Forest, the PONSSE retailer of 2019, has been Ponsse’s retailer since 2015. It operates in Southern Brazil, in the regions of Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. "The company has very quickly achieved the leading market position in its sales region, and the sale of PONSSE products has developed significantly from the previous year", said Marko Mattila, Ponsse’s Sales, Service and Marketing Director. The jury stated that the well-run company is disciplined in its development activities, aiming to work for the best of its customers in all situations. The company also possesses excellent training and marketing expertise which helps to make the cut-to-length method more widely known in Brazil.

The retailer of the year shares Ponsse’s values
 

Timber Forest Equipamentos, part of Rodoparana Group, is a family-owned company, which currently employs 360 people. The company sells, maintains and installs harvesting technology and, since its establishment in 2001, has been a significant driver in the spread of mechanical harvesting in Southern Brazil.

Cooperation with Ponsse started in 2015 when Timber Forest was looking for a new partner as a supplier of CTL technology. Ponsse’s subsidiary Ponsse Latin America Ltda had operated in Brazil since 2005 and was aiming to increase its market share. “Ponsse gave us a warm welcome, and we immediately recognised ourselves in the company. Both companies were firmly customer-driven and had long-term partnerships. In just a month, we were already in Vieremä, Finland, signing a retail agreement with Ponsse”, says Jober Fonseca, General Director of Timber Forest.

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Tailored for customers’ needs



Southern Brazil is home to large eucalyptus plantations, from which wood is harvested for pulp and paper production. In addition to eucalyptus, pine trees are grown in the region to meet the needs of the sawmill industry. Customers range from corporations that own dozens of machines and harvest more than 400,000 tons per month to small forest owners with a single machine chain. Both need services that support their operations, from machine selections to training and customised maintenance services.

Brazil’s forestry markets are among the most competitive in the world, while mechanisation is still in progress. “Timber Forest specialises in improving the competitiveness of forest companies. We not only sell technology, but, above all, provide our customers with strong support, so that they can have access to the best possible technology and so that the selected technology is as productive as possible. Customer relationships are partnerships, success in which is the most important driver in our operations. None of this would be possible if it were not for the support we receive from Ponsse’s factory”, Jober Fonseca says.

“Because there is a shortage of skilled employees, and exchange rates make machines and spare parts expensive, our customer relationships are a little different than in many other markets. Harvesting companies not only buy machines, but they also select a partner that they can trust when selecting technologies and that support their operations by ensuring a high level of training, machine performance and maintenance services”, Fonseca says.

Proud of the Team
 

The availability of spare parts is one of the cornerstones of customer service. However, a broad range of spare parts is not the company’s most important investment – its employees are. Technical expertise is what makes the company proud and, together with effective spare parts services, has enabled rapid customer support. Currently, the company mainly sells PONSSE harvester heads. As a business area, this calls for special expertise due to different base machine solutions. According to Jober Fonseca, the most important factor in harvester head operations is the ability to understand customer needs from top to bottom.

“We define the correct harvester head and forwarder for each customer’s base machine solution and install harvester heads so that everything works perfectly together. Mechanics who adjust and calibrate machines must know what they are doing, and there is no room for failure. This is why a professional and committed installation team is a key success factor alongside our other services. We are grateful for having long-standing employees and excellent people who lead our company forward”, says Jober Fonseca, thanking his employees.

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