FRA’S 2025 SOUTHCENTRAL REGION OUTSTANDING LOGGER AWARD
DONALD AND JARED DOUTHIT WITH DOUTHIT TIMBER CO., LLC, RECOGNIZED AS
FRA’S 2025 SOUTHCENTRAL REGION OUTSTANDING LOGGER AWARD WINNER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– Friday, April 11, 2025
Morrilton, AR, April 9, 2025 – The Forest Resources Association (FRA) honored Donald and Jared Douthit with Douthit Timber Co., LLC from Wellington, AL, as the 2025 Southcentral Region Outstanding Logger Award winner at FRA’s Southcentral Region Spring Meeting in Morrilton, Arkansas. Clay Altizer, FRA’s Southwide Region Manager, introduced Douthit Timber Co., LLC as this year’s winner and invited Ben Smith, Executive Director of the Alabama Loggers Council, to come to the podium to share his thoughts on the Douthit family and why they were nominated for the award.
“Jared and Donald Douthit, Douthit Timber Company, are solid business-minded individuals. They have a deep understanding of trucking, the markets they serve, and their position in those markets. With their concern for employee safety, their community outreach on logging opportunities for students, and their core business values, they are the best of the best!” – Ben Smith, Alabama Loggers Council
Altizer then presented Donald and Jared Douthitwith an engraved cherry and black walnut cross-cut saw plaque. They graciously accepted the award on behalf of their entire family and the Douthit Timber Co., LLCteam. The FRA Outstanding Logger Award, sponsored by STIHL, Inc., also included a check along with a voucher for a STIHL MS 462 chainsaw as part of the award package.
| FRA’s 2025 Southcentral Region Outstanding Logger Award winner and presenters. Pictured Left to Right: Clay Altizer, FRA Southwide Region Manager; Laurie, Donald, Jared, Jennifer, and Samantha Douthit; and Robby Toombs, FRA Southcentral Region Steering Committee Chair. |
| FRA’s 2025 Southcentral Region Outstanding Logger Award winners. Pictured Left to Right: Donald and Jared Douthit of Douthit Timber Co., LLC |
Douthit Timber Company: From Humble Beginnings to Regional Success
Founded in 2018 by father and son team Donald and Jared Douthit, Douthit Timber Company has quickly grown into a leading logging operation in Calhoun County, Alabama. Building on a family legacy in forestry, Jared returned to the woods after a successful early career with the Calhoun Water Authority. What began with a $5,000 used log truck and a small crew has evolved into a sophisticated operation with 10 employees and a fleet of modern equipment. Today, Douthit Timber Company produces approximately 75,000 tons of pulpwood and sawtimber annually, serving six area mills and providing high-quality harvesting services—primarily clearcuts—for private landowners across the region.
Douthit Timber Company places the highest priority on safety across all aspects of its operations. New hires undergo a 90-day probationary period focused on observation and learning, regardless of previous experience, to ensure full understanding of the company’s safety expectations. The crew holds formal safety meetings, and in the event of a near miss, an immediate stand-down is conducted to address the issue and implement corrective actions. For its trucking operations, Douthit Timber leverages advanced technology to monitor driver performance, with automated safety reports reviewed weekly. Thanks to this proactive and disciplined approach, the company has maintained a record of zero employee injuries since its founding.
Clay Altizer, FRA Southwide Region Manager, stated, “Donald and Jared are consummate professionals and exemplify everything we look for in an Outstanding Logger Award winner. I was instantly impressed with their overall professionalism, attention to detail, and safety-first mentality. I especially admire and appreciate their activism in the local school system to recruit the next generation’s logging workforce. Business succession planning is a top priority for the logging profession, and the Douthit family is passionate about inspiring high school students to consider the logging profession as an attractive career path. They are a first-class operation in every regard.”
About Forest Resources Association (FRA)
FRA is an association representing the interests of more than 300 organizations and businesses in the forest products industry, including forest landowners, suppliers, consuming mills, associated businesses, and state forestry associations. Members all share a common interest – they rely on FRA to promote the public policy interests of the forest products industry’s supply chain on Capitol Hill and our work to advance safety, operational and technical efficiencies, and supply chain relations. FRA has member representation in 49 states and 384 Congressional Districts.
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