Power Equipment Trade magazine Editorial Adviser Dan Shell has the opportunity to visit Shasta Valley Chain Saw in Yreka, California. Despite a reduction in forest products mills in the local area, timber cutting and logging remain a big part of the local economy, and Shasta Valley Chain Saw here is a classic saw shop throwback business that closely reflects a bygone era—right down to the benches and chairs surrounding the wood stove in a corner of the showroom. Owners Tom and Janis Higgs, married 45 years, are keeping it simple at the dealership: Counter purchases are written out by hand, there’s no labor rate and wheeled products have never darkened the door. In the local market, “Way back when I started cutting timber, there were 25-plus mills in the area,” including lumber, panel and paper mills, Higgs says. He adds that while lumber production and logging in his market area has gone down in terms of overall employment in the area, “There’s a lot more being done in the woods with less people these days.”

Featured Story: “At Shasta, Pro Saws Rule Roost”

Written By: Dan Shell
Company: Shasta Valley Chain Saw
Location: Yreka, California
PET Issue: June 2017

Check out other articles in the June 2017 issue of Power Equipment Trade magazine.
Power Equipment Trade magazine’s June 2017 issue features Yreka, California’s Shasta Valley Chain Saw whose experience and exclusive focus brings success. A special section features the 2017 Chain Saw Annual, highlighting the latest in chain saw technology and accessories, and includes up-to-date Chain Saw Specification Charts. Also featured is Watson Chapel, Arkansas’ Chapel Hardware, whose owner made a second career in taking on a hardware store and power equipment dealership. The Dealer Spotlight details Delmont, Pennsylvania’s Fletcher’s Sales and Service recent expansion and building of a new location. Other articles cover the latest industry news and new products.