While attending Pembroke Academy Jeff began his logging and forestry career in the mid seventies clearing land for a local Christmas tree grower. He then went to work for several small logging contractors as a hand cutter. It is at that time that he developed his sense of the best utilization of forest products.
After graduation from Pembroke Academy in 1979, Jeff attended the University of New Hampshire Thompson School of Forestry. After completing his Thompson School studies in 1981, Jeff purchased his first cable skidder and became a logging contractor. Over thirty years later, Jeff and the Fort Mountain Company crews are supplying domestic and foreign markets with high quality forest products including fuel chips to local power plants and industry. Another successful component is the landowner assistance program that manages over 30,000 acres for timber, wildlife, recreation and water protection. What started as a one man operation has grown into one of the most innovative forestry companies in New England that employs 18 full time and 2 part time people.
Throughout his career Jeff has received the NH Logger of the Year Award, the Northeast Logger of the year award and numerous industry awards for education and safety. He served 4 years on the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Timber Owners Association and 4 years on the Board of Directors for the NH Timber Harvesting Council. Fort Mountain Companies has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and television programs.
Jeff's true love for the forest has been a part of his business success. His hobbies include hunting adventures, striped bass fishing, managing and growing wildlife feed plots as well as managing his own woodlands as a working tree farm. Jeff is the current President of the New Hampshire Chapter Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA), a nonprofit group promoting healthy deer habitat and education including scholarships to NH individuals. He resides in Epsom, NH with his wife, Rachel, their daughter, Ashley, and their son, Taylor.
