OLD FORGE, NY — On May 15, 2025, the Northeastern Loggers’ Association presented Jake and Alyson Bronnenberg with its 2024 Outstanding Logging Operator Award at the organization’s annual Loggers’ Banquet in Brewer, Maine.
Jake Bronnenberg was born into the logging business and has been a certified logger since he was 18 years old. As a youngster, he rode in the log truck with his dad, Jack, who is also a former Outstanding Logger award winner himself. As a young man he worked with his father for many years.
Nine years ago, Jake started his own logging business with his wife, Alyson. Alyson is the reins of the business, taking care of the accounting and office work. Jake works with his friend and independent contractor Wayne Pierce on some of his jobs, and recently Alyson’s brother started working for the Bronnenbergs.
Despite the rising costs of doing business, Jake and Alyson continue to persevere through the challenges and also find the time to teach and volunteer. Jake has been teaching safe and productive felling courses for the New Hampshire Timber Harvesting Council’s professional loggers’ program for at least fifteen years. Jake also volunteers his time in support of advocacy and workforce development. At the New Hampshire forest career field day in 2023, Jake demonstrated techniques in safe felling and skidding to 300 school-age children.
He is also volunteering to help revise the state’s voluntary bmp manual for the forest industry, “Good Forestry in the Granite State.”
As a testament to their exceptional work in the forest, Jake and Alyson’s timber harvesting services are regularly sought after and used by regional and statewide conservation groups. Their attention to detail and ability to safely and effectively harvest timber on land that gets a lot of recreational use, and therefore scrutiny, makes them a go-to contractor for these landowners.
The Northeastern Loggers’ Association, Inc. (NELA) was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Old Forge, New York. The organization has nearly 2,000 members in the region from Maine to Minnesota and Missouri to Maryland. NELA publishes the monthly magazine The Northern Logger & Timber Processor and hosts the annual Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Exposition (Loggers’ Expo). NELA hosts the Annual Awards Banquet every year on the evening prior to the opening of its annual Loggers’ Expo.
NELA serves its membership and the public by advocating for the wise stewardship of our forest resources. The organization develops programs that strengthen the forest products community and help members produce products to meet the needs of the American people.
Learn more about NELA at www.northernlogger.com