Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic DevelopmentDivision of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing

P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0806

Alaska Business License # 1000494

This is to certify that

DANIEL W. KRUSZE / DKSAFETY

10250 JAMESTOWN DRIVE, # 1 ANCHORAGE AK 99507

owned by

DANIEL W KRUSZE

This license shall not be taken as permission to do business in the state without

having complied with the other requirements of the laws of the State or of the United States.

This license must be posted in a conspicuous place at the business location.

It is not transferable or assignable.

Fred Parady

Commissioner

is licensed by the department to conduct business for the period

January 09, 2015 through December 31, 2015

for the following line of business:

54 - Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Daniel (Dan) W. Krusze 10250 Jamestown Drive, # 1; Anchorage, AK 99507 Cell 24/7: (907) 903-0596 dkrusze@gci.net

Professional Profile / Skill Set:

Extensive experience w/ Federal and State OSHA, NIOSH, ANSI, and NFPA 70E codes/regulations: First-hand interaction w/ a wide range of Labor/Occupational Safety and Heath staff members regarding compliance programs such as VPP and SHARP. Demonstrated proficiency in field and facility auditing to determine and improve client/employer’s successful inclusion in the above-referenced programs.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training/selection (involving partners such as Airgas and Grainger) to ensure matching of equipment to field usage. Collaboration w/ factory representatives in numerous compliance areas (fall protection, electrical/chemical/air quality testing equipment, respirators, and hand/eye safety) in teaching compliance/usage specifics to various work groups in classroom, indoor on-site, as well as outdoor field environments.

Excellent interpersonal and training skills with employees, management, trade organizations/groups and

logistics providers/partners, giving a wide-ranging variety of presentations on technical topics: Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, AHTNA Construction, NANA Oilfield Services, Homer Electric Association, U.S. Corp of Engineers; numerous other organizations re: OSHA PIT/Forklift regulations compliance; STG Construction and Alaska Crane Service re: OSHA 10-hour Construction elective coursework in equipment exclusion zones and PIT/Forklift classroom training. Currently affiliated w/ J.J. Keller and Business and Legal Reports (BLR) to provide numerous training programs.

HSSE consultation, training, and loss control work with numerous firms and organizations in Alaska, the Pacific NW, California, and the Gulf of Mexico states with specialization in warehousing, food/hospitality safety, residential/commercial construction, commercial fleet transportation compliance, civil construction, logging/milling, and other heavy industrial/trade applications.

Employment Qualifications / Training:

Formulated and developed numerous employers’/client’s Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (IIPP) in advance of the pending Federal OSHA “I2P2 / P3” standard / requirement.

Managed employer’s Worker’s Compensation programs, including return-to-work and fitness-for-duty.

Qualified as an OSHA 500 Trainer (update pending);10 and 30 hour courses, with emphasis in facility/site management, excavation, and fall protection electives.

Currently studying to attain Certified Health and Safety Professional (CHSP) credential, as well as advanced OSHA coursework and regulatory updates.

Completed NSTC Unescorted North Slope Safety Orientation (Awareness Level).

Implemented and conducted company PIT/forklift training sessions (classroom and on-site), following personal certification through formal training and occupational experience w/ various forklifts.

Achieved facilitator credentials through MEDIC First Aid to teach Basic First Aid / CPR / AED classes.

Administered employer’s DOT/FMCSA Controlled Substance and Alcohol Testing (C/SAT) for regulated

drivers (Class A and B), as well as current CSA 2010 program initiatives.

Participation/Affiliations with Government and Industrial Trade Associations:

National Safety Council (NSC): Individual member for Alaska via West Coast (CA) Chapter Alaska Safety Advisory Council (ASAC): Appointed as the Public Sector representative/member Alaska Governor’s Safety & Health Conference: Participant/guest speaker re: Federal OSHA, AK-OSH compliance, IIPP design/authoring, and Worker’s Compensation insurance; Vendor/Exhibitor Assignment Chairperson; Sponsorship Co-Chairperson; Marketing Chairperson Alaska Trucking Association (ATA): Associate member / service-consultation provider to the group

Denali Safety Council (DSC): Member of the DSC Board of Directors; frequent presenter Petroleum Club of Anchorage (PCA): Associate member

California Trucking Association (CTA): Past member of CTA Board of Directors; past member of the state-wide committee for Safety, Security, and Human Resources Policy; past CTA Sierra-Cascade Unit Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, “Kingpin” legislative advocate, and promoter/organizer of various local CTA events

Employment History in Safety: 2006-present HSSE / DOT / HR Contractor – Owner / DKSafety Clients: TDX Power/M2C1,The Northwest Company, BP-Exploration AK,

Saltchuk/Inlet Petroleum, Northern Lights Energy, etc.

6/2010-2/2012 HSE Field Specialist for TAPS Projects AHTNA Construction; Anchorage, AK 7 thru 10/ 2010 HSSE Contractor / BP MC252 Oil Spill Response ESS/Gulf; Lafayette, LA

2008-2009 Field Safety Professional / AK AMERISAFE Insurance; DeRidder, LA 1999-2006 Company Safety Director John Wheeler Logging, Inc.; Red Bluff, CA

Education:

Shasta College Business Administration 1971-1973 University of Oregon Bus. Admin. / Accounting 1973-1975

Professional / Personal References: Herbert (“Safety Herb”) E. Everett Safety Consultant, dba “Safety Herb”

Former Director of Safety and Worker’s Compensation Westmark Hotels – Alaska / Yukon

Anchorage, AK (907) 337-1809 safety_herb@aol.com Skip Boomershine Safety Coordinator / Local IBEW # 1547 Project Manager / Reddi Electric Anchorage, AK (907) 952-8161 swboomershine@gmail.com

George Shedlock Trainer / Instructor – MSHA Coursework

Mining and Petroleum Training Service Palmer, AK (907) 242-1606 georgeshedlock@yahoo.com

Chris Pobieglo Principal / Broker

Business Insurance Associates, Inc. Anchorage, AK (907) 274-4142 chris@businessinsuranceassociates.com BG(R) Wendell B. McLain Former Incident Field Commander / AL, MS, and FL Areas BP MC252 Maconda Spill Response Instructor / Auburn University Auburn, AL (205) 288-1851 (e-mail n/a)

Tim Huegel Supervisor, Motor Carrier Safety Unit / Northern Division

California Highway Patrol Redding, CA (530) 917-4280 1cmvconsultant@gmail.com

Daniel (Dan) W. Krusze 632 ½ Cowles Avenue; Red Bluff, CA 96080 Cell 24/7: (530) 200-2996 danielkrusze@aol.com Home: (530) 528-8105

Professional Profile:

Extensive experience w/ OSHA Codes, Worker’s Compensation (W/C), and related disciplines Knowledgeable in the various applications and proper uses of PPE and other safety equipment Constant updating of my training qualifications re: GISO and Construction OSHA Codes w/CBT Excellent interpersonal and training skills with employees, management, and sub-contractors Punctual, organized, self-starter that works well individually and/or as a part of a team system Experienced in providing contributions/articles to various trade magazines and newsletters Recently performing consultation work with local small businesses re: all of the above topics

Employment Qualifications:

Formulated and developed employer’s IIPP and the Employee’s HR and Safety Handbook Enforced all essential governmental regulations and company policies relating to health and safety Recently completed the prerequisites/requirements for OSHA 500 “Train the Trainer” program Implemented and conducted company PIT (forklift) training, following personal certification Achieved facilitator credentials through MEDIC First Aid to teach Basic First Aid / CPR Taught classes re: Hazard Communications, Haz-Mat, and HM-232 Facility/Job Site Security Administered employer’s DOT/FMCSA Controlled Substance and Alcohol Testing (C/SAT) Maintained employer’s Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and HW Management Plan Developed a computer-based “paperless” record keeping system to chronicle safety records Worked with upper management to refine short and long-term strategies re: HR and W/C

Participation/Affiliations with Industrial Trade Associations:

California Trucking Association (CTA): Member of CTA Board of Directors; member of two state-wide committees: Safety, Security, and Human Resources Policy Committee and Environmental Policy Committee; CTA Sierra-Cascade Unit Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson; “Kingpin” legislative advocate; promoter/organizer of various local CTA events Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference (SCLC): Member of the Board of Directors; Space Sales and Assignment Chairperson; Moderator/Chairperson, SCLC Trucker’s Seminar Associated California Loggers and Logger’s Association of Northern California: Served as employer’s representative at many organization functions for both groups; gave numerous presentations as an invited presenter and/or panel member at safety-related presentations and annual organization conventions, meetings, and other get-togethers.

Employment History:

Safety / HR Consultant Kingsway S&M / TriMax, PCIA, NSM 2006 to date Company Safety Director John Wheeler Logging, Inc.; Red Bluff, CA 1999-2006 Yarder Engineer Tri-Tower Logging Company; Gualala, CA 1996-1998 Foreman/Equip. Operator John Wheeler Logging, Inc.; Red Bluff, CA 1993-1996

Education:

Shasta Union High School College Preparatory Class of 1971 Shasta College Business Administration 1971-1973 University of Oregon Bus. Admin. / Accounting 1973-1975

References:

Assembly Member Doug La Malfa 2nd District, California State Assembly Richvale / Sacramento, CA

Assembly Member Rick Keene 3rd District, CA State Assembly Chico / Sacramento, CA

Robert D. Peterson, Esq. Principal, Peterson Law Corporation Rocklin, CA Richard (Ric) Kidder Senior Transportation Safety Specialist, Pacific Region Staffmark Transportation Ontario, CA

Tim Huegel Supervisor, Motor Carrier Safety Unit Northern Division, CA Highway Patrol Redding, CA Tammy Boone Owner / Manager Compliance Associates, Inc. Redding, CA

Ed Walker Managing Partner / Vice-President Robinson Enterprises, Inc. Nevada City, CA

John Miller / Ron Hartman / Cheryl Holder Vice-President / Head Mechanic / Office Manager John Wheeler Logging, Inc. Red Bluff, CA

Contact information for any of the above available upon request.

Professional Powerhouse Wheeler Logging Inc. rides quality performance to 2003 Timber Harvesting award.

by Dan Shell

It's late July in north central California, and the weather is brutal, with temperatures soaring above 105° F. Inside the large offices of Wheeler Logging Inc., Office Manager Cheryl Holder trains a new truck dispatcher, and her husband, President Dave Holder, sifts through production reports. Vice President Johnny Miller, who serves as general crew supervisor, prepares for a parts-run to one of the company's eight crews. And every so often, yet another load of logs rolls by the office, which faces state Highway 36, a major route into the Sierra Cascade foothills and mountains where Wheeler Logging has forged a sterling reputation.

RED BLUFF, Calif.

The Timber Harvesting Logging Business of the Year award for 2003 goes to Wheeler Logging Inc., the sixth in a select group of top-notch logging contractors named to the award since it was inaugurated in 1998.

Logging Business of the Year award winners are chosen by the TH editorial staff on the basis of solid business and operational performance both in and out of the woods, career longevity, leadership, integrity and pro-industry involvement. Wheeler Logging makes a fine addition to the honor roll of previous winners and continues the publication's tradition of highlighting industry's top performers.

The 74-year-old Holder and the consummate professionals staffing the Wheeler team have built a powerhouse logging company in the midst of the most challenging business and forestry climate in the country. John Wheeler Logging had been a successful company for decades prior to the founder's death in 1988. Since then the business has bounced back from the brink of financial disaster, upgraded its equipment lineup to better handle a smaller timber resource and developed a state-of-the art safety program in response to a workers' comp insurance crisis.

All this happened while the company moved a mountain of wood. The largest contractor linked to Sierra Pacific Industries and rated as one of the nation's top 10 logging firms by volume, Wheeler Logging Inc. in 2002 moved 16,258 loads of logs and more than 4,000 loads of chips, representing 75MMBF and more than 56,000 tons, respectively.

Along the way, Holder and Wheeler Logging were named the Sierra-Cascade Logging Conference's 1999 Logger of the Year. The business is also a member of Associated California Loggers, Logger's Assn. Of Northern California, the California Trucking Assn. and California Chamber of Commerce.

Background

Born in Ohio in 1929, Holder and his family moved to California in the middle of the Great Depression, then relocated to Shady Cove in southwest Oregon right after World War II. Soon after, Holder went to work in the woods as a faller and bucker, just in time to get in on the last years of misery whip hand saw work.

He entered the Army in 1949 and served in the 11th Airborne Div.'s 187th Regiment, making two combat jumps in the Korean conflict.

Though he experienced a world much larger than the one he left behind when he went to war, Holder says he never considered doing

Dave Holder

anything else and went right back to the woods, working for Kline Contracting of Medford, Ore. He says of his early career: "Logging was just a job. It was really the only thing going on in the area, and there were lots of jobs available. Basically, anyone who wanted to work, especially work hard, had a job."

Holder began as a log bucker, then ran a Cat and moved up to loader before working into a supervisory position, guiding two crews that did mostly cable logging. It was during this time, in the late '50s, that Kline did some work for California's John Wheeler Logging. Since Wheeler didn't do cable logging, Kline developed into Wheeler's cable work subcontractor, with Holder supervising much of the work.

John Wheeler had been after Holder to come to work for him, and in 1964 Holder joined him. He eventually supervised seven logging subcontractors--all working for Diamond's old Stirling City mill--for Wheeler.

When Diamond closed the mill Holder moved back to Wheeler's main office in Red Bluff, where he worked as a logging supervisor and bid harvesting jobs. Much of the work was on Diamond and LP land and the company also handled plenty of Forest Service jobs.

Tragedy, Turnaround

In 1988 John Wheeler died from cancer. Due to demands on his estate, limited operating capital clashed with a high debt load. The company's biggest creditor, Caterpillar dealer Peterson Tractor, contacted Holder, then the company's top supervisor, and asked if he was interested in taking it over. The only alternative was to shut down John Wheeler Logging.

"I was interested, but said I'd have to give it some thought," Holder remembers. "I talked with Cheryl, and we decided we'd do it, knowing it would take a lot of hard work, and we'd need some help. But there were a lot of good people in this company then, and there still are--a lot of people who've been here more than 20 years--and if it weren't for them, we couldn't have pulled it out."

Wheeler turned to Johnny Miller, another Wheeler supervisor, and asked Miller to become the company's top supervisor while Holder took control of the administrative side of the business. (In deference to Wheeler's reputation and memory, Holder maintained the Wheeler name.)

"I pulled Miller aside and told him it would take a lot of hard work to get this thing turned around, and he said, 'Let's give 'er a try,' and we just took the bull by the horns," Holder says. Another key employee and long-time supervisor, Vern McCoshum, a company

vice president and part owner, provided additional stability and expertise during the transition.

One factor affecting the company was a lack of mechanization. It had 35 fallers on the payroll and labor-intensive log merchandising was the rule. Slowly, the company began adapting to the smaller timber available following the shutdown of national forests.

The Fire Factor

One big boost Wheeler Logging received during this critical time in the early '90s was a heavy workload resulting from the Fountain Fire northeast of Redding, which scorched more than 125,000 acres of mostly private timberland. "Once the salvage project for that fire got going, they (Roseburg and Sierra Pacific, the two biggest landowners hit) wanted every logger they could find," Holder says, "and we got a good portion of the work."

Contracting mostly with Roseburg, Wheeler Logging worked almost

two solid years in the burn. "It really got us back on our feet," Holder says of the extensive salvage work. "They liked our work, gave us plenty of it, and since that time we've been very busy." A few years later, when Sierra Pacific purchased Roseburg's northern California timberlands, "We were able to stay right with the flow," Holder says. Today, Wheeler Logging is the largest contractor working for SPI.

Mike Mitzel, Sierra Pacific's Lassen District Manager who oversees activities on 233,000 acres in northern California, and who has worked with the Wheeler team and Holder for 28 years, vouches for the company's professionalism.

"Dave and his company have seen the upward and downward trends of the logging industry and have been able to overcome and continue to survive under the challenging business climate in California," Mitzel says. He adds that Wheeler is certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and participates in continuing education and training.

"Wheeler has a reputation as a high quality business excelling in harvesting practices, quality log manufacturing, log sorting and production," Mitzel continues, "and their safety and training program is unsurpassed by any logging business on the West Coast."

Holder says holding the company to a higher standard is a reflection of John Wheeler's integrity as well as the current team's efforts. "One day John Wheeler saw a load go by the office that wasn't right, and he stopped the truck, sent it back to the woods and had them reload it," Holder remembers. "That has always stuck with me."

Quality isn't just a matter of pride; it can also mean the difference in survival, Holder believes. "There are a lot of loggers, and I've always believed that if we don't stand out, if we're not one of the top contractors, then we're not going to be here," he says. "So we've always preached to the supervisors and all the guys that we have to do better and produce a better product."

Solid Management

In addition to Holder, Miller and McCoshum, key employees include Ron Hartman, head mechanic, Adam Bosworth, trucking supervisor, and logging supervisors Tommy Hyatt, who runs one crew, James Bell, who oversees the chipping crews, Bob Kezer, who handles a conventional crew, Steve Digby, cable logging foreman, and Charlie Evans, chipping operations foreman. Holder's wife, Cheryl, is the office manager, and Dan Krusze is the company's full-time safety director. Wheeler Logging currently employs around 115.

"Good people are the secret to any successful business, and that's what we have," says Holder. "All our (supervisors) are true professionals, and in today's world, if you don't have confident professionals out there, you're not going to make it."

Keeping track of the large revenues and costs inherent with running such a large operation, Holder is management's point man. "Every day I get a total load count, so I know where we're at production-wise at all times," he says, adding that the daily reports are generated by crew and include job and mill destination information. "That way I always have a running total on every crew and every job."

Holder also closely tracks costs. "The ladies in the office pull every purchase order, and every expense requires one," he says. "That's primarily how I keep track of everything, by PO, and you have to."

Of special concern are wages, which have become a huge expense thanks to related workers' comp cost increases. For example, California is currently facing a huge general increase in workers' comp rates, boosting Wheeler's annual W/C costs from just over $600,000 to $990,000 annually.

Employee Input

Key to the company's performance are monthly supervisors' meetings in which supervisors are encouraged to come forth with any concerns, gripes or ideas they have for improving efficiency.

"Everyone is invited to bring in their ideas on a piece of paper, and we'll go over every one of them," Holder says. "We'll also want to know what has happened in the past month, how things are operating, any problems, whatever's on their minds.

"The guys are always coming up with some real good ideas. We discuss them, and if they want to make a change that's beneficial to the overall company, then that's what we do."

Cheryl Holder oversees all company paperwork and manages a staff that includes two full-time clerical employees and a full-time truck dispatcher. Computerized office management and bookkeeping are handled by three computers: a stand-alone unit running Microsoft Excel that's used mainly to keep track of payroll hours and daily activities, plus two others that handle the remaining accounting activities using MAS 90 accounting software and Office Equipment Co.'s LoadTracker software. Plans are to upgrade computer capacity within the next year to a server-based four or five workstation system running the Windows XP Professional operating system.

Operations

Timber Harvesting found two of Wheeler Logging's crews working the 8-9MMBF McCarty Cat sale on Sierra Pacific land northeast of Red Bluff, a job consisting of 19 different timber harvest units ranging from 18-20 acres. Equipment on site included three Cat skidders, a Cat 225 loader, two Timbcos with Koehring sawheads running Quadco teeth and a Timberline stroke delimber. According to crew supervisor Tommy Hyatt, the crews were producing 35-40 loads daily of white fir, sugar pine, cedar and Douglas fir going to SPI mills at Anderson, Quincy and Oroville.

Wheeler operates three conventional logging, two cable logging and three chipping sides. Most of the company's work is in private land terminal harvests generally under 50 acres and irregular-sized to meet the state's stringent forestry regulations.

The company's equipment lineup is extensive and spread among eight crews, encompassing an overall investment of $7-8 million. The roster includes:

* Loaders--Two Barko 550s, two Caterpillar and two Deere hydraulic heel boom loaders, one Prentice 410, four Cat 966 wheel loaders.

* Cutter/delimbers/processors--Seven Timbco f-bs with 22 in. Quadco sawheads, four Timberline stroke delimbers.

* Skidders--Seven Cat 518s, three Deere 648s, two Cat 527 track types, one Cat 528, one Cat 530.

* Two Precision 6623 chippers, one Morbark 6036 chipper.

* Trucks--Nineteen Kenworths and Peterbilts, 11 chip vans, eight 4,000 gal. water trucks, two Kenworth lowboys.

* Related equipment includes seven Cat D7s, three 12G Cat graders, one D68E and one D65E Komatsu dozer, two backhoes.

Generally, Wheeler approaches each tract by first removing chips and fuel wood, followed by mechanized falling and delimbing smaller timber, then going back and hand-falling and removing the larger timber.

"Going in and chipping first just makes everything easier," Miller says. It helps that Sierra Pacific is heavily committed to cogeneration at its manufacturing plants, providing a steady chip and fuelwood market. As well, major cogen electricity producer Wheelabrator is also located nearby.

All equipment is supported by a large and well-stocked maintenance system housed in two buildings, one for trucks and related equipment and one for woods equipment. The facility features a covered wash area that recycles water, a large drive-through truck service bay that can accommodate any piece of equipment Wheeler has, plus extensive outdoor covered work areas.

Keeping the iron rolling is an extensive parts inventory of more than $50,000. Off-site service work is handled with four fully loaded service trucks, two with Auto-Crane booms and two with A-frames. The service trucks feature torches, air compressors, welders and an assortment of parts.

Another innovation is a set of lockers, one for each crew, on the exterior of the shop building where the mechanic staff can set parts or other items that the crew supervisors or their designated employees can pick up after hours or early in the morning.

The facility also features a certified and covered fuel depot and a rollover weigh scale. Rigs roll on Michelin tires and pull Peerless and Miller trailers equipped with Lodec and Williams on-board scales. Chip vans are from Peerless.

Bosworth adds that since almost all the trucks are parked at the compound each night, they receive constant care for anything that might come up, as well as regular mileage- and hour-based maintenance.

Holder notes that by the time Wheeler died, he had gotten completely out of the trucking end of the business, but as the company got back on its feet Holder began adding trucks to better control woods production.

"I still sort of view it as a necessary evil, especially in California with all the regulations on fuel, tires, weight, trailers, liability and everything else--it's just completely crazy," Holder says.

In addition to Wheeler's trucks, the company at any given time is usually hauling in concert with some of Sierra Pacific's fleet and an extensive contract trucking lineup. At the time TH visited, Wheeler was running 55-60 trucks overall. A large fleet of more than 35 pickups and crummies keeps personnel moving to and from job sites.

Future

Perhaps the biggest decision now facing the company is yet another transition, as Holder prepares to retire. "That's what I'm up against right now, trying to get everything lined up so the company can continue with a new ownership structure," he says. "I'm sort of in a search mode right now, and I spend a lot of sleepless nights thinking about it, because it's something you can't just work out in a couple of hours like other issues."

Another soon-to-be-pressing need is an equipment lineup update. After

mechanizing and adapting to small timber, going as small as the Cat 518 for the bulk of its skidding capacity, the company has recently been purchasing larger skidders to do more tree-length handling.

Yet the seedlings Sierra Pacific has planted all over northern and central California keep growing, and soon the company will need to embark on an extensive thinning program to maximize its timberland investment. "We know thinning work is coming, but I think Sierra Pacific is still trying to decide how to handle it," Miller says, adding that the region's rugged terrain will provide a thinning challenge.

As Timber Harvesting says its goodbyes, Dave Holder is taking a break from his daily production and cost analysis to research a request by Sierra Pacific to add another 6MMBF of production this logging season. "I said, 'Let me look into it; that's another half million a month per crew,'" Holder says. "I need to run it by our guys and see what we can do, maybe pick up another Cat or two and a couple of men. Adding that much production isn't that simple." It never is, which makes the Timber Harvesting Logging Business of the Year Award that much more significant.

Wheeler's Injury/Illness Prevention Program

Roughly a decade after Wheeler Logging had turned the financial corner following the death of its founder, another crisis hit: workers' comp rates that were 154% of payroll. In response, Holder approached former employee Dan Krusze, an experienced logger working for another contractor on the coast, and asked him to rejoin Wheeler as the company's full-time safety director in 1999. "He put together a great, state-of-the-art safety program, and in three years we got our W/C costs down to 80% of payroll," Holder says.

Krusze remembers the company was doing a lot of things well safety-wise, but the biggest problem was a poor job of documentation. As a result, Wheeler was unable to defend itself on even the most routine WC claims or safety audits. "Things like employee handbooks, current training records and safety manuals--we just didn't have them," he says.

The safety director took to the new job with vigor, developing safety forms and programs and thoroughly documenting them. The primary document is the Wheeler Logging Inc. Injury and Illness Prevention Program, a document developed from CA-OSHA codes and guidelines that contains extensive information on Wheeler Logging's compliance, communication, hazard assessment and correction, training and instruction, accident reporting and investigating and overall record keeping processes. The program also contains employee evaluation forms, drug testing consent forms, safety meeting minutes forms and even a map and emergency evacuation and transportation plan for the office.

The kicker is that much of the ongoing safety program information is eventually transferred to computer by scanning the completed forms, then placing them in a database that can be accessed by crew or individual. Additional records are also kept, including truck and trailer maintenance records.

Krusze says even the most hard-nosed "safety cop inspector" will lose their eagerness to plow through paper when he hands them the first four or five computerized safety records on CD and tells them to have fun. "Neatness, as well as thoroughness, tends to shorten inspections," he adds.

The emphasis on safety is reflected in Wheeler's bottom line and also its ability to survive. Initially, there was some animosity among employees, probably because they didn't realize how serious the situation was and that the changes simply had to be made, Krusze remembers.

Such a willingness to adapt reflects a management acumen that has enabled Wheeler to survive and thrive among numerous regulatory challenges. "Dave Holder is a great facilitator and mentor. When he finds people he feels strongly about, he gives them a job and lets them do it," Krusze says. "Holder not only committed to improve the safety program, he also gave me the means to do it."