SOMETIMES FAMILY TIME AT TUTSHI VENTURES means everybody in the office together. When Sue
Jones and Steve Wright have to spend that extra couple of hours in the office to meet a deadline, Darcy joins them
and polishes his computer game skills.

Sue Jones and Steve
Wright have coined a new
phrase for the forest indus-
try -- "family forestry."

As owners of the
forestry consulting com-
pany Tutshi Ventures
Corp. and parents of a
three-year-old son, they
were looking for a bal-
anced way to share parent-
ing responsibilities while
both continuing to work in
their field,

Family forestry de-
scribes a people-first phi-
losaphy that extends be-
yond their own family to
also accommodate their
employees.

"When hiring staff we
emphasize that this is
family-oriented — silvicul-
ture," says Sue.

The family focus has
evolved since Tulshi was
incorporated in 1991. An
industry trend in the late
1980s toward implementa-
lion contracting (where a
contractor does the on-the-

ground work for a licensee)
had encouraged Sue and
Steve to start up their own
company.

They credit a back-
ground in family-owned
businesses (Steve's parents
run a dairy farm, and Sue's
father has his own account-
ing firm) with giving them
the initiative to work for
themselves. ,

They already had a
broad tange of operations-
based forestry experienge
gained while working for
other contractors. They
also had several years of
experience working to-
gether.

"Often Steve would su-
pervise a large crew and |
would do qualily control
for the same contract," Sue
says.

_ Then one day a Ministry
of Forests employee in-
vited them to bid indepen-
dently on a contract. Their
bid was accepted and "it
went from there,’ Sue says.

"Once people knew we
were on our own we were
phoned. People wanted
our services."

They had also stepped
in at the tight time for the
Services they provided
which were now tending
toward the range of surveys
required in the forestry
business..

"That was at the onset of

the appraisal system," Sue
notes. Licensees were re-
quired to provide the sur-
veys, yet this was also ata
time when forest compa-
nies were downsizing their
aperational workforce.
Tutshi is operated out of
the farm Sue and Steve
bought in 1993. At one
point their workforce in-
cluded eight employees

and the company was
growing, But their focus
changed with the arrival of
Darcy in 1992. ‘Both par-
ents wanted to have more
than a peripheral role -in
raising theirson. Yet at the
same time they were faced
with the nature of forestry
field work, which requires
long days in the bush.

“What day care is going
to take your kid for 11
hours?” says Steve. They
also questioned the wis-
dom of having both parents
working 11 and 12-hour
days.

"We realized we didn't
want both of us working in
the bush at the same lime,"
says Sue.

The solution was. .to
downsize, and for Steve
and Sue to essentially share
one job, That way.’ the, par-
ent who isn't doing

company-related: work can .

care for Darcy.
"We don't usually work

on the same contract," |

Steve points out. Their
hours are contract-based,
with Sue working more in
the winter doing adminis-
trative work. They have
deliberately concentrated
on survey work because il
offers a degree of flexibil-
ity.

"With surveys you ust-
ally get a window of 30-60
days (for completion)"
says Steve. "So you have
room for staying home
with a sick child for a few
days if you have to."

The company has also
reduced ils staffing to two
employees. And when hir-
ing, they have sought out
employees who would be
comfortable with their phi-

losophy of not having a
tigid separation belween
home and family

"Most of our employees

have had children too."
In fact, for ane several-
month stretch Tutshi had
an in-house day-care for
their son and the two chil-
dren of an employee.

And if both parents find
they have to work at the .
same time, there is a place
for Darcy in the office. He
has aiso been known to ac-
company Mom or Dad on
the occasional foray oul to
the field.

. Even with downsizing, :
Sue and Steve are kept
busy providing services for.

_ two steady clients and run-

ning the farm. ‘The couple”
raises purebred Red Angus.
breeding stock. “As well,
Sue is completing her final.
courses toward becoming’a -
Registered — Professional
Forester.
Their transition to family’
forestry has taken time, but
both feel it was worth it.:

They advise anyone else. .
contemplating a similar
move to keep their opera-
tian small.

"The key is the flexibil-
ity of the type of work you
choose," notes Steve. i

"And you have to find
employees that are compat-
ible with how you want to
work."

And the pay-off?

"Lifestyle. And you are
both raising your own kid."

a by. Catherine

Quanstrom::