"MOVING BILLBOARDS"

Phil and Joann Etienne of St. Croix, Indiana were looking for a way to display the pride they take in their logging and sawmill operations. They decided to paint a message on their chip vans. Their daughter, Felisa, suggested the slogan, "We CAN See the Forest for the Trees."

The Etiennes' first chip van was painted in 1985 by the Hank Fign Company of Ferdinand, Indiana. All five of the Etiennes' chip vans are painted with the same message. The message on the Etiennes' chip vans and mudflaps seeks to discredit preservationists' portrayal of loggers and forest destroyers. Joann states, "we're not tree slaughterers; we're timber harvesters. Many of us are tree farmers." We follow forest management plans and Best Management Practices.

It costs approximately $2,000 to paint each van. Phil and Joann say it's worth it, because, "the vans are a moving billboard with a good message. There's no telling how many people see it in a day."

The Etiennes' "moving billboards" are a great way to show passing motorists that timber harvesters take pride in their business and believe they are doing what is right.

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