by Kelly Gates
  James Soucia & Sons has staying power. The multi-faceted East Worcester, NY, business is poised to manage jobs in logging, trucking, milling, driveway construction and land clearing, among others, a versatile mix that enables the company to remain viable during good economic times and in downswings too.
  According to James Soucia, company owner, the business wasn't always so all encompassing.
  “I started off with a single log truck years ago and hauled logs and pulp wood for other companies,” said Soucia. “My family had always done logging on the side, so I was already familiar with the business and knew many of the major milling companies in the industry here.”
  Soucia initially hauled materials for St. Regis and other major mills throughout upstate New York. Then, he purchased a dump truck so he could expand his operation, hauling other types of materials for customers as well.
  Eventually, he established a logging division that caters to several types of customers.
“Most of the time, we are called in to cut trees for people, usually thinning out timber logs for milling,” he said. “We also do clearing jobs for people getting ready to build homes or other buildings.”
  His land clearing division is currently prepping a 140,000-foot property for a customer who will soon begin construction on the foundation of a new home. Soucia expects to spend a month or two readying the space for construction, a process that would take less time if he wasn't managing so many other jobs simultaneously.
  Often, the company is called in to clear roadways or driveways for large logging outfits, a task the entrepreneur is well equipped to handle thanks to the experience he's acquired over the years, and the fleet of small equipment that makes it quick and easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
  “It doesn't make sense for some of the larger logging companies to have smaller equipment like the little dozer I have or my smaller trucks and skidder,” he said. “They'll typically go in and clear out all of the bigger trees and I come in and I finish off the drive by putting down shale or gravel, whatever is least expensive and readily available nearby.”
  Soucia's two sons, Fred and Robbie, lend a hand with the business, giving it its namesake, Soucia & Sons. Debra, Jim's wife of 32 years, rounds out the team, taking on such tasks as hauling parts and keeping the company's books.
  She also manages the phones for the family's saw mill division, an operation that has become a solid side business to supplement the company's other projects. The business has brought in such steady work that Soucia doesn't feel the need to advertise. Instead, he relies on word of mouth to bring in new customers.
  Debra handles all of the customer orders, which consist mostly of hemlock and pine lumber for use in building barns.
  “Customers call in and tell me how much they need and within couple of days, I can have enough lumber ready for them to build just about any sized barn,” he said. “I make a lot of 2 X 8s and 2 X 10s, but can make up to 16-footers if necessary. I work mostly with hemlock and pine because the wood is so soft and easy to cut compared to other, harder species.”
S  oucia keeps an inventory of precut lumber on site, mostly 16-foot pieces that can quickly be cut to size upon request. He even relies on Debra to help out around the mill, making it a true family operation.
  In an average eight hour day, he can produce between 2,000 and 4,000 board feet of lumber, which keeps his stock yard full and customers happy. He also keeps a chipper on hand to process any leftovers, which he hopes to eventually sell locally, adding yet another dimension to his company.
  Larger scraps of wood are sold to the public for use as fire wood, and many families and groups come to Soucia in search of large logs that can be burned in bonfires.
  The sawmill, stockyard and subsequent milling work space covers around three acres of his home property, making it convenient to step outside and prep an order or two during the week or on weekends — of course, while still finding the time to juggle a handful of land clearing and driveway building projects too.
  Soucia believes that having such diversity is vital as it allows him to remain busy in times when the housing market has slowed and as a result, the logging industry takes a hit.
  “This is one of those times,” he said. “Everything has slowed way down because houses aren't going up like they were before, but I have enough irons in the fire at the same time so I'm able to keep busy. That has been my goal all along — to remain busy — and that's what I hope to do in the future.”