Kootenay-made equipment

On the brink of its 60th year, KMC/Kootrac has introduced a 3000 series to better serve industries around the world

1 of 3The KMC 2500P Dual Arch Track Skidder is a high-speed steel-track (HSST) Vehicle. — Photo courtesy KMC/Kootrac

2 of 3Wayne Farenholtz has been the president of KMC/Kootrac since 1978. — Photo courtesy KMC/Kootrac

3 of 3The KMC FireTracker is one example of the diverse range of machines that KMC/Kootrac builds. — Photo courtesy KMC/Kootrac

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With its 60th anniversary approaching next year, KMC/Kootrac has diversified its product by building a flexible piece of equipment that can serve a variety of industries. Formed by combining the companies Kootenay Tractor and Kootenay Manufacturing Co., KMC/Kootrac, based in Nelson, B.C., has the exclusive rights to manufacture and service high-speed steel-track (HSST) vehicles worldwide.

Wayne Farenholtz is the president of KMC/Kootrac. He succeeded his father, Fritz Farenholtz, in 1978 after working with him for many years.

“The torsion bar suspension and steel track are key to our (equipment),“ said Wayne. “There are other machines on the market, but they’re all either rubber track or belted track—we’re the only ones with a steel track and a torsion bar suspension.”

The torsion bar sprung suspension means each set of road wheels in the track can move up and down independently, allowing the track to conform to uneven surfaces. The HSST features cast steel track pads connected with rubber-brushed pins. The resulting flexibility decreases metal-to-metal wear and track contamination from the soil for a track that lasts. Additionally, every KMC/Kootrac vehicle utilizes balanced weight distribution with the combined weight of the vehicle and its payload spread over the length of the track.

These defining features provide excellent traction and improved ground contact. Additionally, KMC vehicles are good options for environmentally sensitive areas with low ground pressure and reduced soil compaction and displacement. 

After years of serving the lumber industry, KMC/Kootrac is expanding to other industries with the production of a 3000 series vehicle. Like the 1000 and 2000 series of track-logging skidders, the 3000 features an HSST and torsion bar suspension. The 3000 series, however, is a flexible machine that can be adapted for a number of industries.

“We’re branching out from (exclusive) timber harvesting to a whole lot more,” said Wayne. “The ‘whole lot more’ is different attachments (that we can utilize on the 3000 series) . . . We have built one that has got welders on it and it’s welding on the pipeline in Siberia. We built another one that has an auger drill rig on it and that’s working down in California for drilling and planting utility poles.”

The company looks forward to providing machinery that will effectively serve all sorts of industries—from agriculture to mining, silviculture to fire suppression. The 3000 series has been well accepted at international shows. With a proven 60-year track record in forestry, KMC/Kootrac is ready to offer its equipment to a broader audience.