LOGGING DEMONSTRATIONS AND EQUIPMENT ON DISPLAY AT FOREST SHOW THIS WEEKEND

There's a half-dozen new 60-foot trees northwest of the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus.

Actually, they don't resemble trees. The limbs and leaves have been stripped from the trees, which now resemble towering telephone or light poles.

"They'll be gone Saturday evening," said Cory Ridenhour, executive director of the Missouri Forest Products Association (MFPA), which will hold a two-day exposition beginning Friday.

The MFPA is headquartered in Jefferson City.

The show will feature more than 150 exhibitions of new machinery, supplies, services and equipment used in the forest industry.

The large trees, or poles, will be used in logging demonstrations, to be presented three times each day.

"Felling a tree will be part of the demonstration," said Ridenhour. "We brought in the six trees for that purpose."

Soren Eriksson, a logger from Sweden, will present the logging demonstration.

Eriksson is know throughout the world for his forestry expertise, said Ridenhour. "His performances will showcase the two-day event."

As many as 5,000 to 6,000 people are expected to visit the exposition, which showcases new forest and wood product technology.

"This could be the biggest year ever for the event," said Ridenhour. "Our pre-registration is the largest ever."

The show is held every two years.

"Visitors will have an opportunity to talk with manufacturers and distributors of Machinery and equipment," aid Ridenhour. "They'll have a chance to see what is new in tomorrow's technology.

Exhibitors from 32 states and Canada will set up. Many of the exhibitors started setting up Wednesday.

About half of the exhibits will be outside the Show Me Center, on the parking lot. The rest will be inside.

The first forestry show was held here in September of 1988, marking the first giant trade show to be booked for Show Me Center.

Now, shows are held every year to avoid competition with similar exhibitions held on the East Coast. In 1997 te outdoor exhibition area had to be expanded, and the extravaganza attracted more than 6,000 people.

The show is the largest forestry industry exhibition in the Midwest, and attracts customers and visitors from long distances. During the 1996 show, people were here form Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Japan, France and Brazil.

The Midwest Forest Industry Show is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The show has been held every two years since the early 1960s. The first Missouri show was held in Rolla, but the last seven have been held in Cape Girardeau.