Timbercrafts is a 35-year-old pallet manufacturing company started by Bill Shafer in the 1960’s. His son Bryan Shafer took over the reigns of the company and now manages all operations. In addition to the overseeing manufacturing operations, Bryan runs close to 20 snowcats during the winter season.

After initially purchasing 4 snowcats, Bryan expanded the business to include almost 16 more. As a signature of the company, Bryan began calling his Snocats by the term “TimberKats” and the unique name reflects the diversity of the business he runs. Through the years, Bryan’s fleet has been expanded to include several specialty vehicles and customized TimberKats whose designs were born out of necessity. Generally there were three major manufactures of these types of equipment: LMC, Kassbohrer (Pisten Bully) and Bombardier. After LMC went out of business, Bryan purchased their entire inventory and parts design plans. He currently provides replacement parts and makes custom parts for other Snowcat owners. (Including for some of his competitors).

About 90% of the work TimberKats handles involves working with clients to transport them (and equipment) to locations that are difficult to access during extreme weather conditions. We can transport up to 15 people and various types of equipment. Some of our customized TimberKats have cranes on them, trailers attached; dump buckets and other specialty items. Most of the companies that contract us are in some way related to the communications industry and we frequently transport technicians and repair personnel to high reaching and remote radio transmission towers. We have worked with the larger cellular carriers, TV and radio stations, the Military and various levels of government and law enforcement. About 10% of the Timberkats operations involve some form of rescue operations. This would include assisting law enforcement in locating missing persons in blizzard conditions as well as rescuing communications company employees stranded in unexpected changing weather conditions.

Because of his experience and the unique types of equipment Timberkats possesses, we are often called to assist other Snocat companies when they get stranded in remote locations. Over ½ of the calls we get involve being dispatched to help during blizzard conditions. With the aid of GPS navigation systems, laptop computers with topographical maps and satellite cellular communications, our TimberKats can reach almost anyone, almost anywhere. Since there are extreme changes in climate at the higher altitudes, a light snowfall in the lower elevations could easily translate into blizzard conditions at the summit where most communication towers are located. With speeds ranging from a slow crawl up to 40 mph., the Timberkats can transport workers and equipment from the base of the mountain to its peak in extreme weather conditions and at surprisingly steep inclines. Depending on the weather conditions, it can take between 1-4 hours to reach the summit. A portion of the business involves maintaining and grooming trails for cross country skiing and finding and retrieving stranded livestock.

Over the years, TimberKats has handled operations in UT, NV, ID, WY OR and MT. All of our operators have between 2-15 years experience and this year will receive formalized cold weather survival and basic first aid training. From the Canadian border in the North to Mesquite, NV in the south, we have handled most every type of operation imaginable in a variety of weather conditions. We have worked in close to 150 different locations along several mountain ranges including the Oquirrh Mountains and Rocky Mountains.

With over 30 clients, Timberkats has assisted communications companies, wireless providers, TV and Radio stations, The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Land Management, The US Forest Service, The US Air Force, and the FBI. He also had 6 TimberKats on standby for the US Secret Service for the 2002 Olympics to provide backup assistance for upper mountain access and rescue operations.