Mr Paul said the recently bought Caterpillar 330FM was the only tree-feller buncher of its size and type in New Zealand.
It grabbed and felled a tree, removed its limbs and then placed it with others for a skidder to tow to a storage site.
Previously, logging contractors had adapted excavators to carry out similar functions.
Mr Paul said the 52.5 tonne 330FM was specifically designed for those roles, but came with a hefty price tag.
"There's not a lot of change out of $1 million."
The biggest benefit was that debris stripped off the trees was left on the hillside. "The skidder is not pulling waste up to the skid site," he said.
The forestry industry has had its share of financial turbulence, but Mr Paul said the vast forestry resources in Otago and Southland, the fact that forestry was a renewable resource and that harvesting was a continuous process, gave him confidence in the industry and in his investment.
