Being a female in a male-dominated industry is never easy, but Martha Loyd has enjoyed a career in it. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in forestry—one of the first women to graduate in the program, she noted—she first joined the industry at Scott Paper. While at Scott Paper, she learned all about the industry, doing everything from hardwood research to serving as a regional manager. "I’m an outside person, and I liked having a job that allowed me to be outside," Loyd said. "I was also good at the job, so I was able to rise through the ranks."

The company was eventually bought out by Kimberly Clark and much of the positions were dissolved. Though she went to work for another company briefly, it soon provided the opportunity for her to start her own company, Forestry Services South, in 2003. Based in Monroeville, the company offers a wide range of services to landowners, from timber sales and management plans to timber cruising and site prep work. "I like working with landowners, hearing what they want and then going to work to make it happen," she said.