Alberto Salinas: A Life Marked by Wood, Effort, and Family

At Acoforag, we value stories that represent the essence of the Chilean forestry world. The life of Alberto Salinas, a forestry operator and timber transporter, reflects decades of effort, learning, and a deep connection with nature and family.

From a very young age, Alberto understood the meaning of work. "I started, as the oldest, helping my father in the countryside," he recalls. That early contact with the land and rural labor shaped his character and taught him the value of responsibility and collaboration.

Over time, he decided to specialize and studied at the Industrial School of Chillán, where he earned a degree as a mechanical technician. Although he practiced that trade for several years, he never abandoned the dream he had carried since childhood: becoming a truck driver.

"I always liked driving, and getting to trucks was my childhood dream," he says. That longing led him to travel the routes between the south and Santiago for over a decade, transporting timber and building a close relationship with the forestry sector. On each trip, he found not only a source of work but also a way of life marked by discipline, patience, and camaraderie.

For Alberto, wood has been much more than a workload. With boards and beams he gathered over the years, he built his family home with his own hands. "I've always tried to make it artisanal, without iron, because I like wood," he comments proudly. Every space in his home reflects his dedication and respect for a material he considers noble and familiar.

Today, he shares his life with his wife, with whom he maintains a simple routine connected to nature. While she tends a vegetable garden with chard, parsley, and mint, he enjoys everyday family moments. "In the afternoon, I wait for her here with something special, with a nice little snack," he recounts with a smile.

However, his greatest satisfaction lies in his three children, all professionals formed through effort and family unity. "We have been a very united family, always together through everything. There lies my fortune," he says emotionally.

The story of Alberto Salinas represents thousands of forestry workers who, with dedication and pride, have built their lives around work, wood, and family—pillars that continue to give identity to Chilean forestry.