Canada’s Log People are celebrating their 40th year of building log homes worldwide.
The company was founded in 1978 by Theo Wiering, only 22 years of age at the time, who said he didn’t even dream his company would be as successful as it is now.
“I had my first contact in Germany in 1983 or 84. We sent 34-35 houses over there in a period of years,” said Wiering of his big break. “We sent houses to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and all over the United States.”
And of course, Canada. But around 70 per cent of the projects and revenue come from the United States, according to Wiering. A further 10 to 15 per cent goes elsewhere and the remaining 15 per cent is focused in Canada, mostly in B.C. and Alberta.
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In total, the staff of Canada’s Log People have built over 1, 400 log homes for people globally.
“I got some really good people working for me for a very long time. I got some very talented staff,” said Wiering. “I’m just the driver of the ship.”
That being said, Canada’s Log People and its staff give a lot back to the community for free, such as donating time and the logs to building the 100 Mile Visitor Centre and donating logs to the 100 Mile Library.
When the company first started, the log homes were built on-site but after purchasing a yard on Tatton Road (between 105 and 108 Mile Ranch), they discovered it was much easier to build the homes there and then ship them to wherever the owner of the new home wanted it.
Canada’s Log People send a supervisor with no less than 15 years experience with the home to help ensure the installation of the pre-built home is done properly, but also have started training some of the longer-term customers such as contractors to set-up the homes without the supervision.
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As for the future of the log home industry, Wiering thinks that it will never go away.
“I don’t think it’s going to boom as it did back in the 1990s and early 2000s because demographics – baby boomers are getting older and they were the buyers,” he said before adding he didn’t think Millenials were as interested in log homes, which mostly go to rural areas.
Wiering said he plans on sticking around the business for a little more.
“I still enjoy what I do.”
