Log home maker looks to greener practices

OAKFIELD – Katahdin Cedar Log Homes president David Gordon always has been concerned about how his business affects the world, and now he has taken additional steps to reduce any negative impact on the environment.

Katahdin Forest Products, parent company of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, recently earned Forest Stewardship Council Chain-of-Custody certification from the Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood program. This certification will enable the Oakfield-based log home manufacturer to offer northern white cedar used in constructing its log homes from responsibly managed forests.

Katahdin Cedar Log Homes is the only log home manufacturer in the U.S. to hold a SmartWood certification.

Founded in 1973 as Katahdin Forest Products by Foster Gordon and two associates, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes is one of the largest log home manufacturers in the U.S. and the largest processor of northern white cedar in the world.

David Gordon, Foster Gordon’s son, later took over the business. It now employs about 80 people and manufactures about 200 homes, condominiums and camps per year, shipping them as far away as Israel, Japan and Scotland.

SmartWood was founded 19 years ago to certify responsible forestry practices and now focuses on providing a variety of certification and auditing services.

The Rainforest Alliance SmartWood Program is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council. Chain of custody refers to the complete systems and procedures that allow for the tracking of a forest product from the logs traded by a forest manager or broker to primary or secondary processing to the wholesalers or retailers who bring the final product to the marketplace.

Katahdin Cedar Log Homes is certified for a number of FSC-pure northern white cedar products, including interior and exterior trim, decking, log wall stock, log siding and cedar support posts.

“We are very excited about our ability now to respond positively to growing demands for green homes,” David Gordon said in a written statement. “We’ve taken many steps at our manufacturing facility to reduce our impact on the environment – from a biofuel boiler that heats our mills with waste sawdust to our ethanol distiller that produces vehicle fuel from waste potatoes. Now we can offer our customers a tangible product that is verifiably green.

“There has been a growing demand for FSC-certified lumber, plywood and other wood building materials in the U.S. in response to the boom in construction projects registered with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program. LEED is the national rating system that defines the standards for a building to be green,” Gordon said.

LEED for Homes is a green home rating system for ensuring that homes are designed and built to be energy- and resource-efficient and healthful for occupants. The nonprofit organization U.S. Green Building Council originally developed the LEED green building rating system in 2000 for new commercial construction.

“This enables us to meet the growing demands for green building practices in a competitive market and will also enable us to reach LEED green building standards as they are approved for home construction in the near future,” Gordon said.

Key personnel at Katahdin Cedar Log Homes are completing training for LEED for Homes construction systems.

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For information, go to www.rainforest-alliance.org.

jlbdn@ainop.com

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