Construction Leaders Today - Article (Summer 2010)
Log cabins offer an escape from the stress of everyday life, but their high costs and difficult maintenance have discouraged many of those who dream of owning one. Conestoga Log Cabins and Homes has made that dream attainable with their simplified approach to manufacturing high-quality, low maintenance structures at affordable prices.
“There’s an emotion that goes along with owning a log home that provides a peacefulness that you don’t experience in your everyday traditionally built home,” says company president Ronald Myer. “They want something they can relax in that takes them back in time when life moved slower. Log homes provide a feeling that you can’t get from other types of construction.”
Though log cabins’ aesthetic appeal lies in their connection to an older way of life, Conestoga uses the most cutting-edge technology to ensure that they are functional and easy to build. The company’s plant is one of the most automated in the industry, Myer says, “We use software to take the design and convert it into machine language, and then have the machine optimize the cutting to assure complete accuracy of every cut and drill done to the components of the log cabin kit.”
Using this method, the company can flawlessly produce multi-cabin or bunkhouse orders from a campground or resort or custom designed models for individuals. Because of the factory automation the log home kits come with each piece barcoded which makes it easy to assemble, so anyone can build them, even without construction expertise. Families can build their own cabin from the complete kit provided by Conestoga. Unlike other log cabins, Conestoga’s Everlast logs do not require additional adjustment every year.
Their timber frame model, which features sturdy interlocking joints, makes the classic log cabin easy to obtain. This style would traditionally be seen in larger, more expensive homes, but Conestoga’s version is affordable and easy to build. “Because it’s a mortise and tenon joinery of the logs they essentially go together like a puzzle,” says Myer, and it “provides a very solid and rustic-looking log cabin that is very easy to assemble and also can meet all of the current and future energy codes.”
The company is keeping up with the latest in energy-efficient building technology, and their design and manufacturing process make them the most “green” in the industry. Their products will meet even the most stringent energy requirements, which can be a challenge with cabins located all over the country. Their unique dual thermal log wall system make the cabins more energy-efficient by putting insulation between two log walls, providing an additional barrier to prevent heat from escaping, lowering costs and impact to the environment. Myer stated that, “it is the only true log wall system in the log home industry that meets the new 2010 engery codes.” They are constructed with Conestoga’s Everlast log, a laminated wood which is longer-lasting and requires less maintenance than traditional logs.
Unlike other manufacturers who use a variety of wood, Conestoga consistently chooses the same species of trees from planted forests in
North America
so that they do not disrupt existing forests. The automated manufacturing process means that they can cut logs efficiently and eliminate waste.
The durability and ease of maintaining their products make Conestoga the preferred choice when campgrounds or resorts decide to increase rentals by providing rental cabins. The cabins have proved extremely popular for vacationers who want to experience a natural setting with the comforts they can’t get from an RV or camping tent.
“We had a project where we put in 29 log cabins at a resort,” says Myer. “As soon as they were built and ready to be rented, all 29 were booked for the entire year. Campground and resort owners always tell us that our log cabins are the first to be rented to capacity.”
Their cabins can be found in campgrounds all over
America
and even other parts of the world, so campers know that they can rely on having a quality place to stay. “It’s one of the advantages of having lots of cabins throughout the
United States
,” Myer says. There’s always one of our log cabins that you can look at or stay in no matter what state you are in.”
Customers can also design a cabin on the company’s website and have it reproduced at the Conestoga factory, down to the furniture and fixtures. They can choose to build it themselves or have a crew from Conestoga come and build the log home.
“The difference in our kits is that we do a lot of the work that was traditionally done on-site. Before you had a lot of cutting and drilling that you needed to do on-site, that is now done at our factory so that now it is as simple as putting together an airplane model,” says Myer. “All the pieces fit; you just need to put the pieces together in the right order.”
Unlike most log home companies that use dealers to sell their log homes, Conestoga has fulltime company sales reps. The company boasts a loyal and experienced staff with over 7 years of experience, a level unheard of in his industry, says Myer. He aims to hire knowledgeable and consistent employees who can help customers get what they need and hold their hand through the entire design and building process.
The high quality of Conestoga’s products and service keep clients coming back for more. “We keep a very detailed customer database so we can track customer’s projects and meet any future needs they may have.” Myer says. By establishing positive relationship with clients, he says, the company has benefited from repeat business and frequent referrals.
Commitment to their customers helped the company stay successful in the midst of economic crisis. During the recession, Myer says, customers were less willing to commit to building projects and banks were not financing these projects. Conestoga kept prices low for their customers “by keeping our process efficient, by providing a simplified solution for assembly, and meeting the customer’s needs and not trying to sell them something they don’t need.”
Creating a balance between the dream and reality of owning a log home has proved a successful strategy for Myer and Conestoga Log Cabins and Homes. Whether you prefer a traditional log home, or the old world timber frame, or the energy efficient dual wall system, Conestoga will have your log cabin finished in no time. With affordable prices and low maintenance, he says, people can enjoy living in their log home without worrying about the complexity of building and maintaining. With over 3,000 log cabins sold, Conestoga is proud to have helped many people achieve their dream.
