Rocky Mountain Holding Company: A Different Kind of Log-home Builder

Rocky Mountain Holding Company (Rocky Mountain) has been seeking perfection in the design and manufacturing of exceptional log homes for almost 40 years. Rocky Mountain’s state-of-the-art, Montana-based facility produces precision-milled logs, resulting in high-quality crafted homes that reflect a client’s taste, comfort and lifestyle.

Founded in 1974, Rocky Mountain took off in a fairly new industry. “When the company first began log homes were relatively a new thing,” explains Jim Schueler, founder and president of Rocky Mountain. “Our first goal was to educate people about choosing a log home and assure them that it was a good decision.” Once Rocky Mountain found its niche in the market, Schueler expanded the original company into more specialized divisions.

Rocky Mountain exists as the parent company of its three subsidiary branches: Rocky Mountain Log Homes, Whisper Creek Log Homes and Pioneer Log Homes. The Whisper Creek Log Homes team focuses on prefab log home panels, while those at Pioneer Log Homes operate in the handcrafted, high-end market.

Multiple Markets

Rocky Mountain works with its 50 nationwide distributors to serve architects, general contractors and builders across the country. While the Midwest makes up a majority of Rocky Mountain’s geographical footprint, the company has touched the East Coast with a corporate office in North Carolina. “The western mountains are one of our huge markets, mainly Vail and Aspen, Colo.; we serve the high-end residential market there,” details Schuler. “But there are little pockets of business in each state.” The company specializes in high-end residential homes; however, it has also delved into the commercial market, working with well-known clients like Bass Pro Shops.

Rocky Mountain is capable of shipping anywhere in the U.S. and Canada and has recently experienced growth in international markets. While Rocky Mountain’s main manufacturing plant is based in Hamilton, Mont., the firm also has a plant in Canada, which exports to Russia and China. The company has completed structures from Northern Europe to South Korea, Thailand to Japan.

With the onset of the recession, Rocky Mountain shifted its business from the domestic market in order to stay afloat. “This is the only recession I’ve seen in my time where we’ve actually lost sales,” shares Schueler. “This started in 2007 and has lasted for about five years now. We’ve started doing more international business because that market is doing quite well.”

While the company expands internationally, it awaits the uptick of local markets. “They [local markets] are finally starting to kick up,” details Schueler. “We’re seeing a bright light here finally.”

Top-of-the-line Service and Materials

Rocky Mountain prides itself on being a full-service manufacturer, shepherding the process from design inspiration and construction drawings to the final accents that make a home special. “We basically do everything,” says Schueler. “We start from the woods with our own timber right through the process to the homeowner on site.”

Unlike some builders, Rocky Mountain believes materials are more than just logs, and the company pays attention to every minute detail. Each log is made from superior timber, which can be hard to access. Rocky Mountain gathers 90 percent of its logs by helicopter using environmentally sound methods.

Great design and setting have long been a hallmark of Rocky Mountain’s log homes. The company has experience working in any environment, on any location, including forests, water, grasslands and mountains. Keeping the natural beauty of all of these environments in mind, Rocky Mountain practices sustainability. “We’re committed to practicing sensitive harvesting practices by only using dry-standing timbers for our homes,” shares Schueler. “This guarantees the protection of existing wildlife and supports forest regeneration.”

Over the past 40 years, Rocky Mountain has received 147 national design awards. In 2012 the company was awarded the Jerry Rouleau Award for Excellence in Marketing and Home Design presented by the Log Homes Council and Building Systems Council of the National Association of Home Builders; this is a well-respected achievement for any company in the log and timber industry.

Rocky Mountain has been conduction national business since the ’70s, and is now aggressively pursuing international accounts to expand its geographic reach. The company’s philosophy is that every log building should be as unique as its owner. Award-winning excellence and a commitment to quality products make Rocky Mountain Holding Company one of the most trusted names in the industry.