Oregon Log Homes moving

The Oregon Log Homes production site on Highway 20 just east of Sisters is bare of logs for the first time in most people's memory.

That has led many to wonder if the company is going out of business or selling their operation.

"No, the business is not for sale," said owner Mike Neary. "What we are doing is selling the 10-acre production site here in Sisters and consolidating in Maupin out at our 80-acre site.

"We also have an indoor facility there," said Neary, but "we will open a sales office in Sisters. We are shopping for space right now."

The production site in Sisters is on the market at $797,500. It was listed with Re/Max Town & Country Realty on September 10. A sale is pending during negotiations with the prospective buyers. The giant crane and the log home on the site are being sold with the property.

There will be no immediate layoffs at Oregon Log Homes as a result of the sale, according to Neary. Over the span of two years the personnel at the Sisters site were down-scaled from 25 employees to nine.

Neary told The Nugget that he started his business in Redmond in 1980 and later, in 1984, purchased the site east of Sisters. In 1990, Oregon Log Homes was commissioned to build the Disney Wilderness Lodge. It was at this point that Neary bought the mill in Maupin to handle increased demand.

"It just didn't make sense to have production going in two different places," Neary said. "I wanted one or the other running full bore."

Also, he felt the little town of Maupin could use the tax money.

After the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1992, Canada started to control the lumber market here in the U.S. In order to compete with the Canadians, Neary had to find a way to lower his overhead.

"Consolidation was one obvious answer. This was something I've wanted to do for a couple of years now," said Neary.

The homes are assembled at the production site. Then the parts are numbered and the home is disassembled. In pieces, the home is then shipped to the home site where it is reassembled according to the numbers.

Neary noted that, "People wanting a quality log home in Sisters can still get the same great product from us. It will just come from Maupin."