BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2023
In an eleventh hour belt-tightening move, Katahdin Cedar Log Homes in Oakfield averted closing in June as it predicted it would, and the company is back to making log homes at a slower pace. The biggest factor was consolidating resources, said Gabe Gordon, vice president of sales and marketing. The company reduced staff from 80 to 48, shut down its Ashland mill, although it still uses the property as a log yard, and consolidated wood stockpiles from Ashland to Oakfield. Katahdin Forest Products, parent company of Katahdin Cedar Log Homes, was founded 50 years ago and was one of the largest log home and cedar fence manufacturers in the nation. Following a 2022 banner sales year, things changed in January when the company was forced to close its Ashland mill because cedar stocks were depleted.