Creative Log Structures · Bemidji, Minnesota

Custom log and timber components built in Bemidji, Minnesota

Creative Log Structures handcrafts log and timber trusses, railings, mantels and custom components in Bemidji, and backs them with its own sawmill, kiln and borate treatment. Everything is built in Northern Minnesota and shipped anywhere.

A Northern Minnesota timber shop since the 1990s

Creative Log Structures was founded by master craftsman Jamie Olson and has been crafting log structures since the 1990s, more than 30 years of work with logs and timber. Today the company is owned by Nick Baumann and operates from its shop at 9605 Hillcrest Drive NE in Bemidji. The work is specialized: structural and decorative trusses, hand-scribed railings that keep the character of the wood, mantels and table blanks, and the milling and treatment that make those pieces stable enough to last generations.

Why Bemidji is the right place to build timber

Bemidji sits in the forested lake country of north central Minnesota, a region with a long tradition of log homes, cabins and timber-framed buildings. Creative Log Structures works where the material and the craft both live. Logs are sawn, planed, dried and treated in the same Bemidji shop where trusses are assembled and pre-fit, so a builder receives components that have already been checked together. For customers in the area, that means a local shop to visit and talk through a project. For customers elsewhere, the company ships finished components anywhere.

What Creative Log Structures makes and does

• Log and timber trusses: king-post, hammer-beam or custom forms, handcrafted and pre-fit in the Bemidji shop
• Hand-scribed log railings with character wood
• Mantels, table blanks and custom log components
• Custom sawmilling for logs up to 40 feet long: slabs, siding, blanks and dimensions milled to order
• Planing
• In-house kiln drying that brings timber down to 8 to 12 percent moisture content
• In-house sodium borate pressure treatment that protects wood without changing its color
• Builder pricing and support for builders and architects

Read more about log and timber trusses, custom log fabrication and custom sawmilling and lumber.

Questions builders and homeowners bring to the shop

• Can you build a truss to my plans? Yes. Trusses come in king-post, hammer-beam or custom forms and are pre-fit in the shop before they ship.
• How dry will my timber be? The in-house kiln brings timber down to 8 to 12 percent moisture content, which is what makes finished components stable.
• Will borate treatment change the look of the wood? The company's sodium borate pressure treatment protects wood without changing its color.
• How long a log can you mill? The sawmill handles logs up to 40 feet long.
• Do you work with builders and architects? Yes. Creative Log Structures offers builder pricing and support and helps builders, architects and homeowners source logs and lumber.
• Can you ship outside Minnesota? Yes. Components are built in Northern Minnesota and shipped anywhere.

Milling, drying and treatment under one roof

The signature of the business is that the material work happens in the same place as the craft work. Custom sawing, planing, kiln drying and borate pressure treatment are all done in house, which the company describes as making it a one-stop shop for lumber needs. For a builder, that removes a chain of suppliers between the log and the finished truss. It also means the people shaping a railing or a truss know exactly how the wood was cut, dried and treated, which is how a component earns the right to be called built to last.

Recent work

Two recent project spotlights show the range: a custom timber truss entryway for a local business, and a pair of decorative trusses for a custom high-end home. More work is collected on the projects page.

How to start a project

Most projects start with a quote request. Send the details through the contact form, call 218-586-2271, or email the shop, and include as much detail as you can: the component, dimensions, wood preferences and timeline. The company will come back with an estimate and lead time for your specific project.

Visit or contact Creative Log Structures

• Address: 9605 Hillcrest Drive NE, Bemidji, MN 56601
• Phone: 218-586-2271
• Email: Nickbmnn@gmail.com
• Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.