Strongwood Log Homes UK, await new brochure and designs, exciting times lie ahead after Strongwood and Old-Timer log home company combine.

Original Old-Timer Log Homes and Supply has joined Strongwood Log Homes to create one of the largest log-home producers in the country with 130-plus dealers and many new floor plans, the companies announced late last week.

The announcement has been made in stages over the past 10 days, starting with a meeting at the Original Old-Timer mill last Monday in Mt. Juliet, Tenn., to inform the employees that their brand name was changing. Dealers of each company were informed via email last Friday.

The combined company will be called Strongwood and run by current Strongwood President Thad Marcom. Original Old-Timer's Paul Gentry, who started the company in 1979, said he's going to "slow down" but that "he'll never retire."

Both companies agreed that Strongwood's marketing power made it the sensible brand name at which to consolidate.

The two companies' strengths fit together remarkably well. The mill produces what Bob Marcom, Strongwood director of sales and marketing, called the best fully kiln dried logs in the industry. And Gentry told WHIN that Strongwood is much better at marketing homes and running a dealer program.

"I feel like this helps our current dealers because (Strongwood) is so good at marketing, they're going to be able to offer our dealers more assistance in marketing and sales than they've ever had," Gentry said. "I can get the most out of the mill and the equipment; that's my expertise.

"We've had a good relationship for many years. Bob is an excellent marketing person, and Thad knows how to run things. It's a good situation for both companies."

For Strongwood, the merger assures them access to their source of logs, gives them much better dealer penetration, increases buying power to reduce unit costs and gives their new marketing campaign more room to grow. "They've been making logs for 30 years, and they make really good logs," Bob Marcom said. "One of the main reasons we've been successful is because we have that source of what we believe are the best logs available."

The new Strongwood will be opening a new regional center in the in Mt. Juliet (10 miles away from Nashville) that will mirror its Waupaca, Wis., headquarters "It will include a sales department, an estimating department and a design staff," Thad Marcom said. "We'll have those same features here, so customers will be able to visit us in the north or south. (Waupaca) will be the headquarters and Mt. Juliet will be a regional center."

All of the Original Old-Timer dealers have been offered Strongwood dealerships, and Bob Marcom said thus far "every single (Original Old-Timer) dealer has been excited and on board. We anticipate losing very few, if any."

"There are maybe five companies that have more than 100 dealers, and they all took 20 years to get there," Bob Marcom said. "Only five years ago we had zero dealers; we got to 50 in a short amount of time. We've accomplished that by being very successful at developing strong customer service, really good designs with a great design department, and solid sales and marketing. I believe we're doing a lot of things right to provide a wonderful customer experience and a terrific new log home."

Among the signs that this merger was meant to be: There is almost no crossover in the companies' dealer territories. Original Old-Timer's 85 dealers would put the total dealer number at 135, one of the top few dealer-network totals in the industry.

"It really increases the coverage and worked out very well," Bob Marcom said. "For instance, we have international business; they have none. That non-duplicated increase in coverage is one reason why this makes so much sense."

There are numerous business advantages in being larger. "Being bigger allows us to do a lot more things from a standpoint of marketing that we couldn't afford at half the size," Bob said. Added Thad, "The volume brings the prices down instantly."

Thad Marcom said he anticipates job growth at both sites. On a more personal level, Gentry said he hopes the merger also ensures the professional stability of his sons, Tim and John. "I was interested in positioning my two sons in the company so they can enjoy what they do and have longevity to it," Gentry said.

Email: mail@strongwoodloghomesuk.com