| For Laura and Mark Colonna, erecting
a log dream home on a mountaintop overlooking Glacier
National Park was a logical culmination to a process
which began in 1990 with the purchase of 25 acres of
land located high above Whitefish Lake, Montana. "We
had vacationed in the area for many summers," said
Laura, "returning over and over again--we couldn't
quite get enough of it. Moving here was a natural progression
for the two of us."
However, what they knew in their
hearts to be quite a natural choice for the two of
them and their children, Krista (5) and Brandon (1),
seemed quite revolutionary to their families and
friends. That was because, in order to attain their
Montana dream home, the Colonnas, who were both dentists,
had to first give up two successful practices back
in their home state of Illinois. "Taking the
plunge" and pursuing their dream was possible
only because the Colonnas believed there really could
be no better quality of life than the one they imagined
atop Lion Mountain.
It was the quality issue which led
the Colonnas to Northwoods Log Homes in Laporte, Minnesota.
For three years they carefully researched log home
manufacturers, then contracted with Northwoods to produce
their dream log home. When approaching Northwoods,
what initially struck them "was the commitment
to quality control exhibited throughout the company's
product," Mark said. From the precision of the
cuts to the innovative, through-bolting system used
to fasten the logs to one another, Northwoods Log Homes
has been recognized nationally for its commitment to
excellence and overall quality. Given the nature of
the "plunge" the Colonnas were preparing
to take, dealing with a company that staked its reputation
on attention to detail was very reassuring. "We
were convinced," explained Laura, "that Northwoods
Log Homes would construct for us a very quality-oriented
home. We felt confident in the Northwoods system, before
purchasing our log home.
The fact that Northwoods is a complete
manufacturing facility was something else that did
not go unnoticed by the Colonnas, who were looking
for total value in a log building. In the end they
were just more comfortable buying their dream home
from someone who had total control over every aspect
of the building process, from the sawing of the logs
to the design of the building to the delivery of the
product.
Real work on the Colonnas' home began
when representatives from Northwoods met their new
clients at the Colonnas' property near Whitefish, (over
1,000 miles from the manufacturing site of Laporte,
Minnesota) to evaluate their lot and offer suggestions
about house design. Accompanying Northwoods owner Burgess
Bach was sales consultant and project coordinator Bryan
Kerby who worked with the Colonnas in bringing their
dream project to fruition. "That made us feel," Mark
Colonna said, "that they never considered us to
be just another customer. We knew then that they wanted
us to have the best home possible."
The on-site visit was just the beginning
of a process that would culminate a few months later
with the shipment of a complete, precision-built, precut
log home. Next came the preliminary design, developed
in accordance with the ideas submitted by the Colonnas,
but influenced in part by some of the 600-plus, in-house
plans Northwoods stocks. Then came the embellishments
that made the Colonna's house fit their individual
needs. Square footage needs were assessed, materials
were selected, plans were revised to accommodate minor
adjustments until, finally, the planning phase was
completed. The end result was a set of complete plans
to produce a home package that accomplished its goal:
it met the needs of the Colonnas and satisfied the
company's standards.
Throughout the Colonnas' home the
fruits of a precise manufacturing process are apparent.
Corners meet properly, logs stack perfectly, and rafters
are plunged so precisely through special cuts in the
top log you see them as a natural, oblique extension
of the wall itself. According to the Colonnas this
attention to detail is what produced for them a building
that is both aesthetically pleasing and sound.
While much of the credit for a log
building's soundness is directly related to the integrity
of the design and manufacturing process, the competency
of the building contractor also plays a vital role
in determining the overall quality of the building.
The Colonnas realized this and selected a contractor
accordingly, Whitefish Builders of Whitefish, Montana. "The
quality of their work was exemplary," Laura says, "and
we knew they would build a home for us as if it were
their own."
Whitefish Builders came through for
the Colonnas, just as they promised. Their ability
to deliver upon their pledge of quality construction
earned them high praise from their clients, Laura and
Mark: "Having a chance to work with such gifted
craftsmen really brought out the best in our home.
There is no substitute for good 'old fashioned' carpentry."
As experienced general contractors
and custom builders working in a geographically remote
area, Whitefish Builders had become hardened to the
realities of late deliveries, tardy subcontractors,
error-laden specifications and, all too often, owners
who fail to understand the complexity of such a major
project. Given those realities "Working with Northwoods
Log Homes and Mark and Laura Colonna was a very satisfying
experience," said Whitefish partner, Kurt Comstock. "Particularly
given the distance from the project, most every part
of the process went smoothly."
So, in the end, a group of geographically
separated artisans and involved homeowners were somehow
able to work together and avoid the myriad of problems
and potential problems that often plague such projects.
For the partners at Whitefish Builders, it is testimony
to their skill, craftsmanship and creative abilities.
For Northwoods Log Homes it is another home that they
can proudly show future customers. And for the Colonnas,
their new home perched high above Whitefish on Lion
Mountain is a dream come true.
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