Ken Clark This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Beaver Mountain Log Homes - Catskill Mountain Foundation

   www.catskillmtn.org/publicatio - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/1/2007   Last Visited: 1/27/2008

   "We're probably a little unique, by the fact that we were builders first," says Ken Clark, president of Beaver Mountain Log Homes. "A lot of log home companies were saw mills."
   
   Clark says his father, Donald, worked as a general contractor and residential home builder in Delaware County beginning in 1951. "We were builders first, so when people came to us and started asking for log homes, we began looking to become a dealer around 1980," says Clark. "The two of us started shopping log home companies and didn't find anything that would really enhance our business. We decided to build our own log homes with the features we were looking for."
   
   Clark says Beaver Mountain coined a phrase, around the same time as the industry, for what they were doing: "Builder friendly." "It made us unique," says Clark.
   ...
   White Pine is the predominant species, while about 10 or 15 percent of that used is Western Red Cedar from British Columbia, according to Clark.
   
   Clark says Beaver Mountain is also unique in that it sells directly to home owners, many of whom first visit the company's model homes on Route 17 in Hancock. "We have three models," says Clark. "Our sales room is a design center and showroom."
   
   The builders that put the Beaver Mountain's homes up are independent contractors. "A lot of builders feature our homes. They build our homes and recommend or refer people to us," says Clark. "We work with the code enforcement officer for permits, the builder (on scheduling) and the home owner ...
   
   Ken Clark. Photo courtesy Beaver Mountain Log Homes Ken Clark. Photo courtesy Beaver Mountain Log Homes
   ...
   "If there are issues in the field, where it's our mistake or the builder's mistake, we try to make it right," says Clark.
   ...
   "We do one room cabins, and a lot of fishing and hunting cabins for people coming up for the weekend," says Clark. "We have done homes over 10,000 square feet, but typically they are in the 2,500 to 5,000 square-foot-range.
   
   Beaver Mountain Log Homes don't generally have the same problems of other log homes, according to Clark. The logs are air dried for up to four months and then kiln dried at the start of the manufacturing process, rendering them "relatively stable," he says. After that, nothing stays outdoors. "We use 3/8-inch lag screws and bolt each log to the other as they're going up," he says. "There's never settling. There's usually compression from the weight."
   
   "These homes are becoming more refined," says Clark.
   ...
   As with conventional, stick-built homes, Clark says builders putting up Beaver Mountain Log Homes tend to work year-round. "In the summer they build around the rain and in the winter, most builders are trying to get the shell up to work inside through at least January," he says.
   
   And while Clark says many folks are under the impression you don't build in the winter, winter construction has its advantages. "There's less mud, and you don't have to deal with the rain," says Clark. "If it snows, you can brush it off."
   
   "In the 1980s log homes were the inexpensive alternative. A lot of companies didn't use Anderson windows or dry their logs," says Clark. "(Today) If the amenities are the same, a log home will be slightly more. If you take a conventional home and put nice amenities in, you won't be that far off. Engineered wood floors, masonry fireplaces, wooden cabinetry instead of veneer, blue stone countertops, these are becoming very popular."
   
   The wait time for delivery of what is essentially a ready to build home is about 10 weeks. "I know if you're getting materials that are not cut, I've seen ads in magazines for as fast as 10 or 14 days," says Clark. "And we have shipped houses in under 10 weeks. We have one now where the foundation is poured and they're ready to go. We will be delivering that in four weeks."
   
   "When we precut the house, we dry stack it. There's only a couple of companies that do this as standard on every home," says Clark.
   ...
   We do milled logs with rustic finishing," says Clark.
   ...
   Clark contributes some of the company's success to its direct-sales niche. "Customers are very well educated in the log home industry, and that's our best buyer," he says. "There's a whole industry out there from super cheap to super expensive and you do need to know what you're buying. It's like buying a car. A BMW is a performance car and a Mercedes is a luxury car."
   
   "Dealerships are tough," adds Clark.
   ...
   We're very comfortable going direct," says Clark. "We don't want to be the biggest but we pride ourselves on being one of the best. Over 60 percent of our business comes from referrals, so if you were to knock on the door and talk to the homeowners, I think you would hear a lot about the way they were (treated)."
   
   Beaver Mountain Log Homes also makes a point of buying the best materials, not the cheapest, says Clark, adding "You can't get it at lumber yards.
   ...
   Reflecting on his first 25 years in the log home business, Clark says that in addition to improvements in the homes and a amenities, it's the buyer that has changed the most.
   
   "25 years ago it was an alternative," he says.
   ...
   Clark says most of what Beaver Mountain Log Homes sells are year-round homes for baby boomers and others looking toward retirement and spending more time at home.
   
   Beaver Mountain Log Homes' manufacturing site fills about 13 acres, smaller by comparison to some other companies. "We're not a sawmill," says Clark. "When you talk about other log home companies, they have what you consider to be a larger foot print because half or more of their business is a sawmill. They bring in trees."
   
   "We consider ourselves a large woodworking shop and we bring in timbers," says Clark. "We're custom crafted, not a high-production company, doing 500 homes a year."
   
   Beaver Mountain Log Homes employs between 40 and 50 people, with some seasonal fluctuation. "We do a lot of bench work," says Clark.
   ...
   Clark says many customers brought photo albums to October's celebration, and some got reacquainted with the company. "You make friends when you're doing a home," he says. "We've gone back to do a lot of additions and makeovers, or to finish off a basement. We've had several customers where maybe one family bought a house, then another, then a third."
   
   Most Beaver Mountain Log Homes are on secondary roads, often set back in more wooded areas, according to Clark.

2. 2. Testimonials

   www.robpickettandassoc.com/tes - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/4/2005   Last Visited: 12/20/2007

   Ken Clark, President, Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes

3. 3. Bulletin #20 December, 1999

   www.delhi.edu/page/carsvcs/job - [Cached]

   Published on: 11/20/2001   Last Visited: 8/22/2002

   Send cover letter and resume to: Ken Clark, Beaver Mountain Log and Cedar Homes, 200 Beaver Mountain Drive, Hancock, NY 13783.
   
   HVAC/R/PLUMBING (G768)
   
   Accurate Temperature Systems, Inc.
   
   Technician needed for installation and service for resid ential and commercial. Willing to train the right person with mechanical and technical skills.