Glu-Lam-Log: The Modern Alternative for House Logs, Siding and Other Home Products

Glu-Lam-Log started as a backyard venture, but has grown into a thriving establishment. Owned and operated by two men who left successful careers to take a chance on building a better mousetrap, Glu-Lam-Log improves on Mother Nature by making logs that don't crack, shrink or warp.

		Bob Smith and Phil Alman, Glu-Lam-Log owners.

Phil runs the front end of Glu-Lam-Log. He keeps customers happy and works to find new ones. After more than thirty years in marketing and sales, Phil swears that the the key to building a successful client base is very simple - Listen to what customers have to say. Make good products. Make only those promises you can keep and always, always tell the truth. No hype, no gimmicks, just common sense.

Although different from each other in many ways, their abilities and philosophies meet and mesh like the corners of log homes to create a well constructed partnership.

The following interview, conducted at the close of another successful year, sheds some light on what makes the clock tick at Glu-Lam-Log.

First of all, neither of you fits the image of owners of a wood products mill:

Bob: No, we probably don't. At heart, I'm a cowboy. By training, I'm a linguist and speak four languages fluently. Phil, over there, used to be in military intelligence, studied Russian with me at Syracuse University and went on to manage a quarter billion dollar marketing operation.

How long have you lived in Montana?

Bob: Well, I've lived in Idaho and Western Montana for most of my life. Until I started Glu-Lam-Log, I taught foreign languages at the University of Montana. Phil had been coming here for fifteen years before he picked up and moved. We're talking old timers here.

Phil: My family and I moved here July 4th, 1989. Bob and I had known each other for more than twenty years. We became friends in graduate school at Syracuse University. Since 1973, I've come to Montana every year to hunt and fish with Bob. In a lot of ways I was a Montanan long before I moved out here.

When was Glu-Lam-Log formed?

Phil: Bob started the company just about thirteen years ago. I got involved, on the side, in 1987.

How did Glu-Lam-Log get started?

Bob: Like Phil said, the company started more than twelve years ago, but I was involved with log homes before then. I wanted to build a log home for myself. I hired a fellow named John, one of Phil's hunting buddies, to help me build my home. By the time it was done, John had fallen in love with log home building. He started a log home construction business and I was a silent partner. The business grew successfully, but then John was killed in an automobile accident. The whole thing sort of fell into my lap.

I was at home one day, thinking about logs and looking at our large antique oak table. It's heavy, with a massive pedestal supporting the table. I remember thinking, "This thing is over 100 years old and that pedestal has no cracks in it."

So I got down underneath it to get a closer look and discovered that the pedestal wasn't one piece of wood like I thought, but rather several pieces of kiln dried wood laminated together and put on a lathe to make it round. I thought, "I can do this with logs."

Phil: And he did. I've got pictures of him laminating the first boards. Bob built the machine to do it and laminated the first boards in his back yard.

Why laminate boards into logs?

Bob: Laminated logs do not have traditional log problems. Most logs used for building homes are partially air dried or come from dead standing timber. Unfortunately, the moisture content of these logs is inconsistent. The logs continue to dry at the lumber yard, while being preassembled, during transport, throughout construction and while you are living in the home. And each log dries at a different rate. So, they shrink, warp and crack.

With Glu-Lam logs, the boards are kiln dried. That makes the drying process consistent and controlled, which decreases warping and cracking. Boards can still warp though, anybody trying to find a straight 2x4 at the hardware store will tell you that. But by laminating four or five boards together, with their grains running in opposite directions, warping is less likely to occur.

Phil: This also makes them stronger. Much stronger, in fact! We had an independent study done by the University of Idaho comparing our laminated logs to regular logs. The laminating process makes our logs 50% stronger than ordinary logs. In fact, all of our laminated logs are now certified as structural laminated beams. Plus, after the milling and planing, they stack better because they are consistent in size and shape. This drastically cuts down on waste.

You also produce traditional milled logs. Isn't this a conflict?

Phil: Not really! We respect the fact that lots of people prefer the more rustic appearance of traditional milled logs. It's a just a matter of personal taste. These people seemed to be looking for consistent quality.

Bob: By superimposing the quality standards we use to mill laminated logs onto traditional milled logs, we make them the best they can be. Besides when we made the decision to offer traditional milled logs we already had all the equipment in place to do so.

When did you become partners?

For some time I had been losing my interest in corporate life. So much bureaucracy, no personal control. It was sucking away my soul. I called up Bob, said I was quitting, and asked if there was a way we could work something out. My family supported me in this decision; my son Russ told me, "Dad, you'll die young if you stay here." So we moved. It was a monstrous change of lifestyle; we just plain started over - from the very beginning.

Bob: We worked something out and when Phil started, that's when the company really took off.

Who does what in the company?

Bob: I am the nuts and bolts guy and the product developer. Phil tells me what the customers want and I see that it gets done. I run the plant and oversee most of the employees. I am involved with everything that comes out of the machines. The machines, those are my babies. Until three or four years ago, in addition to everything else, I actually ran the equipment to mill the logs - I was quality control.

However, the company couldn't grow with me out there all the time. So we brought in other qualified people to run the machines now; but you can see how far away I am (he waves towards the door between the office and main room). No hallway. You open the door and there you are, in the plant with the planer.

Now I spend half of my time on training and monitoring quality. In fact, I personally run the quality control testing on our laminated logs. I'm always tinkering with the equipment we already have to make it run better and try to keep ahead of our growth by modernizing the manufacturing process to make it more efficient. I also deal with customers but not to the extent that Phil does.

Phil: Bob's a little modest. In fact I often accuse him of having latent marketing tendencies. True, my primary job is to work with our current and potential customers, and to help the plant and my partner understand their points of view and their needs. What I get in return are superior products that are easy to sell.

What happens if you disagree over something?

Phil: When we became partners, we agreed to never disagree. One of the lawyers we talked to suggested that. It sounded like a heck of a good idea, so that's what we did. It doesn't work to have partners fighting. We do have disagreements over the details, but where the principles and direction of the company are concerned, we agree. And the differences over the details, we work out. The hand shake agreement we've made with each other is better than any contract a team of lawyers could put together. It's not easy for friends to be partners, but in our case, we've made it work.

What are the principles of your company?

Phil: We match the company to the customer's needs because without the customer, there is no company. We never let the bottom line become more important than the customer. A typical business focuses on growth, I do the opposite. I have seen many companies build a customer base and then focus on growing more. I worry about our existing customers first and look for growth only after I know they're still happy.

The best way to take care of your customers is to tell the truth. Always tell the truth. If there is a problem, you call the customer and be honest about it. We don't have any lawyers or contracts; we don't need them. We keep our word and we've never been burned. Also, if you tell the truth, you don't have to have a good memory.

Bob: Quality and consistency are the cornerstones of Glu-Lam-Log. We build things as we need them. Keep things consistent and grow at a reasonable pace. Yes, we want to grow and we are growing, but we don't want to overextend ourselves. You never know when the economy is going to plunge or at least slow down, so we keep debt free. We also have to make sure that we do not strip our supply of quality wood.

Phil: Bob and I strive for quality and so do our employees. We want them to put quality above production. So we've actually slowed our machines down. This takes the pressure off our people. For example, the people feeding the planer have more time to decide which side will look best for the interior or exterior of the log. On the cutting end, the slower the machine, the more cuts the board gets, which produces a smoother, higher quality log. These are small things that make an awfully big difference.

Our whole philosophy is geared to building quality within our company so we can provide quality in our products.

So what is it about this business that gives you satisfaction?

Bob: I really enjoy having an order come in on paper and watching it go out as a quality product to become someone's dream. A log home is a dream for a lot of people. We are selling those dreams.

Phil: This business is fun, fulfilling and allows me to practice the business ethics that I like to preach. When I make a decision, there is no one else responsible for it. At a large company, you could pass the buck to someone else down the line. Here, I look in the mirror at the person responsible. It can be hard, but it is satisfying.

And I enjoy the people we meet. This business puts us in touch with wonderful people, people who have similar ideals and values. I like selling dreams to these people, dreams they can afford.

One last question. What do you guys do for entertainment?

Bob: I like to jump out of airplanes. I've been a skydiver for longer than I care to admit and have made more than two thousand jumps. I also love to recite cowboy poetry and look for just about any excuse to put on a show. Cowboy poetry is part of the West's culture.

Phil: I'm a self styled gardener and landscaper and do lots of work around the house. I'm also into hunting, fishing, computers, and ham radio, but the business keeps me too occupied to pay much attention to them.