About MTM

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We fulfill a market demand for sustainably-harvested, hand-selected, native timber from the great northwoods of Minnesota. We privately maintain thousands of acres of pristine woodlands under the practice of restoration forestry. For the past  three-quarter century, our family has been re-establishing a modern forest with “Old Growth” characteristics. We have worked to restore the land’s potential to what it once was, allowing us to locally mill and kiln-dry timber to artisan standards. 

Kiln Dried Timbers, Custom Paneling, Siding, Flooring, Trim, Stair Components, Shingles, Prefinishing. - Our products page

Owner of Minnesota Timber & Millwork, and Rajala Forestry, a five-generation family-owned and -operated forest products business.  John oversees forestry, logging, sawing, milling and sales.  He brings 40+ years of experience, having started in the woods and mills at a young age.

John plays a leading role in the emerging practice of restoration forestry.  He builds on the experience of prior generations to restore the Great North Woods to its natural ecology.

Manager of Sales and Manufacturing of Millwork and Timber Products.

Darren manages the sales and manufacturing of Timber and Millwork products. He has 35 years of experience as an operator and manager in forestry, sawmilling, kiln drying, milling, and pre-finishing wood products.

Paul splits his time between the woods and mills. He applies his forestry education and "boots on the ground" experience to lead the silvicultural projects in Rajala Forestry's Restoration Forestry Program. He applies his forest knowledge to the mill floor, where he works hands on to craft natural forest characteristics into MTM's timber and millwork products for our customers.

Margie is dedicated to supporting our operations, customers, suppliers, and our team. When we need answers we turn to her. She has lived in Bigfork and managed the office of our headquarters for over a quarter century, making her the longest tenured caretaker in our history.

Ron Rooker has 40 years of experience as a sawyer in the Great  North Woods.  He does the difficult sawing and oversees all aspects of  lumber production - sawing, kiln drying, and grading.  He is highly skilled in mechanics and electronics.

Greg Powell has deep experience in sawing, saw filing, maintaining  of saws and machinery, mechanics, and electronics.  Greg keeps the saws sharp  and ready to go at all times, and is actively involved when we're  sawing to make sure the lumber is coming out perfectly.