MHProNews.com has learned from the Maine Public Broadcasting Network that Katahdin Cedar Log Homes has won a contract to supply China with factory-built homes. The initial building will be a 10,000 square- foot reception center on the shores of a man-made lake in Chengdu, in Southwest China, to serve as a centerpiece for a real estate development for wealthier Chinese. According to Katahdin President David Gordon, a representative of China’s Syswin Inc., contacted the company after researching a number of other log home companies. “We we’re quite flattered, frankly. They wanted cedar,” he says. “They did their research on the species, and so they understand that cedar is very resistant to rot and insects and lasts a long time exposed to the weather.” The $1.2 million reception center will be followed by a series of $375,000 ready-to-assemble cedar log homes that will be crated and shipped to the site. Gordon notes that wood and trees are a scarce resource in this country of 1.2 billion people. Founded in 1973, Katahdin has produced approximately 5,000 cedar log homes, and expects revenues will increase 30 percent in 2012. Janine Bisallion-Cary, president of the Maine International Trade Center, says, “China has definitely been an aggressive importer of wood in the rough, pulp and paper, which all fall under the wood products (category).”
