How do we make your shingles?
White Cedar is natural to the North Country, and does not grow in warmer climates. True North Cedar Shingles is located right in the heart of the North; right in the center of acres of White Cedar forests. As in any product manufacturing operation, it just makes sense to be near the raw materials! For us, it just makes sense that the saws come to the trees. It won’t likely ever make sense to cut large forests in the North Country and then ship them to India, or Sri Lanka for processing!
Our mill is located on a pier in Lake Superior in the city of Duluth, Minnesota – right in the middle of Timber Country.
Our logs come to us from the forests that surround us.
At True North, we know our loggers and have built longstanding relationships of trust and respect for their forests and their land.
Our trucks load the logs in the woods, and bring them to the mill. Our logs are hauled by JBT Company, a company owned by True North Cedar Company partner, Hobart Finn for twenty years. “JBT” stands for Julie’s Big Trucks – the company is named for Hobart’s sweetheart.
Once our logs come to the pier, their lives as shingles begin.
True North Cedar Shingles uses the same saws that were traditionally used 80 years ago. Ours run on electricity though, not on steam or gas.
Shingle sawing is a highly skilled task, requiring an apprenticeship of five years to attain proficiency.
Once sawn, our shingles are packed in pallets. These pallets are waiting to be part of your cabin, home, shed, or doghouse