Local log firm repurposes storm trees, supports community recovery

Heim Log Homes, a family business based in Kelliher since 1980, has taken an active role in Bemidji recovery by salvaging 122 storm damaged trees and incorporating the wood into new and ongoing log home projects. The June 21 storm left a landscape of destruction, with rough estimates of 9 million trees lost across the affected area, and the Heims responded immediately to neighbor calls to remove dangerous timber and salvage usable logs.

The morning after the storm, the company began receiving calls asking for help. Kendra Heim described the rapid response. "Right away, Nate went and got his loader truck and crane, with our big focus being on helping people get these trees off their roofs," she recalled. The family helped remove dozens of trees from roofs and properties and coordinated with city crews to collect logs from public spaces including Diamond Point Park.

The salvaged white pine from Diamond Point is being milled into timbers, tongue and groove boards, accents and other log home features while red pine is being reserved for structural components because of its load bearing properties. Some of the reclaimed logs have already been integrated into completed projects and many more have been claimed for future builds. While 122 trees is a small fraction of the estimated 9 million lost, the effort illustrates the local multiplier effects of reuse and community based recovery.

For homeowners, the Heims emphasized that the work was not driven by profit but by a desire to reduce costs and help neighbors avoid large sums charged by outside tree removal companies. For the local economy, salvaging and repurposing storm timber creates short term work for a small wood products firm, supplies local construction needs and reduces pressure on waste management systems.

City cooperation in collecting park logs suggests a model for municipal salvage programs that could cut disposal costs and capture value from damaged timber. As Beltrami County moves from immediate cleanup toward rebuilding, the Heim family effort offers a practical example of how local businesses can convert loss into material for recovery while keeping dollars and resources within the community.