Over 25 years ago, a local family launched a sawmill business that would come to be a community staple. Today, Timberland Wood Products has provided the wood for many housing projects in Bonners Ferry, creating a bond between them and the town. 

Previously a logging family, the Isaacs opened their sawmill business because logging was seasonal work, especially in North Idaho. When Glen Isaac founded Timberland in 1997, the work was part-time at first. Since then, the sawmill has seen strong growth and in 2001, Timberland moved from its original location just south of Bonners Ferry to a site about four miles northeast of the town, buying a new sawmill in the process. 

Three years later, the Isaacs moved into their current location, about a half mile east of Three-Mile in Bonners Ferry. Today, Glen and three of his sons continue to work in the mill and almost every piece of wood is touched by at least one of the family members. 

According to Chad and David Isaac, Timberland does not stock much inventory, as their sawmill allows them to custom build, instead of having customers choose pre-cut sizes and types of wood.  

Based on information provided by Timberland, this flexibility enables Timberland to complete specialty projects much quicker than bigger sawmills. They can also buy over-sized logs that other large sawmills cannot cut. While much of their wood is used for the interior and exterior of houses, Timberland is versatile and can help build other items, such as canoes and boats.   

The company states that they have a commitment to quality, sometimes spending more than one day on a single log. Wood that isn’t up to quality will be repurposed for firewood, put in gardens, or used for heating. 

Timberland has operated in the Bonners Ferry area since its inception. According to Chad and David Isaac, around half of their business is done in Boundary County, with the rest coming from other areas of Idaho and surrounding states.  

“The largest percentage of that half would be actual home builders,” David Isaac said. “We probably know almost every contractor in the county.”  

The Isaacs don’t see a difference between themselves and their employees, as they are very hands-on owners.  

“We’ve got terrific employees that have been here so long,” Chad Isaac said. “It’s not like we’re down the road in an office hoping that our employees are making money.” 

While Timberland does not have the resources and inventory of other big timber companies, they remain an excellent example of a Bonners Ferry family business that continues to thrive.