History

A COMPANY BUILT ON PASSION, FAMILY AND VALUES.

Wisconsin Log Homes didn't start like most other log and timber home companies. It emerged out of the love of one man for a woman. In the early 1970’s, newlyweds Dave and Kathy Janczak shared a common wish – to live in a log home.

Dave lived and breathed construction since he was a child. When he was young, Dave and his father would spend time together remodeling old homes. Dave learned more about the art of construction and carpentry while working for a local builder throughout his high school and college years.

After getting married, the couple soon fell in love with a twenty-acre piece of land in the countryside of Pittsfield, Wisconsin. Dave promised Kathy that he'd use his construction background and build her a beautiful log home they’d both be proud to own.

Working day and night throughout the design and construction of the home, the couple hand-cut and peeled each log that would go into their home. Dave worked on-site every day, while Kathy visited on her lunch breaks to give Dave a hand or word of encouragement.

The home was soon completed and received great fanfare from the local media. Newspapers and TV stations did stories on the labor of love. As a result, people began showing up at the house asking Dave to build them equally beautiful log homes.

The reaction from the many log home enthusiasts is what prompted the couple to begin Wisconsin Log Homes in 1976 and is still what drives the company to be an industry leader and pioneer in custom wood home building technologies. Dave began to design and build the homes while Kathy used her marketing and advertising background to educate customers about log homes - and together they set a new standard for the industry.

Dave and Kathy's son, Nate, grew up in the family business since he was a kid.  He went to work with both his parents quite often and always had a job to do - whether it was pushing a broom in the warehouse, stuffing flyers, or working on the construction crews during off-time throughout his high school and college years.  After graduating from St. Norbert College in 2003, Nate officially joined the Wisconsin Log Homes team as a Home & Design Consultant and soon started to manage the business operations alongside his parents. Today, Nate is the second-generation owner, oversees the company and is the General Contractor for our log, timber and hybrid homes throughout Wisconsin. Not only does he manage each project (with the help of our Project Coordinators), but he also personally works with our in-house Architectural Designers during the design phase of each home and spends much of his time on-site working alongside our crews constructing the homes. Working on-site is what Nate is really passionate about as he gets to physically play a role in bringing his team’s work to fruition while being hands-on with his inherited design and craftsman abilities. Nate's wife, Stephanie, followed in the marketing footsteps of Kathy after joining the team in 2004.   

Of course, with all the growing Wisconsin Log Homes has done over the last several decades, the number of people behind the company has grown far beyond the Janczak family. Today, the Wisconsin Log Homes team consists of talented designers and experienced custom home experts who are just as passionate about the homes and services Wisconsin Log Homes provides as Dave and Kathy were from the start. 

"Looking back, we never knew that so many people were just as passionate about the log home lifestyle as we are. Knowing that our family has and continues to play a role in bringing so many dreams to life is truly incredible. Each home has a big piece of our heart.”

WATCH DAVE & KATHY ON EPIC LOG HOMES TV SHOW