By JEANNE SCHRAM
Rich Peterson thinks about trees a lot. You might say he has had timber on his mind since he was a college student.
Peterson is manager of Aitkin Hardwoods, a division of Cass Forest Products in Cass Lake.
He was raised on a farm east of the Twin Cities and earned a degree in forestry from the University of Minnesota. He was a forester for the
Department of Natural Resources for eight years, working as a forester in Orr, Cook and Nickerson before coming to Aitkin in 1974.
For five years, Peterson was a log buyer for Woodland Container’s sawmill. In 1979, he began teaching a business management program to loggers in the Grand Rapids School District and, in 1985, became a salesperson for Lake States Lumber.
In 1996, he decided to start his own business at his home at County
Road 28 and called it Master Millwork. There he and one part-time employee worked with native lumber, making primarily paneling and moulding.
It was Peterson’s aim to offer customers consistent high quality in wood products such as uniform dryness, consistent sizing, proper packaging and unmatched service.
The business grew more than even he expected and, within less than two years, the 40-foot by 60-foot building was inadequate.
In 1999, Master Millwork joined forces with Cass Forest Products.
“It was a blending of two organizations,” Peterson said.
New building
Aitkin Hardwoods built a new 60- foot by 110-foot facility on Hwy. 210 west of Aitkin last spring and moved its operation in October. Besides the paneling, flooring and moulding that was being made, it has added more moulder profiles, more flooring and added wood species to the product

line, he said.
Employees were added also, with the number up to five at the Aitkin plant.
Products
At the Cass Lake plant, the core business revolves around pine but, in
Aitkin, the emphasis is on hardwoods, such as aspen, basswood, black ash and red oak.
Aitkin Hardwoods makes hardwood flooring, mouldings, and paneling, its primary product. It also can profile lumber, and hopes to expand by offering kiln-dried lumber.
The company is both a retailer and supplier to many contractors and to industrial entities.
Although paneling is its primary focus, “Right now hardwood flooring is very popular,” said Peterson.
“Solid wood has a special and unique place in the marketplace,” he said.
And because trees are renewable, it will be around forever. “And we won’t run out of the product if it’s handled properly,” he added.
Aitkin Hardwoods’ products are Forest Stewardship Council-certified, which Peterson said is the customer’s assurance that the product is coming from sustainably-managed resources.
Just a month ago, Aitkin Hardwoods completed its first SmartWoodrelated job — a hardwood maple floor.
“You will be seeing more requests for it as the market becomes more sensitive to this issue,” Peterson said.
Peterson is most pleased with the paneling and flooring made at the plant.
“We provide good lengths and excellent milling,” he said. “We take pride in the quality of our workmanship.
Peterson said he has appreciated the support of the community and those from agencies and governmental units that encouraged Aitkin
Hardwoods.
Peterson said the invitation is open for anyone who wishes to stop by the facility on Hwy. 210 west of Aitkin to look at the samples of wood species and products available. The company also has a website at

www.aitkinhardwoods.com
.
Pictured at top is Rich Peterson in his office at Aitkin Hardwoods, where walls are paneled with samples. At left is birch with an oil-base finish and on the right is birch with a water-based finish.
The Aitkin Independent Age
213 Minnesota Ave. N
P.O. Box 259
Aitkin, MN 56431
Phone: 218-927-3761
1-800-450-3761
Fax: 218-927-3763
Email: age@aitkinage.com
http://www.aitkinage.com