A Logging Legacy

Our Story

Three generations of good old-fashioned hard work.

A family business at every level, Tom and Nikki, along with their sons Jordan, Trevor, and son-in-law Cody, work hard with our team every day to make a good living in the U.P.’s most abundant renewable resource, our forests.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of working with diverse clients ranging from small landowners to large corporations in every timber type the U.P. has to offer. We’ve learned so much about what works, what doesn’t, and how to ensure the best chance of success both now and into the future. It’s with great pride that we place our expertise at your service.

From hand-fellers and horses to million dollar machines.

It all began with Earl St. John back in the 1950s. He learned to log with his dad and grandfather in logging camps of northern Menominee County. With an axe, a handsaw, and a rented horse, he was making a better living by his senior year of high school than his teachers. With his high school sweetheart, Rosemary, he saw an opportunity to forge his own path in the woods and never looked back.

Earl raised Tom to have that same grit and determination. Tom was working in the woods from an early age, steeped in hard work and thinking ahead. Together they ushered in the era of mechanized logging to the Lakes States in the 1970s, and in the 1990s purchased the first cut-to-length machines in America. In short order, they were among the most successful family logging operations in the country.

Passing it all on.

Tom and his wife, Nikki, followed in Earl and Rose’s footsteps, raising their children to see the opportunities that the U.P.’s forest have to offer. Tom continues to lead the business with the help of his sons, Jordan and Trevor. Over the decades, mills have come and gone, changed names, been bought, sold, and bankrupt, but the St. John name still stands and continues to grow, adapt, and thrive in every era.

Core Values

Our commitment to excellence drives our core values.

Integrity

We still believe our word means something and strive to maintain a strong reputation for good, honest, hard work.

Family

Good relationships are at the center of our success. We think of every one of our clients as a partner and a neighbor.

Longevity

We’re not just in it for life, we’re in it for the next generation, too. We make sure our forests and the local economy they support grow alongside us.

Walk in the woods with us.

Partner with us today to make the most of your forest legacy!

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St. John Forest Products, Inc. Spalding, MI (906)-497-5119