Our Story
From humble beginnings to North Iowa's most trusted name in reclaimed lumber.
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Our Journey
The First Barn
It started with a single barn in Cerro Gordo County. The owner wanted it torn down; we saw treasure in every beam. That first salvage operation yielded over 3,000 board feet of century-old oak — and a new business was born. Marcus Holt pulled every nail by hand, loaded the boards onto a borrowed flatbed, and stored them in his father's machine shed. Word spread fast among local contractors.
First Commercial Sale
A Des Moines architect discovered our oak boards and placed an order for a restaurant renovation. That single project — 1,200 board feet of reclaimed white oak for flooring — generated enough revenue to purchase our first de-nailing station and a used band saw. It also proved that there was serious demand for quality reclaimed lumber in the region.
The Equipment Leap
With salvage operations outgrowing the machine shed, we invested in a portable sawmill, a second de-nailing station, and our first delivery truck. We moved operations into a rented warehouse on the south side of Mason City. That year we processed over 40,000 board feet and served 85 customers across northern Iowa.
Building the Facility
With growing demand, we opened our permanent processing facility in Mason City. Equipped with de-nailing stations, a kiln, and an industrial sawmill, we could finally take reclaimed wood from raw salvage to finished product under one roof. The 18,000-square-foot building on 15th St SW became our home — and it still is today.
Kiln & Custom Milling
We installed our first commercial-grade kiln, capable of drying 8,000 board feet per cycle. Kiln-dried reclaimed lumber opened doors to interior applications — flooring, cabinetry, and furniture — that demanded low and stable moisture content. We also added a moulder and planer, allowing us to offer custom profiles and tongue-and-groove milling for the first time.
Regional Expansion
Our reputation grew beyond Iowa. We began sourcing and delivering across the Midwest — Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and beyond. Our fleet expanded to three trucks to handle large-scale commercial and residential projects. We formalized partnerships with over 20 demolition companies and began receiving referrals from architects across the region.
Solar Installation & Biomass Kiln
Committed to practicing what we preach, we installed a 60-kW solar array on the facility roof, offsetting 40% of our electrical consumption. We also converted our kiln to run on biomass fuel generated from our own sawdust and wood waste, eliminating our dependence on natural gas for drying operations.
Sustainability Certification
We formalized our commitment to the planet by achieving third-party sustainability certification. Every board we reclaim is one fewer tree cut down and one fewer load heading to the landfill. That year we also surpassed 2,000 tons of lumber diverted from landfills — a milestone we celebrated with the entire team.
Facility Expansion
Demand continued to grow, and we added a 12,000-square-foot annex to our facility, bringing total processing space to 30,000 square feet. The expansion included a second kiln, a dedicated beam processing bay for timbers over 20 feet long, and a climate-controlled showroom where customers can browse samples and plan projects with our team.
A Living Legacy
With over 50,000 boards reclaimed, 2,800 trees saved, a team of 14, and customers across six states — North Iowa Lumber continues to grow. We process over 200,000 board feet annually and have become the Midwest's most trusted name in reclaimed lumber. But our mission remains the same: give every board a second life.
What Drives Us
Planet First
Every decision we make considers its environmental impact. From our sourcing practices to our processing methods, sustainability isn't a buzzword — it's our operating principle.
Quality Always
Reclaimed doesn't mean compromised. Every piece we sell is inspected, graded, and processed to meet the highest standards for structural integrity and beauty.
Community Roots
We're a North Iowa company through and through. We employ local, source local when possible, and reinvest in the community that gave us our start.
By the Numbers
Over 15 years of reclaiming lumber, these numbers tell the story of our impact on the environment, our community, and our industry.
Our Facility
Our 30,000-square-foot processing facility sits on a 5-acre site along 15th St SW in Mason City, Iowa. Originally built in 2012 as an 18,000-square-foot warehouse, we expanded in 2022 with a 12,000-square-foot annex to keep pace with growing demand. The facility is purpose-built for reclaimed lumber processing — from the moment raw salvage arrives to the moment finished product ships out the door.
The main processing floor houses our de-nailing stations, industrial metal detectors, and sorting bays where incoming material is inspected and graded. Adjacent to the processing floor, our sawmill room contains a Wood-Mizer LT70 industrial band saw, a Weinig Powermat moulder, and a 24-inch thickness planer — capable of handling timbers up to 24 inches wide and 30 feet long. Our two biomass-fired kilns can dry up to 16,000 board feet per cycle, with a typical cycle running 5-10 days depending on species and initial moisture content.
The 2022 annex added a dedicated beam processing bay with an overhead crane rated for 5 tons — essential for safely handling the massive hand-hewn timbers that are among our most requested products. The annex also houses our climate-controlled showroom and consultation area, where customers can browse species samples, review project photos, and work directly with our team to plan their builds.
Community Involvement
North Iowa gave us our start, and we believe in reinvesting in the community that supports us. Here are some of the ways we give back.
Mason City High School Shop Program
We donate reclaimed lumber to the Mason City High School woodworking shop program every semester. Students learn to work with hardwoods they'd never otherwise afford — white oak, walnut, chestnut — and build real furniture and projects. We also host shop tours at our facility and our team members volunteer as guest instructors, teaching students about wood identification, grain reading, and sustainable building practices.
Habitat for Humanity Partnership
Since 2015, we've supplied discounted and donated reclaimed lumber to North Iowa Habitat for Humanity builds. Reclaimed flooring, trim, and siding have gone into over a dozen homes across Cerro Gordo, Floyd, and Hancock counties. We believe that everyone deserves a home built with quality materials, and reclaimed lumber is a way to provide that while keeping costs manageable for the nonprofit.
North Iowa Corridor Economic Development
Marcus Holt serves on the board of the North Iowa Corridor, the regional economic development organization. We actively promote Mason City and the region as a destination for sustainable manufacturing and green building businesses. When new businesses consider the area, we're often part of the pitch — proof that sustainability and profitability go hand in hand here in North Iowa.
Annual Barn Heritage Day
Every September, we host Barn Heritage Day at our facility — a free community event celebrating Iowa's agricultural history and the barns that shaped it. The event features live milling demonstrations, wood species identification workshops, barn quilt displays, local food vendors, and tours of our processing floor. Last year over 400 people attended, and the event raised $8,500 for the Iowa Barn Foundation, which works to preserve historic barns across the state.