Page 17 - Nov-Dec 2025 REPORTER

estled in the heart of Ontario’s cottage country, customized glazing solutions to the The original location on Wellington
NMuskoka Lumber began as a small, family-run marketplace. All these services were Street had served the customer base well
operation supplying building materials to local added with the goal of meeting the but the new location on 28 Salmon Ave
builders and homeowners. Founded in Port Carling in unique and discerning needs of Muskoka shows off the products and services which
1988, the company started with a single lumberyard, Lumber’s customers. Muskoka Lumber has become known
a handful of employees, and a simple goal: provide for. The new location sits on 8.4 acres of
high-quality materials with the kind of service only a Fresh New Location in Bracebridge land. The beautiful new store has almost
tight-knit community business could offer. Founders After 32 years the Bracebridge location 8,000 square feet of space which doubles
Paul Donaldson and Bob Potts wanted to be the had outgrown the original store and the the footprint of former location. It also
customize solution for customers. As business grew, need for something fresh that would features an impressive 60x200 square
that growth spurred changes to the organization. provide the area to display product and foot warehouse which is fully equipped
Initially that meant adding new storage buildings stock additional materials was apparent. with Auto-Stak racking. Store manager Jeff
on the property to meet the needs of the Muskoka
market.
The first major expansion of Muskoka Lumber
occurred in March of 1993. Their second store
was located in Bracebridge. This location provided
customers with a full-service retail yard which
included a drive-thru pickup area. Back then,
Muskoka Lumber was focused on filling the unique
needs of customers and homeowners in the area. But
through it all, the team was building something more
than just lumber yards. They built relationships.
As the Muskoka region began to grow in
popularity, drawing in seasonal visitors, custom
home builders, and commercial developers, the
demand for high-end lumber, specialty materials,
and design expertise surged. Muskoka Lumber
recognized the opportunity—not just to expand, but
to evolve.
Strategic Growth, Local Roots
Muskoka Lumber continued to expand its
footprint. New locations were opened across the
region, including in key areas like Bala, MacTier, and
Huntsville. Each location was strategically chosen to
serve the unique demands of its community while
maintaining the company’s hallmark commitment to
service and quality.
But growth didn’t stop at physical locations.
Muskoka Lumber invested heavily in its people and
operations. The team expanded to include skilled
designers, project managers, and product specialists
who could consult on everything from custom home
builds to large-scale commercial projects. They
introduced new product lines—premium decking,
heavy timbers, siding, and flooring—to meet the
evolving tastes of both contractors and discerning
homeowners.
That also meant adding new services. The
Architectural Design Centre was added in 2003. It
was created to provide blueprints for customers
that would be approved by the various local
municipalities. In 2006 a finishing shop for pre-
finishing flooring, siding and wall finishes was
added. This allowed their builders and homeowners
the ability to select customized finishes. The new
window and door centre was completed in 2018.
This centre supplies modern, energy efficient

www.lbmao.on.ca LBMAO Reporter - November-December 2025 17