Peter Arnold of Pioneer Log Homes admitted it’s made a difference.
Ever since the weekly HGTV series Timber Kings featuring his work place first aired on Jan. 5 people are recognizing him.
“I didn’t think that would happen, but it is,” Arnold laughed.
Arnold shared his Pioneer Log Homes story with the Cariboo Regional District board Friday and started off by saying he is not a celebrity.
“Yes we are on national TV, but at the end of the day we are just simple log home builders who have a passion for something.”
That passion transfers into making sure customers visit Williams Lake to see firsthand how Pioneer Log Homes operates, Arnold said.
“You get to meet them and that’s a big thing.
“You get a sense of what they like and from there it takes about a year before you would see them again.”
Something the show hasn’t shown so far, Arnold said, is the fact the company builds small homes and cabins too.
“We’re not just here for the rich and famous. We can work for anybody.”
A native of Switzerland, Arnold was building timber frame homes there when he decided to follow his dream to see Alaska’s Mount McKinley in 1993.
He ventured to Alaska, didn’t see much of McKinley because of the fog.
On his way back, however, he came into Williams Lake and saw Pioneer Log Homes on the side of the road.
“Wow, those guys work with wood. This is wood. The rest is history,” Arnold recalled, adding every year the company takes in young apprentices from Switzerland.
One of the traditions Arnold brought from Switzerland is the roof speech.
“Whoever was the boss of the build talks about the history of the house, how he met the customer, how tough it was, how cold it was and how dirty it was,” Arnold explained.
“Sometimes it’s a bit emotional. There’s so much passion and love behind it and those people shed tears.
“You take that back to Williams Lake and it makes you work harder.”