What’s New at OT Timber Frames?

Morgan
Morgan is a sawyer at OT and loves the hands-on nature of the job—especially getting to work with all the big machines. Outside of the shop, he leads a busy and fulfilling life as a volunteer firefighter in Miocene and a goat farmer.

Jeremia joined OT Timber Frames after moving to Canada from Switzerland. As a junior draftsman, he’s quickly become an adaptable member of the team, while learning the ins and outs of timber framing. He especially enjoys going on-site for setups, where he can see his drawings come to life. Drawn to the craftsmanship and feel of working with wood, Jeremia has developed a genuine passion for the trade. He thrives on the variety—whether it’s refining designs, working with machinery, or picking up new skills every day. Outside of work, he stays active with sports and loves keeping on the move.

Since starting at OT, Layne has taken on a little bit of everything within the company. He brings a strong work ethic and hands-on approach to the team. He particularly enjoys carpentry and getting to see what he is working on come to life. Outside of work, you’ll find him enjoying the outdoors, whether he’s hunting, fishing, gardening, or playing games.

Amanda joined OT Timber Frames after moving here from Vancouver and has been loving the hands-on work ever since. She’s especially fascinated by how things come together and enjoys being involved in every part of the process—not just one task. Working on the new shop that is being built to house the CNC machine has been a highlight. When she’s not at work, she spends time outdoors on the ranch, gardening, and soaking in the beauty of her new home.

Kalub is currently doing his mechanic apprenticeship at OT Timber Frames, keeping the machines and equipment running smoothly. His favorite part of the job is the variety—he enjoys tackling different challenges that come up with the equipment. Outside of work, Kalub loves being outdoors, whether it’s fishing, hunting, dirt biking, or riding his quad.

Bernie is the trusted mechanic at OT Timber Frames. With a background as a heavy-duty mechanic, he brings a wealth of experience to keeping our equipment in top shape. From regular maintenance to unexpected fixes, Bernie makes sure our machines run smoothly so the rest of the team can keep building without a hitch.

Fun fact about Bernie, he is actually a licensed pilot, so he enjoys spending his free time flying and fishing when he can.

Darren is one of our skilled carpenters here at OT Timber Frames. He especially enjoys working on timber frames and being part of the set-up crew. For Darren, the best part of the job is seeing his hard work come to life — watching a project go from plans to a finished structure. Outside of work, Darren likes to spend his time fishing and being with his kids.

Sherry is a key part of the finishing crew here at OT Timber Frames, specializing in staining, brushing, and sanding. Her favorite part of the process is seeing that natural beauty in the wood come out when applying the stain. Sherry likes that there’s always something new to learn on the job. When she’s not in the shop, she’s out hiking, golfing, or diving into new creative projects.

Juergen was born in Germany and spent his youth as an apprentice in his father’s timber frame company. At the age of sixteen, he started his three year education as a German Timber Framer with earning a Master’s Degree in 1989. He’s also holding a degree as a Master of Business Administration.

In 1990, Juergen founded the world’s first privately owned joinery center (producing pre-cut timber frames for professionals). In the following years he developed multiple joinery centers and timber frame companies in Germany, in addition to teaching timber framing and consulting with several German consulting companies and master schools.

In 2007 he moved from Germany to the USA becoming Production Manager at the first North American joinery center. With the beginning of 2011, he began teaching at seminars and workshops for and together with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Timber Framers Guild (TFG) to support the education of timber framers and carpenters.

Finally, in 2012, he found his way to beautiful British Columbia and recently joined the succesful team of OT Timber Frames in 150 Mile House.

Kaila’s career in carpentry began in highschool, she then continued to learn through the ACE-IT program and a timber framing course in Cranbrook, BC. Her role at OT Timber was a result of her hard work and natural ability, she continues to thrive at the opportunity to learn new skills and expand her knowledge.

When she’s not enjoying finishing and detail work she can be found exploring the outdoors with her dog Copper or hanging out at game nights or bonfires with her friends.

Dean has well over 10 years of experience in the wood processing industry and brings a love for working with wood and has an incredible talent for maximizing the utilization of raw logs, custom sawing timbers, and dimension lumber.

Dean joined the OT Timber Frames Family back in 2014 and is currently our Head Sawyer and Yard Manager. He ensures that OT Timber Frames’ Timber Framers and Carpenters have the precisely cut timbers needed to manufacture your timber frame structure. His level of detail that he  brings to every project, allows us to make sure everything fits perfectly, and bring our customers a stunning result.

When he’s not at work, Dean can be found blacksmithing, knife making, wood working, as well as hunting and fishing.

At an early age, Ruedi knew he loved woodworking and carpentry. Having grown up on his family’s dairy farm in Switzerland, there were lots of opportunities for Ruedi to develop his skills with a variety of building projects that the farm needed. He was inspired to pursue a career in carpentry by his older brother, Rolf, who was the first to become a carpenter in the Baumann family. 

Ruedi worked hard as a Timber Framer in Switzerland for 6 years, spending 9 months studying master carpentry at a vocational school. Then he and his buddy Stefan cooked up a plan one night to head to Canada to become log home builders. He started his Canadian journey in Williams Lake with a leading log home company; and while in Williams Lake, he fell in love with the Cariboo, met a few significant people, and decided “This is the place”.

In 2015 found his way over to the OT Timber Frame Family as a Timber Framer/Carpenter. He brought incredible attention to detail, and a passion for building quality homes that’s only grown since!

During his free time, he can be found taking in the Cariboo, snow, and sunshine, on the slopes, or around a campfire with his family.

Conny has been working alongside her husband, Juergen, in the timber framing industry for over 25 years. Initially with a background in database programming, Conny made a career shift after meeting Juergen to pursue her true passion—color and painting. Over the years, she has developed hundreds of unique stains and finishing techniques, always striving for the highest standards of craftsmanship while ensuring the wood is beautifully protected against the elements. At OT, her favorite part is working alongside Juergen, bringing their combined expertise to every project. Outside of work, Conny is focused on building their new home, gardening, or enjoying the outdoors with her dog.

The beginning of Oliver’s career in the timber works industry started in 1990 back in Switzerland, he spent 5 years in practical applications, and then was indentured for a formal 3-year apprenticeship in European Timber Framing. Upon completion of his apprenticeship and university preparation courses, he continued his education by attending university, studying applied sciences, and graduating in 2002 with a Technical Master Timber Framer Diploma.

Ready to take the next step, he moved to Canada in 2003, studying the art of handcrafted log building from a leading log building company. After a few years of heading up their timber frame operation; Oliver began his journey to start OT Timber Frames ltd, founding it in 2009. His vision was to specialize in quality, creative, solid, and unique timber frame building systems, accents, and structures.

Oliver has now built up the incredible company that OT Timber Frames Ltd is today, and has since brought on a team of talented and skilled craftsmen with the mission to deliver excellence in every project.

Fun fact about Oliver: He has a ranch with Highland and Angus Cows, so when he isn’t working at OT, you can usually find him taking care of his animals.