Jack Rajala, Rajala Companies

Jack Rajala, a lifelong native of Itasca County, is CEO for Rajala Companies of Deer River. Rajala Companies is a collection of the family´s wholesale businesses that produce lumber for furniture, framing homes, etc; veneer used in fine cabinetry, doors and windows; mouldings, and a variety of other wood products. These companies include Rajala Lumber in downtown Deer River.

Jack follows in the footsteps of his father Art and grandfather Ivar in the family wood products business, which was founded in the 1930s. Today, the Rajalas lead one of Midwest´s largest solid wood-products companies. His partners include his brothers Dean and Randy and sons John and Nate. In fact, all five of Jack´s children are involved with the family business in one way or another.

In addition to leading Rajala Companies, Jack chairs the Partnership and Minnesota Timber Producers Association, which coordinates forestry innovations across the states major forestland owners. Jack is past chairman of American Forest Council (Washington, D.C.), American Lumber Standards Committee, (Germantown, Md.), past member of Board of Governors for the National Forest Products Association, and former president Minnesota Paper and Minnesota Forest Industries. Jack recently was named a regent of Concordia College in Moorhead, is a board member of Minnesota Power, is president of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, and is director of Grand Rapids State Bank.

Jack´s true passion, however, is spending time in the woods. Throughout his career he has developed deep understanding of and love for native northern Minnesota forests, especially white pine and birch. Jack is a frequent speaker on white pine restoration and author of Bringing Back the White Pine, published 1998.