At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we don’t think of ourselves as a company that “sources wood.” We think of ourselves as partners in a global ecosystem. One where the choices we make in the forest ripple outward into workshops, concert halls, and living rooms everywhere.
We’ve always believed that transparency and trust matter in the work we do.
This is the story of how global connections create local impact—in our forests, our communities, and our music.
The PRT Crew
Purpose-Driven Sourcing
As our founder Steve McMinn often says:
“We don’t believe in having ‘vendors’ from whom we source wood. We build partnerships and alliances with the people and places it comes from. It’s something we’re very proud of.”
This philosophy shapes everything we do. It’s why we work closely with forestry stewards in British Columbia. It’s why we invest in propagation projects for maple here in the Skagit Valley. And it’s why our koa is tied to restoration efforts that ensure the next generation of luthiers (and the next generation of players) will still have access to this extraordinary wood.
Respect for the Land and Forest
Trees are not just raw material; they’re part of living landscapes. That’s why our sourcing strategy has always been about regeneration and respect.
Projects like Utopia (in Washington) and Siglo Tonewoods (our joint venture in Hawai‘i) aren’t side projects. They’re central to who we are.
In Hawai‘i, we’re helping to restore native koa forests by planting thousands of trees and managing them for long-term ecological health. These trees won’t be harvested for decades, but the investment is about more than wood. It’s about ensuring that koa remains part of the cultural and musical fabric of the islands.
Closer to home in Washington, the Utopia project is focused on cultivating figured maple—a tree that’s increasingly rare to source.
By propagating and planting new maple trees in the Skagit Valley, we’re not only ensuring a sustainable future supply but also creating a model for how small-scale forestry and instrument making can work hand in hand.
It’s also said that figured maple, in particular, has the potential to be a higher-value tree that landowners may one day want to grow intentionally.
This applies to every forest we work with. Whether we’re salvaging downed spruce or cultivating maple, we approach each tree with the same ethic: to leave something behind for those who come after.
Precision Over Volume, For Every Client
Our story starts with Steve McMinn, who founded Pacific Rim Tonewoods not because he wanted to run a mill, but because he wanted better wood for a guitar he was trying to build. That personal commitment to craft has shaped our company ever since.
Steve didn’t pursue volume; he pursued quality, precision, and consistency. Every cut, every block, every bookmatched set is handled with care. Whether we’re supplying Taylor and Collings, shipping sets to a bespoke builder or independent luthier, the same values apply.
For us, success isn’t about how much wood we process. It’s about making the best product possible while maximizing resources. It’s also about the trust luthiers place in us, knowing that the piece they receive will resonate and inspire exactly the way it should.
Support Through Tough Times
Timber prices rise and fall unpredictably. Tariffs and shipping costs add new pressures. And global supply chains, once taken for granted, have made it evident just how fragile they can be.
We don’t pretend to have control over these forces, but we do have control over how we respond. We want to stay in conversation, offer alternatives, and find solutions together. Transparency is part of resilience.
Global Tools, Local Craft
Sonic grading equipment
Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. At PRT, we’ve sought out the best tools from around the world, because we know that excellence knows no borders, which is why our:
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Sawmills come from Italy
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Robotic arms from Germany
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CNC sharpener is from Switzerland
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Autoclave is from the Netherlands
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Cutoff saw and edger are from the Czech Republic
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Planer is from Japan
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BING acoustic testing system is from France
Each piece of equipment represents not just technology, but a partnership. Together, they allow us to cut with diamond precision, minimize waste, and optimize yield from smaller logs.
You can read more about our investment in global sawmill technology here.
But even with world-class tools, our focus remains local. The work happens in the Skagit Valley, where employees gather for lunch around a stove in winter, and in Hawai‘i, where our milling projects bring jobs and value to local communities. Global tools serve local craft, and ultimately, global music.
Trusted by Builders Worldwide
We serve a diverse community: major manufacturers in North America, independent luthiers in Europe, boutique shops in Japan, repair specialists in Ireland, instrument makers in Australia, and China.
Relationships with our customers are at the heart of what we do. That’s why we travel to tradeshows and individual workshops around the world, listening, learning, and seeing firsthand how builders work. Our general manager, Eric Warner, uses those visits to understand each customer’s unique needs and how we can best support them.
From Sitka spruce tops shipped internationally to maple backs milled here in Washington state, our wood travels. But no matter where it lands, it carries the same promise: that it has been ethically sourced, carefully milled, and prepared for the music yet to come.
Transparency, Relationships, and Music
The guitar is a global instrument. Its voice is shaped by centuries of tradition, countless hands, and materials that come from forests all over the world. At Pacific Rim Tonewoods, we see ourselves as part of that continuum — caretakers of both the resources and the relationships that make music possible.
Transparency is at the heart of it. We tell our story openly…
…where the wood comes from, how it’s milled, what challenges we face, and how we work through them with our partners.
Relationships are our foundation, whether with foresters in Hawai‘i, engineers in Europe, or luthiers across six continents.
The story is the same: wood becomes tone, tone becomes expression, and expression becomes connection.
That’s how global relationships create local impact. And that’s why we do what we do.
