05/06/2026
This year, we will be doing a series of company spotlights featuring members of our management team! First up, our former President, Ray Noonan Jr.
Now retired, Ray devoted his entire career to building the business his father started. Though the road wasn’t always predictable, Ray was driven by an entrepreneurial mindset, natural leadership, and an unmatched determination that would help shape Cascade Lumber & Mfg into what it is today. Here is a brief look back at his journey with the company.
When we say that Ray started from the bottom, we mean it. In 1955, at just seven years old, he got his start at Cascade Lumber. Armed with a broom, Ray’s primary job duty was keeping the floors swept. Before long, his small stature made him uniquely qualified for another job—helping unload lumber from railcars by squeezing into tight spaces the adults couldn’t reach.
With increasing age came additional professional responsibility. It was around 1963 when Ray began doing part-time sawyer and truss assembly work. Ray eventually stepped into his full-time career with Cascade Lumber & Mfg in 1971 as a retail lumber and building material salesman, providing estimates for homes and farm buildings.
During this same chapter, Ray was building just as much (or more) outside of work—earning his English degree from Loras College, marrying his wife Carol, and raising a family of six children. As busy as Ray was, juggling his career and home life, he rarely missed his children’s extracurricular activities, nights out with his wife, and certainly never a Sunday morning mass.
While retail sales remained steady, the opportunity for the wood truss division was evident to Ray. In 1976, he decided to transfer himself (yes, himself) into the truss plant, where he became a one-man operation—handling sales, design, purchasing, and production. Work that today spans four separate departments.
From there, the story becomes one of growth. Sleepless nights turned into big ideas. Challenges became lessons. And alongside a dedicated team Ray helped build, Cascade Lumber & Mfg evolved into a respected industry name—while the truss division grew from a small operation into a multi-location enterprise spanning four facilities across the country.
Ray exemplifies what it means to lead well in all areas of life. His legacy is defined not only by the business he helped build, but also by the faith, family, and values that continue to guide his life. Grounded in faith and family, Ray continues to stay active in retirement. Serving as a Catholic Deacon since 2009, primarily helping with weddings, baptisms, and our local Catholic grade school, Ray also stays busy by spending time with his loving wife of almost 56 years, Carol, their six children, and nineteen grandchildren.
Ray did not ask for an acknowledgement, but today, he is getting one. Thank you, Ray, for helping build and lead us to where we are today--and for setting the standard for hard work, integrity, and leadership that continues to guide us forward.
