Jim Barna Sr.

James Imre Barna Sr. was born in Hungary. But when he was 10 years old, he and his family escaped to the United States after communists overthrew the Hungarian government. He became a naturalized citizen in 1965 and volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. There, he received a battlefield promotion to 2nd Lieutenant.

As a child in Ohio, Barna had helped his father build the family’s home. He later owned an excavating and construction company. Following the war, Barna moved to Scott County and founded Jim Barna Log Homes in Oneida. The company was incorporated in 1976 as Barna & Danner Co., a partnership between Barna and Everett Danner Sr.

Barna made a pledge in 1976 that he would devote his time and energy to building a company that would become the leader in the manufacture of log homes, and he did exactly that. Jim Barna Log Homes grew to become the world’s largest manufacturer of log home systems, shipping more than 14,000 home kits both in the United States and in 20 foreign countries.

Barna was more than the CEO of a world-renowned company. He was also a philanthropist. He donated numerous log home kits and made other charitable efforts in Scott County.

Barna died of a heart attack on June 5, 2004. He was 57.