Building a business that lasts for 50 years is quite a feat, and Barry County Lumber of Hastings has reached its golden anniversary mark.

Established in 1945 by Roger Wiswell, it continues today under the leadership of his son, James R. Wiswell, who is company president and manager.

Jim Wiswell has been at the helm of the company since 1963, and gives the reasons he thinks the company thrives.

"The customers, of course," he said. "The loyalty and skill of our contractors is another major reason for our success. We have a really loyal, talented contractor customer base. We operate in a small community, so we provide housing needs to grandfather and grandmother, mom and dad, and son and daughter. We can't just sell you one thing...we need to sell to you over and over again. That's our marketing plan.

Right now, Barry County Lumber is furnishing materials for a house that represents its third generation of customers-- and possibly a fourth.

"We wear two hats. We have a contractor business and a retail business. In the city, we'd be either a contractor yard or a retail yard - not many do both.

"And, we've had really good employees; loyal, hard working employees," he said.

A good source of capital is essential to a growing business, Wiswell said. "Our lead bank has taken really good care of us, provided us with the means to do what we needed to do.

"Our suppliers are also part of our success. Look at the people who ship us merchandise - we buy from all over the world and bring it here to Hastings. We buy quality products and our suppliers back their products," he said.

Wiswell also credits the support of his family for the success of the business. Roger Wiswell had a job as superintendent for large building projects until the "Great Depression" hit in 1929. With no building being done, he took a position as a police officer until the end of World War II, Jim said.

"After the war, he worked for a cement company and traveled around West Michigan. He met the Smith brothers; one had a lumber yard in Shelbyville, the other a yard in Wayland, and they told my father that the Home Lumber Company in Hastings was for sale.

"The company was purchased by Wiswell, Ivan Smith and his brother Ezekiel Smith, and operated at 125 N. Jefferson St. for 32 years. With his father's death in 1953 Jim came back to Hastings and took over the business, leaving his position at an accounting firm in Detroit. Wiswell eventually bought out the Smith brothers and, in 1977, relocated the store to a new 28,800 square foot building at 225 N. Industrial Park Drive on the west edge of Hastings.

The modern Barry County Lumber Company contains 9,600 square feet of retail display area featuring interior decorator items and hardware, as well as 19,200 square feet of warehouse, plus spacious outdoor storage and plenty of parking.

The latest customer trend is to decide what you want to build, buy it yourself, and have a contractor do the work, he said. "It's called 'installed sales.' That's one reason the contractor is so important now," he said

The biggest reasons for the new buying style is that today’s pace of living is much faster than it used to be and people are "time deprived," Wiswell observed. "There’s so little time now; parents are both working, one on one shift so they can watch the kids, and the other on another. Sometimes split shifts; it's just the pace of the world today."

When he began with the company, the hours were 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Now they are open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays. A progressive company serves its customers when the customers have the time, he said.

Computers will continue to be a big part of the future in Barry County Lumber, with its computers already "talking" and doing business with the computers of other companies. "We've been drawing house plans and addition plans since the 1950s, but now we have a CAD system, with a separate computer dedicated to house and addition plans, one for deck plans, one for kitchens and baths, and one more for estimating costs. And, two upstairs for financial analysis."

The technology associated with construction is constantly changing, leading to a wide area of advances in the products and equipment used in building. "They say houses aren't built the way they used to be. They aren't; they're better," he said. The lumber industry is much more environmentally friendly than it was 20 or 30 years ago, Wiswell said. Wood is a great product. Renewable, fairly inexpensive and easy to work with, so he feels extensive use of wood in building will probably continue. More of the tree is used than in the past, too. What isn't used as board lumber is put to other uses, such as veneer, paper and pulp, or even to burn to provide energy to produce other products. "We've gone from boards to plywood to hard board to oriented strand board and now to a composite framing product in the shape of an "I" beam." Although it's still is called a 'lumber yard,' Wiswell said, "we're really in, the shelter business. I don't care if we build it out of plastic, steel, silicone or wood."

With more than 30 years experience, he still finds the business exciting. He’s working more hours than ever, and enjoying the challenges of the business.

Top of Page || Back to Previous Page

Open 361 Days A Year!
Mon-Fri: 8-6, Sat: 8-4, Sun: 9-2

Home || How-To Section || Shop Online || What's New || Professional Builders || Home Planning
Home Packages || Industrial Sales || Projects || Rental Equipment || Installation || Kitchen/Bath
Delivery || About Us ||  Driving Directions || Employment || Staff Exclusive