A Vermont Success Story! Since 1888!
It was 1888 when Stillman Allen, along with a cousin, founded the Allen Lumber Company in an old general store in Barre. It was six short years later when according to Barre's Historical Souvenir, Allen Lumber had in the last three years-without doubt sold more lumber than any other retailer in the state. Stillman Allen would take his company into the next century, until his retirement in 1918, where for a short time the company was owned by his nephew, Claron Allen.
The Allen Lumber company is one of the oldest family owned businesses in the state of Vermont, getting it's start during the building boom of the late nineteenth century, brought on by the flood of immigrants drawn to Central Vermont by Barre's fledgling granite industry.
It
was during Loren Allen's control that the company relocated to its present
site on 502 North Main Street in Barre, and managed its way through
its first real setback -- the flood of 1927. The next year, in 1928,
Allen Lumber's first expansion took place with the opening of the Montpelier
Branch.
However, it was destined to be Claron's son, Loren who would be the next important figure in the company's history. After his father's death, 19 year old Loren took control of the company, and would be in the thick of running it for the next 60 years.
The association with this regional cooperative made it possible for this relatively small Vermont company to purchase materials at nationally competitive prices, thus playing a major role in Allen Lumber's continued growth.
The
five brothers have taken the company through the remainder of the eighties,
through the nineties, and into the next century. The business has grown significantly, with the company serving homeowners as well as contractors. The number of employees has increased considerably, and the company's truck fleet has multiplied dramatically including the acquisition of three boom trucks, which allow Allen Lumber to put materials on the job site and in place.
So the Allen Lumber Company continues to grow, with its fifth generation of Allens at the helm, following Stillman's original philosophy of quality, service, and value.
All five brothers have an active roll in today's Allen Lumber. Gary Allen serves as president, Burnie as treasurer, Paul and Tom as vice-presidents, and Steven as the company's secretary. In addition to being officers of the company, each brother handles a different segment of the company's day-to-day operation.
The brothers have brought the company to the cutting edge of the industry's technology in areas such as inventory software and computer-aided designing. When doors, windows, kitchen and bath cabinetry, countertops, and plumbing fixtures became an important part of the business, it was necessary to open the Home Showcase showrooms upstairs in all the stores to display the products. And also of great significance, is the most recent addition, Allen's Kitchen & Bath Showcase in St. Johnsbury, which is a 4,000 square foot showroom with over 20 exquisite kitchen and bath displays.
Contact Allen Lumber Company
Barre, VT 05641
(802) 476-4156
(800) 696-9663
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 223-2335
(800) 698-0078
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 748-2341
(800) 696-2666
Waitsfield, VT 05673
(802) 496-2424
(800) 462-4475
397 Railroad Street
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
(802) 473-7000
© 2006 Allen Lumber Company
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