As prices skyrocket, lumber and building supply companies expanding in central Maine centralmaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from centralmaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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As prices skyrocket, lumber and building supply companies expanding in central Maine
Waterville-based Ware-Butler Building Supply and Pleasant River Lumber Co. recently acquired three local building supply and hardware retailers.
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A crew runs the lumber stacker for packaging and shipping at Moose River Lumber in Jackman on Monday, May 10. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
Waterville-based Ware-Butler Building Supply and its parent company, Pleasant River Lumber Co., are growing after various recent transactions. It’s no secret as to why, seeing lumber prices have skyrocketed nearly 250% over the last year or so, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Ware-Butler Inc., a lumber and building supply retailer with operations in five Maine locations, is adding three more.
The Waterville-based company this month acquired Phinney Lumber in Gorham and Puiia Lumber Co. in Mexico. The chain plans to buy Jordan Lumber Co. in Kingfield by late May, according to a news release Monday.
In addition, Ware-Butler said it is buying another business, custom cabinet maker Woodsmith’s Manufacturing of Oakland, and expects that deal to close in mid-May.
Ware-Butler, which itself was acquired last November by Pleasant River Lumber Co., would not disclose terms in any of the transactions.
With the addition of current employees at the acquired businesses, Ware-Butler’s workforce will grow from 122 to 185, Alan Orcutt, Pleasant River Lumber s retail operations manager, told Mainebiz by email.
Laurel LaBauve has been renovating and selling houses in South Portland for more than a decade. Her latest project is a century-old home that she plans to reimagine from the inside out, adding an upstairs master bedroom, bathroom and new windows to start. Even a relatively small project such as this takes a haul of raw materials to finish. LaBauve and builders across the country are feeling the squeeze from historically high costs on everything from lumber to lighting fixtures. Every delivery of lumber I m getting right now is like $1,000 a delivery, which would have never been the case just over a year ago, she said. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the price of framing lumber has increased more than 200% since the spring of 2020. That expense can trigger up to a $24,000 increase in building costs for a single-family home. According to LaBauve, the COVID-19 pandemic is only part of the problem, pointing to last year s wildfires in California and recent
Record lumber costs frustrating suppliers, builders, buyers in Maine msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.