BINBROOK – In the late 1940’s Bob Slack began hauling manure to area fruit growers. After WWII, as part of the overall building boom, many growers began building cold storage units for their produce.
“One time, when he was empty of his manure and had nothing else to bring back with him, rather than make it a wasted return trip, he began bringing back lumber and storing it on the family property,” says son, Neil Slack.
That was the humble beginnings of Slack Lumber, a family owned and operated business that has grown into a well trusted lumber and building supply dealer which has been serving the people and the builders of the Haldimand County area ever since.
“We opened this particular facility in 1949 and although we have expanded a few times – the first major addition was a warehouse we added on in 1961 – the original building is still at the centre of it all, if you look hard enough,” he says.
Neil, along with his brother Randy, run the family business. They have a sister, Sue, whom is a semi-retired doctor practicing in Caledonia, and a retired sister, Nancy who lives in Cayuga, but helps out with the business from time to time as well.
“We were still doing lumber and trucking when we started building as well,” he says. “We began building barns, trusses, and that kind of thing when we became a dedicated lumber yard.”
“We were doing a lot of agricultural building and supplies at the time, but as times changed we started doing more homes as it became more predominant around this area, so we expanded to cater to residential building as well,” says Slack.
As times have changed, so has Slack Lumber, which has evolved into a major supplier of residential and commercial building supplies, fixtures and hardware to service the needs of a growing and aging population.
“That is what has driven us to this latest expansion with new showrooms with new and different products, and we will continue to grow in that direction,” says Slack. “Now that the aging population has come on mainstream, and is becoming more incapacitated with age, we are having to look closer at that area in both our product and installation lines.”
This is the present direction Slack Lumber is heading, and it has dedicated itself to service those needs with the latest products lines and technologies.
A decision was made very early in the business to always pursue the best quality at affordable prices. That overarching principle has driven and sustained the trust customers have had for Slack Lumber over the years, and, although their products and product lines have expanded, that is one thing that has never changed.
“Quality is very important to us,” he says. “Both in materials and in our expert installations. We want our products to last and we want our customers to be satisfied for years to come.”
The combination of the beautiful new showroom, new product lines and the friendly and knowledgeable staff of experts customers have come to expect, this new phase in the growth of Slack Lumber is sure to be appreciated by their neighbours and customers as it continues its growth into the future, while relying on the trustworthy reputation Slack Lumber has earned through the years, since its humble beginnings in 1949.
