2 - Sunday. March 6, 1994 - North Shore News

wick’s comin
ane Lower iV

Lumber and building supplies
have always been a part of the
Alexander family,

“That's all! new," said Dick
Alexander of Dick's Lumber. “I lived
alongside a sawmill.”

Dick was a lumber salesman.

shor, they offer knowledge-
able. service, an extensive supply of
good quality products, ang of
course competitive pruces frorn val-
urre buying -— the three principles
of qoad business.
Whih the arnval of mega stores

wes OUNCing
ainian

trained and motwated staff.
Today. Dick's son David over-
sees bath stores, 2580 Gilmore
Ave., Burnaby and 12433 80th
Ave., Surrey. Since January Ist of
this year, he has been the corpo-
2 genetal manager. Having

He used his knowledge of contrac- which are at timas intimidating, qrawe up around Dick's Lumber,
tors’ needs and wants to start up a peoph: are drawn to Dick's Lumber fie developed an aptitude to carry
small, one acre lumber yard, which because itis backed by a well- on the lamiy business.

's row the largest supplic: of fram ea aU aia OT RAN ARORA SE aS as TSU la OCI DL

huge new.

ing lumber and engineered wood ts
products in Western Canada. ae
The business began in 1964 af
when Dick and his wife Delma
opened Dick's Lumber on the site
of an old foundry on 1050
Boundary Rd., Burnaby, when it
was still a natrow, single lane road.
They started with two employees
(themselves), one truck and one
forklift.
"Dick left for the yard at five
every morning. | rushed the kids off
to school and usually got to the sile
at 8:30. I'd go back home to meet
the kids after school, and often we
came back al night," said Delma of

their beginnings. “We worked sever eo. og ra se | Attribute the
wert 8 OST partner Keith eg : cok ee i Sn success. of
Samcier sresracaesmon dehy Dick's Lumber to,
eet a encien bitaf meney (had gf ‘wim, a SUpPortive
risced Keith jus had a bed and A a family, an excellent
Used fo Keep my pans and shits... AWA opartner anda
yey atsing Dick's expertise in \ . well-trained,

lumber, Delma's proficiency in ; .
office procedures, and Keith's _ Motivated _
experience in hardware, they were
able to develop the yard with meod-
est beginnings to what is now a
one stop, full service contractor
oriented yard with a full-time on
site structural engineer.
Today, 30 years later, Dick's
Lumber employs 110 people full-
time, has 18 trucks, and its two
yards cover 20 acres in total:
{50,000 square feet in warehous-
ing and 60,000 square feet in store
and office space. The company is a
specialist in limbers and handles a i ae ;
full range of builders’ hardware. It baw : ‘ “ “tie : ‘ 4: LAM. TM joist systems and:
also exports to markets in the : i : ee poco a associated hardware. “ea
Pacific Rim, Australia, France, Eas —_ : a : J
Mexico and the United States. ESN eer eaae: Penne Tela earie (ee p gat Uae

oe

EEG

ane a ATT 4 (a

12433 - . 80th Ave., 2580 Gilmore Ave.,
Surrey ° 591-1222 mee ¢437-11il

DAVID ALEXANDER Er] : iy
Corporate General Manager " - . ~ yh Ba

Gp) on aneeeaeoricaig,

So, how did Dick's Lumber
become one of Canada’s largest
independant lumber yards?

"There is a saying and | know it
sounds corny," said Dick. “But,
we're not the best because we're
the biggest. We became the
biggest because we're the best."