R.P. Lumber Hosts Grand Opening for Sparta Location
R.P. Lumber recently hosted a grand opening weekend at their new Sparta, Ill., location, formerly occupied by Wright Building Center. On November 3 and 4, more than 250 people attended the two-day celebration, which featured a free customer cookout, free product demonstrations, special sales, big-ticket raffle items, a live remote with WHCO Radio and a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce.
“What a turnout,” said Doug Ernsting, district manager for R.P. Lumber. “Folks are starting to understand that we’re here to support our DIY homeowner customers just as much as we support professional tradesmen. Lumber, plumbing fittings, electrical supplies and Milwaukee PACKOUT items seemed to be the most in-demand merchandise, and we answered a ton of questions about paint, replacement windows and storm doors as well,” Ernsting continued.
Since opening on October 30, 2023, the high demand for a hardware, lumber and building materials retailer quickly became evident, as the store has already started working with customers on a handful of sizeable projects, including new roofs, a custom deck, kitchen cabinet redesigns and a pole barn. For larger projects like these, R.P. Lumber can even deliver building materials right to the customer’s job site.
“This was a great start, but we know there is much work to do,” said Robert Plummer, president and CEO of R.P. Lumber. “We’re excited to deliver our ‘Best Service. Best Value.’ promise to Randolph County and the surrounding area, and we’ll work hard to build lasting relationships with our customers and the community,” Plummer continued.
In August 2023, R.P. Lumber announced its pending acquisition of Wright Building Center, which had been serving the area since 1964.
R.P. Lumber Co., Inc. is a family-owned, full-service retail home center and building materials supplier. R.P. Lumber delivers its industry-leading “Best Service. Best Value.” promise by offering full-service delivery, complete hardware stores, lumber, drywall, roofing, deck design, cabinet design and much more for professional contractors and homeowners alike.
R.P. Lumber, which was honored with a Retail Beacon Award in 2023 from The Hardware Connection, has grown to a physical presence in 82 locations throughout Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Iowa and Wisconsin. The company also operates two truss manufacturing facilities and a robust ecommerce platform offering nearly 100,000 items for sale with the click of a button. R.P. Lumber was founded by Robert and Donna Plummer in 1977 in Staunton, Ill., and is now based in Edwardsville, Ill. To learn more, go to www.rplumber.com.
