R.P. Lumber to acquire Thorne Lumber

R.P. Lumber Co., Inc. is acquiring Thorne Lumber Company, an independently held hardware and building supplies company with three sites in northwestern Missouri. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The transaction will close on Friday, May 31.

With this transaction, R.P. Lumber will have 87 stores, 20 of which are in Missouri, including Thorne Lumber locations in Chillicothe, Cameron, and Plattsburg.

“Strategically, this is the right decision,” Thorne Lumber’s owner, Pat Thorne, said.

“Susan and I have been contemplating our next move for a few years now. We have worked very hard and very diligently to make sure we made the best decision and, as we have gotten to know R.P. Lumber and their team, this made the most sense for our employees, our customers, and the communities we serve,” he continued.

R.P. Lumber, headquartered in Edwardsville, IL, launched its first location in Staunton, IL in 1977 and has since expanded across Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.

The company takes pride in the family values that drive its culture, as well as its devotion to the people and communities that comprise the R.P. Lumber Team.

Robert L. Plummer, R.P. Lumber’s President and CEO stated, “Working with Pat and Susan has been a great experience. Successfully integrating three locations at the same time takes a lot of hard work by many people and we could not be happier about the process. We are excited to welcome Thorne Lumber’s many great team members and customers to the R.P. Lumber Team.”

Thorne Lumber has been providing retail lumber since 1988. Their consumer base is around 80% professional contractors and 20% homeowners. R.P. Lumber intends to collaborate with the existing personnel at each shop while extending the product mix and services available in these markets.

Throughout the changeover, all three stores will continue to serve clients without interruption.

“Operationally and culturally, R.P. Lumber is a great fit. We have a similar product mix, similar vendors, and serve a similar mix of pro and retail customers,” Susan Thorne stated.

“It was reassuring to Pat and me to know R.P. Lumber’s impeccable track record for servicing customers in communities like ours. When we decided to sell, we wanted to make the best decision for our family, our employees, and our customers and we know that we have done that in choosing R.P. Lumber as the next steward of our business.”