Allen Building Centre’s 50th Anniversary
 In 1963, William Allen left Beaver Lumber and purchased Dorland Lumber which had started operating in the late 1950s.Despite negative feedback in the beginning, the business grew substantially over the years and gained a reputation for outstanding service, knowledgeable experienced staff, top quality building materials and fair pricing. In 1964, Howard Pursel also left Beaver Lumber and joined Bill as manager of Allen Lumber. The two men combined their efforts to make Allen Lumber one of the most well known and respected building supply stores in Oxford County throughout the four decades they worked together. An agreement was also forged with Castle Building Centres Group which allowed the store to maintain its independence, yet benefit from the buying power of a large, nationwide group of other independently owned and operated lumberyards. Around the turn of the millennium, the decision was made to sell the store to Jamie Adams, a step-grandchild of Bill Allen, upon his completion of a degree in Economics and Business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. This transition occurred in April of 2002 and so began another era at Allen Lumber. A large scale renovation and remerchandising project was completed in  the summer and fall of 2006. The store tripled in size from its humble beginnings of about 1,200 square feet, adding to and enhancing an already diverse line of hardware and building materials. The yard was reorganized and warehouse racking added to increase operational efficiency, reduce culls, improve cleanliness and organization, as well as to make better use of available space. Building exteriors were painted or resided, and the store was redone using Castle Building Centres sleek new look. To better reflect its noticeably improved line-up of products and ties to the buying group, the store now goes by the name Allen Building Centre.Even though the appearance of Allen Building Centre has changed, the value proposition brought forth by Bill Allen and Howard Pursel in the mid 1960s of outstanding service, expert staff and fair pricing remains the same. By keeping up this strong tradition of excellence, Allen Building Centre is positioned to continue its success well into the future. Congratulations! |
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