Page 17 - DoitBest 2021 Report

For more than 150 years, Woodford Lumber & Home has
served the charming vacation community of Clear Lake,
Iowa. Most recently, member-owners Jan Lovell and her
sister Sarah Ohlrogge have proudly continued the family
business. In that time, word has spread about the beauty of
Clear Lake, attracting additional residents and businesses.
New residents mean new homes, which is driving demand
for building materials — and creating new opportunities for
Woodford Lumber & Home.

But if Jan and Sarah were going to take advantage of
this growth opportunity, they needed to do something
about their location. Woodford hadn’t moved since its
founding in 1869, and the original building wasn’t designed
to accommodate the logistics of operating a modern
lumberyard. Also, their warehouses were at a different
location. Delivery was functional, but not at all efficient.

“Do it Best has incredible product

selection and brand recognition.
ADDRESS FOR SUCCESS We could see that they would help

us raise the bar faster than we

could on our own.”

“Looking at our situation, we knew consolidation was
the logical next step,” said Jan. “We needed to find a
more efficient location without creating inconvenience for
our customers.”

The solution came through a friendly competitor with similar
consolidation plans. Superior Lumber had their main yard
30 miles away and was looking to sell their Clear Lake location
to streamline their operations. It was a perfect spot for the new
Woodford Lumber & Home.

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