I know… who really cares what you do at home. Well…. I agree.. But I do have a story to tell so feel free to skip over this if you get bored.
I heat my home with wood. Not oil or propane or natural gas… Wood.. Cut up a tree and throw it in the furnace kind of wood. So I spend a few weekends a year out in the woods surrounding my house cutting down dead trees and cutting them to size and then stacking it. I need about 10 cords per year ( a lot of firewood). It is actually a stress reliever for me!
2 years ago, I bought an outdoor wood stove from a local business called D&R Country Designs. I met them through family of the owner and they treated me very well. I have no regrets.
The biggest problem I have had is keeping the firewood dry….. It is a lot of wood and tarps are a real pain. So this year, I decided that I would build a shelter for the firewood to keep it dry and allow it to season properly. I went to Palmerton Lumber with my plan… Now, I have got to tell you, these guys run a great business. They are not like any of the chain lumber yards. When you walk in, you can see that. It doesn’t matter who you talk to, they all know about what they are selling. I showed them my plan and the lumber that I estimated that I would need and they checked it over. Turned out, I was dead on! I asked them when the could deliver and they scheduled the delivery. They delivered right on time and exactly where I asked them to drop.
Andy Pisulak is the owner of Palmerton Lumber. He runs a great store and he is in the midst of expanding his business. He is also a partner in a business that supplies special posts designed for direct burial and longevity. His partner is a man named Barry Hoffman. Now, Barry has known me since I was in diapers. His parents and mine were close friends. I don’t have enough time or storage on my server to tell you what I know about Barry! The important thing is the length that he went to help me out with project. When I explained what I needed and that I would like to get it for the weekend, his response was “no problem.” This was 4pm on Wednesday. At 5:30 pm on Thursday, Barry arrived at my home with the 8 posts that I needed, cut to length and complete with the protective barriers laminate to one end. On top of all of that, he helped me carry my posts 200 feet to my project.
Now I guarantee you that the folks at any of the huge lumber yards (HD, LWS, 84, etc) would never have taken the time to do what these local businesses did. They would be there for the quick sale and that was it. It really hammers home the fact that small business is strong in our country and in our area. I encourage you to check out these local businesses. They are shining examples of what more local businesses should be.
Shameless plugs for my fellow businessmen:
