Lumber Yard Returns To Lincoln

LINCOLN -- The former site that housed Carrington Lumber for 60 years in Lincoln is once again a lumber yard and building supplies center for western Washington County, Northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

County Building Center - NWA opened in June and is part of a chain of stores owned by Ron Crosby of Ardmore, Okla. According to the County Building Center website, Crosby opened his first store in Kingston, Okla., 1982, and since then the business has grown to eight retail stores, distribution centers and a corporate office.

The Lincoln store, which held its grand opening Friday, is the first County Building Center in Arkansas. All the others are located in Oklahoma and serve central and southern Oklahoma and north Texas regions.

Mayor Doug Hutchens said the lumber yard is a "big deal" for Lincoln because it will bring a boost in sales tax revenues and employment. Also, as Lincoln grows, he said, the center will provide a local place that will be able to compete with the larger, big-box chains in the region.

"As a business owner, I would have to drive to Fayetteville or Siloam Springs to get a single 2x4," Hutchens said. "There was no lumber available within 20 miles. It's a big help to have a lumber center and makes Lincoln more attractive to have a lumber supply within a reasonable distance."

Brett Reeves of Lincoln manages the Lincoln store and he personally knows the history of the building because his parents, Carl and Joann Reeves, owned Carrington Lumber from 1988 to 1993.

Carrington Lumber was in business for 60 years in a structure that was built in 1940. Over the years, it had several different owners, Reeves said. After Carringtons, the store was Double J Farm and Home and then it was another business called Powell Feed and Milling Co. Powell Feed closed in June 2019.

Reeves said he worked at Carrrington Lumber during high school and after high school when his parents owned it and has been in the lumber business for 35 years. He has worked for lumber companies that include Ridout, Meeks and Encore.

"I tried to get out of it three or four times but I always came back to it," Reeves said.

Reeves said business has been going well at the Lincoln store.

"Our business has been amazing," he said.

Most of the store's customers are contractors but he said County Building Center has supplies and materials for any home improvement projects. Products include tools, Glidden paint, cleaning supplies, hardware, lumber and other household items.

"We do a little bit of everything," he said.

Reeves said the Lincoln location meets the needs of this part of the county.

"You have to have stuff in these small towns," Reeves said.

In addition to contractors with projects in western Washington County, he said the store is making deliveries all over Northwest Arkansas and into Oklahoma for construction projects.

Construction in Northwest Arkansas was already strong before the covid-19 outbreak and has not been affected by the pandemic, Reeves said.

He attributes that to several reasons.

"For one, many people are moving out of big cities to areas that are less urban and more laid back," Reeves said. "We have so many people moving here, it's hard not to build. You look at the vacancy rate and it's next to nothing."

When it comes to real estate, Reeves said houses are being sold as soon as they are on the market.

Reeves said he likes working in the industry because each day is different.

"It's never the same. You're always working on something different. I like figuring out a problem and helping people out," he said.

Crosby on Monday said the company had been looking for a location in this part of Arkansas for several years.

"We think it has a lot of growth potential in that part of Arkansas," Crosby said. "We've never been in Arkansas. I think it has a lot of opportunity."

The company has about 80 employees and has been in business for 40 years. Crosby said he attributes the longevity to - "We just do business the right way."