About Us
“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.” — James Cash Penney
We, at Smith Lumber Company, are extremely fortunate to have the forces working with us! What started as a coal distributor and lumber supplier has grown and evolved into a one stop shop. We offer a large selection of hardware, rental tools and equipment, a greenhouse as well as lumber supplies.
In 1923, Ben Grotte built and opened a business to serve the area’s coal needs. He had a railroad spur that allowed him to unload from the train right at his downtown location. In the late 1940’s or early 50’s, Ben sold the business to Jake Smith who operated Smith Lumber Company until the mid-1960’s, at which time he sold it to Lowell Wright and Donny Wright.
Lowell and Katie Wright ran Smith Lumber Company as a family business. By the mid-70’s coal burning was becoming obsolete and so the lumberyard business expanded to include more construction needs. Dave and Jim Wright grew up working in the store and soon became partners so Lowell and Katie could retire.
Jim and Dave Wright catered the lumberyard to serve contractors and had very little space for retail needs. This worked very well for them for many years.
Fast forward to 2014, Tim Durheim purchased Smith Lumber Company with the intention to relocate and expand the business. Plans to incorporate a hardware store into the lumber business became a reality. Smith Lumber Company joined forces with Do It Best Hardware Coop and opened its doors in December of that year in their new location at the east end of town.
Smith Lumber Company has built a strong customer base and has diversified the selection of merchandise we carry. We strive to provide for the needs of our customers by bringing in new items to the store. We opened our 2800 square foot hardware store with the basics to get you started. With a growing customer base, we outgrew that small space. As we grew, we added a rental department, a greenhouse, and became a dealer for Winkler Structures. We even help you design your project.
We wanted to become a one stop shop for all your projects. From cleaning, repairing, or remodeling, to new construction. Our customers were asking for more and we heard you! In 2022 we opened our expanded store. With a total retail space of over 14,000 square feet, we brought in new departments like workwear, pet food, livestock goods, toys, housewares and more. In addition to that we built a new greenhouse and Garden Center. With all this Smith Lumber Company is your go to Home Center in the Valley City area.