The Lester Group

The Lester Group is a diverse company that was founded by George Tilden Lester in 1896 in Martinsville. The Lester Group’s primary interests are in lumber products and real estate development in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. Our holdings include six full service building materials stores serving the needs of professional builders, contractors, remodelers and homeowners in six major Virginia markets. The company also has a rigorous residential and commercial real estate portfolio and over 21,000 acres of timberland and a door manufacturing plant. The Lester Group has also owned the Jim Carpenter Co. in Fredericksburg, VA since 1974. In addition to the Jim Carpenter Co., The Lester Group started Fortress Door Company in 2016 in Fredericksburg, and the company is backed by The Lester Group’s 128 years of experience within the industry.