When we interviewed Jason Plummer, vice president of R.P. Lumber Co. headquartered in Edwardsville, IL, he, just minutes before, had wrapped up the final details on a new acquisition and was on his way to a customer’s jobsite. In other words, he was busy.
That kind of work ethic is what it takes to grow from a single store to 87 locations spread across Illinois, Missouri, Wyoming, Iowa, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. And when asked what he sees on the horizon, Plummer expresses guarded optimism, even in the face of economic uncertainties. “I would say that we work pretty hard to keep a diverse customer base and a diverse product mix,” he said. “So we think that diversification helps. Generally speaking, like a lot of people, I think [the future] is kind of cautiously optimistic.”
It’s people and the relationships with them that Plummer sees at the heart of his cautious optimism. “It’s really a people-driven business. I think there are always opportunities to deepen our relationships in the markets that we’re in right now. I think that we’re always looking to hire good people. When we can hire good people, that generally helps us expand the business. So we’re always on the lookout for people, and frankly, for acquisitions as well.”
With a history of growth and an eye towards the future, you might expect there to be a special playbook by which R.P. Lumber operates. Instead, Plummer says they focus on the thing the industry as a whole is known for—service. “I just think that we’ve got a lot of great people that work for us, and we really focus on service. And I think a combination of good people and dedication to service has really helped us. It’s something I love about the industry—it’s just full of salt-of-the-earth people. And I think, culturally, a lot of dealers in our industry operate the same way.”
Of course, finding and keeping employees who exemplify that dedication to service can be difficult, especially in these times. But Plummer sees LBM dealers as positioned in a good place when it comes to attracting talent, provided the dealer has the right attitude. “I think if you treat people well, you set expectations, and you live your values, people will want to work at places like this,” he points out. “I think the culture that we work hard to maintain and the kind of family values that drive the business are appreciated by people. We try to be a family-friendly place to work.”

Plummer points to the number of people who have worked for 20, 30, or even 40 years at R.P. Lumber as an example. “You know, you’re not going to recommend your kid take a job at a place you don’t like, and you’re not going to stay somewhere you don’t like for 20 years. Those are things that I take to heart. We’re not fancy, and we’re not high science, but we must be doing something right.”
Part of that “doing something right” says Plummer is working hard to ensure R.P. Lumber has a structure in place that’s scalable to support the envisioned future growth and new stores. “We take a lot of pride in our stores,” he says, “all of which are 100% hard surface-paved concrete or asphalt. We paint the buildings, we put new fronts on, and we invest a lot of money in our stores. I always joke with some of the guys at the office that, if someone ever bought us, the first thing they would do is slash our capital expense. But you know, we make those investments because we want to be in this industry for generations. You’re not going to concrete your parking lot, you’re not going to put facelifts on your stores, you’re not going to make those massive investments that pay off over 20 years—not two years—unless you’re committed to the industry, and we very much are.”
That commitment goes beyond just the LBM industry. R.P. Lumber has made a point of investing in the communities where its stores are located. “We try to be a partner in every community that we’re in, and that might vary a little bit community-by-community in terms of what that community’s priorities are and what the opportunities are. We do a lot with churches, we do a lot with schools, and we sponsor a lot of sports teams and youth leagues.”

Beyond those hyperlocal investments, R.P. Lumber has made major contributions to much larger investments for community betterment. “We’ve done some significant projects in the Metro East, which is kind of the St. Louis region on the Illinois side. We were the main financial supporters of building a giant ice hockey complex.” Called the R.P. Lumber Center, it’s a regulation-size arena where local high schools and colleges can come to play, and it also includes a running track, community rooms, and additional facilities.

When asked why they make such large investments, Plummer says the answer is simple—community. “The reason why we do it is because we touch a lot of the communities that are here. We also [invested into] the Plummer Family Sports Park, an 83-acre sports park for which we donated ground and money. And they created regulation-size baseball fields, softball fields, youth leagues, pickleball, soccer, flag football, a playground, all kinds of stuff. It’s quite the impressive facility and not insignificant donations. We appreciate the support that the communities give us, and we want to be a great partner for the communities as well. We try to put our money where our mouths are. None of this happens without the hard work of our R.P. Lumber team members and the great relationships we have with customers, vendors, and our other partners.”

Plummer is quick to point out, though, that all of this is not about shining a spotlight on him. “To be honest, I don’t mind falling below the radar at all.” And perhaps that’s the great lesson to be learned from R.P. Lumber. When the focus of hard work is on the communities an LBM dealer serves, growth and success are the byproduct.
Get to know R.P. Lumber Co.
Founded: 1977
Ownership: Family
Locations: 87 full-line stores + two truss facilities
Employees: 1,000
Software platform: Epicor BisTrack
Buyer’s Group / Co-op: Orgill, LBM Advantage, Do it Best
Customer mix: 75% pro / 25% DIY