09/22/2026
46 YEARS! 🎉. Today, we’re celebrating 46 years in business! Jessie here! I’m requesting permission to get a little wordy to honor the occasion (shocking, I know). I hope you’ll give me a few minutes of your attention while I tell you a little about us.
Our building has stood on Main Street for well over a century, and for the last 46 years, it has been home to a family-owned and operated business built on hard work, good service, and a bunch of incredibly loyal customers.
When taking on Toronto Lumber Company in 1980, Sharri wasn’t exactly choosing the easy route. Interest rates were sky-high, lumber prices were unpredictable (even then), and the customer base was sparse and spread across miles.
For most of her years here, Sharri has been a woman building a business in an industry overwhelmingly dominated by men. She’ll be the first to tell you she never put much stock in that part. She simply showed up, learned the business, worked hard, and earned the trust of her customers. For 46 years, she has kept doing exactly that.
Think of the cycles of economic turmoil and uncertainty she has seen over the years! A lot can change in 46 years, and a lot is much the same.
Eight years ago, Sharri’s son, Drew, joined her at the lumber yard after spending 15-ish years working in construction. That hands-on experience gave him an invaluable understanding of the business from the customer’s side of the counter. He brought with him a mind for construction, design, problem-solving, and efficiency. Today, he manages the store while continuing to work alongside Sharri.
Drew’s wife, Jessie (that’s me!), has been part of Toronto Lumber for 11 years as the company’s bookkeeper, IT department, and social media personality. You may have even seen the kids helping out around the store over the years. This is very much a family operation.
The lumber yard itself has grown right along with the business. The property has seen countless changes and additions over the decades, but some of the most visible have happened within the last five years. New buildings and major expansions in the yard have added much-needed space as the business and inventory have continued to grow. And there is a LOT of inventory.
For a lumber yard in such a tiny town, we often surprise people with the volume and variety of our offerings. This ranges from lumber and building materials to hardware, tools, plumbing, electrical, paint, roofing, fencing, doors, windows, and all the little pieces and parts that keep a project moving. We work hard to make sure our rural customers don’t have to drive an hour every time they need something.
Those customers are the reason we’re still here.
Our customer base may be rural and spread out, but it is fiercely loyal. Some families have been doing business with Toronto Lumber for generations. They’ve trusted us with everything from a handful of screws to all the materials for their new “forever” home, and we don’t take that trust lightly.
Over the years, Toronto Lumber has also provided jobs to many local people and supported more community projects, fundraisers, organizations, benefits, and events than we could possibly count. That support doesn’t stop in Toronto. We support causes in all the surrounding counties, cities, and schools. Sharri has always believed in taking care of the communities that take care of us.
Forty-six years after Sharri started here, those communities are still showing up.
So today, we’re celebrating Sharri and everything she built, Drew and the next chapter he is helping lead, everyone who has worked here along the way, and especially the customers who have made 46 years possible.
Thank you for shopping small. Thank you for supporting local. Thank you for trusting our family with your homes, farms, businesses, repairs, remodels, and projects for the last 46 years.
Here’s to 46 years of Toronto Lumber Company as you have known it, and to whatever is coming next. ❤️
