Lavelle Company | The Building Materials Company | History

115 31st St S
Fargo, ND 58103
701-293-6501

The founder of Lavelle Lumber Co., Floyd Lavelle, started in the lumber business in 1906 at the age of 11 by working in a sawmill - Willow River Lumber Company, New Richmond, Wisconsin. He worked there on Saturdays, holidays, and during school vacations. Working through various jobs in the mill he became familiar with work in both the Lath and Shingle mills. The wages were ten cents an hour and the type of work varied. When a little older, he worked barefoot, using a long pike pole to drive cedar logs into the sawmill.

Floyd started in the retail lumber business at the Tobin Lumber Company in New Richmond, Wisconsin. He worked there part-time while attending high school, graduating from school in 1914. Floyd came to Fargo on June 1, 1915 and became Secretary to Wm. H. White, owner of the White Lumber Company, which operated eighteen retail lumberyards in the Red River Valley vicinity at that time.

After Floyd returned from the service during WWI he became General Manager of the White Lumber Company and managed the operation until January of 1939. He was associated with the company for 24 years.

In January of 1939 Floyd founded the Lavelle Lumber Sales Company, operating as sole owner.  We are indebted to the long-standing customers who have been with Lavelle's since their founding in 1939. Besides being a part of Lavelle's success in still doing business with us, they are proof positive of their own successful management.

In 1947, upon return from active duty in the U.S. Army, European Theatre, James Lavelle joined his father in the lumber business. Working together from a small office in downtown Fargo they served customers throughout North Dakota and parts of Minnesota. After attending college, another son, George Lavelle, also joined his father and brother in 1949. The three of them created a partnership, which existed until March 31, 1964. On April 1, 1964 the Company incorporated to form Lavelle Company.

From 1939 to 1949 Lavelle Lumber Sales Company was involved in Direct Sales only - shipping carloads of lumber from the mill directly to the retailer. Lavelle's was operating from the one-room office above the Kresge dime store on Broadway in Fargo in 1949. At that time Jim Lavelle conceived the idea that a wholesale distribution yard would offer Lavelle's customers a more efficient source for smaller quantity needs. By using a distribution yard, they could fill in current small quantity needs without investing in an entire carload at one time. To test the feasibility of this idea, storage space was rented on the second floor of the Oscar Kjorlie Co. on N.P. Avenue, as well as a storage bin at the Interior Lumber Company on N.P. Avenue. Items of sanded plywood and Cedar Siding were purchased and unloaded in these storage areas until retailers came in to pick up the quantities they needed. The storage areas were located several blocks from the office, so when a dealer would come in to purchase materials, he would call the office. One of the men would then run down to the storage area and load the truck by hand. At that time, lift trucks were not the "standard equipment" they are today.

Sales during 1949 and 1950 were encouraging enough to convince Lavelle's to relocate. The Fargo Distribution Yard was established at 115 South 31st Street in 1950. It consisted of a 60' x 100' warehouse, which included a 20' x 20' office area - totaling over 6,000 square feet.  In 1951, an important addition welcomed by all employees was the purchase of a 3-whell Hyster lift truck with a 4,000 lb. capacity. The popularity of hand loading had definitely seen its day.

Jim Lavelle was in charge of the Marketing area of the Company until, on the death of Floyd Lavelle in April of 1972, Jim became President of Lavelle Company. He served as President until his retirement on December 31, 1976. In June of 1966, George Lavelle was appointed General Manger of the Company.

In 1976, two major events occurred:  George Lavelle bought his brother Jim Lavelle's interest in the business to become the sole owner, and his first two sons joined the company.  At this time the product mix for the company were 80% commodity and 20% specialty sales.

In 1980, George Lavelle appointed Bob Gowin as General Manager and began his semi-retirement.  By this time there were four sons in the business.

1983 was the year that "Lavelle Company" became the new official name after 44 years of being Lavelle Lumber Company.  This also was the time that the company began its move towards more of a specialty products emphasis with less reliance on commodities.  Also in that year was the opening of the treating facility, which has become the backbone of the Company's commodity sales.

With the emphasis on more "specialty" business, 1989 brought the beginning of Lavelle Company's introduction into the door production business.  Both the wood door and steel door lines have been a major factor in Lavelle Company's ability to develop a better mix of overall sales.

1990 was another major turning point for the company.  This was the year that the six sons in the business at the time, purchased Lavelle Company from their father, George Lavelle.  It was officially the beginning of the 3rd generation.  By this time the mix of products had evolved to 35% specialty/millwork and 65% commodity.

The '90's brought many challenges as well as opportunities and changes for the company.  The addition of a number of specialty products as well as the continued growth in door and millwork business enabled the company to move toward a better mix of specialty/millwork and commodity products.

By the year 2000 the company had four brothers still involved with the business and the company had started to respond to efficiencies and changes that had been introduced along with a product line mix that represented a 50% profit contribution by both specialty and commodity products.

Due to growth and development within the Company in the past years, it became necessary to set up three business segments within the organization to improve operational efficiency. These are: Business Management (Accounting, Admin, Credit, IT, & HR), Business Operations (Material Handling, Purchasing, Logistics, Treating Plant, Door Shop, & Paint Shop), and Sales (Commodity Sales, Specialty Sales, & Marketing). Lavelle Company now employs 55 full-time personnel - 21 of which have been with the Company for more than 10 years!

Additional warehouses were built over the years and added to, as more space was needed. Our own employees - literally building as the Company grew from year to year, did a large amount of the building.  Today the Fargo Distribution Yard now totals over 16 Acres (715,000 sq ft) - including 425,000 square feet of asphalt/concrete surface, 130,000 sq ft of warehouse and production space, and 8,000 square feet of office space.

The sales territory covered by our field sales and truck delivery phone sales includes eastern South Dakota, western, central and northern Minnesota, and all of North Dakota.

Celebrating 65 years in operation is a significant achievement for a Company. We feel that in our case it is a successful achievement in having grown from a one-man proprietorship to a 55-employee corporation. Over the years the people working here have established a good reputation for the Company and a pride in their individual performance as part of it. We sincerely thank our customers and suppliers for their part in Lavelle Company's success in the past 65 years and all those years to come.

Floyd Lavelle	George Lavelle