Preserve the past, build the future

(( A LUMBERvARD rs A srApLE of a community and canlA.not disappear." That's Lori Stangler talking. So when the outdated, decaying, 128-year-old yard in their hometown of Lonsdale, Mn. (pop. 5,000), finally called it quits-well, what's a person gonna do? You buy it, right? Maybe not, if you've got all your faculties and have yet to win the lottery. Yet, that's what Lori and her husband, Randy, aimed to do. Never mind they had not one iota of retail expertise between them. After month following month putting together a business plan and scouring for money, they took over the yard that had stood vacant for close to two years. After all, declares Lori, "Lonsdale is the best place in the world to live, so we wanted to add to what this wonderful small town already has-add a lumberyard to the mix: One more place to stop," she preaches.

Okay, they're dreamers, but they're not dumb. For decades the Stanglers have operated R&L Woodworking Co., three miles away, fabricating cabinets and commercial showcases for retail operations such as luggage, shoe and jewelry stores, and, since the 1990s, concentrating almost exclusively on supplying Olive Garden restaurants nationwide. "We're their go-to vendors," Lori explains. "Except for their tables and chairs, if it's wood, we supply it," aided by a staff of 31.

R&L is doing well-and by doing well, it's helped supply the cash flow for doing good (and soon enough, doing well) at the new building center, too. "When that lumberyard went out of business, we could see the town feel the pinch. It took time, but we got our ducks in a row" and signed the papers.

The new building center's name, Generation Home & Building Center, doubles as a mission statement. Its tagline, says Randy, is "'to preserve the past and build the future.' To transcend time."

But the first hurdle was to transcend the outdated building. "It's totally different now from what it used to be," the couple explains. "We've increased the size of the store and doubled the retail." And while the former operation primarily served contractors, the new outfit favors d-i-yers, because, the owners figure, "the town is growing; more people are looking to live here" in the bedroom community half an hour south of the Twin Cities and neighboring Northfield, home of two elite college campuses, Carleton and St. Olaf. "When people would walk into the old place, they'd feel like strangers. We wanted it to be customerfriendly."

And ultra-friendly to what their research indicated was now a building center's best customer: women. "They're doing more and more of the purchasing, so we made it light and bright. The whole layout is very accommodating. We added a home d6cor section and hired an interior designer, who's doing really, really well for us. She offers a lot of expertise in everything from paint colors to kitchen layout," or what Randy ticks off, with a smile on his face, as "technical things only another woman can do."

EVEN WITH a spiffy remodel, lumber remained the yard's main focus, receiving covered storage and an infusion of high-grade inventory.

She's but one of the store's rookie staff of 14, including four part-timers, only one of whom was involved in the previous operation. "We hired for attitude rather than experience," attests Lori-"something you can't teach." And vendors step in to amp up the product knowledge. Altogether, the Stanglers agree, "We've established a good base, with good service, good product knowledge, and quality merchandise."

Contractors, having formed alternative relationships while the store stood vacant, are starting to trickle back' Generation last year supplied a couple of new custom homes and remodeling projects, such as roof replacements. To lure these pros (and the weekend warriors stand to profit, too), the store now boasts a new rental center, saving folks a 2O-mile hike on the highway. "In town, there was nothing but a rug shampooer. We've added construction equipment, like an air compressor and Bobcat." Quite an investment, then? Allows Randy, with a long intake of breath, "Ohhhhhhh... yes!"

Above all, however, "lumber is my main focus," he maintains. "Previously it stood outside, under the snow. Now, it's under a roof. No more warped boards. I also opt for the highest-quality lumber, thinking, 'If you're investing in a house, it's worth just a little bit more."

That's Lori's view, too: "Sell the dream, not the product," she emphasizes. "Inspire customers to make their home a place to be proud of. Introduce them to the possibilities, so they won't just settle for the cheapest." And the route to their purse strings? Voila, the Internet.

Research also schooled them that the Web is where women, in particular, do their major shopping, so the Stanglers lassoed their tech-wizard daughter into designing and maintaining their website, which is educational and informative, but not in the ho-hum way that usually follows those boring adjectives. "You've got to make it entertaining," Lori knows-"like those [legendary] Peterman

Company ads."

Thus, the zippy site offers everything from tips on tree pruning and info on lumber stamps ("What do they mean?") to a motivational call to "Caulk the tub! Just do it!" with step-by-step photos, on to an "organizing spree," providing tips to gain the "minimalist mentality." Take a look yourself at www.generationhbc.com. Facebook and Twitter, too.

All of those technologies also promote the rental center, prodding "You can do itl" rather than have it done. (Of course, for those jobs just too daunting for a homeowner, Generation hands out the business cards of its trusted contractor customers rather than install, in order to build loyalties and refrain from becoming competition.)

The website boosts another innovative customer lure: the children's Carpentry Club. The win-win promotion works like this: Generation sponsors a birdfeeder-making contest, requiring purchase of a kit (however, all completed entries receive a refund in the guise of a $10 gift certificate). The motive, Randy spells out, is to get kids involved and interested in the trades, growing future customers, while at the same moment, "letting parents know we're here." Plus, as their research indicates, offer that $10 gift certificate and when they're back in the store with it, they'll spend twice as much. To promote the contest, Generation has distributed flyers to area schools and posted info via Twitter and Facebook (of course).

Staff -those newbies-get lots of vendor training. including trips to Marvin's Northern Minnesota manufacturing plant so they can walk the talk. But they're also schooled in add-on and suggestive-sell techniques to augment the bottom line and alert customers to the one-stopshopping savings of time and stress that Generation offers (especially to those who exclaim, "We didn't even know you were here!")

Still, it's not a walk in the park. As first-timers, the learning curve has had its steep moments. "Being in retail is totally different," Randy says upfront, "especially bookkeeping. And I've adjusted my product mix, location and displays based on what I hear customers telling me, especially in the rental center."

Competition is a way of life, primarily from boxes stationed along the Interstate commute. There's also a hardware store in town, but Randy makes it a point of honor not to infringe on its turf. "I don't want to hurt anybody, or duplicate, so we won't carry any lawnmowers or small appliances. I send customers his way. I don't want to drive anyone out of business," says his neighbor. "Besides, it's building critical mass [in shoppers'eyes].

The Stanglers look to break even in two years. In the meantime, cash flow from the couple's other business helps smooth the bumps. ("We're our own best customers," they laugh.) They're in it for the long haul and they love the journey, actively working to burnish their credo. If Lori's risht and "Lonsdale is the best place in the world to live," it's in part because of Generation and its commitment to small-town life and values.

Carla Waldemar cwaldemar@comcast.net

By fames Olsen