Owners: Meadors family
Locations: Ozark, Alma and Clarksville, Ark.
Manager: Charlie Meadors (pictured)
History: “Our oldest records are from 1936 when Tulsa (Okla.) carpenter Claude Meadors came back home to Arkansas to open a lumberyard in Alma by the railroad tracks during the Great Depression because there were no others in the area,” Charlie Meadors, manager of Meadors Lumber Company, said. “The location was very good for the time though it lacked room for growth.”
The lumberyard burned in the 1970s and was rebuilt at the same location with the same 2,500 square-feet. At one time, part of this facility was used by the Alma Fire Department. Then in 2005, the Alma location moved a bit north and expanded to 10,000 square feet.
“When Claude passed, the store was handed down to his three children who now run the stores. The Ozark store was opened in 2000 by my dad Eric, while the Clarksville location opened in 2012 where we have a hired manager,” Charlie said. “The family joke is that there are too many family members to put in one place but the truth is that the family saw a need for what we offer beyond Alma. All three lumberyards are also True Value Hardware locations.”
Products and Services: “Lumber has always been the lion’s share of our business. We sell to contractors and do-it-yourself folks which means we have a full line of lumber and other building materials. Poultry farmers are the majority of my farming customers with products changing as the industry changes. While we do not supply material for building poultry houses, we cater to outbuildings such as pole barns and other needs. We carry a full line of hand tools and builders’ hardware such as nails and screws etc. Power tools and accessories are available as well as Echo Power Equipment to meet lawn and garden including chainsaws, blowers and string trimmers. We also have electrical and plumbing supplies. Something that helps a lot of folks is that we have tool and equipment rental with track loaders, small excavators and trenchers being very popular.”
Philosophy and future: “We try to go beyond what customers expect in terms of service, but also knowledge to help them select what best meets their needs. The biggest change in the business is the clientele because do-it-yourselfers are now a much larger portion than they have ever been, though we never lose focus on our contractor client base. All employees are expected to stop their store chores to offer assistance so every customer is spoken to. I’m fourth generation with my sister Ashton, and cousins Jacey and Tyler. The family philosophy is to always allow children to pursue careers that speak to them, which means the future will be up to our children.”
