Hardware Line Expansion

The Freeport community received bad news last month when word spread around town that the town's only hardware store would be closing its doors and going out of business. The next nearest hardware store would be eight miles away.

Tim, the owner and manager of Hennen Lumber, thought it would be a good idea to add some basic hardware items to our inventory to keep things convenient for the local citizens. That meant it was time to reorganize our retail sales area to make room for new products. That reorganization is almost completed.

Hennen Lumber has expanded its tool line slightly. We do not carry paints and stains, but we did expand the paint accessories area to contain a larger variety of brushes, rollers, and supplies. New items like batteries, trash bags, and flashlights can now be found, in addition to a small electrical area which will include fuses, outlets, and light bulbs.

We are moving slowly with this expanded hardware line. We do not have the space to carry everything a regular hardware store would carry so we are starting with some basics that we think the community would need.

Stop in for a visit, look around, and let us know what you think.

Market Prices

I received a letter today from a manufacturer of steel goods from which we buy products for polesheds and agricultural buildings. It stated that the cost of steel products would be rising next month on June 1st, by 20-35 percent, depending of the item. It blamed the rising prices on the costs of raw materials, energy, and transportation.

My first thought after reading this letter was, "Wow! A twenty percent increase in one shot." My second thought was, "Well, one more factor toward killing this economy." Add the rising prices of gas and food and we all ask, "When are things going to stop?"

But even with the rising prices of roofing materials and steel siding there is some good news to pass along. I recently needed to look up something in a ten year old estimate for a new house and discovered the current cost of lumber, drywall, and OSB sheathing is lower then it was back then.

You read that correctly. Today's prices on lumber and OSB are lower today then a decade ago. As I write this article, the price of a sheet of 1/2" OSB sheathing is a couple percent less then the price in 1998. The cost of 2x4's and 2x6's average out to be about fifteen percent lower today.

How long these lower prices will last is anyone's guess. With gas prices rising a couple times each week I would think the cost of lumber would also be rising. But then, the evening news anchormen keep talking about the housing market crisis so you know the demand for lumber and sheathing is down from a year ago.

What is the market going to be like in a month or year from now? I do not have a clue. And to tell the truth, I do not think the so-called economists know either.

The Home Show

If you happen to be in central Minnesota on Saturday, February 3, then you are invited to stop by the "Home Show" held at Gerard's in Sauk Centre and visit us at our booth. The doors open at 9:00 am. The show will be open until 3:00 pm.

The Hennen Lumber booth will be displaying ThermoTech vinyl windows, GAF Timberline Prestique shingles, and Edco sidings. Hennen Lumber employees will be on hand to answer your building project questions.

We hope to see you there.