Monday, April 29, 2024
Henson Lumber, a leading provider of high-quality lumber and building materials, recently announced its acquisition of Decatur Lumber, a respected family-owned lumber-yard based in Decatur.
Located at 11900 County Road 917 in Cresson, the building material enterprise was first established in 1973 by Jerry Henson and was originally called Henson Lake and Ranch Supply.
“It started off as like supplying for boat docks and things like that around the lake and then in the early ‘90s (Jerry) converted it as a company into Henson Building Materials,” Todd Garner, executive vice president of Henson Enterprises, previously told the HCN. “It was still on (U.S. Highway) 377 where Henson Metal is currently. Then early 2001, they split the one company into two — Henson Metal and Henson Lumber, so that's kind of the family tree of the Henson company.”
Henson Enterprises — which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 — services the counties of Hood, Johnson, Parker and Tarrant. Henson Lumber and Henson Millwork are both located at 11900 County Road 917 while Henson Metal can be found at 9200 E. U.S. Highway 377.
“For Henson Metal, we sell metal products for the metal building business,” Garner said in a previous interview. “If people are building a barndominium or anything ranch-related, whether they need fencing or metal buildings, that's what Henson Metal does. We also have a little small hardware store right here on 377.
“On the lumber side, we have multiple services. We have our lumber which is any kind of building materials related to lumber like stick frame and sheathing, and then we also sell millwork which would include like doors, windows and trim."
The acquisition of Decatur Lumber represents a natural synergy between two area leaders committed to providing exceptional products and services to customers, according to Henson’s news release. The combined expertise and resources of both companies will enhance the overall customer experience and offer an even broader range of products to meet the diverse needs of builders, contractors and homeowners in the North Texas region.
“We are excited about the growth potential and look forward to expanding and bringing in more products and services to the area,” Casey Wallace, chief operating officer at Henson Lumber, said in the news release.
According to Wallace, owners of Decatur Lumber Glenn and Wayne Trachta were ready to sell and retire. After six months of discussions and meetings, the owners chose Henson Lumber to take over the business and officially completed the paperwork on Nov. 13.
“Wayne and I have been patiently searching for the right company to engage in discussions about acquisition. Henson Lumber shares very similar values with us on the way we treat our customers and employees,” Glenn Trachta said in the news release.
Customers of both Henson Lumber and Decatur Lumber can expect a seamless transition as the integration process begins. According to the news release, Henson Lumber is dedicated to maintaining the high standards of quality and service both companies are known for, while also exploring opportunities to introduce new and innovative offerings.
“Our customers won't see any change in this market here where we're in,” Wallace told the HCN. “But we're looking at bringing the same type of thing to (Decatur Lumber).”
He said the Decatur location will undergo a complete “store reset,” followed by a grand reopening that is currently planned for the spring.
In terms of employees, Wallace said Decatur Lumber is an eighth of the size of Henson. However, he plans to add personnel, equipment and product to “ramp it up.”
"Like a lot of areas around the metroplex, it's growing and we’re going to be doing every bit of what we're doing here — not that we're gonna make it as big as our location because we're on 80 acres on 23 acres of concrete and there's not that much room to really expand (at the Decatur location) — but we'd like to double or triple the volume for the next three years just growing the business,” he said.
While Henson Lumber offers more home construction products, Decatur Lumber can best be described as a hardware store, according to Wallace.
“It kind of took me back to my roots from when I first got into this industry on a similar type of operation,” he said. “They’ve got a lot more retail than we have. They make keys, they build screens, they have paint departments, and they’ve got power tools; whereas our location here, we have a door shop, lumber and all of the commodities you need to build a house.”
Wallace added that acquiring Decatur Lumber will be a challenge, but both companies have several employees who are more than willing to help with the transition.
“Decatur Lumber is fortunate in having several long-tenured employees which is a testament to Glenn and Wayne Trachta and will be a big plus as we grow our product line and add more staff,” Wallace said in the news release. “I can’t say enough good things about Wayne and Glenn for allowing us to make this acquisition possible.”
To the HCN, he added, “It’s a challenge, and I think we’re up to it. We’re looking forward to the facelift and making it work.”
For more information about Henson Lumber, visit hensonlumber.com online or call (817) 396-4321. Decatur Lumber is located at 901 US-380 BUS in Decatur and can be reached at (940) 627-5962.
