Vern Ziegler, pictured, keeps a list of local companies that have come and gone since he began selling building materials. It’s a long list, filling one page and two columns of another. “The problem was their inability to adapt to changing conditions,” Ziegler said. “The only thing that’s constant is change. We’ve adapted.” Ziegler Lumber opened in 1965 – 14 years before anyone heard of Home Depot – when Ziegler saw a business opportunity in serving the needs of do-it-yourself home remodelers. “Traditional lumber yards worked mainly with contractors,” he recalled, “and they charged individuals excessive prices. So we became kind of a mini-Home Depot for anyone building a fence or a deck or redoing a kitchen.” Before long, Ziegler Lumber became Ziggy’s Building Materials and expanded to 13 stores. Today, six Ziggy’s serve Eastern Washington and North Idaho, and the chairman of the board shows no sign of slowing down/Michael Guilfoil, SR. More here.

Question: Where do you go for your building supplies?