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Family-owned hardware and building materials R.P. Lumber announced that it has acquired the Sparta, Illinois, location of Wright Building Center, a long-time industry presence in southwestern Illinois. The new location expands the operation’s location count to 82 with 56 locations in Illinois.
“For 39 years, Wright Building Center has served the citizens of the Randolph County area, and we are thrilled to have their team join the R.P. Lumber family,” says Robert Plummer, president and CEO of R.P. Lumber. “We have been industry friends and competitors for many years, so it is exciting to add this great location to our footprint in Illinois.”
“Since 1964, my family has been in the hardware, lumber, and construction business,“ says Jami Lee Wright, owner of Wright Building Center. “We’ve had a great run. We’re thankful for our awesome team and the strong customer base who have kept us going since 1984. R.P. Lumber runs an impressive operation. We’re excited to watch them grow and thankful to be moving on to our next chapter.”
The teams at Wright Building Center and R.P. Lumber will begin working together in early August with the transaction closing on Sept. 5. The Sparta store will begin operating as R.P. Lumber shortly after Labor Day.
“This new location not only allows us to bridge the gap between several of our existing locations, but it helps us better serve some of our great Southwestern Illinois customers,” Plummer says. “Sparta is a great community and Randolph County is a great place to do business. We’ve sought an opportunity in the area for several years, so working out a deal with an anchor in the community like Wright Building Center was a great solution. Jami Lee and the Wright family have built a wonderful business, we are honored and blessed that they have entrusted us with their store, and we are excited to begin serving the market.”
