Posted by – Elizabeth Brennan, Executive Assistant
Downtown Auburn Hills is home to Church’s Lumber Yards, a company rich in family history.
Founded by Calvin Church in 1890, Church & Church, Inc. was a family business dedicated to supplying lumber, coal and feed which was loaded by hand and delivered by horse and wagon.
Calvin’s Son, Clarence, joined the company and expanded operations through World War I, the Great Depression and World War II. His sons, Jim and Roy, then took over the family business and opened stores throughout southeast Michigan, while further expanding services and product offerings. Roy’s son, Bill Church is now the fourth generation owner of Church’s Lumber.
Dave Kohl, President and CEO with Jeaneane Henry, Human Resources and Accounting
In the early 1990’s, the proliferation of big box home improvement stores prompted Church’s to re-think their operations, close some stores and change their approach. President and CEO, Dave Kohl, explained that their intentional shift from retail-based to project-based sales allowed them to better compete in the marketplace and focus on builders, contractors and projects.
In the spring of 2014, Church’s renovated an approximately 5,000 sq. ft. space in their building to create a beautiful showroom and new office area. Contractors and customers can now visit to see installed product samples and select what they need for their projects. Stone and siding samples, cabinetry, roofing, doors and railings, the list goes on. The showroom is as warm and welcoming as the staff of this family-owned company.
Church’s Lumber is located at 107 S. Squirrel in Downtown Auburn Hills. The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Auburn Hills wishes them another century of growth and success.
