From its beginnings in a small town in Illinois more than 40 years ago, R.P. Lumber has expanded to more than 70 locations in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wyoming.
One of those communities soon will be Poplar Bluff, as R.P. Lumber is tentatively slated to open in mid-to-late November at 3051 N. Westwood Blvd. It was once the longtime location of Meek’s Lumber & Hardware, which closed in November 2018.
“Poplar Bluff is the exact type of community where we like to operate,” said Tom Rezabeck, marketing manager for R.P. Lumber. “We think there is a gap we can fill in the community and we look forward to serving all of Butler County and the surrounding areas.”
R.P. Lumber is a family-owned business that started in 1977.
“Since our start in an old, vacant lumberyard in small-town Illinois, we have been blessed to grow to more than 70 locations across our nation’s heartland,” Rezabeck said. “Our culture and values have not wavered from the first day we opened for business. The industry has changed some, products have changed some, and technology has changed some, but we still show up every day aiming to serve the customer.
“We do not take anything for granted and we work hard to earn the trust and business of our customers every day. We target communities just like Poplar Bluff — it’s the ideal type of town that we like to be in.”
Rezabeck said R.P. Lumber’s people and service set it apart.
“We could not be able to do what we do each and every day without great people,” Rezabeck said, “and we are very proud of the hundreds and hundreds of people across multiple states that wake up every day and go to work at R.P. Lumber.”
Rezabeck also is pleased to help bring a new business into the former Meek’s location that has been vacant for almost three years.
“We try to be good partners in our communities,” Rezabeck said. “We are just not here to sell product, we are here to be part of the community. We will employ good people, we will provide the people of the community with good products and services, we will generate sales tax revenue, and we are proud to be in Poplar Bluff.
“It is a community we have targeted for several years and are very excited and humbled to finally be opening our doors in such a great town.”