By Hayley Nations
Local business Herbert Lumber celebrates fifty years in business this year. When asked how they plan on celebrating, owners Kenneth and Janet Herbert said they simply had a big family dinner. Although the true anniversary date is in mid-August, the two said they are celebrating for the whole year.
Walking into Herbert Lumber, one would be greeted by smiling faces and the smell of sanded wood. The owners say their favorite part of the business is the relationships they have made with customers over the years. Mr. Herbert says he’s grateful for the years, and for the community he is able to serve. He recalls fondly the WWII veterans who he was able to meet and their stories to which he used to listen. He said it was like an oral history, one that included his father.
The buildings Herbert Lumber occupy have their own interesting history. In the 1930s, a different lumber company owned the building. One can still see the brick “C” on the outside of the building, one of the small signs that it used to house the Carr Lumber company. Another interesting piece of history that remains is the original safe. The safe is old, believed to be from as far back as the 1800s, and stands proudly just behind the front desk. After switching hands a few times, even becoming a hair salon at one point, it was finally bought by Kenneth Herbert and his father in 1973, becoming the business it is today.
They acquired the building next door recently. At the time of sale, it had collapsed completely, was defaced by graffiti, and full of drug paraphernalia. Now it is a showroom with a back warehouse. They were able to keep some of the original brick, proudly showing the holes where the wood joists used to be. Looking to the future, the owners are excited to share that they are going to be implementing a new computerized system soon for bookkeeping and inventory. It will take time to learn the new system, but they are looking forward towards not having to do everything by hand.
When asked to give advice for new business owners in Portales, Mr. Herbert emphasizes making connections with customers with good service and making a good product to sell. “Good service,” he says, “and offer good products. Quality products, whatever it is you’re selling is the main thing.”
Customers are at the forefront of the owners’ minds. “It’s always been about the service, personal service,” states Mr. Herbert. In order to stick out from the competition of large companies, they focus on consistent customer service, including free local delivery, throughout the years. Looking forward to another fifty years in business, they say they are grateful for their customers, saying that “Nowhere in America will you find better customers than what we have in this local area.”
Judging by the number of years Herbert Lumber has been in business, it’s safe to say that perhaps true success is found in the people one meets along the way.
