When you first hear the name 鈥淢iami Lumber,鈥� you might be inclined to think of a lumberyard located near the beach. Add in the palm trees and sunset pictured on the company鈥檚 logo, and you鈥檇 for sure think you were in southern Florida. You鈥檇 be wrong, but luckily, Owner Pete Peterson and his family are in on the joke.听
鈥淲hen my mom, dad, and I bought [the yard] in 1983, it was called Miami County Lumber鈥� he said of the store, located in Miami County, KS. 鈥淭he gentleman we bought it from wouldn鈥檛 sell us the name. So we dropped the 鈥榗ounty鈥� and embraced the idea of Miami, FL, and my wife came up with the palm trees idea. We just kind of ran with it.鈥�
While Miami Lumber has been around now for more than 40 years, the Peterson family has been in the lumberyard business a lot longer. In 1942, Pete鈥檚 grandfather, Earnest Peterson, Sr. began as a foreman at a nearby lumberyard. Little did he know that his three sons would all go on to each own or operate their own yard in the Kansas City area.听
鈥淎s they got older, Ernie, the oldest brother, bought in 1966 Lansing Lumber in Lansing, KS; my dad went to work for CMI, Construction Materials Incorporated with five different yards, and he became general manager of that company; and then Uncle Mike, the youngest brother, took over Gardner Lumber, so all three brothers were in it. My cousin, Pat, now runs Lansing Lumber as Lansing Lumber & Feed. The family legacy has been placed into our hands and we鈥檙e carrying it forward.鈥�
Peterson鈥檚 yard, located near the Kansas- Missouri border, has since become a thriving family business where Pete鈥檚 wife Kenna, his son Tyler, his daughter Sydney, and her husband Grady Wolford now work.
Standing out in KC
Alongside Peterson鈥檚 family, Miami Lumber is staffed by a small-but-mighty team of full- and part-time employees, many of which have been with the company for several years.
鈥淎s the owners, my parents originally did a lot on their own鈥攖he early struggle years are
always hard for small business鈥攂ut once we got developed enough, I just decided that I can鈥檛 do this on my own, I have to have good help,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hoped to have dedicated people that stay with me for generations. I鈥檝e just been lucky and blessed there: our folks are nice people with families and kids, and so I鈥檝e just made sure I鈥檝e paid them good living wages, the same they can find anywhere else in Kansas City. Since day one, I have tried to treat our employees the same way I鈥檇 expect my own kids to be treated鈥攃ared for, like family. Luckily, they鈥檝e all stayed.鈥�
After establishing a strong foundation for the business, Peterson said the company has been focusing on modernizing some aspects of the company by leveraging online tools for marketing and recruiting.
鈥淲e struggled a lot with marketing, advertising and having the time as a small team to dedicate to it. Our son, Tyler, has taken over that part of the business and now we鈥檙e really out there with digital advertising, social media, new brochures and in-store promotions.鈥�
In addition to offering hardware and building materials for a range of projects, the company also carries a wide selection of doors and windows as well as decking and roofing materials from a number of major brands like GAF, Deckorators, James Hardie, Therma-Tru, and Masonite. Miami Lumber also helps DIYers with consultations and by connecting them with local contractors.
When asked what makes Miami Lumber a strong competitor with the big-box stores in the area, Peterson was quick to respond with the genuine interest the company takes in each of the lumberyard鈥檚 transactions.
鈥淚鈥檇 really hope and like to believe that it鈥檚 our service,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e as competitive as anyone else when it comes to price. We鈥檝e been up against every large lumberyard in Kansas City. We care, we aren鈥檛 just delivering lumber,
we鈥檙e delivering either someone鈥檚 dream home or helping a contractor remodel or build a spec home. But it鈥檚 not about pricing and it鈥檚 not about making money. It鈥檚 about helping the person and trying to take care of their needs and developing a relationship with them to carry out through the years.鈥�
Customer, local commitment
Those relationships have proven to be key, as contractors and builders account for about 70% of Miami Lumber鈥檚 business. Peterson said it鈥檚 through taking extra care with each customer that the company has built those long-lasting partnerships.
鈥淚 think once they do business with us and see our service鈥攍ike how we will deliver to a job site multiple times every day, even if they鈥檙e little loads鈥攚e just do whatever needs to be done to take care of them or to keep their problems away.鈥�
In addition to Miami Lumber鈥檚 everyday customers, the company also makes efforts to inspire and teach the next generation of DIYers and contractors.
鈥淎s part of our marketing and community outreach, we started our own workshop for kids, called DIY for Little Doers. We provided prefab kits for kids to build, paint and decorate their own birdhouses鈥攑lus lunch and an ice cream truck. With the kids and the parents coming in, it鈥檚 just another way of getting to meet people and showing them who you are and the advantages of relying on a local yard.鈥� While Peterson said the company has had opportunities to expand over the years, he and his family have ultimately focused on making Miami Lumber鈥檚 location the best it can be.听
鈥淵ears ago, we had an opportunity to buy a number of lumberyards,鈥� Peterson said. 鈥淭he owner ultimately decided not to sell and things end up the way they are supposed to. I came to the realization that maybe I鈥檓 better off just focusing on my one yard and servicing and taking care of the people the best I possibly can. We鈥檝e had lots of other small towns call and ask me to come take over the lumberyards, and we have just decided to pass on it and focus on ours.鈥�
However, that commitment to staying local doesn鈥檛 limit Miami Lumber geographically, Peterson said. 鈥淲e deliver anywhere. We deliver 100 miles north, 100 miles east or west and south, as many times as needed in the day.鈥�
By literally going the extra mile for their customers, Peterson and his family have created an environment he hopes will set the company up for success in the next generation and beyond.
鈥淥ur bottom line is that we just want to treat people the way we want to be treated. And hopefully that鈥檚 one of the reasons why our employees have stayed with us for so long, and hopefully those are the reasons why we鈥檙e still around in business.鈥�
Get to know Miami Lumber
Founded: 1983
Ownership: Family
Locations: 1
Employees: 11 full-time, 12 part-time
Customer Breakdown: 70% pro / 30% retail
ERP Software: ECI Spruce
