Leachman Lumber Company was founded on August 10, 1921, by Robert C. Leachman along with his brother Berkley and father Robert P. Leachman. The original building was more or less a small shed located at 1933 Hubbell Ave. and was leased from F.M. Hubbell. Robert’s vision was clear and his success imminent -- his goal was to become the premier supplier for the areas contractors and homebuilders. More than 85 years later his goal continues to be our mission.

Robert P. Leachman died in 1933, the same year the company was incorporated, naming Robert (R.C.) as president and Berkley as secretary/treasurer. The company survived the Great Depression with the hard work of the two brothers and an occasional forgiveness of rent by F.M. Hubbell.

In 1941, the company opened up a branch yard called Woodside Lumber Company, located on Howard Drive, north of Des Moines. Woodside was one of the early cash-and-carry type yards in Central Iowa. In 1945 the yard was moved to the corners of U.S. Highway 69 and Howard Drive, using the slogan "Get Your Pine on 69."

In 1953, Mark C. Leachman joined the company calling on homebuilders and general contractors. He built an impressive list of new customers and was responsible for significant growth of the company. For many years he also handled all of the buying of lumber and plywood. Mark C. Leachman retired in 1999.

In 1955 the company started construction of a new office and retail store facility at 1921 Hubbell Avenue. The next year the untimely death of Berkley occurred, but not before he was able to see the completion of their long-planned office.

In 1957 John D. Leachman started with the company in sales and marketing. He became president in 1974 leading the company with steady vision through the recession of the 1980’s, and positioned the company for unprecedented growth into the new millennium. He continues to serve as CEO and Chairman of the Board.

In 1967, the company purchased all of the leased property from Hubbell Realty, plus some adjacent properties, nearly doubling the size of the lumberyard. The homebuilding and construction market continued to soar, and in 1975 the company acquired the Har-der Lumber Company located at 86th and University in Clive, and named it Westown Lumber Company.

Concentrating almost exclusively on home building and remodeling the company grew very rapidly, necessitating further expansion. In 1978 the company remodeled and opened a new store facility and a 12,000-foot warehouse at the Hubbell location . . . just in time for the recession of 1980. Home building and construction of all types came to a virtual stop, which led to the closing of the Woodside and Westown locations in 1982.

1979 marked the beginning of the next generation of the Leachman family to join the company when Mark C. Leachman Jr. came on board. Mark Jr. learned the business from the ground up working in the yard, then working in the store and helping with dispatching duties, to ultimately stepping into the role of buyer, following his fathers’ retirement.

In 1988 Robert C. Leachman passed away, leaving behind many friends and customers and taking a treasure trove of knowledge of Des Moines and the lumber industry. However, the principles and ideals that R.C. helped establish and lived by during his 67 years in the business continue to guide the company today.

In 1989 the company acquired three more adjacent properties and by the next year had added a 7500-foot warehouse and expanded employee parking. It was also at this time that John D. (Jack) Leachman Jr. joined the sales staff following a 2-1/2 year stint with Lloyd Lumber and 5 years with The Floor to Ceiling Store in Mankato, MN. Jack continues to work in new business development, especially with general contractors.

In 1995 James Kahler joined Leachman Lumber Company as general manager, bringing 20 years of hardwood lumber sales and management experience with him. In 2002 he became president/chief operating officer, and has guided the company’s expansion in facilities and revenue. Since 1995, ten additional residential properties surrounding Leachman Lumber have been acquired which allowed for the addition of a 12,000-foot warehouse, a doubling of open storage space, improved logistics and expanded employee parking, all completed in 2005.

In 2002 Jennifer Leachman was hired as chief financial officer. Jennifer’s prior experience as the chief financial officer of the Greater Des Moines Partnership provided her with the knowledge and tools necessary to advance the company technologically and financially during this time of expansion.

Leachman Lumber Company is continually developing its customer base while focusing primarily on providing quality products at competitive prices. Our slogan "where there’s a material difference" emphasizes our desire to provide quality in both our products and our services to our customers.