Griggs Lumber takes over Dare Building Supply

Griggs Lumber takes over Dare Building Supply

Dare Building Supply Co. closed its doors earlier this year after almost 50 years in the Hatteras community, a loss mourned by builders, repair people, and do-it-yourself folks.

However, on Sept. 23, the building supplier reopened as Griggs Lumber, and the new owners are hoping for a seamless transition.

When you visit the new lumberyard, you’ll see many of the folks from Dare Building that you have known over the years, and that’s the way Griggs likes it.

Mark Hicks, a Griggs vice-president, seem quite happy to note that 11 of the company’s 14 employees were working there when Dare Building closed or have worked there over the years.

They include Hatteras yard manager Wayne Midgette, whose family founded the business, and Heidi Blackwood, who has been a member of the Dare management team for several years.

Wayne Midgette says his parents, Linda and Ed, started the family business in 1964 “with a dream, one pickup truck, and a lot of hard work.”

“The operation started out small,” he says, “but gave our community a much needed resource for building supplies. As time went on, the business began to expand and grow to help meet the demands of our community.”

In 1983, Wayne became a partner with his father, and in 1996, his son, Scott, became his partner with him. Wayne’s wife, Betsy, and their daughter, Monica, also worked in the business.

“Dare Building has always strived not only to do business on this small island we all call home, but to be an integral part of the community. We have always felt a commitment to the community is very important.  With that commitment in mind, and the commitment of our employees, we found a new way to grow.”

Midgette said he thinks Griggs Lumber is “a perfect fit to carry on our dreams and traditions.”

Griggs was established in 1946 in Currituck County, also as a family business. In 2006, Griggs became part of another larger building supply company, Carter Lumber, based in Ohio, which is also a family-owned enterprise and was found in 1932.

Hicks says Griggs has been doing business on Hatteras Island for some years, but this is its first foray into a lumberyard on the island. It has bought only Dare Building’s Buxton store, and the future of the store in Rodanthe is still unclear.

Hicks notes he got his start with Griggs selling on Hatteras Island and he looks forward to working with the former management and customers of Dare Building.

He said the yard has been fully stocked and that the company is working on a new showroom, scheduled to open in mid-November.

Continued growth and even more employees is the company’s eventual goal, he said.

The community is invited to a Grand Opening Celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 13, from noon until 5 p.m. in Buxton.

You can learn more about Griggs by going to its website, www.griggslumber.com.