R.J. Teague was just into his 30s in 1944, when he founded a lumber company in Fort Worth.
Sixty-five years later, Teague Lumber Co. is still around, and so is "Mr. Teague," who was on hand Friday afternoon when it catered lunch for 350 customers and other well-wishers to celebrate the company’s birthday.
"If God be for us, who can be against us?" Teague, now 98, likes to say.
Teague, who has just a grade-school education and worked for Chickasaw Lumber and Sinclair Oil Co., got into business for himself tearing down houses and reselling the materials.
The lumber company’s first location got washed away in the 1949 flood.
Teague rebuilt nearby on White Settlement Road. The company eventually evolved into full-line building materials, selling everything from "the first piece of steel you put in the foundation to the last piece of trim you put in," says Jim Teague, R.J. Teague’s son, and one of five family members in the business.
Competition from warehouses such as The Home Depot cut into the cash-and-carry business. Teague Lumber’s focus today is on custom builders and general contractors, hanging its hat on quality materials, its full line and services such as cost estimation. The company added an estimator in the last year who translates building plans into the necessary materials.
The next generation — two of Jim Teague’s nephews — work in the business and want to continue it for future generations, Jim Teague says. Business has taken a hit during the downturn, but he expects a rebound later next year.
"We’re not going anywhere," he said. "We plan to stay right here."
Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1813561.html
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