By WISCNEWS
Alongtime family-owned Portage business has merged with a fifth-generation family owned business from Milwaukee, with hopes to continue company growth along with providing more support and products to Central Wisconsin's building market.
Portage Lumber announced a merger with Milwaukee-based Bliffert Lumber on Feb 1.
"Partnering with Bliffert is about growth," said Kimberly Dorn, operations manager of Portage Lumber. "For us it's growing the business, for them they can expand further north. ... This will help us touch on more customers and we can have a better reach, have a better connection and have more opportunity to provide product to our customers. If we don't have it, one of our other (partner) locations will."
The Dorn Family said it attributes its strong position in the lumber market and longevity in business to its focus on customer service, which it plans to continue, as Kimberly Dorn, the former marketing director, human resource manager and general manager, represents the third generation of the Dorn family’s ownership and management and will continue to run the branch as operations manager.
Though they will keep their offices at Portage Lumber, new retirees Dennis Dorn and Ron Dorn said they will be taking a big step back from their respective positions as CEO and president to become "ambassadors" for the company.
"We are in our 70s, and retirement is something Dennis and I thought about occasionally," Ron Dorn said.
Ron and Dennis said they considered other options -- such as owning company stock and managing the business, and owning company stock and not managing the business -- but they felt taking on a partner that could help to grow the business, and keep its family tradition intact, was ultimately their best choice.
Portage Lumber started in 1953 when Ray Dorn, the father of Ron and Dennis, became manager and part owner of a new lumberyard opening in Portage, and moved his family from nearby DeForest, where he worked as manager of a farm cooperative, the Dorn brothers said.
"We were not a company that was struggling," Dennis Dorn said of the merger. "This was all about succession and about who we were going to partner with moving forward."
Bliffert Lumber started in 1904 and has been working with contractors and homeowners in the southeastern Wisconsin market for more than 120 years. The company has helped to grow its communities by supplying building materials to hospitals, stadiums, new homes and several other projects.
Bliffert has 14 locations in Wisconsin. Some of its most recent additions include the purchase of three Chase Lumberyards in the Madison area last year.
Owner and CEO Eli Bliffert said the company is excited about adding a new business to its family and is looking forward to seeing the location continue to excel.
He said Portage Lumber's current supplier will stay the same, its hardline goods will stay the same, and truck deliveries will continue to come on the same days. Blifferts' main focus will be helping to grow the business in Portage, and not to come in and start changing store operations, he added.
"What we will help with is capital stuff," said Bliffert. "We have a bunch of lumberyards, so the bulk buying power of commodities like lumber, drywall, treated wood, decking and windows will help bring the prices down some and will hopefully allow us to grow the business."
Bliffert said he expects lumber prices at Portage Lumber to decrease for customers due to the fact that its stock of lumber materials will at least double.
"That's always what we are shooting for when we move into a new market," said Eli. "Whatever we are doing, we want to double."
"It's not just a step," said Dennis Dorn. "It is a huge step. The buying power is tremendously effected by this. Even with some of the big brands, windows, doors. ... Buying those items in a big group increases our efficiency and ultimately our customer benefits from that."
Portage residents benefitting from the lumber company has always been at the forefront of Dennis' and Ron Dorn's minds -- and something Kimberly Dorn said they made sure will continue to happen.
"Ron and Dennis have always been very involved in the community," said Kimberly. "And I have tried to be as well. ... Customers are the people who are supporting you, so it is important that you give back as much as you can and get involved as much as you can. That is something Eli wants to make sure that we are able to continue to do as a company."
She said Portage Lumber plans to keep its current staff intact, as they are the people who community members are familiar with -- not necessarily the owners, who can sometimes be behind the scenes.
"It was very important to Eli that we keep the same team and keep moving in the direction that we have been going, just with more support to be able to grow," she said.