Our History |
Celebrating over 70 Years of Building History
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Warner Robins Building Supply Company is a local family- owned, second-generation building materials supply company that was founded as Warner Robins Supply Company, Inc. in 1947 by Ed and Vera Bayer.
After returning to St. Louis from World War II as a supply specialist in the U.S. Army, Ed realized that there would be a strong need for housing in our country. Since the war effort created a shortage of materials for home construction, there would be a strong demand for lumber and building materials. Research led to the knowledge of the emerging military base in middle Georgia prompting Ed to pursue opportunities there. Post-WW II, the Army Air Corps was expanding a military installation in Wellston, Georgia (later renamed Warner Robins to show community support of Robins Air Force Base). Leaving his recently-closed family’s grocer business in St. Louis, Ed and wife Vera loaded their newborn daughter, Cheryl and all their possessions into a car and trailer heading south to find those opportunities. |
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Ed began his business buying surplus building materials and hardware items wherever he could find them from the docks in Savannah, Georgia to military surplus opportunities in Georgia. Warner Robins (Building) Supply’s first location was established in a surplus Army tent on Watson Boulevard (where the city's Law Enforcement Center sits today) near the Wellston Train Station in Warner Robins, Georgia. The store had quickly moved into a building near that same location at the corner of First Street and Watson Boulevard.
With the growth of the town came the growth of the company and; in turn, the Bayer family grew with two additional children, Mark and Christine. Over time, all three children worked at the family’s business in one capacity or another. In 1952, Warner Robins (Building) Supply moved to a location on South Sixth Street, and then in 1974 a new location was constructed at 2756 Watson Boulevard near Centerville. Today, the main retail store, lumber yard, door and window millworks shops, warehouses, wood shop, vehicle maintenance shop and corporate offices are housed at that same location. There is a second middle Georgia location that opened in 2004 at 612 Ball Street in Perry, Georgia as a retail store and lumber yard.
With Ed’s retirement, his son Mark assumed presidency and purchased ownership in 1978. Ed remained active in the company until he passed away in 1991. His two sisters, Cheryl and Christine continued to play a part in the growth of the family business. Cheryl’s husband, Andy Lively was added to the management team in 2011.
In order to meet the growing demand of the housing market at the time, and with the foresight to diversify geographically, Warner Robins (Building) Supply added a truss plant - Piedmont (Warner Robins) in 1991, Papa Bayer’s Lawn & Garden Center (Warner Robins) in 1992, Homeworks (Macon, Georgia) in 1994, Mountain Building Supply (Blairsville, Georgia) in 2003 and (Hayesville, North Carolina) in 2006. And with a bold move to expand further, in 2007 Warner Robins (Building) Supply acquired Henson Building Materials that now has locations in Forest City, Black Mountain and Linville, North Carolina. Today, between the three regional areas are eight locations with retail stores and lumberyards, including a new Henson location in Landrum, South Carolina acquired in November 2012. Today, with its branding change, Warner Robins Building Supply Company is continuously looking for opportunities to improve and grow to stay sustainable and relevant in the marketplace today and into the future.
With the growth of the town came the growth of the company and; in turn, the Bayer family grew with two additional children, Mark and Christine. Over time, all three children worked at the family’s business in one capacity or another. In 1952, Warner Robins (Building) Supply moved to a location on South Sixth Street, and then in 1974 a new location was constructed at 2756 Watson Boulevard near Centerville. Today, the main retail store, lumber yard, door and window millworks shops, warehouses, wood shop, vehicle maintenance shop and corporate offices are housed at that same location. There is a second middle Georgia location that opened in 2004 at 612 Ball Street in Perry, Georgia as a retail store and lumber yard.
With Ed’s retirement, his son Mark assumed presidency and purchased ownership in 1978. Ed remained active in the company until he passed away in 1991. His two sisters, Cheryl and Christine continued to play a part in the growth of the family business. Cheryl’s husband, Andy Lively was added to the management team in 2011.
In order to meet the growing demand of the housing market at the time, and with the foresight to diversify geographically, Warner Robins (Building) Supply added a truss plant - Piedmont (Warner Robins) in 1991, Papa Bayer’s Lawn & Garden Center (Warner Robins) in 1992, Homeworks (Macon, Georgia) in 1994, Mountain Building Supply (Blairsville, Georgia) in 2003 and (Hayesville, North Carolina) in 2006. And with a bold move to expand further, in 2007 Warner Robins (Building) Supply acquired Henson Building Materials that now has locations in Forest City, Black Mountain and Linville, North Carolina. Today, between the three regional areas are eight locations with retail stores and lumberyards, including a new Henson location in Landrum, South Carolina acquired in November 2012. Today, with its branding change, Warner Robins Building Supply Company is continuously looking for opportunities to improve and grow to stay sustainable and relevant in the marketplace today and into the future.