Highlights from 1/24/12 article in The Pilot

Lumber Wholesaler Finds New Building

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.D. Cuff is the manager of the new Locust Lumber Co. office on U.S. 1 south of Vass.

 

By TED M. NATT JR.

Locust Lumber Co., the previously unnamed wholesaler that prompted a review of permissible uses in the Southern Pines Corporate Park, has leased the former Sunpak Foods building on U.S. 1 south of Vass.

The decision ends the company’s yearlong search for space in Moore County to serve customers — mainly contractors in the home-building and renovation industry — within a 50-mile radius.

“We have been looking at other markets for a number of years, and the Southern Pines-Pinehurst area just seemed to open up for us with the departure of a longtime building supply company,” said Leon Huneycutt, co-owner of the Locust-based company.

Locust Lumber, which also has a satellite office in Monroe, already has 10 employees in Vass and is adding 10,000 square feet of warehouse space to the 16,000-square-foot building.

“Hopefully, we’ll have that project completed by the middle of February and be adding employees,” Huneycutt said.

. . .

Roy Harvel, owner of U.S. 1 Realty, brokered the deal that led to Locust Lumber signing a long-term lease with the owner of the former Sunpak building.

“There was industrial zoning under Sunpak, so we had to get it rezoned to B-2, which is like the General Business designation in most municipalities,” Harvel said. “Locust Lumber has a nucleus of employees that know the market and the building trade. I also think they’ll be a good corporate citizen.”

. . .

The building is on five acres, which has enabled Locust Lumber to not only expand, but store products inside the building and out.

“We’re very excited to be there and look forward to serving everyone in Moore and the surrounding counties,” Huneycutt said.

Contact Ted M. Natt Jr. at tnatt@thepilot.com.

 

>> To view other Moore County news, click here.