Goodbye Plywood Minnesota

[Kristofor]

Okay, fine they wanted to be called "Home Valu" or some such for the last 20ish years, but I think everyone I know still called them Plywood Minnesota (not that I ever bought plywood there). They've been dwindling for years and are finally shutting the doors and blaming it on the economy/housing problems of late.

For the non locals this was a local home improvement (later design/remodeling) store founded by a guy who went on to be a US Senator in the 80's.

According to this article they had 70 stores from Montana to Indiana at one point (seems odd they still had the old name then). So if you're from one of those places and ever wondered "What ever happened to..." now you know

http://www.startribune.com/business/...PQLanchO7DiUsX

[crokett]

I'm surprised HD, Menards or one of the other chains didn't buy 'em out. When I first moved to this area, the big box hhome improvement store was green and was called Home Quarters. A few years later HD bought the entire chain and revamped the existing stores. The two HQs here were converted to HDs then closed when bigger newer stores were opened in better locations.

[parnelli]

'Wow- that's a name I hadn't heard in probably 30 years!

It was long enough ago that I had to stop and say it a few times to remember that I remembered it!

[LinuxRandal]

I'm surprised HD, Menards or one of the other chains didn't buy 'em out. When I first moved to this area, the big box hhome improvement store was green and was called Home Quarters. A few years later HD bought the entire chain and revamped the existing stores. The two HQs here were converted to HDs then closed when bigger newer stores were opened in better locations.

That brings back memories. We had a Builder's Square (now the way of Montgomery Wards, aka someone bought the name for a web store), that HQ came in and bought out. They kept it open as more of a specialty store (kitchen remodel type). Within a five mile area, HQ, HD, Builder's square, Payless Cashways (another gone one), and a local one, Sutherland's lumber (NOT a lumber yard).

[JSUPreston]

David, here in Montgomery, the HD moved in about 2 miles down the road from HQ. Ours didn't close until corporate went belly up. Never cared for them that much...always preferred Lowe's or HD.

[cabinetman]

That brings back memories. We had a Builder's Square (now the way of Montgomery Wards, aka someone bought the name for a web store), that HQ came in and bought out. They kept it open as more of a specialty store (kitchen remodel type). Within a five mile area, HQ, HD, Builder's square, Payless Cashways (another gone one), and a local one, Sutherland's lumber (NOT a lumber yard).

Builders Square (a subsidiary of KMart) opened here across the street from HD. It closed, and was turned into Sports Authority. The area wasn't deemed profitable, and HD closed their store and opened one about 2 miles away.
.

[billwmeyer]

We still have a Sutherlands here, and it is a lumber yard. It has declined since Home Depot arrived, but they haven't helped themselves much since they cut their hours way down. I used to do a lot of business there, but since they cut their hours, I can hardly get in there.

Bill

[LinuxRandal]

We still have a Sutherlands here, and it is a lumber yard. It has declined since Home Depot arrived, but they haven't helped themselves much since they cut their hours way down. I used to do a lot of business there, but since they cut their hours, I can hardly get in there.

Bill

Ours has closer to banking hours, but just a bit longer. Its wood selection, is mostly to support its pole barn and preplanned house sales. It is sad that I could go to Westlake across the street and pick up little bits of hardwood, yet as a lumber yard, this place mainly sells posts.

[charliex]

I bought some lam flooring from Home Value / Ply MN about 7 years ago when I was doing our kitchen remodel in Hopkins MN. I found it a good place to deal with. Too bad, I hate to see any business close now, it only means more unemployed.
Chas

[twistsol]

I never knew Plywood Minnesota and Home Valu were the same company. I guess the transition happened while I was in Washington. I was in a Home Valu three or four years ago and they had the same brand of hardwood flooring as HD but at about twice the price. I never went back.

[Pappy]

There was an HQ in Austin when I moved here in '90 then turned to Builder's Square and closed a year or so later. San Marcos then had a BMC West that sold out to Lowe's adn closed shortly afterwards About 10 years ago they built a new store.

There is a Sutherlands in Marble Falls and one in Wichita Falls. Both are old style yards and the staff is friendly and helpful.

McCoy's is another lumber yard in this area. I was the yard/warehouse foreman for the WF store (now gone) in '74. at that time we had 8 stores, were in the process of opening two more in Sherman and Paris, and Emmit McCoy still ran the operation. Emmit is long since retired and his sons run the company which now has about 135 stores in 5 states.

[sparkeyjames]

Builders Square (a subsidiary of KMart) opened here across the street from HD. It closed, and was turned into Sports Authority. The area wasn't deemed profitable, and HD closed their store and opened one about 2 miles away.
.

Sounds like what they did here. Built a brand new store then 3 years later when the local government would not allow them to stay open 24 hours they built a new store the same size 1 mile away in a different community and closed the old one. This happened oh I'd say 10 years ago. The 24 hour experiment lasted 1 year then they stopped doing that. That old store is still there unused except HD now calls it a warehouse training center. They could use it as a shipping depot but they don't even do that. They tried to sell it but got no takers. All that money spent on an experiment doomed to fail.

[Hoover]

Rudy Boschwitz was the founder of Plywood Minnesota, and Plywood
Dakotas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Boschwitz