Meek's purchases Barton stores in southwest Missouri

Meek's Lumber Co. has added to its list of stores and its roster of product lines in recent weeks.

The Springfield-based lumber supply company closed a deal May 7 to purchase the assets of seven southwest Missouri locations of Jonesboro, Ark.-based E.C. Barton & Co.

Barton board members cited "the changing retail building material landscape" as the reason for the decision to exit southwest Missouri, according to a Meek's news release. 

“It allowed E.C. Barton & Co. to make a seamless transfer of business to a well-respected, quality building material company,” Barton President Niel Crowson said in the release.

The stores in Mount Vernon, Shell Knob, El Dorado Springs and Nevada reopened as Meek's The Builder's Choice Building Centers, while stores in Carthage, Kimberling City and Monett were closed, with inventory and charge accounts from those three stores transferred to existing Meek's stores in the markets.

Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

Meek's also expanded its product offerings through a deal with worldwide distributor White River Hardwoods, which closed its retail operations in Missouri on April 30.

More than 450 White River products, including hardwood mouldings and wood carvings, are distributed through Meek's stores in Missouri, and are stocked at Meek's Mt. Vernon Street store in Springfield.

"By adding White River’s quality products to Meek’s growing line of mouldings, both companies’ customers will have a wide selection of designer moulding options, with the convenience of a local storefront and in-person service,” said Tom Buckner, Meek’s district manager, in a separate news release.

Meek's now has 34 centers in the Midwest, along with 14 locations on the West Coast, run from the company's West headquarters in Sacramento, Calif.[[In-content Ad]]