Ozarks Profile: Andy Squires

Andy Squires

President, Janss Lumber Co., 629 E. Commercial. Virtually all of Janss Lumber's business is supplying independent contractors with quality building materials for upscale homes in the Springfield area. Squires and his father bought Janss Lumber in 1978 from Herman Janss, who had operated it out of its location on Commercial Street since 1935. Janss pioneered the use of engineered wood products in southwest Missouri and was the first lumber company in the area to use finger-jointed long length lumber and studs. Squires also owns Missouri Millwork on Packer Road, which is a window and pre-hung door operation. Squires is a member of the Home Builders Association and its Remodelors Council.

Age: 63

No. of years in Springfield/area: Squires is a native of Springfield.

Education: Squires graduated from Central High School and attended Southwest Missouri State University.

Early career: As a teenager, Squires dusted fixtures and cleaned floors at Ford Electric on Walnut Street, and in the summers he caddied at Hickory Hills Country Club. "At that time, it was not unusual to caddie doubles for 36 holes," he said. Squires enlisted in the Army for two years after high school, then returned to Springfield to join his father, Carl, in his lumber business, Cherry Street Lumber, where he drove a delivery truck and helped unload boxcars of lumber, plaster and other building materials. After working at Cherry Street Lumber for several years, Squires decided to strike out on his own and bought Janss Lumber in 1978 with his father's help. "My grandfather and my father had both been successful in the lumber business, and I knew as a teenager that I wanted to make it my lifetime profession, too," Squires said. Janss had a solid reputation in the area, so Squires decided to keep the name. He eventually bought out his father's share of the company and said he plans to sell the company to his employees when he retires.

Current projects: Other than the day-to-day operations of the lumber business, Squires said his company recently sponsored a booth in the Sertoma Chili Cook-Off.

Management philosophy: "To understand our customers' needs and provide them with quality building materials. I feel that our knowledgeable employees are our No. 1 asset."

Spare-time pursuits: "My wife, Barbara, and I enjoy Branson on the weekends. I try to play golf at least once or twice a week."

Family data: Squires and his wife recently celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary. Their son, Dr. Ron Squires, is a general surgeon with a specialty in transplant surgery in Oklahoma City. Their daughter, Lori Miller, is a catalog designer for Bass Pro Shops. They also have two "very special little grandsons," Michael Squires, 7, and Andrew Squires, 3.