| Generations Provide Perspective
Most people never realize that Johnny Siewers and Freddie Siewers are brothers. Talk to either man for a short time, and soon you’ll understand that the family business — selling quality millwork and lumber — is an unbreakable bond between the two. Freddie (known as “Big Fred” or “Freddie, Jr.”) recalled that his first experience was collecting a debt for the company when he was only ten years old. “It was 1941, and my dad sent me up to knock on a man’s door and ask for a check,” said Freddie. “I told him who I was and that I was from Siewers Lumber. The man asked if we really Loading trucks by hand, pushing a broom, and training as “helpers” in the mill were some of the early jobs held by both Freddie and Johnny in their teenage years. After they completed their undergraduate degrees (Freddie at Virginia Tech and Johnny at University of Virginia), the men were officially added to the payroll. The brothers have faced many challenges in the business. As children of the Great Depression, they learned to save — and avoid debt. “You don’t borrow; you pay as you go,” said Johnny, who did the books at night for the company for many years. “There will be lean years, and our parents were conservative,” added Freddie. In the days before electricity on Oregon Hill, Siewers used wood shavings and scraps to feed the steam engines for generating machine power; in later years, the boilers heated the facilities. Thrift, coupled with good management, has always been important to the Siewers family. Johnny noted that when he wanted to buy a forklift to trim down the amount of time it took to load lumber, his father refused to buy one, and Johnny paid for it out of his personal savings. “When he saw that instead of having four men work all day, we could have one forklift driver do the same job in half an hour, he paid me back — and then bought another one,” he chuckled. Siewers strength comes from a balanced approached and a healthy dose of vision. When the City of Richmond forced the company to relocate in 1974, due to the construction of the Downtown Expressway, the family moved fast. The brothers closed on their current property, remodeled and expanded the structure, and moved their lumber yards, machinery, and employees in less than 100 days. “My brother thought I was crazy,” said Freddie, who had envisioned the possibilities from a bombed-out structure that had previously housed a paper company. After some fast thinking, knocking down walls with a crane, and adding a new roof and “skin” to the building, Johnny no longer thought his brother looney. Today, Siewers’ convenient location near I-95 and the Diamond is near the geographic center of the greater Richmond area. Although both are active in the business, Freddie and Johnny feel fortunate to have sons who have an active interest in the company. “We brought the business to a ‘machine age’ and now the next generation is bringing us into the Internet age,” said Johnny. He added that he admires his brother’s ability to raise outstanding young men who listen, yet speak with authority. Freddie continued, “We believe in respect for authority, and in our business, the customer is the final authority.” When asked about their top accomplishments, both men mentioned their families, their health, and their employees. Johnny summed it up by saying, “Although we often differ, we can sit down, come together, and make the right decision.” And that’s one of the ways Siewers has prospered since the company was founded in 1884.
Distinctive vintage mouldings are a major element in the traditional home and renovation markets. In addition to the hundreds of custom mouldings created in Siewers Mill, we also offer high quality urethane millwork products by Style-Mark. These products look like plaster but are much less costly, while still providing striking architectural detail and relatively simple installation. They also resist insects, splitting, and weather damage. Ceiling medallions are available in nine sizes on the floor, and with more than two dozen patterns ranging from contemporary to ornate, you’re sure to find an appropriate ornamentation for a dining room or foyer. Other items available by special order include eave vents (in crown, dentil, and combination styles), pediments, crossheads, keystones, window trim, and balustrade systems. Chair rail, columns, and casings are some of the most popular forms of millwork. Match the following terms to their correct definitions to test your moulding knowledge:
If Profit Were a Vendor…
However, we need to know what is the best time for our customers to attend— early morning? late afternoon? Give Richie Siewers a call to voice your opinion, or drop him an email at: richie@siewers.com. Mark Franko, Secretary/Treasurer of Franko, LaFratta, and Farinholt, a 30-employee firm in the Richmond area, said: “Advice on the business side of contracting is attractive. Most of us know how to build, but have never been in a business class. I learned a lot — for example, there are attractive local, federal, and state tax credit programs that may be appropriate for our commercial or remodeling customers (and our firm). And in the class on profitability, the speaker (from Goodman & Co.) asked a good question: If profit were a vendor, would you pay it first or last? That simple but elegant way of looking at things has helped our firm in this year’s planning.” Steve Berg, President of Berg Construction, Inc., added: “It’s neat to see the continuous improvement by Siewers over the last 22-23 years. Most great ideas never really get going because people don’t put the energy behind it, but Siewers has — this seminar series is just one example. The information was usable, presented in a professional manner, and provided a forum for those of us who are in a loner type of business.” With almost a quarter century of custom residential remodeling and custom home construction under his belt, he knows the business — and he appreciates the support Siewers provides to builders.
In the late spring, we plan to have www.Siewers.com up and running — it’ll be a great way for you to check moulding profiles, in-stock products, and access to more than 70,000 items through the “world’s largest hardware store.”
Employee anniversaries this quarter (10 or more years at Siewers):
Thank you for your hard work!
The home improvement market is expected to post an increase of 7.8 % in 1999 vs. 1998 then slow to a 3.1 % increase in 2000. Over the next five years, products in this market are expected to grow at an average rate of 4.2 % — to $183 billion in the year 2003. —courtesy of the Home Improvement Research Institute
Housing Statistics
—provided by the National Association of Realtors
Prizes, memorabilia, and more Marvin displays than you’ve seen in years will appear at Siewers’ showroom in May. Representatives will be on hand to give you tips on installation and new products. Update your knowledge — whether you’re a builder or an architect — and plan to join us for lunch on Thursday, May 18. For architects, a seminar will be available to earn AIA/CES learning units and safety welfare credits. For builders, an interactive seminar entitled “The Challenges of Success in Remodeling” will feature Victoria Downing, an expert in business management for Remodelers.
Product selection is one of the most important factors to determine if a remodeling job will remain within budget. However, cost is not the most important criteria — quality is. Keep these tips in mind when evaluating materials for your project:
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needed the money, and I said ‘Yes, sir, we sure do.’ I was surprised, but he paid me.”
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