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After more than 116 years and five generations, Bohnhoff Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca., is winding down its lumberyard operations, targeting a closing date of Oct. 30.
The company was founded in 1910 by C.W. Bohnhoff at Alameda and 15th Street in Los Angeles. He had immigrated from Germany as a child, grew up in Saginaw, Mi., and came to Los Angeles in 1899. Coinciding with the Southern California building boom, the fledgling company grew quickly, and became one of the earliest advertisers in The Merchant Magazine.
During the Great Depression, the family reportedly sold its house and possessions to keep the yard operating; remarkably, they managed to avoid laying off employees.
It would gain a niche over the years by specializing in hardwoods and other specialty products.
In 1964, a large fire destroyed the original yard. Competing lumber dealers supplied trucks, lumber, equipment and even office space, allowing Bohnhoff to resume operations in less than a week. The company subsequently moved to its present location in the Vernon area of L.A.
In 2009, tragedy struck again when an employee shot and killed fourth-generation owner Alan Bohnhoff and foreman Jaime Sanchez at the yard. His children, Michael Bohnhoff and Christa Ellis, are the current owners.
