OUR STORY |YOUR LOCAL NEW OLD LUMBERYARD

Tipton Building Supplies, LLC has just celebrated its 20th year anniversary in business, however, it has actually been in business for nearly 150 years. The origin of TBS can be traced all the way back to the early 1870s, when the late W.B. Young established a lumberyard on S. West Street in Tipton (catty-cornered from the jail). He started the business with only a foot jig saw and his ambition. His lumberyard would eventually become known as The Tipton Lumber Company, but not before it was consumed by flames one day when a fire broke out a little before midnight. However, Young went right to work and rebuilt. A part of the old building remained in use until July of 1913 when the lumberyard was relocated to N. West Street near the Lake Erie depot, where it still stands today.

Young sold the lumberyard to A.R. Colburn & Co. in 1890. The company stayed in the Colburn family, was known for many miles around and became one of the largest lumber yards in central Indiana. In 1925, A.B. Cochran purchased the business, changing its name from The Tipton Lumber Company to A.B. Cochran & Son Lumber Company. The lumberyard remained in the Cochran family until 1999, when it was sold to Dave Tragesser.

Dave was a regular customer of Cochran’s lumberyard and had heard it may be closing. He made the decision to purchase and invest in the business because he believed Tipton needed a local lumberyard, and also – he loved a challenge! He renamed the company Tipton Building Supplies, LLC, the title it holds today. After Dave passed away in 2013, family members, along with the TBS staff, continue the tradition of running a family owned and operated lumber company using Dave’s business philosophy of good customer service and a fair deal.

Tipton Building Supplies is proud to be such an important and deep-rooted part of Tipton’s history and are happy to provide convenience, valuable product knowledge, quality building materials and service to the community.