Paradise home center
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| Company History Written by Anna Brown for the Union Daily Times All over the country in 1946, servicemen returning from World War II wanted to buy and build homes. But for years the United States had been pouring its resources into the war effort and there were no building materials available. The Berry brothers-James, Pinckney and Net-saw this as an opportunity to start a business and they founded Berry Lumber Company. James and Net were both World War II veterans. James had been living in Augusta, Ga., and managing an insurance company. Net had been a football coach in Sumter. A heart condition had prevented Pinckney from going to war and he was managing Union Federal Savings and Loan. "There was nearly five years of pent-up demand," said Net Berry, the last survivor of the three brothers. "This country had supported the war effort through Great Britain and the Allies even before we entered the war." The lack of building materials had personally affected Pinckney, who had married during the war. He and his bride, Mary, wanted to remodel a house on the Berry Farm but could find nothing to work with. Net said James came up with the idea of opening a lumber yard and sought the advice of Ben Adams, an older farmer and businessman. "Mr. Ben told James that he thought people had done without for so long that it would not be a mistake to get involved," Net remembers. The three brothers purchased 11 acres of land on North Church Street from Edens and Whitaker. They began operations in a small house and shed. Shortly after, a concrete building was constructed and served as the principal warehouse. Net remembers that at first, it was a problem to find dressed lumber to sell at Berry Lumber. "Finished lumber came from the lower part of the state and it took forever to get there," he said. To solve this problem, the brothers bought a planer and began purchasing rough lumber from area sawmills operated by folks like Joe Stevens, Rex Alverson, Gutherie Boughman and others. "Then we could dress it ourselves," Net said. "That was a big part of our operation. Most of the people who worked with us worked in that part." In 1948, J. Vant Means of Jonesville joined Berry Lumber as an employee and he has been with the operation ever since. "I like to work here," he said. "I've enjoyed working the whole time I have been here." "And we are mighty glad to have him," Net added. Berry Lumber Company began expanding its operations to include cabinet building, truss construction, modular house building, new house construction, subdivision development and remodeling.
"One section of the yard had designs worked out for floor, wall and roof sections-the main parts of a house," Net said. "We could take these and assemble a house on site." |
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