Century milestone for Attica Lumber

ATTICA — Located just over the train tracks in the village of Attica is a business proud to have stood the test of time. Now able to say it has been serving the community for more than a century, Attica Lumber is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1925 by R.F. Cook, the company began with rail access in Attica, which helped the business get off the ground. Since then, it has offered more than basic lumber sales, building structures such as coops, lake cottages and pre-built homes, and supplying coal, trusses and hardware. The business has remained in the family through four generations. Fritz and Marjorie Miller, the daughter and son-in-law of Cook, took over after the end of World War II, followed by Steve Stanek in 1976. Today, the company is run by Josh Stanek, Steve's son and the fourth-generation leader, who joined in 2009 during what he called a challenging economic period. "I came in back in 2009, and it was kind of a tough time... the economy was going downhill, and I started up all the internet side of our business," Stanek said. "I'm thankful, I almost feel as if I was ahead of the game with the rise of social media and ecommerce." He noted he was responsible for their locally known ad campaign with pole barn billboards. "It started as Hey... Trusses! but that didn't really stick," Stanek said. "It was a crazy idea, but at the time, crazy is exactly what we needed." Today, Attica Lumber manufactures trusses, supplies lumber and specializes in post-frame construction for farms, businesses and homeowners across 15 counties. "We manufacture trusses here, we have lumber, and our specialty is post-frame construction," Stanek said. The business also offers local delivery and sells tools and hardware to meet customer needs. "Outside of the pole barns, we also sell tools, hardware and offer local delivery. That's a big one," he said. Reaching a century in business is no small feat, especially for a family-run company in a place like Attica. "It's been really tough. Each of the family generations has faced our challenges... but here we are, 100 years later," Josh said. While there are no major public celebrations planned, the milestone marks the culmination of four generations of dedication.