Wills Ridge Lumber

Some folks know or remember, that the house construction at Arlee's Acre was quite the event. Dealing with "Uncle Billy" was an adventure few people get to experience, and that's probably a good thing.
The one good thing that came from the experience, was he chose to buy all the lumber for the house at Wills Ridge. It was 2008, and Big Man had just got kicked to the curb from the greater Baltimore region and was going through that rocky transition from twenty five year lawman to Keith. Building a house kept him occupied most of the day, not always in a good way, but what don't kill you makes you stronger. So they say.
Big Man knew Wills Ridge was run by an old high school classmate, Joe Gallimore. The 25 year class reunion was about to jump off, so Big Man stopped in Wills Ridge one day to chat with Joe, touch base, catch up and talk all things lumber/house construction. If any of you have stopped in to visit with Joe while he's working, I'm sure you experienced the same thing I did. Joe running around dealing with a hundred problems like his head was on fire and his behind was catching. Big Man was a bit uncomfortable taking time away from Joe while he was doing his thing.
Near the end of "Uncle Billy's reign of terror on the construction loan, an order was placed for doors and windows on The Acre. What was ordered isn't what showed up at the house. Joe was contacted and Big Man became one of the hundred at once problems. Joe told "Uncle Billy" that if we used what came to the house, he would discount the windows and doors, and "Uncle Billy" agreed.
Much like Forrest Gump, I figured "Uncle Billy" kept that money, because he never saw a dime of it.
Rather than pose Billy for his very own milk carton portrait, Big Man fired him and Joe recommended another contractor. The recommendation saved The Acre, construction was completed and life moved on.
Six years later, we plowed out a new garden in the flat of the yard, and needed a fence to go around it. More of a cosmetic need than practical, but we budgeted tax return money for the project and decided to get estimates to have the work done in the spring.
That lead to five, FIVE calls to local construction outfits. None returned calls. Affordable Fencing did answer and scheduled an appointment for an estimate, but never showed up, and never called to say why. After Facebook shaming the company, another classmate of the Big Man had a connection to Affordable Fencing, and reached out. They gave a pretty lame excuse for not showing up the first time (Big Man was lied to professionally, you need to step up your game if you're going to try it) but they came out, measured and said they would e-mail the estimate.
A hair shy of four thousand dollars, for 200 feet of fence. We are all for spreading money around, but four grand? No.
Big Man stopped in Wills Ridge the last time he was in metropolis of Floyd, and priced lumber. We found we could do it ourselves for under seven hundred dollars. So yesterday, Big Man called them up and placed his order for fence needs, and extra lumber for a few odds and ends jobs that will need done, and requested it be delivered. A short time after placing the order, the man himself (Joe) called up The Acre.
He said that since 2009, Wills Ridge had gone to a computerized billing system over the old paper system, and he had a note on my account that there was a $350 credit pending. Joe said he didn't remember what that was for, and asked if he still owed it. I explained about the windows and how I figured Billy took that money and banked it for that pending glass of ice water he was going to need in the future, and never bothered Joe with it. Joe applied it to the lumber order without a hesitation.
If ever there was a square dealing company to deal with, Wills Ridge would have to be it. After six years we have no doubt that any other company would have taken that money and ran with it.
So, if anyone reading this needs any lumber or hardware in the greater Floyd metropolitan area, please give Wills Ridge a look. You will not find this kind of service at the orange or blue big box stores.
K&K