SHOEMAKER LUMBER shop talk

SHOEMAKER LUMBER HAS BUILT ‘A CENTURY OF TRUST’

In The Ocean City Community

THE popular Shoemaker Lumber T-shirts have a long tradition –spanning over 50 years – of being worn and seen on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

Over this past winter though, their popularity reached new heights when Shoemaker did a limited run on T-shirts supporting the Eagles.

“One customer posted on our Facebook page pictures of them jumping out of a plane in Florida wearing the Shoemaker T-shirt,” co-owner Lynne Tarves said. “Seeing our T-shirts worn beyond the job site, knowing that our customers are proud to represent our brand in their lives is such an awesome feeling.”

Even though ownership has passed hands along the way, Shoemaker Lumber has been serving homeowners and contractors in Ocean City and beyond for more than a century (they first began delivering lumber in a horse-drawn cart). A sprawling lumber yard and a showroom for kitchens, bathrooms, doors and windows as well as a full-line hardware store makes Shoemaker a one-stop home remodel destination. Plus their shelves are stocked with a myriad of materials for professional construction and DIY projects.

Lynne and Janet Young have been partners at Shoemaker Lumber since 2021. Lynne became an owner when her husband of 45 years, James, a partner of Shoemaker, passed away in 2016. James served Shoemaker as president from 1972 to 1979, then left to become an independent contractor and customer. He returned to Shoemaker in 1993 and served as a principal and vice president until illness caused his retirement in 2015.

Janet has been an owner since 1973 and involved in the company operations since 1983. Her husband of 50 years, Dick, partner of Shoemaker, started at Shoemaker in 1970, and served as president from 1979 until illness caused his retirement in 2018. Dick passed away in 2020.

These family bonds are why Lynne and Janet decided not to sell Shoemaker Lumber but instead develop plans for a new store and improved site development. The pair are not only honoring and preserving the hard work and vision of original owners Fred Tarves, Don Tarves, Albert Neill Jr., Dick Young, Jim Tarves and Dan Neill, but also continue to be a building supplier in town and service the tradesmen and the community of Ocean City. There is a definite sense of nostalgia for Shoemaker in the community.

“We benefit today from a century of trust built in by our predecessors,” Janet said. “We were supplying some very important keystone builders of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Now their children and grandchildren are our customers.”

Shoemaker Lumber Company began in 1964 when Fred, Don, and Albert Neill Jr. purchased the company from Charles and Homer Shoemaker.

Prior to 1964, the business was called C.H. Shoemaker Company. Charles and Homer Shoemaker bought it in 1902 when it was called Stites Lumber.

“We understood Charles and Homer were dairy farmers in Bridgeton,” Lynne said, “so, 1200 West has been the site of building supplies for three separate centuries, dating even earlier than 1902.”

Shoemaker has provided much of the Boardwalk repairs in Ocean City, which current Shoemaker president Jim Argerakis, an avid runner, appreciates during his early morning runs on the Boardwalk.

Not surprisingly, to thrive this long in a competitive business field, especially with the growth of the big box stores, Shoemaker Lumber’s service touch is critical.

“We were open the day after 2012’s Hurricane Sandy,” Lynne said. “We were faced with mud in the store, no power, handwriting tickets, and desperate customers needing help.

“Storms will continue to come, and our new, elevated store will help us do better in those challenging times.

“This day and age where self-check-outs are the norm and you can’t find an employee on the sales floor [in other shops], Shoemaker has teams of experts front and center ready to help our customers. Whether it’s finding the right trash can for your town or getting a take-off of a new housebuild, we have someone ready at any second to assist our customers,” Lynne said.

“And we have Harry who has been with us since 1978!” she exclaimed. “Many customers walk in shouting for Harry. Whether it is picking out the right screw, special ordering a lock, getting a tool repaired, finding any random hardware item, and above all, being treated well, Harry is looked to by many customers on a daily basis.”

Their longest serving employee was original owner Albert Neill Jr., who worked from 1964 until retiring in 2018.

But there have been other employees who worked for Shoemaker for decades. Bookkeeper Pat Cann, who retired three years ago, was with Shoemaker for 35 years, and for years she baked something for everyone’s birthday and even today she surprises them and brings in baked goods.

Current long-term employees include Harry Lord (45 years), Patty Ablet (35 years), Joe Evans (15 years), John (Jet) Etling and Ian Wallace (11 years).

And there have been some longtime four-legged members of Shoemaker, too, including a stray cat named Slick and, for 10 years, Lynne’s own dog. “Teddy came to work with me as a puppy, and first spent part time crated under my desk,” she remembered.

Of course, in addition to the long-time employees with knowledgeable and friendly service, which keeps bringing customers back, the T-shirts don’t hurt either.

“Customers come in and talk about them weeks in advance each year now,” Lynne said. “We have had fun with the T-shirts.”