Attica Lumber celebrates a century of business

By Brianna Smith

What started in 1925 with R.F. Cook’s passion for lumber and buildings has grown into a fourth-generation family business celebrating 100 years of service in Attica.

Founded in the years following World War I, Attica Lumber has remained rooted in the same principles through generations of ownership and leadership. In 1954, after returning home from World War II, Fritz and Marjorie Miller, Cook’s daughter and son-in-law, continued the family business. In 1976, Marjorie retired and Steve Stanek, her son-in-law, guided the company through the challenging years of high inflation.

In 2008, Steve’s son, Josh Stanek, joined the business during another difficult economic period and has helped continue its growth. Today, Josh works alongside his father as the fourth generation to carry the family legacy forward.

“We’ve been blessed with a lot of smart people around us who know the lumber business,” Josh Stanek said. “It’s about getting good people around you and keeping things moving.”

Over the decades, Attica Lumber has adapted with the times. The company has expanded beyond traditional lumber sales to include hardware, building materials, custom trusses and pole barn construction. The business now designs and helps build around 100 custom pole barns each year and serves 15 counties in the state.

Stanek said one of the biggest industry changes came with the arrival of big box stores, forcing independent lumberyards to compete in new ways.

“It comes down to customer service,” he said. “Price matters, but service and having materials available matter too.”

The company has also embraced innovation, from early internet marketing to modernizing operations with digital point-of-sale systems and expanded drive-through service.

Still, Stanek said the foundation of success remains simple.

“Hard work, discipline and frugality — that’s what it comes down to,” he said.

As Attica Lumber celebrates 100 years, Stanek said the focus remains on consistency, inventory and continuing to meet the needs of contractors and customers alike.

After a century in business, the goal is much the same as it was in 1925: serving the community and building for the future.