When Nels Olson landed on the American shores from Sweden in the late 1800's, he was greeted by another fellow countryman who encouraged him and other Swedes to go to Michigan to work in the fledgling logging industry. In those days there wasn't a source to buy lumber, so there was a desperate need for people to log the wood, mill it, then cut it to needed specifications. Nels eventually established and successfully operated a mill in the Manistee area with the help of his three sons Philip, Anton and Victor. In 1914 he decided to send them to Flint with the hopes of starting a lumber business. With the construction of factories and housing all throughout the area, there was a natural, strong demand for building supplies and service. The Olson brothers found an existing lumber and fuel supply business that was operated by the Holihan family under the name of Michigan Cedar and Pole Company. They managed to raise the required capital and in 1916 incorporated their new business under the name of Michigan Lumber and Fuel Company. Those early days saw the Olsons diligently working to supply the building needs of the Flint community and firmly implanting their reputation of delivering the best quality products backed up by the best available service.

All three Olson brothers stayed in the business until their deaths, and all had children to carry on the operations. Philip had a son named Arthur; Anton had a son named Howard; and Victor had a daughter named Barbara. All of the offspring continued to run the business much in the way their fathers did, in accordance with the staunch work ethic instilled by the parents.

Howard emerged as the mainstay of the business and was very active in the Flint community as well. He dearly loved his line of work and seemed to devote his entire life to the lumber business, until his failing health forced him to curb his activity in the mid 1980's.

Understandably, this was a difficult time for the entire Olson family. They were witnessing the passing of the baton to another generation. At that time, there were three principal stockholders in their company - Arthur, Howard and Victor. After Howard became ill, however, the company decided it was in its best interest to purchase Howard's third of the ownership stock.

Thus, in 1986, the major stockholders consisted of vice-president Arthur and president Victor. That structure remained in place until Victor's passing in 1989, which resulted in Barbara taking over her father's portion of the stock. And now - with this framework basically still intact - the next generation of Olson kin has entered the business. Arthur's son Chuck started in the business in the summer of 1972 after his graduation from Western Michigan University with a degree in business. He started out by doing everything from unloading boxcars to waiting on customers. He gradually was given increased responsibilities leading up to the presidency in 1987.

Gerry, Barbara's son, was born and raised in the North Chicago town of Lake Forest and moved to Tennessee during his high school years. Upon his graduation from the University of Tennessee in 1983 with a degree in economics, he stayed in the Knoxville area working in the commercial real estate business. Under the friendly persuasion of his grandfather Victor, Gerry came to work for Michigan Lumber in 1987 and started out in much the same way that Chuck did, by doing a little bit of everything and generally learning about the many aspects of running a lumberyard. He credits of his knowledge of the business to the patient guidance of his cousin.

When Chuck first started in the business, he was pleasantly struck by the fact that there were many employees that had been with the company for at least 20 years and they eventually stayed until their retirement. He realized that Michigan Lumber has established an environment of loyal, hard working employees which was a main ingredient of their success. Some of their employees are now into the third generation such as Leon Howay who was a prime example of a Michigan Lumber employee. He was a well-respected yard foreman for many years until his unexpected death in 1972. Victor and Howard, realizing Leon's dedicated work ethic, approached his son Alden with hopes in continuing his father's reputable working traditions. Alden, a foreman for 20 years, is currently a buyer for the company and now has the honor of seeing his own son, Tom, working in the warehouse. Gerry was also impressed with their company's low turnover rate and also appreciates their congenial relationship with the Teamsters Local 332.

"We have a very good relationship with the union that seems to get better every year," Gerry commented. "Since I've been here, the union seems to be sensitive to the needs and requirements of the small business. I feel they sincerely want us to succeed as a team."

Chuck Olson's 20-plus-years in the lumber business have certainly seens its share of changing trends, although he admits that their product line hasn't really changed that much over the years. But, the challenges of staying competitive are ever present.

"In the 50's and 60's there was so much business to take care of," Chuck said. "In the 70's things started to change in this business and by the 80's, the competition and challenges that accompany it were prevalent."

He does admit that it's getting harder and harder to get the high quality materials that they have been known to carry at a competitive price. But through it all, they've managed to maintain their upstanding reputation. Since there are over 10,000 mills in the United States to deal with, Michigan Lumber is in a good position to find the best quality wood at the best possible price. They have, however, been dealing with certain mills such as the Oregon-based Seneca and Roseburg mills for almost 40 years, due to their consistency. But California-based mills are in jeopardy of being forced out of business due to that state's strict environmental concerns. Privately-held mills like the Arcata Redwood Company are barely surviving. Mills like this, operating on federal land, are nearing extinction. This year alone has witnessed a dramatic cutback in federal land by 75 percent.

The 80's also sprouted a different kind of competition in the form of "department store" supply houses. However, people are finding that they need the expertise and knowledgeable service of the true lumber yards and are gradually coming back into the lumber yard fold. According to Chuck Olson, Michigan Lumber has a good relationship with all of the other lumber yards in the area and even though they are engaged in friendly competition, he feels that there is no other yard in this area that does what Michigan Lumber does.

In addition to their commercial customer base, Michigan Lumber specializes in custom millwork. Any type of customized, one-of-a-kind woodwork, from moldings to cabinets to exotic archways, are made in their own backyard. Their impressive list of clientele already includes the likes of the Genesee Valley Center, downtown's TGI Friday's restaurant, Sloan Museum, Flint Institute of Arts and many of the ornate churches in the area.

Competition has also spurred inevitable changes in the day-to-day business dealings of Michigan Lumber. Chuck Olson recalls when he initially approached Victor and Arthur about computerizing their operations. Predictably, it wasn't too well received by the guys who were reared in the "old school" of doing business. In Victor's words, "If it couldn't straighten out a 2x4, then what good is it!" By this time Gerry had come on board and had extensive knowledge of computers. So while he went to work researching the best system to invest in, Chuck worked with an accounting firm to make a positive ironclad business decision. One day Arthur and Victor were away from the office so Chuck took the liberty of making the decision to install a computer system himself. With Gerry's assistance, the world of computerization landed at Michigan Lumber.

"All of our employees took on the project very well, even the people whose computer awareness was questionable at first," Gerry recalled. "But it's worked out very well - we're now tied into General Motors' Electronic Data Interchange which is almost a must nowadays." Both Chuck and Gerry's work ethic was influenced by their elders, along with a commitment to their community. About 95 percent of Michigan Lumber's employees participate in Flint's Operation Brush- Up Program, where Chuck feels they have a slight advantage when it comes to sprucing up an old house. They also support the efforts of other organizations such as the Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Sloan Museum, the Flint Institute of Arts and the Flint Police Department.

Michigan Lumber has positioned itself to be this area's premier lumber yard for years to come. They have realized that in order to survive, they must keep in mind the quality of their products and service to their customers while at the same time keep down their prices. They plan on being a true lumber yard and not clouding that image by selling pots and pans. In addition, the teamwork of their knowledgeable employees will ensure that customers will always return.

"Our employees are the key to our continued success," Gerry stated. "We have a wealth of knowledge here not only because they have been here so long, but there is a commitment by everyone from the mill to the front office and our customers appreciate that."