About ABS

Allied Building Stores, Inc. (ABS) is a wholesaler of lumber and building materials. ABS is 100% owned by its 245 Dealer members, each of whom operates an independent retail lumber business or home center in our twelve state service area. ABS neither owns Dealers nor sells lumber or building materials directly to the public. The basic purpose of the company is to serve as a central purchasing agent for its Dealers. Our mission at ABS is to enhance its members' abilities to compete favorably in the marketplace by reducing the costs of goods and services that each dealer must purchase in order to operate.

History of ABS

Until the mid-sixties, the building material industry in Texas and Louisiana had been accustomed to purchasing through wholesalers and brokers in a classical two-tier method of distribution.

With the advent of strong cash and carry giants such as Wicks and Gibson’s, the independent lumber dealer was facing sudden death unless he was able to reestablish his market dominance through a cooperative, self-help venture.

Faced with the need to develop a means to compete in this changing marketplace, a group of twelve forward-looking men met to form an organization known today as Allied Building Stores, Inc. This group of independent East Texas Dealers incorporated Allied Building Stores in 1965. There were also several Northern Louisiana Dealers loosely affiliated as Paul Bunyan Stores. Later that year, the two groups merged under the Allied Building Stores, Inc. name and decided to locate the home office in Monroe, Louisiana. Over the years, total Dealer sales of building supplies and lumber purchased through ABS has steadily increased. ABS now serves 210 Dealers based in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

A Local Player

ABS is an active contributor to the local economy and quality of life in its community. In addition to the cost savings provided to each of its Dealer Members, the Monroe office brings jobs and new business to the community. The management and staff of ABS also work together to contribute to causes and events that directly benefit the local area, such as the United Way, American Heart Association, LifeShare Blood Center, and the Salvation Army. As an employer and economic contributor, ABS is a good neighbor bringing multiple benefits for those who live and work in the area.