Edward Hines Lumber Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lumber, building materials |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Founder | Edward Hines |
| Headquarters | Buffalo Grove, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Chicago metropolitan area |
| Products | Lumber, plywood, wood-based products, advisory and cost estimation services for construction projects |
| Parent | US LBM Holdings, LLC |
Hines Supply—originally known as the Edward Hines Lumber Company—is headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois and specializes in the production of lumber, plywood, and various wood-based products. The company also provides advisory and cost estimation services tailored to construction projects.
History
Edward Hines was born in 1863 in Buffalo, New York and relocated to the Chicago region early in his life. He began his career as an office assistant at S.K. Martin & Co., a lumber wholesaler, advancing to the role of secretary-treasurer by age 21. In 1892, he established the Edward Hines Lumber Company and purchased the Martin firm three years afterward. Frederick Weyerhauser, founder of the Weyerhaeuser timber enterprise, served as a director and close collaborator.
Hines emphasized expansive operations by acquiring large timberlands, constructing railroads for logging purposes, and managing sawmills throughout Wisconsin and Canada. One significant project was the Virginia and Rainy Lake Company, a partnership with Weyerhauser affiliates that employed thousands to harvest timber in northern Minnesota and Canada until the late 1920s. Additional acquisitions included the Continental Coal Company in West Virginia, timber properties in Mississippi, and a 67,400-acre parcel within Oregon’s Malheur National Forest—recognized as one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest timber sales.
This land, known as the Bear Valley Unit near Seneca, Oregon, was purchased by Hines in 1928 following a prior sale default. The Forest Service aimed to improve rail connectivity between national lumber markets and the Blue Mountain forests of eastern Oregon. After securing the contract, Hines constructed the 52-mile Oregon and Northwestern Railroad running between Burns and Seneca. Logging activities on this site persisted until 1968.
Near Burns, Hines established a company town that was incorporated as the City of Hines, Oregon in 1930. Designed by Edward and Loretta Hines around an oval park with distinctive housing styles, it sought to avoid typical mill-town uniformity. The company eventually sold its mill operations during the 1990s, long after Edward Hines passed away in 1931.
Current operations
Since March 29, 2010, Edward Hines Lumber Company has functioned as a subsidiary under US LBM Holdings, LLC, which is based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. US LBM Holdings was created by BlackEagle Partners, LLC—a private equity firm located in Detroit, Michigan—which acquired the company’s bank debt following financial difficulties. Today, Edward Hines Lumber Company continues to be one of the leading suppliers of building materials within the Chicago metropolitan area.