2023 Parade of Homes
July 14, 2023GR Mitchell Grows With Purchase of Ironstone Building Materials
GR Mitchell is extremely excited to announce that they’ve acquired Ironstone Building Materials.
Ironstone has been a well-respected player in the material supply industry for over two decades, one in which GR Mitchell was not able to compete with in certain product categories; namely decking, railing, flooring, and certain categories of cabinetry and doors.
That's because this bargain-driven dealer focuses on those specific categories, carving out a niche in the building industry that extended its appeal to both contractors and homeowners from as far north as New England, down to the southern parts of the mid-Atlantic region. Anyone building a deck or buying cabinets on a tight budget seems to find their way to Ironstone. And while Ironstone got their start selling 2nd hand materials and discontinued sku’s, this makes up only a small percentage of their sales today. Smart purchasing habits with a laser focus on high demand products have driven growth for the organization, a strategy that GR Mitchell plans to extend into our shared future.
Ironstone’s name and reputation as the most budget-friendly supplier in the region will go unchanged, as will the staff who all are staying on-board. But, the combined buying power of these two leading suppliers has caught the attention of the nation’s largest manufacturers, whose unique buying programs will be extended to customers of both entities.
GR Mitchell’s sister company, Prime Builder Services, will also benefit from the Ironstone acquisition. This turnkey construction extension of the company will now be able to more competitively offer decking, railing, and cabinetry packages to its high-volume jobs in the commercial and multi-family building industry.
Founder of Ironstone Building Materials Dave O’Connor (left) and Tom Keller meet at GR Mitchell’s lumber and building materials service counter to discuss the obvious synergies between the two businesses.
The Ironstone name and business model will be preserved, but you'll notice elements of the GR Mitchell brand emerging.
Ironstone's Pathway to GR Mitchell
From its Elizabethtown beginnings in 2000, Dave O’Connor’s auction-flipping hobby-turned-business grew in size and popularity, culminating with the brand Ironstone Building Materials becoming synonymous with special deals on quality building materials. With a focus on decking, railing, doors, cabinetry, and trim, Ironstone found its permanent home on Hempland Rd in Lancaster in 2011 and achieved recognition across state lines into Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and more.
Years later as Dave approached retirement, a succession plan for the business emerged from a familiar place. Dave’s son, Jesse, attended high school with the current owner of GR Mitchell, Tom Keller. When approached by Jesse, Tom jokingly responded with a chuckle and directive to “Just leave the keys under the mat.” Those casual conversations quickly turned into potential for 2 of the last independent players in the local building supply industry to come together as 1.
