From beauty to lumber

For the first time since its 1984 establishment, Hanson Lumber Yard and Building supply has a new owner and name. Hanson Lumber.

As of March 26, last Wednesday morning Joyce Simser of Malta shook hands with the lumber yard’s founder Digger Hanson, signed papers, and became Malta’s newest business owner.

“I signed my life away,” she said jokingly. “Digger has been trying to sell this place for a while,” said Joyce. “He would get bites, but nobody got serious about it.”

Simser entered her name into the equation in December of last year. The idea to own the business was sparked after she and husband Ross -- co-owner of Phillips County Insurance talked it over.

“My exact words were, ‘that’s not the craziest idea you’ve ever come up with’,” Ross recalled.

Ross then went to talk to First State Bank about a possible business loan, hoping President Bob Galt didn’t run him out of the office.

“After about three months, here we are,” Ross said.

“He didn’t laugh us out,” added Joyce.

Joyce is a Glasgow native who has spent most of her life living in Phillips county. Her family moved to Saco in her third grade year. She graduated from Saco high a few years back, then moved to Havre for beauty school.

She then spent a year in Glasgow as a hairstylist. After that Joyce worked a few years at various jobs in and out of state. She moved to Malta in 1988. She reconnected with Ross, who is a Malta native, and the couple married August that same year.

Simser’s most previous job experience in retail includes six years as an employee of Saco’s Pay-N-Save, which could mean an easy transition.

“I like working with the public, that’s one of the fun things (of working retail),” Simser said.

Owning the business has become a family affair of sorts, as her son Trevor was hand picked to be her “right-hand man.” Which is fitting because Joyce is left-handed.

According to Joyce, Trevor’s travelling job situation with Spligitty Fiber Optics Services was part of the reason she wanted to acquire the business.

“One of the reasons I wanted this business was to keep Trevor home with his family,” she said.

Her daughter Devin, will also help out her mother when she can. Devin’s stay will be short-lived as she is only taking a semester off from her college education at Montana State University. She will continue courses next fall.

Other than quality customer service, the shop has offered in past years, Simser hopes to keep providing quality products that Digger has offered of the years.

“If you don’t have the tools and need some boards ripped or sheets ripped we’ll do it and not every place will,” said Ross.

No major changes will happen to the company other than a change of distribution. The new Hanson Lumber will exclusively feature one of America’s oldest independent supplier companies Orgill Inc., which will carry the same brands as the shop’s previous supplier “Do it Best.”

The store offers various types of tools and hardware.

“We’re going to try to keep prices as low as we can. We’ve got to be competitive,” Joyce said.

If there is something you need that isn’t visible on the shelves, Simser says the shop can probably order it.

“It’s hard to carry everything,” she said. “On orders we might have to order through our guide, if you pay for the goods right away there will be less mark-up.”

The company will continue to feature Pratt and Lambert paints, which has specialized in paints since 1849.

Digger’s famous sheds, will also remain synonymous with the Hanson Lumber.

Though Hanson will continue his woodworking endeavors, go fishing and hang out with his grandchildren, he will look over Simser’s shoulder for a while to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.