What Gaster Lumber & Hardware does

Gaster Lumber & Hardware is a privately held, family-owned regional building materials supplier founded in 1985 by Ray Gaster in Savannah, Georgia. The company operates three full-service lumber yards — the main location on Abercorn Street in Savannah, plus branches in Bloomingdale, Georgia and Hardeeville, South Carolina — supported by a fleet of 17 delivery trucks serving the Savannah metro area and South Carolina Low Country. Its product line centers on straight-line lumber for high-end residential construction, supplemented by plywood, windows, doors, trim, moldings, and marine materials sourced through manufacturer-vendor relationships and the LBM Advantage buying group.

The company serves three primary customer segments: professional builders and contractors (its core market), commercial builders, and do-it-yourselfers/remodelers. Sales are executed through a hybrid model combining counter sales at each yard, a four-person outside sales team (Marchelle Youmans, Scott Olsen, Jim Sensbach, Darrel Hires), phone-based inside sales, and an ECIPROLINK-based customer portal for account management. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific rather than published, consistent with contractor-driven B2B supply relationships.

Gaster's go-to-market relies on its 40+ year regional brand, multi-location physical convenience, and direct job-site delivery — traditional distribution advantages rather than technology differentiation. Leadership is founder-led, with Ray Gaster as Owner & President and Ken Gaylord as Chief Operating Officer. The company maintains industry affiliations with NAHB, NFIB, CSA, Home Builders of Savannah, and LBM Advantage, and holds a veteran-owned business certification. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing are associated with the company; it has remained independent and bootstrapped since founding.

Name

Gaster Lumber & Hardware

Legal name

Gaster Lumber & Hardware

Website

https://gasterlumber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gaster Lumber & Hardware is a privately held, family-owned regional building materials supplier operating three lumber yards and a 17-truck delivery fleet in Savannah, GA and the South Carolina Low Country, serving professional builders, contractors, commercial builders, and DIY remodelers since 1985.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Lumber and Building Materials Sales: Primary revenue from sale of lumber, building materials, hardware, and construction supplies to professional builders, contractors, and consumers. Revenue generated through counter sales at physical locations, phone orders, and potentially account-based commercial sales with delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gaster Lumber & Hardware is a straight-line lumber yard and full-service building materials supplier operating three locations in Savannah, GA, Bloomingdale, GA, and Hardeeville, SC. It supplies lumber, plywood, windows, doors, trim, moldings, hardware, and marine materials to professional builders, contractors, commercial builders, do-it-yourselfers, and remodelers, with delivery handled through a 17-truck fleet. Counter sales, phone orders, outside sales, and an ECIPROLINK customer portal support both walk-in and account-based commercial purchases.

Product overview

Gaster Lumber & Hardware is a full-service building materials supplier and lumber yard operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Established in 1985 in Savannah, GA, with two additional locations added since, the company serves professional builders, contractors, commercial builders, do-it-yourselfers, and remodelers. The company specializes in straight-line lumber for high-end home construction and provides a full range of building materials sourced from multiple manufacturer vendors. Services include counter sales at three locations and delivery via a fleet of 17 trucks. No distinct branded sub-products, modules, or add-on offerings are identified in the available source material — the company operates as a single product/service entity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lumber and Building Materials Supply Full-service retail and contractor supply of lumber, plywood, windows, doors, trim, moldings, hardware, and marine materials sold across three lumber yard locations in Savannah, GA, Bloomingdale, GA, and Hardeeville, SC, serving professional builders, contractors, commercial builders, do-it-yourselfers, and remodelers.
• Direct Job-Site Delivery Service Delivery of lumber and building materials directly to construction job sites and homes across the Savannah, GA area and South Carolina Low Country via a fleet of 17 trucks, supporting professional contractors and commercial builders with project-timed material drops.
• Contractor Account Services via ECIPROLINK Customer Portal Online account management and ordering portal (ECIPROLINK) that allows contractor and commercial accounts to place orders, manage accounts, and access account information outside of in-person or phone sales interactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ years of continuous operation since 1985
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)minorOthersIndustry association membership providing networking, advocacy, and credibility within the residential construction industry.
• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)minorOthersSmall business advocacy organization membership representing and supporting independent businesses like Gaster Lumber.
• Construction Suppliers Association (CSA)minorOthersRegional trade association for construction material suppliers providing industry resources and networking.
• LBM AdvantageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBuying group/cooperative for lumber and building materials dealers providing purchasing power and vendor relationships.
• Home Builders of SavannahminorOthersLocal home builder association providing networking and partnership opportunities within the regional construction community.
• Veteran Owned BusinessminorOthersVeteran-owned business certification providing recognition and access to veteran and service-disabled veteran contracting programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• 84 Lumber: Privately held building materials supplier founded in 1956 operating ~250+ lumber yards across the U.S. with engineered wood, lumber, and millwork plus contractor-focused services. Closest direct comparable — same business model, contractor customer base, and yard+truck delivery motion — though at materially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• ABC Supply Co. Largest U.S. wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, windows, and exterior building products with 800+ branches. Comparable as a contractor-focused building products distributor with a yard+delivery model, though far larger and more specialized in exterior categories.
• Builders FirstSource: Largest U.S. supplier of building products, manufactured components, and value-added services to professional homebuilders, formed via BMC Stock Holdings merger. Public company (BLD) with national footprint; comparable customer base (production homebuilders) and product mix.
• US LBM: National distributor of building products with ~400 locations across specialty building materials, lumber, and millwork categories. Operates a federated model of regional yards serving professional builders — the same customer profile as Gaster.
• Lansing Building Products: National wholesale distributor of specialty building products (exterior trim, siding, windows, roofing) with 100+ branches. Comparable contractor-channel go-to-market and yard-based distribution, though focused on specialty categories rather than commodity lumber.
• Foundation Building Materials: Specialty building products distributor (insulation, gypsum, ceilings, exterior systems) with 350+ locations across North America. Comparable as a multi-yard building products distributor serving contractors, though narrower in product breadth than Gaster.
• SRS Distribution: National building products distributor (acquired by Home Depot in 2024) with ~700 branches focused on roofing, siding, and exterior categories. Comparable yard+delivery+outside-sales motion to contractors, though specialty-exterior skew.
• Huttig Building Products: Wholesale distributor of millwork, building materials, and wood products serving dealers, contractors, and homebuilders across ~25 states. Closely comparable product mix (millwork, lumber, building supplies) and pro-channel customer base.
• The Home Depot: World's largest home improvement retailer with 2,000+ stores, lumber/building materials, and a Home Depot Pro contractor program. Largest competitive threat in the DIY segment and increasingly in pro accounts through digital ordering and credit.
• Lowe's: Second-largest U.S. home improvement retailer with Lowe's for Pros program targeting contractors. Comparable product breadth (lumber, building materials, hardware) and an active threat to Gaster's DIY and small contractor segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GasterLumber

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gaster Lumber & Hardware