Kempsville Building Materials

What Kempsville Building Materials does

Kempsville Building Materials is a privately-held regional building materials dealer and component manufacturer founded in 1955, operating as a division of Carter Lumber Company (Kent, Ohio) within the Carter-Jones Companies, Inc. family. The company runs nine retail locations across southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina — from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Richmond, Virginia — supported by approximately 400 employees and thirteen component manufacturing plants. It serves professional home builders, remodelers, small commercial builders, agricultural/farm customers, and homeowners/DIY with a one-stop-shop portfolio: lumber, roofing, siding, trim, windows, exterior and interior doors, millwork and stair parts, decking and railing, drywall, insulation, flooring, engineered wood products, kitchens, bath, ceilings, and locksets sourced from national vendors (Weyerhaeuser, Owens Corning, GAF, James Hardie, Andersen, KraftMaid, etc.).

Kempsville's technical differentiation sits in prefabricated component manufacturing: laser-guided truss tables, projection systems, robotic computerized saws, Hundegger Turbo Drive II automated saws for engineered wood products with precision end trim and HVAC/plumbing holes, paperless real-time job tracking, and 3D design software for value engineering. The Chesapeake, Virginia facility produces roof trusses, floor trusses, and wall panels on-site, while the affiliated Carter Custom Millwork facility in Millersburg, Ohio produces custom molding, stairs, stair parts, doors, arches, mantels, and cabinetry with capacity for up to 40,000 feet of moulding and 12 sets of custom stairs per day, including curved/arched profiles in Azek PVC.

The business model is hybrid. Revenue streams include one-time building materials sales (physical retail, outside sales, online quote/order channels), hardware sales on manufactured components and custom millwork, professional services revenue on turn-key Installed Services, transaction-fee margin on special orders across thousands of non-stocked products, and recurring-engagement mechanics via the Carter Lumber in-house credit account and the Yard Rewards loyalty program (1 point per $1 spent, redeemable for vacation packages). Go-to-market is sales-led: dedicated outside sales representatives serve as single points of contact for professional builder accounts with delivery scheduling, estimating, and account management; the same outside-sales playbook is supplemented by in-store quote services, online project estimators (deck, garage, pole barn, roofing), and kitchen/bath showrooms with certified designers for the homeowner/DIY segment.

Name

Kempsville Building Materials

Legal name

Carter-Jones Companies, Inc.

Website

https://kempsvillebuilding.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kempsville Building Materials, founded in 1955 and a division of Carter Lumber Company, is a regional building materials dealer operating nine retail locations and thirteen component plants across southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, serving professional builders, remodelers, small commercial builders, and homeowners with manufactured trusses, wall panels, custom millwork, and turn-key installation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310)

SIC

Retail-Lumber & Other Building Materials Dealers (5211), Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural & Framing Components Retail (Trusses, Joists, Beams, Engineered Wood) (CRAIAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Doors, Windows & Millwork Retail (Interior/Exterior Doors, Windows, Moulding) (CRAIAEAI), Joinery, Millwork & Casework Installation (Cabinetry, Built-Ins) (IMAFANAJ), Planing Mills & Lumber Surfacing (IMAMABAE)

Keywords

• Building materials supply
• Lumber and roofing products
• Prefabricated roof trusses
• Custom millwork services
• Kitchen and bath design

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesapeake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Building Materials Sales: Kempsville generates revenue through the sale of a wide range of building materials including lumber, roofing, siding, windows, doors, drywall, insulation, flooring, millwork, engineered wood products, decking, and more. Sales are conducted through physical retail locations, outside sales representatives, and online quote/order systems.
2. Installed Services: Kempsville provides turn-key installation services for residential and commercial projects, managing the full project from materials to labor through skilled subcontractors, generating revenue through markup on both materials and installation labor.
3. Custom Millwork Manufacturing: In-house manufacturing of custom millwork products including molding, stairs, stair parts, doors, arches, mantles, and cabinetry. Products are produced at the Carter Custom Millwork facility in Millersburg, Ohio and distributed through Kempsville locations.
4. Component Manufacturing: On-site manufacturing of roof trusses, floor trusses, wall panels, and engineered wood products at the Chesapeake, Virginia facility, sold to professional builders as prefabricated components.
5. Special Orders: Through special-order program, Kempsville obtains thousands of home improvement and building products not in stock, generating revenue with potential markups on specialty items.
6. In-House Credit / Carter Account: Professional customers use Carter Lumber accounts for purchasing building materials on credit, with the Yard Rewards program earning points per dollar spent that can be redeemed for trips, driving customer loyalty and account retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kempsville Building Materials is a regional distributor and manufacturer of building materials serving professional builders, remodelers, small commercial builders, and homeowners across nine locations in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. The company supplies lumber, roofing, siding, windows, doors, millwork, decking, drywall, insulation, flooring, engineered wood products, and kitchen/bath products, while manufacturing prefabricated roof trusses, floor trusses, wall panels, and custom millwork. It also provides turn-key installation services, kitchen and bath design, and project packages for garages and pole barns.

Product overview

Kempsville Building Materials operates as a division of Carter Lumber Company, offering a comprehensive portfolio of building materials and construction services across 9 locations in Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. The core product offering spans lumber, roofing, siding, windows, doors, millwork, decking, drywall, insulation, flooring, engineered wood products, and kitchen/bath products sourced from national vendors. Manufacturing capabilities include prefabricated trusses and wall panels produced at the Chesapeake facility, plus custom millwork produced at Carter Custom Millwork in Ohio. Service modules include turn-key installation services, professional kitchen and bath design, custom garage packages, and pole barn packages. A Yard Rewards loyalty program provides trip redemption for builder customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kempsville Kitchen & Bath: Kitchen and bath design showroom offering custom cabinetry, countertops, and renovation services for residential and commercial projects.

Products and services

• Lumber High-quality lumber products including treated and non-treated lumber for construction projects, sourced from major vendors like Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific, and West Fraser. Used by professional builders and homeowners for residential and commercial construction.
• Roofing Asphalt shingles and metal roofing products from top brands including Owens Corning, GAF, CertainTeed, TAMKO, and Metal Sales for residential and commercial roofing projects.
• Siding & Trim Vinyl, cement board, and fiber cement siding options along with trim products from vendors including James Hardie, LP SmartSide, and Royal PVC for exterior building applications.
• Windows & Patio Doors Wood clad and vinyl windows and patio doors from major brands including Andersen, Jeld-Wen, Sierra Pacific, and Harvey Windows & Doors for residential and light commercial applications.
• Exterior Doors Entry, storm, and garage doors from brands including Therma-Tru and Larson for residential and commercial exterior applications.
• Interior Doors Solid wood stile & rail doors and molded interior doors from vendors including Frameport, Woodport, and Steves & Sons for residential and commercial interior applications.
• Millwork & Stair Parts Molding, trim, stair parts, mantels, and custom woodworking including stock molding, custom millwork, and pre-hung doors from vendors like Alexandria Moulding, Empire, and Woodgrain.
• Decking & Railing Composite and treated lumber decking products along with railing systems from TimberTech, Trex, and RDI for outdoor living projects.
• Drywall Gypsum board and drywall supplies from National Gypsum, Georgia-Pacific Gypsum, and USG for residential and commercial interior wall applications.
• Insulation Blown insulation, fiberglass insulation, and insulation board products from Knauf and Dow Foam Board for residential and commercial thermal and acoustic applications.
• Flooring

Quantifiable outcome

• Less labor needed on job sites through prefabricated components
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carter Lumber CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKempsville Building Materials is a Division of Carter Lumber Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio. Carter Lumber has served professional builders since 1932 and is one of the nation's largest building material suppliers. Kempsville operates as part of the Carter Lumber family of companies, sharing brand, credit services, purchasing power, and the Yard Rewards loyalty program.
• Carter Custom Millwork (Millersburg, Ohio)coreTechnology or IntegrationCarter Custom Millwork is an affiliated manufacturing facility producing custom molding, stairs, stair parts, doors, arches, mantles, and cabinetry for Kempsville. The facility operates its own dispatch and delivery system to ensure quality handling of delicate millwork products. Produces up to 40,000 feet of moulding per day and up to 12 sets of custom stairs per day.
• Family of Companies (Holmes Lumber, Kight Home Center, Townsend Building Supply)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarter Lumber's family of companies includes Holmes Lumber, Kight Home Center, and Townsend Building Supply, all operating under shared corporate ownership and serving similar building materials markets.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Builders FirstSource: Largest publicly traded US LBM distributor with pro-builder focus, component manufacturing, and installed services. Operates at much greater national scale than Kempsville but competes in the same categories.
• Carter Lumber: Direct parent company of Kempsville Building Materials. Founded in 1932, it is one of the nation's largest LBM suppliers with multi-state operations; provides shared purchasing, in-house credit, and Yard Rewards infrastructure to Kempsville.
• US LBM: National LBM distributor focused on professional builders, with component manufacturing capabilities across multiple regions. Comparable product mix and pro-builder channel strategy at significantly larger scale.
• Lansing Building Products: Specialty distributor of exterior building products (siding, windows, roofing, millwork) serving professional contractors across the US. Comparable channel and customer overlap with Kempsville's exterior product categories.
• Stock Building Supply: Historically a major national LBM distributor serving professional builders (acquired by Builders FirstSource in 2022). Operates a comparable pro-builder component manufacturing and installed services model at significantly larger scale.
• ABC Supply: Largest US wholesale distributor of roofing, siding, windows, and exterior building products. While more specialized than Kempsville, it competes for the same professional contractor spend on envelope categories.

Regional players

• Holmes Lumber: Sibling company under Carter Lumber with comparable LBM retail and component manufacturing model. Operates in a different geography than Kempsville, making it a regional parallel rather than a direct in-territory competitor.
• Kight Home Center: Sibling company within the Carter Lumber family operating a comparable building materials retail and builder-services model in a different regional market, sharing back-office and Yard Rewards infrastructure with Kempsville.
• Townsend Building Supply: Carter Lumber family-of-companies member serving professional builders with similar LBM retail and component offerings in a distinct geographic territory from Kempsville.

Direct peers

• 84 Lumber: Privately held national LBM retailer focused on professional builders with component manufacturing and installed services capabilities. Closely comparable pro-builder GTM, manufacturing footprint, and product breadth make it the most direct peer to Kempsville.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kempsville Building Materials