Credit: Robby Chakler
A family-owned company with a proud 100-year legacy recently demonstrated its commitment to the community.
Geppert Lumber, a premium, full-service building material dealer located at 1561 Easton Road in Roslyn, marked its centennial year not just by celebrating its past, but by investing in the future of families in need of safe, affordable housing.
On Tuesday, Aug. 5, the company donated numerous building materials and housing needs to Habitat for Humanity’s new ReStore location in Montgomeryville, where families in need can purchase these materials at an extremely discounted price.
The donation includes essential items such as lumber and hardware, which comes in the form of doors, flooring and siding, critical components that will help bring new homes to life for deserving families.
“It means a great deal to all of Geppert Lumber to be a part of Habitat for Humanity’s mission, knowing that our donations will help stock the shelves of a new ReStore in Montgomeryville, and that those proceeds we go directly towards supporting affordable housing, making this partnership especially meaningful for our team,” said James Geppert, president of Geppert Lumber. “We see the importance of affordable housing and are very proud to participate in making this possible for the people who most need it.”
The company packed two truckloads of materials that were to be delivered to the new facility. According to Geppert, it donated between $25,000 to $30,000 of materials to the new cause.
Geppert is donating items such as interior and exterior doors, storm doors, windows, siding, handrails, flooring, various hardware, door knobs, dead bolt locks, and more.
The new ReStore is located at 1200 Welsh Road in the Montgomery Commons Shopping Center in Montgomery Township. It is replacing the 2nd Ave. Thrift Store, and it’s expected to open this fall.
“Their store will be a great resource for the community recycling, repurposing, and reusing, which in turn keeps materials out of the landfill,” Geppert said.
Geppert Lumber has donated to local organizations in the past like Eagle Scouts, and even Habitat for Humanity on a smaller scale. The sizeable donation this year reflects the special anniversary and its family legacy.
William Geppert started the business in 1925, and was known throughout the community for his generosity and helping those less fortunate, according to the company. His son took over the business in the 1950s, and he continued that legacy and was very passionate about donating and helping in the community.
“As we start celebrating our 100th year here, we figured it's just the right fit to partner with Habitat for Humanity,” Geppert said. “Giving back has always been part of our DNA here, but as we celebrate 100 years in business, we wanted to do something that truly reflects the scale and the spirit of the milestone. This gift is not only our largest to date, it's a tribute to the legacy our grandfather, and our father.”
As the company enters its second century, it continues to build on a foundation of generosity and community partnership.
“It's our way of saying thank you to the community that has supported us for so long,” Geppert said.
About Geppert Lumber
In 1925, William A. Geppert Sr. formed Chestnut Hill Extraction. The patriarch of the Geppert family loved the demolition industry. He collected all sorts of materials from his demos, including doors, windows, lumber, brick, stone, and nails. As he started to salvage these materials, he realized the value of reclaiming them for new projects.
During the Great Depression era, there was a strong need for affordable building materials in Philadelphia. He established a salvage yard near Roslyn to help meet the needs of those migrating from the city to the suburbs. Geppert’s move to recycle and reuse materials helped both builders and homeowners afford homes and buildings that may otherwise have been out of reach.
Nearly three decades later, the salvage yard was taken over by James Geppert, William’s son, after his passing. James was commonly known as Gentleman Jim and shared the same vision with his father; to provide affordable materials to his community. This led him to transition the salvage yard into a full lumberyard, complete with a new hardware store and millwork. That’s how we developed into the Geppert Lumber you know today.
When a fire destroyed most of our outside warehouse in 1969, it didn’t stop Geppert Lumber from maintaining operations as usual. Jim rebuilt the warehouse and offices and kept the business afloat.
The company transitioned from a lumberyard to a full-service building material supplier.
In 2011, the Geppert family lost Jim to a battle with cancer. His legacy lives on through his family and the business he left behind.
Family-owned and operated since 1925, Geppert Lumber has evolved to the changing needs of our customers. Today we are a
About Habitat for Humanity ReStores
Habitat for Humanity ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores and donation centers that sell building materials, appliances, new and gently used furniture, and home accessories at a fraction of the retail price. In fiscal year 2024 alone, Habitat ReStores raised over $142 million to help support Habitat’s mission while also diverting reusable material from landfills. With more than 1,000 stores in eight countries, Habitat ReStores use their proceeds to help build or improve homes locally and around the world. To shop, donate, or volunteer, visit Habitat.org/restores.
Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery and Delaware Counties (Habitat MontDelco) is driving its ReStore program forward with ambitious plans for growth. Under new leadership, Habitat MontDelco is launching a flagship anchor ReStore in the Montgomery Commons shopping center (Montgomery Township), overcoming past locational challenges and setting the stage for expansion. This store, projected to be among the largest nationally, is the first step in a five-year goal to establish at least six ReStore locations across Montgomery and Delaware Counties. Every purchase and donation at a Habitat MontDelco ReStore directly supports the organization's mission, with net proceeds funding affordable homeownership and critical home repair programs throughout the local community.
