About Us

Shelly’s is one of the oldest and largest suppliers of lumber, hardware, building materials and manufactured components in Eastern Pennsylvania. In 1923, Harvey N. Shelly, who was a cigar roller in Souderton, and Frank H. Fenstermacher formed a partnership and purchased the Jacob B. Delp Lumber Company of Souderton, a firm that had been in business since 1899. The new firm, Shelly and Fenstermacher, located at 64 Highland Avenue, was immediately identified as a progressive, dynamic growing company. The business sold goods to farmers, as well as hardware items to local residents.

Harvey Shelly’s son, Paul, joined the firm in the mid-thirties and Willard, his other son, joined the firm after World War II. In the forties the Shelly family bought out Frank Fenstermacher’s interest in the Company and since that time the firm has been owned exclusively by the Shelly family..

In the mid-forties, Shelly’s purchased the former J.G. Moyer facility on 7th and Market Streets in Perkasie and formed a new corporation, Shelly & Sons-Fenstermacher, keeping the latter name for identification by customers. Willard operated the new Perkasie location while Paul managed the Souderton operation.

The Company began making building materials in the 1960’s; that set the stage for a focus on the professional market, which the current owners continue to expand today.

The third generation of active Shelly management began in the seventies when Bill and Greg, the sons of Willard and Paul respectively, assumed responsibility for operations. While both worked for the company in high school and college, they had various outside work experiences. The cousins, both of whom have MBAs, took a more aggressive approach to growing the business than their predecessors. They hired outside sales-people and pursued the new construction business.

In the late seventies, Shelly Enterprises Inc. was formed and the two former corporations became divisions. Also in this period, the S & F Manufacturing division was formed by expanding and relocating the roof and floor truss, door and stairway operations to Old State Road in Telford. This division was expanded in 1987 and 1990 with new production and warehouse facilities. The Shelly’s Building Supply division was created on 1985 with the expansion into Chester County on Route 113 at Kimberton. This was the Company’s third full service lumber and home center operation. In the month of June 1988, children playing with matches started a major fire that totally destroyed the former Moyer buildings in Perkasie. At the time, these buildings were housing corporate office along with the Perkasie division contractor sales offices and some warehousing. After a complete renovation and expansion of the old Beihns Schoolhouse in 1990, the corporate offices moved to that location next to the S & F Manufacturing division.

In 1996, the Company became associated with Ira Berger and Son organization in Freeland, Pennsylvania. With the four Shelly’s locations on southeastern Pennsylvania, along with Berger’s, we have positioned ourselves to effectively serve customers’ needs over the entire eastern third of Pennsylvania and to provide quality service well into the future.

In June 1998, the Company opened a 30,000-square foot distribution center in Quakertown, designed to more effectively service large developers and contractors. It also freed up space at the Telford site for increased manufacturing.

In May 2001, the Company purchased the operating assets of the three Lehigh Lumber locations. The locations in Bethlehem and Macungie would form a division. The other location in Stroudsburg would become part of the Freeland (previously known as Ira Berger and Son) division. All these locations including Freeland would now be known as Shelly’s Lumber, Building Supplies & Millwork.

In 2004, the Company purchased the “old Brick Yard” in Quakertown on Walnut Bank Farm and Heller Road. After extensive renovations Shelly’s new 28 acre Distribution Center opened in 2005. This state of the art facility is home to Shelly’s lumber distribution center complete with a 450ft. rail spur; an interior door and millwork shop; a kitchen and bath warehouse; and a window warehouse.

In June of 2006, Shelly’s opened a new Kitchen, Bath & Millwork Design Center in Downingtown. Featuring Decora, Schrock, and Aristokraft Cabinets, this showroom allows the builder and homeowner to see for themselves the many benefits Shelly’s has to offer.

With 6 locations in over four counties, including full service lumberyards in Perkasie, Souderton, Kimberton, Bethlehem; a truss and wall panel manufacturing facility in Telford; a Design Center in Downingtown and a new distribution center in Quakertown, Shelly’s is growing to meet the needs of our professional builders, making it easier for them to get what they need when they need it.

Over our entire history we have continued to improve and expand to stay with the times or where new exciting opportunities have existed. The Shelly family is committed to this philosophy in the future, since it is the only way we can ensure our competitive position in an increasingly competitive industry. This approach will also best protect the jobs of our ever growing ranks of dedicated employees and ensure future growth potential.

Top quality products at the right price with first class service to our customers mixed with hard working, dedicated people has been the key to our long term success and will continue to be in the future. Not fancy, but a source of pride for all knowing that our Company is constantly striving to be the best in our industry.

Recently rated one of the top 100 Pro Sales Lumber Yards in the country by Pro Sales Magazine, Shelly’s has committed itself to their professional customers by consistently improving upon the many value added services we offer.

In 2013 after 90 years of operating independently Shelly’s joined the US LBM family.

US LBM currently consists of more than 163 locations in 18 states, with more than 2,000 associates servicing the professional building market. Our primary focus is on customers that require specialized services, such as custom homebuilders and professional remodelers as well as multifamily and commercial contractors.

US LBM is one of the fastest growing companies in our industry and is recognized as the 13th largest lumber and building materials distributor in the U.S. The US LBM model is to serve as a platform for further investments and acquisitions in the pro dealer market—preferably in partnership with current ownership/management. US LBM encourages those individual businesses to continue their entrepreneurial spirit while enjoying the capital and other resources of a much larger national organization.

Questions? Thinking of Building? Want to Know More?

Please contact Shelly’s Building Supply today for more information on our products and services!