About Us
Brueggemann Lumber Do it Center has been an important community member since the early 1900s. In 1917, our founder, Adolf Brueggemann, bought Yerk’s Dry Goods Store, a small grocery-type store with a postal station located in Milan Center. The Brueggemanns sold groceries, dry goods, housewares, and ran a country huckster wagon all over northeast Indiana and western Ohio. After thousands of hours of hard work and hundreds of miles in the model-T huckster truck, Adolf, his wife, and younger brother, Walter, began plans for a larger store. They bought the ground across the street and in 1924 began building.
In 1928, the company bought a Hammer grain mill and Hart Power gas engine to expand milling services for the local farmers. With the grain mill and expanded retail facility, Brueggemanns became the hub of retail activity to the surrounding townships. In 1934, the Brueggemanns signed a contract with the old Indiana Service company to bring phase electricity to the store and Milan Township. Along with the electrical service, came phone lines which were a ration station and expanded their retail offering into more hardware and lumber products. During this same period (c. 1946), they began membership with many local associations, including the Fort Wayne Lumber Dealers Association, the Home Builders Association of Fort Wayne, Federal Land Bank, and many others. In fact, Brueggemann Lumber has been founding members to almost all associations formed in this area.
In 1959, Adolf Brueggemann sold the retail business to his nephew, Roland Moehring. Roland, a licensed carpenter, further expanded the lumber business and also began a constriction division, which still provides value to our retail customers today.
In 1983, Richard (“Rick”) Wolf bought Brueggemann Lumber from Roland Moehring to continue the tradition of community involvement and service. The retail business has grown two-fold since 1983, and the old buildings could no longer support the growth. In April of 1993, we opened our 25,000 square foot store on State Road 37, just east of the I-469 bypass. We have changed locations, but inside, we still offer the same old-fashioned service Adolf started over 90 years ago.
Today, we are one of the area’s largest, locally-owned lumber yards. We only offer products that we believe in and you can trust, such as windows, doors, lumber, cabinets, hardware, and much more. We also have a garden center and rental center to further serve our customers. We can aid in installing your purchases for you in one of three ways. We offer how-to advice, can install your purchases for you, or refer you to one of our trusted qualified outside contractors. Brueggemann Lumber Do It Center goes beyond just selling products; we back them up with the service you demand and no commission sales people. We want to be your partner, because if we help you succeed, we all succeed!
We pride ourselves in being a full-service lumber yard and home center just like your grandfather used to shop. Give us a call or stop in to see our showroom, which is filled with Andersen windows, Masonite and Therma Tru doors, Atrium vinyl windows and our newest addition, Eagle windows.