HOULTON — A change in ownership is taking place at one of Houlton’s longest running, locally-owned businesses.
Kent Horten, owner of Horten Building Supplies, has sold the business to long-time employee Kevin McGary. The changeover officially took place on Dec. 31.
“I’m getting old,” Kent joked when asked why the time was right to sell the business. Kent and his wife Emily plan to spend time in Arizona this winter and hope to get to Alaska at some point next year.
“It was a hard decision, but it’s time,” Horten said. “I am so happy that Kevin is the one taking over. He has been here for 21 years. He knows all the ins and outs of the business. He has pretty much run things for the last 10 years anyway. He is very capable and he has a great staff.”
Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
McGary started as just a regular employee and worked his way up the chain to take on a more managerial role as the years went on. The decision to purchase the company has been several years in the making.
“Kent and I have talked about it for a couple of years now,” McGary said. “The time just seemed right now. I knew Kent wanted to get out, and I needed a job so it all worked out good.”
A family business since its inception, Horten Building Supplies opened its doors in 1967 when Laurence and Shirley Horten, Kent’s parents, bought out Henry Briggs Inc. The company was originally located on North Street, in the area that is now Riverside Park.
The operations included retail sales, construction crew and custom planing and milling in the basement of the original building.
“I believe the man in the basement doing the milling was Philip Eagers,” Kent said. “He seemed to be a 100 years old to me at the time, but he could put out some wood.”
As inventory increased and space was needed, Laurence Horten purchased the adjacent building, a four-story apartment building commonly referred to as “the Bee Hive.” The bottom three floors were used for warehouse space.
With increased traffic on North Street, it became increasingly difficult for vehicles to exit the business.
“In the winter, we had to stop traffic so delivery trucks could get a run for the hill in order to get out,” Horten said.
In 1987, Laurence Horten purchased land from the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Company on Military Street and built the new store. In 1988, the move was made to the new location, where the business remains today.
Once on Military Street, the business expanded to include several warehouses adjacent to the main retail building. The main retail building is 3,600 square feet, while the warehouses feature about 27,000 square feet.
In 1990, Kent purchased the business from his father. Prior to that, he was a shop teacher for 12 years.
Competition has come and gone over the years, but Horten Building Supplies has persevered. At one point there were four hardware stores in Houlton alone. The big box stores in Bangor and Presque Isle have had somewhat of an impact on his business, but for the most part the customer base has remained steady.
By staying independent, Horten Building Supplies is able to stock any item it chooses. And if they do not have a particular brand or item, it’s relatively easy to get it for the customers.
McGary said there are no immediate plans to make any changes to the business. The staff of Brad Butler, Jason Fitzpatrick and Kendra Jones will all remain under McGary’s ownership.
