BARNEY'S---WHO ARE WE?
Barney's was established in 1944 by Barney Sr. That was over 80 years ago and yes we are still in business. Just a little history of our company and many of the changes throughout the years. Barney starting a company installing mainly roofing and siding products in 1944. He had a warehouse on South Market in Springfield. Barney purchased a lot of materials out of state and out of. He had a semi tractor & trailer to haul these materials. Barney would purchased truck loads of materials and sell them to other lumber yards and dealers--then he would bring back more materials to his Springfield warehouse.
In just a few years Barney opened an office on South Campbell street in Springfield. We were on the east side of Campbell at 436 S Campbell--next door was a used item store--next door south was Al's Eastep Dunlap tire store--across the street was a liquor store and a general store. That is where Barney would buy personal items including Fox & crow or Mutt and Jeff comics which his son also enjoyed. In the general neighborhood you would also find Fowler Stone, Ike Martins, Sherman's Cafe, Nifty Barber shop, Cave Carb, Rubenstein's, and other small businesses.
In the middle of the 1950's Barney purchased property on West College Street Road. We built a warehouse and remodeled the old gas station into an office. We were there for over 25 years before moving to extreme South Campbell just north of Nixa Missouri.
During all of this time the company had to make many changes to be able to buy factory direct. First of all we established a Supply Company which did not install materials, we just sold them wholesale and retail. Some of the employees and family opened up other companies which installed these building products. There were several different businesses such as Barney's Roofing and Siding Company, Barney's Roofing LLC, Barney and Company LLc, Team Barney's LLC, Leeanhollon LLC, Controlled Energy Products LLC, Springfield Roofing LLC, and All Weather LLC. Why all the different companies--- Mainly because each company specialized in certain trades such residential roofing and somewhat different commercial roofing. There was interior remodeling, insulation, guttering and rain carrying products, siding, windows,doors, and garage doors. At one time or the other one of our companies was the largest and best known in their particular field.
Through the good years and bad years changes were required to be competitive in the market- place. What changed? The Big Box stores which replaced several large lumber yards in the Springfield and surrounding area. These lumber yards were usually family owned and operated- you might remember some of the such as Squires Lumber, Compton Lumber, Home Builders, Cherry Street Lumber, Campbell Street Lumber, West Side Lumber, Robert E Lee Lumber, Springfield Lumber, Janss Lumber, Herman Lumber, Meeks Lumber, and several others in the surrounding towns. The big box stores began to take away the service provided by the old style lumber yards which forced most all of them to close.
Then you had the catalog sales and finally the Internet which finished most companies that offered personal service. There was not a way to offer service and products to compete with all of the above listed. Therefore you the consumer lost most all of the personal service provided by these old line companies.
This is a lengthy page but we just want you to know the history and the cause and affect to our business
