Lakeside Lumber has been supplying folks with the best building materials and supporting their community for 86 years. In our Tualatin headquarters, you'll find Ernie's original apron hung on the wall as a daily reminder of our foundation. Hard work, innovation, and strong relationships are what Lakeside is all about.
This was the start of the family legacy at Lakeside. Alongside Otto, his son Ernie would start working at Lakeside while he was in high school. Originally, Lakeside was a hardware and material store. Except for Ernie's service in the Navy in WWII, Lakeside Lumber would be the only place he would ever work.
Ernie worked long and hard at Lakeside and rather than getting paid overtime for his extra hours, he wisely accepted stock in the company. In addition to raising their two children, Ernie and Joann devoted their savings to buying more shares in Lakeside. Ultimately, they became the proud owners of the company they loved.
Ernie wasted no time at the helm realizing the vision he had for the company. After nearly forty years at a location in downtown Lake Oswego, he boldly moved the firm west to a spot on Boones Ferry Road. He then focused the company as a siding and decking provider, leaving the general hardware business behind.
A few years before he passed away in 2000, members of the Portland Home Builders Association honored Ernie and his deep legacy by launching an annual golf tournament aptly named “Ernie’s Open.” The tradition of Ernie’s Open is still going strong with well over 100 golfers making the yearly trek to Las Vegas as a tribute to Ernie’s memory and the impact he had on the building community.
In August of 1997, one of Lakeside’s warehouses burned to the ground destroying nearly 1 million feet of imported cedar. Despite this, Ernie was optimistic and opened for business the next day. He was quoted in the Oregonian saying, “You’ve got to do what you can to get back into business. There are 24 people working here. They need these jobs.”
By 1999, Ernie transferred complete control of Lakeside Lumber to the third Jacobsen generation. It was at this time that Kevin redesigned the Lakeside logo to what you see today. The three cedar trees represent the three generations involved with the growth of the company.
Just like his father, Kevin had an instinct for when it was time to make a strategic change. He moved Lakeside to a bigger and better location just down the road in Tualatin. The new facility he built from the ground up features a large customer showroom and dramatically expanded warehouse space for inventory.
Today, you'll still find the work ethic and spirit that started with Otto and Ernie and has continued with Kevin's leadership. The company employs 71 talented individuals who make it their mission to continue the success of the Lakeside story.
