Piedmont Lumber May Rebuild its Walnut Creek Store After Devastating Fire

Piedmont Lumber and Mill Company hasn't made any firm decisions yet, but it is looking at a way to rebuild its home center at its North Main Street site which was destroyed by a fire last March.

In a news release, the company said it was working with the City of Walnut Creek and an insurance carrier on this possible project.  The cause of the four-alarm March 13 fire, which covered an acre of building and construction materials, is still under investigation.

Piedmont Lumber issued the press release mainly to announce that it was selling its lumber yard and retail store in Lakeport to an undisclosed buyer. The new company would reopen the store under a new name in August. 

Piedmont recently sold its Pacheco Door division to Craftsman Collective Inc., owned and operated by Rob Myer.  Craftsman Collective is an architectural millwork specialist focused on doors, windows, moldings, and finish carpentry.

It has not been a good year, or past couple of years for the company, which originally opened in Oakland in 1934. Last August, the  company's location in Pittsburg was damaged by an arson fire. Piedmont owner and Lake County resident William C. Myer, Jr. acknowledges that the economic downturn, which severely hurt the home building industry, affected Piedmont Lumber's business.

According to a March report in the Contra Costa Times, Piedmont  Lumber was "on the brink of financial ruin." It was dealing with a lawsuit alleging the company was in default and had a bank lien placed on its Pittsburg property, related to foreclosure proceedings.