Family-owned, value-added Canadian re-manufacturer, serving wholesalers across North America
A family legacy of lumber since 1912.
1912
Ralph Alexander Green, born January 13, 1881, moved from St. Thomas ON. to Vancouver Island, BC around the year 1900. He created custom millwork furniture, such as bank desks and church pews. In the early 1910s R.A. Green purchased land outside of the City of Victoria. The land was roughly a square block on Douglas Street, and he built a large factory building with some outbuildings on the property. This allowed him to expand his work and take on larger projects such as the interiors of schools, offices, hotels etc.
1925
The building was completed on the property in 1925. In the same year, R.A. Green and his brother, John R. Green, incorporated the business, naming it R.A. Green Lumber Co. Maurice, R.A. Green’s son, also began working for the company in 1925. Only a few years later, in 1929, R.A. Green’s other son, Lawrence, also joined the family business. In the early 1930s, R.A. Green began to purchase lots in the City of Victoria and built small, affordable houses to rent or sell, using the slogan “Houses for sale on easy terms”
1930
In the early 1930s, R.A. Green Lumber Co started working with the Royal Canadian Navy to supply scaffolding, yellow cedar for boat building and red cedar/ clear fir for framing boats. In the same time period, R.A. Green Lumber Co also took contracts with hotels, creating custom furniture and mouldings. He continued to develop his houses for sale as well, and by the 1950s, the business had begun to change.
1950
After the end of the second world war, R.A. Green Lumber Co transitioned into primarily creating custom interior furnishings for homes. They specialized in corner cupboards, bedroom furniture, kitchens, flooring and moldings. In 1952, Ralph Alexander Green retired, leaving his two sons, Lawrence and Maurice in charge. In the 1950s, Lawrence’s son, Jim Green, began working for R.A. Green Lumber Co. In the 1960’s, the market began to shift away from custom wood furnishings and move towards cheaper materials. At the same time, the brothers realized the value of their land and began to think about selling.
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