The mid-’90s saw a lot of consolidation at the local and regional levels across the country. Many long-time family-owned businesses disappeared during this time. HARDLINES reports here on the acquisition of Fairbank Lumber, a traditional lumber yard with a small sales counter and a large back end, by Alpa Lumber, which has become the largest dealer in the Greater Toronto Area. Also in this issue: another traditional yard, Dominion Coal, tries to exploit the growing seasonal business with the addition of another garden centre. Click here for this week’s blast from the past!
