Hancock Lumber is acquiring Johnson Lumber
Maine-based building materials stalwart Hancock Lumber is acquiring Johnson Lumber, a single-location lumberyard located in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The transaction is expected to close on May 31, 2025, with the location officially beginning operations as Hancock Lumber on Monday, June 2. The move marks Hancock’s 12th lumberyard and its first in Massachusetts.
Founded in 1963 and originally operating as a sawmill, Johnson Lumber has developed a strong presence across northeast Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and southern Maine. The business has remained in the Johnson family for over 60 years.
“It’s been an honor to work with the Johnson family on the acquisition and integration of their amazing company into the Hancock Lumber family,” Hancock Lumber Chairman and sixth-generation Managing Owner, Kevin Hancock, shared.
“Johnson Lumber has been a quintessential family business since the early 1960s – doing things the right way for over 60 years. The Johnson family, their employees and their customers represent the essence of what local and independently-owned lumber companies bring to their communities. So, for Hancock Lumber it’s a big blessing and responsibility to be given the opportunity to continue to expand and build on that legacy.”
He continued: “We plan to reinvest, grow the business and add resources to allow that tradition to keep building. Johnson Lumber and Hancock Lumber are a great fit in terms of business values, employee care and a deep focus on contractor sales and service. We’re excited, grateful and committed to moving the company forward while celebrating its roots and heritage.”
Located just two miles from the coast and minutes from I-95 and I-495, Johnson Lumber is situated on a 12-acre site featuring covered storage and contractor-focused inventory. Hancock says Johnson Lumber is a delivery-driven operation, with over 80% of its sales delivered to job sites.
Hancock also says the acquisition is a natural extension of the company's markets, enhancing the reach between its existing Kennebunk, Maine, and Wolfeboro, N.H., locations—just 40 and 70 minutes away, respectively. This additional lumberyard will help grow key product lines including Hancock-made wall panels, trusses and pine, along with Marvin windows and Tiny Homes, while creating additional capacity and delivery efficiency across the region.
Twenty Johnson Lumber employees will join Hancock Lumber, including three second-generation owners, two of whom will stay on short-term to assist with the transition and one as a full-time employee.
“Our family has been focused on finding the right partner to move our family business into the next generation of ownership,” second-generation owner and president, Trish Johnson, commented. “Ultimately, choosing to partner with Hancock Lumber came down to finding a company that will honor our values and take care of our people—both employees and customers—for the long-run.”
Founded in 1848, Hancock Lumber is a seventh-generation forest products company with over 700 employees.
