Yard Lumber & Fence Supply to close

Modesto, Calif.-based Yard Lumber & Fence Supply, a one-unit building materials dealer with a niche in fencing and masonry wall products, is set to close, according to a report in the Modesto Bee.

The 33-year-old-business scaled back from 70 employees about a year and a half ago to 20 employees currently, according to the report.

Owner Gary Robinson said the business still was viable, but a combination of wanting to go in another direction and the downturn in the housing market led to the decision to close.

Robinson also told the newspaper that several other lumberyards in the Northern San Joaquin Valley region had closed in recent years, primarily because of competition from big-box retailers as well as a difficult construction market.