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About Bestway

Bestway traces its roots to Clarence Ochs who in 1962 opened a small, retail lumber yard in Marcellus, New York.  In 1968, the company moved to Cortland, New York and began operations under the name Bestway Lumber, supplying building products to customers in the Cortland area.

In 1978, Bestway Enterprises was established in Cortland, New York by Karl Ochs to sell treated lumber and other building products to retail lumber yards and home centers. In the 30 years since Bestway first opened its doors, the Cortland location has grown to include a large wholesale lumber yard, a pressure treatment plant, four dry kilns, first-class corporate offices, a repair shop, a weigh station, a fuel depot, and more than 300,000 square feet of covered storage. Distribution from our Cortland headquarters now reaches throughout New York State and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Since its founding, Bestway  has expanded throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.  Today the original location is joined by Bestway of New England, Bestway South, Bestway of Gouverneur, Bestway of Pennsylvania, HDK Wood Products, Builder's Best, and BestDeck.

In 1989, Bestway of New England was established in Lancaster, Massachusetts.  This location provides treating, kiln-drying, and reloading services to the New England market.

Later in 1989, in order to separate the retail lumber yard from the wholesale division, Bestway created Builder's Best Home Improvement Center, Inc., the only retail center owned by Bestway.  Builder's Best primarily serves professional builders, carries a broad range of building materials, and also features a rental center.

Bestway South, in Stony Point, North Carolina opened in 1997 and operates as a treating services only (TSO) facility and also provides kiln-drying services.

In 1998, Bestway Enterprises purchased a treatment plant in Gouverneur, New York and opened Bestway of Gouverneur. This location includes a 32-acre-site, new offices, a warehouse, a repair shop, a fuel depot, a weigh station, and a rail siding.  Distribution from this location to retail lumber yards and home centers ranges from the Adirondack Region of New York State to Western Vermont.

Bestway of Pennsylvania was opened in Cresco, Pennsylvania in 2001 as a TSO plant.  In 2010, facilities were expanded and Cresco joined Cortland and Gouverneur as the third distribution point for Bestway.  Building products from Cresco reach lumber yards and home centers throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Western Connecticut.

HDK Wood Products was established in 1999 in Harrisville, New York. Originally, the plant was established to dry and plane white pine lumber. However, in October 2003, Bestway purchased the equipment necessary to create a fully functioning, state-of-the-art, white pine sawmill.  The new sawmill became operational in the latter part of 2005.

Bestway opened a 76,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Preble, New York in 2005 to produce "BestDeck" composite decking.  BestDeck is available through all Bestway distribution points, selling quality composite decking to the retail lumber industry.

In 2008, Bestway opened a moulding plant in Preble, New York producing white pine mouldings using product from our HDK sawmill.  These finger-jointed, primed mouldings--known as "White Prime"--are available in a variety of profiles and are sold exclusively through Bestway distribution points to the retail lumber industry.

Since its establishment more than 30 years ago Bestway has continued to expand and develop new and cutting-edge products to meet the demands of suppliers, retailers, and customers across the Northeast.  With our full line of high-quality products, our extensive distribution, and our exceptional service, the retail-lumber industry relies on Bestway for all its building material needs.