Providing everything building contractors, homeowners needs under one roof

Jim Paul

Contributor

November 10, 2025

ELCHO – For nearly 70 years, Owners Dave and Todd Visser said Builders Service Inc. has been a mainstay in Elcho, providing building materials for contractors and do-it-yourselfers alike.

From lumber, siding and insulation to doors, windows, hardware and roofing, the Visser brothers said Builders Service Inc. either carries it in stock or can get it in a very short time.

Dave and Todd said their customer service and community-mindedness have been the keys to their long-term success.

“With the big-box stores coming in like Menards and Home Depot, they may be great for the do-it-yourselfers, but contractors still need the service part,” Dave said. “And I think we do a good job at that.”

A bit of history

Though the Builders Service Inc. known today may have been established in 1955, Dave said the company’s roots reach back to the early 20th century. 

According to bsielcho.com, around 1913, Colonel Himes moved to the Crandon area to work for the Fish Lumber Company. 

However, after a fire destroyed the Crandon mill in the 1930s, Himes purchased what remained, rebuilt the operation and established several small lumberyards in Crandon, Wabeno, Three Lakes and Elcho.

As owner of Himes Lumber Company, Himes is credited with introducing automated logging to the area, replacing horse-drawn sleds with tractors and trucks to haul timber.

The original Elcho building Himes constructed, Dave said, remains part of the Builders Service Inc. store today.

In 1955, Roy and Mildred Almen, Arney Peterson and Peter Reigert purchased Himes’ company and renamed it Builders Service Inc.

Dave said his parents, Rod and Nilah Visser, purchased the business in 1973.

He said he and Todd now run Builders Service Inc. – continuing the family tradition.

Adapting through the years

Dave said Builders Service Inc. has remained steady – and even grown – through the ups and downs of the economy.

Though the company once handled commercial building projects, after their engineer retired in 2008 and the economic downturn of 2010-11, Dave said Builders Service Inc. shifted its focus to residential construction. 

That side of the business, he said, has since expanded rapidly in the areas the company serves.

Currently, Dave said Builders Service Inc. delivers to a 50-mile radius, including Rhinelander, Eagle River, Tomahawk and Wittenberg – ensuring contractors and customers can receive service wherever the job may be.

Company growth in recent years included the addition of a rental department, which the brothers said has become an important part of the business, catering to both small and large project needs for the local community.

“What sets us apart from everybody else around here is the rentals,” Todd said. “You can come in and get compressors and nailers, all the way up to an excavator to dig a culvert to get your project started.”

Dave said Builders Service Inc. also designs and constructs custom floor and roof trusses in its own shop – another service that sets the company apart from competitors.

“It used to be that all those small lumber yards did that, but now it is so automated,” Dave said. “But we still do a lot of our own.”

Todd said customers gain several advantages when Builders Service Inc. constructs their trusses.

“If you are adding onto something, I can get it right down to the perfect size to match what they are building,” he said.

Strength in numbers

To stay competitive with big-box stores, the Visser brothers said Builders Service Inc. joined the Vertack Group – a network of 11 independent building suppliers in North Central and Northeast Wisconsin.

Members of the Vertack Group, he said, share a common goal: buy from selected vendors in high volumes, enabling them to offer customers better pricing.

In addition to competitive pricing and strong customer service, Todd said Builders Service Inc. focuses on providing the highest-quality lumber.

While suppliers and materials may change, he said maintaining a higher standard remains a core value of the business.

“We keep a higher-quality lumber, so customers do not have to pick [through the lumber piles],” he said. “[Customers] do not want to pick through the lumber – they just want to do their job.”

Todd said they keep up with building industry trends – citing new decking materials, railing systems and more efficient windows as examples of innovations that excite them.

Builders Service Inc. – located at N11173 U.S. Hwy 45 in Elcho – is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Local ties, lasting impact

As for the future of Builders Service Inc., Dave said they plan to continue updating their facilities to “keep it vibrant for the community and maintain their role as a local business and supporter of the community.”

“We do not want to go anywhere, because the community needs us,” he said. “What holds this community together is the school and the stores. If the school went away, if [the stores] went away, the town would go away.”

Todd said with its 11 employees, Builders Service Inc. is also one of the largest employers in the community. 

The brothers said their ties to the area go beyond the business, with Todd serving on the water department and Dave on the school board.

The Visser brothers said they are also strong supporters of the Elcho Historical Society and other local organizations.