What started with one truck, a tiny office, a staff of four and an abundance of ambition and drive has grown into a multi-generational Calgary success story. Ray Davidson and Bill Enman merged their talents and their names to create Davidson Enman Lumber in 1948, first in Lethbridge and then expanding to Calgary three years later. As their reputation for integrity and quality products grew, their business grew alongside it; by 1959 they had outgrown their Macleod Trail location, so they built their new headquarters on 42 Avenue SE where it sits today.
“This was just about out of the city back in those days. People thought he was crazy to start way out in the sticks, but look at us now,” says Dan Davidson, co-owner of Davidson Enman Lumber.
By 1960, Davidson Enman Lumber (DE) left Lethbridge and focused on serving its growing customer base in Calgary. Ray bought his partner out of the business in 1963 and set out to establish the supplier as the go-to company for contractors and professional home builders. Since then, Ray Davidson passed the company to his sons, Doug and Greg, who continued to grow the company and welcomed the third generation of Davidsons to the ownership core when Greg retired in 2017. Now brothers Jeff and Dan Davidson head up the day-to-day operations of the company with support from their father, Doug, as he nears retirement.
“If you took a time machine back to the late-40s and told our grandfather that in 2023, DE’s not only still around, but it’s thriving under the management of his grandsons, I think he’d be pretty proud of that. And so are we,” says Dan.
There is plenty to be proud of. The full-service supplier offers a complete line of products including Spruce, Fir and treated lumber as well as various sizes of Spruce, Fir and concrete forming and fire rated plywood. DE also has a catalog of building supplies including rebar, fibreglass insulation, poly and bagged concrete. Along the way, the company brought on a selection of finishings like door hardware, mouldings and panels to afford clients the convenience of getting everything they need in one stop.
In the 1980s, Davidson Enman added a truss division located on 44 Street SE that is staffed by talented techs who assist clients with truss and flooring system designs. There is an amazing team in place that runs the division when the management is at the head office, but Jeff and Dan have their eyes on growth and efficiency that could bridge the divide.
“The next five-year plan would be to try to join our truss division and our lumber division together in one location and become a bigger, stronger sales force with more buying power to be able to better supply Calgary in the future,” says Jeff Davidson, co-owner of DE.
After all, the key to Davidson Enman’s 75-year success is the company’s commitment to customer service for its list of long-time clients. The company has established a solid reputation in the industry, earning the repeat business of many of its loyal customers over the course of several decades. Whether the team is supplying products for large construction services firms, general contracting companies, major home builders in the city or a walk-in looking to build their own garage or deck, DE is dedicated to exceeding expectations to ensure that customers leave happy and will return for their next project.
And there have been countless projects. Davidson Enman has been involved in many of Calgary’s iconic building projects, and you’d be hard pressed to find a large development that didn’t have DE’s fingerprints on it somewhere. From sourcing antique moulding and doors to keep the Heritage Park restoration accurate to being involved with building infrastructure to facilitate the 1988 Olympic Games, from helping get the Ring Road built to providing services to get the South Health Campus hospital finished, DE has gone above and beyond to help clients build Calgary into the worldclass city it is.
“We want to continue to make our mark on Calgary even bigger. We helped build the Calgary Tower, the Saddledome, the Stampede grandstand, and we plan to keep being involved in those big projects around the city in the future,” says Jeff.
Whether projects are large or small, the team does everything possible to fulfil and complete customers’ orders quickly and get them out for delivery often within a day or two; they never want to be the reason for a client to be behind schedule. Ray Davidson built the company on service and the generations that followed him have continued to hold customer service as a critical core value.
“What’s got us here is exemplary customer service,” says Dan. “We hang our hat on the service end of it, that personal touch that people really appreciate. I think that’s what has gotten us to 75 years.”
The Davidsons credit their fantastic teams at both locations for maintaining those high service standards. From the management staff to the delivery professionals on the road, the family has taken the time to build great relationships with the stellar team of around 80 employees, which in turn encourages staff to build great relationships with customers. Since Ray started building his company in the 1940s and 1950s, the family has tried to attract like-minded service-oriented people and treat them well to ensure they want to stay. The result is a team of many long-tenured employees who love their jobs and are invested in seeing the company grow and succeed.
There is a great balance between younger staff just launching their careers and more seasoned employees who are happy to pass along the knowledge they’ve acquired over their decades with DE. The Davidsons are grateful for the expertise held by the amazing group of dedicated professionals at the company, and they know it’s the staff’s hard work and dedication that has contributed greatly to the success and longevity of Davidson Enman Lumber.
To show their appreciation for the years of service and dedication to building the company, the Davidsons are hosting a golf tournament in Banff for staff and customers as well as throwing a barbeque bash for staff and their families to celebrate the 75th anniversary.
“Operating for 75 years is a significant amount of time for any business let alone a family business. I think it’s a testament to our strength that we’ve weathered the ups and downs in the market, different economic conditions, successfully navigated through industry changes and a pandemic, too. To last this long and to have key employees stay with us through thick and thin has been incredible,” says Jeff.
To have a locally-owned family business survive and thrive for 75 years is remarkable, but that history is a mere steppingstone not a finish line as the third generation of Davidsons continue to carry on the family legacy at Davidson Enman Lumber.
Main Office
452-42 Avenue S.E.
403.243.2566
sales@delumber.com
www.delumber.com
