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Our Story

Built on Trust, Since 1911

Located on 50 acres in the rolling hills of Holmes County, Keim is the destination and trusted source for your home, building, and woodworking needs. Founded in 1911, our fourth-generation family business is dedicated to caring for your project like we care for our own.

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Keim Parking Lot

About Us

Our family business started as a rough lumber mill for woodworkers in the surrounding community. Through the generations, Keim offered many more products and services to support local builders and homeowners as well. 

Today, Keim is known as the destination and trusted source for your home, building, and woodworking needs. 

 Our Values 

 Our History 

Our Vision, Mission, & Values  

Our Vision:

To lead and inspire others to fulfill their dreams and goals.  

This is our vision for both employees and customers. For our employees, it means creating a work environment that supports their personal and professional growth. For customers, it means helping to build your dream home, or simply helping to fix a leaky faucet.  

Our Mission:

To provide exceptional service to our co-workers, customers, and community while honoring our Creator.  

Our Values:  

  • Christ-like servant leadership.  

  • Uncompromising quality.  

  • Building relationships.  

 

Keim Local Express Delivery Service

Business for Community: a strategy and way of life 

This business model means that we champion three things: 

Community
Local Businesses
Creation Care

Business for Community has several characteristics:

  1. Built on trust. It's our tagline and the foundation of our business.
  2. Community members listen deeply and work together.  We share information, get feedback, and make decisions as a group.
  3. Built around the unique gifts of their members. We are committed to training and developing skills within our employees and community.  
  4. Uses contracts, but also covenants. In a covenant, members don't necessarily expect something in return like one does with a contract. Covenantal relationships lead to reliance on each other, which is a hallmark of true community.  
  5. Focuses on care for God’s creation. We focus on common-sense stewardship, working to develop energy locally. We find ways to eliminate and recycle waste.  
  6. Focuses on local culture and economy. We strengthen our local community by developing policies that give our employees time to spend with family.* We invest in and work to bring locally-produced products to market. 

*For example, people often wonder about our unusual hours for a home center (closing at 4:30 PM Tuesday – Friday and noon on Saturdays).  At Keim, family dinners and community activities are important to our community and a foundation of home life. Closing our doors at these times allows our employees to be at home for dinner or attend local events. 
 

Our History

  • 1911

    Keim Lumber

    Keim Began

    Keim began as a small sawmill called Keim Brothers, started by Mose J. Keim and his brother, John. The original mill still sits at the bottom of the hill by State Route 557 in Charm, Ohio.

  • 1930's

    Keim Lumber 1920s

    Second Generation

    Mose Keim's son, Roman, started working with his father and uncle, and the name changed to M. J. Keim and Son.

  • 1940's
    &
    1950's

    1960 Keim Building

    Business Expanded

    The business expanded to include a dry kiln, hardwood flooring, plywood, an office, and a building hardware store.

  • 1960's

    Keim Lumber 1966

    Third Generation

    Roman Keim's son, Bill, started working with his father, and the name changed to Keim Lumber Company.

  • 1974

    The Bargain Nook

    Store Relocation

    The original store moved up on the hill, occupying the space known as the Woodshed in the current store.

  • 1985

    Keim Store 1987

    Store Expansion 

    The store expanded to 30,000 square feet of showroom, with the current front building being added.

  • 1993

    Robbie Keim

    Fourth Generation

    Bill Keim's son, Robbie, started working with his father as the company continued to grow.

  • 2007

    White arch commemorating Keim Lumber's founding year as well as the year the new showroom opened.

    Store Expanded

    Keim Lumber expanded to the current 125,000 square foot showroom.

  • 2010

    Eric_Robbie_Bill

    CONTINUED GROWTH

    Bill Keim's stepson, Eric Slabach, joined the company.

  • 2011

    Keim 100 years

    100 Years

    Keim Lumber celebrated 100 years in business.

  • 2019

    Jim Smucker Portrait 2020

    New Keim President

    Jim Smucker is selected as the first 
    non-family member to serve as 
    Keim's president. 

  • 2020

    Keim Front Entrance

    Keim Continues

    Keim Lumber rebrands as Keim, and continues to create exceptional experiences for its co-workers, customers, and community just as it has for more than 100 years.