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Marling builds itself a new home

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Marling Homeworks

The new Marling Homeworks store on Old Humes Rd. is in the site of several former lumberyards.

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JANESVILLE — In it’s 83-year history in Janesville, Marling Lumber has never been the go-to place for olive dip or ladybug cookies.

But the dip, the cookies and more will be regularly available starting Saturday when Marling opens its 17,000-square-foot HomeWorks showroom to the public.

Founded in 1904 in Madison, Marling has spent the last two years and $2 million transforming the former Wolohan Lumber operation at 1123 Humes Road into an elaborate showroom of displays on all things home remodeling.

There’s a functioning kitchen area, as well as displays of bath, lavatory, closet and office cabinets.

An “aging in place” section is targeted at those who want to remain in their homes as they grow older. The showcase features a working elevator, chairlift and design elements such as wider doorways, modified cabinets and special stoves and tubs.

The “energy house” demonstrates energy-efficient products, while a variety of other building products are displayed within a city street setting.

Other sections include windows trimmed in more than 16 wood species and interior and exterior doors in more than 60 styles.

Look down, and the flooring offers a variety of styles and materials. Look up, and the hand-painted blue sky ceiling might generate some rain that showcases the efficiency of a gutter system.

The showroom is staffed with up to 11 designers, and builders will enjoy after-hours access to bring homeowners to the showroom at their convenience.

“Every product in here is something we can supply,” said Kurt Marling, president and CEO of the family business that will retain its lumberyard in downtown Janesville. “The core of our business has always been contractors and remodeling.”

Tom Bowman, Marling’s corporate sales manager, said the economic downturn has translated into a remodeling boom in the area.

In a perfect world, Marling said HomeWorks would have opened a year ago, but it’s been an evolving project.

And it’s been a bold investment in troubled times, he said.

“We’ve seen downturns before in our 105 years in business,” he said. “We were around during the Great Depression and survived a fire in 1971 that destroyed our yard.

“Customers and employees remained loyal. In spite of the economy, we continue to invest in the future by expanding our operations with a new location and seven new staff members.”

HomeWorks consolidates Marling’s many offerings in a clean, efficient, one-stop location, Marling said.

That consolidation has helped bring together a company that’s traditionally been fragmented.

“Our cabinet people were doing one thing, our lumber people referring another way and wholesale doing something different,” Marling said. “Now, it’s under one roof, and everyone’s working together to benefit customers and contractors.”

That excites Dave Marling, who at age 28 represents the fifth generation of Marlings to work in the business.

When he joined the company 10 years ago, the fragmentation didn’t give him much hope for the future.

“Words can’t express how the direction of this company has changed and how we’ve pulled together on this,” he said. “I know now that the sixth, seventh and eighth generations will have an opportunity to work here.”

In addition to HomeWorks and the lumberyard and wholesale operations in Janesville, Marling also has HomeWorks locations in Madison, Waukesha and Green Bay. The company has a lumberyard in Madison and a door manufacturing division in Edgerton.

In total, Marling employs about 90 people and recently moved its corporate headquarters from Madison to HomeWorks in Janesville.

“We should draw people from a 60-mile radius,” Marling said. “I’m confident that people won’t be disappointed that they came in. They might not buy anything, but they’ll get some ideas.”