Stine Company

The Stine Home Improvement story begins in 1946 when high school best friends J.W. Stine and J.C. Carlin returned to their Sulphur homes from World War II as decorated combat pilots. They quickly bought land and began building homes as the newly formed Starlin Construction Company. After six successful years in the Construction business they amicably parted ways and J.W. went into the retail Lumber business.

J.W.’s strong Faith in God helped anchor his value system to treat his associates, customers and community with a servant leader attitude. His humility earned the customers respect, and his gratitude, their loyalty. Despite competition being tough in the 1950’s his business continued to grow….and it was a good thing. At home, he and his wife Dee Dee, had seven children by the end of the decade. The unity of Family led by Faith were foundational to the company as it entered the next decade.

In the mid-1960’s the first of J.W’s six sons joined the business. The 1970’s were a pivotal time with all of the sons involved, and still only one store … growth had to occur. On the national stage the small town lumber yards were being replaced by Home Centers, stores attracting more consumer business to supplement the builder trade. Stine embraced this new format with the opening of a new 10,000 square foot showroom replacing the smaller twenty-five hundred square foot builder yard. With it, a new advertising slogan was created, “The Family You Can Build Around”.

The word Family meant much more than just J.W. and the boys, it included all associates in a unified effort to help serve the community. Everyone at Stine became very Passionate about this new store concept and slogan. It helped propel the business from one small store to three by 1981 - earning the national honor of “Home Center of the Year. Soon after, JW retired and his six sons took over the helm. This new leadership and renewed passion for excellence guided the expansion efforts to 10 stores by the year 2000.

The competition with warehouse showrooms in Louisiana began to heat up. Stine decided to meet these big boxes head on by developing a new format that included a much larger showroom floor, Garden Center and a new Drive Thru Lumber Yard…the first of its kind in the South. In all, the store would encompass 100,000 square feet and serve both the consumer and the builder. The new stores were an instant hit! But then … another pivotal moment in our history occurred…. a devastating hurricane.

The challenges presented with Hurricane Rita - damaging 90% of the homes in some markets - was enormous. But, this is where a commitment to Service - acting with a sense of urgency to deliver a positive experience in the most difficult situations - is where Stine excels. “We were the last retail store to close before the storm and the first to reopen after it hit despite having a breach in the roof of our Lake Charles store," said CEO Dennis Stine. "Our customers needed us, and we responded.”

With demand at an all-time high and a proven new store format, the Stine brothers took a risk and invested heavily to rebuild three stores and construct two new stores providing a better shopping experience for customers. Just when the stores were finished another challenge occurred, the recession of 2008. Accountability became an even higher priority. Each team member needed to perform their duties in the most efficient ways possible.

Through it all Stine continued to act with Integrity, always conducting business in a fair, ethical and professional manner. Operating with Integrity led to Stine earning National Retailer of the Year honors.

We understand our successes have come from our hard working associates and from the Communities we serve. We’re committed to our associates and their families through our Safety First programs. Stine embraces the belief that all injuries are preventable, and that achieving a healthy and safe environment starts with each team member. We are also proud to support our Communities by giving back through our contributions, leadership, and Volunteer efforts.

Stine’s Helping Hands program reaches out to provide volunteer assistance to a variety of organizations like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, area food pantries and children’s programs, just to name a few.

Stine is committed to it's eight core values which have left us a proud legacy and continue to guide us toward a bright future. These values shape the culture of our company and enable us to provide a preferred workplace for our associates.