How it all began
Started in 1948, Jesse Goodale, his brother Harold, and their uncle Percy (Pete) Ketcham ran a farm supply on eastern Long Island. Since the farm was slow during winter, the brother’s, under the suggestion of their father, partnered with their uncle to open a lumber yard.
While Harold tended the farm, Jesse ran the lumber yard on Ostrander Avenue, expecting to return to the farm in the spring, but never did. The Ostrander Avenue location would be the sole location for 27 years as Jesse continued to grow the building materials business on a person-to-person basis keeping customer service in the forefront.
It was in 1975 that Edgar and Russel Goodale, the second generation, opened the second location in East Hampton when they purchased Frank B. Smith Lumber. Under Edgar and Russel’s tenure Riverhead Building Supply has expanded to 19 locations in four states, hundreds of vehicles, thousands of quality building material and hardware items and thousands of quality customers that consider Riverhead a true partner in their business.
As a second generation owner and Chairman, Edgar enjoys seeing multiple generations of families work and grow at Riverhead Building Supply; some stay and grow for decades.
