The over 90-year-old southern Indiana lumber company, Bender Lumber, has sold its eight locations to R.P. Lumber.
With the purchase R.P. Lumber will have locations in Bloomington, Bedford, Columbus, Linton, Martinsville, Paoli, Madison and Washington, raising its total store count to 99 across seven Midwest states, according to an R.P. Lumber press release. The company is based in Edwardsville, Ill.
Bender Lumber was founded in 1931 in Bloomington and has provided building materials, hardware and contractor support to builders, remodelers and homeowners. Its current owner is John Bender, who was one of the founders of Pizza Hut.
“I’m proud that we are selling Bender Lumber to R.P. Lumber,” Bender said in a press release. “I have been friends with Jason Plummer (R.P. Lumber President) and his father for a number of years. I believe they operate their business very much like we try to operate our business.”
The acquisition of Bender Lumber follows R.P. Lumber’s October 2025 acquisition of Dye Lumber in Indiana, the press release states. In total R.P. Lumber will now have 10 locations in Indiana.
Bender Lumber and R.P. Lumber are working closely together to ensure there is no customer service or product availability disruption during the transition, according to the news release. The companies have shared vendors and technology, though R.P. Lumber is going to invest in additional technology, equipment and inventory.
The more than 100 employees Bender Lumber has will remain in their positions.
R.P. Lumber plans to host local events at each store to celebrate the transition and honor Bender Lumber’s role in the community, the press release states.
“We are humbled to be part of this story, and we are committed to writing the next chapter with the same care and integrity that the Bender family has shown Southern Indiana for many decades,” Plummer said in the press release.
