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construction supply is actually very technical but people can learn at their own pace. there's usually no pressure to know too much because different people learn in different ways. not everyone has the same capacity to retain a certain amount of information in a given period of time. i know this because i started elsewhere in an old school facility where there was no division between lumber sales and doors and windows. the basics are pretty simple but the progression into advanced material supply can take some people years. i was in advanced sales after my first year so it was 6 months in lumber and 6 months in special order to include doors and windows. but that was me and i was pretty sharp 15 years ago during the real estate boom in the years right before the recession. i attended training programs for estimating and blueprint reading in olympia wa with bmsc which is now cei. i also attended door and window seminars with leading distributors and manufacturers in the nw. building materials turns out to be a bottomless pit of knowledge with infinite potential because of the constantly evolving industry. when you think you know it all is when you realize you hardly know anything. you don't pour the foundation but you know all the metal pieces that go into it. then it's framing, sheeting, siding, trusses, roofing, drywall, and maybe paint. you can supply to subcontractors (electrical, plumbing, hvac, flooring) as well but not always. all the interior design elements such as lighting and kitchen/bathroom is usually separate. i did a lot of veneer as well as stone/rock/retaining wall. knowing floorplans is knowing blueprints and that's engineered planks and beams that are usually laminated materials. so there is some math involved but it's not calculus. the civil engineer is the architect that draws up the blueprints. i'm sorry but an interior designer is NOT an architect! the materials supplier provides for the contractor/real estate developer so anyone who knows anything about real estate knows a good supply guy knows what he is talking about. anyone who doesn't know anything about real estate thinks  the supply guy sells shovels in a store. lumberyards have basically operated the same way for over 100 years and the lumber mill is what revolutionized construction about 150 years ago. the first secret is to know what's in the warehouse and match an item to what the customer is asking for without a bar code or a picture in front of you. then create a list or type it into a computer based on skus you have memorized which will at some point number in the thousands. the 2nd secret is to know what is immediately available in the warehouse/yard and what has to be special ordered. at some point you can look at something from a distance and instantly know what it is and what the dimensions are. well that was me anyway.

I’ve been with Parr for a couple years now, and when I walked in the door, I was ready, bound and determined to be the best employee they had in my position, come heck or high water, while also keeping in mind, it’s a lumber yard. You’re not going to find a much better example of blue collar. So I knew my optimism would Be met with a fair amount of pessimisim in turn. 
But over the course of the years, it wasn’t so much the customers who were jerks that wore on me(and believe me, there are plenty. But they are nicely balanced with some of the coolest customers ever), but rather a fairly large number of my coworkers. If you make a mistake, rather then be shown the correct way to do things, most will just wait for the consequences to blow up in the most dramatic way possible, just so they can sit back, watch the show, and store the incident away for an example of how little the company actually cares about its people, in a later conversation. And how it’s best to just be apathetic towards your career goals here, as without the blessing of higher up, you’ll never advance anyway. No matter how hard you try. 

Which is far from true. There are SO many opportunities available. Beyond the employee benefits, the advancement programs are there if you can just show the right person at the right time, you’re worth the investment. 
But again, the unfortunate reality is that the number of those that are genuinely interested in helping anyone other then themselves, or doing anything more then what is defined in their own job description TO THE LETTER AND NOT A MODICUM OF EFFORT MORE. . . are few. . . 

 So, if you are of the finite group of people, that have incredibly thick skin, a near indomitable spirit, a work ethic that is unrivaled, an insatiable desire to succeed, and at least a sliver of ability to schmooze on a corporate level, then yes. PARR lumber is a company where you can go far. And they will feather your journey with a great employee benefits package(don’t expect to make more then $15-$20 an hour for the first 2 or 3 years tho), Christmas parties where they give away genuinely cool stuff, golf trips, visa gift cards and swag bags, and much more. 

But as I said, be warned you who lack the leather skin, or who require the frequent  “atta boy” to carry on. Or you who are strive to gain acceptance from your peers, or who need to be shown how to do things rather then just picking them up by watching others(yes, even stuff that obviously require in depth training to understand, as in most cases, there isn’t enough staff to dedicate someone to train the newbie, and even if there were, it’s a culture of “sink or swim”). For here, in these yards, or within the doors of these stores, you will find none. 

I worked for Parr's Hillsboro location for 4 1/2 years, loved the customers, the variety of jobs I did, and my hard working co-workers.
I moved to Parr Lumber Logistics, and from the day I started I regretted my decision on transferring. The management was horrible! Their management tactics were not for the best of the company, nor the employee. Everyone that had a senior supervisor job never worked in the yards, working their way up (like the parr lumber used to be run). So they did not understand how the jobs below them work. They used scare tactics to get you to respect them, instead of actually showing you they know how to do the jobs they are "managing". My job was threatened on numerous occasions, no chance at advancement, and a complete lack of respect/strong disrespect from the management. I also work as a firefighter and I have class every Thursday, I have since before I started with parr lumber, and they knew about it from the get go. When we change to new hours 10:30am-7pm(ish), they would not honor that I had schooling, and adjust my schedule one day a week to accommodate it. It resulted in numerous meeting with the CFO and HR of the company, and ultimately me leaving the company. 

It is a good company, if you have no kids or family, are a kid wanting a summer job. 
Certain stores have better management than others, but in the long run, you will fall into the same category everyone else does.

My typical day at Parr was very busy, but I like being busy.
Towards the winter time, it did slow down and I would get laid-off, which led me to needing to find different employment when I went through a family crisis and needed to have a job.
I learned some of the lumber industry as I attended several seminars with co-workers for further education regarding learning how to interact with customers when I would be answering phones or helping out at the front counter.
The management at the time was mixed.  The manager was very "hot-headed" at times, but lax at others, and not very professional, but the assistant manager was very professional and a very reliable resource.  Neither one are still with the company anymore.
My co-workers were great to work with.  We all got along, and it was a fun environment to be in.
I really did not have any difficulty in my job, except I was not really trained to work at the counter to help, and was sometimes asked to help, which I did struggle with, and that was awkward, but I worked through it, and customers always were forgiving.
The most enjoyable part of this job was being the only one that did my job.  I had control of how it was done, and being organized was easier because I knew how I had set up my work to be done.

Used to be a great,  family based company.  Management is completely lacking in ethics and support. The only way to move up in this company is against most people's morals. Pay is not great,  benefits are expensive, write ups for infractions are based on whether or not you've upset management on any given day. Same rules do not apply to everyone.  HR is an absolute joke and will not support their employees even when they're more than deserving of some help and support. Turn over rate is extremely high due to being overworked,  under paid,  not valued by Management and everyone  under Management is considered & treated as disposable.  Drivers are routinely ordered to carry over weight loads and basic maintenance of vehicles is routinely ignored by Management.  After making a career out of Parr, then new management taking over and turning it into a place of fear, stress, and extremely low morale, if I was able to give it zero stars I would. If you're looking for a job where you're valued, where family values and morals mean something,  or that pays on a level with like businesses,  this is not it. 

   Parr Lumber is unlike any place that I have worked before. They have a comprehensive benefits package, a program for advancement, and clearly defined expectations, and timeframes, for your evaluations.
   The senior leadership make it a point to travel to every yard they can in a year. I work in a store that is separated from the closest yard by at least 130mi, and we see them out here every year for the customer appreciation cook out. There is also an anonymous Employee Survey that goes out annually that does prompt changes to Parr policy. 
   There is a strong culture of customer service both internal and external. We are to treat our customers, other yards, and vendors well. One of the things that I enjoy about this industry, is that you will build relationships with your customers. As you learn and grow you will become a resource for the contractor, and homeowner. 
   So, if you like helping others, being treated well, and compensated fairly for your time. this might be the place for you.

I joined PARR a little over 3 months ago and so far, things have been going very well. The onboarding process was by far one of the best experiences I have had compared with any other organization I've worked for. PARR made me feel as if I belonged from the very beginning. My manager and peers have been very receptive, and everyone is eager to do what's needed to grow the business.  Parr does a good job communicating relevant information and I have learned a lot about the industry trends and projections along the way.  The most difficult part of the job so far has been working through the transition with the ERP changes that are coming up. Pulling needed data to make important decisions has been challenging, hence the need for the change so this is to be expected. I enjoy the receptiveness from my team as we have begun to reshape our operational mindset and priorities. 

Parr was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. Until it wasn’t. There were promises made that weren’t kept. But it’s almost entirely based on who likes you, and who doesn’t. Which that itself is based largely on your attitude, your work ethic, and what you contribute. A lot of coworkers get treated poorly by their managers because their managers are under an ENORMOUS amount of stress. And yes, stuff rolls down hill. If you can persevere under that, keep a smile on your face and work hard, they will show you love. But if you give even a hint of being more of a liability then a benefit, your life will become very hard. 

Expect to work long hours, as most yards are under staffed. A lot of the managers are great. They work SO hard, but are handcuffed. If you can be there, present, sober, and honest, you will be an asset, and shown love. But don’t show any flaws. Because it will bite you in the end.  

In many ways Parr is a great place to work. The atmosphere is generally fun and low stress and coworkers and management are usually helpful and caring. The schedule is accommodating for the most part and fairly flexible to family and lifestyle. Bonuses are decent but not guaranteed, and extra perks include purchasing most items near cost. 

One of the downside is company culture is extremely cliquey and if you aren't on the inside you won't be moving anywhere quickly. Being a family-owned company isn't always a good thing with favoritism and nepotism sometimes coming into play. Advancement opportunities are usually available but often require sacrifices and concessions. Employee reviews and compensation are arbitrary and subject to the whims of current management. 

The largest issue is that a billion dollar company seems unwilling to compensate employees what they are actually worth which results in frequent staffing shortages which increases stress and workload.

This is a great place to work. Parr is a family owned company that truly cares about its customers and employees. The work environment is relaxed but fast paced. There is always something to do. If you are motivated and willing to learn you can do anything that you want with this company.

Insurance is awesome, bonuses, overtime, flexibility, and training opportunities anywhere you want to learn. But if you don’t want to work hard this is probably not the career for you.

There are only two negatives to working here. One is that advancement can be slow because people tend to stick around. So, if you’re not willing to relocate and looking to advance quickly that may be a problem. Second, while the pay is respectable it is low for some of the positions. But this can be overcome by always taking advancement opportunities.

Overall, it would be hard to find a better place to work than Parr. If you’re looking for a career and not just a job, this is the place to be.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Order picker 1 salary reported	$21.26 per hour
Builder 41 salaries reported	$23.00 per hour
Lumber associate 29 salaries reported	$20.58 per hour
Driver 20 salaries reported	$27.38 per hour
Truck driver 11 salaries reported	$28.93 per hour

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