Homeowner's Headquarters - 125 Years of Dedication to Quality, Service, and You

Mid-Cape’s original store in Chatham.

Mid-Cape Home Centers has been a local business here on the Cape & Islands and Southeastern Massachusetts for 125 years. From a small lumber yard in Chatham with only three team members, to six locations and dozens of delivery trucks, Mid-Cape is excited to be celebrating its 125^th year in 2020.

In 1895, Oscar C. Nickerson, captain of a schooner off the coasts of Cape Cod, decided to settle down with his family and purchase a local lumber yard in the area. Oscar had previous experience with lumber as a ship cargo, so he was very knowledgeable of the industry prior to taking part in it. He and his family passed on the legacy of the business for generations.

Mid-Cape Home Centers has always been, and always will be, a family business for so many. Jim Baker, Lumber Buyer, who has been with Mid-Cape for several decades, tells about his family ties within the company. “I started at Nickerson Lumber (Mid-Cape) in Wellfleet in 1969 part-time. I was 14 years old. When I started, I was the seventh member of my family to be employed by Nickerson Lumber…It was a family business then as it is today.” Not only do some employees work alongside their family members, but the team at Mid-Cape is a family. The familial aspect of the company speaks to its success and longevity.

Major renovations took place at the Orleans location in 1935.

Over the years, Mid-Cape expanded its business to Orleans, Wellfleet, South Dennis, Martha’s Vineyard, Middleboro, and most recently Falmouth. Changing names from Nickerson Lumber Co. to Mid-Cape Home Centers, growing to many locations, and welcoming new ownership in 2012, the company has gone through many changes over the years and has emerged stronger than ever.

The company also values teamwork, quality products, and unbeatable service. The customer experience is always their main focus. Mid-Cape’s President, Jack Stevenson, recalls when he began to consider joining the team: “As I began to study the company, it was an intriguing opportunity with the combination of the contractor business and the retail business that are both prevalent at Mid-Cape. I came up for an interview and I was blown away by the quality of the team.”

A ribbon cutting at the Middleboro location’s Kitchen and Bath showroom.

In the last several years, following the transfer to new owner Jeff Plank in 2012, Mid-Cape has made quite a few fantastic additions to its leadership team. “The leadership of Mid-Cape Home Centers today is the best it’s ever been, in all the years that I’ve been here,” says Linda Hutchinson, Controller at Mid-Cape, who has been with the organization nearly thirty-six years. “(The) executive leadership of the company, I think, has grown and improved leaps and bounds, because… they take a look at the whole picture, they take a look at the company as a whole, they take a look at the community, they take a look at the products that we sell, they take a look at how we’re reaching out to people.”

Mid-Cape Home Centers is also known for extending a hand to the community and getting involved in local causes. From working on several events and projects with Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, Housing Assistance Corporation, and the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, to supporting local veterans through Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center, to getting involved in community Touch-A-Trucks, to donating to countless local causes each year, to hosting its very own Annual First Responder Appreciation Day and fundraiser, Mid-Cape remains dedicated to caring for the community.

All that Mid-Cape Home Centers is, and all that they stand for, can be summarized in three words: ‘Experience that Builds.’ Crystal Pieschel, Marketing Director and one of the newest additions to Mid-Cape’s leadership team, explains her vision behind the Mid-Cape ‘Experience that Builds’ campaign: “I was trying to think of a way to summarize who Mid-Cape is and what we provide to our customers… ‘Experience that Builds,’ it means a lot of different things. It means it’s an experience that builds over time and getting better every day, and also an experience that builds houses for our customers. Ultimately, it’s an experience that will continue to build over time.” ‘Experience that Builds’ is summed up in nine words: service, delivery, customers, people, support, products, quality, teamwork, and community, and all are equally important to the team at Mid-Cape. As President Jack Stevenson adds, looking at all these aspects that drive their focus, “You can’t just think about yourself.”

Mid-Cape Home Centers knows that the ‘Experience that Builds’ cannot be possible without their extraordinary team. Even just in the past five years or so, Mid-Cape’s team has grown by sixty-percent or more. Stevenson explains his excitement seeing the teamwork between those who have been with the company for many years and the newest additions: “Some of the older people are learning from the newer people and some of the newer people are learning from the older people. To see all that come together is very exciting to me.” Mid-Cape values the growth and careers of its employees, and is glad to take on new people who are willing to learn. Stevenson continues, “If you put your shoulder to the wheel and you want to work, you can grow in this organization.” Mid-Cape encourages teamwork in all aspects of the business. “We work as a team as opposed to individual locations or individual departments,” explains Hutchinson. The Mid-Cape team is what propels the growth and expansion of the organization.

Mid-Cape Home Centers’ South Dennis headquarters.

There is a reason that customers, local businesses, and community members, continue to look to Mid-Cape Home Centers, even after 125 years. Stevenson highlights, “I think the reason people are coming back is because we listen to the customer. It’s not about us, it’s about the customer, and if we keep listening to the customer, we’ll continue to grow and flourish.” When someone walks into Mid-Cape, they know it isn’t simply about the transaction but also about building relationships, and growing within the local community. As Crystal Pieschel emphasizes, “I think we have so many loyal partners across the board, even loyal communities that have allowed us to be around for 125 years, because of the experience that we provide.” She adds, “I think they see that we’re here to stay, that we’re here to grow, and we’re not taking that for granted.”

Between the quality products and services offered, the community focus of the company, customer loyalty, and the cohesiveness of the Mid-Cape team, there is no question that this 125-year-old local business has tremendous room for potential, even after all these years. In fact, the leadership team at Mid-Cape sees only opportunity for more expansion and development. Pieschel says, “I really feel like we’re just starting to tap into some of that potential and that makes the future really exciting.” President Jack Stevenson adds, “We fall back on the history that we’re so proud of, but we’re more focused on the future which is so exciting for us.”