Photo by Samantha Davis: Lonnie Lambertus Sr. is owner of Tyler Lumber and Tyler Hardware, and has been in the building industry since 1990. The Tyler Lumber Company Board of Directors also owns the Flandreau Building Center in South Dakota.

TYLER — Playing a role in helping people achieve their property dreams and beyond is what truly drives Lonnie Lambertus Sr. in his professional career, as owner of both Tyler Lumber and Tyler Hardware. 

Lambertus has over 30 decades of experience in the building industry, who initially got his start at Tyler Lumber in April of 1990 and hasn’t left since. Tyler Lumber is a full-service lumberyard and hardware store, and Tyler Hardware is another in-town source for a plethora of equipment. 

“I love when I can help a homeowner fulfill their dreams,” Lambertus said. “If you come to me, and you want to build a new house, or new shed or something like that, and they say, ‘Yes, we’re going to do this,’ and when they see the finished product, and you see the smile on their face, that’s it for me. That is really nice.” 

Most recently, Lambertus and the Tyler Lumber Company Board of Directors voted to purchase Hardware Hank in February 2025, which was then renamed to Tyler Hardware. 

“It was a year ago this month (February), that we voted to purchase the hardware store, and that was Hardware Hank. The owners were getting ready to retire, and we said yeah, so we made a deal and we took over on April 1st last year,” Lambertus said. “It’s been going good, very good.” 

In addition to Tyler Lumber and Tyler Hardware, the Tyler Lumber Company Board of Directors also voted to purchase a lumberyard in Flandreau, South Dakota, in October of 2018, which has been renamed to the Flandreau Building Center. 

“In 2018, I knew about this yard in Flandreau, South Dakota, that was up for sale … On my way out to my quarterly meeting, I stopped by there and had a conversation with the owners. I brought that back in front of the board, then in October of that year, we wanted to purchase it. Then, December 1st, we started that,” Lambertus said regarding how the project came about. “So, it’s been very good for me out there, too.” 

But, Lambertus’ tenured-career originally got its start after he graduated from Southwest State University, now Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, in 1990 with a degree in agribusiness management with a cooperative concentration.

After working in the yard, delivering materials, working as a draftsman and estimator and helping with other operations for a number of years at Tyler Lumber, Lambertus became the sixth general manager of Tyler Lumber in 2008, as he currently still is. 

“We are a full-service lumberyard. We draw plans, we give estimates … Build new homes. Got some very nice homes underneath my belt, and we’ve got some nice homes going up right now … I got approximately eight to 12 new homes for the year coming up,” Lambertus said. “There’s some new homes on the north end of town … All those new homes, that’s us. I got homes all over the area. I got homes in Vesta, Fulda, Worthington, out in Flandreau, South Dakota, northwest Iowa, Lake Benton.” 

Lambertus also noted that Tyler Lumber is involved in the new Tyler Public Library building construction as well. 

Tyler Lumber was originally founded in 1903 by a group of seven men, for the purpose of buying and selling lumber and hardware to the area. Impressively, the business surpassed the $6-million mark in sales in 2022, after its first-ever year of sales was recorded at $6,765. 

“I have been very happy with my journey, and I am very pleased with how things have [gone],” Lambertus said. “Like I tell everybody, I really don’t have a job, because I enjoy coming to work. I really, truly do, because I get to help people.” 

Tyler Lumber specializes in house plans, remodeling, interior design like cabinets and countertops, doors and windows, and can also help with building special orders like calf shelters, dog houses and more, along with selling hardware and equipment.

Tyler Hardware sells equipment and has resources for a variety of projects such as home improvement, lawn and garden care, office supplies, sporting goods, storage, electrical, automotive, pet supplies and more. 

With his office decorated in memorabilia and souvenirs of red tractors, Lambertus was originally born and raised on a dairy and hog farm south of Milford, Iowa. He has been married to his wife Janice for 37 years, and they share two children and seven grandchildren. 

Lambertus has also served on the South Dakota Retailer Lumber Association (SDRLA) Board for several years, and was president from 2020 to 2022. He most recently was honored as the 2026 Lumberman of the Year by the SDRLA in February. 

When it comes down to what continues to inspire Lambertus in his day-to-day job, it’s making a true impact in his community and beyond in making one’s hopes and visions become a reality. 

“Meeting with customers and making their dreams come true, that’s the satisfaction. If you come in for anything, and you want something done, we are going to help you out,” Lambertus said. “From the dirt work, to you walking into your new home.”