Lampert Lumber Offers Ladies Tool Night

Roger Bergen, manager of Lampert Lumber in Sister Bay, escorts me throughout the store – past paint swatches, flooring displays, and a popcorn machine…

“You want some?” he asks.

“Oh, no thank you,” I respond.

On to the drills, the screwdrivers, and a slew of other tools I’m not sure the name of, much less what their purpose is.

Though my father, an engineer, has a workshop and I’ve accompanied him on many an epic hardware stop, I’m not too familiar with the tools in the workshop and feel less than confident about taking on projects like tiling a floor or even repainting my bedroom. That’s what Lampert Lumber wants to change for women like me.

To encourage and educate women about the products they have available and how to use anything from drills to tile cutters to wet saws to screw guns to saws, they will host Ladies Tool Night on Sept. 26 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm.

“The idea [of Ladies Night] was to get those who don’t traditionally think of the lumberyard as a place to go, as a place to come,” says Bergen. “We want to empower [women] with more information, show them what’s available and let them play with the tools and see how they work, without worrying about being mocked.”

Lampert Lumber hosted their first Ladies Night this spring, and it was a success. “The first event had 64 women, from ages 80 to 18,” says Bergen. “I like the fact that they were multi-generational and felt they could come, the old and the young. We had working members of the community and affluent members who wanted to learn and were kind of shocked at what they find here – a lot of flooring options, cabinet options, and it’s not hard to put together.”

After the event many women approached Lampert Lumber asking that more tools be demonstrated.

On Sept. 26, representatives from many of Lampert Lumber’s vendors will be on hand to discuss their products including Valspar (paint), DeWalt (power tools), Trex (wood-alternative outdoor living products), and Amerock (cabinets). The event will also feature free wine and hors d’oeuvres from the Mission Grille, along with chocolate and door prizes.

“This is a golden opportunity to experience Lampert in a new way, it will be a very active evening,” says Bergen, who also says each participant will receive a free “goodie bag” with coupons, catalogs, and more.

“We’ve come a long way in our image with female buyers,” says Bergen. “Female buyers are the real decision-makers when it comes to what is getting done inside the home and we think they should understand what’s going on – even if a contractor is doing the project.”

For those who wish to take on the project themselves, Bergen says, “If I can do it, you can do it.”

Lampert Lumber is located at 2603 S. Bay Shore Drive in Sister Bay. (There are also locations in Sturgeon Bay and on Washington Island.) For more information call 920.854.2341 or visit lampertlumber.com.