MARYSVILLE — Although Parr Lumber moved into the former Marysville Coca-Cola bottling plant at 7610 47th Ave. NE in January of this year, after three months of renovations, they waited until the weather was a bit nicer to introduce themselves to the community, with an official grand opening celebration and spring barbecue.

“Parr Lumber had been looking for a property in North Snohomish County for a couple of years,” said Doug Nelson, manager of Parr Lumber in Marysville, even as a touch of wind and some drops of rain made themselves uninvited guests to the midday meal. “When they saw what this site had to offer, they decided it was a great match.”

Nelson pointed to the site’s yard layout, sturdy fence, paved surfaces and well-designed warehouse as attractive features, but he also singled out the surrounding community.

“We’re very community oriented at Parr Lumber,” Nelson said on Friday, April 27, as visitors stopped by to grab hot dogs and hamburgers while chatting to a host of home improvement experts in the fields of decking, fencing, railing, windows, doors, siding, millwork, tools and hardware that were on site. “We have good relationships with our vendors, and want to show our customers what they have to offer.”

Nelson touted Parr Lumber’s status as a family-owned company since the 1930s, and noted that such family-friendly barbecue events for the public are a relatively common occurrence for the company.

“We are absolutely open to the public,” Nelson said. “There’s a perception we are wholesalers only, and that is not true. We believe in building relationships with our customers. We’re happy to be in Marysville.”

While the Parr company does serve as a wholesale distributor of tools, hardware and supplies for professional builders and independent lumberyards, it also carries oak, maple, cherry and birch cabinets, as well as a selection of appliances, countertops and hardware, and serves homeowners in addition to professional contractors.

Parr Lumber is open Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call 425-259-7277, email mgr28@parr.com or log onto www.parr.com.