ABOUT ELLIS LUMBER CO. — SHELBY, NC SINCE 1946
A family-owned lumber, kiln drying, and heat treating operation built from the ground up on a cotton field in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
STARTED ON A COTTON FIELD.
BUILT TO LAST A LIFETIME.
On July 30, 1946 — his 25th birthday — William Yancey Ellis made a decision that would shape Cleveland County's industrial landscape for the next eight decades. He cleared a cotton field on South Lafayette Street in Shelby, North Carolina, and built a shed to house a planer mill. It was a modest beginning, but it was his.
Cleveland County in 1946 was cotton country — in fact, two years later it would produce more cotton per acre than any other county in the United States. But Yancey saw the region's future in lumber. As one of the first local lumber yards in Cleveland County, Ellis Lumber supplied quality lumber and hardware to local residents, contractors, and builders who were constructing homes and businesses in the postwar boom.
Yancey Ellis ran the company he built until late in his life, and passed away on July 10, 2021, just 20 days before what would have been both his 100th birthday and the company's 75th anniversary. The business he founded on that cotton field continues today, still family-owned, still operating from Shelby.
"Ellis Lumber Company's service and satisfaction guarantee is assured to all of our customers."
EIGHT DECADES OF GROWTH
From a single planer mill to one of the Southeast's largest kiln drying operations.
A Birthday and a Business
On July 30, 1946 — his 25th birthday — William Yancey Ellis cleared a cotton field on South Lafayette Street and built a shed to house a planer mill. Cleveland County was still one of the most productive cotton-growing regions in the country, but Yancey saw opportunity in lumber. Ellis Lumber Company was born, becoming one of the first local lumber yards in Cleveland County, supplying quality lumber and hardware to residents and builders across the region.
The First Kiln
As demand for properly dried lumber grew, Ellis invested in the company's first dry kiln — a major capital commitment for a young business. The kiln allowed Ellis to offer kiln-dried hardwood and pine lumber at a time when most competitors were selling green lumber. This early investment in quality set the standard that would define the company for decades.
Expanding Into Wood Preservation
Ellis installed a wood preserving plant, broadening the company's capabilities beyond milling and drying. The preserving operation allowed Ellis to treat lumber for use in applications requiring greater durability and resistance to decay — serving contractors, builders, and industrial customers throughout the Carolinas.
Growing the Kiln Capacity
Over the following decade, two additional kilns were added to the operation, tripling the company's drying capacity. This expansion positioned Ellis Lumber as a serious regional player in custom kiln drying — capable of handling volume orders from commercial and industrial customers that smaller operations simply could not accommodate.
ISPM 15 Certification
When the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM 15) took effect in the United States in 2005, requiring heat treatment of all wood packaging materials for international shipment, Ellis was positioned to meet the demand. The company became fully ISPM 15 certified, offering compliant heat treatment for wooden pallets, crates, and dunnage — opening a significant new market in export logistics and international shipping.
One of the Southeast's Largest Operations
Nearly eight decades after Yancey Ellis cleared that cotton field, the company he built has grown into one of the largest dry kiln operations for wooden pallets and custom lumber in the Southeast. Still family-owned and still operating from Shelby, NC, Ellis Lumber continues to serve industrial and commercial customers with the same commitment to quality and reliability that has defined the business since 1946.
WHAT SETS US APART
Family Owned
Founded by a single man on his 25th birthday, Ellis Lumber has remained in family hands across multiple generations. That continuity means long-term relationships, consistent standards, and accountability that larger corporate operations cannot match.
Certified & Compliant
Our heat treating operation is fully ISPM 15 certified, meeting the international phytosanitary standards required for wood packaging materials crossing international borders. Customers can rely on our documentation and marking for customs compliance.
Quality at Every Stage
From the planer mill Yancey built in 1946 to today's multi-kiln operation, quality has never been optional. We kiln dry to specification, mill to order, and stand behind every board and pallet that leaves our yard.
Industrial Capacity
One of the largest custom kiln drying operations in the Southeast, we have the capacity to handle high-volume commercial and industrial orders on the timelines our customers need — without sacrificing the personal service of a family business.
ROOTED IN SHELBY, NC
Yancey Ellis was not just a businessman — he was a fixture of the Shelby community. A member of Zoar Baptist Church for 76 years, the Shelby Lions' Club for 67 years, and the Ruritan Club, he embodied the civic spirit that has always been part of what Ellis Lumber represents. His passion extended to the history of the region: as a charter member of the Clinchfield National Historical Railway Society, he spent 27 years preserving the railroad heritage of the Carolina mountains, and in the 1990s walked 190 miles of track between Charlotte and Erwin, Tennessee.
That deep connection to place — to Cleveland County, to Shelby, to the people who live and work here — remains part of the company's identity. When you work with Ellis Lumber, you are working with a business that has been part of this community for nearly 80 years and intends to be here for many more.