S E R V I C E S

The Lester Group was established in 1896 by G.T. Lester in Martinsville, Virginia. At the time, The Lester Group was known as the Lester Lumber Company, and consisted of a small sawmill and planning mill, with a small tract of timber land. Over the course of its first 100 years, the company has grown into a multi-faceted operation with the strength to survive two major fires and numerous economic highs and lows. Today, The Lester Group, Inc. consists of :

• Two Home Centers: Lester Home Center in Martinsville, VA and The Jim Carpenter Company in Fredericksburg, VA.
   

• Fortress Wood Products, a pressure treatment wood business.
   

• Lester Properties & Lester Development, managers and developers of commercial, retail, residential, and subdivision properties.
   

• Spring Lakes, a quality neighborhood in Staunton, VA.

Along with these companies, a "sister" company, Lester Development Corporation, was started in 1974. Lester Development Corporation consists of six shopping centers, numerous free-standing restaurants and commercial/industrial buildings, and is the parent company of SpeedWay Center, Inc., which currently has seven convenience store/car wash operations.