On January 1, 2022, I was on vacation with my family when a long-time customer of ours called me. “There is smoke coming from your store” were the first words he said after I answered. At first, I dismissed it, but when the calls kept coming, I knew something was very wrong. Within an hour, we had packed our bags and headed back home. I’ll never forget the sight of those black clouds on the horizon growing bigger as we drove back into Pharr, Texas.
Matt’s “Cash & Carry” Building Materials has always been my second home. The business was named after the original owner, Ira Matt. My father worked for Ira for over 40 years before taking over as owner. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are playing in the store. Throughout my high school and college years, I worked in the lumberyard, and for nearly 20 years, I managed the store alongside my mother, father, and two brothers.
By the time I arrived at the store that day, there were already five fire trucks on the scene, with more on the way. The firemen told us that they would do what they could to save the store, but their priority was to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby businesses and homes. With nothing else I could do, I prayed with the family, friends, and employees who had gathered in the parking lot next door. The fire raged for nearly 30 hours, destroying the 120,000-square foot timber-framed store, warehouse, and door shop. Despite the pain, we were fortunate that no one was hurt, and the lumberyard was spared.
Matt's Building Materials has been an LMC Dealer since 2021.