Woman retires from Aurora lumber company

AURORA -- In some ways, not much has changed about Alexander Lumber Co. Since its inception in 1891, the Aurora company has remained a family-owned company, now in its third generation.

Ask the employees, and they'll tell you there's nothing wrong with that. Especially if you ask Charlene Zimmerman.

After 44 years at Alexander Lumber, Zimmerman retired Wednesday. Co-workers threw her a four-day celebration that included a trolley ride to the Chicago Botanical Garden, two potlucks and a cookout prepared by district managers on her last day.

The 62-year-old has worked her way up from an entry-level job she took out of high school to company treasurer, a post she's held for the past 15 years.

She has never worked for any other company. And some of her colleagues have been with the company for more than 25 years, which is pretty common, said President Walter Alexander.

When it comes to loyalty and employee retention, Alexander Lumber is not among the sea of employers that have experienced turnover, layoffs and less local management.

"They're just a wonderful family to work for. They really care about their employees," Zimmerman said, as her co-workers surprised her with a bright-red trolley waiting outside the office at Plum Street and Redwood Drive.

In Zimmerman's opinion, today's working world has changed, but she's not so sure it's for the better.

Zimmerman, who grew up between rural Compton and Paw Paw, graduated high school in 1963, a time when most women became secretaries or teachers, she said.

"I wasn't really interested in going to college, but I always wanted to do office work and I was good at math," she said.

She soon landed a bookkeeping job at an Alexander Lumber in Compton and remained there until the company shut down the yard because of low demand. The company, which supplies lumber to contractors and homebuilders throughout the Midwest, then opened its corporate headquarters in Aurora, where it had an existing lumber yard downtown. Zimmerman followed the company until becoming treasurer.

"They let me expand my horizons to get into bookkeeping and accounting," she said. "They saw in me that that was what I wanted to do."

The company has also become her family for the past 44 years.

Two of Zimmerman's favorite things are chocolate and flowers, and up until her last days with the company, she was showered with both. It wasn't hard for co-workers to contribute.

Colleagues personalized M&M candies with Zimmerman's name. She also received roses, lilies, tulips and hydrangeas, which she'll likely plant in her garden in rural Compton, where she'll retire.

"We didn't really have to ask what she liked," says Gail Moe, the vice president of finance. "After 44 years, you really get to know somebody."

When Zimmerman leaves, managers expect to appoint a few people to take on her duties. And possibly the most difficult thing about Zimmerman's retirement is that they'll need someone to loosen up the office come 4 p.m., when work winds down for the day.

"Charlene has a very infectious laugh," Alexander said. "You hear this roar and you hear other people laughing in the same vein at about the same time every day."