The Building Center hosts U.S. Senator Marshall
The Building Center, based in Marion, Kan., recently played host to U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas).
A tour of the Building Center’s yard and facilities included the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and the Mid-America Lumbermens Association (MLA).
Prior to the tour, Marshall met with company leaders and industry representatives to discuss issues impacting lumber and building material dealers in Kansas and legislation that would boost housing construction.
“I always value the opportunity to meet with hard-working small business owners to learn more about the issues, concerns and opportunities facing their business and industry,” Marshall said. “Small businesses are the backbone of our state’s economy so it is important that we continue to listen to our business owners to understand how we can better serve them in Washington D.C."
The Building Center is a small family-owned lumber yard. The dealer said it is focused on bringing competitively priced name-brand products to rural locations in Kansas.
As a one-stop shop for building needs, the company offers a variety of top-quality lumber and concrete, premium tools and appliances, and all building materials for construction projects of any scope or size.
The Building Center operates locations in Marion and Hillsboro, Kansas.
The tour was led by Morgan Wheeler, owner and president of The Building Center and a seventh-generation Kansan, and CEO John Wheeler. Morgan's uncle, Jason Wheeler is a long-time resident of the Marion County area and is part owner, serving as the company's vice president of operations.
"It was an honor to host U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and his staff,” said Morgan Wheeler. “As a small family-owned business, we are proud of the products and services we provide to our customers and neighbors in Kansas, and we thank Senator Marshall for visiting The Building Center to discuss the building industry and see firsthand how we serve our communities.”
First elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and then the U.S. Senate in 2020, Marshall serves on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where he is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Forestry.
Marshall also sits on the Senate Small Business Committee; the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee; and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over workforce development issues.
Before entering politics, Marshall practiced medicine for more than 25 years and served in the Army Reserves for seven years.
“The Mid-America Lumbermens Association was honored to play a role in Senator Marshall’s visit to The Building Center,” said MLA Regional Field Manager Mike Lindblom. “We extend a sincere thank you to the Wheeler family for being such great hosts. Senator Marshall has been a champion for many of our industry’s issues and is genuinely interested in our long-term success and for him to visit and witness first-hand the work lumber dealers do every day was beneficial for all.”
The NLBMDA also thanked Marshall for being a supporter and cosponsor of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (S.1136), a bipartisan bill that strengthens the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and would help build over 2 million additional affordable homes over the next decade while supporting the creation of nearly 3 million jobs.
The bill, which directly addresses America’s affordable housing crisis, currently has 34 Senate and 170 House cosponsors.
