Alton “Al” McCoy was a self-made man. He learned ocean navigation at the Portland library, eventually sailed all over the world and earned himself the rank of captain. During World War II, Al ran the entire United Fruit Company fleet successfully for the United States government.
Al McCoy
During his travels, he established ties with some hardwood companies on the east coast and began distributing hardwood flooring throughout the greater Portland, OR area. In 1946, Al founded McCoy Lumber. Al and his wife were the first employees and ran a small boutique business out of a small storefront at 15th and Johnson in Northwest Portland. Eventually, Al began to diversify his products. He worked with local craftsmen to provide high quality moldings, stair parts, and specialty millwork for residential construction. The company moved to a larger facility located at 1313 NW Glisan St., a five story red brick building that was filled with character but badly in need of air conditioning. It became referred to as McCoy Door. A small handful of loyal employees maintained that location until the late ‘70s. Al’s biggest success was surrounding himself with good people and some really unique architectural millwork.
In December 1979, Alton McCoy passed away. Several employees of McCoy Door, including Larry Corwin, then purchased McCoy Door. Larry had been with the company since the age of 20, and had worked his way up to general manager.
The following years were the defining ones for the McCoy Group. The new owners had to establish themselves in a quickly changing market without the wisdom of a pipe-smoking sea captain. They discovered that with the loss of Al, they lost an innovative marketer, a discerning eye for product, and a wellspring of general wisdom. To honor these qualities, the group decided to focus on quality, exceptional service, expertise, and integrity. Larry Corwin became the McCoy Millwork president and sole owner of the McCoy Group, and has continued Al’s tradition of surrounding himself with good people and unique architectural millwork.
With renewed focus on service and quality, McCoy Millwork found a receptive audience in the smaller builders and remodelers. In 1993, the McCoy Group found that it was necessary to expand the company’s space to better support its growing client base. A new location was chosen, a 30,000 sq. ft. warehouse with enough room to stock an assorted supply of specialized moldings that have been specifically designed for the local and historical Northwest. The new location also allowed for the 3,000 sq. ft. McCoy Millwork Showroom, which successfully inspires home owners, designers, contractors and renovation enthusiasts. McCoy Millwork is now located just east of the Willamette River in the Southeast Industrial area, just south of Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).
McCoy’s product focus continues to be specialty mounding and millwork for residential construction and remodeling. The business consists of, but is not limited to, stair parts, doors, moldings, custom crafted mantels, columns, and ornamental carvings. The company has spent extensive time researching and sourcing products that work well in the older homes of the Pacific Northwest community. The product lines available are of the highest quality. Materials come in a variety of price ranges. Most of McCoy’s vendors are local and represent the best possible standards of environmental stewardship in the molding industry sourcing North American hardwoods and softwoods at every opportunity.
McCoy Millwork is proud to have provided continued support to the Portland area remodelers and homeowners for 63 years, and is very excited to be part of this city’s great architectural heritage for many years to come.
McCoy Millwork
342 SE Caruthers Street, Portland, OR 97293
503-236-0995
www.mccoymillwork.com
