Matt’s Building Materials operates 3 locations (and counting), employs over 180 employees, has a fleet of over 22 delivery vehicles to support the ongoing demand, and is a local leader in many categories – Lumber, plywood, insulation, roofing, paint, water heaters, flooring, & many more.
Matt’s Building Materials opens it first new location in over 47 years off of the expressway in Palmview with the aid and direction of this sons & co-owners – Jeremy, Isaac, & Ben. Danny’s youngest son, Ben, becomes the General Manager of the new location.
Matt’s Building Materials sees an increase in business of 3% during the 2008 housing market crash where competitors in the same market were losing 20-50% of business during the same time. When asked about the situation as to why the increase in business Danny has no clue. His response is, “we are blessed beyond what we know.”
Danny and his wife, Diana Smith purchase locations from owner Ira Matt. Take over all operations and ownership. Name is changed to “Matt’s Building Materials”.
Danny, feeling strongly about his faith, decides to close on Sundays even with increases in competition. Expecting a loss in sales, Danny hopes & prays for the best, but something unexpected happens – instead of a decrease in sales there was actually an increase in sales. More business was done in 6 days instead of 7. Business continues.
Ira Matt, becomes owner of Pharr & San Benito locations. He renames locations to – “Matt’s Cash & Carry Building Materials”. Danny Smith is brought in to aid in managing, purchasing, marketing, & overseeing operations of both locations. Matt’s selling philosophy - Matt’s decides to be the only lumberyard and building materials store to cater to the Hispanic community. People think that they are crazy for doing so. (Needless to say, Matt’s is the only business of its kind still in operation today)
September 20th, 1967 Hurricane Beulah slams lower South Texas with hurricane force winds and massive flooding causing catastrophic damage to homes all over south Texas. Just after, “Valley Cash & Carry Building Materials” are created in Pharr & San Benito.
Danny is the heart and soul of the company. No one person has had as much of an impact as...
In 1976 Oscar was a high school teacher at PSJA and a brand new father. Looking for ways...
Luis Mancillas is one of the owners of the company. He didn’t start there though. The su...
Jeremy is the oldest of the three brothers. Rather than start his career at Matt’s, Jerem...
Isaac, like his brothers, grew up living and breathing the business. Starting off in the ...
As the youngest of three brothers, Ben had big shoes to fill. Learning the different depar...
Hilda is one of the key employees that keeps Matt’s Building Materials operating on a dail...
David has been with the company for over 23 years. Demonstrating a strong work ethic, he h...
After 10 years of being with the company, Enrique is one of Matt’s best salesmen. With a ...
Sergio has been with the company since 2006. Like many of their best employees, Sergio st...
Working at Matt’s Building Materials is kind of like adopting a second family. Ask Crista...
Nathan Cain is the marketing director of Matt’s Building Materials, and a former award win...
"We are to pass our blessings on to others" -Danny Smith, CEO
We are grateful to the community that has supported our business year in and year out. We are passionate about many causes and love to help our community grow and thrive. Matt's is happy to offer a helping hand when and where we can.
We are from the Rio Grande Valley. Our kids go to school here. We support and want to grow our local schools because we know that has a direct impact on our community. Every year we support countless students who are athletes, band members, choir members, or involved in extracurricular activities in some way or another. Annually, $10,000 in college scholarships is given to local students who are going on to higher education. We strongly believe that these students will be the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs who will take on crucial roles in shaping our community for generations to come.
Because we are local, we know that it is important to serve and support our local organizations such as bank, charities, cities & non-profits. Our direct effort is to ensure that the money that is made here stays here. We love growing and serving local organizations and seeing our local community grow.
We are Christians, first and foremost, before we are business owners. We know that is not the most popular thing to advertise and not the most politically correct thing to say, but we are not ashamed of it and we never will be. We know exactly where our blessings come from (James 1:17, Luke 6:38). Regardless of denomination or background, we love to work with churches in building, encouraging, growing, & supporting ministries that embody the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20). We offer contractor discounts, reduced or free delivery charges, & low margin on special orders to church organizations that we partner with for their projects that may have going on. Every year, with churches and local missionaries, we help provide material to build homes across the valley and the northern border of Mexico. It’s a small part, but we are blessed to do what we can with what God has given us. “We exist to pass our blessings onto others.” – Danny Smith
Pharr - Danny is the heart and soul of the company. No one person has had as much of an impact as he has. For over 45 years he has led the company, from a small single location in San Benito to 3 stores located across the valley. If you asked him what made him successful he would tell you it’s because of his faith, hard work, and surrounding himself with the right people. Danny is a man of great faith who firmly believes that his blessings come from God. He lives his life in a way that others can see his faith on a daily basis. People are drawn to his genuine personality and loving heart. He leads by example, never asking his employees to do a job that he wouldn’t do himself. There are many employees who have proudly worked for Matt’s for over 20 years, a testament to Danny’s skill as a manager and leader. When Danny purchased the business from Ira Matt in 2003, he recognized the hard work of his two long-time managers and friends, Oscar Sandoval and Luis Mancillas, by making them co-owners of the business. In addition, he has brought his three sons into the business and helped them become an effective team. The success of Matt’s Building Materials is a reflection of Danny’s dedication to the business and his employees.
Pharr - In 1976 Oscar was a high school teacher at PSJA and a brand new father. Looking for ways to bring in extra money for his family during the summer, Oscar started working for Matt’s Cash & Carry Building Materials part-time loading and doing manual labor. Danny quickly recognized that Oscar had the work ethic and education to help solve problems with the company’s collections. Before he headed back to his job as a teacher, Danny asked Oscar if he would stay with the company and run the credit department. Within a couple of years, Oscar had drastically improved the credit department and learned many other facets of the business as well. Like all of the current owners, Oscar put in the work, staying late when he had to, and doubling as the Pharr store’s floor manager for the better part of three years. As the company grew, Oscar’s role in keeping Matt’s finances in tip-top shape made him an indispensable member of the team. In 2003, as recognition of the work he had done, he was invited to become one of the owners of the company. After 40 years of being with the company, he is set to retire from the company.
Pharr - Luis Mancillas is one of the owners of the company. He didn’t start there though. The summer after his freshman year at PSJA, Luis got his first job working at Matt’s Cash & Carry Building Materials as a loader. By the time he was 21, Luis had already worked in several areas of the business and was in charge of the returns/security department. Luis was eager to learn and take on more responsibilities, so he persistently asked Danny if he could assist in purchasing. Danny eventually relented and Luis started working as his assistant and purchasing clerk. Luis picked up on much of the nuances of purchasing just by watching and asking questions and, within a couple of years, Luis was in charge of ordering many of the hard lines for the business. As a small company Luis was required to learn many different roles and spent time as a foreman and operations supervisor before becoming one of the store’s owners in 2003. He is now responsible for keeping the store running on a daily basis, managing their fleet of vehicles, overseeing the door and window shops, as well as hiring for the lumber yard in Pharr.
San Benito - Jeremy is the oldest of the three brothers. Rather than start his career at Matt’s, Jeremy attended the University of Houston and worked as a delivery driver for a Houston-based logistics company. After graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration/Management, Jeremy was promoted several times until he was general manager for the company. When Danny needed someone to help revitalize Matt’s San Benito store, he asked Jeremy to come back to the Rio Grande Valley and help run the family business. Since then, Jeremy has been heavily involved with Matt’s commodities purchasing and has helped the San Benito store nearly double its sales.
Pharr - Isaac, like his brothers, grew up living and breathing the business. Starting off in the lumber yard at the age of 15, he learned the building material’s side of the company. During high school and college, Isaac worked his way through the store learning about each of the departments. After graduating from UTPA with a B.S. in Business Administration/Management, Isaac was promoted to a management position handling purchasing of a few small product lines and assisting in running the store. After a few years, Isaac began purchasing more product lines and took over the marketing of the business. In 2012, Isaac won the Young Retailer of The Year award from the National Association of Hardware Retailers. Isaac is now responsible for purchasing most of the hard lines and flooring for all of the locations, as well as helping run the Pharr location.
Palmview - As the youngest of three brothers, Ben had big shoes to fill. Learning the different departments while working during high school and college, he was ready to make his mark on the business. After graduating with a B.S. in business administration/management from UTPA, Ben set his sights on updating the company’s aging point of sale system. Ben spent the better part of two years researching different options, installing new equipment, and training staff to use the new system. With the new POS system in place, Ben and the company were eager to take the next step in the business’s future: opening the first new store in over 40 years. Ben played an instrumental role in preparing for the new store, planning the layout, overseeing construction, and tailoring the store’s inventory to match the area’s needs. Now that the Palmview location is open, Ben runs the store as general manager, while maintaining his responsibilities as the company’s Chief Information/Technology Officer.
Pharr - Hilda is one of the key employees that keeps Matt’s Building Materials operating on a daily basis. She joined the company right after graduating high school and has been with them ever since. She started off as a part-time cashier, moved into a receptionist position in the main office, and eventually began to take over accounts payable and payroll. Hilda now handles most inbound and outbound payments for both the retail company and the real estate company. Her sunny disposition and ability to stay on top of her responsibilities make her an integral part of the Matt’s team.
Pharr - David has been with the company for over 23 years. Demonstrating a strong work ethic, he has worked his way up through the company. He started off as a customer service assistant, before taking on new responsibilities as a cashier, paint salesman, and eventually floor manager. David’s responsibilities continue to grow as he takes on purchasing of various hard line products, as well as managing the in-house sales staff. David also handles sales to all municipal, school, and strategic accounts.
Pharr - After 10 years of being with the company, Enrique is one of Matt’s best salesmen. With a broad knowledge of both building materials and construction, he knows what builders and contractors need to get the job done. He is excellent at reading blue prints and making suggestions to builders that can save them time and money. Starting off as a customer service assistant and eventually becoming a salesman, Enrique holds the record for Matt’s highest sales by an individual, selling over $1,000,000 of materials in a two month period. Even though Enrique is a Houston Texans fan, he remains a valuable member of the Matt’s team.
Pharr - Sergio has been with the company since 2006. Like many of their best employees, Sergio started off working as a customer service assistant. He quickly learned about the store and products and was promoted to working in sales for the vanities department. Eventually he took a department leader position in the paints department before finally becoming one of the main salesmen. In his current role, Sergio has distinguished himself as a go-getter that was willing to put in the extra work and learn the skills needed to excel. Sergio has learned how to read blue prints so that builders can have an accurate quote on the materials they need. It is Sergio’s desire to give outstanding customer service that has made him one of the best salesmen at Matt’s Building Materials.
Pharr - Working at Matt’s Building Materials is kind of like adopting a second family. Ask Cristal, she knows better than most. Starting off as one of Matt’s cashiers, she was one of the few women who worked on the store floor at the time. It was intimidating at first, but she quickly got the hang of things. As a fast learner, it didn’t take her long to be moved to the credit desk and then into sales for the paint department. When they needed an assistant store manager, Cristal was a natural fit for the role. Her easy smile and outgoing personality make her great at working with customers. She ensures the CSAs and cashiers are trained well and keeps things moving on the store floor. Matt’s strives to be a company that treats its customers like family, and Cristal is one of the employees that makes that possible.
Pharr - Nathan Cain is the marketing director of Matt’s Building Materials, and a former award winning account executive of the Valley Town Crier. He’s lived in a lot places including Houston, Fort Worth, Delaware, the Kingdom of Tonga in the south pacific, and has called the Rio Grande Valley home since 2002. He studied Psychology at the University of Texas Pan-American, but did not find his true passion until he started working in advertising. A life-long learner, Nathan is always working to keep up with the ever changing world of marketing and advertising. As marketing director he is responsible for traditional advertising, digital advertising, event marketing, and sponsorships.
Don’t forget that in addition to our in-store service, we are taking orders by phone & through the chat feature on our website. To find out more about our new ordering options & curbside service, click here.