Author: Eric Williams

Back in 1990, Roy Lamb, his dad and his brother built the first cooler and freezer in Second Harvest’s then brand-new warehouse. Today, Roy and the Lambco team are nearly finished with a major expansion of that cooler and freezer space—adding 3,025 square feet to our existing 13,000 square feet. 

That project wasn’t their first for us. “In 1986, we built the first cooler and freezer for Second Harvest, at the building off Maxwell Road,” he recently recalled. “We built it out of used equipment from a grocery store.” 

Roy is appreciative of Second Harvest President and CEO Jason Clark’s dedication to being thrifty. More importantly, Roy is dedicated to the nonprofit’s mission of fighting hunger, feeding hope. Thus, much of what goes into a new cooler and a new freezer is donated, including the labor.  

“Roy and his crew have the completely deserved reputation as the best in the business,” said Clark. “They make it possible for us to get platinum-quality infrastructure on a food bank budget.” 

Moreover, Lambco found a way to fit Second Harvest’s upgrade into a jam-packed schedule. The company doesn’t have a website or sales department, yet is always more than busy, and most projects are custom. While the bulk of its business is in the Inland Northwest, Lambco recently shipped a made-to-order component to a client in Tampa, Florida.   

“We only build or design what you can’t find on Amazon.” 

Roy is a big, soft-spoken guy with an even bigger heart. Jill Wilson, who is at Second Harvest’s front desk in Spokane, has known Roy since long before she joined us, and calls him “the gentle giant.” Notably, she adds, “He has the same crew working for him that he had 15 years ago. That tells you a lot.” 

Actually, that’s not quite correct—some of Roy’s crew are family members of former employees. Many organizations and companies talk about being like a family. Lambco really is one. 

“We have a multi-generational workforce,” Roy said, and that same ethos is in every aspect of the company. “We’ve been taking care of the same clientele we’ve always had,” he added. He can methodically name clients from 50 years ago, when his parents began the business. While Roy of course knows the names of those businesses, his contact list is punctuated with the names of people rather than just companies.

Seeing the team construct the new space in our Spokane warehouse, it’s clear they have that balance of taking their work seriously and thoroughly enjoying it. “It’s fun, even exciting,” Roy said. “Every box is different.” 

Not only are the new boxes at our warehouse different, they’re vital for us to better serve our neighbors who need food assistance by greatly increasing our ability to preserve donated food. 

No one understands or appreciates that more than Roy Lamb. “We love what you do here.”