84 Lumber consolidates in six markets

The industry’s third largest pro dealer closed nine stores and a truss plant on March 24 in an effort to consolidate locations or leave unprofitable markets. The shut units, whose operations will be moved to nearby locations, are: Frederick and Seabrook, Md.; Omaha, Neb.; Covington, Ga.; Loveland, Colo.; Tampa and Sarasota, Fla.

The company also closed locations in California. In Sacramento, a store and a truss plant were shut down on March 17. Customers of that location will be served out of Auburn, Calif., which was expanded last year, and 84 Lumber will contract with a third party truss fabricator.

84 Lumber decided to exit the Santa Rosa market, 50 miles north of San Francisco, altogether.

“Housing starts have been woefully low for the past six months,” said Jeff Nobers, vp-corporate communications and marketing. “It’s an older, smaller store, so it really didn’t fit our model.”

The company opened a new California location in Hesperia, in the Central Valley, on March 24.