84 Lumber Co., an Eighty Four, Pa.-based building materials chain, plans to open a large manufacturing and wholesale operation in Post Falls this summer to serve Inland Northwest contractors, says company spokeswoman Robyn Hall.


The project is expected to start soon, although she cant be more specific, Hall says.


Once the permits go through, well start construction immediately, Hall says. We have a target opening date of May or June. Last week, the city of Post Falls issued eight building permits with a combined valuation of about $4.3 million to Pierce Hardy Limited Partnership for the planned facility.


The privately-held company plans to erect eight structures with about 91,000 combined square feet of space on a 20-acre site in the Stateline Business Park, a planned 48-acre commercial and light-industrial development at the western edge of Post Falls near the Washington-Idaho border. 84 Lumber is expected to be the parks first occupant.


84 Lumbers main building in the park will have about 35,000 square feet of floor space, and will include a large showroom and space for a sales operation. At least two buildings will be used for manufacturing and assembling trusses and other building materials, and the other buildings will be used for storage and maintenance, Hall says.


She declined to disclose the estimated project cost.


The 49-year-old company employs more than 8,000 people, and has more than 500 stores across the U.S., with the majority of them located on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Eighty Four, Pa., is about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh.


Hall says she doesnt know how many employees would be hired at the Post Falls facility, but that the company will start recruiting people to work there in the near future. She declines to say what those jobs will pay.


The building materials supplier hopes to take advantage of the Inland Northwests strong housing market, Hall says. The store will be the companys first foray into the Northwest market.


When we build a new store, we look at the housing starts in that region, Hall says. Theres tremendous growth in that area.


84 Lumber had sales of $3.6 billion in 2004, up from $2.6 billion the year before, Hall says.


The company, which was founded in 1956, sells large quantities of plywood, drywall, oriented strand board, and lumber. It also sells siding, trusses, finishing materials, and plumbing and electrical products.


Ninety-five percent of our business is with professional contractors, and the other 5 percent are the do-it-yourselfers, Hall says. We are open to the public.