Spokane Hardware Supply Inc., a Spokane distributor of hardware mostly to home builders, plans to begin construction of an 11,000-square-foot addition to its warehouse and store at East Trent to meet growing sales volume from its Internet operation.


The new store, which will be added onto the north side of the companys 21,000-square-foot-facility at 2001 E. Trent, is expected to cost $750,000.


Once its completed, the company will move its metal door manufacturing shop and about a dozen offices into the new addition from the main building. That will allow Spokane Hardware to increase its merchandise storage capacity to meet growing sales, says owner Steve Northrop.


Were running out of room, says Northrop. It is nuts around here. We have four or five people sharing an office. Well be able to increase our efficiency with more elbow room.


The longtime company has been located at the same East Trent location for 47 years. Northrop says he expanded and remodeled the building in 1986.


Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane, will build the addition, and Atwood-Hinzman Inc., of Spokane, designed it. The four-month project is scheduled to be finished by fall.


Although its Internet sales are strong, Spokane Hardware has its core customers in Eastern Washington, North Idaho, and Western Montana. It has one branch location in Coeur dAlene. In addition to distributing products other companies make, it manufactures at its metal door-making shop steel doors and door frames for commercial buildings.


Northrop says sales have been increasing in the last two or three years, boosted largely by Internet sales, which now account for 35 percent of the companys business volume.


Its doubling every 18 months, he says. Weve gotten 110 million hits on our (Web) sites. Were not tied down geographically anymore. Were shipping stuff all over the world.


Currently, Spokane Hardware employs 42 people. Northrop says more employees will be hired after the addition is finished. Were going to hire a couple more people for our Internet services, one or two for the metal shop, and one more for our showroom, he says.