Hillsboro, Ore.-based Parr Lumber Co. says it has opened an outlet in Spokane Valley and expects to employ 20 people there as soon as it gets the new operation up to full speed.

Parr's recently leased 2-acre lumber yard includes 5,700 square feet of warehouse space, and is located in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park, at 3808 N. Sullivan, says Tim Kellar, the company's yard manager here. Parr's initial customers here primarily will be residential building contractors, he says.

In addition to lumber, Parr carries doors, siding, decking, fencing, and tools.

Kellar says Parr has served contractors here from its Pasco yard for about four years, but the Spokane Valley location will allow the company to focus on expanding within the Spokane market.

"This is part of our long-term plan," he says. "I'm relocating here with my family from Pasco."

The company says its job openings here include load organizers, drivers, forklift operators, and sales people.

Parr operates 27 lumber yards in five states, including five in Washington. Although Parr has some retail outlets, it isn't planning to expand into retail sales here in the near future, Kellar says.

"We won't have a retail storefront while we're leasing space," he says.

The 80-year-old company was founded in Vancouver, Wash., by Dwight Parr, and three of his grandchildren have active roles within the company today.

Parr's parent company, Parr Co., consists of six building-product and service companies, including Parr Cabinet Outlet, Cascade Wholesale Hardware Inc., Northwest Structural Components LLC, NSC Installation LLC, and Parr Marketing Group.