84 Lumber
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| Private | |
| Industry | Building materials and retail |
| Founded | November 14, 1956 |
| Headquarters | Eighty Four, Pennsylvania |
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Key people
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Joe Hardy (founder) Maggie Hardy Magerko (president and owner) |
| Products | Building materials and supplies |
| Revenue |
 $2.5 billion (2015) |
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Number of employees
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approx. 5,000 |
| Website | www |
84 Lumber is an American building materials supply company. Founded in 1956 by Joseph Hardy, it derives its name from the town of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh, where its headquarters are based.
84 Lumber owns and operates over 250 stores, and the company operates components plants, door shops, installation centers and wood products shops in 30 states. As of 2012, they reportedly employ 4,900 employees.
Located 20 mi (32 km) south of Pittsburgh, 84 Lumber established its roots in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, a rural community that has endured as a farmland community. 84 Lumber flourished with the funds and determination of Ed Ryan and Jack Kunkle, Joe Hardy and his two brothers Norman and Bob Hardy. Together, these men collected 84,000 dollars for land and buildings to grow their business. As the business expanded, Hardy and his brothers became sole owners of the company.
84 Lumber established a cash and carry system; customers paid by cash or check, if merchandise was unable to be “carried” out, an additional charge was implemented to have the item personally delivered.
Throughout the 1960s, 84 Lumber continued to expand locations. This was accomplished largely by keeping overhead low and adopting a 'no frills' warehouse-style approach to most of its stores (many of which are unheated, even in cold-climate locations), as most of its clients were commercial customers not overly concerned with aesthetics or the like. But during the 1970s, 84 Lumber’s business grew and the company opened 229 stores.
In 1984, the company undertook an expansion plan to open at least 30 new stores. Along with grand openings, stores were remodeled and renovated from no-frills lumber yards to new and improved building materials stores. In 1987, as the improvement plan generated success the business opened their strict policy of cash-and-carry to options of using credit.
In 1991, 84 Lumber topped Pro Sales magazine’s “Dealer 100” list.
After 34 years of running the company, Joe Hardy appointed his daughter Maggie Hardy Magerko president and owner in 1992. Joe Hardy passed 40 percent of the company stock to Maggie that year as well, and added another 40 percent the following year. With a new leader, 84 Lumber continued to expand, opening its 400th store in 1997 in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.
In 1999, 84 Lumber opened its first “84 Plus” retail store in Graysville, Tennessee. The store, designed by Maggie Hardy Magerko, carried about 12,000 products and was meant to increase the company’s profits by selling products at a higher profit margin. Soon enough, over a hundred 84 Plus stores opened.
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Wikipedia