It isn’t just families that are packing it up and relocating in search of jobs and opportunities during the Bakken oil boom. Market savvy businesses looking to grow and take advantage of an underserved building supplies market are also making calculated plans to set up shop.
That’s good news for folks with construction projects set to take place.
One such business set to open for business in Culbertson in early February is Western Building Center, a hardware and building materials center catering to both commercial and residential construction. They are currently assisting customers via truck deliveries through their distribution yard in Columbia Falls, while waiting for the final nod of approval from the state before officially opening their newly built store.
Located on 10 acres just southeast of town off Highway 16, the store encompasses 4,800 square feet while the expansive warehouse connected to the store exceeds 7,200 square feet and includes materials such as engineered wood, dimensional lumber, insulation, siding and cabinets.
“The economy is depressed on the Northwest side of the state. The company was already making a lot of deliveries in the area and a lot of those contractors and companies were screaming for us to come here,” said Jeffrey Martin, partner and store manager.
Another attractive reason for coming was the fact that it would significantly lower the cost of freight and shipping expenditures. “It is very exciting to come to a new area and to field test an entirely new market,” he added.
Once it is up and running, the business will provide nearly a dozen jobs for local residents.
Martin started in the retail lumber and hardware business 22 years ago with a company known as Woody’s before it was bought by Western Building Center and renamed in 2000.
Martin came to Culbertson in August to oversee the building of the new location which was constructed by Makers Construction of Culbertson. The project broke ground just after Labor Day. To date, all that’s left to do is finish with putting up the siding and exterior electrical work.
Once the store is open, Martin will be staying in the area and heading up the office. HIs wife, Jenell and two children, Sheridan, 16, and Jacob, 12 joined him in mid-October. Their daughter, Camille, 23, lives in Missoula.
Jenell will be working in the sales department of the store.
“We are all just so excited to be here and witness everything that is taking place in this area,” Jenell Martin said. ”
The family has tentative plans of building a home in the area but for now is living in a small trailer on the store property.
Like many other businesses struggling with the challenges of servicing a growing community with a limited pool of potential employees, Martin said he is aware of the challenges that may lie ahead. “Competition in the labor force is going to be a challenge for us just like everyone else when it comes to staffing,” he commented.
Their building component plant is located in Columbia Falls and manufactures roof trusses, pre-fabricated wall panels and floor trusses.
The company has been serving Northwest Montana for 60 years and has other store locations in Kalispell, Evergreen, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Eureka, Libby, Ronan, Polson and Stevensville.
For more information, log on to http://www.westernbuildingcenter.com or contact Jeff at (406) 787-5880.
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