Well conceived Washington store

11 N excellent new retail operation in .fa\the Greater Seattle area is the new Lumbermen's of Washington outlet that opened recently on Bainbridge Island, near the City of Winslow.

It has gained solid acceptance since being opened for business May I 5, with the grand openingheld July I l-13. The corporation is headed by Bob Slettedahl, a prominent figure in retail lumber and building materials in the Pacific Northwest. He has also devoted considerable time to the Western Building Material Assn., often in the area of financial management, and has served on committees with the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Assn.

Built on five acres, the store building is 80' x 180' with a26'cantilevered overhang running on the 180' side. The main store display area is 80'x 80' with an immediately adjacent warehouse area that measures 80' x 100'.

The office area has been elevated between the store and the warehouse areas, giving the manager and others a full view of both operating areas below.

The walls of the building are 22' high, which not only allows for standup lumber displays, but for the possibility of adding a second floor in the future. The height level is carried through the entire display area.

The five acres of land for the facility cost $75,000, with land clearing, grading and fill $ 15,000. Complete cost for the building was $175,000. Some $17.500 went for crushed rock and 6,000 sq. yards of asphalt involved in site improvement and the paved parking areas.

Additionally required were two trucks, two forklifts, electronic cash register plus all the office furniture and related office equipment.

Display fixtures, store decor plus metal and wood storage racks added another $20,000 to the overall startup cost. Stated costs total $302,500.

Keith Kincaid, coordinator of merchandising and advertising, estimates that the investment will require a volume of about $ I million annually for profitable operation. He notes that the success of the first few months of operation indicate that this figure is easily within reach for their first fiscal year beginning December l.

Story at a Glance

New Bainbridge lsland (Seattle) facility of Lumbermen's of Washington drew well from opening, with volume increasing over the first months black ink "is easily within reach for lst fiscal year."

Lumberman's of Washington is a privately owned corporation that also has yards in Shelton and Lynnwood, Washington. It also operates two home construction divisions and does electrical and plumbing contracting out of the Shelton operation.

There are about 80 employees and the firm does an annual volume of more than $6 million.