Lumber company opens ‘appetizer version’ of larger store coming to Idaho Falls in 2027
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IDAHO FALLS – Franklin Building Supply, a Boise-based lumber company, celebrated the opening of its newest location in Idaho Falls Wednesday.
The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting at 2241 East Industrial Boulevard. The Idaho Falls store is the company’s 18th location, according to its website.
During Wednesday’s celebration, Bryce Luker, the company’s regional manager, told those in attendance the Idaho Falls store has been a long time coming and he’s thrilled to see it become a reality.
“Within about three months of (the Pocatello) store opening, Franklin came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’d really like to be in Idaho Falls,” Luker said. “That was 2003. I really don’t want to go into too much detail about why it took over 20 years to get a location in Idaho Falls, but I will say now is the right time for us to be here.”
Luker said Franklin Building Supply prides itself on being “a little different” from other lumber yards. Not only does it deliver wood and other materials to contractors on the job site, but it also has a retail store. The company has five door shops devoted exclusively to hanging doors for customers.
There are also several truss manufacturing plants and installation divisions that install everything from wood framing to flooring, countertops and cabinets.
Another thing that makes the company unique is that it’s employee-owned.
Later, Levi Smith, the company’s CEO, noted that the new store is an “appetizer version” of a much larger location slated to open in 2027. He didn’t disclose the location in his remarks.
EastIdahoNews.com caught up with Smith after the ribbon-cutting for additional information. Smith says the idea of opening a store in Idaho Falls had been an ongoing conversation for more than two decades. They’d been serving the Idaho Falls area from the Pocatello store during that time and kept an eye on the growth. The influx of people during the COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for making the Idaho Falls store a reality.
“Over here (in Idaho Falls), it always felt … like more of a stretch (to serve customers here). It was more challenging because it wasn’t a continuous urban sector from one city to the next,” Smith explains. “This (new location) will allow us to serve this market better.”
Smith says it also sets up the company for future growth, including the larger building coming in 2027.
Smith says plans for the location are still being finalized. They’re hoping to close on it before the end of the year. The exact location will be announced once construction is ready to get underway.
Regarding why they decided to open a smaller location instead of waiting to open the larger building, Smith says it’s about getting established.
“Opening this location now allows us to establish the team that is going to operate that larger location. They can get used to operating a smaller location so that (transition) to operating a larger location is a smaller step,” he says. “It also establishes a new rhythm and pattern with customers.”
Franklin Building Supply was founded in Boise in 1976 by Dick Lierz and Bud Fisher, according to a historical timeline on display at the ribbon-cutting. Over the years, it’s grown to include locations throughout Idaho and Nevada. In 1999, Lierz’ son, Rick, and his wife, Rhonda, bought 50% ownership of the company. Smith replaced Rick as the CEO in 2016.
The Idaho Falls store is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.