‘Busting at the seams.’ Bradenton-area building supply warehouse moves to new location

James A. Jones Jr.
·3 min read

84 Lumber, the nation’s largest privately held building materials company and a major supplier to builders in the booming Bradenton-area housing market, recently moved into new quarters.

In 2021, the company purchased the property at 1315 17th St. E., Palmetto, formerly the world headquarters for Feld Entertainment/Ringling Brothers, for $4.1 million in an all-cash deal.

Feld moved its operations from that site in 2012 onto a 47-acre campus previously occupied by General Electric and Siemens at 2001 N. U.S. 301, Ellenton.

84 Lumber began doing business at 2800 15th St. E., Bradenton, in 2006 in 34,500 square feet of space. The Palmetto location offers 10 acres of space and three buildings, each measuring 20,000 square feet.

“We were busting at the seams,” store manager Buzz Bowman said of the Bradenton location. “We couldn’t get trucks in or out.”

84 Lumber was planning to move into a larger space before the latest building boom hit Florida.

84 Lumber moves to Palmetto

At the Palmetto store, 84 Lumber’s No. 1 customer is Neal Communities, the largest Bradenton-based builder.

The company also supplies national builders like D.R. Horton, KB Home, Lennar and more.

All of the framing kits sitting on this concrete pad at 84 Lumber in Palmetto were expected to be delivered to building sites within 24 hours. The building materials are delivered to Palmetto by rail.
All of the framing kits sitting on this concrete pad at 84 Lumber in Palmetto were expected to be delivered to building sites within 24 hours. The building materials are delivered to Palmetto by rail.

Top sellers at 84 Lumber are framing kits, lumber, doors and windows, said assistant store manager Chris Harding.

Most of the materials are stored in warehouses on the premises.

But the framing kits, siting on an outdoor concrete pad next to a railroad boxcar that delivered them to Palmetto, will all be gone in a day, such is the pace of building in Manatee County, Harding said.

With the much larger footprint, 84 Lumber has space to grow, Bowman said.

“We look forward to a bright future ahead,” he said.

The company also caters to do-it-your-selfers, said Bowman, who has worked at 84 Lumber for nearly 29 years.

84 Lumber, a major supplier to builders in the booming Bradenton area housing market, recently moved into new quarters at 1315 17th St. E., Palmetto.
84 Lumber, a major supplier to builders in the booming Bradenton area housing market, recently moved into new quarters at 1315 17th St. E., Palmetto.

“Our Florida presence has had a great impact on our business for many years,” 84 Lumber owner and CEO Maggie Hardy said in a news release.

“Outgrowing our Bradenton location is proof that we are not only determined to bring in more business but that we are dedicated to doing everything we can to make our customers successful and satisfied. This new store location will allow us to continue to give this market exactly what it needs,” she said.

Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber now has facilities in 33 states.

84 Lumber offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall, according to the company web page.

$100,000 company donation

At its opening in February, 84 Lumber donated $100,000 to the Fisher House Foundation’s Bay Pines Fisher House.

The foundation is working on opening a second Fisher House home, allowing military families and veterans staying at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center in Bay Pines a place to stay while loved ones are receiving care.

The second house will allow Bay Pines to provide more than 9,000 nights of lodging for families each year, saving more than a million dollars annually in lodging and transportation costs.

What to know

▪ Name: 84 Lumber

▪ Address: 1315 17th St. E., Palmetto

▪ Days and hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Closed Sunday

▪ Phone: (941) 750-9984

▪ Online: https://www.84lumber.com/