84 Lumber Company · Eighty Four, PA United States

With its utilitarian stores (most don't have heat or air conditioning), 84 Lumber has built itself up to be a leading low-cost provider of lumber and building materials and services. Through about 320 stores in more than 35 states, the company, which is the nation's largest privately held building-materials retailer, sells lumber, siding, drywall, windows, and other supplies, as well as plans to construct decks, garages, and houses. Its 84 Components subsidiary operates about a dozen manufacturing plants that make floor and roof trusses and wall panels. Its stores are mainly in the Northeast, Midwest, and South; the firm also sells products internationally. CEO Joseph Hardy Sr. founded 84 Lumber in 1956. To read the full description, subscribe now.