84 lumber
84 lumber started out as a lumber store. today, lumber is still our number one commodity .
84 lumber is still planning to air its first super bowl spot, a 90 - second extravaganza of a buy. credit: 84 lumber
with over 60 years of experience as a lumber company, 84 lumber has unmatched expertise in both product and service .
tiny living by 84 lumber provides a unique opportunity to live happily with less .
84 lumber is always looking for individuals who think independently and take initiative. we want individuals who build themselves and build the business. are you 84 lumber material ?
how has 84 lumber managed to work through the u. s. housing slump ?
when it comes to engineered wood products, 84 lumber provides the ultimate in support .
84 lumber offers top - of - the - line roofing materials and roofing supplies .
during the 1970s, 84 lumber’s expansion continued, and the company opened 229 stores .
he “wouldn’t be surprised” if tv spots continue to be part of 84 lumber’s campaign .
this new way of business for 84 lumber meant a new way of chargingthe dreaded accounts receivable .
84 lumber is the one - stop for building materials and building supplies for all of your construction needs .
brunner said the spot “probably” generated greater exposure for 84 lumber than if it had aired as originally planned .
copyright © 2018 84 lumber company, 1019 route 519, eighty four, pa 15330. all rights reserved .
84 lumber' s super bowl ad centers on a mother and daughter traveling through mexico. this is the full ad, which includes the portion fox deemed too controversial to air during the super bowl. (84 lumber )
building supplies retailer 84 lumber announced a corporate reorganization that it said will help the company expand across the country .
browse our current openings to see what 84 lumber jobs are available right now and which jobs match your career goals .
residential. commercial. interior. exterior. whatever your door needs are, 84 lumber door shops have you covered .
84 lumber' s ad featuring an immigrant and her daughter was among the most controversial ads at the super bowl .
it was joe hardy’s vision, entrepreneurial drive, and wholehearted belief that “nothing is impossible” that made 84 lumber a reality .
johnson, walter e. ,' life at 84 lumber,' do - it - yourself retailing, february 1992 .
but, boyd said, it’s a “dangerous game” for 84 lumber to involve politics, especially in the current divisive climate .
update: the day after this story first ran, agency ceo michael brunner confirmed the initial reports regarding the 84 lumber campaign .
a fox sports representative declined to comment, and 84 lumber’s marketing department did not respond to a phone call regarding the campaign .
the initial creative 84 lumber submitted to fox was barred from broadcast because it depicted a wall, which was deemed too controversial .
in the race for super bowl ad spots, 84 lumber was the first to snag a 90 - second slot last month .
in 1992, maggie hardy - magerko was appointed president of 84 lumber company. early in her career, she worked at the bridgeville, pennsylvania 84 lumber store and gradually moved into roles of increasing responsibility. she also serves as the president of nemacolin woodlands resort .
retailer 84 lumber co. and agency brunner inc. revising super bowl spot after network fox rejects politically charged ad - pittsburgh business times
who doesn' t carry 1x2s. 84 lumber doesn' t. it' s common and widely used. thanks for wasting my time 84 lumber. and you wonder why it won' t be long before home depot and lowe' s puts you out of business .
the roving model is the first tiny home launched in the tiny living product line by 84 lumber. for more information visit 84tinyliving. com .
location simply does not care about customer service. i can get pricing and call nacks from home depot. pretty pathetic 84 lumber ...
for over 40 years, 84 lumber experienced meteoric growth, powered by joe’s vision to expand and evolve the business. maggie hardy magerko ushered in a new era in which the company stormed onto the professional contractor market, and the company’s growth continued to skyrocket. with maggie’s tenacious leadership, and the 84 lumber team’s true passion for their company, a new 84 lumber emerged from tough economic times to become the powerhouse it is today .
thanks for considering 84 lumber for your new home purchase. we’ve been supplying home building materials since 1952, and we’re ready to help with yours .
a spokesman for 84 lumber said reaction has split down the middle, with about 50 percent critical of the ad and the other half liking it .
in 1992, after 34 years of running the company, joe hardy appointed his daughter, maggie hardy magerko, president and owner of 84 lumber .
last month, fox rejected the first ad submitted by 84 lumber because it featured a border wall - - a structure that may be too controversial at this time given the political promises of president trump. 84 lumber is working with pittsburgh - based brunner, its agency partner of more than five years .
the commercial was, however, effective in driving traffic to 84 lumber’s website. that is, after all, the goal of every super bowl ad .
“as we look forward in 2017, we see great opportunities across the organization ,
said 84 lumber ceo frank cicero in a statement .
it’s critical to have the right team and the right resources in the right places. with this new divisional reorganization, 84 lumber is poised for strategic growth. ”
though the whole incident may reek of a publicity stunt, brunner insisted that 84 lumber is still planning to air a 90 - second spot in the game, which would carry an estimated price of $ 15 million for the airtime alone. that' s a whopping amount even for super bowl regulars with enormous ad budgets. 84 lumber has about $ 2. 5 billion in sales, according to reports. representatives from 84 lumber did not return messages requesting comment .
84 lumber spent $ 15 million on the spot, the pittsburgh business times reported. but in mid - january, fox reportedly rejected 84 lumber’s initial storyline because of political imagery. the proposed ad would depict a large wall that seemed similar to president donald trump ’s promised border wall, according to ad age .
84 lumber founded itself sandwiched between both sides of a fierce debate, even though owner and president maggie hardy magerko voted for donald trump, according to adweek .
in 1991, 84 lumber was named to the top position on prosales magazine’s “dealer 100” list, an annual ranking of the country’s building materials suppliers by revenues .
' business brisk at 84 lumber co.' s new convenience store prototype,' do - it - yourself retailing, april 1999, p. 23 .
the industry trade publication adweek declared the 84 lumber ad as the super bowl’s best, saying, “as an employee recruitment tactic, it’s remarkably on point. ”
in order to assist its efforts to rebuild affordable housing for gulf coast residents after hurricane katrina, 84 lumber donated 20 lumber packages to the new orleans affiliate of habitat for humanity. the homes have been constructed throughout the greater new orleans area .
magerko decided to buck them all and bet everything she had, from her jewelry collection to her personal checking account, on her ability to turn 84 lumber around .
on december 9, 2006, 84 lumber and the harrison county affiliate of habitat for humanity held the dedication of 13 homes on south carolina ave. in gulfport, mississippi. all materials for the homes, as well as seven others built in gulfport and biloxi, were donated by 84 lumber following the devastation of hurricane katrina .
to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, 84 lumber teamed with local contractors and pga tour players and their wives to build this habitat home in 50 hours. watch video .
local retailer 84 lumber co. is revising its super bowl ad after the 90 - second spot was rejected by fox because of images the network deemed as politically charged .
continuing reaction to the controversial super bowl commercial his agency created for client 84 lumber co. , is even surprising michael brunner, ceo of downtown - based brunner inc .
fox, the network broadcasting the big game, rejected the 84 lumber ad because of images including a wall that it deemed as politically charged. brunner inc. reworked the spot. it was the first time 84 lumber or the agency opted to advertise nationally during the super bowl, where 30 seconds of air time cost $ 5 million .
“the themes of hard work, dedication and sacrifice found throughout the film are the same ideals valued in 84 lumber employees, ” the company said in a news release sunday. “84 lumber is a 60 - year - old, family - owned american company that doesn’t just have jobs, but careers – with training and opportunities for advancement. ”
the spot is the first national super bowl spot for both 84 lumber and the agency, and, given the going advertising rate during the national football league’s 51st super bowl on feb. 5, will cost $ 15 million to air, just before half - time. it kicks off a yearlong employee recruitment initiative as 84 lumber expands westward .
the 84 lumber delivery program offers superior and reliable delivery services. our dedicated fleet completes millions of deliveries each year. first out deliveries and call - in loads are welcome .
mallory, maria,' the lord of 84 lumber co. is back behind the counter,' business week, june 22, 1992, pp. 80 - 81 .
with a new leader came an evolved vision. 84 lumber continued to expand, opening its 400th store in 1997 in ephrata, pennsylvania, and in 1999, the company opened its first “84 plus” retail store in graysville, tennessee. the store, designed by maggie hardy magerko, carried about 12, 000 products as compared to the 3, 000 – 4, 000 in a traditional 84 lumber, and was divided into shopping sections targeted to professionals and retail shoppers. soon enough, more than one hundred 84 plus stores opened .
84 lumber company is dedicated to being the low cost provider of lumber and building materials to professional builders, remodelers and dedicated do - it - yourselfers, while adding value to our products through a trained, knowledgeable and motivated team of professional sales associates. key dates :
84 lumber company, the nation’s leading privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors and dedicated do - it - yourselfers, celebrates 60 years in business on november 14, 2016 .
“we knew they had concerns, ” said amy smiley, director of marketing for 84 lumber. “they ultimately told us they weren’t going to approve, and we understood that. ”
that and other commercials spurred a backlash on social media and elsewhere. some viewers accused 84 lumber of promoting illegal immigration. others supported the pennsylvania company’s values that promote striving and success .
84 lumber company is a family - run company that has grown from being a no - frills provider of lumber and building supplies that catered almost exclusively to the do - it - yourself market to becoming a preferred vendor of professional contractors. in recent years the company began to export its products, posting impressive sales figures in nine countries, including china, japan, and germany. its new 84 plus store format also has positioned 84 lumber to compete in the home improvement category dominated by such major players as home depot. even as it pursues an aggressive program to build new 84 plus outlets, the company also is converting traditional stores to the concept .
principal competitors: carolina holdings; home depot, inc. ; payless cashways; sutherland lumber .
pennsylvania - based 84 lumber surprised quite a few observers this month when it announced plans to spend several million dollars on a 90 - second ad set to air before halftime of super bowl li .
makes 84 lumber the first - ever major retailer and only large building - materials retailer to tap into this new market and offer competitively priced custom - built houses no bigger than 200 square feet .
didn’t see the exact job you were looking for? then stay connected to see new job openings as they become available. join our talent network to stay informed about future opportunities at 84 lumber .
maggie was not afraid to wield her power. she terminated a number of managers that her father had brought in to run the company; she was unhappy with their buttoned - down look and attitude, which conflicted with the traditional 84 lumber shirts everyone else wore at headquarters. the following year, the 84 lumber company pursued an extensive training and development program, requiring every associate to attend the' 84 university' program to learn about new products and sharpen their sales skills. in 1992, 84 lumber opened a new management training center and dormitory in eighty four, pennsylvania, and throughout the year store managers and other employees from all over the country attended three - day training sessions .
under maggie, 84 lumber reached the $ 1 billion plateau in annual sales. much of the success was due to a renewed commitment to contractor sales, which at 25 percent of the company' s business would climb over the ensuing five years to account for 75 percent. the purchasing executives also anticipated a shortage of materials in 1993 and took steps to make sure that 84 lumber had inventory. many of its competitors were left short. building on this success, maggie would lead 84 lumber to record - breaking sales for the next six years, topping $ 1. 8 billion in 1999 .
take a look at some of the ways we' ve built hope for so many over the years in the areas of community involvement, housing and education – three areas of focus for 84 lumber .
the full, uncut 84 lumber super bowl promotional film. see a mother and daughter’s symbolic migrant journey towards becoming legal american citizens. contains content deemed too controversial for the original ad and banned from broadcast .
you will not often see joe hardy without a cigar between his teeth and the 2004 philanthropist of the year ban & dash; quet in joe’s honor was no exception. as joe sat at the head table listening to others recount stories of the early days of 84 lumber and give just a few examples of the tremendous gifts he and 84 lumber have made to local charities, he continued to chew on his cigar .
84 lumber just aired its immigration - themed super bowl ad, plus the conclusion of the ad' s story on its website, which the construction - supply company billed as
too controversial for tv .
following the ad’s release, traffic to 84 lumber’s website was so intense that the site crashed, people reported. according to its website, 84 lumber is “the nation’s leading privately held supplier of building materials, building supplies, manufactured components and industry - leading services for single - and multi - family residences and commercial buildings. ” the company is headquartered outside of pittsburgh and operates more than 250 stores across the u. s .
, pennsylvania, 84 lumber company is the nation' s leading privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components, and industry - leading services for single - and multi - family residences and commercial buildings. a certified women' s business enterprise owned by maggie hardy magerko, 84 lumber operates more than 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops, and engineered wood product (ewp) centers in 30 states. 84 lumber also offers professional residential and commercial contractors' turnkey installed services for a variety of products including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking, and drywall. for more information please visit
84 lumber said last month the first cut of its ad was rejected by super bowl broadcaster fox for being too political. the ad had featured a
wall
blocking people from looking for work in the us .
unlike the network fox, which ruled thumbs - down on the 84 lumber spot a few weeks before the super bowl, leaving the agency scrambling to retool, there was no heads - up from the nbc show .
some observers read a political subtext into a concept announced several weeks after trump’s surprising win in the presidential election that was fueled in large part by blue collar voters in areas like western pennsylvania, the home of 84 lumber .
we had water damage in our kitchen and had to replace all the kitchen cabinets. we worked with brandt, who is in the ruskin, florida 84 lumber company store. he was wonderful to work with. he helped
the company continued to purchase wood in the united states and in canada. about one - third of its stores were served by railroad, some with direct rail service right to the yard. other 84 lumber stores were supplied through reload centers, where freight from a rail car was loaded onto trucks or further rerouted by rail. this latter practice allowed the company to reduce inventory at a single 84 yard by splitting railcar loads among several yards rather than sending an entire carload to one yard. the reload centers also allowed the company to send both lumber and plywood to its lumber yards. a reload center in aurora, illinois served 84 lumber yards as far east as ohio and as far south as st. louis, missouri; charleston, west virginia; and charlotte, north carolina .
* 84 lumber company is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. applicants who require assistance applying for a position, please call 724 - 288 - 9024. please click here for more information regarding 84 lumber' s equal opportunity employment policy. equal opportunity is the law poster, poster supplement .
that wasn’t the full story. the super bowl ad asked viewers to visit the 84 lumber website if they wanted the rest of the story. the website version included a five - minute “director’s cut” version that concludes with the pair entering the united states through a door in a towering border wall, a direct take on one of the most combustible topics in the country today. viewers logged on to see, and 84 lumber’s site was overwhelmed by the traffic .
, president and owner of 84 lumber .
with our national footprint and commitment to the dedicated do - it - yourselfer, we are uniquely positioned to become a part of this new path to homeownership, and are excited to offer
84 lumber also announced it had hired paul yater as its chief information officer, promoted david cochran to vice president of store operations, jason hinten to vice president of installed sales, and jim barbes to vice president of national sales .
adamson called 84 lumber’s commercial “a miss, ” because like several other advertisers, it was trying to attach itself to a social issue instead of pushing its product. he calls the tactic “borrowed interest, ” and said it usually backfires .
schapiro said 84 lumber is prepared for a strong, negative reaction to its ad :
there are always different points of view and the brand respects those points of view and understands not everyone is going to agree on every issue .
the pennsylvania - based building materials company has been working with pittsburgh agency brunner to create an ad that would fit owner and president maggie hardy magerko ’s hope of recruiting new talent and building brand awareness as 84 lumber expands its national presence .
84 lumber will offer four tiny home models under three packages to accommodate dedicated do - it - yourselfers who want to build their own houses, those who want a move - in ready home, and everyone in between. each model can be customized and all range in size from 150 square feet to 200 square feet (the typical u. s. home is about 2, 600 square feet). 84 lumber brings more accessibility and affordability to the tiny home market by delivering
in 1991, hardy reclaimed a more active role as head of the company and designated his daughter maggie as his heir - apparent to the company presidency. he halted the expansion plans and recommitted the company' s merchandising efforts to the lumber business. but the increasing number of home improvement superstores was still an impediment to 84 lumber' s growth. hardy' s response was to diversify into do - it - yourself home and kitchen design centers. in 1991, 84 lumber opened 24 new kitchen design centers, which featured state - of - the - art computer technology for designing kitchens and baths .
after submitting its first - time super bowl ad to fox for approval, 84 lumber was sent back to the drawing board when the commercial was rejected, according to michael brunner, ceo of the agency behind the spot, pittsburgh - based bruner .
a portion of 84 lumber’s clientele is selling building supplies to mom - and - pop and midsize local contractors. many small home repair business and builders and laborers are first generation immigrants to the united states. the commercial probably spoke loudly to them .
the 61 - year - old company, based 20 miles south of pittsburgh, is the largest privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors and build - it - yourselfers in the u. s. , but wants to get its name out to a wider audience. 84 lumber has more than 250 stores spanning 30 states and is expanding westward. it plans to add at least 20 new stores this year and needs to add staff. at present, 84 lumber employs about 5, 000 .
maggie hardy magerko, 84 lumber’s president and owner, told the new york times she couldn' t understand why it was censored. “i’m flabbergasted by that in today’s day and age. it’s not pornographic, it’s not immoral, it’s not racist. ”
when 84 lumber set about making an ad for the super bowl, the company didn’t expect that their full commercial wouldn’t make it to air. but fox forced the pennsylvania - owned company to cut the ending of the spot, which follows a mother and daughter on a vague “journey north. ” the ending was then supposed to be available on 84 lumber’s website, which, shortly after the first part of the commercial aired on fox, crashed as curious super bowl viewers rushed to find out what happened next .
today, 84 lumber operates 453 stores in 34 states, employs more than 6, 500 associates, and opens about 25 new stores every year. the company went from having practically zero contractor salespersons before the survivor’s speech to more than 1, 500 today .
perhaps the biggest change, one that would have the most impact on 84 lumber in the future, was the introduction of its new' 84 plus' store - - a radical departure from the company' s traditional warehouse approach. aimed at the contemporary do - it - yourselfer, the suburban suv rather than the rural pick - up truck customer, the 20, 000 - square - foot, consumer - friendly units devoted half of their space to a hardware store that offered an expanded line of supplies and a showroom that showcased kitchen, bath, door, and window displays. in december 1999 the company announced that it planned to open 50 84 lumber plus stores each year for the next three years, as well as begin converting old units to the new format. if the building program is a success, 84 lumber will boast 500 stores and be well positioned to continue its pattern of increasing sales .
to help you with budgeting, your 84 lumber associate has instant package pricing available on all of these homes, and can quickly provide you with a written materials estimate. of course, you can tailor your materials package as needed to suit your taste and budget .
telling the tale of a mother with her young daughter and their trek across mexico in hopes of a haven in the united states, the 84 lumber commercial aired in part sunday night. the company directed viewers to its website to view the conclusion of the story .
building supplies company 84 lumber tackled a heap of controversy over the weekend with its carefully - crafted — yet inconclusive — 90 - second super bowl ad featuring a mexican mother and daughter embarking on a difficult journey north that left the viewer wondering where they ended up .
speculated that 84 lumber and brunner deliberately submitted an ad that would be rejected to build up the pr momentum before game day — not least because the ad is being delivered in two parts, meaning production would have needed to begin long before fox rejected the spot .
we maintain an extensive inventory of lumber and plywood in order to fulfill your materials lists quickly. whether it' s a small package or truckloads of materials, you can be assured that we have the high - quality, defect - free lumber you need in stock .
84 lumber will support you throughout your home building process with the commitment of highly trained and motivated associates. from the store associate who prepared your estimate to the yard person who prepared your deliveries, rest assured that we focus on the needs of you and your builder .
rob schapiro, chief creative officer of 84 lumber' s ad agency brunner, told business insider the ad intended to make a
patriotic
statement and aimed to make the company a household name throughout the country as it expands and opens more stores in the us .
taking the original spot to 84 lumber’s website “seemed to be the best strategy we could employ, ” he said. “it was interesting as well to take people to the website because, without doing that, it would have ended where people saw it on tv. ”
joe’s friend of over 50 years, dan hixenbaugh, drove from florida to honor his good friend and former boss. dan told stories about the many gimmicks joe devised to attract more customers to store openings. dan was responsible for the publicity surrounding the openings of new 84 lumber stores, and so it was dan who was responsible for implementing joe’s gimmicks. the audience laughed at hearing about the paul bunyan games, a series of outdoorsy related events that customers could compete in to win cash prizes, and of the 84 lumber blimp that got away .
founded by joe hardy in 1956 in the town of eighty four, pennsylvania – where the original store continues to operate – 84 lumber company (www. 84lumber. com) is the largest privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors in the country. the company operates more than 280 locations in 33 states across the united states, including four component - manufacturing plants. with nearly 3, 800 associates nationwide, 84 lumber company provides professional contractors with quality building materials and industry - leading services, such as risk insurance, financing, and builder plan services .
ordahl said it’s a delicate balance to make your message interesting without turning people off. he singled out automakers kia and honda for lighthearted pieces that dealt with weighty topics like the environment and capturing the human spirit. ordahl said 84 lumber landed on the gloomier side of the ledger .
as the business expanded, hardy and his brothers became sole owners of 84 lumber, and the company entered a new phase of expansion throughout the 1960s. this expansion was accomplished largely by keeping overhead low and adopting a ‘no frills’ warehouse - style approach to most of the stores .
in 2013, 84 lumber increased sales 27 percent over the prior year, generating $ 2. 1 billion in revenue. in 2016, the company continues to expand and has recently announced plans to open at least a dozen new stores and manufacturing facilities in the western united states .
last month, fox rejected the first ad submitted by 84 lumber because it featured a border wall—a structure that may be too controversial at this time given the political promises of president trump. the company is working with pittsburgh - based brunner, its agency partner of more than five years .
he continued: “84 lumber challenged us to create a thought - provoking 90 second spot that would tell the world who 84 lumber is and what they stand for—a company looking for people with grit, determination and heart, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they look like. and while that full story will no longer be told on tv at the super bowl, we all believe too strongly in that message to leave it on the editing room floor. so we are going to launch it during the super bowl and make the full story available online. ”
84 lumber, based in eighty four, penn. , had planned to air a 90 - second spot carrying a heavy message of job recruitment as it tries to ramp up its 5, 100 - employee base. the ad is slated to run before halftime at the feb. 5 event .
cicero believes 84 will pass stock lumber, in part, because of hardy’s personality .
he definitely has an intensity. he is just as intense as he ever was. his intensity makes your intensity go up ,
says cicero, who is now the company’s vice president of store operations .
it was such a dark, dark, dark time ,
she says, wearing a pullover windbreaker and her signature diamond earrings in a drab boardroom at 84' s rural headquarters in eighty four, pa. (the business is named after the town, which changed its name from smithville in 1884). if 84 lumber' s revenue had teetered the wrong way by $ 500, 000 during the worst of it, a six - month stretch from late 2008 through may 2009, she would have been forced into not just corporate but personal bankruptcy. on paper she was basically broke. six years later she' s back, with a smarter, leaner 84 lumber and a net worth estimated at $ 1. 2 billion .
84 lumber established its roots in eighty four, pa in 1956 when founder joe hardy, in conjunction with his two brothers, norman and bob hardy, and family friends ed ryan and jack kunkle, pooled together $ 84, 000 in funds to purchase land and buildings for a new “cash and carry” lumberyard: customers paid by cash or check; if merchandise was unable to be “carried” out, an additional charge was implemented to have the item personally delivered .
they don’t stock anything. thus marking up as the middle man. they don’t own their own trucks, making the truck leasing co not 84 employees .
for over 20 years, 84 lumber founder joe hardy has hosted an annual golf tournament to benefit the boy scouts council of westmoreland and fayette counties in southwestern pennsylvania. over the years, this event has raised in excess of $ 1. 5 million to help the scouts fund programs and activities. watch video .
through our building hope program, 84 lumber has actively supported local, regional, and national charitable organizations ranging from volunteer fire departments, to chapters of the red cross and united way, to the national efforts of habitat for humanity. our long - standing commitment for the community can be seen and felt surrounding each of our 250 store locations and that passion comes from the ground up. it starts with our employees and is embraced by the leaders of 84 lumber. we’re proud to announce that in 2016 alone, we donated more than 1. 3 million to a variety of charitable causes and that corporate giving starts with you .
in a recent faculty newsletter at the university of maryland, henry c. boyd iii, marketing professor in the robert h. smith school of business, analyzed 84 lumber’s strategy. boyd said it’s not uncommon for brands to push the envelope with super bowl ads to get some extra publicity out of the expensive buy .
includes the architectural blueprints for one of the tiny home models, a materials list, and a trailer built to meet the requirements of the selected house. the trailer will be outfitted with a subfloor and ready for walls. all materials on the list and essentials to build a tiny home can be purchased at a local 84 lumber .
84 lumber will make the original, rejected ad available online on feb. 5, the day before super bowl li. while the
full story will no longer be told on tv at the super bowl, we all believe too strongly in that message to leave it on the editing room floor ,
said mr. brunner .
“anytime you talk about advertising, you try to tap into pop culture, ” radick said, explaining why 84 lumber ventured into such a combustible topic as immigration. “to ignore politics and say we can’t talk about anything controversial because we can’t take the risk of offending anyone, we then end up with a really bland message. ”
in 1990, chief operating officer jerry smith joined 84 lumber. in an effort to refocus the company, he drafted a mission statement clarifying the goals and values of the company and communicating its character to associates, vendors, and consumers. the mission statement said, in part, that' 84 lumber is dedicated to being the low - cost provider of lumber and building products to residential builders, residential remodelers, and dedicated do - it - yourselfers, while adding value to our products through trained, knowledgeable and motivated associates.' the company further hoped to gain an edge through personalized service, inventory maintenance and competitive prices, and growth and strong leadership. associates began carrying laminated business card sized copies of the mission statement in their pockets, and messages posted throughout company buildings and in an employee newsletter reminded associates of company goals and plans .
in its approach to materials purchasing, 84 lumber opted to switch to a centralized system for its hundreds of lumber yards during this time. the company had tried unsuccessfully to implement such a system in the mid - 1970s, but had quickly returned to regional and store purchasing. regional buying had allowed more market awareness since inventory could be tailored to the specific store in response to customer demand and new markets. this splintered purchasing structure, however, also meant loss of bulk - buying power. furthermore, the lack of coordination with company headquarters also meant dead inventory in stores and wide discrepancies in prices each region or store paid for its products. when company management decided to institute centralized purchasing, it also moved operations, accounts payable, and sales from the store and regional levels and centralized them at company headquarters. a team of' purchasing managers' was formed from former store managers familiar with operations at the store level. purchasing managers developed expertise in specific product categories. vendors had not been in the habit of making site visits to 84 lumber stores, but with the new arrangement, they were encouraged to train 84 lumber sales associates and aid them in merchandising. stores adopted vendor suggestions for improving efficiency .
in 1999 the company also took major steps to increase its domestic business. 84 lumber introduced a new design center called maggie' s building suggestions showroom, a 17, 000 - square - foot facility located in pittsburgh. the interactive center, geared toward homeowners, builders, designers, and architects, featured a showroom with hundreds of home products and décor, as well architectural consulting services, multimedia conference rooms, and staff designers. in 1999 84 lumber opened two installed sales centers and announced plans to open several more. the centers would then support outlets on a regional basis. builders would be able to leave blueprints, materials list, sketches, or just ideas at a local 84 lumber store, which would then forward the information to the installed sales center, which would estimate the materials and cost. within 48 hours a delivery could be made to a contractor' s site. the company also instituted a 30 - day price guarantee that allowed builders to lock in a price and take delivery as needed without incurring any extra charges .
several [ advertising ] industry veterans ,
who spoke to adweek earlier this month speculated that 84 lumber and brunner deliberately submitted an ad that would be rejected to build up the pr momentum before game day — not least because the ad is being delivered in two parts, meaning production would have needed to begin long before fox rejected the spot .
if the company wanted attention, it certainly got it. radick said the 84 lumber website traffic ballooned to 300, 000 views within minutes of the commercial airing just as the first half of the super bowl between the atlanta falcons and the new england patriots ended. there were 6 million attempts in the first hour, which slowed access to the video .
as part of its 2006 initiative to help the gulf coast recover from hurricanes katrina and rita, 84 lumber funded the construction of 10 homes in new orleans’ musicians’ village in conjunction with the southern governors’ association (sga). musicians’ village, located in the devastated 9th ward, is spearheaded by new orleans’ musicians, harry connick jr. and branford marsalis .
evidently, hardy and his daughter maggie hardy magerkowhom hardy had just brought into the business as his heir apparentrealized that when it came to home - improvement customers, home depot and lowe’s were the goliaths and 84 lumber was david. rather than confront the two powerhouses directly, hardy and his daughter devised a different strategy: find a different customer, the homebuilder .
we are in ny working from texas. 84 in webster texas is on point. they are customer service branded. i dealt with the one in patchogue ny on a larger commercial
with costs for a 30 - second super bowl spot estimated to be $ 5 million, the 90 - second video is an expensive ploy for 84 lumber, which reportedly had sales of $ 2. 5 billion in 2015. that year, the brand spent some $ 775, 000 on measured media in the u. s. , according to kantar media .
schapiro said :
[ the message behind the ad ] is that in this great land of opportunity, 84 lumber is a company of opportunity. with this expansion will come an ongoing recruitment campaign, and on this journey we depicted characters who embody the traits and characteristics they are looking for in their people: strong will, determination, and hard - working people .
the company will have four
targeted divisions ,
in the central, mid - atlantic, southeast and southwest portions of the country. the central division, for instance, will have 90 stores in pennsylvania, new york, west virginia, ohio and virginia. it' s the largest number of stores in a division, according to a news release from 84 lumber .
in 1992, 84 lumber launched a new concept entitled 84 affordable homes across america, a line of do - it - yourself homebuilding kits. hardy was willing to double the company' s long - term debt to $ 80 million to back the new enterprise, which consisted of 30 home models in a price range of $ 39, 900 to $ 59, 900 (not including the cost of the lot). included in the price were all the supplies necessary for the structure itself as well as the costs of excavation, plumbing, wiring, and heating .
in 2002, the company exceeded $ 2 billion in annual sales for the first time in history and continued its impressive sales growth throughout the early 2000s. however, when the housing market crashed in 2009, 84 lumber – like most organizations associated with the construction industry – suffered significant losses. difficult decisions were made to save the company, and efforts to avoid bankruptcy were ultimately successful .
the final direction of the ad is unclear, which could be a smart strategy for the 61 - year - old, family - run company headquartered in eighty four, penn. the president of 84 lumber has said that the ad is meant to serve as a recruiting tool, specifically for men age 20 - to - 29. it will kickoff a yearlong campaign on that theme .
84 lumber is not the only brand covering the theme of immigration during the super bowl this year. budweiser is airing a 60 - second ad that follows anheuser - busch cofounder adolphus busch' s difficult journey from germany to the us in the mid - 1800s — including some of the prejudice he encountered before he went on to create what is now the world' s largest brewer .
the company has aggressive expansion plans for 2017, smiley said, and is expecting to open 20 new locations primarily in the western part of the country. the company already has 250 locations and was named one of forbes’ largest private companies in america in 2016. 84 lumber decided to purchase its first super bowl ad this year to increase recruitment and national brand awareness as the business expands .
in 1991, hardy turned over 40 percent of the 84 lumber stock to maggie. within two years she would be named president. at 27 years old, she faced a tough challenge replacing her father. she had no college degree and her only management experience was at the nemacolin woodlands golf, spa, and conference center. hardy maintained, however, that maggie, the youngest of his five children, displayed more of an aptitude and interest in business than her older siblings. in fact, since the age of five she had spent time with her father on the job and over the years accompanied hardy at new store openings and on - site inspections. she worked for a time in her early twenties at the bridgeville, pennsylvania store to become familiar with everyday operations at 84 lumber .
84 lumber, the building supplies company whose first super bowl spot was initially rejected by fox for being too political, has released the revised version. the conclusion of the 90 - second spot, which will air in the second quarter, is shrouded in mystery and is ostensibly meant to direct viewers to urltoken, where the entire story, including the video nixed by fox, will be posted .
the solution was to show the original ending on 84 lumber’s website. interest was so intense that more than 6 million requests were received in the first hour after the ad aired, just before halftime, and there were more than 17 million video views during the week, brunner said. it was the no. 1 trending spot on both youtube and twitter on super bowl sunday, feb 5 .
yet, according to a report published by campaign on tuesday, fox sports declined to run the first version of the ad submitted by 84 lumber and its agency partner brunner. sources claimed the initial creative summary included a wall preventing would - be employees from crossing an unspecified border, thereby mirroring president - elect donald trump’s campaign promise to build a physical barrier between the u. s. and mexico .
“borrowed interest is glomming on to subject matter not related to their brand or business to try to grab attention, ” adamson said. “you end up with ads people remember, but it doesn’t drive their business. people may remember 84 lumber, but they won’t run out and patronize the product. they also botched the execution when their server crashed. they left lots of money on the table. ”
the final direction of the ad is unclear, which could be a smart strategy for the 61 - year - old, family - run company headquartered in eighty four, penn. the president of 84 lumber has said that the ad is meant to serve as a recruiting tool, specifically for men age 20 - to - 29. it will kick off a year - long campaign on that theme .
meanwhile, the post - world war ii residential building boom was taking place, so, as hardy says ,
it didn’t take a genius to figure out what would happen .
somehow, he and his two brothers, norman and bob, scraped up enough money to get into the lumber business. by 1956, in the southwestern pennsylvania town called eighty four, the hardy’s opend a lumber store bearing the town’s name .
the meeting was supposed to be like all the others. three or four times a year, the 50 - or - so area sales managers of 84 lumber would congregate at the company’s world headquarters locatedwhere else? in tiny eighty four, pa. during these sales meetings, they would typically discuss how the privately held building materials retailer was performing, they would establish goals, and they would devise a strategy for accomplishing those goals .
“84 is trying to tap into these social issues, ” ordahl said. “i’m not beating them up. everyone is trying to navigate this. people like content but don’t want a preachy, school marm approach. ”
“our industry is going through a period of extreme disruption. and i’ve always preferred to be the one doing the disrupting, rather than the one being disrupted, ” hardy magerko said in a statement. “but to do that, we need to hire and train people differently. we need to cast a wider net, and to let the world know that 84 lumber is a place for people who don’t always fit nicely into a box. ”
i built this damned thing and didn’t have any money, that’s how sophisticated i was ,
hardy jokes. he helped his cash flow by instituting a cash - and - carry policy and a deposit - in program. for the deposit - in program, he locked in lumber prices and offered a cash discount for customers who paid up front, even when they didn’t need all the lumber delivered immediately. it was a good deal for the customer, because the price of lumber can escalate quickly, and it was a good deal for hardy, because he
didn’t have any money
and he had a large enough inventory to protect himself against price hikes .
84 lumber wasn’t alone in the super bowl ad pile on. many other big brands, from beer giant anheuser - busch inbev to audi, airbnb and kia autos used their super bowl time — at $ 5 million per 30 seconds — to break through. the challenge is to get viewers, whether they are chatting at a party or standing among a scrum at a bar, to pause and take notice — and maybe talk about it later.
84 lumber is an american building materials supply company . founded in 1956 by joseph hardy , it derives its name from the town of eighty four , pennsylvania , 20 miles ( 32 km ) south of pittsburgh , where its headquarters are . 84 lumber owns and operates over 250 stores , and the company operates components plants , door shops , installation centers and wood products shops in 30 states . as of 2012 , they reportedly employ 4,900 employees . 
84 lumber is an american building materials supply company. founded in 1956 by joseph hardy, it derives its name from the town of eighty four, pennsylvania, 20 miles (32 km) south of pittsburgh, where its headquarters are. 84 lumber owns and operates over 250 stores, and the company operates components plants, door shops, installation centers and wood products shops in 30 states. as of 2012, they reportedly employ 4,900 employees.
84 lumber is an american building materials supply company. founded in 1956 by joseph hardy, it derives its name from the town of eighty four, pennsylvania, 20 miles (32 km) south of pittsburgh, where its headquarters are. 84 lumber owns and operates over 250 stores, and the company operates components plants, door shops, installation centers and wood products shops in 30 states. as of 2012, they reportedly employ 4,900 employees.