84 Lumber opens

Homecoming sure is sweet for 84 Lumber.

After an absence from the Victor Valley - the company had a location in Victorville in the 1990s - the highly successful 84 Lumber company reopened a store on the corner of Hercules Street and E Avenue in Hesperia to speeches by dignitaries and plenty of tasty barbecue for guests.

"It's great to have 84 Lumber back in the valley," Hesperia Mayor Mike Leonard said during the city's presentation.

The road to Hesperia has taken ample effort, according to Steve Lantsberger, director of Hesperia's Economic Development Department.

"The project started in 2004. It's been a long process," Lantsberger said.

With sizable monetary investments by the City of Hesperia and the Hesperia Redevelopment Agency, the end result is - perhaps symbolically - 84,400 of building space on 8.4 acres. The project also includes a rail spur, which gets lumber and related products into Hesperia.

"They've made a tremendous investment in the community."

Also, the new 84 Lumber store employs a staff of 14 at competitive wages.

Started by Joseph A. Hardy III in 1956, 84 Lumber is a $4 billion company with 400 locations nationwide.

Besides lumber, the Hesperia location sells a wide variety of building products and operates a truss manufacturing plant adjacent to the Hercules Street store front.

"It took a lot of elbow dust to get this thing finished," said store manager Jorge Espinoza. "We're here and we're excited to be back in town."

84 Lumber is located at 17071 Hercules St., Hesperia. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed. For more information, call 949-8406.