It’s not unusual to bump into an old friend, neighbor or someone you haven’t seen in years whenever you visit an L&M Fleet Supply store.
“It’s hard for people not to run into someone they know in our stores and have a good conversation,” David Cowan, L&M Fleet Supply executive vice president—strategy said. “That’s the beauty of L&M. It’s a company that was built in the northland, established in the northland and continues to thrive in the northland. We’re an established trusted business that has been here for your fathers and grandfathers and I think that means something.”
L&M Fleet Supply is continuing to build on its 65-year northland heritage.
Company, economic development officials and business partners, broke ground Tuesday on construction of a new $55.4 million L&M Fleet Supply distribution center in Grand Rapids.
The 200,000-plus square-foot distribution center, built on 46 acres, will serve as the hub for product distribution to L&M Fleet Supply retail stores.
It’s L&M Supply’s biggest investment ever in the northland.
The new center is expected to serve L&M Fleet Supply for the next 50 years, Cowan said.
Due to the mild winter, construction on the center is already underway.
“Things are continuing to go really well,” Cowan said. “We still are incredibly grateful for the partnership we have with all resources that are helping with this including the county, IRRRB, city, IEDC, and DEED. People have been great partners throughout this. We have really not run into any real problems.”
The center is being built along Airport Road near the Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport.
Construction is expected to be complete in December 2024.
Plans are to move into the new center in February or March 2025.
The center includes a variety of modern technology advancements such as computer-aided forklifts, conveyor systems, a sortation system, and a warehouse management system that increases accuracy, visibility, and tracks inventory at all levels of processing.
From 35 to 50 new jobs will be created.
Hiring has already begun, Cowan said.
For the city of Grand Rapids and surrounding area, L&M’s decision to build in the city where it was founded, is appreciated, Rob Mattei, Grand Rapids director of Community Development said.
“We’re really pleased they chose Grand Rapids and we look forward to their growth,” Mattei said. “They’ve kind of carved out their own territory so to speak and with their fleet farm business they plan to add a new store every two or three years.”
In spite of people shopping online, especially in recent years, L&M Fleet Supply has prospered, Cowan said.
L&M Fleet Supply carries a wide variety of products, many which fit well with the northeastern Minnesota lifestyle.
L&M carries clothing, tools, lawn and garden equipment, sporting goods, hardware, heating and cooling products, electrical, nuts, bolts, household and farm goods, fishing gear, footwear, firearms, paint and stains, automobile products, and more.
There’s nothing like walking into an L&M Supply store and being able to find and see the products that a customer is seeking, Cowan said.
“We’ve found that people really do value the retail experience, especially for a lot of the things that we sell,” Cowan said. “If you look at our departments, there are a lot of things that people need and so having the ability to get it when they need it. And we have a big long legacy of having things in stock and having enough items in stock for when things happen. The other thing is we have a lot of things to help when nature is being challenging. If there’s storms, we have a lot of things like generators and chain saws to help get back to normal.”
There also remains strong interest among customers to have a tactile shopping experience by being able to try on clothing and see sporting goods, Cowan said.
The new distribution center replaces the company’s existing distribution center in LaPrairie, which L&M outgrew.
The LaPrairie center was formerly an L&M retail store.
Eventually, the current distribution center will also become home to L&M Fleet Supply corporate offices, Cowan said.
L&M Supply was founded in Grand Rapids in 1959.
From a one-store company, L&M has grown to 13 stores.
Last spring, a new store opened in Escanaba, Mich.
Another new store is opening this spring in Marquette, Mich.
Other stores are in Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Virginia, Cloquet, Bemidji, Park Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Thief River Falls, Ashland, Hayward, and Rhinelander, Wis.
Locations for additional new stores are under consideration, Cowan said.
L&M Fleet Supply employs a total of about 1,100.
Most Popular
Comments / 0