Work to start soon on Sheetz complex in Houston
Sheetz will be expanding its footprint in Washington County, with the foot landing in Houston Borough.
“This is not a rumor, it’s a definitive ‘yes,'” council president Larry Scears said during a telephone interview Tuesday.
Scears said Sheetz, a family-owned convenience store chain based in Altoona, has begun asbestos abatement work at the site where it will build – at the intersection of North Main and East Pike streets, which is swathed in red tape.
Nick Ruffner, public relations manager for Sheetz, said in a statement: “We expect construction to start in early December and (the complex) is tentatively projected to open in June 2024.”
Ruffner said the Houston Sheetz “will feature our newest store design, inside and outside seating and 12 fueling terminals.” The store will be about 5,000 square feet.
Scears said the space will be spacious. “They took the old Arnold property and three or four houses in that area.”
“This will be big and there will be ample parking,” the council leader said. “I think this will be a good addition for Houston.”
The Houston complex will be the fifth that Sheetz will have built in Washington County. Bentworth, Canonsburg, North Strabane Township and Washington are the existing locations. The company also has a presence in Greene and Fayette counties.
Sheetz has more than 700 locations nationwide, about 40% of them – 300-plus – in Pennsylvania.
84 Lumber
Speaking of larger footprints, the nation’s largest privately held supplier of building materials is appropriately expanding its formidable mark.
It’s California here we come for 84 Lumber, the iconic 67-year-old company in North Strabane Township, which recently announced plans for new endeavors in the Golden State. Its latest westward intentions are to open stores in Stockton, Lancaster, and Riverside (site of old Champion Lumber), and open a truss plant and framing yard in Bakersfield.
Those projects, when completed, will give the company eight California locations. It already has established stores in Bakersfield, Clovis, and Beaumont.
Frank Cicero, COO for 82 Lumber, said in a statement: “The new stores and component plant are an example of 84 Lumber’s dedication and continued commitment to better serve our customers and communities. 84 Lumber is committed to California, and we look forward to providing more opportunities for our associates in these markets.”
Jorge Espinoza, vice president for the company’s Western Division, said: “Growing our business in the state of California is exciting for me because it’s where I’m from and where everything began for me at 84. The Western Division of 84 is on a fantastic path of expansion.”
The company also plans to expand a component plant in Yuma, Ariz., which will service southern California, and plans stores for Reno, Nev., and the Salinas/California coastal area.
84 Lumber operates 310 facilities: 234 stores, 14 component manufacturing plants, 28 engineered wood product centers and 34 door shops.