KIE/TRICO BUILDS STORE IN ISLAND CITY

CONCRETE ENDEAVOR: Valley Concrete Pumping personnel work at the new KIE Supply/Trico Supply site in Island City. (The Observer/KELLY WARD).

The La Grande plumbing and electrical supply store known as KIE Supply/Trico Supply will be moving to Island City.

The company, now at 1507 Jefferson Ave., will move to a building being built by Mike Becker Construction across Island Avenue from the termination of Walton Road. Becker will own the building and the firm will lease it to the supply company.

The store deals in both commercial and residential plumbing fixtures and supplies and electrical equipment and supplies.

We hope to be in the new store by the middle of January, said manager Gary Bottger.

He said better location, more visibility was one reason for moving. The new site, which will have 9,000 square feet of space compared the the present 6,000 on Jefferson Avenue, will permit him to expand the stores inventory.

Bottger said the company would not add any new employees right away but could hire more in the spring. Four people, including the manager, work at the store now.