Address: 258 Broadway
Old Address: 199 Broadway
Other names: Aubuchon's
Year built:
Other information: Grossman's Lumber bought out Big D in 1972, and in turn became Aubuchon's Hardware in 1997 when the latter business moved from 29-33 Broadway, the former home of Adirondack Hardware.
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 8, 1972
GROSSMAN BUYS OUT BIG D
BRAINTREE, MASS. — L. Grossman Sons, Inc., headquartered in Braintree, has concluded an agreement for the purchase of the Big "D" Lumber Company of Saranac Lake according to a joint announcement made today by John and William Decker, owners of the Big "D" and Mike Grossman, president of Grossman's.
The Deckers stated that the move was made after long and serious deliberation, adding: "In deciding to sell, we wanted assurance that our many friends and customers for so many years could rely upon the continuance of dependable service for their home and other building needs. We have known the Grossman people for some time and are pleased that the company will come to this area to carry on the business we have taken such pride in building". We look forward to the opportunity for introducing our cutomers to the new owners."
Big "D", situated on the south side of Broadway, will be Grossman's 123rd outlet throughout the northeast, and its 46th unit in New York State. Grossman's, now entering its 77th year in the lumber and building materials business, became a division of Evans Products Company in 1969. President Mike Grossman, a third generation member of the founding family, is also president of the Evans Products Retail Group made up of Grossman's chain in the north, and Moore's Super stores based in Roanoke, Va.
Everett Grossman, executive vice president-real estate and development, said that remodeling and improvements will be completed as quickly as possible, with a minimum interruption of business. He described the outlet as similar to Grossman's in Plattsburgh, Ogdensburg and Watertown, N.Y., catering to home and apartment owners and to contractors.
He concluded: "We have been interested in coming to this progressive community for a number of years and are very pleased that we were able to do it in such a wonderful way."
Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 29, 1996
Grossman's faces closure
Saranac Lake operation to end in 10 weeks
By JOSE MARTINEZ
Associated Press Writer With Enterprise Reports
BOSTON (AP) - In 10 weeks, Grossman's building supply stores, including the one in Saranac Lake, will be a memory.
The Canton, Mass. based company is closing its remaining 60 Grossman's retail stores as part of a restructuring plan that will cut 1,600 jobs while pumping new cash into the warehouse and discount ventures. Mike Renner, the Grossman's manager in the Saranac Lake store, said he can't comment on the closing.
Locally, Grossman's employs five full-time people and one part-time position, according to officials at Grossman's headquarters The building sits on 2.1 acres of land and has 19,500 square feet of selling space. Grossman's Inc. owns the building, according to Harrietstown Assessor Sandy Aery.
Grossman's Inc. will still have its Contractors' Warehouse stores and even its Mr. 2nd's Bargain Outlets, but the original building supply yards that formed the chain known for decades by its orange and white paint schemes will be history.
The company plans to move quickly, liquidating the inventories of the stores across the Northeast over the next 10 weeks, company President and Chief Executive Officer Sydney L. Katz said.
"It was no secret the Grossman's stores were not performing as well as the other divisions," Shapiro said. "At this point, we felt the only thing we could do was to liquidate the stores, sell the real estate and use the money to grow the other divisions faster."
The closures will cut the company's workforce from 3,400 to 1,800. Also, Grossman's plans to slash the staff at its Canton headquarters from 250 to just 50 over the next six months.
Grossman's plans to use the new capital to keep expanding its Contractors' Warehouse and Mr. 2nd's Bargain Outlet operations.
A 16th Contractors' Warehouse will open in Lexington, Ky. in May, and four more Mr 2nd's stores will open this summer. The company this month opened three Mr 2nd's stores in Massachusetts.
Meantime, Grossman's received a commitment for a $33 million mortgage loan, $4 million of which is convertible into common stock. The loan will be repaid by selling off 55 properties, including 40 of the stores that are closing in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode.lsland and Vermont.
