Thursday Doors – Kelly Fradet Too

One of my early Thursday Doors was of Kelly Fradet’s lumber yard on the east side of Enfield. They have four different locations, but the main yard is on the west side of town, near the river and the railroad. They still get shipments of lumber and other building material by rail. Sometimes, when you buy something at one store, they give you three options” pick it up at the main yard, wait for it to be transferred to your store or have it delivered. I almost always opt to pick it up, because I love going to the main yard.

The history of Kelly-Fradet starts a few years before my history starts. According to their website:

In 1951, Clarence “Red” Weeks and Lloyd Fradet began the Kelly-Fradet legacy by purchasing the Carmel Lumber Company in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Their goal was to provide the building industry with the best products and, more importantly, the most dependable, knowledgeable service available.

That last sentence is the reason I keep going back.

When I was a kid growing up near Pittsburgh, the place that that paragraph could describe was Silhol Lumber in Bridgeville, PA. Silhol was formed in 1945. The similarities between these two companies is more than them having formed around the same time, they have a similar approach to business. When I walk into Kelly-Fradet, it feels like when I went with my father to Silhol’s. I think they both understand the following statement by Red Weeks, co-founder of Kelly-Fradet”

“Any business is a people business. It’s the families who work for Kelly-Fradet, and the customers who purchase from us, that create the foundation to our success!”

The big-boxes have driven most local lumber yards out of business. There’s something special about the few that survive.

If you want to explore my doors, click on any door and start a slide show.

I love this building

It’s always fun to imagine what could be built with the lumber stored here.

My cedar 4x4s are in that building. So many doors I really like the narrow door next to the large one. I also like the upper door and the side door. I think I like doors.

The end of the large lumber storage building.

Large portion of the asymmetric double doors

Lots of places to store lumber. Lots of doors.

Side door

Upper door

Little portion.

I’m not sure what this is, maybe an old office, but it’s in btween two of their buildings.

I kinda-sorta got my trailer stuck in there once. I pulled in to pick up some lumber but there wasn’t enough room to turn around and it’s hard to back up a small trailer.

That’s the retail entrance

I’ve never been in this building, but I love the door.

Thursday Doors is a weekly blog dance choreographed by Norm Frampton. If you want to join the troupe, chasse over to Norm’s place. Perform a heel turn and look around at Norm’s doors. Look for the blue frog. With a quick inside partner step, click on that tadpole and enter the main stage.