Fasteners Inc., a longtime fastener and tool distributor here, says it will open a store in Lewiston, Idaho, this summer, and hopes to open two more stores in Washington by the end of the year, which would give it 11 stores.


The company has leased a 3,000-square-foot building in Lewiston for its new store there, and it expects to open the outlet by early June, says Bill Jones, its general manager. It plans to hire up to three employees and transfer there about three workers from other locations.


Fasteners plans to focus on serving contractors and boat builders at the outlet, since those industries have a strong presence there, he says.


That area has grown, and several of our large customers are down there, Jones says. For a while now, weve been getting feedback from customers saying they want us to open a branch there.


Jones declines to disclose the companys annual revenues. He says, though, that it has had double-digit sales growth each of the past two years. As a result of its growth, its looking to expand by opening one store each in the Puget Sound area and Central Washington, he says.


Including the outlet in Lewiston, Fasteners has a total of nine stores in Washington, Idaho, and Montana, he says. Founded in 1961, it has about 50 employees in Spokane and about 130 workers companywide.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.