LENCO Supplies Continues To Breathe New Life Into the Forest Products Industry
“We partner with manufacturers that see the value in a company that is aggressive in making the calls and developing relationships. As with any business it’s all about building relationships. We are as much involved in our customers’ business as our own.”– Greg Tuttle, branch manager, Saginaw Wholesale a division of LENCO Supplies
LENCO Supplies is fostering the next generation of the forest products industry.
LENCO Supplies, based in Buffalo, NY, has three retail locations, and a wholesale distribution yard. LENCO purchases 50 million board feet annually in softwood lumber across all locations.
LENCO’s Saginaw Wholesale division’s products presently available include 4/4 and 5/4 Eastern White Pine boards; Southern Yellow Pine stepping, No. 1 dimension, flooring, wainscot, treads; premium eastern and western dimensional lumber; pressure-treated dimension, timbers, decking; plywood and OSB panels; LVL beams; Regal Ideas Aluminum Railing Systems; Dow DuPont styrofoam and polyiso sheet goods; and Razor by Koma PVC trim as well as Weston primed Pine boards.
Pictured is Greg Tuttle, branch manager, Saginaw Wholesale, a division of LENCO Supplies.
In 2023 LENCO acquired Saginaw Wholesale Building Materials, their first wholesale distribution center, led by long-time lumber industry pro and current Saginaw Wholesale Branch Manager, Greg Tuttle. Other key personnel include territory managers, Jimmy ‘Zee’ Zlotnick and Andy Graziani, as well as inside operations manager Tyler Gladd.
As for how the decision was made to onboard Saginaw Wholesale Building Materials, Tuttle offered, “LENCO owner, Steve Coppola, had the vision to build a model for future wholesale distribution expansion and when he approached me to become a part of it, I was re-energized,” he explained. “I established Saginaw Building Supplies in 1993 and we were successful until the 2008 downturn. Unfortunately, I had to shut it down in 2011. The Coppola family has given me the opportunity to be a part of the team helping them achieve this goal. And I am fortunate to be able to once again interact with many of the retail dealers that I’ve had long-standing relationships with.”
He continued, “When Steve and I got together we decided to use the Saginaw name for this new operation as the name was well regarded in the eastern New York marketing area offering customers the familiarity of people they have previously worked with.”
Jimmy ‘Zee’ Zlotnick, territory manager for Saginaw Wholesale, pictured here.
Having formed Saginaw in 1993 with Jim Zlotnick, Tuttle said he knew Jim was the right person for the sales position. “I had worked with Jim previously and I called him up and I said, ‘Jim we did this back in 1993 and I think we still have it and can do it again in 2023!’ He came out of retirement and he’s on board. We both have the experience, the knowledge and we make a good team.”
Seventy-six years young, Tuttle’s heart for the lumber industry and the business in general is evident in his energy. “I love what I do and I enjoy the people. Our success has always been due to establishing relationships. People value our relationship trusting they will receive the same consistency and quality time-after-time. Developing a new product line or finalizing the sale, every aspect of the business motivates me. This is a unique opportunity and I feel like I’m in my 40’s again.”
Saginaw operates from a brand-new 50,000-square-foot warehouse facility located in Fultonville, NY. “This facility has access to major highways running in all points of the compass,” he said.
Andy Graziani, a territory manager for Saginaw Wholesale, a division of LENCO Supplies.
When asked about the strong points of the new wholesale operation Tuttle said, “We have a positive image and we partner with manufacturers that see the value in a company that is aggressive in making the calls and developing solid customer support. We are as much involved in our customers’ business as our own. Our customers know that we’re striving to provide quality product and service with every order. People like doing business with people that have a positive energy. They can feel the enthusiasm and that’s one of the keys to our success.”
LENCO Supplies, originally called Len-Co Lumber, was founded in 1958 in Buffalo, NY, by James P. Coppola Sr. and Frank Leonard. “Len-Co” is a combination of their last names. James had knowledge of building products from his experience at Cuyahoga Wrecking. Frank had a truck for deliveries, and the rest, as they say, is history.
By the mid-1960’s, James Coppola had assumed full control of the company, and LENCO had become well known in Western New York for offering quality building products, particularly lumber, doors and plywood, at extremely competitive prices. Coppola grew the company and the product line over the next four decades with the help of his wife and nine children, all of whom worked at the company at one time or another.
Tyler Gladd, inside operations manager for Saginaw Wholesale, a division of LENCO Supplies.
James’ charismatic personality and shrewd entrepreneurial spirit helped him to expand the company’s footprint in South Buffalo despite recessions, out of town competition and even a major fire in the lumber yard. James was an accomplished artist in his spare time, and his popular LENCO advertisements in the Buffalo News often included some of his artistic creations that people still ask about today.
After his passing in 2004, James Sr.’s son, Stephen M. Coppola, became the company president. Stephen had worked at LENCO from his youth and the experience came in handy as he was able to guide the company through the 2007 financial crisis, along with adding a second location in Williamsville, NY. His knack for creating operational efficiencies helped him to open LENCO’s third location in Kenmore just a few years later.
LENCO Supplies, based in Buffalo, NY, purchases 50 million board feet annually in softwood lumber.
LENCO’s Saginaw Wholesale division currently offers a wide variety of lumber products, including 4/4 and 5/4 Eastern White Pine boards S4S and patterns; Southern Yellow Pine stepping, flooring, and dimensional lumber; higher grades of Eastern and Western Spruce dimensional lumber and furring.
Today, Stephen runs the company with his sons Stephen P. and Kevin Coppola, the third generation of the family business. LENCO serves professional builders, remodelers, do-it-yourselfers, government agencies, municipalities and commercial businesses with a mission statement that originated in 1958 and continues to this day– ‘Service that’s the best, and quality for less.’
For more information visit SaginawWholesale.com or Lenco.Supplies.
