Brutzman's to get new building in Richland

For three generations the Brutzman family has been furnishing Mid-Columbia offices with new equipment, furniture and supplies. But the business never has been housed in its own new building, until this year.

The Brutzmans broke ground earlier this month at the site of the future home of Brutzman's Office Solutions, 2501 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland.

"We expect to be able to move in come November," Ken Brutzman said.

He owns the company with his brother, Keith, and sister, Kathy Webber. Their mother, Mardelle Brutzman, is the majority stockholder and still involved in the family business.

Her father-in-law, Hal Brutzman, opened the original Brutzman's Office Supply in 1946 in downtown Kennewick.

"We were in three buildings downtown for 40 years, then on Canal Drive for 10 years and have been in our present building (on Columbia Center Boulevard) for 15 years. We're looking forward to the new building," said Ken Brutzman.

"There's easy on, easy off freeway access to the new site, and it's only 15 minutes or less from anywhere in the Tri-Cities, if you don't count Hanford," said Ken Brutzman.

The 10,000-square-foot building -- designed by CKJT Architects in Kennewick and being built by G2 Construction in Kennewick -- together with the land will cost $1.7 million.

That's about 4,000 square feet smaller than their current site.

"But the space will be more efficient. The space we have now is chopped up and elongated. To make it work we don't really use the middle section," Ken Brutzman said.

Bruztman's will continue to carry commercial office supplies, cubical panels and office furniture, including the latest in ergonomic chairs.

Brutzman's also is keeping its selection of manual drafting and engineering supplies and the reprographics department, which can copy blueprints and other large-format documents.

New will be full-height, demountable walls from Haworth. These are similar to office cubicle walls but go from floor to ceiling so you can make actual rooms with them.

They can be prefabricated with plumbing and wiring for electricity and electronics. Later, as needs change, the walls can be reconfigured easily and economically.

Brutzman's also is adding raised flooring systems like those used in main-frame computer rooms, except these are for entire buildings.

"These use a low-pressure HVAC system without ductwork for heating and cooling. Instead they work like radiant heat, allowing the heat to rise naturally from the floor to the ceiling. And they don't take nearly as large a compressor and fan unit to run as a regular HVAC system," said Ken Brutzman.

The Brutzmans said they feel this is a good time to build their building and business.

"Our older generations never wanted to be saddled with the cost of a mortgage and land to pay taxes on. Back then, the economy of the Tri-Cities was up and down based on what the government was doing. But the Tri-Cities has grown, there's more diversification and the ups and downs of Hanford does not affect businesses as badly as it used to. We feel confident this is a good move for us," he said.

This story was originally published April 27, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Brutzman's to get new building in Richland ."