Lanning Construction - Building With The Times
Jeff Lanning and his wife Joan seem to be a jack of all trades. The couple has successfully owned and operated Lanning Construction, which has been serving Spokane and the greater area for more than 27 years. In that time, the business has framed houses, entered into the pole building industry, built model homes and as of late, manufactured log homes.
Joan Lanning does permanent cosmetics, and, to put the icing on the cake so to speak, she's even gotten into the business of wedding planning. "We keep pretty busy,' Lanning said. "But we're not ready to retire at this point. Another 20 years maybe, but for sure give us another good 10 years.'
Lanning was born and raised in the Spokane area. Despite his family's work in the restaurant business, he started framing houses at the age of 18. He was the right fit for the job, and by the time he was only 22, he had become a general contractor. "I worked for another company and ended up becoming their foreman,' he said. "I thought, well, I could do this better on my own. At first the biggest struggle was getting the money for licensing.'
As with most businesses, Lanning Construction started out small. The crew performed general maintenance in apartment complexes, and patched and painted walls. Then the crew of four to eight people began work orders for decks, patios and bathroom additions. "It didn't progress over night,' Lanning said. "But it progressed. We've always tried to give everybody a good bang for their buck. These days, we can build an entire home from the ground up.'
The company also resurrects pole buildings, builds model homes (the couple lives in their model home showroom in Deer Park) and sells log home packages through a company called Air Lock Log Homes out of Thompson Falls, Montana. Although Lanning Construction works primarily in the private or residential sector, they do occasionally do commercial jobs.
Right now with the economy the way it is, it's hard to get a house to build, Lanning said. Everyone is running up against the banks, and no one can get a home loan, he added. "Right now, we'll just do whatever comes through,' he said. "No job is too small or too big. We'll do it.' These days, the company builds multiple pole buildings, remodels kitchens, bathrooms and basements and specializes in additions.
Lanning said what sets his company apart from the rest is his experience, honesty and list of references. "We're not new and we're not going to fold next week,' he said. "We are an established company and we are here to stay.' Despite the economic setbacks, Lanning's high business standards have been met and succeeded over the course of 27 years.
The company is constantly looking to expand their services, demographics and work range. They've even traveled as far as Seattle for job. In the near future, the company plans to build a spec home, and will continue to have faith that the long home industry is going to pick up. "It's all going to come out eventually,' Lanning said. "But it will take a year or two for the economy to get a boost again. You've gotta be positive because if you're negative it won't work.'
Lanning Construction is located at 27809 Spotted Road, Deer Park. You can check out the process and progress of building a log home or tour their model house at lanning-construction.com. For more information contact 509-218-0255 or 509-276-9390. Questions can also be addressed via email through Jeff@lanning-log-homes.com or Joan@lanning-log-homes.com.