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SECRETS TO LONGEVITY FROM IDAHO’S TIN LADY LEILA CROCKETT HAS HAD FIVE DECADES OF FUN IN THE BUSINESS

Leila Crockett and her husband bought out his father in the early 1970s after rebuilding from a fire that destroyed their Idaho hardware and building supply business. And she’s been doing her thing at Best Built Builders Supply in Grangeville, Idaho, ever since.

“In 1972 my husband asked me to come in and help with various things, but I had a baby so was taking some time off, when he begged me to come to work full time. I mainly did the bookkeeping responsibilities,” she said.

But as a gregarious people person, she eventually found herself facing customers. “I did more with sales and I became the expert in selling metal roofing,” she said. “They all call me the ‘Tin Lady.’ It wasn’t easy gaining the trust of them since I was a woman.”

But she gained it. And she still works with the contractors to this day.

From across five decades at her business, Crockett shared with HBSDealer some of her favorite customer interactions.

“A long time ago when women wore dresses and nice shoes to work, a contractor called and ordered from me a skid of rebar,” she said. “We didn’t have any and it was before cell phones so I went to the jobsite to tell him that it would be there first thing in the morning dropped off by our supplier.

“As I walked through the mud up to my knees. He came screaming and cussing toward me telling me he needed it first thing. I got right back in his face and yelled back at him.

“He stopped and looked at me and asked if he was being a jerk and I replied, ‘Yes and you are really good at it.’

“When I got back to the store there were flowers for me from my favorite jerk and we became fast friends.”

About Best Built Builders Supply

Founded in 1928 in Orofino

Locations in Orofino, Kamiah, Grangeville and Lewiston

Joined the TAL Holdings family in April 2022

Everyone in town knows Leila is an animal lover.

“We have a contest at Christmas where you bring your dog in to sign up for our doggy stocking full of treats and toys, so we can give them a treat and hug them,” she said.

“We draw out one big dog and one small dog as winners. Then we send at least one dollar for each dog that came in to the local Humane Society. We write a thank you letter to each dog for supporting their less fortunate kin,” said Crockett.

The five-decade worker said that one day the employees in the warehouse called her on the intercom yelling for her to get back there — and fast.

“I asked why, and they said Mr. Brown, an old farmer, brought his favorite Billy Goat in to see me and he was pooping all over their yard. I did not get employee of the month that day,” she laughed.

Things have changed dramatically from her entry into the business five decade ago. When she started, accounting records were kept on ledger cards. Checks were written on the typewriter. And payroll was performed by hand with the help of a calculator.

And then there’s the products. “They used copper pipe and soldered it together. Now they use plastic and SharkBite fittings,” she said. Kitchen appliances are another area of revolution. “It seems they have an appliance to do everything now.”

The only way to last 50 years in this industry, she said, is to like people and like what you do, and we have a great crew.

“For a long time, I was the only girl working in the store with all those men,” she said. “I learned that most men don’t like to squabble like females do,” said Crockett. “They would all bend over backwards to help me and to make sure I wasn’t carrying something too heavy. They all used to call me mom, now they all call me ‘Grandma.’”

Whether it’s ‘Tin Lady,’ or ‘Grandma,’ Crockett says she doesn’t really have plans for the future.

Leila said, “I am thankful for the opportunity to keep coming here and hopefully making people laugh.”