Frank Taylor, founder of Tri County Building Centers, purchased the lumber and planing mill of his father in 1960, and began concentrating in a full line of building materials. Then in 1972 his retail building material business was incorporated. Frank also purchased his second store in 1972, Pickford Building Center in Pickford, the town where Frank graduated from high school. A decade later, he acquired another store in Newberry, named it Falls Building Center, and the name Tri County Building Centers was established.

In 1983, De Tour-Drummond Building Center, in DeTour Village at the easternmost tip of the UP, was built and remains the only hardware/lumber center in the village. Three years later, Frank purchased another store in St. Ignace in the Straits of Mackinac and Straits Building Center was formed to serve customers on historic Mackinac Island along with the entire straits area. Finally, in 1995, Munising Building Center, located near the shores of Lake Superior, was purchased and the Tri County Building Centers extended its service area to three of the five Great Lakes.

Frank Taylor retired in 2004 and ownership was passed to Brien Hanna, a long-time employee of Tri County Building Centers.