How did it all begin? In 1946, shortly after his discharge from the U.S. Army Lee Connelly purchased less than $100 of army surplus and drove around Idaho, Washington and Oregon selling it out of the back of his pickup. This was the beginning of Tri-State Distributors. As desire for army surplus faded, Tri-State, having settled into its current location, evolved into a general discount store featuring a wide range of products including Health and Beauty Aids, Cigarettes and Soda Pop.
Connelly died in 1968, leaving the business to his wife Doris, under whose wise leadership the business continued to thrive for another decade. It was in 1977 Doris decided to hand the reins of the business to her 26 year old son, Gerard. 1977 was also the year malls and large national chain stores began to move into the area; which proved to be quite challenging for a small, family-owned business. It was at that time Gerard decided to take the business in a new direction, one toward specialization and quality. His goal for Tri-State was to carry fewer categories of merchandise and to be absolutely Number One in whatever they did.
A longtime lover of the outdoors, Gerard decided in 1982 to expand the company to other location that offer unique outdoor opportunities. His goal was that these stores be even more focused and more specialized than the store in Moscow had become. These stores would be stocked with the best quality brands the outdoor industry had to offer and they would provide the best selections of goods anywhere. These new stores would be known as Tri-State Outfitters.
Having been in the valley since 1987, Tri-State Outfitters moved into its current location on Thain Road in 1994, then, in 2007, remodeled and expanded the facility to what you see today.
Tri-State Distributors, Inc. is the largest independent retailer in the state of Idaho, with locations in Lewiston, Moscow and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho as well as Moses Lake, Washington.