Emery Jensen president's equation for success
When Alison Dowell was promoted to the post of president and general manager of Emery Jensen Distribution last July, the press release pointed to her background in B2B and B2C operations, her leadership roles at Target Corp. and Home Depot and her experience rolling up her sleeves on the receiving dock.
In a recent interview, Dowell shared an even deeper connection to home improvement: her early-life shopping trips to Builders Square with her father.
“It was just such a big part of my childhood,” she told HBSDealer. “Going there with my dad and walking the lumber aisle, experiencing the smells and the whiskey barrel of fasteners where they used to sell them by the pound. All of the gadgets and tools that you saw there were so fascinating.”
In later years, during a break in her academic journey toward becoming a math professor, Dowell revived her early enthusiasm for hardware with a job in home improvement. She donned an orange apron in Orange, Conn. And a retail career was born.
From her office in Oak Brook, Ill., Dowell shared the following thoughts on opportunities for women in home improvement, and the importance of authenticity.
On her break from college that changed her career path:
“I couldn’t think of anything that would be more fun for my year off than working in a hardware store.”
On diversity and leadership:
“The workforce, family dynamics and how women contribute to their family and to society — all of that has changed in a way where I think it’s really important to think about how we give back to the next generation. We need to think about how we can pull more women into the business and how we can really support one another. And whether it’s women or men, diversity of thought and demographics are healthy. And I think it’s very important to continue building health within this industry.”
On that one time on the sales floor years ago when a customer cajoled her to “get a guy” to help retrieve a shower door from a high shelf:
“The proper equipment to get it down for him wasn’t working, or the hydraulics were shot, but I climbed up there anyway. It didn’t go well. That door did not come down in one piece. I think if I had stopped and thought about why I was there in the aisle to take care of customers, I would have realized it was not because I was a big, strong dude. It was because I could solve problems. I could diffuse tension with customers. Instead, I went the inauthentic route and tried to be like a guy, or what I thought a guy would do or what I thought this guy thought a guy should do.”
On the lesson learned:
“You’re going to win if you soar with your strengths. You’re going to lose if you try to be somebody you’re not.”
On strong women in the industry:
“We are blessed at Emery Jensen not only to support so many independent businesses, but so many of those businesses have really strong women at the helm, whether it’s at ownership positions or management. You probably know some of our customers: Janet Neathawk at Neathawk Lumber, or Erin Flanagan at Viking Lumber, or Louise Eddy at Quality Hardware or Carol Ai at City Mill. There are so many really, really strong women that we are fortunate to call our customers. I hope that these examples and more can serve as a beacon for women to get involved with the knowledge that they can excel.”
On opportunities in building supply:
“Whether in stores or at distribution centers or with suppliers, this is a unique industry. We have so many different levels at which you can lead people or teams. For financial stability, security, the ability to have a career that you can grow in, I couldn’t think of an industry that is more appropriate for women.