GenNext: 84 Lumber's Chris Moudy
Chris Moudy discovered 84 Lumber during the COVID Pandemic.
He originally intended to work in another industry that was “impacted significantly” by the pandemic, Moudy says. “Fortunately, I was called by 84 Lumber for an interview and ran with it from there."
Since that job interview, and being hired by the Eighty Four, Pa.-based prodealer, Moudy’s career has taken off.
After beginning as a Manager Trainee in 2020, he was promoted to a manager position within four short months. And in March, Moudy was recognized as 84 Lumber’s 2021 Rookie of the Year while serving as the co-manager of the dealer’s Clovis, Calif., location.
Now an operations manager in Georgetown, Texas, the 27 year-old says he tries to focus on being a better associate, leader, and person every day.
“I evaluate my own performance, starting with what I did well and building on that and then shifting my focus to the areas of opportunity and putting together a course of action to improve,” Moudy says. “I allow myself to cherish the small victories, but I quickly shift gears to what needs to get better to be the best version of myself for 84 Lumber, and for everyone I interact with.”
Moudy points out that 84 Lumber “does such an amazing job of outlining what is possible with this company.
“Anyone from anywhere can make an amazing career for themselves as long as they are willing to work hard. 84 provides all of the tools, the training, and the dreams. You just have to wake up, show up, and care,” Moudy says.
Now working in the Austin, Texas market, Moudy says the population and demand for housing have “exploded” during and after the pandemic. The operations manager works with home builders day in and day out to service their needs, including a customer base that is 95% residential construction.
“With the growing demand and success of the housing market here in Austin, it has not been without growing pains,” Moudy says. “Each and every day we start and end our day making sure we do everything in our power to ensure we can supply the much-needed materials to our customers and home builders. The biggest issues this industry runs into are transportation and material shortages.”
Despite obstacles, Moudy says hard work always pays off in the end.
“You can take a drive in your hometown and see the tangible impact you are having. You can see the homes, businesses, and communities built by either your hands or the materials you provided,” Moudy explains. “You can go to bed every night knowing you’re making a difference and leaving things better than how you found them."
“This industry provides one of the few fundamental human needs in order to survive and grow,” Moudy added. “People will always need shelter, and lumber, in particular, is the only 100% renewable resource.”
