Sarah Thomas and Denise Brookhouse of Koopman Lumber.
“The story of the beginning of Koopman Lumber is really a story of hidden female empowerment,” she said. “My great-grandfather, Peter Koopman, started our company in 1939. He was a builder and started stockpiling materials in his garage and then selling them to other builders.”
Thomas continued, “But there is so much more to that story. Peter was out on job sites every day. When builders came to purchase materials, it was his wife, my great-grandmother Hendrika, who was home raising their five children, who would answer the bell, go out to the garage and sell the materials. We like to think of her as our first store manager, salesperson and inventory specialist.”
The evening included a cocktail hour, dinner, and cooking demonstration by Clarke chefs, and a panel discussion featuring women in leadership positions within the construction industry.
Moderated by Alex Carlton, executive coach and advisor with Acumentri Leadership, the panel included Nikki Bach, founder of Bach Builders; Michelle Lemoi, CEO and founder of Elevate - Women In Construction; Terrie McDaniel, general manager, Hancock Lumber Company; and Debra Torres, chief of human resources at North Atlantic Corp.