Celebration of an Independent's Day
Colorado Springs, Colorado -- The twists, turns and sometimes triumphs of a third-generation lumberyard business were shared by an award-winning dealer here at the 2015 ProDealer Industry Summit.
That dealer was John Holmes. And the occasion was the acceptance of the Independent Pro Dealer of the Year award.
Holmes Building Materials, a two-location and multi-faceted company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, took home the award here during a ceremony at the Broadmoor Resort.
"Thank you for everybody who is involved -- our family and our team," said Holmes, the grandson of the company's founder. "I stand here representing about 120 people back home who are working really hard."
The Independent Pro Dealer of the Year award is presented annually by the editors of Hardware + Building Supply Dealer (formerly Home Channel News). The award recognizes a high-performance company with a commitment to maintaining the best practices and best values of the lumber and building material industry.
During the Pro Dealer of the Year ceremony, the award was presented to Holmes by Adrian Blocker, senior VP of Weyerhaeuser, the ceremony's sponsor.
Holmes Building Materials has seen a lot over the years -- including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Gustav in 2010, and a devastating fire in 1967 that forced the company to essentially start over from scratch.
It's also seen more than its share of business developments. Holmes listed several during his acceptance speech: conversion to a home center format in the 1970s, change of focus to the pro contractors around 1980, adding a second lumberyard around 2005, establishing a stand-alone industrial supply company, creating a millwork division and a door shop.
The most recent innovation for the award-winning dealer has been a stand-alone design center. "It gives us a chance to bring in new people and new homeowners," he said. "It gives them a place to shop and figure out what they need for their home, which is the biggest investment they'll make in their lifetime."
A second design center is expected to open in January of 2016.
Holmes credited his co-op, Do it Best Corp., for providing the business "with the necessary tools in this ever-changing and competitive business."
And he also credited family values for the company's past and its future. "Today I've got my son working in the business," Holmes said. "He's been back with us for about five years, and he'll be the fourth generation."