Building a better national industry

Colorado Springs, Colorado -- Incoming NLBMDA chairman Scott Yates of The Denver Lumber Company spelled out some of his goals for the national association of lumber dealers here at the ProDealer Industry Summit.

 

Yates also celebrated the spirit of the multiple-generation family business during the Officer Installation ceremony.

 

 

Describing himself as a lumberyard "lifer," Yates takes over the chairmanship of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association from 2015 chairman J.D. Saunders, VP of Economy Lumber in Campbell, California.

 

 

During the ceremony, Yates described several key objectives for his tenure as chair of the national organization. Among them are the development of a formal mentor program to get more dealers involved. He also seeks to attract more manufacturers, wholesalers, service companies and associate companies into the NLBMDA fold.

 

 

"We are acting on behalf of 6,000 dealers coast to coast, and we want to ensure that there are 6,000 or more of us 10 years from now," Yates said. "It's good business to be a member."

 

 

And finally, member engagement will be a key: "Let's get a larger portion of the 6,000 dealers engaged with our regional association, the NLBMDA and the Lumber Dealers Political Action Committee (LudPac)," he said. "I believe there is a large pool of untapped talent out there to help us achieve all of our goals and objectives."

 

 

During Yates' introduction, Denver Lumber Company employees in the audience surprised the incoming NLBMDA chairman with a sign that read "Congrats & Good Luck Scott, you make us proud!" On the stage, Yates credited Walter Foxworth as a mentor in the effort to lobby on behalf of the industry.

 

 

Denver Lumber Company was founded by Yates' grandfather in 1943. And Scott Yates' son Sam is expected to become the fourth-generation family member to run the business.

 

 

"I'm the third generation of a family corporation, and I couldn't be more proud," said Yates, generating spontaneous applause.

 

 

Colorado Senator Cory Gardner -- who launched his senatorial campaign during an event at Denver Lumber Company -- congratulated the incoming NLBMDA chair through a video. Yates' colleagues in the Mountain States LBM Dealers group also read a congratulatory letter from Colorado brewing icon Peter H. Coors.

 

 

"Our company has always believed in association membership," Yates said. "Basically the associations we belong to provide us with a value we could never achieve on our own."

 

 

The 2015 ProDealer Industry Summit will run through Oct. 30 here at the Broadmoor Resort.