New leaders step up for NLBMDA
Phoenix — The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association elected its new leadership team yesterday at the ProDealer Industry Summit. At the association's annual meeting, the NLBMDA board of directors elected Rick Lierz as the new chair of the association. Rick is president and CEO at Franklin Building Supply in Boise, Idaho, and is replacing outgoing chair George Lester II, chair and CEO at The Lester Group in Martinsville, Va.
"I am deeply honored to become the next chair of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA). I have the privilege of following in the footsteps of many incredible industry leaders and I promise to honor those that have come before me with strong leadership and vision of a stronger NLBMDA," Lierz said. "Lumberyards and building material dealers are a core part of every community in America.
"We employ many thousands of people and our companies help build our communities. NLBMDA has a long and rich history of being the voice in Washington D.C. for LBM dealers across America. Working together we can make a positive impact for our respective companies and the industry as a whole. I look forward to my chairmanship and working closely with fellow LBM dealers to advance our industry."
Founded in 1976 in Boise, Franklin Building Supply's operations still reflect the personal philosophies and values of its founders. Understanding that customers have a choice when selecting a source for building materials, the founders endeavored to make that choice easier by providing the highest quality materials and customer service in the industry. They focused on teaching their employees to think of the customers first.
"Rick has been an active NLBMDA member for decades and has a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise in the LBM industry. He has consistently shown an unwavering commitment and passion to serving others. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to continue to work with Rick as we are both committed to moving the association forward as he becomes NLBMDA Chair," NLBMDA president and CEO Jonathan Paine said. "I also want to thank George for his time, effort and the advances we've made over the last year to give the association and our members a better foundation as we build on the improving economy around the country."
In addition to Rick, the other members of the 2017-18 NLBMDA Executive Committee are:
Chair-elect: Bob Sanford, Sanford & Hawley Inc., Unionville, Conn.
First vice chair: Michael Cassidy, Kodiak Building Partners, Denver, Colo.
Treasurer: Scott Engquist, Engquist Lumber, Harcourt, Iowa
Manufacturers and services council chair: Clarence Wilkerson, Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way, Wash.
Federated association executive chair: Cody Nuernberg, Northwestern Lumber Association, Dakota, Wis.
Immediate past chair: George W. Lester II, The Lester Group, Martinsville, Va.
President and CEO: Jonathan Paine, NLBMDA, Washington, D.C.