Nominations are open for ProDealer of the Year
HBSDealer has proudly recognized high-performing lumberyards since the late 20th century, creating a roll-call of honorees that have shown growth, leadership and the values of the building supply industry.
The tradition continues in 2023, and HBSDealer and our partners at the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association request the help of all industry stakeholders as we identify our new year’s ProDealers of the Year
Deadline for nominations is Feb. 6, 2023. The official online nomination form is here.
The criteria remains the same for both our national ProDealer of the year (six or more units), and our Independent ProDealer of the Year (five of fewer units):
• High performance. Including sales growth, expansion, introduction of successful lines of business;
• Commitment to best practices. General organizational excellence, putting people first and developing a strong reputation in the markets they serve;
• Values of the industry. Customer service, community service and willingness to play the role of ambassador for the hardware and building supply industry.
The ProDealer of the Year Award ceremony will take place during the 2023 ProDealer Industry Summit in Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 4-6.
A short list of past honorees
2022
Hancock Lumber
ESPY Lumber Co.
2021
McCray Lumber & Millwork
Dakota County Lumber
2020
National Lumber
Townsend Building Supply
2019
Mead Lumber
BLDRS Supply & Home Center
2018
Drexel Building Supply
CHIC Lumber
2017
Kuiken Brothers Co.
Millard Lumber
2016
T.H. Rogers Lumber Company
Healdsburg Lumber
2015
Builders FirstSource
Holmes Building Materials
2014
Meek’s Lumber
S.W. Collins Co.
2013
US LBM Holdings
Pat Thorne Lumber
Last year's honorees — Saco, Maine-based Hancock Lumber and Hilton Head, S.C.-based Espy Lumber Co. —are unique businesses in many ways. And at the same time they fit the pattern of past winners that include a willingness to try new things and a passion for serving customers.
“The people doing the work usually have the best ideas about the work and how it can be improved,” Hancock’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Hopkins told HBSDealer last year. “We want to empower everybody to be thinking about solutions and sharing their ideas.”
[Read the Hancock Lumber profile here.]
Espy Lumber Co., the 2022 Independent ProDealer of the Year, has been invigorated with LEAN management principles, including an E-L-C-E approach to business—Evaluate, Learn, Control and Execute. Serving the Lowcountry from locations in Hilton Head and Okatie, the company spells out its vision clearly: “too be an enthusiastic team of professionals that is the contractor's supplier of choice.”
[Read our profile of Espy Lumber here.]
Nominating a lumberyard company for recognition in the ProDealer of the Year award program is easy. Just tell us the company’s name and location, and provide us with a brief description of its award-worthy performance and vision, along with a few other details. The nomination form is here.
The award process will culminate in a ceremony at the 2023 ProDealer Industry Summit, hosted jointly by HBSDealer and the NLBMDA. The three-day event Oct. 4-6 in Kansas City provides an exclusive educational forum designed to promote the growth of lumber & building product dealers, distributors, wholesalers, and the manufacturers who supply them. Visit prodealer.com to learn more.
