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84 Lumber is renowned for its building materials and supplies, but the company is building up a remarkable amount of career enrichment, too. Through programs like Ladder of Opportunity, which gives 84 Lumber associates opportunities to rise in the ranks and pursue various career paths, the company demonstrates its commitment to employee growth, goodwill and advancement. Below, you can read more about the company's approach toward employee apprenticeship and manager training, featuring insights from 84 Lumber's Paul Yater, chief information officer; Joe Jena, director of talent acquisition; and Sue Kasko, senior director of training. Sue Kasko Sue Kasko, 84 Lumber's senior director of training. Q: Can you share some background on your Ladders of Opportunity program? Yater: 84 Lumber’s Ladder of Opportunity has always been a part of our 84 culture. We have worked to refine and continually enhance it. We have also worked on the visuals and messaging to more effectively tell our candidates and associates the 84 story and opportunity that exists within our company. Kasko: The Manager Trainee position is the entry point. After completing the initial training program, associates have the opportunity to explore multiple career paths within 84 Lumber, including Store Management, Operations, Outside Sales, Install, and roles within Team Headquarters (THQ) departments.
For the ninth consecutive year, 84 Lumber is demonstrating its continued support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October by donating to various charitable organizations, turning its social media profiles and billboards nationwide pink, and highlighting its commitment to raising awareness and supporting the fight against breast cancer. “We are proud to continue dedicating our resources to supporting breast cancer awareness,” said Amy Smiley, vice president of marketing at 84 Lumber. “As a woman-owned company, we are committed to supporting the cause in advancing research and providing aid to those affected by this disease. In addition to leveraging our corporate platform to spread awareness, we will also integrate support initiatives at the store level.” 84 Lumber is demonstrating its support at team headquarters by preparing care packages for patients, survivors, and those impacted by breast cancer. Packages will be distributed to cancer patients at UPMC Washington and St. Clair Hospital, which are located near the company’s headquarters in Eighty Four, PA. Each individual care package will feature pink satin pillowcases, beauty products, handmade friendship bracelets, pink 84 Lumber Yeti tumblers, electrolytes, and James Hardie branded items. Additionally, the company will be hosting a social media giveaway to further engage and support the community.
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sunday, September 15 and ends Tuesday, October 15, 2024. The month recognizes and celebrates the many contributions, diverse cultures, and histories of people of Latin American heritage living in the United States. 84 Lumber is proud to feature three of the company’s many outstanding associates: Luis Moscozo, outside sales coordinator at 84 Lumber’s Westminster, Maryland store; Outside Sales Representative Julio Chavez Jr. in Rockaway, New Jersey; and Jesus “Lucas” Ochoa, store manager, in Christiansburg, Virginia – associates who have achieved success and continue to help push the industry and company forward. “I think it's important that we celebrate [the month] because you want kids to grow up being proud of being Latino – I feel like it's a beautiful yearly reminder that a lot of people have come before you who changed their narrative for you to be here,” said Chavez Jr. “I feel that we do have a responsibility, as a Latin community, to keep paving ways for those that are afraid to ask, to be that voice.” “It makes you feel proud, remembering where you’ve come from. Siéntete orgulloso, nunca olvides de tus raíces. Feel proud, don’t forget about your roots. We need to remind our future kids where their family came from, that we have Hispanic blood, and teach them our language(s). Remembering this and how hard you’ve worked, how far you’ve come during this month is important to me.”
84 Lumber has proudly announced West Fraser, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based forest products company, as its 2024 Vendor of the Year. The annual award is determined by several factors, including sales growth and commitment to service. “84 Lumber has been buying from West Fraser for as long as I’ve been here – which is 40 years,” said 84 Lumber’s Vice President of Purchasing, Mitch Wagner. “West Fraser’s diverse wood product offerings have been crucial in supporting our business needs. Their range of OSB products, panels and lumber offerings have consistently met our high-volume demands and have helped us supply our customers across the single, multifamily, and commercial construction industries.” With a rich history dating back to 1955, West Fraser was founded when three brothers bought a small planing mill in Quesnel, British Columbia. More than six decades later, West Fraser has become a leading diversified wood products company with mills and locations across Canada and the United States. Their evolution and expansion have mirrored 84 Lumber’s growth, making them an integral partner in our success. Today, West Fraser is consistently one of the company’s top vendors and is essential in its forest products supply chain. The company is 84 Lumber’s largest supplier in 2024 of Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF), Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), and OSB.
84 Lumber proudly hosted its annual golf invitational at Nemacolin resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, where the company made two generous donations to demonstrate its continued support and dedication to the Boy Scouts Westmoreland-Fayette Council and Fisher House Foundation. The two-day event included a top-tier golfing experience at Nemacolin's Shepherd's Rock and Mystic Rock courses. Among those attendees were 84 Lumber vendors, associates, representatives from Fisher House Foundation, and other esteemed guests from the Boy Scouts of America Westmoreland-Fayette Council, including troop leaders and scouts. This event brings together over 300 vendor partners and associates to celebrate the contributions and achievements of the past year, and recognizes teamwork, dedication, and the positive impact made in the community. During the dinner reception, 84 Lumber made the first donation to the Westmoreland-Fayette Council for $158,844. The council serves more than 2,000 local young men and women in Westmoreland and Fayette counties. Since 1989, the Westmoreland-Fayette Council has received more than $3 million in donations from 84 Lumber. These funds have been instrumental in the development of programs aimed at teaching life lessons and leadership skills.
84 Lumber has awarded the 2024 midyear team headquarters winners for their outstanding performance. Started in 2022 and held biannually, associates at 84 Lumber's headquarters can nominate their colleagues for two awards: the Business Excellence Award and the Rising Star Award. The company's leadership team then carefully selects the ultimate recipients from among the list of nominees.
84 Lumber continues to solidify its position as a leader in the construction industry by expanding beyond its single-family roots into the multifamily sector. Recognized on Newsweek’s 2024 list of Most Trustworthy Companies in America, 84 Lumber’s commitment to quality and innovation remains steadfast as the company evolves to meet the needs of a dynamic market. Expansion into the Multifamily Sector Using expertise that has been honed since its inception as a single-family housing supplier, 84 Lumber successfully pivoted to expand its multifamily projects. “Our projects now encompass a wider range of structures, including apartment complexes with three-to-500 units, hotels spanning 100,000 square feet, and townhomes or condominium buildings for existing residential builders,” said 84 Lumber owner and CEO Maggie Hardy. This evolution is a testament to the company's dedication to offering top-quality materials, manufactured components, and industry-leading services for a broad spectrum of residential and commercial projects. “84 Lumber’s expansion into the multifamily sector is a natural progression of our business model,” said Hardy. “We’ve applied the principles and operations that made us successful in the single-family market to multifamily projects, allowing us to grow our customer base and take on larger, more complex developments.”
84 Lumber, the nation’s largest privately held building materials supplier, proudly supports U.S. veterans and calls on companies to recognize the importance of National Hire a Veteran Day on July 25th, 2024. This day serves as a critical reminder for employers to consider hiring American military veterans transitioning into civilian employment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, roughly 200,000 veterans enter the civilian workforce each year. Finding a job and finding a purposeful career tops their list of challenges. National Hire a Veteran Day, founded in 2017 by Marine Corps veteran Dan Caporale, is one way to remind potential employers that the best way to honor a veteran is to hire one. Why Veterans Thrive at 84 Lumber According to a poll from Employ Inc., 81 percent of hiring professionals are having trouble filling jobs. “Veterans should be the first stop in filling those open roles in today's competitive job market,” said Joe Jena, director of talent acquisition at 84 Lumber, who emphasizes the company's commitment to veterans. Ultimately, it’s about respect for their service and their training. “Veterans bring extremely competitive skills to civilian jobs, along with core values military service cultivates like dedication, teamwork, and pride,” he said.
84 Lumber has been recognized as a Top Retailer in America 2024 by USA Today. The list of top-ranking companies was published June 24, 2024. The nation’s largest privately held supplier of building materials was listed among 500 retailers in the United States. Those listed were awarded the distinction after a thorough survey and review by Plant-A. Plant-A interviewed more than 45,000 U.S. customers and collected more than 293,000 reviews for brick and mortar retailers operating in the U.S. The survey lasted approximately 10-15 minutes and was conducted between January-March 2024. America’s Top Retailers 2024 is primarily based on the analysis of those reviews. Companies were then evaluated by criteria ranging from customer trust, a social listening survey in which Plant-A looked at what was said about a company in various media segments of the internet, and overall sentiment. The final rankings were calculated based on Plant-A’s scoring model and study approach. The retailers achieving the highest scores in each category – 23 in total – were recognized. 84 Lumber has a 4-star rating under “Home Improvement, Equipment, & Hardware Retail.” Others on that same list were Benjamin Moore, Kohler, and PPG Paints. “Being recognized by USA Today and Plant-A is such a sweet reward – knowing that our valued customers think highly of 84 Lumber and our associates makes all of our hard work worth it,” said 84 Lumber owner and CEO Maggie Hardy.
As 84 Lumber continues to expand its national footprint, including the opening of new retail locations and component manufacturing facilities, these openings require well-trained and passionate professionals, and that’s where the company’s production manager trainee (M.T.) program comes in. “The opening of new component plants is not just about expansion for 84 Lumber but creating new avenues of growth and advancement for our associates,” said 84 Lumber’s VP of Installed Sales and Manufacturing Ken Kucera. "We are always on the lookout for motivated individuals who are passionate about entering the construction industry," said Kucera. "At 84 Lumber, we strive to improve our hands-on training program consistently, ensuring that our associates are well-prepared for a successful career path.” “We’re developing you, training you, and we’re going to pay you,” said component plant manager Dave Ickes. “We’re looking for the people who really want to change their life. “You’d have the opportunity to relocate from California to the east coast if you wanted to. There are many new facilities that are going to open that are going to need new talent to go run these plants.”
