Bonus awards for the original “Espy”

AWARDS FOR THE ‘ORIGINAL’ ESPY

initiatives in delivery and operations.

The confluence of experience pays off every day.

“We’re in a custom home builder market,” said Owens, the sole member of the management team who personally knew founder Wesley Espy. “And it can be complicated. It’s easy to make a mistake, and that mistake could end up costing $50,000 or $100,000. You really have to know what you’re doing out there.”

Scenes from Okatie (pronouned “Oak-a-tee”) include filling orders of dimensional lumber and inspiring home owners with upscale windows and doors. Long before the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) rolled out its Espy Awards to recognize athletic achievement, Hilton Head Island pro dealer Espy Lumber has been creating its own business highlights, scoring business home runs and board room game winners.

The 2022 Independent ProDealer of the Year even has its own “Espy Awards,” given to winners of forklift drivers at morale-boosting company rodeos.

Here are some other areas where Espy Lumber’s accomplishments and highlights deserve consideration for an “Original Espy Award.”

ESPY AWARD FOR CAREER SERVICE

Edward “Blue” Boldwin 45 years with

Espy Lumber. Start date: Oct. 16, 1977. “We promote longevity,” said Mike Reeves, himself, a 40-year Espy veteran. “We think that’s huge in our industry.”

ESPY AWARD FOR CORPORATE MASCOT: Studley Doright, the face of the company’s ELCE program.

SPECIAL ESPY AWARD FOR RISING TO THE CHALLENGE “There’s no question that over the past two years, as we entered into the Covid-era, things became a lot more challenging, especially on the supply side,” said Mike Reeves, president.

ESPY AWARD FOR COMMUNICATIONS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DIVISIONS) For 15 years, ESPY has been publishing a customer-oriented newsletter providing market conditions, product information and staff profiles. Espy recently expanded its publishing effort to include a newsletter (now in its third installment) targeting employees.

ESPY AWARD FOR CROSS-INDUSTRY TEAMWORK The management team is a big believer in roundtables with other dealers. And Espy Lumber has been involved in the process for nearly 20 years. “We get together, share information, and see who’s doing what right,” said Reeves. “We all have the same common goals and many of the same problems.”

THE ESPY AWARD FOR VISION Espy Lumber’s vision statement: “To be an enthusiastic team of professionals that is the contractor’s supplier of choice.”