L.T. Gibson, CEO President and Founder US LBM
L LEADERS OF LUMBER By Andy Carlo
2020
For the second year in a row, HBSDealer discussed strategy, culture, and opportunities with the leaders of some of the largest lumber and building material retail organizations in the nation. Here are five views on growth, success, and meeting customers’ needs in the lumber industry from the top of US LBM, American Construction Source, Hancock Lumber, LMC, and The Home Depot. 34
ast year marked the 10 th anniversary for US LBM. Founded in 2009 with 16 locations in three states, there have been a few changes at the company since its debut. That includes expanding to more than 250 locations with sales hitting $3.5 billion in 2019. But US LBM President and CEO L.T. Gibson has been a constant since he founded the company, overseeing super growth at one of the lumber and building material industry’s largest dealers. “Building a great company is full of ups and downs and you have to realize that the process you create and the journey you take is your ultimate destination,” Gibson told HBSDealer. “At the end of the day, this is about people, reliability and excellence.” Gibson says the lessons he learned during his journey with US LBM “could fill volumes.” “It ranges from setting the right strategies early, to building processes and systems to meet your needs today and in the future, to being flexible so you can quickly pivot as markets and economies shift,” he says. “Most importantly, you need to lay out a clear vision of the future and keep your team focused on that vision.” Part of that vision is US LBM’s leadership team who remain focused on continuing best practices for the business on a daily basis. “Keeping our attention on our core mission and strategic road map gives
SEPTEMBER 2020 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER
us the most options and opportunities for the future,” Gibson says. Regarding growth, the Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based pro dealer looks to expand in existing markets and partner with the best companies in new markets. Essential to acquisitions are partnerships that are beneficial to both companies. “Even if we partner with a market leader, we want to be able to provide a potential new partner the tools and resources to grow, which could be via our wider access of suppliers, product lines, or technology,” Gibson explains. “They receive the benefits of US LBM’s scale and industry leverage along with a deep bench of support, product and subject matter experts, technology, training opportunities, and a playbook of operational best practices from across our family of divisions.” Likewise, US LBM looks at companies that can bring a new dynamic to the dealer and its network, including markets or product categories that dealers might not be in. A strength of US LBM is the company’s ability to adapt while proactively finding new opportunities to advance and improve in the industry. “We’re progressive in how we approach things and have always regarded ourselves as the ‘new’ kid on the block and as an alternative to the traditional lumber yard model,” Gibson says. “Doing things because ‘that’s how they’ve always been done’ has never been our approach. Technology has been central to our value proposition from day one and we’ve
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