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NEWSFEED
JORDAN LED COMPANY, INDUSTRY, STATE obert Byrd (Bob) Jordan R III, who led Jordan Lumber & Supply Inc. into becom-
and President of Jordan centration yard and a Lumber & Supply, Inc. planer to complement and its affiliates from the his trucking business. ing one of the most progressive time he returned home Bob graduated from sawmill operations and one of from the armed services North Carolina State the largest single-site lumber in 1956 until being sucUniversity in the School producers in North America, ceeded by his son, of Forestry in 1954 with who was a 2007 Timber ProRobert IV, this year. emphasis on lumber cessing Man of the Year, who Under Bob’s leadermanufacturing, was served as Lieutenant Gov. of ship, Jordan Lumber & commissioned as a SecNorth Carolina from 1985 to Supply’s business imond Lieutenant in the 1988 and as state senator from print on its local comU.S. Army and served 1977 to 1984, died February 16 munity and industry in Europe in 1955-1956 peacefully at home overlookhas always read like an before leaving the sering Lake Tillery in Mount exemplary template of vice as a Captain. By Gilead, NC, surrounded by his what every forest prodthen the company had loving family. He was 87. ucts company should grown to 13 employees The State of North Carolistrive to be: a growing, with a dry kiln and na flew its flags at half-mast innovative business planer, taking producfor three days. North Carolina that views as matters of tion from contract peckGovernor Roy Cooper and principle long-term viaerwood mills. former White House Chief of bility and sustainability With the support of Staff during the Clinton Adwhile providing good his wife, Sarah Cole Bob Jordan was a “powerful, gentle public serministration, Erskine Bowles, jobs and conserving Raeford, whom he marvant,” and a great lumberman. spoke at the Celebration of raw materials. ried in 1958, Bob spiLife service held at the West Jordan Lumber operates a “What you find out in life is raled the company’s growth Montgomery High School massive southern yellow pine the things that give you the upward with a series of stepAuditorium in Mt. Gilead. manufacturing complex in most joy are what you do for ping stone moves and develop‘I know Dad wouldn’t have Mt. Gilead, as well as a sawother people,” he said upon ments, culminating in the conbelieved the turnout and mill in Barnesville, Ga., in being named Man of the Year solidation of operations at the would have been very humaddition to chip mills and in 2007 by Timber Processing. current site in Mt. Gilead, inbled,” his son and the compa- other operations while own“That’s where the satisfaction cluding the construction of a ny’s CEO and President, ing a timberland base that has comes from. You can always sawmill in 1967. By then, Robert IV, comments. “It long been under best manage- go somewhere else and make Bob’s brother, Jack, who also made me even more proud of ment practices. Bob Jordan more money, but what we’ve graduated in forestry at NC him to see the tremendous always viewed his business as done here is really plowed evState and completed his milinumber of lives he touched. an integral part of the comerything back in.” tary obligation, returned to help He will be greatly missed.” munity and region and his His dad, R.B., started the lead the family lumber busiBob Jordan served as CEO employees as leading citizens. business in 1939 with a conness. Way before then, not long after joining the family business, Bob began public service as an appointee to the Mt. Gilead City Board, on which he served from 19571968. He also chaired the first Montgomery County Planning Board and served with that group from 1964-1974. He had grown up around public service, with his dad serving as county commissioner for 24 years and as president of the North Carolina County Commissioners Assn. “Political people were constantly passing through the house; it Left to right, Bob Jordan, his brother Jack and Bob’s son, Robert (2007) was a way of life,” said Bob, 8
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