LBM Journal's Dealer of the Year Award recognizes LBM companies of various sizes that exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit. By our definition, Dealer of the Year demonstrates outstanding leadership in identifying underserved or emerging markets, delighting customers, and continually working to grow and improve the business. Refers to companies that demonstrate While these companies differ greatly in what they do, what they have in common is a dedication to finding better ways to serve their customers and communities.
When his father, Jeff, suddenly passed away in 2014, Andy Mitchell had no intention of taking over his family's business. Although he had grown up working in and around lumberyards, he worked as a union firefighter, and his wife Breezy had recently become a nurse, and neither of them had the confidence to run a lumberyard. .
“We were really nervous because of the economic downturn,” Breezy said. “We started a family and weren't sure if this was really the future we wanted. Our first thought was to sell it and finish our jobs at the lumberyard. We had a few offers, but we were very cautious about the deal, and then one day we finally decided that this might not be what we wanted. We weren't ready to let it go.”
In 2019, the couple officially took over Mitchell Lumber. The company was founded in 1971 in Silverdale, Wash., and has operated on the Olympic Peninsula in Belfair, Wash. since 1992. It was founded by Andy's grandfather and then sold to his parents, Jeff and Andy. Kath, the garden is currently run by Breezy as majority owner and Andy, who splits his time between working at the lumber yard and working as a firefighter.
Breezy said keeping the business in the family may have made the company smaller, but it has allowed it to better serve its employees and the community. “We are the last remaining family-owned sawmill here on the peninsula,” she said. “We want our employees to know that our company is unique. [buying power] Some of the other sawmills are helping, but we have the ability to make decisions and quickly make their lives easier and better. ”
Transition to modernization
Breezy and Andy said they have made many changes since taking over, while still respecting the business's past. One of the couple's first decisions was to work with local CPA Kyle Kincaid, with whom Jeff had been in contact before his death. With advice from Kincaid and others, the Mitchells steadily grew their business from $3 million in revenue in 2019 to $11 million in 2023.
In 2020, Mitchell Lumber purchased land next to an existing sawmill to expand their business, fulfilling a lifelong dream of Andy's father. Today, the company carries a wide range of inventory, from lumber and hardware to fences, windows, decks, siding, beams and more, as well as well-known brands such as James Hardie, Pacific Woodtech and Fiberon Decing. The company also provides delivery and contractor services and manufactures custom wooden floats for individuals, many of which can be seen along the Hood Canal and Puget Sound.
By combining new technology (the company uses ECI Spruce for its practice management software) and the guidance of longtime clients, the couple found a new balance to move their business forward. This has helped us survive through the ages. The relationship between integration and closure.
“A lot of the small, local sawmills around here have been bought out by larger companies or shut down,” Breezy said. “We're in a special age group where we still remember what it was like back then, but we're still young enough to realize that things are changing. The World If we don’t change with them, we will be left behind.”
Breezy said many customers still prefer paper copies of their statements over going paperless, and many still insist on calling a sales representative directly rather than doing e-commerce, and they are always happy to accommodate these requests. Then he said.
The couple said they rely on the support of IT Machine's IT manager, Justin Heinitz, to help with continuous improvement. “We walk a fine line between being innovative and not pushing our customer base too far.”
Through all the changes, one thing that hasn't changed for Mitchell Lumber are its employees, some of whom worked for former competitors that have gone out of business, and several of whom have left and come back because they miss their old jobs. there was.
“They come back and they're still working because it's fun. They don't even have an end date because they love what they're doing,” Breezy said. “But we have a good environment here. We strive to stand out in customer service and customer relations, and it all starts with our employees, who deliver that service to all of our customers.”
commitment to doing good
But despite the changes to bring innovation to Mitchell Lumber, the couple said they are committed to maintaining the business' reputation in the community.
“My father was a very well-respected, kind, fair and thoughtful man,” Andy said. “He wasn't very active, he was stoic in a way. But when he passed away, there were about 400 people serving him. Going back to his high school days, people used to come from far away. That was my father's reputation and the mill's reputation in the community, and I try to live up to that.”
Breezy said Jeff was always ready to lend a hand in the community and help a stranger, and the Mitchell family still tries to keep that spirit alive.
“'What good thing shall we do today?' We try to live by that motto. It's the last thing we see before we walk out the door of our house, It's the first thing you see when you walk into our office.'' Andy said Mitchell Lumber's reputation serves not only its customers but its vendors as well.
“We rely heavily on professional support from our advisors, CPAs, IT managers, and attorneys, but we also place great emphasis on really good relationships with our vendors,” Andy says. “Having built these relationships over the last 40 years, they were willing to work together and I really saw the value in that. That's why we have very strong relationships with some of our vendors. We’re building it.”
He said he has seen time and time again where a simple conversation can lead to an opportunity to help a vendor or vice versa, building a mutually beneficial long-term relationship.
“Developing relationships with these vendors means these random conversations can lead to significant cost savings and increased profitability for that order, and for that order as a whole. [Recently] I had a one-on-one meeting with a deck manufacturer representative and they asked me, “What can we do to support you?” And I said, “Just show up and talk.” That's what makes you successful as a deck manufacturer representative, and if you can help Mitchell Lumber in any way as a manufacturer, we Invest that money firmly in your company. ”They have seen this company grow three times his size in the last five to six years. So they know that we are a good partner for them as well. ”
In addition to running their business, the couple is active in the community, with Andy continuing to work as a professional firefighter and Breezy serving on the Central Kitsap School District Board of Directors. Her involvement continues at Mitchell Lamber, where she sponsors local sports teams and community centers and supports the American Heart Association and lymphoma and cancer charities. The couple has many goals for the future, including earning a women-owned business certification, investing in social media, and diversifying the markets they serve.
Over the next few years, Mitchell Lumber will win federal contracts for projects at nearby naval bases, create more robust decking programs, and increase the company's inventory of interior trim and door packs, Andy said. He said he hopes to gain more space to expand.
But even with all his plans for the future, Andy said his favorite part of the day is walking around the garden or shop with a cup of coffee and helping out where he can.
“There's nothing I love more than helping out in the store and walking the aisles. I think that's why we have such a great reputation. We've instilled in our employees what we've been advocating for: When someone asks where the hammer is, instead of just saying aisle 6, walk down aisle 6 with them. There's nothing I'd rather do. .”