What led to your position at your company?
I joined Lodge Lumber 12 years ago, leading up to its transition from the second to the third generation of leadership. I observed a company that genuinely cared for its clients and treated its team like family, which made me feel proud to be part of it. In 2019, J.W. Lodge, CEO and owner and Andrew Harris, GM with Lodge Lumber, began developing leadership within the organization to guide us into the future. I eagerly embraced every opportunity to contribute to our evolution and growth, practicing and promoting behaviors that positioned others for success. This allowed me to help develop others just as the company had done for me.
MIKE LEAL, Sales Manager, Lodge Lumber
What is the most important part of your position?
Identifying and developing talent within our team is crucial. For our business to succeed and thrive, we need a team that challenges itself to grow, supported by a culture of encouragement and support. Serving our customers is of utmost importance, and the degree to which we hold ourselves accountable to greatness is key to achieving that goal.
Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?
We are actively expanding our offerings to the concrete construction industry. In 2023, we partnered with JP Specialties as their master distributor in Texas to represent its line of waterstop products. This collaboration has created additional opportunities for us to meet our customers’ needs and has also allowed us to connect with new clients and resale partners. We remain focused on identifying the challenges our customers face when sourcing their products so that we can develop our next round of solutions.
What is your best management tactic?
Answering questions with questions is a vital tactic in management. It’s not enough to resolve the issues your team presents; you must also understand how they arrived at those issues. Additionally, providing a collaborative space allows employees to develop solutions and presents opportunities to challenge the status quo.
Do you have any plans to grow or expand your business through acquisitions and mergers?
Lodge Lumber aims to achieve growth through acquisition as part of our goal to lead the industrial forestry and material supply sectors. To support this strategic growth, we are committed to strengthening our product and service offerings to the industries we serve and helping our customers enhance their positions in the market wherever possible.
What is your biggest lesson learned?
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is captured in the phrase, "Communication is what the listener does." What we say is not nearly as important as what the other person hears. To be effective, it’s essential to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses in how you interact with others and to seek improvement continually. Striving to understand people better and being willing to adapt my communication style to align more with theirs has been invaluable to me.
What inspired you to pursue your current career path, and what advice do you have for someone aspiring to follow a similar trajectory?
My enjoyment of people led me to a career in sales, where I discovered that I excelled at problem-solving and influencing others. The transition to leadership requires similar skills, but the timeline for achieving results is longer. It’s important not to be transactional with people; instead, focus on guiding and influencing them to perform at their best.
For more information, visit lodgelumber.com.
