Conference Speakers

Doug Jones, president of Hines Building Supply, joined Hines in 2010, with more than 30 years of manufacturing, technology and management experience in the building material supply industry. Doug’s professional affiliations include Activant (Epicor) advisory council chair, and LMC’s technology committee chair. Before joining Hines, Doug was the area vice president at ProBuild and market manager for Stock Building Supply. He also held numerous management positions at Seigle’s, including project manager, director of information systems, director of operations, and vice president of operations. Doug supports all of the US LBM initiatives and is currently a mentor for the Pulse program.

Sunny Bowman is president and owner of Dakota County Lumber, the 2019 Northwestern Lumber Association Dealer of the Year. She played hockey at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Fairbault, Minn., a virtual production line for future NHL stars, and graduated with a dual B.A. in International Political Economics and French and Francophone studies from Colorado College. Since taking over at Dakota County Lumber in 2013, she has more than doubled sales while managing a growing sales force, taking the single-location dealership through a complete renovation, and instilling a leadership vision that creates commitment from team members and unbreakable customer loyalty. She continues to be recognized for her advocacy efforts promoting the next generation of skilled craftspeople in the construction industry and elevating the profile of women in construction, and was recently honored as Housing First Minnesota’s 2019 Housing Industry Leader of the Year.

Craig Bradshaw is President of Mead Lumber Company, founded in 1910.  Mead operates 39 retail locations, 4 truss/wall panel plants and a countertop shop in 8 Midwest states. Mead has grown from 15 to 44 locations and over 900 employees during Craig’s 14 years as President.  In 2014 he helped guide the company through the transition from a family owned company to a 100% employee owned company. Mead Lumber was the NLBMDA’s 2019 Pro Dealer of the Year.

Thea Dudley is an expert in the field of credit in the LBM industry. A career spanning three decades brought her to executive roles in companies such as Guardian Building Products and SRS Distribution. She is now an independent credit consultant and coach, as well as a columnist for LBM Journal. A frequent speaker and podcast contributor, Thea has been involved with the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, and is currently board treasurer at the Mountain States Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. She is active in National Women in Roofing, and a member of the National Association of Credit Managers.

Steve Patterson is president and CEO of Central Valley — a leading multi-generational family business founded in 1955. With eight locations in Northern California serving contractors, builders and homeowners, Patterson’s multifaceted business also supplies agricultural supply products to family farms, and some of the largest vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties. The company’s brands include Foster Lumber Yards (a 100-year old lumberyard), and Napa Valley International (an import and export business). Fluent in Spanish, Patterson graduated from Pomona College and earned an MBA from UC Davis. Patterson is also a former board member of the Lumber Association of California and Nevada (now WCLBMA), where he served as legislative chair and president.

Amy Warren brings nearly 20 years of experience in the construction industry to the discussion. She started her career in branding and marketing. For the last 17 years, she’s held various roles in sales, marketing, communications, and technical design with Weyerhaeuser. Since 2015, she’s been Director of Business and Sales Development, stewarding the specialty products segment, strategic pricing, marketing and sales process for the $1.5 billion Weyerhaeuser Distribution business segment. Used to being the only female in the room, whether it’s the board room or a customer’s office, she’s passionate about making sure the LBM industry continues building bench strength with female leaders.

Carl came to Sears Trostel in 1994 and became operations manager in 2001. Carl led a team in 2002 and then again in 2008 to plan and implement a new shop floor and work procedures based on the principles of Lean manufacturing. Carl’s current focus is on simplifying and integrating the main shop floor computer systems, as well as continuing to identify waste in all aspects of the operation. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar and playing chess.

Rick Kyser is operations manager at Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Company in Waukee, Iowa. With a BS in Agriculture Education from the University of Nebraska, Rick has more than 30 years experience in management positions with Payless Cashways Lumber, Lowe’s, and Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber. Rick is a member of the Iowa LEAN Consortium and serves as president of the Waukee Leadership Institute. Rick and his wife, Sue, have been married for 37 years and enjoy spending time with their four grandchildren, being out at the lake on their boat, and golfing as much as possible.

Rick Davis is the contributing sales editor to LBM Journal and regarded by many as the leading sales trainer and consultant in the LBM industry. He has been the owner of Building Leaders, Inc. for 20 years and trained tens of thousands of salespeople in our industry. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and applies his studies in economics and psychology to deliver scientific measurement of sales performance and the power of influence that produce predictable future results. His presentations are ones you won’t want to miss.

Jim Enter is a LBM industry consultant and founder of The American Association of Roundtables (AART). AART is the industry leader in developing financial trends and productivity ratios. Jim consults and writes about the financial and productivity issues facing LBM dealers. Prior to starting his own consulting practice in 1990, Jim held several positions, including VP of operations with a multi-branch LBM company. Jim and his wife Judy reside in Beaufort, S.C.

John D. Wagner is a managing director for 1stWest Mergers & Acquisitions, which has transacted $1 billion+ in deal values and has a specialty practice in the distribution and LBM sectors.  John is also the M&A columnist for LBM Journal. He has served as a sell-side and buy-side advisor on dozens of M&A deals reaching back to 1999. John is the author of 17 books and 2,500+ articles that have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and many other outlets. His most-recent book is M&A Basics For People in a Hurry!

Rick’s introduction to the LBM industry began in 1990 with Building Material Retailer magazine, and continued with the launch of LBM Journal in 2003. Since then, Rick and a team of hardworking, high performing publishing pros have built LBM Journal into the leading national media brand serving the LBM distribution channel. With degrees in English and marketing, Rick is passionate about delivering insights and information to help readers run their businesses better and smarter.