Two notable chief operating officers–Frank Cicero of 84 Lumber and Meagan McCoy Jones of McCoy’s Building Supply–will join the president of our newest dealer of the year and the CEO of one of the nation’s biggest specialty dealers as panelists at the ProSales 100 Conference this coming March 1-3 in San Antonio, ProSales announced today.
Kevin Hancock of Hancock Lumber leads the 2017 Dealer of the Year, while Mike Callahan runs GMS, the Tucker, Ga.-based drywall and steel studs supplier that’s expected to premier in this year’s ProSales 100 list in the top 10.
The ProSales 100 Conference brings together executives from the nation’s biggest lumberyards and specialty dealers for insights, information, and inspiration. All three will be offered up by 2017’s keynoter: John Grotzinger, chief scientist and head of strategic science planning for NASA’s $2.5 billion Curiosity rover mission to Mars–the most complex spacecraft ever to land and operate on another planet. Grotzinger led a team of more than 450 scientists as they worked through enormous challenges inherent in a mission whose objectives continue to fascinate explorers, entrepreneurs, and filmmakers today. Since 2003, Grotzinger also has worked on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers; the latter vehicle found evidence for liquid water. He also has led field missions to arctic Canada, Siberia, Africa, and Oman. For his space efforts, Popular Mechanics named Grotzinger No. 2 on its list of “10 Innovators who Changed the World.”
Aside from the Six Sigma panel and Grotzinger, this year’s conference also will include:
- A focus on mergers and acquisitions that will bring together the CEOs of US LBM and Kodiak Building Partners–L.T. Gibson and Steve Swinney, respectively–with the founder of equity firm Building Industry Partners, Matt Ogden, and CNRG COO John Sieggreen.
- A special economic outlook from Metrostudy chief economist Mark Boud.
- A special session on home health, led by Hayward Lumber’s Bill Hayward and a Seattle remodeler who specializes in healthy homes.
- A panel of future leaders featuring the ProSales Four Under Four Class of 2017.
- Sales insights from “Sell Sheet” columnist Rick Davis.
- And editor-in-chief Craig Webb’s updated “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes.”
Frank Cicero, COO, 84 Lumber
Cicero has worked at 84 more than 30 years. He became chief operating office in 2010. The company has undergone a growth spurt lately; it opened several facilities (including a showroom) on the East Coast in 2016 and has been looking looking for sites to grow in Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, and in Boise, Idaho. “We are taking the steps needed to seize the growth opportunities we’ve identified in the Western markets,” Cicero was quoted as saying last March when he announced the creation of a Phoenix office. He called that operation part of “putting the right people and systems in place to successfully execute our aggressive expansion plans over the next two years.” Aside from expanding, 84 also announced a refinancing deal in October and it has gained attention for selling its own brand of tiny houses.
Meagan McCoy Jones, EVP and COO of McCoy's Building Supply
Less than a month has passed since McCoy’s announced Dec. 15 that Jones was promoted to executive vice president and COO. San Marcos, Texas-based McCoy’s ranks 11th on the ProSales 100, with nearly 90 facilities in several states and 2015 sales totaling $719.8 million. She is on track to become the fourth member of the McCoy’s family to run the company, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. “Meagan’s promotion recognizes the role she has had for some time now as we co-lead McCoy’s,” President and CEO Brian McCoy said in a statement. “Our family is fortunate to have a very capable and involved ‘next generation’ leader.”
Photo courtesy of GMS
G. Michael Callahan Jr., president and CEO, GMS
Callahan runs one of the lesser-known LBM giants. Based in the Atlanta suburb of Tucker, GMS operates close to 200 branches across the country, all of them flying the flags of roughly 50 local names rather than the GMS banner. Since its acquisition by AEA in April 2014, the company has gone on a buying and expansion spree in an intent to provide total coast-to-coast service. Between August and October, it bought four companies that would have generated $156.7 million in sales had they been on GMS’ books for four quarters, and since Oct. 31 it purchased another company with 12-month sales totaling $12.3 million. It recorded nearly $592 million in sales in the quarter ended Oct. 31
Brian Fitzgerald
Kevin Hancock, president, Hancock Lumber
In contrast, Kevin Hancock has been a prominent figure in the LBM community for more than a decade, at one point heading the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. The housing crash and a physical ailment affecting his throat ultimately resulted in his focusing intensely on Hancock Lumber over the past several years. One result of that work is that Hancock has been named ProSales’ Dealer of the Year for 2017. This 14-location, 475-employee, $155 million company is notable in lots of ways (see our profile). For one thing, Hancock has found ways to increase efficiency to the point in which his employees today are receiving higher wages for working fewer hours than they did a few years ago.
The conference is open to executives of lumberyards, specialty dealers, and distributors. Click here to get details and register to attend.
Attendance for building product manufacturers is limited to sponsors. To become a sponsor, contact Dan Colunio.
