In a time when big-box stores and online retailers are pushing customer and employee experience aside while prioritizing profit, it’s rare to find a large business that’s kept true to its small-business roots. Luckily, Carter Lumber has found the key to stable growth while keeping people at the heart of the company.
By the end of the 1930’s, Carter was the sole owner, and from that one location, the company has vastly expanded over its 90-year history. Today, Carter Lumber has more than 180 locations across 15 states in the eastern U.S.
Carter Lumber’s leadership team—CEO and Chairman Neil Sackett, President and COO Jeff Donley, Senior Vice President Steve Miller, and Senior Vice President Adam Lombard—attribute the company’s continued success over the decades to one of the core values the company was founded on: how it treats its people.
“What’s made the biggest difference for Carter Lumber is that while our business has changed, at our core we haven’t changed,” Sackett said. “Many years ago, we set forth on a plan to be the best building materials supplier in every market that we service. The foundation of that plan is our employees. We treat them well and make sure they have all the tools to succeed. With our customers, we seek out those whose values align with ours, form real relationships with the people there, and do everything we can to be a true partner in their business. If our people are happy and our customers are happy, the results will follow. We’ve grown significantly since we started down this path, and we believe that staying true to who we are and that is what makes Carter Lumber a special company.”
In addition to the company’s lumberyard growth, Carter Lumber has also diversified to other areas in the industry, including millwork, installed services, and manufacturing. The company currently operates 15 truss manufacturing plants, 13 door plants, and a custom millwork facility…