LMC dealers gather in Atlanta for 'Leadership Summit'
LMC dealers gathered in Atlanta this October for LMC’s annual “Leadership Summit,” featuring some of the brightest minds in the LBM industry for professional executive education, development, and networking.
This year, themed “Pivoting Strategies: How They Help You Succeed in Business,” was led by Leadership Summit Facilitator, Kathy Pearson, Ph.D, president and founder of Enterprise Learning Solutions, and a former adjunct associate professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Pearson facilitated daily sessions for the LBM leaders and reviewed ways to navigate the current challenges of the industry, and how pivoting can lead to success.
“The theme of pivoting strategies was extremely timely in nature due to what we have all been facing. Identifying and addressing all of our own known and unknown challenges within our industry was thought-provoking and encouraging,” said Stacy Andersen-Bivona, vice president of marketing from Builders Warehouse in Kearney, NE. “We are all facing extreme challenges and it is difficult to navigate. We choose not to fail, but to pivot to work smarter and more efficient.”
In addition to the rigorous high-level academic agenda over three days, the 55 dealer participants from 31 different states were given facility tours and presentations at local major corporations.
Sandi Moody, Chick-fil-A vice president of enterprise viability, shared the story about how a roadside diner turned into a $14 billion franchise by focusing on a culture of customer service and care that engages team members to create one of the most loyal brand followings in the country.
Gregor Harman, a Porsche consulting partner, discussed how their market-leading performance and innovation changed the automotive industry and the best practices for adopting this strategy to the LBM industry.
Additional education sessions were held throughout the week, along with networking events at the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Porsche Experience Center where attendees took a ride at the Porsche Simulator Lab and at the Porsche Car Demonstration and took a tour of the headquarters.
“The 2021 Leadership Summit initiated diverse conversation and ideas from leaders in our industry from across the country, said Sadie Hammond of Hammond Lumber located in Maine. “After 19 months of unpredictability and unprecedented times, our businesses need to continue to be as agile as they have been and lean into the ‘pivoting strategies’ when the opportunities present themselves.”
The LMC Leadership Summit is a part of LMC’s “21st Century Leaders Program” that includes high levels of professional education and experiences over the course of the year. Past partnerships have included the Wharton and Kellogg business schools, among others.
Based in Wayne, Pa., LMC is a leading forest products and building materials buying Group owned by independent lumber and building material dealers. There are over 1,400 LMC dealer locations in the United States and the Bahamas.