Cover Feature installing doors, because we didn’t want to deal with that call back. And those callbacks stopped.” Under the direction of Tim Hurd, the installed sales program has ratcheted up, generating millwork sales growth as it provides an additional service to Espy customers. Hurd describes the “trust factor” as a critical component of installation services. Every window manufacturer has unique installation requirements, and Espy makes it their job to follow their specifications. “The customer knows they’re doing business with Espy Lumber, instead of two guys in a pickup truck or a framer,” Hurd said. “When you think about it: is a framer really the right guy to be installing $100,000 worth of windows?” In the Hilton Head, six-figure window jobs and replacement projects are no exaggeration. Hurd described a $5 million 25-year-old house on the beach where a package is above six figures, and installation will run another $50,000. “Those doors are opening to us,” Hurd said. “I’ve quoted three houses like that in the last two weeks.” Regardless of the size of the project, success will be shaped by the details, processes and company culture that set the stage. And that’s where the ELCE program fits in. The customized LEAN management program is a major initiative at Espy. It’s a measurement-based strategy designed to promote continuous improvement. The E-L-C-E letters represent Evaluate, Learn, Control and Execute lead to standard operation procedures that include written manuals for each department, identifying waste in the process and continually working to reduce the number of steps and time it takes to reach a positive customer experience. Espy’s management toured both the Hilton Head Island and Okatie locations, focused on what can be done to improve process flow — in accounting, in operations, in sales. According to Rob McKean, who is co-leading the ELCE The Okatie, S.C., location expands Espy Lumber's reach to inland markets, including Beaufort, S.C. and Savannah, Ga.
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April 2022 HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER
Espy Lumber keeps Hilton Head humminig.
THE INDEPENDENT PRODEALER OF THE YEAR Espy Lumber of South Carolina wins as a team. As the challenges of 2021 extend into the new year, a two-unit Hilton Head, S.C.-based pro dealer is continuing its focus on its values — honesty, respect, friendliness, among them — and its customers. And the results are award winning: Espy Lumber Co. has been named the 2022 “Independent ProDealer of the Year.” The annual award, selected by the editors of HBSDealer in concert with the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, is designed to recognize a high-performance independent lumberyard (less than 5 locations) with a commitment to best practices and the best values of the lumber and building material industry. “I would like to thank the committee on behalf of Espy for this recognition,” said Mike Reeves, president and general manager of Espy Lumber. “Although the past few years have been challenging, our goal as a team at Espy has always been to create a professional environment that allows us to serve our customers to become their supplier of choice in our market.” Honorees are selected by HBSDealer and the NLBMDA. Shortly after the opening of the first bridge connecting the mainland to Hilton Head Island, ESPY Lumber was founded in 1958. As the area boomed, so did the business. Serving the Lowcountry from Hilton Head and also Okatie, S.C., the company spells out its vision clearly: “To be an enthusiastic team of professionals that is the contractor’s supplier of choice.” Past honorees of the Independent ProDealer of the Year award include Dakota County Lumber Co. of greater Minneapolis (2021); and Townsend Building Supply or Dothan, Ala. (2020).
HBSDealer.com
