Hancock Lumber, Casco, Maine
“This is a business about people,” says Erin Plummer, vice president of marketing and communications at Hancock Lumber. “People who have vision and the skills to keep building America.”
Like many LBM workers, Plummer found herself in the industry by accident. A friend from middle school asked her if she wanted to do something different. Now, it’s been 10 years and LBM is everything she thought it wasn’t. “It doesn’t get categorized as glamorous,” says Plummer. “There’s really special people in the industry. ... It goes beyond the materials.”
As VP of marketing and communications at a sixth-generation family-owned business, Plummer faces the daily challenge of communicating the values and maintaining the reputation of a 166-year-old company. “We have really stayed focused to our core,” she says. “I see a future where I can scale this and help others do the same in authentic ways.”
While the national chains are a force in LBM, Plummer thinks smaller companies still provide something more than just strong local ties and relationships. “I think there’s a charm and a certain character to [being] locally owned,” she says. “It’s really authentic. There’s something special about businesses that are able to continue and stay competitive.”
Part of her goal at Hancock is to maintain that “special” quality while still making forward-thinking strides. She acknowledges that there’s a technology gap throughout LBM as a whole, but puts an emphasis on adding those that really grasp the challenge to the team. “We’re really fortunate because we have a really talented tech team. Our company embraces that a lot more than our industry.” That teamwork has helped Plummer succeed, she acknowledges. “I’m excited to have this honor, but it is a team. Nobody operates in a silo.”
