The Nebraska Lumber Dealers Association gave Craig Ohlmann of Ohlmann Building Center, Valentine, Neb., its Dealer of the Year award on Wednesday, March 9, at a convention that also saw Brad Spelts of Spelts Lumber Co., Burwell, take the gavel as the group's new chairman.
The association also named Chris Meyer of Sprenger Midwest, Sioux Falls. S.D., as Nebraska's Supplier Representative of the Year and Allied Midwest Merchandisers Inc., also of Sioux Falls, as supplier company of the year.
Joining Spelts on the association's board are Mike Skillstad, Farm and Ranch Building Supply, Norfolk, Neb., as vice chairman; and Lonnie Kvasnicka of Shelter Distribution and Tom Trisch of Roberts & Dybahl as associate directors. Craig Foreman, Foreman Lumber and Construction, Columbus, Neb., joins the board as director for the north central district. Remaining on the board are Ron Sack, Sack Lumber Co., Crete, Neb., southeast district; Andy Drozd, S.A. Foster Lumber, Kearney, Neb., south central district; and Dick Wild, Christensen Lumber, Fremont, Neb., northeast district. Bryan Jensen of Central Valley Ag Co-op, Elgin, Neb., moves to the immediate past chairman position.
Ohllmann is the third generation of his family to work at Ohlmann Building Center, having started there officially in 1983. He bought the facility from his father in 2007 and led the store's recovery after a fire in June 2010 destroyed the building center's main building--one of the two original building still standing in the town, which was incorporated in 1884. Ohlmann moved to a vacant grocery story and stayed in business.
The Nebraska Lumber Dealers Association is a subgroup of the Northwestern Lumber Association.
