Eleven Dealer of the Year awards were presented by regional associations on Feb. 2 at the Northeast Retail Lumber Association's (NRLA) LBM Expo '11. Two other members were also awarded Lifetime Achievement awards for their work and dedication to the LBM industry. The awards were presented at the Industry Recognition Dinner held at the expo.Winners of the Dealer of the Year awards were:
- Central New York Retail Lumber Dealers Association: Charles Handley, Burke's Do It Best Home Center, Oswego, N.Y.
- Lumber Dealers Association of Connecticut: Rich Slevinsky, Miner's Inc., Canton, Conn.
- Mid-Hudson Lumber Dealers Association: Tim Erchick, Mid-State Lumber Corp., Branchburg, N.J.
- Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association: Jay Torrisi, Jackson Lumber & Millwork Co., Lawrence, Mass.
- New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association: Harold LaValley, LaValley Building Supply Inc., Newport, N.H.
- Northern New York Lumber Dealers Association: Bart Biondolillo, North Counties Supply Co., Inc., Philadelphia, N.Y.
- New York and Suburban Lumber Assocation: Bert Smeraldi, PSI Distributors, Elizabeth, N.J.
- Rhode Island Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association: Wayne Farley, Cleary Millwork Co., Inc.
- Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine: The Morrell Family, Downeast Building Supply, Brunswick, Maine.
- Vermont Retail Lumber Dealers Association: Dennis Charron, Goodro Lumber, Killington, Vt.
- Western New York Lumber Dealers Association: Dick Mallory, Williamson/Wolcott Building Supply, Wolcott, N.Y.
- Those receiving Lifetime Achievement awards were:
- Long Island Lumber Dealers Association: The Whitbread Family, Whitbread's Sons Lumber Co., Oceanside, N.Y.
- Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association: Robert Keiver, Keiver-Willard Lumber Corp., Newburyport, Mass.
The awards are announced every year at the NRLA expo. The NRLA was founded in 1894 and currently is a 1,150 member association representing lumber and building material suppliers in New York and New England. The association provides educational, legislative, and regulatory reform services to members as well opportunities to network.