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WEST COAST LBMA enjoyed record attendance at its annual convention Oct. 28-30 at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, Ca. On the whole, dealers and suppliers found the location more accessible for a quick mid-week visit than last year's choice of Monterey, Ca.
A highlight of this year's convention was the inaugural presentation of annual awards, voted on by members of the association. Osborne Lumber Co., Newark, Ca., was recognized as Dealer of the Year, Humboldt Redwood as Associate Supplier of the Year, Ashby Lumber's Alvaro Duarte as Dealer Rising Star, and Western Woods Inc.'s Kevin Richter as Associate Supplier Rising Star.
During the event, outgoing president Chris Fleiner, Reno Carson Lumber, passed the reins to his successor, Emily Morgan, Ashby Lumber. Other officers are 1st VP Dan Delaney, Ganahl Lumber; treasurer/secretary Sean Fogarty, Osborne Lumber; dealer directors Merritt Goodyear, Augie Venezia, Jill Gaylor, Paulo Sitolini, Jeff Scott, and Ann Alvelais; and associate supplier directors Eric Pitner, Thomas Stremlau, Victor Hausmaninger, Sam Patti, and Matt Fink.
The convention kicked off with a sobering economic update by Chris Beard, John Burns Research & Consulting, who identified bright spots in the forecast (namely multi-family construction) and provided historical perspective that overall numbers are strong historically, just not compared to Covid-period peaks.
Also on the agenda were an exhibitor showcase, keynote address on leadership by Jason Caldwell, marketing presentation by Scott Ericson of Wheelhouse 20/20, sales workshops by Bradley Hartmann, and leadership workshops by Kaiser Yang.
