John McKenna Promoted to LMC Millwork Purchasing Manager

John McKenna joined the LMC’s Millwork Department in 2011 and moved up to become Department Manager in 2017. Recently he was promoted to Purchasing Manager overseeing the entire LMC Millwork Department.

Before John started at LMC, he worked for an LMC dealer. During his years at the dealer, John began to understand the value that LMC offered to not only his organization but the entire dealer network. So, when John got a call about a position available in LMC’s Millwork Department, he decided to explore the opportunity.

John has been in the lumber and building materials industry for 34 years. He got his start with a local wholesale lumber company while he was still in high school, and once he graduated college, the company offered him a full-time job.

From his years of experience on the other end of the phone trying to wade through a sea of options while finding ways to remain competitive, John brings with him his personal understanding and working knowledge of one of the biggest problems LMC aims to solve for our dealers.

“The biggest lesson and the thing I understand well from working at an LMC dealer is the competitive landscapes. Our dealers are often up against much larger competition,” John says.

LMC’s purchasing department and John’s role at LMC, as he puts it, are not only to make purchases but to connect dealers with the right suppliers. As John knows first-hand, dealers often don’t realize there’s a better match for them than the suppliers currently on their radar. More importantly, unlocking the right vendor isn’t just about managing pricing. The right suppliers also create new opportunities for our dealers to do something they’re not currently able to do, so they can grow strategically.

“When a dealer buys a door machine, they’re spending anywhere from $500,000 to $1,000,000. It’s a big capital expense,” John says. “I’m able to connect the dealer that’s thinking about getting into that business with another dealer that’s already in it. They can share best practices and go over all of the details.”

John has seen a lot of change in his 12 years at LMC, as the industry continues to use technology to create more efficient ways to transact our business with our dealer/members and with our supplier/partners. LMC continues to invest in new ways to help us stay connected with our network.

While technology will continue to play a key role in helping John and his team do their jobs, this industry is still a relationship business where deals are made over the phone or with a handshake. That personal connection is key to LMC’s success and a large part of why John loves what he does and is excited about his new role – “I get to interact every day with people I enjoy doing business with…our connections are personal in many cases. It makes it easy to come to work every day!”

Source: Lumbermens Merchandising Corporation