If you happen to be wandering the aisles of one of Dixieline Lumber Co.’s 11 home center stores, don’t be surprised if the person who offers to help you is Joe Lawrence, president of the company.
When Lawrence says that he likes to lead by example, he can point to numerous instances of doing just that. That’s because at one time, he’s held most of the positions in the firm since starting
as a lumber handler 23 years ago.
“I have personally worked a lot of the positions, so I have a great understanding of the business,” says Lawrence. “Our management team has an open-door policy with our people and our customers. We expect each other to be in the field interacting with our people and exchanging ideas and gathering feedback. I see myself as one of the guys.”
His affinity for people makes him a likeable leader, but it’s Lawrence’s skill in managing employees, his hands-on involvement in their growth and development, and his passion for customer
service excellence that have been the underlying reasons for his success in helping to guide the organization even before assuming his current role in March 2005.
Lawrence says that much of the credit for his success lies in his management structure, and his style of management transparency and empowerment that has enabled his team to
stay focused and productive, and to grow.