The New Hampshire Retail Lumber Association (NHRLA) and the Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine (RLDAM) gathered at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside in Portsmouth, N.H., September 12-13, for their Annual Celebration Weekend.
The weekend began Friday afternoon with each board of directors holding separate meetings. From there attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception on the Sheraton’s patio overlooking the mighty Piscataqua River with its inexorable tides and bustling waterfront. A buffet dinner in the ballroom soon followed, which included the business program with remarks from NRLA leadership and reports from each state’s president. After dinner, a festive musical bingo contest ensued, pitting Maine vs. New Hampshire.
Attendees had several different activities to choose from on Saturday, including golf at the Breakfast Hill Golf Club, a narrated Portsmouth harbor cruise onboard the Heritage, and an afternoon social mixer at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club.
Later that evening, attendees from both states convened for another patio cocktail reception and then went back to the ballroom for the awards banquet. On the RLDAM side, Sam Collins, S.W. Collins, paid tribute to surprise Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Steve Parent, longtime representative of Dow/DuPont products. Erin and Maureen Flanagan of Viking Lumber honored their brother Gene Flanagan, also of Viking Lumber, with the Lumber Person of the Year award. On the NHRLA side, Cory Little of Belletetes celebrated Sara Belletete, also of Belletetes, as Lumber Person of the Year. To read the award winners’ biographies, please scan the QR code at the top of this page.
Center: RLDAM President Clara Collins (left) and her father, Sam Collins (right), (both of S.W. Collins) honor RLDAM Lifetime Achievement recipient Steve Parent (center), longtime representative of Dow/DuPont products.
Right: Maureen (left) and Erin (right) Flanagan honor their brother Gene Flanagan (all of Viking Lumber) as RLDAM Lumber Person of the Year.
Border War Trophy Returns to New Hampshire
NHRLA reclaimed the Border War Trophy in the 13th annual “friendly” competition between the states. This year’s contest was solely based on Friday evening’s musical bingo. NHRLA got off to a hot start and never looked back as they took back the trophy with a 13-6 rout of RLDAM. The overall series, which began in 2012 with a pool tournament pitting state vs. state, has now tilted in NHRLA’s favor 7 to 6. RLDAM will look to take back the trophy next year on their home turf at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine, September 11-13.
Incoming NHRLA President Eric Murphy (East Coast Lumber) proudly hoists the Border War Trophy, which will be returning to the Granite State, at least for the next year.
Coincidences?
Back in 2012, David Flanagan, Viking Lumber, received the RLDAM Lumber Person of the Year Award in the same year that David Belletete, Belletetes, received the NHRLA Lumber Person of the Year Award at, yep, you guessed it, the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth.
In 1990, Sam Collins, S.W. Collins, served as RLDAM president, the same year that Jack Belletete, Belletetes, served as NHRLA president. This was when the idea of joining forces for their annual meetings was first discussed. Thirty-five years later, in 2025, their daughters Clara Collins and Sara Belletete served simultaneously as president of RLDAM and NHRLA, respectively.
Award Winner Biographies
NHRLA 2025 Lumber Person of the Year:
Sara Belletete, Belletete’s Inc. | Click here to read her biography.
RLDAM 2025 Lumber Person of the Year:
Gene Flanagan, Viking Lumber | Click here to read his biography.
