Doug Ford didn’t set out to be a leader in the lumber business. From a young age, he wanted to be a teacher. Though his professional journey has taken him far from the classroom, he has still found a way to express that desire to teach through his career in the building materials industry.
As manager, part of Curtis Lumber’s management team, Doug has put the teaching skills he developed at SUNY Oneonta to good use, mentoring and developing employees. His newest role, as incoming chair of the NRLA, will further allow him to flex those muscles, putting his wisdom and experience to work for an industry that needs to build up its next generation of workers and leaders.
“My two primary goals are to help our industry with workforce development and to increase member engagement,” he explains. “These are the biggest challenges facing our industry. I think our members are so overwhelmed with the labor issue that they are not participating and therefore not benefiting from the support the NRLA provides.”
He notes that the networking and educational opportunities offered by the NRLA are two of the most important supports, particularly for those looking to build their employees’ skills and knowledge.
“There are tremendous benefits to being part of NRLA, but you have to engage,” he notes. “My professional and personal development have been significantly impacted by my involvement. Having the opportunity to work with the professional staff and the leaders in the building materials industry is immeasurable.”
Doug brings a depth of experience to his new position, with more than 45 years spent in the lumber industry, much of it in leadership. While he was still a SUNY student in 1977, he accepted a part-time position at Grossman’s Lumber to help pay his way through school. “I fell in love with the building materials industry and continued working with them through college,” he recalls. “I became the go-to manager when they had an underperforming store and needed someone to get the location back on track.”
When Grossman’s closed in 1996, he accepted the general manager position at Curtis Lumber’s Ballston Spa location. His knack for both keeping customers happy and developing talent got him promoted to vice president of sales and purchasing, the role he still occupies today. His signature achievement in recent years has been the development of a Workforce Development Coalition made up of “more than 40 professionals from various walks of life who passionately work to promote awareness about career opportunities in the trades.” Doug adds, “These efforts are directed at addressing a national shortage of workers and misconceptions about work in the trades.”
At the same time he joined Curtis, Doug began to get engaged with the NRLA and was asked to serve on (no surprise) the education committee. Over the course of 27 years, he has had a variety of roles in the NRLA and its Lumber and Building Material Dealers Foundation (LBMDF), including the LBMDF board of directors, the NRLA-NY legislative committee, and the NRLA executive board. He’s also active in his local business community, serving as vice chair for the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, second vice chair for the Saratoga Builders Association, and on the Saratoga/Warren/Washington Workforce Development Board.
Doug encourages the next generation of lumber leaders to follow in his footsteps. “You are never too young to get involved. You have a great career in front of you, but you need to help yourself succeed. The NRLA can be the conduit to your success by providing education, networking opportunities with some of the best in the industry, and leadership opportunities, along with so much more.”
Doug Ford will be installed as NRLA Chair on Thursday, Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. during the NRLA Annual Business Meeting being held at LBM Expo at the Earth Expo & Convention Center at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. There will also be a Installation Celebration to follow. For more information on LBM Expo, how you can attend this event, and to register, click here.
