East Brookfield, Mass. (June 6, 2022) – East Brookfield is quiet and unassuming like many other New England suburbs in Massachusetts. There are old buildings that likely predate the 20th century, and there are ones that look recently built or renovated and could fit onto the cover of the town’s welcome pamphlet. For the population of just over 2,200, this is home, and at the heart of the quaint ten square miles located just west of Worcester in central Massachusetts sits a little giant called Howe Lumber.
Established in 1965 by the Howe family patriarchs, Henry (father) and Steve (son), the single yard operation is now run by Henry’s granddaughter, Kate Norrie, and her husband Scott. Since its inception, Howe has literally and metaphorically helped build the town of East Brookfield, its surrounding communities, and other parts of New England by providing products for its homes, businesses, and by supporting local organizations in the town.
*Kate and Scott Norrie are third generation owners of Howe Lumber
“Kate’s father and grandfather started the business in 1965 in North Brookfield and opened a second location in East Brookfield in 1975. Kate grew up at the lumberyard, literally. They lived in a small white house that was on the lumberyard property,” said Scott Norrie, President of Howe Lumber.
That is much of what drives Howe Lumber’s success today. Kate’s background proves that Howe is more than just a business that happens to be in East Brookfield. The town is a part of the Howe DNA.
“We try to do as much as we can for our local community,” Scott humbly understates as his list of extra curriculars reads like a high school transcript for a student about to enter an Ivy League university.
Currently, the Howe Lumber President serves as a trustee at the Haston Free Public Library, a corporator at the North Brookfield Savings Bank, and on the Massachusetts Retail Lumber Dealers Association Legislative Committee. Before the pandemic, Scott was a Boy Scout volunteer. Howe also sponsors local youth sports teams, helps with materials for Eagle Scout projects, sponsors local golf tournaments and fundraisers, and is a year-long sponsor for East Brookfield’s yearlong 100-year anniversary celebration taking place this year (delayed two years by the pandemic). For LMC, he is on the Planning, Development, and Education Committee.
*Howe hosted an employee clam bake at their yard last year
Outside of their branded shirts with the Howe Lumber logo, it's impossible to tell that Scott and Kate run a business with almost 60 years engrained in the East Brookfield community. They are one of the town's power couples, yet their demeanor is anything but. Scott, with his salt and pepper hair and medium height, greets every customer by name with his head held high and a wide smile as if they were childhood friends. There is a certain pride to his interactions as he talks to his customers and talks about his business. It's obvious that he simply loves what he does.
That love has led to a longevity rarely seen in today's business world. Longevity in any industry requires a tremendous amount of trust that can be hard to come by and is earned with integrity and effort. That same trust can be easily compromised without the right nourishment. It’s apparent, however, once stepping onto the lumberyard, that Howe’s expertise and professionalism has been passed down to the third generation of ownership.
There are certain advantages of being “tiny” but mighty (I used quotes because Howe’s revenue is anything but tiny as the 2019 LBM Journal Dealer of the Year in the $10 million to $50 million category). As a single yard location, Kate and Scott need to ensure they’re maintaining the highest level of efficiency, selling the best products, and providing their customers with the best service they’ve ever experienced. All of this requires teamwork, dedication, and communication across channels, all things that would be much more difficult if talent were spread across multiple locations.
“A single location is like driving a small sports car - we can accelerate, slow down, or change direction very quickly,” said Scott. “Plus, having the entire team under one roof helps with decision making. We end up with a lot of face-to-face conversations, and as a result, a lot of comradery.”
*Howe's management team from left to right: Jason Thacker (GM), Adam Robbins (Operations), Patrick Giguere (Purchasing Manager)
LMC also comes in to support independent dealers like Howe with pricing, industry relationships, and expertise to give a $10 to $50 million yard the same fighting chance against the big box chains (Home Depot did over $150 billion in sales in 2021).
"LMC is a force-multiplier for us, allowing us to punch way above our weight class in terms of purchasing power and vendor relationships,” said Scott. “LMC has totally changed the way we purchase materials. We’ve really tried to maximize opportunities we have for direct relationships with vendors. The opportunities for networking and gathering marketing ideas have been huge too.”
Howe has also been on the cutting edge of innovation and progress, especially when you consider that they’re a part of an industry that can be slow to change. Their lumberyard is 100% solar powered and runs completely on renewable energy. Scott and Kate also drive electric vehicles and the parking lot consists of EV charging stations for themselves and their guests. Even before the pandemic, they had plans to dive into e-commerce and are now fully e-commerce enabled.
Thus, one would be confident in saying that Howe has the leadership and dedication in place to adapt to marketplace challenges when needed as they keep an eye on the future. Whatever it holds, Howe, who has been with LMC since 2000, and LMC will be there to continue and succeed together.
For more information on Howe Lumber, please visit their website at howelumber.com.