Feeling as though she was born into it, Lori Byrd has been a part of the lumber industry for over 40 years. Now the director of plywood and solid wood at RoyOMartin, she is an active NAWLA member, currently serving on the NAWLA Board of Directors Executive Committee and NAWLA Traders Market Committee. Get to know Lori, including the most rewarding and memorable parts of her career, her thoughts on the evolving industry and more in the Q&A below.

Tell us about yourself. What is your background and how did you get involved in the lumber industry?

I feel like I was born into this industry. When I got out of school, the first job I had was working for Harvey Engineering, which made equipment for sawmills. While I was working at Harvey, I also went to work for Weyerhaeuser in its accounting department and later moved into its distribution sector serving its customer service centers as a senior panel buyer before joining RoyOMartin. RoyOMartin had a job opening for a three-month position until they could find someone permanent to fill it, in which I would then move over to a different division. That was 26 years ago and I am now the director of sales for plywood and solid wood.

What motivates you to continue on this career path and be a part of the lumber industry?

The industry itself — there is no place like it. I feel like I’m Dorothy, there is no place like home. I would not leave the industry for anything. It gets in your blood and it’s hard to leave. I love my job and I am extremely fortunate. When people ask me when I’m going to retire, my answer is, “When I die.”

In what ways have you seen the industry evolve over the years?

Technology — the cell phone changed the world. The internet had a big impact as well. When I started at RoyOMartin, the sales department was twice the size it is now and production was 20% of what it is now. Technology has really enabled people to be efficient and we now do a better job with everything from growing trees to communicating to contracts. But one thing that hasn’t changed is the trust between a vendor and a customer and the relationship they have.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career so far? Are there any wow moments that particularly stand out to you?

That’s hard to pinpoint. It is a privilege to work for the company I work for, and I can’t pick just one.

One thing that stands was when my daughter started working in the industry. She also works at RoyOMartin as the company’s pharmacist. I never thought that we would be working for the same company but we do, and I hope that she can see the parts of the industry that are the best.

It was also a privilege to be asked to be on the NAWLA Board of Directors and to serve on the board’s Executive Committee.

Tell us about your volunteer work with NAWLA.

I first got involved with volunteering thanks to Jim McGinnis and Michael Mordell. I joined the Traders Market Committee and was honored to serve as its vice chair for two years in 2018 and 2019 and then its chair for two years in 2020 and 2021.

It’s also an honor to be a be a member of the NAWLA Board of Directors and Executive Committee and be a representative of the association on both the national and local level. It gives me an opportunity to recruit, answer questions and tell everyone what is available through NAWLA.

What advice would you give to a new NAWLA member?

Find out what is out there, what is offered and use it. Whether you have been in the business for 20 years or two days, get involved. The value of a NAWLA membership is a thousand-fold — you will get back what you put into it.

What’s been your favorite NAWLA moment?

Jonathan E. Martin winning the John J. Mulrooney Award. He loved the industry as much as I do.

Anything else you would like to share?

I love this industry. It’s a small industry and we all have competitors, but we respect our competitors. The customer base is very loyal and I don’t think there is another industry out there where you can trade millions of dollars on somebody’s word.

I am privileged and honored to work for a phenomenal company and a fabulous industry.