[Chicago, IL]
- The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) honored John Bates for his contributions to the association and the lumber and building materials industry during the NLBMDA Installation Dinner on October 17 in conjunction with the ProDealer Industry Summit held in Chicago, Illinois.
Bates is a 45-year veteran of the lumber and building material industry. He spent his entire lumber dealer career with Barnes Building Materials in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Bates began working at Barnes while attending college, purchased the company in 1992 and served as its President from 1992 through 2014, when he sold Barnes Building Materials.
As a valued member of Northwestern Lumber Association and the Iowa Lumber Association, Bates has served on various boards and committees. He has served as Chairman of the Iowa Lumber Association, Chairman of the Northwestern Lumber Association and currently serves as both NLA's Dealer Representative to the NLBMDA Board of Directors and as a member on the Legislative Committee and the Regulatory & Codes Committee for NLBMDA. In total, Bates has dedicated over 20 years of his life to serving his fellow lumber dealers.
Since his retirement, Bates has helped develop the Northwestern Lumber Association (NLA) Ambassador Program and currently serves as an Ambassador. In this role, Bates collaborates with fellow dealers, offering advice, talking about the efforts and benefits of NLA and NLBMDA membership, and encouraging active and engaged participation in the lumber and building supply industry.
NLA President Cody Nuernberg shares that "John has morphed from dealer, to valued board member to Ambassador and more importantly to friend. John is a pioneer in the LBM association world as numerous associations including one in our region heard about his Ambassador Program and not only liked it but they copied it. The industry and more importantly, the world needs more John Bates’.”
"One of the great joys of being able to serve as NLBMDA Chair is the opportunity to meet and get to know lumber dealers from across the country, " said NLBMDA Immediate Past Chair Rick Lierz. "When asked who I thought should receive this prestigious industry recognition John immediately came to mind. His passion for the industry is incredible to witness and is infectious. We are truly grateful for John's continued dedication and contributions. The entire lumber and building material industry has benefited from his passion and he has made all of us better."
Please join us in recognizing John's incredible service and outstanding contributions toward advancing the mission and goals of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association and the entire lumber and building material industry.
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About the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA)
The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) represents its members in the national public policy arena, with emphasis on efforts to 1) promote the industry and educate legislators and public policy personnel; and 2) assist legislative, regulatory, standard-setting and other government or private bodies in the development of laws, regulations and policies affecting lumber and building material dealers, its customers and suppliers. Founded in 1917, the association represents over 6,000 member locations operating single or multiple lumber yards and component plants serving homebuilders, subcontractors, general contractors, and consumers in the new construction, repair and remodeling of residential and light commercial. www.dealer.org
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