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Jon Vaughan, former president of Brand Vaughan Lumber, joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to discuss his family’s legacy in the lumber industry. Kicking off the Legacies of Real Estate series, Vaughan chats with host Carol Morgan about working with his family, the difficulties the company faced during the Great Recession and his involvement in the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association.
Vaughan knew from a very young age that lumber was his passion. Per his father’s request, Vaughan worked at Georgia Pacific for several years before joining his family’s business, Brand Vaughan Lumber, in December 2006 with his father and grandfather.
Vaughan said, “I have a picture of me with my grandfather when I was probably four years old holding a Fisher Price lumber load kit.”
Working during the Great Recession, Vaughan explains that the tumultuous market had a significant impact on the lumber industry. The sector experienced much turbulence during the recession, including over 100 lumber yard locations dwindling to 20 or less. Brand Vaughan Lumber went from having 110 employees to working with a 31-member team, and many independent businesses didn’t make it through the difficulties of the recession.
Vaughan said, “My grandfather always had this mindset of being prepared for the rainy days and man, did it rain during the recession!”
In addition to the Great Recession, Vaughan witnessed similar challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning to see builders not pay their suppliers and subdivisions starting to close before completion, Vaughan and his team quickly realized they needed to create a plan to keep their core values intact, stay focused on the essential tasks at hand and send the right messaging to their employees and consumers.
Vaughan dives into how technology has transformed the lumber industry’s work today and explains that he believes the impacts of technology are helpful and efficient. Brand Vaughan Lumber continues to make technologically progressive choices to ensure that the company attracts the best talent that will be sustainable long term.
Vaughan said, “Zoom has been a game changer on not just building strategy, but ensuring employees commute with their leaders consistently.”
The third-generation lumber legacy advises young professionals looking to join the lumber industry to be ambitious, patient and open-minded. Vaughan encourages individuals who are unsure where to begin to enroll in trade school, get involved in the industry and learn through experiences what area is the best fit for you.
Vaughan said, “If you have ambition and patience, the sky is the limit!”
Tune into the full interview above to learn more about Brand Vaughan Lumber, or visit www.BVLumber.com.
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