Company Leadership

Mr. Blanco joined us in July 2010 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Blanco held that position until January 7, 2016, at which time he, for health reasons related to a bicycling accident, stepped down as our President and Chief Executive Officer and was appointed our Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. Mr. Blanco held senior positions in sales, distribution, marketing, manufacturing and supply chain optimization with Weyerhaeuser Company and MacMillan Bloedel Limited including, Vice President of Enterprise Supply Chain Management, of Business Development, and of the Cedar Group from 1983 to 2009. Mr. Blanco holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degree from Simon Fraser University.

Mr. Brown joined us in August 2004 as Vice President Finance, was appointed our Chief Financial Officer in November 2004 and our Chief Operating Officer in March 2015. On January 7, 2016, Mr. Brown was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr. Brown was a manager in the Canadian Operations of Weyerhaeuser Company and MacMillan Bloedel Limited’s building products distribution businesses from 1998 to 2004. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Brown was the Director of Acquisitions for Wajax Limited, and prior to that worked at Deloitte & Touche in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at a predecessor firm to PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the United Kingdom. Mr. Brown is a Chartered Professional Accountant, holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation, and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.

Mr. Dickinson joined Rugby in 1992 and has served as General Manager of three Rugby distribution centers. In 2009, Drew’s leadership role was expanded to Vice President of Operations and he was named COO in June 2010. In 2018, Drew was named President of Rugby and has diversified responsibilities in the company, with key roles in business development, vendor relations, operational process improvement, sales growth and profitability, and mergers and acquisitions. In January of 2023, Drew was appointed President of ADENTRA US Industrial. Drew holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas.

Mr. Figgins joined our Livermore, California location in 1994 and in 1999 was promoted to Branch Manager of our Sacramento branch. From 1999 to 2011, Mr. Figgins held progressively senior positions with us, including Import Manager and General Manager. In October 2015, he was promoted to Vice President, Imports. Mr. Figgins holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (Marketing) from California State University, Chico.

Mr. Hughes joined us in July 2016 when his former employer, Rugby Acquisition, LLC, was acquired by Hardwoods. Prior to Rugby he was the CEO of a specialty steel distributor from 2006 to 2009, and from 1994 to 2006, he was a senior executive and principal of North Pacific Group, Inc. He held various positions including Chief Operating Officer of the Distribution Division and President of the Saxonville USA subsidiary. Prior to his building materials career, Mr. Hughes spent 10 years managing asset-based and commercial lending with Fleet Bank and Shawmut Bank.

Mr. Karmally joined us in October 2014 as Corporate Controller and was appointed our Chief Financial Officer in March 2015. Prior to joining us, Mr. Karmally was a Senior Manager with PriceWaterhouseCoopers from 2012 to 2014. From 2003 to 2012, Mr. Karmally worked for Grant Thornton and held progressively senior positions in assurance and financial advisory services. Mr. Karmally is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has a Bachelor in Administrative and Commercial Studies from the University of Western Ontario.

Mr. Leys serves as President of US ProDealer and Home Center, with responsibility for Novo Building Products (comprised of Empire Moulding and Millwork, Southwest Moulding and Millwork, LJ Smith Stair Systems, Ornamental Decorative Millwork and Novo Direct, collectively “Novo”) and Mid-Am Building Supply. Mr. Leys joined Novo in January 2007 and has held various senior leadership roles including President and COO of Novo since 2021. Prior to joining Novo, Mr. Leys held leadership positions with Zeeland Lumber and Supply from 1995 to 2006. Mr. Leys received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Calvin University.

Ms. Murdoch joined us in December 2016 as the Director, Corporate Human Resources. She was appointed Vice President, Human Resources in August 2021. Ms. Murdoch’s experience includes senior leadership roles in Britco Modular Construction, BC Hydro subsidiary Powertech, the BC Cancer Foundation and the Vancouver Organizing and Bid Committees for the 2010 Olympics. Ms. Murdoch also led her own Human Resources consultancy practice for several years. Ms. Murdoch earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria and a designation as a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), being a member of the Chartered HR Professionals Association for 25 years. Ms. Murdoch is currently an active board member with Big Sisters of British Columbia.

Mr. West has been with us since 1999, when he joined our branch in Langley, British Columbia. Since that time Mr. West has held progressively senior positions within our British Columbia region, including Sales Manager, Branch Manager, then Group Manager B.C. In October 2015, Mr. West was promoted to Vice President, Canada.