National Hardwood Magazine - March 2011

LEBANON OAK - Continued from page 19
ufacturing Hardwood flooring, and also
opened a small distribution yard. Goodin’s
grandfather (J. Lee Goodin) bought the company
in 1935 with a partner, Victor Wallace.
Goodin’s father (Robert L. Goodin) and his
two brothers, Charles and Joe, took over the
company in the early 1950s, and the family’s
youngest generation got involved in 1982.
From 1935 through today, the Goodin family
has made a lifelong commitment to selling
quality, not only in wood products, but
more importantly nurturing
enduring relationships with
all of its customers. “Whether
our family of customers buys
truckloads or pickup loads,”
Goodin said, “they are all our
‘best’ customers.”
As time changes and consumers’
taste for different types of wood
products emerge, Goodin said the firm has
worked hard to react proactively. “With a
great combination of years of woodworking
experience, and a positive vision of service,”
said Goodin, “we will work extremely hard
to be a one-stop-shop for our customers’
flooring and dimension needs.”
Today, the firm produces flooring in various
thicknesses, including 5/16-inch “top
nail flooring,” which is becoming rare in the
U.S. “We believe that we are the last 5/16-
inch flooring mill in the country,” said
Goodin. “There are a few others that produce
it, but as far as we know we are the last ‘5/16
mill’ that actually runs 5/16 regularly.”
Other popular flooring sizes produced by
Lebanon Oak Flooring include 3/4-, 3/8- and
1/2-inch tongue-and-groove flooring.
Goodin said the 3/8 and 1/2 options are moving
surprisingly well right now, and make up
a good portion of the firm’s flooring business.
“We’ve offered them for a long time,”
he said, “but it seems like we’ve been moving
more and more in those directions over
the last few years.” That strategy has helped
“Whether our family of customers
buys truckloads or pickup loads,
they are all our ‘best’ customers.”
Rick Goodin, plant manager, Lebanon Oak Flooring, Lebanon, Ky.
the firm acquire several new customers in the
western part of the country.
A member of the National Hardwood
Lumber Association, the National Wood
Flooring Association and the Kentucky
Forest Industries Association, Lebanon Oak
Flooring sells the bulk of its products to
flooring distributors and large lumberyards.
Even with its lengthy past and track record
in the industry, the company has had to batten
down the hatches in order to ride out the
current economic recession.
“The last two years have been challenging,
and we’re still feeling the effects,” said
Goodin, who added that the firm has managed
to maintain a healthy stable of both
long-standing and new customers. Its vendor
pool has shrunk, leaving Lebanon Oak
Flooring to find alternative sources for its
raw materials. The good news, said Goodin,
is that the more than century-old firm weathered
the storm, and is anticipating an
improved business climate over the next year
or two.
“While a lot of the products we make for
new homes aren’t selling right now, we’re
hoping that the homebuilding industry comes
back in the next few years and
boosts our dimension sales,”
Goodin said. “In the meantime,
we’ll continue to recreate
ourselves and adapt to
meet our customers’ needs.”
Being a small, familyowned
business helps a lot during those
times of “recreation,” when quick moves and
agility come in especially valuable. A dose of
conservatism also helps, said Goodin, who
pointed out that the firm tries to avoid getting
into business areas that it’s unfamiliar with.
“We always do our homework,” said Goodin,
“and are careful to take the whole picture
into consideration before jumping into
untested markets.”
For more information, go online to
www.lebanonoak.com.
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34 Hardwoods Have Versatility