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LBM Journal’s Dealer of the Year awards recognize LBM companies of different sizes that epitomize the entrepreneurial spirit. LBM's journal defines a Dealer of the Year as a a company in which leadership excels at identifying underserved—or emerging—markets, satisfying customers, and constantly working to grow and improve business. The common thread of winners is their fierce commitment to finding ever-better ways to serve their customers and their communities.

When his father, Jeff, unexpectedly passed in 2014, Andy Mitchell hadn’t planned on taking over his family’s business. Although he had worked in and grown up around the lumberyard, he had been working as a union firefighter and his wife, Breezy, had recently become a nurse, and neither were sure about running a lumberyard.

“With the downturn of the economy, we were really nervous,” Breezy said. “We were starting a family, and we weren’t sure if this was really the kind of future we wanted. Our first thought was to sell it and just kind of be done with the lumberyard. We had a couple of offers and we were being really nitpicky about the deals. So finally one day we thought, maybe this just isn’t what we want. We weren’t ready to let it go.”

In 2019, the couple officially took over Mitchell Lumber, which was founded in 1971 in Silverdale, WA, and has been operating on the Olympic Peninsula in Belfair, WA, since 1992. Founded by Andy’s grandfather, then sold to his parents, Jeff and Kath, the yard is now run by Breezy as the majority owner, as well as Andy who splits his time between the lumberyard and his firefighter work.

Breezy said keeping the business in the family may have kept them smaller, but it allows them to better serve their employees and the community. “We’re the last-standing family-owned lumberyard out here on the peninsula,” she said. “We tell our employees what sets us apart is that we don’t have the [buying power] that some of the other lumberyards have behind them, but we have the capability to make decisions and make their lives easier and better very quickly.”

Moving toward modernization Since taking over, Breezy and Andy said they’ve made a number of changes, while honoring the business’ past. One the couple’s first decisions was to work with local CPA Kyle Kincaid, a contact Jeff had made before his death. With the advice of Kincaid and others, the Mitchells steadily grew the business from $3 million in revenue in 2019 to $11 million in 2023.