Savannah, GA– Established in 1944 by the late Waldo Bradley, Dixie Plywood and Lumber Companies (aka DIXIEPLY) is headquartered in Georgia’s first city and is just a couple of blocks from the high-traffic areas, almost in the center of Savannah. By being a leader in the industry in quality, innovation and service, the firm, which buys approximately 5 million board feet of lumber, is now among the largest independent distributors of building materials in the nation.
With each of its operations having its own lumberyard, facilities and fleet of delivery trucks, large and diversified inventories are what define DIXIEPLY. Softwood products offered by the company include: SPF boards, fascia, dimension and studs; SYP boards, patterns, dimension and treated decking; Cedar boards, fencing, decking, dimension; Cypress patterns and siding; Fir clear boards; green Douglas Fir dimension; Hem-Fir dimension and studs; Ipe decking; Ponderosa Pine boards; engineered wood products and European Spruce dimension and studs.
In hardwoods the company carries certified lumber in many species, such as poplar, ash, alder, cherry, birch, maple, and red and white oak. Also offered are panel products, hardwood plywood, prefinished hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), moisture resistant particleboard, moisture resistant MDF, melamine, vinyl overlay panels, hardboard and pegboard, rated sheathing and OSB flooring, and fire-retardant treated panels.
Specialty items include cabinet doors, prefinished drawer sides, cut-to-size panels, particle board and MDF countertops, shelving and slat wall, veneers, solid surface countertops, MDF mouldings, wood mouldings, interior/exterior doors, composite decking products, composite trim products, and laminated veneer lumber. “Product diversity is a fact of life around here,” said Tom Heard, director of marketing and business development, referring to colleagues in Savannah as well as distribution associates nationwide.
DIXIEPLY also offers on-site custom lamination services for high pressure laminated panels for its Florida customers, as well as banding groove and landscape stakes.
The company’s first wholesale distribution center opened in Atlanta and operated under the name Ponce de Leon Plywood Co. after the street on which it was located. When the second distribution center opened in Savannah in 1945, the name of the company was changed to Dixie Plywood Company.
Now with 11 locations across the United States, each company distributes truckloads of virtually everything in the forest products industry, including specialty items for retail home service stores, lumber yards and industrial accounts. “It is our policy to remain on the leading edge as suppliers to our clients,” said Heard. “We have gained and maintained market leadership by insisting on the highest standards of business integrity offering top quality products sold and delivered by carefully selected, in-house trained, knowledgeable staff. Our men and women are dedicated to standards set by the company founder, the late Waldo Bradley, Sr., passed through to his family and now retained today by the employee owners.” DIXIEPLY became a 100 percent Employee-Owned company in October of 2019.
Along with Heard, key employees of the Savannah-based division are company President Mark Gentry; Chief Operating Officer Danny Bachman; Director of Purchasing Randy Collins; Director of IT Bobby Awtrey; Director of Human Resources Blanche Gnann and Controller Becky Hancock.
DIXIEPLY’S distribution centers are managed by:
- Seth Blankenship – Garland, TX
- Dan Hall – Orlando, FL
- Ronnie O’Leary – Houston, TX
- Stephen Geistweidt – San Antonio, TX
- Rollie Mowery – Tampa, FL
- Tonya Longo – Atlanta, GA
- Lou Olivera – Miami, FL
- Dewey Evans – Riviera Beach, FL
- Tim Naish – Charlotte, NC
- Scott McCawley – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Each facility is a separate business unit with each title belonging to its home city designation (i.e., Dixie Plywood of Atlanta, and so on). Servicing approximately a 150-mile radius, each branch manager is responsible for his or her specific marketplace.
At the company’s Miami, FL location, an export department is staffed with experienced multi-lingual professionals who specialize in the Caribbean and Central America markets, but who have the capability to ship anywhere in the world.
On the company’s brochure is their mission statement, notably with four objectives:
- To be the preferred wholesale supplier of quality building materials.
- To be on the leading edge of our industry and to provide superior, cost-effective services to our customers.
- To apply the highest standards of business integrity and provide a positive, ethical working environment for our employees.
- To be a total quality company committed to excellence in all phases of our operation.
By partnering with their customers, building relationships to advance their businesses, and remaining a premier building materials distributor, DIXIEPLY is undoubtedly fulfilling their mission.
DIXIEPLY is a member of many industry trade associations, such as the American Institute of Architects, North American Wholesale Lumber Assoc., Florida Building Material Assoc. and the Lumbermen’s Association of Texas.The company has multiple LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional) representatives on staff.
For more information about Dixie Plywood Co. (DIXIEPLY) and its products, contact the corporate office by phone at 912-447-7000 or visit their website at www.dixieply.com.
