Brand Vaughan Lumber Achieves Top Workplaces Honor for Third Year In a Row

Jon Vaughan

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We’re so proud that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution awarded Brand Vaughan Lumber its Top Workplaces award for the third year in a row.

Brand Vaughan Lumber was ranked among the top 50 mid-sized companies in the Atlanta area this year. Among hundreds of businesses in the metroplex, Brand Vaughan is proud to be at the top once again.

Brand Vaughan is passionate about serving metro-Atlanta with its robust building community, and the leadership at BVL recognizes why the service has been so consistently stellar. “This is truly a testament to our incredible team who had to navigate an unprecedented year of challenges,” said Chip Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of BVL.

The entire construction industry struggled under the weight of labor shortages and supply chain issues, and lumber markets saw unexpected — somewhat drastic — pricing shifts during the pandemic.

“Everyone had to deal with an incredible amount of change and uncertainty and come together to identify different and better ways to ‘deliver extra mile service’ in a new business environment,” Chip said.

Brand Vaughan Lumber team member using a pneumatic tool to fasten pieces of wood together.

Brand Vaughan strives to serve as a leader in the local building industry, setting an example for other suppliers and distributors. The current economy has made it necessary for professionals in construction to step up, strengthen partnerships and establish better business practices that will prepare us for future challenges.

“If this were an old-fashioned, overheating economy, manufacturers would want to grab the higher profits, ramping up production quickly. Soon, supplies would exceed demand and prices would drop,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this year. “This time, the problem is much more complicated.”

Businesses have been slow to grow for a few reasons in the last year, including the setbacks caused by COVID and industry burnout. “Since demand [for supplies] so far has been partly fueled by government spending and stimulus payments, factory owners aren’t sure they can depend on it, so they are slow to expand, said Aleksandar Tomic, associate dean for strategy, innovation and technology at Boston College,” reports the AJC.

That makes the 2021 Workplace Award even more significant for Brand Vaughan. “In a year where we had to learn all sorts of new terms and new things to do — social distance, cleaning protocols, stimulus checks, masking up, uncertainty, etc. — it was so gratifying to have the repeat of a more comfortable term: ‘Top Workplace’,” says Jon Vaughan, President and Chief Operating Officer at Brand Vaughan.

Jon Vaughan, President of Brand Vaughan Lumber, gives a thumbs-up sign to the camera for winning the AJC Top Workplaces award.

The nomination process for the Top Workplaces Award started in August 2020, and over 3,000 companies were asked to participate. The winners were honored at the 2021 AJC Top Workplaces event on March 18, and there’s a recording of the event here.

This isn’t Brand Vaughan Lumber’s first year as a Top Atlanta Workplace, and the whole crew is grateful to be selected again. “What a humbling honor it was to receive the Atlanta Journal Constitution Top Workplace Award this year for the third year in a row,” says Chip.

When Brand Vaughan was first awarded the Top Workplaces award in 2019, they’d just launched the Java with Jon program, a regular event where every team member at Brand Vaughan gets an opportunity to give feedback to BVL’s leadership team. This tradition, along with other employee initiatives and programs, helps to make the lumber company one of the best places to work in Atlanta.

“We are grateful for the confidence our team and family has placed with us, and we understand better than ever our role to continue to improve and make Brand Vaughan a top workplace,” says Chip.

The last year brought so many uncertainties to the people of Georgia, from pandemic protocols to inclement weather to the increase in demand for new homes.

“The team at Brand Vaughan Lumber — who continued to focus on our customers through all of these challenges — proved why we are so proud to call them teammates,” says Jon.

Members of the Brand Vaughan Lumber team pose for the camera while wearing matching blue t-shirts.
This commitment is felt across all departments of Brand Vaughan, from accounting to sales to installation, and that commitment is part of the company’s core values. “Every shipment, every invoice and every interaction” are significant and part of how dedicated BVL is to keeping the team unified and serving our customers.

There is so much potential for the construction industry to grow and thrive in Atlanta. “There are hundreds of construction job openings in Gwinnett county alone, thousands across the state. A demand that the leaders of the construction education foundation of Georgia says is only growing,” reports Tony Thomas.

Professionals in building materials have to stay ahead of the game right now because there are increasing opportunities for growth across all parts of the industry. Things certainly aren’t slowing down, and the leadership at Brand Vaughan is looking forward to seeing what’s ahead for all of us — especially our wonderful team of employees — this next year.

Since 1946, Brand Vaughan Lumber has served Atlanta and surrounding communities with high-quality home construction products and dedication to good business practices. Learn more about our company values here.