Since 2020, HBS has been recognizing top women in the building and supply industry to elevate and promote the presence of women. One of the ways in which they do this is through annual awards given across the following categories: “Rising Stars” and “Business Excellence.” On July 25th, HBS announced their 2023 class of honorees and we are so proud to announce that two of our Hancock Lumber General Managers are amongst this class of impressive women. The Business Excellence award recognizes a leader who has demonstrated achievement, growth and success in the hardware and home improvement industry; embraced education and community service, and inspired others to follow a similar path. The Rising Star Award recognizes a talented professional with the potential to make a significant positive difference within her company and within the industry for years to come. Congratulations to Laura Bower, Augusta General Manager, for being named to the 2023 Business Excellence list. And congratulations to Kourtney Mclean, Hancock Online General Manager, for being named to the 2023 Rising Star List. Team Hancock is so proud of both of you! Read on for more on each of these women!
At the beginning of 2023, Laura Bower excitedly stepped into the role as General Manager at Hancock Lumber in Augusta. Laura has done an amazing job with Team Hancock since Lapointe Lumber and Hancock Lumber joined forces. Laura has been the Store Leader & Inventory Manager previously and has proven to be an incredibly solid leader for that team. Laura joined her family business, Lapointe Lumber, in 2004 and has handled a vast array of operational responsibilities while with Lapointe. It is serendipitous and full-circle that she now manages the location in which her family legacy lives on! She has great knowledge of our customers and works so well with all of our employees.
In her 13+ year tenure on Team Hancock, Kourtney continues to be a key leader and Hancock brand ambassador in her latest leadership role as Hancock Online General Manager. In this new role, Kourtney oversaw the development of a brand-new website and completely revamped online experience—from building out a robust shopping platform to including interior and exterior design software, users now can shop 24/7 online, build carts, log into their B2B account platform, visualize product materials on their own space, access up-to-date vendor resources right from product pages online, pay bills online, and more. This type of online experience is cutting edge in our industry and Kourtney continues to manage, improve and innovate on the online shopping experience each and every day!
The honorees will be formally recognized at the third annual, live, Top Women in Hardware Event in Chicago on Nov. 15-16. Stay tuned for more updates following the event – congratulations Laura and Kourtney!