Hardwood Floors April/May 2017

Leadership through the Generations, by the Generations

By Stacy Brown

M any companies are now contending with the challenge of managing four generations of workers in the same workplace. It’s no surprise that each group carries its distinct characteristics, values, and attitudes toward work, based on its generation’s life experiences. To successfully integrate these diverse generations into the workplace, companies will need to embrace changes in how they do business including recruitment strategy, benefits, and creating a corporate culture that actively demonstrates respect and inclusion for its multigenerational workforce. Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring is part of a fourth generation, family-owned business based in Emlenton, Pennsylvania. The company attributes its success to its ability to evolve with the times and change its business model based on current market needs. The Hickman Family has been in the hardwood industry since 1938 when Harry Hickman, Jr. started a sawmill with a team of horses, and a crosscut saw. The original Hickman Lumber Company still operates today and is the prime source of material for the flooring plant, as well as serves dimension lumber markets throughout the United States and the world.

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