Diamond Hill Plywood Company celebrates 70th Anniversary
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Diamond Hill Plywood Company marked their 70th Anniversary during the company’s Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, March 24.
Diamond Hill is known nationally as the Southeast’s premier supplier of building materials, and partners with leading brands of products from across the U.S., as well as imports, and representatives traveled from across the nation to attend the annual three-day sales meeting that culminates with the Awards Banquet.
Diamond Hill Plywood’s Founder Sherman Ramsey
“This is the one time each year for everyone to actually be together face to face,” said Angie Stone Godbold, Director of Marketing & Executive Opera-tions at Diamond Hill. “We really look forward to this each year.”
A special slide show was prepared for the 70th anniversary of the company with photographs and anecdotes from the long history in Darlington.
Founded in 1945, by J. Sherman Ramsey, with a borrowed typewriter, the company has grown from operating within a 150-mile radius of Darlington, South Carolina, to servicing 1000 customers with a footprint covering most of the Southeastern United States. Originally established to distribute hardwood plywood manufactured by Darlington Veneer Company, founded nearly 100 years ago by J. Sherman Ramsey, due to demand, many other building products were added including Sidings, Trims, Decking, Railing, Engineered Wood Products, Mouldings, Columns, and Specialty Panels. Distribution Centers are located in Darlington, S.C.; Greenville, S.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Knoxville, TN and Prince George, VA.
All vehicles from the five company locations are registered here in Darlington County, making them second only to Sonoco Products for the sheer volume of annual vehicle registration fees paid to the county each year.
According to representatives from Diamond Hill, not much has changed from J. Sherman Ramsey’s original recipe for a successful company. His son, Jacob (Jack) S. Ramsey instilled the same values during his tenure at operating the business while Sherman’s grandsons, 3rd generation owners, John Ramsey (Chairman/CEO) and Jim Ramsey (President) operate the company in the same fashion that their grandfather did.
Cutting 70th Anniversary Cake Jim, John and Jane Ramsey.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
“In 1945, our grandfather had a vision and founded Diamond Hill Plywood Company,” said John Ramsey. “My brother, Jim, and I, are extremely excited and honored to be carrying on his vision 70 years later. It is with a grateful heart and much pride that we can look at how this company has developed over the years and how we’ve become an industry leader after three generations. We are extremely proud of our loyal, dedicated employees and our wonderful relationships with our customers and industry suppliers – with many of our business relationships becoming friendships as well. We are indeed fortunate to have the privilege to lead this organization and appreciate the trust our grandfather and father, Jack Ramsey, had in the two of us leading the family business. We look forward to many more years.”
Sales Awards:
Top Salesman Engineered Wood Products – Bob Holland, DHP-Greenville – presented by Terry Blanton, Director of EWP
Top Salesman Sidings – Robby Harrell, DHP-Knoxville – presented by Jim Ramsey, President/Owner
Top Salesman Trim – Ken Edwards, DHP-Raleigh – presented by Jim Ramsey, President/Owner
Top Salesman Decking/Railing – Chuck Keating, DHP-Greenville – presented by Jim Ramsey, President/Owner
Top Salesman Specialty Panels – Dean Allen, DHP-Knoxville – presented by Jim Ramsey, President/Owner
Top Salesman National Accounts – Jimmy Rogers, DHP-Darlington – presented by Troy Neas, National Accounts Manager
Vendor Rep Awards
Scott Kleban, ColorGuard – presented by Ken Godbold, DHP-Darlington Branch Manager
Shaylene Adams, TimberTech/Azek – presented by Jim Hudson, DHP-Knoxville Branch Manager
Scott Kleban, ColorGuard – presented by Darrell Stein, DHP-Greenville Branch Manager
Bill Krebs, Royal Building Products – presented for DHP-Raleigh by Kennedy Breeden, Chief Financial Officer
Scott Kleban, ColorGuard – presented by John Aaron, DHP-Prince George Branch Manager
Special Awards
Supplier of the Year awarded to C.M. Tucker Lumber Corp., presented by John Ramsey (Chairman/CEO) and Jim Ramsey (President) to Carl Tucker, Andrew Tucker and Ed List.
DHP Best Branch Performance 2014 awarded to DHP-Greenville (Darrell Stein, Dean Sewell, Bob Holland, Chuck Keating and Bob Allen) presented by John Ramsey and Jim Ramsey
Salesman of the Year
2nd Runner Up Salesman of the Year– Bob Holland, DHP-Greenville, presented by John Ramsey and Jim Ramsey
1st Runner Up Salesman of the Year – Ken Edwards, DHP-Raleigh, presented by John Ramsey and Jim Ramsey
Salesman of the Year – Jimmy Rogers, DHP-Darlington, presented by John Ramsey and Jim Ramsey
Salesman of the Year Awards: left to right: Salesman of the Year – Jimmy Rogers, DHP-Darlington; John Ramsey; 1st Runner Up Salesman of the Year – Ken Edwards, DHP-Raleigh; 2nd Runner Up Salesman of the Year– Bob Holland, DHP-Greenville; and Jim Ramsey.
