2020 Ones to Watch: Kevin Silveira, Business Development Manager at National Lumber

Which project, deal, or transaction was the “game-changer” in the advancement of your career? The game changer was two-fold. First, it was National Lumber’s 2003 purchase of Reliable Truss and second was the formal launch of our Turn-Key construction service division which included complete manufacture and installation of wall panel systems, engineered wood products, complete building envelope, and interior and exterior architectural millwork fabrication. Because of National Lumber’s focus on process improvement management our Turn-Key service division has seen 100% growth for this division in two years. As part of this process, National Lumber models over 85% of every project that is bids. This upfront effort improves quality of production and on-time delivery of products and services. This has been extremely beneficial for our multi-family construction and development partners.

What led you to your current profession? My education/training as an engineer led me to my role in business development for National. When I started 19 years ago, I brought with me my experiences as a submarine structural engineer for Electric Boat and years of engineering and modeling application software knowledge. It was this process driven and analytical approach to projects that helped me advance my career within the company. By process measurement, I repeatedly was able to help the company improve operations, manufacturing, sales process, and project profitability.

What do you like most about your job? What I like most about my job is the diversity of projects and services that National Lumber delivers. Our partners and customers rely on our engineering expertise and skill. Our teams do a great job of looking closely at every project and thinking them through. With decades of experience, our teams recommend cost- saving engineering suggestions to help our customers and partners meet budget and complete projects faster by using our custom engineered and manufactured products. Every project is different with unique requirements and schedule. We do our best to deliver a quality on-time product.