84 Lumber honored its top-performing associates during the company’s annual awards ceremony, held March 14, 2026, at Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pa.

The awards ceremony highlights the associates who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, sales excellence, and a commitment to driving results. The ceremony recognized several outstanding associates across the organization, including the company’s top sales performers, Hauler of the Year, THQ MVP, and Buyer of the Year.

The 2025 top honorees are:

Manager of the Year: Chris Olmstead

Olmstead started as a manager trainee in 1998 at 84 Lumber’s Knoxville, Tenn., location. In January 2000, Olmstead was promoted to store manager and relocated to Ridgeland, Mississippi. In 2005, he was promoted to area manager, overseeing 84 Lumber’s facilities in Mississippi, Louisiana, Western Tennessee, and Arkansas. In 2014, he was tasked with overseeing just the Gulf Coast states.

Years later, a new opportunity presented itself. “I was at a town meeting and they said, ‘Boise, Idaho.’ And I’m sitting in the back, and I raised my hand. I was like, yep, I want to go.”

Olmstead took on Boise, starting a new chapter for the company. He and his team are gearing up to add a door shop, siding and windows installation, and continue growing the store.

“My strength is finding people who can their job better than I can and let them go do it.”

“There’s just so much opportunity. I've never been happier in my entire career than I am right now,”  Olmstead said. “This fits me great and I love being here.”

Area Manager of the Year: Dave Fisher

Fisher has been with the company for decades after starting as a manager trainee and working his way up the ladder. As area manager for the last 16 years, Fisher oversees 84 Lumber locations in Central and Western Pennsylvania, as well as Morgantown, W.V.

“I wear the 84 Lumber ball, but I think I’m part of the ball,” Fisher said. “I’d like to think that whenever somebody’s 40 years in with this company and they go back and think, ‘who was an influence on me?’ I would hope that they say that I was.”

Fisher’s experience, his attention to detail and his relationship with customers are credited to his overall success. He was also named Area Manager of the Year for 2023.

“You want everybody rowing in the right direction,” said Fisher. “I always tell my guys it’s like we’re in a boat, everybody needs to grab an oar, and I’m just the guy in the back with the rudder, turning it, steering us in the right direction.”

Rookie of the Year: Chase Chait

In June 2021, Chait was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. After three months of treatment, he rang the bell and is now in remission.

“They told me that if I would have waited any longer, I wouldn’t be here right now,” said Chait. “I’ve been in remission ever since. I’m working on my fifth year.”

Chait started at 84 Lumber on Oct. 21, 2024, as a manager trainee at the company’s Dover, Delaware store. After six months, Chait was promoted to co-manager at the end of April 2025 and transferred to the Douglassville, Pennsylvania store. After nearly a year at the store, Chait was once again promoted to store manager of the company’s Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania store in the Philadelphia area.

“Five years ago, I was in a hospital bed, fighting cancer,” said Chait. “And now here I am, rookie of the year, and I’m a store manager. That doesn’t happen to everybody. I’m so glad to be here.”

For Chait, the 2025 Rookie of the Year recognition is just further confirmation that he’s where he’s meant to be.

“I feel like I’m home, this is home. I feel like I finally found my roots, to plant and grow the life that I’ve always dreamt of for myself and my family,” said Chait. “That’s exciting to me. That’s a huge life achievement. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter’s going to be, but I’m going to enjoy where I’m at right now, and just take it all in.”