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Hancock Lumber recently announced that Matt Duprey has been promoted to chief white pine officer, effective immediately. This new role reflects both Duprey’s career journey and his continued impact on the company’s Eastern White Pine business and the industry at large.
A part of Team Hancock since 1994, Duprey joined the sawmills after earning his Forestry and Wood Science and Technology degree. For more than 32 years, he has grown alongside the business, taking on a wide variety of roles and responsibilities while helping shape the success of Hancock’s white pine operations.
Throughout his career, Matt earned several promotions, including becoming assistant vice president in 1996, general manager of sawmill production & distribution in 1997, general manager of marketing sales in 2001, sales manager in 2005 and eventually serving as chief sales officer for Hancock’s sawmill business.
“Matt Duprey is one of the finest people and leaders I’ve ever known or worked with,” says board chair, Kevin Hancock. “He bleeds red because that’s the color of blood AND the color of Hancock Lumber. Matt is also a generational giant in the eastern white pine industry broadly. The entire North American lumber community knows and respects Matt. Hancock Lumber’s leading position in the world of pine is in large part a reflection of Matt’s skill, care and effort. Finally, I trust Matt implicitly. His business judgment, competitive spirit, and core values are a direct match for the things Hancock Lumber cares about most.”
In his new role, Duprey will have full responsibility for the strategic direction and operational excellence of Hancock Lumber’s Eastern White Pine business. He will provide leadership across Hancock’s Bethel, Casco and Pittsfield operations, overseeing sales, manufacturing, customer programs and market performance while helping position Hancock for continued growth and success in the years ahead.
“In his new role as chief white pine officer, Matt will lead the strategic direction and operational excellence of our white pine business, further strengthening Hancock Lumber’s leadership and commitment to Eastern White Pine,” says chief executive officer Paul Wainman. “Throughout his career, Matt has consistently demonstrated a deep passion for white pine and for Hancock Lumber’s white pine business specifically. His expertise, dedication and industry knowledge are truly exceptional and difficult to replicate. Matt is a highly competitive leader who invests in developing his team for long-term success. More importantly, he is an outstanding person who always puts people first. His integrity, humility and commitment to others have earned the respect of colleagues across our company and throughout the industry, and I am proud to call him a colleague and friend.”
