Lumber Liquidators Leadership Changes With Lowe’s Exec

The much-scrutinized Lumber Liquidators has appointed former Lowe’s executive Dennis R. Knowles as chief operating officer.

The specialty flooring company has been under investigation since early 2015 due to accusations that some of its laminate flooring contained unsafe levels of formaldehyde.

As part of the investigations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released test results showing that the flooring could contribute to health problems, including up to a 0.03 percent increased risk of cancer.

Following the accusations that came out in March 2015, multiple executives left Lumber Liquidators, including then-CEO Robert Lynch, chief financial officer Daniel Terrell and chief merchandising officer William Schlegel.

The company then began an executive leadership team overhaul, and John Presley stepped in as CEO in November. The new chief operating officer, Knowles, is now responsible for Lumber Liquidators’ store operations and organization, and reports directly to Presley.

Knowles has more than 25 years of leadership experience in store and business operations. He has served in numerous senior management roles across the retail and home improvement industries, most recently as chief store operations officer at Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

In this role, Knowles was responsible for overseeing the omnichannel operations of more than 1,700 Lowe’s stores across the country.

“I am excited to be joining Lumber Liquidators,” Dennis Knowles says. “This is a pivotal time for the company to refocus our efforts on elevating store performance, underscore our commitment to customer service and enhance the quality and diversity of our product offering. I look forward to working with the entire senior management team as well as our store managers and associates to position Lumber Liquidators for success in the years to come.”

Lumber Liquidators expects Knowles to help strengthen the company’s store performance throughout North America, John Presley says.

“We look forward to benefitting from his contributions and leveraging his store operations and home improvement expertise to deliver quality service to our customers and drive value for our stakeholders,” he says.