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There are moments in life and business that stop you cold. I have had many in my life. This past week, our industry experienced one of those moments.
The devastating fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber claimed the life of firefighter Andrew Cross and left multiple others injured, including members of the Robbins family—Alden, Lily and James—who remain in critical condition according to reports.
Like many of you, I struggled with what to write here.
There are no perfect words for moments like this. No business insight or leadership lesson that feels important enough to sit alongside the reality that families are hurting, lives have been forever changed, and an entire community is carrying unimaginable weight right now.
But if there is one thing I know for certain, it is this:
This industry is not just an industry.
It is a family.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting the Robbins family and spending time with so many of the people who make up the lumber and building materials community across this country. These are not distant names in headlines to us. They are people we know. People we respect. People who have dedicated their lives to this business and to the communities around them.
And when something like this happens, it impacts all of us.
One of the things that makes our industry unique is that, despite how large it may appear from the outside, it still feels remarkably small once you’re inside it. Relationships span generations. Competitors become friends. Customers become family. We celebrate each other’s successes, and in moments like this, we carry each other’s burdens as well.
Incidents like this are also a sobering reminder of the reality of the business we work in every day.
Lumber mills, manufacturing facilities, logging operations, trucking, construction yards—these environments are filled with risk. The people in this industry work around heavy equipment, combustible materials, extreme conditions, and demanding environments every single day. Most of the time, experience, training, and discipline allow everyone to go home safely.
But sometimes, despite all of that, tragedy arrives without warning.
And in a single moment, everything changes.
I think that reality is what weighs so heavily on many of us this week. Every person reading this likely knows exactly how easily any one of us could find ourselves on the other side of a phone call we never imagined receiving.
That perspective has a way of clarifying what actually matters.
Quarterly numbers stop feeling so important. Minor frustrations disappear. Pride and disagreements suddenly feel small compared to the value of simply having the people you love safe and beside you.
Moments like this remind us to hug our families tighter. To tell people we appreciate them while we still can. To slow down enough to recognize that none of us are promised tomorrow.
They also remind us of the extraordinary character of the people within this industry.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, first responders from across the region rushed toward danger without hesitation. Fellow industry members immediately began reaching out asking how they could help. Communities rallied. Prayers poured in. Support showed up before anyone even had time to ask for it.
That is the industry I know.
So today, I simply want to ask something of all of us.
Please keep the Robbins family, their employees, the injured first responders, and the entire Searsmont community in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for healing. Pray for strength. Pray for peace for the family of firefighter Andrew Cross, who made the ultimate sacrifice serving others.
And beyond prayers, take a moment to reflect.
Reflect on the people beside you every day. Reflect on the responsibility we all carry as leaders. Reflect on safety, on perspective, and on the fragile nature of life itself.
Because when one member of this industry family hurts, all of us feel it.
As always, it remains a privilege to serve this remarkable industry. And in moments like this, I am reminded more than ever that what makes this business special has never just been the products we build or sell.
It has always been the people.
