Industry Spotlight: Robert Goodin, Lebanon Oak Flooring LLC
Lebanon, KY—Robert L. Goodin, a partner in Lebanon Oak Flooring Company LLC, who is 85 years old, still enjoys coming to his office each week. He’s very proud that his son, Richard “Rick” T. Goodin, now holds the responsibility of overseeing everything that goes on at their family’s Hardwood flooring plant. Robert, who has been working at Lebanon Oak Flooring since 1955 ran the entire plant for many years, which included: being directly involved in construction projects; installing various types of woodworking equipment in the factory; drying the lumber in the kilns; buying the lumber; maintaining the firm’s woodworking equipment and forklifts; managing and training employees; being involved with installing all the electrical and plumbing work at his flooring plant; doing the banking; selling his firm’s wood products to customers; and all the other little odd jobs that came up.
Later on his brother, Charles Goodin, the other partner of Lebanon Oak Flooring Company LLC, started buying the lumber for their operation and did so for many years before his retirement a couple of years ago. Robert had his son, Rick Goodin to fill in and do many of the odd jobs that needed to be done when he started working for his family’s business 35 years ago. Today, Rick has followed “in his father’s footsteps” and he’s the one that gets involved in most aspects of the family business.
Robert said, “I enjoy this business and coming to work and I’m very proud and happy that our Hardwood flooring and dimension manufacturing business has employed a lot of people in our community. Presently we are employing 67 people.” He also commented, “Our company was founded during the Civil War as a sawmill, and we can proudly say that we are one of the oldest Hardwood flooring manufacturers in North America, manufacturing since 1885. My father, J. Lee Goodin, purchased our wood flooring mill and sawmill in the 1930’s. Today our company is situated on the same 17+ acres of land on which it started in the 1800’s.”
Robert L. Goodin explained that Lebanon Oak Flooring Company LLC is one of the last remaining flooring producers that makes 5/16-inch top nail flooring which, like tongue and groove flooring, the 5/16-inch strips are square edged on the sides. “However,” said Robert, “we manufacture a lot more wood products than just 5/16-inch top nail flooring. We also make, 1/2", 3/4" and 3/8” tongue and groove flooring; stair treads and risers; mouldings; and, furniture and cabinet dimension stock.” Lebanon Oak Flooring Company LLC was one of the founding members of both the Kentucky Forest Industries Association and the National Wood Flooring Association.
As a young man, Robert went to college at St. Louis University, in St. Louis, Missouri, and then joined the U.S. Air Force where he served for three years on active duty and rose in rank to Captain, then he served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for another 12 years. Robert, who has a degree in accounting, general business and industrial management actually worked for a lumber and home building business before he joined his family’s business. Some of the hobbies Robert enjoys are studying the history of his home state of Kentucky and county, Marion County. He also enjoys coin and stamp collecting and finding out all of the information about his family’s genealogy, going back 300 to 400 years.
Robert and his beloved wife, Mary Jane now deceased, had six children and 16 grandchildren, he has one great-grandchild, with another one on the way that will be born in August of this year.
In closing, Robert was asked about any advice he could offer to any young adult who wants to enter into the lumber and/or woodworking business. He said, “I think any young person interested in either of these endeavors should attend a Hardwood grading class taught by experienced teachers at the National Hardwood Lumber Association, headquartered in Memphis, TN. Furthermore, they should work on their ‘people skills’ where they can communicate and work with others well. Also the young men and women who want to enter our industry must be people who are honest where their word is their bond. In other words, that means if you tell me something I’m going to believe it unless I find out something different.”
Later on his brother, Charles Goodin, the other partner of Lebanon Oak Flooring Company LLC, started buying the lumber for their operation and did so for many years before his retirement a couple of years ago. Robert had his son, Rick Goodin to fill in and do many of the odd jobs that needed to be done when he started working for his family’s business 35 years ago. Today, Rick has followed “in his father’s footsteps” and he’s the one that gets involved in most aspects of the family business.