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Hoy Lanning: NATURAL BORN LEADER
BY ART LAYTON

I’ve known Hoy for almost 40 years. We’ve been colleagues, competitors and now—as a supplier to Haines—I’m one of his customers. Hoy has held numerous executive positions with Haines since January 2014 and was recently elevated to president and CEO. He joined CMH in 1991 as general manager and later became the company’s president and CEO. He is also a past NAFCD president.

Anyone who knows Hoy can appreciate his wealth of experience and commitment to the flooring distribution business. But it doesn’t end there. Hoy is a great delegator and he has the ability to surround himself with good people. The same can be said of most great leaders, but the difference is the way he goes about it. Hoy has the ability to make suppliers, employees, colleagues, customers and even competitors want to be a part of the process of building a better business together. He simply brings out the best in others. He emphasizes the importance of getting everyone on the team to buy in, and then give them the freedom to identify problems, solve them and take ownership.

Best of all, Hoy is a selfless individual. When he received the 2018 NAFCD Lifetime Achievement Award at convention last year, he asked me to join him at the table. He didn’t focus so much on himself and his accomplishments, but he gave praise to so many people who helped him and inspired him throughout his career.

Hoy is also very humble. When he speaks in front of a group, he will typically start with a joke or funny story that puts people at ease. Then he usually follows up with a message that will provoke thought or a course of action.

At a recent Haines Loyalty Council meeting, Hoy admitted that Haines has a lot of work to do to regain its position as a great supplier and partner. To say that in front of a group says a lot about his character.

Art Layton is director of specialty products, AXISCOR Performance Flooring.