Bobby Skinner has taken his career in stride, advancing through the ranks and quickly adapting through an acquisition with Sunpro.
“This is not what I initially thought I’d be doing in life,” Bobby said. “When I originally went to school, I was studying to get into the kinesiology field. I was looking more into a P.E. teaching position.
“I started working here in the summers out in the yard as a driver, and I was able to progress within the company pretty quickly. They were always willing to let me work around my schedule. It made me really appreciate what they were doing for me. Eventually, it turned into more of a long-term career.”
Around three years ago, Bobby and everyone on the Stone Lumber team learned that their company would be acquired by Sunpro—a change that has proved beneficial for everyone involved.
“There were growing pains of getting switched over with the acquisition,” Bobby said. “But now that that’s over with, it’s been fun to be part of a growing company. Before, we were one location and content with where we were. Now, there’s a lot more opportunity for growth, so that’s been exciting.”
That growth has extended into Bobby’s position. He now serves as the assistant retail manager of the Sunpro location in Nampa, Idaho.
“I mostly oversee the retail floor,” Bobby said. “I back up Matt Hildebrandt, who’s the location manager here, as far as helping to order and take care of things on the lumber side of the business.”
With 10 years under his belt, including three as a part of Sunpro and Clyde Companies, Bobby hopes to continue to grow with an incredible group of teammates.
“I want to grow the retail business at our location,” Bobby said. “In the short term, my focus is continuing to build a good environment with employees while trying to increase revenue on the retail floor. We’ve got a great group coming here to work every day. The people I work with make work enjoyable.”
As one of its core values, Sunpro values people. That means emphasizing the importance of long-term goals, professional development, and educational opportunities for all.
“When you’re young and trying to figure out what direction you want to go in life, whether it’s additional schooling or not, I think that there’s a lot of opportunity when looking into the construction industry,” Bobby said. “Sometimes it’s hard to convince younger people of these types of opportunities. Sunpro offers education incentives and advancement within the company. There are so many ways that they’re willing to support you—financially and otherwise. It’s a challenging industry, but it can be a lot of fun and there’s a lot of potential.”
Bobby has found that potential himself, shining in an industry he never thought he’d stay in long term. The variety of his job keeps him at Sunpro.
“There’s something new every day here,” Bobby said. “There’s always a new problem to solve or a new challenge where you have to think outside the box, coming up with a solution and being a problem solver. It helps you feel valued when you’re able to help someone, and I love that.”