Andrew Hess began his career in communications but soon pivoted to the lumber and building industry. After graduating from Michigan State University, he started in sales at Universal Forest Products and moved across roles at Schultz, Snyder & Steele, North Pacific, and eventually to the PAL lumber and building cooperative, where he excelled in business development. Though he spent eight years with a major distribution partner, his passion for the co-op world led him back to LBM Advantage in 2022. Andrew currently oversees the building products division in Advantage’s Grand Rapids location mentoring traders, providing insights and support to help the membership succeed, and forging beneficial relationships with our vendor partners. More recently, he has taken a leadership role in the co-op’s multi-family initiatives, where he plays an instrumental part in tracking multi-family projects, supporting successful bidding efforts, and managing vendor relationships to enhance service for multi-unit residences and buildings.