A well-deserved honor has been bestowed upon Peebles’ own Jack McCoy as he has been chosen as the Grand Marshal for the 2015 Peebles Old Timers Days parade.
McCoy was born and raised in the Peebles area. He grew up loving the outdoors of Adams County and as the founder and current president of J. McCoy Lumber Co., his admiration for the area has only grown through the years.
Jack graduated from Peebles High School in 1968. He continued his education at Ohio State University, majoring in Forest Industries and graduating in 1972 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Agriculture. He graduated from the National Hardwood Lumber Inspection Training School in 1973.
Upon graduation Jack was employed by Cockroft Lumber Company in Memphis, TN, where he purchased lumber and wood products throughout the Appalachian states while residing in Peebles. When opportunity knocked in June 1973, he and his growing family (wife, Sis, along with their first two sons Shane and Chad) moved to Arlington, TX. Jack and Sis often laugh as they reminisce about such a big move during this time. Their U-Haul truck was essentially full of toys, a parakeet, and a pair of goldfish.
With his new position, Jack traveled throughout the southwestern United States (Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas) expanding sales and brokering hardwood lumber to all sizes of secondary wood manufacturers. In 1975, more opportunity came about with a move to Louisville, KY with Universal Woods, Inc. Jack became the Sales Manager for all domestic and imported hardwood lumber and wood products, as well as dimensional stock.
As business grew so did his position in the company, and the limitations on where he must live disappeared. Jack was ready to return home. In March of 1976, Jack and his family moved back to Peebles. Later that same year Holder & Northern Lumber Company, based in Nashville, hired him to wholesale and broker lumber and wood products throughout the United States and Canada. Along with this relationship came the opportunity to independently start his own business and in 1978, Jack began J. McCoy Lumber Co. and it continues in operation today.
J. McCoy Lumber Co. has become a vertically integrated hardwood company with sustainable growth in balance with the growth of its timber base. The company includes two sawmills, dimension plant, pallet plant, and the Wood Depot office/showroom.
Jack’s path leading to J. McCoy Lumber and his current efforts are given all the more meaning by sharing the experiences with his family. He married his high school sweetheart, Roxanna (Sissy) Thompson in 1967 and became the proud father of Shane, Chad, Jaclyn, and Lear. He is also a proud grandfather to Savannah and Alan (children of Chad and Angie McCoy) and Ryan and Alexander (children of Marcus and Jaclyn Hanna).
Jack loves spending time with his family. He also enjoys running, is an avid reader, and likes to travel. In fact, 2009 marked the completion of Jack and Sis’s personal goal to visit all 50 states, when they reached their “final frontier” and toured Alaska.
Coincidentally, milestones in Jack’s family life aligned with milestones in the growth of his career and company.
1968 – Shane was born, Jack began studying at Ohio State University
1973 – Chad was born, Jack graduated from lumber inspection school and moved to Texas
1978 – Jaclyn was born, Jack started J.McCoy Lumber Co.
1983 – Lear was born, Jack purchased his first large track of timber
Jack believes in planning beyond the generation you are in. Therefore, Jack’s vision for J. McCoy Lumber Co. extends to his family and the community as a whole. His goal has always been to create a forward-thinking organization that focuses on the area from which he came. The Wood Depot is only one of these outreach efforts. The showroom products are a testament to trees and the beautiful woods from which they are manufactured.
Through the years, school-aged children and adults have visited the Wood Depot to learn about history (through tree saplings from US historical sites in the office’s backyard), responsible procurement of trees in the industry, and the various ways trees are integrated in many products. Like trees, Jack believes everything has a life cycle – a business, a community, a life. His hope is to encourage growth and support from one generation to the next.
Jack’s list of additional involvements is also quite impressive: Member and Deacon, Peebles Church of Christ,Trustee at Shawnee State University, 2002-2011, 2013 – 2015, honored as Trustee Emeritus, Shawnee State University, 35-year Member of the Peebles Lions Club, Member, Ohio Forestry Association, Member, National Hardwood Lumber Association, Founding Member, Peebles Area Business Association (PABA), Participant, National Republican Congressional Committee Tax Summit, and Governor Celeste’s Panelist for Ohio Secondary Wood Manufacturers.
