Brian Bonanomi
Vice President, Lumber Procurement & Quality

Motto: “If I say I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it.” 

I earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, majoring in Business with a minor in Economics. Over the past two decades, I have dedicated my entire career to the lumber industry, beginning immediately after completing my college education. Before joining Sterling, I spent over 13 years at American International Forest Products, a prominent member of the Forest City Trading Group—a consortium composed of 12 leading lumber wholesale companies across the continent. During my tenure at AIFP, I spearheaded the Southern Yellow Pine Lumber department, which befittingly, turned out to be the same lumber species procured by Sterling.

My approach to business was centered on driving profitability and delivering tangible results through strategic trading initiatives. I was able to apply this similar mindset of fiscal responsibility and meticulous expenditure management to my current position. In 2017, Cooper Sterling offered me the tremendous opportunity to join the Sterling team without having to relocate my family from our home state of Oregon. I knew it would be a good fit. I had previously worked with Cooper and I admired the Sterling family for their leadership and innovative approach within the industry, while fostering a positive culture within the company. Their forward-thinking mindset and commitment to excellence resonated with my professional values and aspirations, making Sterling an ideal environment to further my career goals. 

In my current capacity at Sterling, I am responsible for procuring all the lumber for the company, in addition to, overseeing and implementing quality-related procedures to ensure that the lumber meets our company standards until it is turned into CLT TerraLam mats. I derive immense satisfaction from the procurement process, particularly in strategically navigating the lumber market to secure the best prices. By anticipating market trends and working with our long-standing mill relationships, I implement procurement strategies that enhance efficiency and contribute to the overall profitability of the company. My dedication to maximizing efficiency and profitability underscores my commitment to contributing to Sterling’s success. Every procurement decision is approached with the same level of scrutiny and accountability as if it were my investment.

I strive for clarity and directness in my leadership approach and disfavor ambiguity and gamesmanship. I believe in fostering a collaborative environment. By recognizing and utilizing each team member’s strengths and collectively pursuing the best course of action, we maximize accuracy, efficiency, and profitability—objectives that I emphasize as paramount to our success. Our cohesive management team and unified workforce exemplify the importance of synergy and shared goals. The alignment of vision and values under George’s new leadership has further reinforced our collective commitment to success.