Entrepreneurs of the Year | Al Bavry

Why we chose him:
The independent lumberyard industry, trampled by the recession and left with facilities that are costly to operate, inches toward extinction.

But Al Bavry, 77, provides a remedy for the struggling sector. He's done that through a series of counterintuitive moves at Kimal Lumber, which he co-founded in 1981. Revenues are up 175% since 2011, to more than $33 million, and while that's off from the boom years, it's healthy recovery-era growth.

Beyond more demand for lumber, the recent success also stems from Bavry's ability to foster creativity and then lead the execution. Indiana-based industry consultant Greg Brooks, who has known Bavry for 20 years, is one of many who pay Bavry high praise when he calls the Kimal executive “the Steve Jobs of lumber.”