Espy Lumber Company

Company Overview

Founded in 1958 by Wesley Espy, Espy Lumber Company, Inc. originally operated as Espy Concrete Company, Inc. The company started its operations on Hilton Head two years after the construction of the first bridge connecting the island to the mainland. The early business primarily involved delivering concrete to the nascent resort projects.

With the population of Hilton Head rising from 900 to 2,500 in the 1960s, the company broadened its scope to include lumber and construction materials. This growth led to the company outgrowing its original location on present-day Pope Avenue. In 1971, the company acquired two acres of the current five-acre property on Arrow Road. After construction wrapped up, Espy Lumber made its move to the current site in 1972. In the 1970s, the concrete operations were divested, and the lumber and building materials business thrived, prompting the purchase of an adjacent three-acre lot for future development.

Wesley Espy tragically passed away in a car accident in the fall of 1978, prompting the estate to offer the company for sale. In June 1982, Mike became an outside salesman at Espy Lumber, advancing to General Manager in 1986 and then to Vice President in 1993. On July 1, 2013, the Board of Directors appointed Mike as President of Espy Lumber Co.

Mike hails from Macon, Georgia, spent his childhood in Vidalia, and studied business and marketing at Valdosta State College.

Mike actively participates in community and industry initiatives: Point Comfort Property Owners Association (Board Member 1993-1994, President 1994-1995, ARB Member 2000 to present), Hilton Head Home Builders Association (Board of Directors, Associate Council Vice President 1995, Associate of the Year 1995), SBMA (Board of Directors), State Director for Home Builders Association 1998, Hilton Head Baseball Association (Board of Directors), and Dixie Youth Baseball (Coach). He is also a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church.