The Team

Larry is the son of Hickman Lumber founder, Harry Hickman, and the brains behind the success of Hickman Lumber. He began working for another sawmill following lumber grading school, making $100 a week. In 1963, after 2 years selling lumber for someone else, he decided he could ramp up production at his father’s small mill and be successful on his own. His wife Gayle was terrified of Larry leaving a secure job. She had a baby, Denny, and their mortgage was $69 a month!

Thankfully everything worked out and Larry successfully operated and grew the sawmill. Always a passionate woodsman, he began purchasing timberland in the mid-60s. He was mindful of forest sustainability long before any hardwood industry sustainability talk. He managed the forest like his gardens, picking the weeds to create a healthier overall forest and harvesting the trees only when they were ready. For example, he wouldn’t harvest all cherry trees just because the cherry price was high. When we have our annual FSC audits, forestry professors from various universities are always impressed with the quality of our timber stands.

Larry implemented practices in the forest never taught in forestry schools. He learned from spending countless hours in the woods observing Mother Nature’s work. Larry is technically retired, but still actively involved in all business aspects. He lives half the year with his wife Gayle at their home in Florida and they spend the summer in PA. He spends his time turning wooden bowls, fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, and playing with his great-grandchildren.

Denny has worked in the sawmill and hardwood flooring industry his entire life. While his dreams of playing professional baseball or wrestling for Dan Gable never came true, his love of forestry has allowed him to devote his life to the hardwood industry.

After studying at Penn State University, he returned home to continue working at the family lumber business, Hickman Lumber. In 1980, Denny graduated from NHLA Lumber Grading School and by early 2000 had launched Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring.

Denny is known throughout the industry as an expert in lumber drying and has been honored to deliver several NWFA Expo presentations on the subject. Outside of work, he enjoys hunting, fishing, baseball, Penn State Football and spending quality time with his wife Jane and family, especially his young grandchildren.

Pat has been with Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring since the very beginning. In fact, one of the first floors ever produced by AMHF went into his very own living room. Pat is a member of the extended Hickman family, and prior to joining his in-laws flooring company, worked as a carpenter and chef. If you stop at the plant to pick up your floor you’ll likely be greeted by his dog, Odie.

He enjoys spending time with his three children especially at his camp along the river. That’s where you’ll find him all summer. He’ll be there fishing, diving into a great read and enjoying a good beer or two.

Jake worked summers in high school and college at the sawmill. He went to Penn State to study history and then worked on the road in construction for a few years before deciding he wanted to return and continue with the family business. Like Larry and Denny, he graduated from NHLA Lumber grading school and worked his way up through the sawmill, from stacking boards to grading lumber. He spends his days at the sawmill managing Hickman Lumber. Jake helps with Allegheny Mountain, ensuring we have the quality lumber we need for our flooring.

He also attends various flooring trade shows. Jake was selected as one of the initial 40 under 40 emerging leaders in the National Wood Flooring Industry. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Venango Area Chamber of Commerce. Jake enjoys golfing, softball, fishing, and spending time with his growing family: his wife, Kendall, and their three sons.

Greg grew up in a family lumber business. At age 11, he started pulling stickers for the graders because he was too small to handle the boards. He has “been through the mill”, so to speak, having done everything there is in the industry from cutting up logs in the landing, running skidder, debarking, sawing, edging, running trimmer, and grading.

He graduated from NHLA School in Memphis in April 1980 and ran dry kilns and even delivered some lumber. The only thing he has not done in the lumber business is cut down the tree—he did not want the risk of killing himself! He bought and sold lumber for 35 years for a concentration until it was bought out, and then he began selling lumber for Hickman Lumber in 2012.

Jessica was born into the family business and helped during summer vacations, but never expected to have a career with the company. A graduate of Westminster College, with a double major in International Business and Spanish, she has lived, worked and studied in Costa Rica, England and Argentina. Following the 2008 recession, her father Denny asked her to help update the company website and work on sales and marketing. Jessica promised her father 3 years, but soon realized this was the best job for her.

She currently lives in Pittsburgh and enjoys traveling to trade shows and presenting lunch and learns to architects and designers while helping homeowners select the flooring of their dreams. Jessica was selected as one of the initial 40 under 40 emerging leaders in the National Wood Flooring Industry (NWFA). She serves on various committees in the NWFA and is on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Forests Products Association (PFPA). Out of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband Josh and children, as well as mountain biking, camping and trail running.

Zach has been with the company since 2017. He started working in the flooring plant while in college and has worked his way into sales.

Zach has enjoyed meeting new customers and building relationships with them while growing partnerships along the way. He was recognized as one of the top 40 people under 40 in the National Wood Flooring Association and is currently on the Emerging Leaders Board for the NWFA. In his free time, Zach enjoys golfing, hunting, and, most importantly, spending time with his wife and daughter.

Linda has been with Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring since 2011. You’ll likely speak to her when you call the office, especially to make a payment. Regularly she can be heard enthusiastically singing a theme song by Rhianna about accounts receivables or laughing out loud at the bosses jokes. Linda leads the office and works with both Hickman Lumber and Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring. She spends a tremendous amount of time preparing paperwork for the FSC audit each year and enjoys working for Hickmanwoods, especially from her new sit to stand desk.

Linda loves the team culture at Hickmanwoods and the flexibility the company offers, allowing her to balance work with her son’s baseball game schedule. Linda is most proud of her two children and husband but admits she probably loves her dogs most of all.

Rita is the newest member of the Hickmanwoods office team, starting the summer of 2018. Rita was born in Pittsburgh, but moved to the country in 1995 after meeting her now husband.

Rita enjoys spending time in her flower garden and working with Hickmanwoods, where she has gained an incredible understanding of the hardwood industry. Rita has graciously said her new position with us is very different from any other office she has worked at before, which we are honored to take as a compliment.

Mike has worked with Hickman Lumber for more than 25 years, and helped develop its Forest Stewardship Council program in 1999. Mike received his Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Science from Penn State University in 1982. He is also a member of Society of American Foresters. Mike is a huge asset to our annual Hickmanwoods tour. He does a great job educating people about the importance of forestry.

When he is not working in the woods, he enjoys hiking the Appalachian trail with his family.

Terry has been working in the forest products industry since the 1990s. He has been with the Hickman Companies since 2008. He lives in Indiana County, PA with his wife. He’s the proud father of three and grandfather of one. He went to Indiana University of PA and graduated with a BS in Mathematics.

For fun he likes to hunt deer, rabbits and rattle snakes. He enjoys spending time out doors with family and friends and especially loves being “Poppa” to his granddaughter Rory!

Jim is the newest member of our forestry team.  Jim started in the industry while attending Clarion University in the early 90’s. He started out contract cutting and skidding for sawmills around the area. In 1994 he accepted a position with the United States Forest Service as a Timber Marker. While there he was a Wildlands Firefighter and Forest Law Enforcement Officer. He was employed by Danzer Lumber North America for several years. Jim was their Log Yard Manager and Overseas and Domestic Veneer Sales Manager. After the company was sold in 2021 he joined our company as a member of our forestry team.

He currently serves as an Officer for The Pennsylvania Fish And Boat commission. He enforces fishing and boating regulations as well as environmental law. Jim is an avid outdoorsman and  loves spending time with his wife and three daughters.

Ryan is the newest member to the Hickmanwoods Team joining in 2024, and we are excited to have him. He was valedictorian of his high school class and graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology with an Associate’s Degree in Forestry. Ryan was hired to manage Hickman properties and is excited to work on FSC timberland as he loves the forests.

He is also a Volunteer Firefighter with Marienville Volunteer Fire Company. Ryan enjoys hunting and fishing with his brother, Daniel, and his dad, Randy.