Nearly 10 years ago, RobDonovan Lewis began his career as a front-end loader at our Arcadia OSB plant in Simsboro, Louisiana. He quickly rose through the ranks, holding roles as a shift supervisor, shipping supervisor and operations manager.
In July 2025 he jumped across manufacturing lines to take on the mill manager role at our lumber mill in Dodson. Today, he oversees 170 employees, working closely with two superintendents and a maintenance manager to ensure the mill’s operational and mechanical aspects run smoothly.
“The most important thing I do is make sure all my employees are working safely,” RobDonovan says. “I always focus on safety over production.”
NOT AFRAID TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY
Having started in an entry-level role himself, RobDonovan makes it a priority to be accessible to all employees at the plant. He takes the time to talk with them and understand their challenges, pitching in on manual labor when needed.
“I’ll grab a shovel or get on the Bobcat loader and help move lumber,” he says. “It means a lot to the employees because it shows them I’m just not telling them what to do. I’ll get involved. And I wouldn’t ask them to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself.”
It all goes back to his overall collaborative approach, incorporating input from both leaders and hourly employees at the plant for effective decision-making and problem-solving.
“I try to be collaborative on everything,” he says. “We work together to figure things out.”
FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE MILL
That team-centric approach harkens back to his college days, when he played football at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
“I like to compare my career to sports,” he says. “It’s like I’ve got my coordinators, and they give the play to the players on the field, the players being our hourly employees. As plant manager, I make sure we have the right gameplan to be successful every day we come to work.”
RobDonovan credits his athletic experience with teaching him the value of teamwork and building connections between people from diverse backgrounds. It also instilled in him a results-oriented mindset, where setbacks are treated as learning experiences for future growth.
“I didn’t get a chance to play football professionally because I hurt my shoulder,” he says. “I wanted to do something where I could still impact a team, which is what drew me to management. I look at every day as a play. How are we going to win today? And if we have a bad day, how will we win tomorrow?”
CULTIVATING FUTURE LEADERS
A key part of his winning focus is developing future leaders. While he’s eager to provide guidance and support, RobDonovan makes it a point to grant employees autonomy over projects. This approach ensures team members have the opportunity to grow and demonstrate their capabilities.
“I help as much as they need me to, but I also give them room to figure things out for themselves,” he says. “If I’m always giving them all the answers, I’m not developing the next crop of talent.”
RobDonovan says leaders need to have the mindset that they’re not successful unless their team is successful.
“You can’t be a selfish person,” he says. “You have to be selfless. A true sign of a great leader is that their team performs even better when they’re not there than when they are there. That means they’re doing the right thing.”
NAVIGATING BUSY WORKDAYS
RobDonovan says the greatest challenge of being a plant manager is maintaining organization and structure. He holds morning meetings three times a week to review safety and production. He also conducts bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with his superintendents to discuss ongoing projects.
“This role can be very stressful, but if you let it overwhelm you, it will also overwhelm your leaders,” he says. “I need to build the right systems so my leaders are set up for success, the same way a football team captain has to set the example so that the team can be successful.”
ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM DEVIN
Reflecting on his personal and professional growth with the company over the last decade, RobDonovan says numerous mentors and leaders, including president and CEO Devin Stockfish, have supported and inspired him.
“When I was just starting as a supervisor, Devin came to Arcadia and had a one-on-one with me,” he says. “That meant a lot to me. When he came back a few years later, he remembered what we had talked about. That shows me how much the company truly cares about its employees.”
RobDonovan remembers Devin telling him during that first meeting that he saw his leadership potential.
“He said he could see me being a plant manager and even beyond that if I kept pushing forward and progressing,” he says. “It was incredibly motivating.”
EXECUTING HIS GAMEPLAN
Today, RobDonovan is committed to continuously improving as a leader.
“I started my career here driving a loader, and I want to finish it as a VP,” he says. “I want to show all the new employees that you can start out sweeping the floor and climb as high as you want.”
Even with his own career growth in mind, RobDonovan stays focused on contributing to the company’s success as a team player.
“It comes from playing sports,” he says. “The coach gives the orders, and you execute the play. I’m always going to execute as best as I possibly can.”
ADVICE FROM ROBDONOVAN
- Stay present. “Be focused on what you’re currently doing and be great at that. Don’t focus on the next job or where you want to be long term. All successful people started somewhere, and they had to continue to grow.”
- Build a support system. “You need a lot of people around you to help you get better. You need people to tell you when you’re wrong and when you’re right, as well as offer support and advice.”
- Be resilient. “You’ve got to be able to deal with adversity and not let obstacles deter you from your goals. You’ve got to be extremely driven to be successful.”
