Executive Bios

Joe Appelmann
President and CEO

Joe Appelmann is responsible for the performance of Stock Building Supply. He sets strategy for the company’s operations and assures leadership and succession is available at all levels. During his career at Stock Building Supply Joe has served in a number of differing roles. He began his career as the Corporate Controller for then Carolina Builders. In 1993 he moved to Detroit to serve as the VP/CFO of the newly acquired Erb Lumber. In 1997 he returned to Raleigh as the VP of Financial Services and Co-Chaired the Stock ERP selection and Implementation project. In 1999 he assumed the role of VP of Manufacturing. In 2001, Joe moved to Salt Lake City to become VP of West Operations. In 2005 Joe returned to Raleigh as Senior VP of Logistics. In 2006 Joe became COO and began his current role as President and CEO in August of 2007. Joe is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated in 1982 with a BA in Accountancy from Thomas More College, Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky

Steve Short
Senior Vice President and COO

Steve Short is responsible for managing and producing the bottom-line results for all of Stock Building Supply’s residential operations, including manufacturing centers and installed operations. Steve began his career at Ferguson Enterprises as a management trainee in 1983. He joined Stock Building Supply in 1992, where he served as Location Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, District Manager and Vice President of the West Division, before assuming his current position. Steve is an alumni of Virginia Tech University and has attended executive education programs at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland, as well as the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Jim Drexinger
Senior Vice President, Sourcing and Marketing

Jim Drexinger oversees marketing and strategic product sourcing and purchasing fulfillment for Stock Building Supply. Jim joined Stock in August 2005 from his previous role as Senior Vice President and General Manager at NIBCO, Inc., a large plumbing products manufacturer. Jim also spent 13 years with Armstrong World Industries, Inc. in various finance, sales management and marketing leadership positions. He graduated from Lehigh University and earned an MBA from Shippensburg University. He attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School, as well as the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Jim Major
Senior Vice President, CFO and Treasurer

Jim Major assumed his role in 2005, and is responsible for all pricing, finance, credit and IT activities. Jim has a significant role in continuing the company’s growth, by leveraging his experience both in managing complex reengineering programs and in financial planning, analysis and reporting, tax planning and compliance. He is also experienced in multiple types of transactions, including acquisitions and real estate. Jim joined Stock Building Supply in 1998. Prior to that, he was employed by Price Waterhouse. Originally a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Jim graduated from Wake Forest University in 1993. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has attended management programs at Darden and the International Institute for Management Development.

Bryan Yeazel
Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Bryan Yeazel manages the legal, human resources, training and health and safety functions for the company. Bryan joined Stock in 2005. Prior to that, he was with Hunton & Williams LLP in its Global Capital Markets / Mergers & Acquisitions practice group. At Hunton & Williams, he represented clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, commercial issues and corporate finance. His clients included many Fortune 100 companies in the U.S. and Europe including firms involved in construction and engineering, banking, energy, tobacco and food products, insurance and armored transportation. Prior to law school, Bryan was with Capital One Financial in Richmond, Virginia. Bryan is licensed to practice law before the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, and the courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia and State of North Carolina. His undergraduate degree is from Wake Forest University and his law degree is from the University of Notre Dame. In addition, he attended the global executive development program at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Bryan is a native of southern California.

Nigel Stobart
Vice President, Sales

Nigel Stobart joined Stock Building Supply as Vice President of Sales in 2010. In this role, he leads Stock’s sales teams, as well as sales-related initiatives, having previously served as a strategic advisor to Stock in connection with its process improvement initiatives throughout 2009. Prior to joining Stock, Nigel was Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer for Wire One Communications, Inc., in Pennsylvania. He subsequently helped lead Wire One through its sale to a strategic buyer from private equity ownership. Nigel also served as Senior Director of Sales Operations position for the professional business group at Gateway, Inc. and was a consultant with Bain & Co. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and a law degree from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago. Before attending business school, he held positions with leading law firms in Melbourne and London.