LINDA LAWSON THORNTON

Linda Lawson Thornton is Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and President of  H.L. Lawson & Son, Inc., which now primarily does business as The Lawson Companies.  Over her nearly 25 years with the business, she has worn many hats.  An educator by profession, she joined the family business in 1998.  She quickly became Assistant to the President and then CFO.  She took over from her brother Dick as Chief Executive Officer in 2015.

Linda’s father and grandfather started the business in 1937. As the first female to run the company, she is pleased to encourage new strategies and a more progressive Corporate philosophy. Her management style, as a result of years in education, is more inclusive, collaborative, and transparent. Her goal is to support her management team and her loyal employees so that the company can continue to provide outstanding warehousing and logistics services for generations to come.

Linda continues to be involved with Community High School, as well as serving other nonprofit organizations in the valley. She lives with her husband John and the families of two of her three married children on their working family farm. She delights in being an active and useful grandmother of five.

YVETTE DUFFY

Yvette Duffy is the Director of Facilities and Special Projects for the Lawson Companies. She excels at managing facilities, directing routine maintenance, ensuring the upkeep of grounds and equipment, and conducting regular site inspections for the various Lawson warehouses. Yvette is the manager of Lawson Self Storage and other company projects which fall outside the scope of regular warehousing activities. Yvette also serves as the Safety Manager for Lawson Companies. She joined the company in 2019 after being the Office Manager of a local accounting firm for 28 years.

After hours Yvette enjoys kayaking and exploring the river and trail systems surrounding the Roanoke Valley.  She is passionate about exploring nature and conserving our natural environment.