Steve Conger Jr.
The Stephen H. Conger, Sr. Memorial Endowment was established in 2001 by Steve Conger Jr. in memory of his late father.
Mr. Stephen H. Conger, Sr., was one of the nation’s leaders in the hardwood lumber industry. As such, he was a leader in helping provide wood products jobs in North Carolina and up and down the southeast coast.
He was commended for his tireless work in helping build Coastal Lumber Co. into the second largest producer of hardwood lumber in the United States and one of the largest independent wood products companies.
Mr. Conger’s career with Coastal Lumber Company began in Lake City, SC, in 1949 after he earned a B.S. degree in forestry from the University of Georgia in Athens.
He was vice chairman of Coastal Lumber Co. a diverse wood products manufacturer headquartered in Weldon, NC, and he was an active member of the board of directors and advisory board of Coastal Lumber Co.
His career included active leadership roles in hardwood lumber and relative associations. He was president of the Hardwood Manufacturers Association; past director of the National Hardwood Lumber Association and of the Forest Resources Group of the American Forest and Paper Association. He was a past president of the Southern Cypress Manufacturer’s Association and past executive committee member of the AFPA International Trade Council, and he was a member of the National Dimension Manufacturers Association; the American Plywood Association; the Southern Forest Products Association; the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association; the North Carolina and Virginia Forestry Associations; the Society of American Foresters; and the Holland Society.
Mr. Conger was also active in civic, community and political affairs. Born in Asheville, NC, he was married to Marian Lansdell Meiere and had four children; Susan De Camp, Stephen Halsey, Robert Cody Lansdell, and Marian Lansdell Meiere. He served for 4 years as treasurer of the North Carolina Private School Association; was a member of various dubs; and was a delegate to two Republican National Conventions. Additionally, he was a Halifax County finance chairman of Helms for Senate and 2d District chairman for Reagan-Bush, 1984.