Lawrence was the consummate salesman. Clean-cut, six feet tall and slim, he had flashing blue eyes and a winning smile. He rode the Worcester to Providence train between lumber yards, and was often seen riding his bicycle from the station to his customer. Later in his career, he drove a convertible and looked quite distinguished with his full head of white hair and a Palm Beach hat and a white cotton suit.

All went well for a few years until one of the mills he represented refused to honor a quotation it had given to Lawrence. A true entrepreneur, he decided that it was time to take control of his own destiny. Dorothy sold her house to generate the capital, and the company was born.

The Lawrence R. McCoy Company was incorporated in 1922 and operated from Lawrence's sun room only a few blocks from where the company's headquarters are located today. Under Lawrence and his successor's leadership, the company became one of the most prestigious wholesale lumber distributors in the country.

Lawrence's philosophy of recruiting "intelligent, resourceful employees of sound judgment capable of gaining the confidence of their customers and the suppliers the company represents" still guides the company's hiring practices. Similarly, Lawrence's conviction that employees should hold stock in the company has led to one of the few successful employee-owned companies in the United States today.

When Lawrence retired from the lumber business, he began to study drawing and painting and eventually moved to Manchester, Vermont to work in his studio full time. He became an accomplished artist achieving widespread recognition as a painter of portraits and landscapes. His over 400 paintings can be found in private collections and museums all over the country, and several hang in the lobby of the company that bears his name today.