Mead Lumber is marking a major milestone this fall: 25 years since becoming an employee-owned company, and 10 years as being 100% employee-owned. Founded in 1910 in Ashland, Nebraska, the company launched it’s launched its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) on September 25, 2000, with employees owning a portion of the company. In 2014, Bob Mead, the last Mead family member to own the company, sold his ownership stake in the company to the employees, making Mead Lumber 100% employee-owned.
“When Mead Lumber started down the road of becoming employee-owned 25 years ago, no one could have predicted the impact it would have on our people and our future,” said Dave Anderson, President and CEO of Mead Lumber. “We are proud that more than 30 of those first employee-owners are still with us today. Their commitment, alongside our newer employee-owners, has built a culture of trust, service, and shared success. Our story is proof that when employees have a true stake in the business, everyone wins.”
The milestone will be observed across all 53 locations in nine states, with employees gathering for events, team meals, and hearing from the more than 30 current employees who were part of the first group of employee-owners 25 years ago.
Employee ownership has brought long-term benefits to Mead Lumber and its people. The ESOP rewards employee-owners with retirement savings tied to the company’s success, helps attract and retain top talent, and fosters a culture where everyone has a personal stake in the business. That culture has been key to steady growth and to building strong relationships with contractors, remodelers, and communities across the region.
Mead Lumber’s celebration ties directly into ESOP Month, which is every October, a national recognition of employee-owned companies and the unique role they play in strengthening employees, families, and communities.
About Mead Lumber
Mead Lumber is a 100% Employee Owned company that has become one of the leaders in the building materials industry, ranking in the top 10 nationally for companies serving Professional Builders. Mead Lumber now has 53 locations in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming, including six truss and wall panel manufacturing plants and a countertop manufacturing facility. Mead Lumber specializes in providing a complete line of materials to builders and homeowners, including lumber, building materials, trusses & wall panels, millwork, kitchen cabinets and countertops, siding, decking, windows, doors, and hardware
