Mead Lumber’s 25-Year Employee Ownership Milestone Coincides with ESOP Month
Mead Lumber is celebrating 25 years as an employee-owned company, a milestone that also includes a decade of being 100 percent employee owned.
Founded in 1910 in Ashland, Neb., the company launched its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) on Sept. 25, 2000, allowing employees to begin holding a stake in the business. In 2014, Bob Mead, the last family member to own shares, sold his remaining stake to the ESOP, making Mead Lumber fully 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. “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.”
The company is marking the anniversary across all 53 locations in nine states with staff events, team meals, and recognition of longtime employee-owners who were part of the first ESOP class.
Employee ownership has brought long-term benefits for Mead Lumber, from retirement savings tied to company performance to stronger retention and recruitment. The ESOP structure has also reinforced Mead’s reputation for steady growth and close relationships with contractors, remodelers, and communities.
The milestone coincides with ESOP Month in October, a national observance highlighting the role of employee-owned businesses in supporting workers, families, and communities.
Mead Lumber ranks among the top 10 U.S. companies serving professional builders, with 53 locations in Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Its operations include six truss and wall panel plants and a countertop manufacturing facility, alongside a broad mix of building materials, millwork, cabinetry, siding, decking, windows, doors, and hardware.
