Mead Lumber History

The History and Legacy of

MEAD LUMBER

Serving Our Customers since 1910

Mead Presidents

1910

Morton Mead founded Mead Lumber by purchasing
Parkhurst Lumber Company in Ashland, NE with partner,
Dan Sullivan, who sold his interest to Morton a few years later.

1922

Lyman Mead graduates from college and moves to Torrington, WY to start his career in the lumber business.

1925

Lyman joins his father Morton in Ashland to work full time.

1927

After Morton Mead’s passing, Lyman assumes leadership of the company.

1932

All of Morton’s three sons – Lyman, Emerson, and Wilbur – are working in the lumber yard at Ashland.

1934

Mead Lumber expands to Columbus, NE through the acquisition of Kaufman Lumber.

1937

Acquisition of O. L. Clark & Sons enables expansion into York, NE. Emerson becomes manager.

1945

Expansion continues into Fort Morgan, CO, with Emerson Mead relocating to lead operations there.

1947

Opening of a new location in Cheyenne, WY via purchase of Mawson-Peterson Lumber. Wilbur Mead becomes manager.

1954

Dierks Lumber & Coal purchase leads to a Broken Bow, NE branch.

1958

Mead Lumber acquires Kildare Lumber, launching operations in Lexington and Cozad, NE.

1959

Expansion into Sterling, CO by acquiring Platte Valley Lumber.

1964

Bob Mead joins the company, establishing a pre-hung door shop and roof truss operations in Cheyenne, WY.

1965

Mead constructs a new location in Beatrice, NE.

1972

Expansion into Nebraska City, NE via acquisition of Hoppe Lumber.

1973

Acquisition of S&S Lumber brings operations to Norfolk, NE.

1980

Mead Lumber moves to a new Lexington, NE location via the acquisition of Big Valley Lumber.

1982

Mead opens a new location in Pratt, KS.

1985

Expansion into Liberal and Dodge City, KS by acquiring lumber yards from Boise Cascade.

1987

Upon the passing of Lyman Mead, Bob Mead becomes President of Mead Lumber.

1991

Mead Lumber acquires Hoppe Lumber again, expanding to Grand Island, NE.

1995

Acquisition of Collins Lumber leads to expansion into Ada, OK.

1997

Mead adds Kansas Lumber, expanding into Manhattan, KS.

1998

Mead Lumber builds and expands rental center operations in York, Pratt, Sterling, Beatrice, Liberal, Lexington, Norfolk, and Ada.

2000

Mead Lumber purchases Knecht Home Centers and Newkirk Ace Hardware stores in Rapid City and Spearfish, SD, and Gillette, WY; an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is established.

2006

Mead opens a Knecht Home Center / Ace Hardware site in Sheridan, WY. Craig Bradshaw becomes President upon Bob Mead’s retirement.

2007

Expansion into Montana via the acquisition of Thomae Lumber in Billings and Laurel.

2008

Mead Lumber acquires Cash and Carry Lumber, moving operations in Broken Bow, NE.

2009

Mead Lumber builds a new location in Kearney, NE.

2011

Mead Lumber expands into Yankton and Winner, SD (Fullerton Lumber) and into Cañon City, CO (Sonny’s Ace Hardware).

2012

Mead Lumber acquires Dakota Craft Truss in Cheyenne, WY and launches Truss Craft Structural Components; also opens Great Plains Countertops in Grand Island, NE.

2013

Mead Lumber opens Truss Craft Nebraska in Grand Island, NE.

2014

Mead Lumber becomes 100% Employee Owned.

2016

Expansion into Red Lodge, MT (Rock Creek Lumber) and Salina, KS (ProBuild facility).

2017

Further expansion into North Platte, Ogallala, and McCook, NE (via acquiring Kildare Lumber); new Truss Craft facility in Billings, MT.

2018

Acquisition of H.L. Munn Lumber expands Mead into Ames, IA; new store built in Spearfish, SD.

2019

Mead Lumber named “Pro Dealer of the Year” by HBS Dealer; the Spearfish store wins ProSales Excellence Award for facility design.

2020

Mead expands into Lincoln, NE; Dave Anderson becomes President upon Craig Bradshaw’s retirement.

2021

Expansion into Stockton, Hays & Russell, KS (Heartland Building Center acquisition); launch of Truss Craft Kansas in Hays; opening of Great Plains Distribution in Grand Island, NE.

2022

Expansion into Butte, MT (Triple “S” Building Center acquisition) and Kansas City, MO (Teague Lumber acquisition); new store built in Cheyenne, WY.

2023

Mead Lumber expands into Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the acquisition of Component Manufacturing Company (CMC) and Reaves Buildings, strengthening its position in structural components and post-frame building solutions across the region.

2025

Mead Lumber celebrates 25 years as a 100% employee-owned company, marking a quarter-century of employee ownership and shared success since establishing its ESOP in 2000.

2025

Knecht Home Centers were renamed as Mead Lumber. Signage and other branding was replaced in October at Gillette and Sheridan, Wyoming, and Spearfish and Rapid City in South Dakota.