Mead Lumber History

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 in Ashland.

1927

Morton Mead dies, leaving Lyman Mead to take over the company and support the family.

1932

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

1934

Expands to Columbus, NE with the purchase of
Kaufman Lumber. Lyman Mead becomes manager.

1937

Expands to York with the purchase of
O. L. Clark and Sons. Emerson becomes manager.

1945

Expanded to Ft. Morgan, CO, where Emerson relocates and becomes manager.

1947

Expands to Cheyenne, WY with the purchase of
Mawson-Peterson Lumber. Wilbur Mead becomes manager.

1954

Expands to Broken Bow, NE
with the purchase of Dierks Lumber & Coal.

1958

Expands to Lexington and Cozad, NE
with the purchase of Kildare Lumber.

1959

Expands to Sterling, CO
with the purchase of Platte Valley Lumber.

1964

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

1965

Expands to Beatrice, NE
with the construction of a new location.

1972

Expands to Nebraska City, NE
with the purchase of Hoppe Lumber.

1973

Expands to Norfolk, NE
with the purchase of S&S Lumber.

1980

Moved to a new location in Lexington, NE
with the purchase of Big Valley Lumber.

1982

Expands to Pratt, KS with
the construction of a new location.

1985

Expands to Liberal and Dodge City, KS
with the purchase of lumber yards from Boise Cascade.

1987

Lyman Mead dies. Bob Mead becomes President of Mead Lumber.

1991

Expands to Grand Island, NE
with the purchase of Hoppe Lumber.

1995

Expands to Ada, OK
with the purchase of Collins Lumber.

1997

Expands to Manhattan, KS
with the purchase of Kansas Lumber.

1998

From 1998 to 2003, Mead Lumber added rental centers in York,
Pratt, Sterling, Beatrice, Liberal, Lexington, Norfolk and Ada.

2000

Purchased Knecht Home Centers and Newkirk Ace Hardware stores in Rapid City and Spearfish, SD and Gillette, WY. As part of this transaction an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) was created.

2006

Expands to Sheridan, WY with a Knecht Home Center
and Ace Hardware. Craig Bradshaw becomes President
of Mead Lumber upon Bob Mead’s retirement.

2007

Expands into Billings and Laurel, MT with the purchase of Thomae Lumber.

2008

Moved to a new location in Broken Bow, NE with the purchase of Cash and Carry Lumber.

2009

Expands to Kearney, NE
with the construction of a new location.

2011

Expands to Yankton and Winner, SD with the purchase of
Fullerton Lumber. Expanded to Cañon City, CO with the
purchase of Sonny’s Ace Hardware.

2012

Purchased Dakota Craft Truss in Cheyenne, WY, and created
Truss Craft Structural Components. Opened Great Plains Countertops in Grand Island, NE.

2013

Opened Truss Craft Nebraska
in Grand Island, NE.

2014

Mead Lumber becomes 100% Employee Owned.

2016

Expands to Red Lodge, MT with the purchase of Rock Creek Lumber. Expands to Salina, KS with the purchase of a facility from ProBuild.

2017

Expanded to North Platte, Ogallala and McCook, NE with the purchase of Kildare Lumber. New Truss Craft facility constructed in Billings, MT.

2018

Expanded to Ames, IA with the purchase of H.L. Munn Lumber. New store constructed in Spearfish, SD.

2019

Mead Lumber is named Pro Dealer of the Year by HBS Dealer. The new Spearfish store receives the 2019 ProSales Excellence Award for Facility Design.

2020

Expanded to Lincoln, NE. Dave Anderson becomes president of Mead Lumber upon Craig Bradshaw’s retirement.

2021

Expanded to Stockton, Hays & Russell, KS with the purchase of Heartland Building Center, and opened Truss Craft Kansas in Hays. Opened Great Plains Distribution in Grand Island, NE.

2022

Expanded to Butte, MT with the purchase of Triple “S” Building Center. Expanded to Kansas City, MO with the purchase of Teague Lumber. New store constructed in Cheyenne, WY.