CBJ's Largest Privately Held Companies 2018

Van Meter Inc.
3
LURA MCBRIDE
PRESIDENT & CEO
Van Meter Inc. is unique among the Corridor’s largest
companies, in that it is 100 percent owned by its employees.
It’s an approach that makes every worker an
active guardian of the electrical distributor’s bottom
line and has fueled its growth since its last appearance
on the CBJ’s Largest Privately Held Companies list in
2016, according to President and CEO Lura McBride.
In addition to an acquisition in downtown Chicago, Van Meter
has also opened a branch
in Omaha. The 85-year-old
company based in Cedar
Rapids now has 15 locations
throughout the Midwest.
“Nebraska is a true extension
of our Iowa marketplace,”
Ms. McBride said of
the new location. “We are
listening to our customers
and expanding to where they
need us to have a presence.”
Van Meter has also formed
relationships with national
commercial contracting clients,
offering a new avenue
for growth. It continues to
serve numerous other verticals
as well, from education
and health care to manufacturing and agriculture.
A perennial leader in building staff engagement and positive
workplace culture, the company recently created a 2025
vision to guide how it will continue to provide lasting value.
This roadmap was crafted by the entire organization, and incorporated
input from customers and partner suppliers as well.
“To foster buy-in, we had to ensure that the direction was
aligned with our people. Everyone from our receptionists and
delivery drivers to managers and product specialists had the
opportunity to contribute,” Ms. McBride explained. “When everyone
understands how their role is critical to our vision, the
goals are easier to achieve.”
The company also continues to invest in its workforce. Van
Meter encourages its employee-owners to nurture their purpose
outside of work. With a parental leave program that recognizes
both mothers and fathers, employee sabbaticals, and a
“5-7 Challenge” that discourages after-hours work, the company
ensures work-life balance is an authentic habit and not just
a buzzword.
The results are paying
off as Van Meter
has grown its employee-owner
base to more
than 500 – a 10 percent
increase from 2016.
Part of that progress
stems from deliberately
building relationships.
Van Meter’s mission
rests on five core principles:
people, partners,
progress, place
and profit. According
to Ms. McBride, a business
can reach new
heights only when its
people come first.
“Employee benefits
aren’t the only way to
invest in people – you
THE TEAM
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Lura McBride, President & CEO
Melanie Fisher Doyle, CFO
Mike Gassmann, EVP & Chief
Growth Officer
Brian Bytnar, Chief Development
Officer
Jeff Miller, VP Information
Technology
Alicia Murphy, Chief
Organizational Effectiveness
Officer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bruce Lehrman
Barry Boyer
Hillary Hughes
Lura McBride
Jeff Siegfried
Duane Smith
should strengthen
your day-to-day culture
as well” she said.
“Van Meter achieves
this by heavily developing our own leaders. We want our leaders
to lift up each individual person in our company. When
leaders empower, enable and support every team member, our
employee-owners are inspired and motivated to innovate for
our customers.”
To keep people at the forefront and reinforce its ownership
culture, Van Meter has made intentional and strategic investments
in how it recruits and hires new members. It has also
focused on inboarding, which is a type of support given to existing
employee-owners to help them succeed not only in their
current role but ones they may hold in the future.
“Van Meter is different because we are both privately held
and employee owned. The employee-ownership model not
only provides accountability, but it also makes profitability accessible
to every single person in the company, regardless of
their position,” Ms. McBride said. “When employees think, act
and serve like an owner, it creates a company culture that delivers
better service, value and outcomes for everyone.”
- Jennie Morton
“When employees think, act
and serve like an owner, it
creates a company culture that
delivers better service, value
and outcomes for everyone.”
- LURA MCBRIDE
10 CBJ’S LARGEST PRIVATELY HELD COMPANIES 2018