Van Meter

100% employee-owned, 100% ready to make a difference. Providing everything you need to succeed.

31/07/2024

Say cheese if it's your last day!📸🧀

Help us wish our interns goodbye and good luck as they wrap up their summer internships and head back to school.

Thanks for all your hard work!👏

30/07/2024

Oh the places you’ll go when you have Time Off To Appreciate Life™.✈️

Like Carrie representing Van Meter (with matching hats!) in Oregon.

Alan showing Cedar Rapids pride while exploring Jewel Cave in South Dakota.

And Loran showing off the Van Meter hat at Zion National Park in Utah (when she remembered to put her glasses on).😎

29/07/2024

Did you know Basic Needs of MN provides barrier free access to fresh food and clothing in Cottage Grove and gets 8,000+ visitors a week?

They're also providing food for kids this summer, and we are matching donations!

You can donate here👇
https://bit.ly/3LCCmqB

25/07/2024

Want to see Adam turn two pulling ropes into one?🪄

It's not magic. It's easy with Southwire soft shackles, and it can make your pull ropes more versatile to save you time in the field!

Learn more: https://bit.ly/46jf7eI

22/07/2024

Making one last piece of history from our Van Meter exhibit at The History Center.❤️

A group of current and former employee-owners gathered to see the exhibit before it closed, including four current or former CEOs.

21/07/2024

Did you know the third Sunday in July is ? Seems like a good time to shoutout the superior crew at our Duluth branch!

Here’s Matt E, Cory, Trevor, Matt B, James and Zach (6 out of the 7 branch members) fishing the lake for Lake Trout to celebrate our 95th anniversary last year.📸🐟

18/07/2024

⛳️Family Fun
🍦Food
🎣Fishing
🎆Fourth of July
🇺🇸Freedom Fest

We had a great time sponsoring the mini golf, cooling tent and kids’ fishing tournament at the Austin, MN Freedom Fest!

16/07/2024

Want to interview for a construction coordinator job at the Top Workplace in distribution (that's us) without leaving the house? Sign up for our virtual hiring event this Thursday!

We're hiring local and traveling construction coordinators in Omaha, Urbandale, Kansas City, Cedar Rapids and Carroll.

Learn more and register👇
https://indeedhi.re/4cFA5a3

16/07/2024

We're #1! 💁🏼‍♀️ Excited to be named the Top Workplace in distribution by Top Workplaces!🌟

15/07/2024

Having a real Monday? We’re hiring for a local construction coordinator role that will have you excited to start a new week!

You will:
• Work on customer jobsites
• Get hands-on experience
• Be an employee-owner from day 1
• Work at a Top Workplace in the U.S.
• Live in the Kansas City area

Sound good? Learn more and apply at our careers page👇
https://bit.ly/3W6JQXO

12/07/2024

Count down with us:
19 years in the Army
17 years at Van Meter
4 deployments
1 proud company!

Please help us congratulate Captain Alex Sindelar, our design engineering manager, on receiving the Military Community Award from Salute to the Fallen Foundation for going above and beyond in his military career and civilian life.

Great job, Alex!👏

11/07/2024

❌Bad news: We weren't able to break a world record.🙁

✅Good news: We absolutely SMASHED our Van Meter goal of 1000 shoes and nearly doubled that!💁🏼‍♀️

Thank you to everyone who donated and His Hands Free Clinic for including us! We may not be in the record books, but we helped a lot of people keep their feet happy.😊

10/07/2024

How in-sync are employee-owners at Van Meter? We even start to match each other!

We had quite the colorful collaboration in Eau Claire. Nice shoes, Lance!🔥🔥🔥

Ed Thomas Coach of the Week: Benton's Jordon Rettenmeier

09/07/2024

Van Meter accountant by day, head softball coach by night. Congratulations to Jordon Rettenmeier on being named the Ed Thomas Coach of the Week for her outstanding work with the #1 ranked Benton softball team!

Check out the full story and leave a congratulations in the comments!🥳👇

Ed Thomas Coach of the Week: Benton's Jordon Rettenmeier After going to three state tournament appearances in a four year span from 2015 to 2018, Benton softball had not gone back to Fort Dodge since then prior to Jor

08/07/2024

REEL-ing the tape at our REEL Experience to show you REEL effective solutions for your next project!📽️

We’re REEL-y excited to show you more innovative solutions from our experts!

08/07/2024

Better pick up. A great job opportunity is calling!

Want to be in the middle of the action on jobsites, see new places and meet new people? Apply to be a traveling construction site coordinator at Van Meter!

Learn more and apply👇
https://bit.ly/45URpFA

06/07/2024

Want a new bike or truck?🚴‍♂️🛻

Find Doug at the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmer’s Market this morning to enter your name into a raffle for a new truck or electric bike and support the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor!

If you can’t make it, register here👇
https://e.givesmart.com/events/B0M/

https://e.givesmart.com/events/CQT/

03/07/2024

Not all heroes wear capes, but maybe our interns should!🦸‍♂️

They did a great job volunteering at the Metro Catholic Outreach food pantry and even saved the day by changing a flat tire on the side of the road!

02/07/2024

Jordan Spieth and our team that golfed with him yesterday have combined for three major championships and 13 PGA tour wins in their careers. Pretty impressive!😉

Van Meter was a presenting sponsor at yesterday’s Zach Johnson Foundation Classic that supports local students in Cedar Rapids.

01/07/2024

When we’re packing 25,000 meals in one day, you already know we’re .💁🏼‍♀️

Our Cedar Rapids crew packed Meals from the Heartland that will feed children in Iowa, across the U.S. and around the world! Learn how you can get involved 👇
https://bit.ly/3VqOaQb

27/06/2024

We had a blast sponsoring the SoWashCo CARES Skoolie Bus in Cottage Grove last week.

We had food, games, ROBOTS and prizes for Family Fun Night.

26/06/2024

29,000 meals and 80 kids fed for a whole year!😱

Our lighting team did more than light work packing meals for Feed My Starving Children.💪

25/06/2024

A little storm can’t ruin our solar demo. It only makes it more in-tents!🥁😄

Thanks to everyone who stopped by at The Midwest Renewable Energy Association Industry Demo Day to visit with our team and demo our solar solutions!

24/06/2024

Excited to announce the newest member of our executive leadership team, Chief Information Officer Martina Schubert!

Please help us welcome her to Van Meter!

Learn more about her👇
https://bit.ly/3KSrLYc

24/06/2024

It’s official!🌟Proud to celebrate another year as a Top Workplace in Minnesota!

Van Meter was ranked #9 among midsize companies in the state. Check out the full list of Top Workplaces in the Minneapolis Star Tribune👇
https://bit.ly/4caFC8b

21/06/2024

Break out the selfie sticks. It’s ! 📸✌️

Our interns are still all smiles after a few weeks on the job! What's got you feeling good today?😄

20/06/2024

Got weekend plans? Go visit the Van Meter exhibit at The History Center while you can!

It will only be there until the end of the month.

19/06/2024

Last night, on the 20th anniversary of Average Joes’ historic upset of Globo Gym, our dodgeball team dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodged in the Corridor Corporate Games!

Celebrate by dropping your favorite quotes in the comments👇

Claim ownership or report listing

Strong values. Superior value.

Van Meter Advantage

Since 1928 we’ve delivered more than electrical products; we’ve solved problems for our customers, developed lasting relationships with suppliers and given back to the many communities that support us. Because we believe a company should do more than live by its values—it should create lasting value as well.

Why Van Meter?

As a 100 percent employee-owned company, we understand that when you succeed, we succeed. That’s why each one of our employee-owners works hard to improve customers’ productivity and profitability by delivering superior products and innovative services.

Here’s how we work to create lasting value:

Unparalleled customer service. We’re dedicated to providing everything you need to succeed, including:

Product specialists

On-call technical support

Drive-through pickup

Online ordering

And more

Delivering superior products. Our expert product specialists recommend and select the right products for your exact needs.

More than 800 best-in-class brands

$45 million worth of in-stock inventory

Same-day delivery

15 branches in the Midwest

And more

Customized services and solutions. We are all empowered to find the best solution for your needs, whether it comes from finding the right product or creating an entirely new service.

Dedicated teams to develop custom innovative solutions

Empowered employee-owners encouraged to make decisions

Shared purpose to succeed with, and for, our clients

And more

History

A history of forward thinking.

R.L. Van Meter and R.W. Lemley founded The Van Meter Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just before the start of the Great Depression in 1928. Proving they were forward thinking from the beginning, the bright duo outfitted their headquarters with fluorescent lighting—the first building west of the Mississippi to have such a feature.

Despite the daunting task of selling new technology during difficult economic times, The Van Meter Company survived—and thrived. Powered by the motto “Service is our first thought,” The Van Meter Company succeeded because they believed that owners, employees and customers should treat each other as family.

Underlying their commitment to service was their tireless spirit of innovation. Each employee was encouraged to listen to customers and motivate manufacturers to create better solutions. They understood that when customers’ businesses grew, the whole “family” grew.

Now, more than 85 years later, 500+ employee-owners remain committed to these values. Whether our customers need wire services, technical support, project management assistance or additional solutions, our team is ready and willing to go above and beyond.

Purpose & Culture

More than products, a shared purpose.

WHY VAN METER?

Here’s how we work to create lasting value:

Unparalleled customer service. We’re dedicated to providing everything you need to succeed, including:

Product specialists

On-call technical support

Drive-through pickup

Online ordering

And more

Delivering superior products. Our expert product specialists recommend and select the right products for your exact needs.

More than 800 best-in-class brands

$45 million worth of in-stock inventory

Same-day delivery

15 branches in the Midwest

And more

Customized services and solutions. We are all empowered to find the best solution for your needs, whether it comes from finding the right product or creating an entirely new service.

Dedicated teams to develop custom innovative solutions

Empowered employee-owners encouraged to make decisions

Shared purpose to succeed with, and for, our clients

And more

HISTORY

A HISTORY OF FORWARD THINKING.

📷R.L. Van Meter and R.W. Lemley founded The Van Meter Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just before the start of the Great Depression in 1928. Proving they were forward thinking from the beginning, the bright duo outfitted their headquarters with fluorescent lighting—the first building west of the Mississippi to have such a feature.

Now, more than 85 years later, 450+ employee-owners remain committed to these values. Whether our customers need wire services, technical support, project management assistance or additional solutions, our team is ready and willing to go above and beyond.

PURPOSE & CULTURE

More than products, a shared purpose.

We work. We grow. We innovate. We advance. That’s because our purpose is more than electrical distribution. Our shared purpose is to create lasting value for those we serve.

Because every employee is also an equal owner in our company, we value each other as well as our customers. Here are the beliefs that guide each and every one of us, every day:

People - We help our people to be their personal best.

Partners - We build strong relationships with our customers and suppliers.

Progress - We improve ourselves and our company every day.

Place - We make a difference in the places where we work and live.

Profit - We grow to reinvest in our business and our people.

EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

Empowering people is the best way to power progress.

When you work with a team member at Van Meter, you’re not just working with an employee—you’re working with an owner. An owner who’s empowered to make decisions, create solutions and do what’s right for your business. Because we know that when our customers succeed, we succeed.

Van Meter is proud to say that we’ve been 100 percent employee-owned since 2005. We understand that each of us is responsible for growing our business, and to do that, we work to grow our customer’s business by nurturing relationships, developing innovative services, and delivering best-in-class products on time.

We place the power in our employee-owners’ hands with an ESOP, Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The Van Meter ESOP is a retirement plan that requires the company to create a trust to acquire stock. Unlike a 401(k) plan, employees do not contribute to the ESOP. Van Meter makes all contributions. The Van Meter ESOP Committee works together to ensure all employee-owners understand the value of owning our company and our future.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

We are grounded.

We’re a small company with a big heart. It’s our honor to give back to the communities, organizations and people that power our personal and professional lives.

We are connected to our communities. We coach local t-ball teams. We walk for the cure. We serve our schools. And we support local theater productions. In fact, each year our employee-owners volunteer more than 7,000 hours to local communities. And, as a company, we’re honored to donate more than $250,000 annually to local charities.

When you do business with Van Meter, you help us extend our gifts to many. Because, from where we stand, being an integral part of the communities we serve and contributing to the quality of life is vital to our success.