Ward Lumber employees made history recently by purchasing their 130-year-old business as a worker cooperative!
The lumber products and hardware store, which has locations in Jay and Malone, N.Y. and employs over 50 local people, has been in Jay Ward’s family for four generations.
Rural communities in New York’s north country face widespread business closures and job losses that have detrimental impacts on the regional economy. Since 1890, Ward Lumber has been a pillar in the community providing local jobs, and supporting the region’s farm and construction industries.
“Employee ownership vests the control of the company in the hands of the people that work it every day, who live in the communities that we serve, and have that vested interest in ownership,” Ward said. “I really wanted to empower the employee team to make decisions on their behalf for their benefit.”
Their transition to worker ownership makes them the largest worker-owned cooperative in the region!