Central States Achieves New Employee-Ownership Certification

Central States, a leader in metal building components, roofing, and building systems, announced today that it has become a member of Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO), the leading certification program for employee-owned companies in America. Central States is 100% employee-owned by its 1,400 employees. The announcement coincides with the celebration of National Employee Ownership month observed by businesses across the country every October. 

“We are thrilled to be recognized by Certified EO for our commitment to fostering a culture of ownership and empowerment at Central States,” Chief Financial Officer Chad Ware said. “This collaboration will help us provide invaluable resources and education to both our current and future employee-owners, ensuring they are well-informed and engaged in our shared mission to educate and inform them no matter where they are on their journey to financial freedom.”  

To become a member of Certified EO, companies must pass a rigorous certification process to demonstrate that their employees own at least 30% of the business (exclusive of company founders), access to ownership is open to every employee, and the concentration of ownership is limited. These strict requirements mean that very few American companies reach that standard and a much smaller percentage are 100% employee-owned like Central States. The Certified EO program provides best practices, market insight, communication support, and a host of educational resources to the companies it certifies. 

“We’re excited to have Central States as our newest member,” said Thomas Dudley, CEO and Co-founder of Certified EO. “Employee ownership changes the relationship between the company and employee. It’s a win-win-win for the employees, the business, and the community. As one of the fewer than 1 in 200 American companies eligible to join Certified EO, Central States stands out in promoting the power of employee ownership. They've joined a growing community who are reshaping how businesses operate." 

Founded by Carl Carpenter in 1988, Central States continues to build and maintain customer loyalty through their unique and focused attention to customer service, with the customer promise of “Right. On Time. Every Time.” being a key corporate tenet. Central States became fully employee-owned in 2011 to provide financial freedom for the now 1,400 employee-owners across 13 locations nationwide, with two more manufacturing facilities set to open in 2025. 

About Central States  

Central States, Inc. (www.centralstatesco.com) is 100% employee-owned and was founded in 1988. With more than 1,400 employee-owners and 11 manufacturing facilities in 2024, the company serves more than 6,000 commercial, architectural, post frame, and residential contractors and customers across the United States across three business operating units. Central States is a leading manufacturer of metal building components with 14 metal roofing and wall panel profiles, along with a full line of trim, accessories, and structural purlin. Two new factories are under construction, including a frame plant for pre-engineered metal buildings. Central States Building Works provides material-only building packages for self-storage and complete metal building systems. In 2022, Central States acquired Elevate Structures (formerly Storage Structures, Inc.), a national metal building subcontractor offering the patented Alpha Framing System. 

About Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO) 

Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO) is accelerating the creation of an employee-owned economy. Their certification program is combining the reach of employee-owned companies to create national recognition for this new approach to business. As the only national certification program for employee ownership, Certified EO is setting the standard and coordinating the voice of the employee ownership movement. Certified EO works directly with employee-owned companies to help them unlock the value of employee ownership and share their ownership story. Certified EO was founded in 2017 by Thomas Dudley and Kramer Sharp. Current membership includes over 700 companies. To learn more about Certified EO, please visit www.certifiedeo.com.