Lura McBride, president and CEO of Van Meter Inc., will receive the Oscar C. Schmidt Iowa Business Leadership Award from the Tippie College of Business, along with the company’s employee-owners.
The award ceremony will take place Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. at Big Grove Brewery in Cedar Rapids.
“Lura McBride exemplifies the kind of visionary leadership and values-driven culture that the Schmidt Award was created to honor,” said Amy Kristof-Brown, dean of the Tippie College of Business. “Her commitment to leadership development, customer and community impact, and employee empowerment sets a powerful example for our students and alumni.”
Van Meter ranks 12th nationally among mid-sized companies as a USA Top Workplace and is consistently named one of Iowa’s best places to work, a release stated.
The Cedar Rapids-based company distributes electrical and automation products to manufacturers and contractors nationwide from 27 locations. Additionally, Van Meter invests millions annually in expanding and enhancing its facilities, operations and expertise, including a recent 60,000-square-foot facility added to its Cedar Rapids campus.
The company has more than 850 employee-owners, with over half based in Iowa. Ms. McBride joined Van Meter in 2008 and has served as president and CEO since 2016.
“Under her leadership, the company has cultivated a high-performance culture rooted in ownership, collaboration and continuous development,” the release stated.
The Oscar C. Schmidt Iowa Business Leadership Award was established in 1980 and celebrates Iowa business leaders who have demonstrated significant achievement and influence across the state. Past recipients include Jeff Lorenger and the leadership team at HNI Corporation, C. Maxwell Stanley of Hon Industries, Leonard Hadley of Maytag Corporation and Tony Bedard of Frontier Co-op.
