Worms Lumber & Ready Mix Inc.

Worms Lumber & Ready Mix Inc. (Worms) is one part lumberyard and three parts Ready Mix suppliers. In other words, the company has one full-line retail lumberyard and three concrete plants. In all, Worms offers the complete package. Founded in 1920, Worms is an institution in rural central Minnesota with plants in New Munich, Sauk Centre and Long Prairie.

The company is one of the largest of its kind in the region. Above all else, Worms is known for friendly customer service, comprehensive inventory, high-quality workmanship, as well as solid advice; thanks to its nearly century-long tenure in the industry.

Worms got off the ground 93 years ago thanks to the grit and determination of Mathias Worms. Matt Worms, co-owner and CFO, along with his brother, Steve, president and CEO, now run the family-owned company. Currently, the third generation brothers are preparing to pass the company onto the fourth generation, which includes Steve’s sons, Carl and Brian.

Local service and supply

Mathias originally founded the company as New Munich Concrete Products. He later incorporated lumber into his operation with his sons, Ralph and Edmund, in 1940 with the purchase of the Borgerding Lumberyard on Main Street in New Munich. The company took the name it has today in 1960, when Mathias retired.

At Worms’ lumberyard, customers can rely on Scott Thelen, manager, for a free estimate, prompt service and expert advice. Worms’ lumberyard carries a complete line of lumber and building materials for agricultural, residential and commercial construction projects. This includes many species of wood, including Douglas fir, Oak, Pine and Cedar; all of which are treated and untreated construction SPF-treated wood posts, concrete block, concrete brick, power tools, replacement parts and more.

Worms’ partners with top-notch companies and carries industry gold standards for siding, including Edco, Rollex, LP Smart side, James Hardie. Additionally, door and millwork, including Bayer Built Woodwords, as well as Thermotech windows, Pittsburgh paints, CertainTeed, GAF and Metro Shingles, as well as Fabral roof and wall panels, all of which exceed industry standards.

With three concrete plants, Worms services the Ready-Mix needs of central Minnesota, using state-of-the-art equipment. Additionally, computerized batching improves accuracy, efficiency and safety. One of the largest suppliers in the region, Worms is the go-to resource for large-scale projects. Worms also delivers mason sand, granite chips, rock, pea rock and concrete sand to  clients in need.

Precast concrete and construction

In the heart of rural central Minnesota, Worms’ customers are often building dairy barns and cattle confinements. The company manufactures a number of precast concrete products for farm use, including floors, feed bunks and movable wall sections.

Worms’ concrete slatted floors allow for a higher concentration of livestock in one area, separate animals from their waste, keep animals dry, improve sanitation, help control disease, eliminate the need for bedding, reduce the labor required for cleaning, and permit manure to be stored and then used for fertilizer.

Worms’ feed bunks, H and J-Style, can be used with all automatic feeding systems, which save feed. The product’s rounded corners make for easy cleaning and quick-and-easy set up; it is low cost, no maintenance and heavy enough that cattle are unable to move the bunks. The bunker silo wall sections manufactured by Worms are also low cost, with large volume capacity for faster feeding of a heard, and can be relocated or rearranged to meet changing needs.

When the housing market went down in Minnesota, the agricultural market went up, as tends to be the case. “With capabilities in both, we are right in the middle of what I call the best of both worlds,” says Matt.

Building into the future

The last piece of the puzzle for Worms is construction. The company has crews that specialize in concrete, carpentry and steel work on light commercial, agricultural, industrial and residential projects.

Concrete crews complete pouring and finishing on residential, agricultural and commercial jobs, Worms’ skilled carpenters frame and finish houses, garages, barns, sheds and various other wood-framed buildings. Furthermore, steel crews erect and finish feed mills and various buildings. On steel projects, Worms’ is an authorized dealer partner of Varco-Pruden, a world leader in pre-engineered steel building systems.

To facilitate its work, Worms belongs to several trade organizations. With Steve being past-president in 2012, the company is involved with Aggregate Ready Mix Association of Minnesota (ARM). Additionally, the company is also part of the North Western Lumber Association (NWLA).

Notably, Matt has been in the industry, and with Worms, for 33 years, and Steve for 44 years. Both admit that they are proud to get up and go to work every day; being a smaller family-owned business allows for autonomy and loyal employees.

It’s not a big corporate mindset at Worms and nobody is just a number. It’s this culture that has made Worms Lumber & Ready Mix Inc. one of the longest-running building material suppliers in the region.