CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
In 2025, Corken Steel Products celebrates 70 years of unbeatable customer service. Founded in 1955 by four brothers and a friend, Corken Steel set out with one simple goal: to provide customers with better service than they could find anywhere, any time. Over the decades, Corken Steel has expanded from its roots as a wholesale distributor of metal roofing, rain-carrying products, and building materials to a diversified business with three key divisions: Heating and Air Conditioning, Roofing, and Sheet Metal Fabrication.
THE ANSWER IS YES. NOW WHAT IS THE QUESTION?
In 2021, the owners of Corken Steel decided that the future of the company would lie in the hands of its employees. They felt that transferring ownership to the employees made the most sense. The company transitioned to an ESOP, or Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Corken Steel, now 100% employee-owned, continues to operate with the same “customer first” mindset that has been a hallmark since its founding. With an employee ownership structure, every team member has a direct stake in the company’s success, ensuring a deeper level of commitment and pride in serving customers.
Today, Corken Steel operates out of 22 locations across multiple states, with its newest locations in Indianapolis, IN, and Evansville, IN. This growth marks the company’s continued expansion and dedication to supporting customers in the Kentucky-Ohio-Indiana region.
As Corken Steel celebrates 70 years of success, the company remains focused on the values that have made it a trusted name in the industry: a commitment to quality products, exceptional service, and a family-oriented, employee-driven culture.
YOU CAN'T WIN TOGETHER IF YOU DON'T WORK TOGETHER.
Jeff Corken, son of co-founder Don Corken, Sr., currently resides as President of Corken Steel. Meanwhile, Andy Bucher, long-time employee and son of former Director of Operations Dick Bucher, resides as Director of Sales and Marketing and will take the reigns as President when that time comes. So, while the company experiences changes in ownership, those ties to family history remain.
Jeff describes the secret to Corken Steel’s long-term success as, “Natural honesty, integrity, and no outsized egos. Our industry is a blue collar world and we all need to, from our heart and mind, treat people with the respect and regard we would want to receive. It has always been simple – do what you said and when.”
So, how does Corken Steel maintain a reputation for exceptional customer service as the company grows? “We make sure everyone gets the memo – the answer is yes. Making money today or tomorrow is not important – we need to make all decisions for the long term. Years, not days.” When it comes to building strong, lasting relationships with customers, Jeff claims, “Trust is the most important factor. As Coach Nick Saban said, everything you do has to be for the benefit of the team. ‘You can’t win together if you don’t work together.’”
The Mission of The Corken Steel Products Company is to serve the interests of both customers and employees by:
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- Distributing high quality products to the market place while providing exceptional customer service in all areas of our business activities.
- Making itself known to all users and potential users of the products it distributes in order to ensure continued profitable growth and a strong position in the marketplace.
- Counseling and supporting our customers with programs and services that will enable the customers to manage and grow successful companies.
- Developing and cultivating partnerships with our customers that are based on the idea that our objective is the success of the customers business and that our commitment is to use all of our resources to help achieve that success.
- Upholding honest, courteous, fair and respectful principles when dealing with customers, suppliers and employees.