L&W Industries

L&W Industries, located in Strafford, Missouri, is a family-owned business whose employees are an extension of the family. With a culture of celebrations, unique benefits and giving back to the community, L&W is an amazing place to work. “This is a generational business,” said Jenny Carr, CEO of L&W Industries. “Dad instilled in me and my brothers to do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” He was passionate about continuous learning, offering training classes to all. He also had a passion for fairness and generosity. These core values and traditions have continued. The atmosphere is one of trust, teamwork, responsiveness and communication. L&W’s cornerstones for the business is honesty and integrity with all the stakeholders.
Carr has quarterly meetings to share financial and other reports while showcasing new employees, etc. At the annual Christmas party, L&W gives awards and prizes. L&W celebrates Veterans Day, retirements, birthdays and more. Local turkeys are handed out to team members at Thanksgiving. Weightlifting equipment and a pickleball court increase morale and improve working relationships.

Tuition reimbursement, a referral bonus, and two different shifts that work three-12 hour days but are paid for 40 hours are popular programs that make L&W unique. Discretionary bonuses are paid when goals are achieved. Hourly employees with perfect attendance are bonused an hour a week. Even more unique is how everyone pitches in during a team member’s hardship. From donating vacation time to taking up collections to help when a colleague has a crisis, Carr says they take care of each other. “I’ve worked in large organizations before and felt like a number,” said Carr. “Here, we try to know everyone’s names and stories.”

Team member Tim stated, “I love the way we work together as a whole to get projects done and out the door on time. I have always been inspired by the leadership at L&W, the family atmosphere they encourage and how much they care about their employees.”
Passing on her dad’s legacy, Carr encourages volunteering and giving back to the community. L&W is passionate about their partnership with OTC; L&W sits on different boards at OTC and MSU.

Carr said, “I am proud of team L&W and what we’ve achieved. When we consolidated two smaller facilities into a larger facility in Strafford to accommodate growth, there were few hiccups. This is a testament to our teamwork.” With projected growth, L&W is always looking for new team members.