Columbus Area Business Hall of Fame

Columbus Area Business Hall of Fame. Inducted 2011. , Lyman and Robert Mead , Lyman Mead assumed the role of President of Mead Lumber Company in 1927 upon the death of his father, when Mead Lumber was a single yard in Ashland, Nebraska. In 1934, Lyman moved to Columbus and bought the Kaufmann Lumber Company. Lyman served as president of Mead Lumber Company for 60 years, until his death in 1987, growing the company into 16 locations across four states., Bob Mead joined the family business in 1964, starting the company's first pre-hung door shop and roof truss shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Two years later, Bob returned to Columbus to work with his father in running the Columbus yard. He was president of the company from 1987 to 2006, during which Mead Lumber added 11 new locations and the company increased sales 600%., Ray Schacht , Ray Schacht was General Manager of Consumers Public Power District from 1949 to 1964. Consumers was the fore-runner to Nebraska Public Power District. Ray brought to reality the world's first full-scale sodium graphite nuclear reactor used to produce electricity at the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility. He served as president of the American Public Power Association and became the first Nebraskan to win their highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 1964., Durwood "Woody" Hill , Durwood "Woody" Hill was named head of Consumers Public Power District in 1964. He led Consumers through a merger with other entities in 1970 to form Nebraska Public Power District. This merger kept the general administrative office for NPPD in Columbus. Woody led NPPD until 1982, during which time he was instrumental in the construction of Cooper Nuclear Station, Nebraska's largest coal-fired plant at Gerald Gentleman Station, and much of the state's generation system. He was president of the American Public Power Association., Don Schaufelberger , Don Schaufelberger came to Columbus in 1964 as Operations Director of Consumers Public Power. He became general manager in 1983. During his tenure, NPPD added the two-story north wing to the Columbus offices. Schaufelberger was a leader in the formation of the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in 1972, was a part of the formation of the Electirc Information Council, and served on the board of directors of the American Public Power Association.