About Chief
About Chief
Chief Industries has been a family-owned, service-oriented manufacturer since we opened our doors in 1954. From humble beginnings to a diverse, global corporation featuring 7 brands, we’re proud to help communities thrive and engineer relationships.
The quintessential American success story began when Virgil Eihusen launched a small construction company — Chief Industries — from a garage in Grand Island, Nebraska. From Virgil Eihusen to his son, Robert, and now to his grandson, DJ as Chairman and CEO, Chief has been guided by strong leaders who maintain a clear focus on its core values – take care of the stakeholder, strengthen the company through diversification, and respect our employees.
At Chief, our leadership’s priority is supporting our 7 brands and 1,400 employees. We know that our strength comes from our people, collaboration, and open communication.
“The strength of Chief Industries comes from its ability to capitalize on the diversity of its family of brands,” says DJ Eihusen. “Working together keeps costs down, deadlines met, and workers employed. The future looks very bright for continued growth.”
Our mission is to provide unparalleled personal attention to meeting the needs of our customers while treating all stakeholders with dignity and respect, thereby ensuring our strength and stability.
Our Core Values
At Chief, our values guide how we work, how we lead, and how we treat one another. These principles shape daily decisions across our seven brands and reflect the standards we hold ourselves to — for our people, our partners, and the communities we serve.
People-Centered, Always
Our foundation is family. People are the heart of Chief. We value dignity, collaboration, and innovation to build lasting relationships.
SAFETY IS PERSONAL
Protect what matters most. Safety is our promise—to care for one another so everyone goes home healthy and whole.
LEAD WITH INTEGRITY
Guided by truth. We do what’s right—earning trust through honesty, consistency, and sound judgment.
EXCELLENCE IN EVERY DETAIL
Quality is our signature. Pride and precision define our work, from craftsmanship to customer care.
BUILT ACROSS INDUSTRIES, LED WITH PURPOSE
One mission, multiple strengths. Our diverse foundation drives growth, stability, and meaningful impact in every community we serve.
CEO Statement
My grandfather founded Chief as a small construction company in 1954. His entrepreneurial spirit always kept driving him to explore new opportunities. With more than six decades of remarkable growth and diversification, we have honed our focus to 7 distinct, specialized brands that comprise our company.
You will find Chief products and services used in a wide range of industries around the world including agriculture, commercial construction, structural steel, factory-built housing, ethanol production, transportation, community development, and more. We are proud to be a leader in each of those industries through our advances in technology, innovative design, and unparalleled customer service and personal attention.
We continuously communicate with key stakeholders about their needs and keep our customers at the forefront of everything we do, gathering their input and expertise to stay prepared for major industry changes. We understand it’s important to be forward-thinking and stay fresh and relevant.
All the while, we’re a culture set in a family atmosphere. The fact that we remain a family-owned and operated business is one of our competitive advantages and it means a lot to our company and our employees.
Business is a lot like life: it’s about surrounding yourself with the right group of people; and our people are our differentiator. We know our success is due to the people we work with every day: our suppliers, our customers, the communities we reside in, and our employees.
Our vision is to provide leadership to our stakeholders, to the industries we are involved in, and with the products and solutions we provide. We are Trusted, Tested, and True.
Milestones
