Laclede Industries was created thanks to the hard work and dedication of parents and concerned citizens. These forward thinking individuals wanted their children and family members to have safe and rewarding opportunities to work. They fought tirelessly to establish alternatives to traditional competitive employment. In 1965 their hard work brought about the passage of Senate Bill 52 which served as a springboard for the establishment of Extended Employment Sheltered Workshops across the State of Missouri.
What is now known as Laclede Industries, was originally incorporated as Lebanon Work Center on April 29, 1974. Parents and concerned citizens had finally succeeded in establishing a vocational program that focused on the abilities of their loved ones, rather than their disabilities.
Lebanon Work Center was originally located on East Highway 32 and started with only 15 employees. It was soon apparent that the need was so great that the popularity of the program soon pushed the capacity of the building they were in. That growth once again lead to parents and family members advocating for he passage of the Laclede County Senate Bill 40 Tax which passed in 1980. This tax allowed for the expansion of the program and the construction of our current 10,000 square foot facility located at 941 Utah St., in Lebanon as well as the name change to Laclede Industries which followed.
As an Extended Employment Sheltered Workshop, Laclede Industries is a not-for-profit business with a mission to employ individuals with disabilities. The success of our Mission, is highly contingent upon contracting with other businesses and governmental agencies for different types of work. As such, the support of our community and business partners is essential. In return for their faith and support, we provide quality products and services with a fast turn around time that few others can provide.
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At Laclede Industries, you will find our employees working hard to assemble, pack, and ship products to both end users and suppliers. If you visit Lebanon Downtown, you might find our employees mowing grass, picking up trash or trimming bushes and edging sidewalks. If you visit Conway Welcome Center, you might find one of them cleaning the windows, wiping down tables or sweeping the floors. After an event at the Civic Center you can find a few of them wiping the dust from the seats and sweeping the floors. And, if you are looking to find a way to recycle, Laclede Industries provides the largest material recovery facility in the area, which provides several jobs in heavy equipment operations and transportation for our employees.
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Laclede Industries supports our employees with appropriate individualized accommodations. This provides them with the supports necessary to be able to perform their best and allows us to be known as an agency that can meet contractual obligations and adapt to ever changing circumstances to ensure our customers needs are met.
Laclede Industries is a successful business, respected in the community and known for the fine work our employees do. This success can be attributed to the efforts of many parents, staff, board members, city officials, volunteers and other concerned citizens in our community, but most of all, our success is directly attributed to the work of our employees.
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