Edward G. Steves and Sam Bell Steves II, CEO and president and chief operating officer of door manufacturer Steves and Sons Inc., respectively, were recently named among the 2019 class of Legacy Leaders by the San Antonio Business Journal.

“These men and women were chosen based on their accomplishments and the lasting legacy of their work,” wrote associate editor Tricia Schwennesen. “Their efforts have helped shape San Antonio. They are leaders in manufacturing, city government, health care and business whose work has impacted tens of thousands of people who live and work in the Alamo City.”

Steves and Sons is a sixth-generation, family-owned door manufacturing company that began primarily as a lumber supply, including not only wood for homes and commercial buildings, but also doors, windows and stair components. Currently, the company employs more than 1,100 associates through interior and exterior door plants located in San Antonio, Richmond, Va., and Lebanon, Tenn.

“For both Edward and me, this recognition is really about the incredible work and dedication of all the thousands of people who have worked at this company throughout the past 153 years,” says Sam Steves. “The legacy of this company really lies with [our employees] dedication to quality manufacturing and service for our customers. They are all ‘Legacy Leaders’ and we will accept this honor on their behalf.”

Edward Steves concurs, noting that he and Sam have worked for the company virtually their entire lives.

“We learned the business from the ground up, taught by our late parents, Marshall T. Steves Sr., and Allierose Patricia Galt Steves, who everyone knew as Patsy,” he says. “It has been such a privilege for us to carry on the family’s stewardship of this company, which has been a San Antonio icon for so many years, while also growing into a national leader in door manufacturing.  All of our energies are devoted to continuing that legacy.”

When asked about who will carry on their legacy, Sam Steves responds optimistically.

“We have the second and third generation here in San Antonio,” he says. “We have my son and my brother’s daughter, who are both actively engaged with the company, and then we have two nephews who are with the company as well.”

In the past year, the company received its fourth Home Depot Vendor of the Year award, he says, adding, “which for a relatively small millwork supplier compared to Andersen and others, is a huge recognition for us, so were honored by that and obviously it motivates us to work even harder for the upcoming year.”

Regarding the honor of the distinction, Sam Steves recognizes his parents as a driving force.

“I learned more about the practical side of running the company from my father, but I learned infinitely more about the responsibility from our late mother,” he says. “That makes us ‘ma’ and ‘pa’ a little bit.”

In addition to Edward and Sam Steves, members of the 2019 Class of Legacy Leaders of San Antonio will be recognized on March 28 at an awards luncheon.