As 2025 draws toward its final months, the Mans family finds itself reflecting on a year unlike any other in our 125-year history
What began with a simple and enduring mantra—“leave it better than you found it”—became, over the course of this anniversary year, a living, breathing expression of gratitude across southeastern Michigan.
From celebration and storytelling to community initiatives, new investments in our showrooms, and a wave of regional media interest, 2025 became much more than an anniversary. It became a reminder of who we are, whom we serve, and what we stand for.
A Night to Remember: Our Anniversary Celebration at Shed 3
When more than 1,200 guests filled Shed 3 at Detroit’s Eastern Market, the atmosphere was electric…not with fanfare or formality, but with friendship, family, and heartfelt appreciation. The music of the Bluewater Kings, the traveling magician, the cigar-rolling station, the surprise Detroit Pop-Up Marching Band, and the displays chronicling our 125 years all contributed to an evening that felt both joyful and humbling.
“This is a night that will go down in history as one of the seminal moments in MANS Lumber and Home lore,” Doug Mans shared during his remarks, a sentiment echoed by every family member in attendance.
A Spotlight in the Press: Media Celebrate MANS’ Story
This milestone year also brought meaningful attention from regional and industry media, highlighting not only our longevity but the values that continue to define us.
Trade publications, including LBM Journal , chronicled our 125-year commitment to community, our charitable initiatives, such as planting 125 trees and installing 125 duck boxes, as well as our unwavering dedication to “leave it better than you found it.”
Crain’s Detroit Business published a comprehensive feature on the MANS family
“They always put the customer first… and they work hard to keep those personal relationships. If you have a problem, you know you can call Mans and get somebody on the phone who knows what’s going on and who’s been there for a while… It’s the opposite with Mans.”
For the family, this quote captured something deeper than customer service. It captured our identity. It affirmed that, even after 125 years, what sets MANS apart is not scale or size, but the quality of the relationships we have forged over the years, with partners, vendors, families, and customers.
Throughout the year, Doug Mans and Meghan Mans-Kurili also shared our story on WJR, WWJ, and two long-form podcast interviews: BLTnT and Bullhorns & Bullseyes
leadership rooted in humility
heritage passed down through generations
stewardship of a business built on trust
a modern marketing approach that balances tradition with innovation
As one interviewer put it, the story of MANS is “from duck blinds to boardrooms,” a legacy both rustic and refined, grounded in the natural world and elevated through craftsmanship and care.
A Year of Gratitude: Giving Back to the Communities That Built Us
The cornerstone of our anniversary year has been gratitude expressed not in words, but in action. Volunteers across our locations rolled up their sleeves and went to work installing 125 duck boxes, planting 125 trees, and taking part in community-based initiatives that honored the spirit of our founder, N.A. Mans.
These projects were never about publicity. They were about place…about honoring the downriver and metro Detroit communities that have shaped our family, our employees, and our business for more than a century.
A Showroom Reimagined: Investment in Rochester
One of the proudest milestones of the anniversary year was the unveiling of the breathtaking Dillman & Upton showroom renovation in Rochester .
With its timeline-of-design feature wall, floating steel-stringer staircase, extensive door gallery, timber truss meeting space, and fully immersive selection experience, the renovated showroom exemplifies what the next era of MANS is about: craftsmanship, imagination, hands-on inspiration, and a commitment to helping homeowners and builders dream bigger.
It has quickly become a hub not just for customers, but also for training, collaboration, and creativity across the MANS family of companies.
A Family Story, Still Being Written
As Doug, Pete, Anna, Jim, Chris, Meghan, Nick, and the emerging fifth generation all echoed in interviews throughout the year: 125 years is not a finish line — it is a foundation. The celebrations, articles, interviews, podcasts, showroom enhancements, and community initiatives have all reinforced a simple truth: Our story is not about buildings. It is about people.
It is about customers who have been with us for decades. It is about team members who stay with us for 10, 20, even 45 years. It is about builders who trust MANS to be their first and last call. It is about communities that continue to welcome and support us.
And it is about family —both the one that bears the Mans family name and the much larger one that has grown around us.
As we approach the end of this remarkable anniversary year, that sentiment expressed by one of our longtime partners rings louder than ever: “They always put the customer first… and they work hard to keep those personal relationships.”
That is who MANS has been since 1900. That is who MANS is today. And that is who we will continue to be for the next 125 years and beyond.
From our family to yours, thank you for celebrating this milestone year with us. For your trust, your partnership, and your place in our story.
Here’s to continuing to “leave it better than we found it.” And here’s to all of us committed to “Keep on Building.”
