Leading at the forefront of commercial contracting, Midwest Drywall’s people remain its greatest asset
Driven by its passion for delivering value-engineered solutions, Midwest Drywall is redefining the standards in commercial contracting. Specializing in turnkey drywall and commercial framing services, the company offers a range of fully integrated structural systems, including prefabricated walls and CMFM structures, specialty ceilings, gypsum wall assemblies, ACM panels, stucco systems, exterior insulation, and more. Since its founding in 1972, Midwest Drywall has successfully delivered over 40 nationwide projects totaling $2.6 billion. From sports and recreation to retail, education to hospitality, healthcare, government, and religion, its expertise touches all corners of the civic and commercial sectors, proving the company’s position as a true industry leader in the Midwest construction sphere.
Now, as it embarks upon the latter half of its 53rd year in business, Midwest Drywall is bigger and better than ever before. In 2025, the company has been proud to
report a record-breaking annual revenue of $150 million – an achievement that proves testament to its tremendous growth and success. Beyond the numbers however, what makes Midwest Drywall truly special is its skilled and dedicated team and commitment to its values. Construction Today sits down with Marvin Hartley, President and Chief Executive Officer at Midwest Drywall, to learn more about the company’s journey, as well as what gives it the competitive edge in this cutthroat market. He begins by sharing some insight into Midwest Drywall’s history and capabilities.
“Midwest Drywall has been in business for over 50 years. We started out in Wichita, Kansas, and are now present in nine different locations throughout the Midwest; we’ve got offices in Northwest Arkansas, Nashville, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Denver,” Marvin says. “Today, we specialize in drywall contracting, metal stud insulation and tape finish, as well as stucco and acoustic ceiling panels in some markets. We also have another subdivision called Midwest Prefab. In that, we do prefabricated walls, low bearing and finish walls – whatever we can to enrich the project as much as we can offsite. We can serve all different kinds of projects across several commercial sectors, from hospitality to education to healthcare.
“Our revenue currently sits at around $150 million per year and we currently have over 350 employees. In 2018, we became an ESOP, so we’re now 100 percent employee owned. It’s been a great thing for us.”
Positive, high-performance culture
Though the company became an ESOP just seven years ago, employee ownership has been one of the key factors driving the exponential growth of Midwest Drywall. By uplifting its people to be proud of and committed to the work they do, employee ownership symbolizes the value that Midwest Drywall places on the relationships it holds dear, not just with its employees, but with its clients and partners.
Marvin elaborates: “Our mentality is to get the job done no matter what whilst performing at the highest standards. Becoming an ESOP has helped to empower the people within our company, and that has really fueled our growth. It’s great to see how much we’ve accomplished together.”
Above all else, Marvin credits his talented team for the continued success of Midwest Drywall. Collectively comprising decades of experience and expertise, its employees champion its core values of determination, excellence, leadership, loyalty, and teamwork. Promoting a positive, high-performance culture, these values are what truly define Midwest Drywall – in the past, at present and into the future.
“It all comes down to our people. Every day, we’re inspired to do more. Sure, it’s important to continue to drive our revenue, but it’s all about doing well for our clients and getting that repeat business,” Marvin explains, reflecting on the company’s record-breaking year. “We’re constantly striving to see how we can better ourselves and the experience we provide to our customers and general contractor partners. We want to be the answer to their problems; that’s what we’re all about.
“I’m in lock, stock and barrel with our core values of determination, excellence, leadership, loyalty, and teamwork. All five are very important to us. What really gets me motivated every day is our employees; they are our most important asset.”
Growth trajectory
With a strong lineup of exciting projects ahead, 2026 is already set to be another successful year for Midwest Drywall. As the company strives to complete its ongoing projects, it looks forward to the new jobs that lie ahead, such as its upcoming works on the North Texas State Hospital. It’s clear that further growth and success are on the horizon for Midwest Drywall, but no matter what the future holds, the company will always keep its core values close to its heart.
“Over the next three to five years, I’d like to see us continue to grow into newer markets and expand our footprint, such as in the Southeast,” Marvin concludes. “As we pay off our ESOP debt, we’d like to continue to enrich the lives of our employees for many more years to come.”