Josh  Meillier

Born and raised in Owatonna Josh Meillier is the owner/operator of Alexander Lumber Company as well as Rush Creek Lumber Company. The first is the Do It Best retail location in downtown while the latter is a wholesale lumber company which purchases freshly milled green lumber from mills in Northern Minnesota
and central Wisconsin and sells it to manufacturing facilities.

Josh graduated from Owatonna High School in 1992 and then graduated from Winona State with a Business Administration degree and a minor in Business Law.  He was hired as a sales rep within the building industry and  traveled the upper Midwest before coming home to the family business in 2002.

Once Josh learned all the facets of Alexander Lumber, he began buying the business from his family in 2014. In December of 2021 Josh explored the opportunity to also buy Rush Creek Lumber which was founded by Jim Steinlicht and Bill Stewart in the early 1990’s.  Rush Creek Lumber purchases products freshly milled and then it sells it to manufacturers. Both these businesses are run from the downtown location of the retail store.

Josh and his wife Erica have four children. Henry, Harley, Marilyn and Jonah. Josh tries his best to balance his career, community involvement, family and friends. He served on the Owatonna Planning Commission for over 10 years.

 

He’s currently an Owatonna Chamber Ambassador, Rotarian, a proud sponsor of the Steele County Free Fair and a member of the Northwest Lumber Dealer’s Association. He looks forward to helping Owatonna continue to be the best city in Southern Minnesota.