Long before he was recognized as one of the lumber industry’s top young leaders in the country, Jacob Kalabich was a Palos Heights kid learning the value of hard work from his parents, neighbors and teachers.
Today, the vice president of Acme Lumber and Building Materials has earned national recognition as one of LBM Journal’s 2026 “40 Under 40” honorees, an award celebrating emerging leaders who are helping shape the future of the lumber and building materials industry.
The annual recognition program selected this year’s inductees from nearly 150 nominations submitted from across the country. Honorees are recognized for their leadership, innovation and impact on both their businesses and communities.
The recognition is especially meaningful because it comes after years spent helping modernize and expand a business that has been a fixture in the area.
“I think that I impressed LBM Journal with the list of changes I’ve made to the business,” Kalabich said.
A lifelong Palos Heights resident, Kalabich attended Chippewa Elementary School, Navajo Heights School, Independence Junior High School and graduated from Alan B. Shepard High School. After enrolling at Lewis University, he pursued a degree in Information Security and Risk Management while continuing to work at Acme Lumber.
Balancing school and work required discipline. Kalabich scheduled all of his college classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so he could spend the rest of the week at the lumber yard. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he often stepped away from his duties to attend online classes from a storage closet before returning to work. Determined to accelerate his career, he maintained a heavy course load and graduated in just three years in May 2021.
The lumber business had already become a major part of his life long before earning his degree.
“I’ve worked at the lumber yard since I’ve been a teenager doing everything,” Kalabich said. “I’ve really been in a leadership position since 2021 after I graduated college.”
Since stepping into that leadership role, Kalabich has helped Acme Lumber diversify beyond traditional building materials. He expanded the company’s masonry, plumbing and electrical product lines while leading the launch of a new e-commerce website that allows customers to buy online, pick up in store or ship products to a local location.
The website also gives customers access to thousands of additional products through Acme’s partnership with the Do it Best cooperative. Shoppers can order items stocked at the cooperative’s warehouse in Dixon and pick them up locally without paying shipping charges.
His efforts have helped position Acme Lumber to better serve customers while adapting to the changing needs of the building materials industry.
While his professional accomplishments earned national attention, Kalabich credits much of his success to the community where he was raised.
“I think that growing up in Palos Heights shaped my career by having a plethora of good role models,” he said. “My parents have really been essential to my success. They’ve taught me the value of hard work and determination.”
Community support played an equally important role.
“As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and this is very true for my experience growing up in Palos Heights,” Kalabich said. “District 128 and Community High School District 218 have always been staffed by great educators and administrators. My neighbors always found odd jobs for my brother and me to do to help us earn money. They would wait with us at the bus stop when my parents couldn’t and advocated for us every chance they could.”
Those lessons continue to guide him as he helps lead the family business.
“Running a lumber yard can be a grueling task,” Kalabich said. “Even if I’m feeling down and out, I still get to the helm and get the job done.”
The nomination itself came from another lifelong Palos Heights resident — his girlfriend, Ally Mikos, who submitted his name for consideration.
LBM Journal Executive Editor and Publisher Rick Schumacher said this year’s selection process was one of the most competitive yet.
“This year was especially difficult to narrow down as we received nearly 150 nominations, each detailing the stories of exceptional young professionals,” Schumacher said in a statement. “We’re proud to feature this year’s class and to spotlight the impact they’re having in their communities. Year after year, we’re so impressed and filled with excitement for the future of the LBM industry as these leaders light the way for their peers and future generations.”
Kalabich will be featured in the June issue of LBM Journal and has been invited to attend the 2026 LBM Strategies Conference in Milwaukee, where industry leaders will discuss trends and challenges facing the building materials sector.
People who know Kalabich say the honor reflects not only his accomplishments in business, but also the values instilled in him by the community he has called home his entire life.
National recognition may have followed, but Kalabich remains grounded in the lessons he learned growing up in Palos Heights — lessons rooted in hard work, perseverance and the support of a community that continues to cheer him on.