OAN Staff Cory Hawkins
6:17 PM – Friday, December 26, 2025
In a heartwarming story making headlines this Christmas season, outgoing Fibrebond CEO Graham Walker shared $240 million in bonuses, paid out over five years, with his 540 full-time employees after selling the family-founded manufacturing firm to Eaton for $1.7 billion earlier this year.
The bonuses, averaging around $430,000 per person, paid over five years, were praised as life-changing for the employees who received it. However, some employees noted concerns over taxes and retention requirements.
Disbursements began in June 2025 and will continue over the next five years to encourage retention, with larger amounts for longer-tenured staff. Long time employees received even higher amounts as recognition for their endurance through several layoffs.
Fibrebond specializes in manufacturing concrete enclosures for electrical equipment, data centers, and telecom infrastructure. Founded in 1982, the company has boomed into a key player in power management solutions, extremely benefitting from the rise in AI and cloud computing demands.
Walker, the 46-year-old CEO and son of the founder, reportedly guided the company through crises like economic turmoil and factory fires, emphasizing a family-like culture.
Earlier this year, Walker sold Fibrebond to Eaton, an intelligent power management company, for $1.7 billion, with a non-negotiable deal that 15% of the proceeds go to employees as bonuses.
“This was for the team that built Fibrebond,” Walker wrote to his employees. “Men and women who know the pain required to build this business got to experience the joy of shared success. The deep respect displayed among employees was profound and sacred. Being in its presence was the highlight of my time at Fibrebond. In time I hope to understand fully what it means. I am grateful beyond measure for the opportunity to work with such people.”
Employees described the bonuses as unbelievable and lottery-like, with many planning on using the funds to fund education, pay off debts, buy homes or vehicles, and plan retirements or vacation.
“Some spent it on day one, maybe even night number one,” said Walker. “Ultimately, it’s their decision, good or bad.”
Walker will be leaving the company as CEO on December 31st, stating, ““I hope I’m 80 years old and get an email about how it’s impacted someone.”
An employee who has been with Fibrebond since 1995, Lesia Key, reportedly used some of her bonus to pay off her mortgage and open a boutique shop.
“Before, we were going paycheck to paycheck. I can live now,” she said.
Founded in 1982, Fibrebond’s journey to success was far from easy, surviving a devastating factory fire in 1998 that halted operations for a month and the dot-com bubble burst in the 2000s cut the customer base, causing salary freezes and layoffs.
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