Ernest 2026 State of the Union: Reflection, gratitude and anticipation

At the beginning of each year our CEO, Tim Wilson, delivers a State of the Union (SOTU) address that’s broadcast to the whole company. It’s an opportunity to take stock of everything we’ve achieved together, celebrate our wins and lay out our goals and priorities for the year ahead.

The SOTU this year was bittersweet. While we are excited to celebrate Ernest’s 80^th anniversary, it’s also the first time Tim has delivered his speech without his dad by his side. Chuck Wilson, our Chief Aggravating Officer, was our heart, our soul, and our conscience. Over more than a century of living, he was a shining example of the values we hold dear. Hard work. Integrity. Charity. Belief in others. Hope and optimism.

Despite missing our mentor every day, we know both he and Ernie are with us in spirit. And in the spirit of carrying on what they worked so hard to build, we are shooting for the stars this year. We’re expanding into new markets, growing in new ways and reimagining our organizational structure and identity to meet the moment. And we’re doing all of this while staying anchored by our core values and striving to be the place where human connection happens.

To honor the Wilsons and every E-Teamer who has helped make us who we are today, we put together a special video featuring photos and clips spanning the impressive accomplishments of this company and the lives of Ernie and Chuck. We poured our hearts and souls into it and we hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch, so you can see for yourself why every day at Ernest is truly a gift.