At a time when multimillion-dollar golden parachutes for corporate executives are common, two family-owned companies in metro Atlanta are celebrating their recent sale by putting roughly $2 million of the profits into their workers' pockets.

Today, 190 employees at Walker Concrete Co. and Walker Construction Products are figuring out what to do with the surprise windfall they received during an employee appreciation dinner over the weekend.

Todd R. McQueen/Special (ENLARGE)

Employee Tommy Dettmering had been with the company for 45 years.

Todd R. McQueen/Special (ENLARGE)

Debbie Walker presents a check to Donna Imsand, an employee for 11 years.

Todd R. McQueen/Special (ENLARGE)

Barney Walker founded the Walker Concrete Co. in 1953, so he wasn't left out of sharing in the windfall from the company's sale.

Todd R. McQueen/Special (ENLARGE)

Walker Concrete President Doug Walker (left) made employee appreciation night special for Tommie Clay and others: The company gave about $2 million in profits from its sale to its workers.

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After the meal and some preliminaries, Walker Concrete President and Chief Executive Doug Walker matter-of-factly announced: "We have some gifts for you. They are $1,000 per year of service," prompting applause and a buzz among the several hundred diners in a cavernous room at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near the Atlanta airport.

With that, Walker and Gary Mercer, president of Walker Construction Products, started a roll call to hand out checks ranging from $1,000 to $45,000 minus taxes.

"You see so many big companies that have executives more interested in gaining money for themselves and don't look after their employees," Walker said in an earlier interview. "We believe if you care about employees, they are going to look out for us. When we sold the businesses, we wanted to share some of our good fortune with the people who helped us get there."

The Walker companies, based in Stockbridge, were sold last week to National Cement Co. of Birmingham for more than $100 million. They will continue to operate as units of the new parent company.

Employee Tommy Dettmering came away with the largest worker buyout bonus, $45,000.

His wife, Shirley, joked the Dettmerings are going "to spend the hell out of it." Her husband, a "batch man" involved in computerized truck-loading, said they will most likely bank it.

The Walkers, Dettmering said, have never minded sharing with employees through special bonuses, especially at Christmas and after good months.

"They are pretty generous," said Dettmering, who began with the company in 1963, when founder Barney Walker, Doug's dad, was still in charge.

Even the elder Walker, who started the company in 1953 with a small mixer and a pickup truck, got a $55,000 check out of the deal plus an additional $100,000 for him and his wife, Sue, to donate to their favorite charity.

The deal is especially sweet because employees can keep their jobs and their boss under the new ownership. Doug Walker, who took the Walker Concrete reins in 1976 and watched as the company grew into one of the leading suppliers of concrete and related products in Georgia, will continue as president. Mercer also will remain at the helm of Walker Concrete Products, which got its start in 2000.

Both companies, which together posted $90 million in revenue in 2006 but saw that fall by nearly half last year because of the slumping construction market, will keep the Walker name. Operations also will continue at the 14 Walker concrete plants and four concrete finishing retail stores, most of them in the south metro Atlanta area.

"National Cement bought us because they feel like we've done a great job in serving our customers," said Doug Walker, who has a significant stake in both Walker Concrete and Walker Construction Products. "They are not going to change a thing. If it's not broken, don't fix it."

National Cement produces ready-mix concrete and other products and is owned by the France-based Vicat Group, which has concrete and cement operations around the globe.

Two-year Walker employee Harold Swaney, 28, plans to spend the money on the second child he has on the way. Others said they will catch up on bills.

Wyatt Edwards, 48, couldn't be more tickled to get his $1,000 gift.

"I'll give some to my daughter and bless myself a little bit and put some gas in the tank," the dump truck driver said.

Shopping may be in the cards for dispatcher LeRoy Cummings and his wife, Angela, who consider their $5,000 windfall nice to have.

"I need clothes," Angela Cummings said. "I just lost 40 pounds, so my husband is going to buy me a new wardrobe."

Not everyone was taken by surprise. Rumors had circulated for a while, some employees said.

"We figured he was going to do something," said Larry Hill, a driver trainer who came away with $4,000. "It's a blessing. He didn't have to think of us."

Some workers and their spouses have their own stories to tell about Doug Walker's generosity, such as being there financially or otherwise for families coping with a death or serious illness.

"With this economy being like it is, it couldn't have come at better time," said Brandy Lynn, whose husband, Barry, vice president of purchasing and fleet management, collected $11,000. "That's just the way Doug is. ... I'm just floored he did it."

Kelly Canoles was in shock over the $13,000 surprise her husband, Rob, a product manager, picked up.

"It's wonderful. He wasn't obliged to do it," Canoles said.

Doug Walker said the pleasure of giving was all his.

"Our employees are as family," Walker added. "I've been very successful, but it takes a lot of people to run our business."