Thank you to all of our members who attended the October dinner meeting, featuring guest speaker Terre Haute Police Chief Shawn Keen.  

Police Chief Keen spoke on the development of the new Police Department and the Police initiatives taking place in and around Terre Haute.

Congratulations to Garmong Construction Services and other member companies on the completion of the Terre Haute Police Department. A formal ribbon cutting occurred last week as the project came to a close. Those in attendance included Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett and Terre Haute Police Chief Shawn Keen.

The project consisted of the remodel of an existing 42,288-square-foot, two-story facility and the addition of a 2,712-square-foot sally port. The new location includes administrative offices; evidence intake, storage, and processing labs; detention areas that include hard and soft interview spaces; a fitness center; and a community room. The new sally port features two impound bays; vehicle maintenance area; motorcycle storage; K-9 kennels; and bicycle rack storage.

The Golf Outing was a success! Thank you to all who participated in the 2021 WVCA Scholarship Golf Outing. A special thank you to our sponsors Terre Haute Chevrolet, MacAllister Rentals and Top Notch.

The Fourth of July is a time for celebration and reflection. We celebrate our freedom and reflect on the sacrifices made in the name of freedom. No symbol encapsulates the strength of our nation, quite like the flag. And every Fourth, a few local WVCA members come together to raise the great flag in West Terre Haute.

Every year Misco Crane Services, a family-owned and operated business, plays host to the flag, purchased from Earl C. Rodgers and Associates. The flag sits proudly atop a 1966 Lima 500 T crane 156’ in the air behind the Vigo County Courthouse. When Misco owner, Steve Durham, began his work, the 66’ Lima was the biggest he owned.
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“The business and fleet have come a long way since then,” explained Steve. “When we started, our cranes used to be 50 tons. Now, we have a 300 ton.”

A crane with that much sentimental value and size was befitting of our great flag.

“The Misco Flag is visible to anybody crossing the river,” said Linda Shaw of Earl C. Rodgers and Associates. “It always makes me feel good to see it out there. It speaks of patriotism and the west side.”

Linda and her son, Michael Shaw, began selling American flags to accompany their flagpole sales several years ago. And each flag sold, comes with a story.

“We’ve learned from selling flags, getting to meet the veterans and patriots and hear their stories, you realize what the flag actually means to them,” explained Michael. “To the men and women who have served under it, you realize it is more than a piece of fabric. It really is something special, something to be revered.”

Linda and Michael feel honored to work with Misco Enterprises and provide their community with a lasting symbol of freedom and unity.
“Many people look forward to seeing it every day as it represents our country,” said Steve.
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“We’re just really proud to see it,” said Michael. “There’s a lot of great things happening on the west side of the river.”

The Wabash Valley Contractor’s Association was happy to welcome the Indiana State University Men’s Basketball Coach to the June dinner meeting. Josh Schertz will be starting his first season with the Sycamores later this year. Thank you to each member who came out and made this quarter’s dinner meeting a success.

Save the date!  

The WVCA Annual Scholarship Golf Outing will take place on September 10th at the Hulman Links Golf Course. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more information.

Congratulations to WVCA member Anna Wetnight on her recent grand opening and ribbon cutting of her Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Agency location. Anna was joined by friends and family alongside the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Duke Bennett as she cut the ribbon on her new business location. ​

The Wabash Valley Contractors Association (WVCA), in partnership with the Terre Haute Children’s Museum, continues to showcase a unique exhibit, Under Construction. The exhibit, made possible by WVCA members and the Museum’s dedication to educational experiences, originally opened in January of 2020. Overlooking the site of the coming Terre Haute Convention Center, the exhibit has a unique bird’s-eye view of the progress taking place downtown.

Under Construction encourages children of all ages to explore drawing, lifting, welding and assembling much like the Wabash Valley’s trade experts. With the convention center’s construction directly across the street, visitors can apply the skills they are learning with tangible projects within the community.

“Our hope is to show kids that there are opportunities beyond traditional routes and career paths, understanding that workforce has been a huge topic of conversation lately,” states Bill Hann, Jr., President of WVCA. “Educating on the importance of the trade industry and allowing them to start thinking about occupations in general will help establish a foundational understanding for finding skilled and reliable employees for the future. We are grateful for the Children’s Museum and for all of those who believe in the importance of this and for continuing to make it a reality.”

The Terre Haute Children’s Museum and the exhibit is open Friday and Saturday from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 – 5:00 pm.

On behalf of the WVCA membership, we would like to thank Sgt. Matt Rains and Officer Anthony Mazzon from the Terre Haute Police Department, who spoke about the Special Response Training courses at our last dinner meeting. Concluding their presentation, the WVCA presented a check donation to their program. In addition, WVCA member companies Garmong Construction Services and Anna Wetnight, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, also presented donations to the program.