(l to r) Tim McCarthy, Tipmont CEO; Bill Kennedy, Tipmont Board President; Dan Zuerner, Garmong Construction; and Joy Page, Greater Lafayette Commerce, cut the ceremonial ribbon at the new Battle Ground Service Center.
Tipmont debuts West Lafayette facility, marks 70th anniversary
Tipmont REMC has completed construction of a $2.9 million, 25,000-square-foot office and operations facility at 1612 East 600 North in West Lafayette. General Manager Ken Ritchey made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday, March 19, at the site, which is north of the State Road 43/Interstate 65 interchange.The new facility replaces and nearly quadruples a 6,600-square-foot warehouse previously at the site. Serving Tipmont’s northern territory, which includes Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties, the two-story building currently houses a 10-person line crew, two engineers and the assistant superintendent.“As we celebrate 70 years of providing electric power and our accomplishments over the years, we’re adding yet another milestone to history, opening a new West Lafayette facility which provides expanded capabilities and services,” said General Manager Ken Ritchey. “This building will serve as a backup operation site for our company headquarters in Linden, with full dispatch and computer server equipment available.”Building features include administrative modules, conference room, space for customer service personnel at some point in the future, a field crew work area and showers for line personnel returning from field work. There is room to expand on the second level.On the operations side, Jerry Hogue, Tipmont’s manager of engineering and operations said the facility also includes an inside warehouse; vehicle storage area with 24-foot ceilings to house the utility fleet; and a heated, two-bay garage.
“A redesigned outside storage and pole yard and a secured area for contract delivery after hours were also part of the project,” Hogue said. Green building components were also utilized, said Dan Zuerner, director of client services for Garmong Construction Services, the building contractor. “We recycled construction waste and debris. To maximize natural lighting in the building, we installed translucent panels to borrow light from the service bays. And we put in bioswales outside to naturally filter storm water before it’s discharged from the site.”
Tim McCarthy, who has been Tipmont’s manager of customer service the last two years and will become chief executive officer in August when Ritchey retires, said Tipmont’s services extend beyond electric power delivery. The company also offers long-distance calling plans, Internet access and home and business security systems, through its partial ownership of OneTouch Security Plus.
Tipmont has also reached significant milestones in its community assistance programs. Operation Round Up, which allows customers to round up their bill to the next highest dollar as a charitable contribution, has given $619,308 to nonprofits since the program began in 1999. EnviroWatts, a green power plan that collects up to $5 a month from participating members, has contributed $190,609 for area environmental projects since it was launched in 2001.
A public open house will be held at the new West Lafayette facility early this summer.
About Tipmont REMC
Headquartered in Linden, Tipmont provides electric service to more than 24,500 customer sites, primarily in Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery and Tippecanoe counties. The member-owned electric cooperative marks its 70th anniversary this year. It also offers long-distance calling plans; Internet access; and home and business security systems, through its partial ownership of OneTouch Security Plus.
Tipmont is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service and dedicated to serving customers with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Learn more at www.tipmont.org.
About Garmong Construction Services
Garmong is one of Indiana’s oldest and most recognized design-build construction firms. With offices in Terre Haute, Indianapolis, Lafayette and Scottsburg, Ind., the Garmong family of companies includes Garmong Construction Services, Garmong Development, and Hannum, Wagle & Cline Engineering. Garmong employs more than 100 professionals and has completed thousands of projects since 1923. Learn more at www.garmong.net.