Kevin Berger

Owner of Easterday Construction Co., Inc. in Culver, IN.

Marshall County Visitors Guide

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Marshall County Visitors Guide '15I received a copy of the Marshall County Visitors Guide in the Culver Citizen last week.  Then I received a copy in the Pilot News.  Really!?!  Yes, this is a rant…

Lets start with a little history…  Easterday Construction Co., Inc. has been a member of the Culver Chamber of Commerce since well before I came to join the company.  I served on the board for several years, during which time we were asked to budget for a page in the Marshall County Visitors Guide.  I had the distinction of being the sole no vote on that item every year.  I saw no value in it for the majority of our membership.  The cost of this ad at more than 25% of the annual Chamber budget seemed ill-advised considering some of the other programs that we were successfully pursuing.  Needless to say I was overruled.  The arguments for supporting the guide were mainly two:  1)  Culver was prominently displayed in the guide and 2)  It was designed to reach an audience outside Marshall County to attract tourism.  My rebuttals were that Culver was prominently displayed anyway since our town is the primary tourist destination for the County and that with the advent of the Internet, how often was a paper guide book of value?

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Fletcher Cemetery Veterans Memorial Dedication

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Fletcher Cemetery Memorial Dedication 5-25-15I attended the dedication ceremony for the Fletcher Cemetery Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day last week.  Despite an inordinately windy day, the rains held off and the ceremony was well received.  Easterday Construction was contracted to provide the new memorial foundations, plaza and retaining walls.  We donated the flag pole foundation and erection of the pole as well as some modifications to the sprinkler system.

As discussed previously here, we were a bit hesitant to take on the relocation of this priceless monument, but things came off without a hitch.  (Move pictured here.)  It looks good in its new location.  It is now flanked by two new stone obelisks ready to receive the memorialization of future veterans.

Congratulations to the Fletcher Cemetery board for the completion of a great project.  It will stand as a symbol of their respect for veterans for generations to come.

Fletcher Cemetery Veterans Memorial Dedication Announcement

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Fletcher Cemetery Dedication Invitation 5-25-15

 

This is a project from last year.  We relocated the Veterans Memorial Monument to a new base with a plaza and pedestal bases for additional markers.  We donated the installation of a new flagpole including the new concrete flagpole base.  If you can’t attend this memorial dedication, please remember our veterans in your own way.

Grandpa Murphy turns 101

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Kyanne and Grandpa Murphy 101My grandfather, William K. (Bill) Murphy, turned 101 yesterday.  Unfortunately he’s out at Miller’s Merry Manor, but he is doing pretty well for his age.  Better than a lot of younger residents there!  In any case, if you would like to wish him a Happy Birthday, he enjoys the company and has more than a few stories to tell.

The selfie to the right is grandpa with his great granddaughter and my niece, Kyanne.  (Not being a selfie person, can anyone tell me why selfies reverse the picture???)  Kyanne came up from Bloomington to join the party.  We had cake and ice cream.  The cake was big enough to share with the rest of the residents.

Hopefully I will luck out with a few of his good genes and more than a few of his good traits!  He’s always been a gentleman and someone of which I’m proud.

Invest in Marshall County!

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Four Year Capital Campaign “Invest in Marshall County” Launched  

Plymouth, IN (April 27, 2015) – Bill Davis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), announces the launch of “Invest in Marshall County,” a four year campaign with the goal of increasing private sector participation to further grow and strengthen the county economy.

“Local governments across Marshall County have been very supportive of MCEDC’s economic development program over the past seven years,” stated Mr. Davis.  “In anticipating the need for private sector participation, the Board adopted a long range strategic plan that will guide economic development activities and growth for the next five to ten years.”

Economic development is extremely competitive. The most successful programs are based on a number of key elements coming together, and funding from both the public and private sectors is a must.

The strategic plan, as adopted, highlights four specific programs:

  1. Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) – Through the use of interviews with business leaders, the BEAR program aims to learn about the issues companies face so MCEDC can develop solutions.  In particular, the BEAR program will uncover expansion opportunities, and assist in these expansions.
  2. Business Attraction – MCEDC will identify and develop our county’s business assets, and market them to targeted businesses in order to attract new industries to the area.
  3. Entrepreneurial Hub – MCEDC, with area partners, will develop an entrepreneurial center, incorporating elements for success and allowing innovative business ideas to prosper.
  4. Workforce Development Program – MCEDC, with area partners, will develop an immediate plan to address the availability of workers and ensure that our future workforce has the skills that our employers require.

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