|
REGULAR MEETING April 8, 2019
<br /> Councilmember Oliver Davis interjected, No questions but we just wish them farewell from the
<br /> sixth (6th) district and Sample Street. As you move forward up to the first (1st) district, as least
<br /> you're still in the City, we will miss you.
<br /> John Hopkins, 38 Country Club View, Edwardsville, IL, served as the petitioner for this bill. Mr.
<br /> Hopkins stated, As Dan has so well done, this is a significant project for us and one (1) that we
<br /> feel is very important and is a major investment for us. This is much more than what we've
<br /> typically invested in facilities and much larger than what we've typically invested. It will be a
<br /> major expansion of employment opportunities for technicians, parts people and so on. As Dan
<br /> alluded to, a minimum of fifteen (15), but a lot of them will be eighteen to thirty dollars per hour
<br /> ($18 - $30/hour). We think it could be even more than thirty(30)jobs. Again, we are grateful for
<br /> the opportunity to be considered and we would consider it a blessing if you would approve our
<br /> opportunity here.
<br /> Tyler Yates, 7503 Toscana Court, Granger, IN, stated, John pretty much hit the nail on the head.
<br /> We really appreciate your support to allow us to move forward with this project.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, I want to thank you. You shared, and maybe you
<br /> could share more, for the public record, you have a long-standing commitment to this community.
<br /> You talked about have multiple generations of families working, and I would like to hear more
<br /> about that and then I have another question.
<br /> Mr. Hopkins replied, I appreciate the opportunity to expand on that. We are forty-nine (49) years
<br /> in business when we acquired Hill Truck sale. They had been in this area for fifty-four (54) years
<br /> and we acquired them in January of 2016. So,we gave them all the seniority of all of their previous
<br /> years of employment. We just awarded last week a forty-five(45) year employment award which
<br /> included a very nice check and plaque to one(1)of our long-time technicians up here. Today I just
<br /> awarded a thirty-five(35)year award, a nice plaque and check to another long-time employee.We
<br /> have twenty(20) employees that have been with us for over forty(40) years in our company right
<br /> now. One hundred and sixty-five (165) over twenty (20) years with us. We do have multi-
<br /> generational and I think that is one(1) of the greatest honors we can have is when a father asks his
<br /> son to be a part of our business or his brother to be a part of our business and many others of the
<br /> same way. We have many of the second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation that are a part of us.
<br /> Training and education are really huge for us because our industry keeps evolving and changing
<br /> and there is a lot of construction going on, so we have to be really quick at moving. We have our
<br /> own dedicated training centers. We have our own dedicated school. We've been doing the school
<br /> now for about five (5) years and we have fifty-five (5) graduates from the school. All fifty-five
<br /> (55) of them are still employed by us over these past five (5) years. All are really great and strong
<br /> technicians or parts people. At our training center we've trained over 6,000 technicians across
<br /> North America at our Troy, Illinois location. We are going to have a sub-training center here in
<br /> South Bend because of the distance from our Troy location. Tyler already has that person being
<br /> trained. It takes about two (2) years to get them trained to be able to educate and train all of our
<br /> people and certify them. Again, it is a great opportunity for us to be here and be a part of your
<br /> community.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, Again, thank you. Businesses like these, we
<br /> really appreciate having and we look forward to you remaining in our community and continuing
<br /> the service and benefit you bring. I'm not sure I asked, when you are building this new building,
<br /> have you awarded that contract yet?
<br /> Mr. Hopkins replied, We haven't awarded the contract. We've worked with a company that is
<br /> based in the southern Michigan area, northern Indiana area, who works in buildings. So, we've
<br /> been working with them on estimates,pricing and what kind of variances we would need,but there
<br /> has not been an awarding of contractors and we haven't made a definitive decision to go forward,
<br /> pending the Council's approval.
<br /> Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston followed up, Given that, would you be interested in or
<br /> be willing to have a conversation about a project labor agreement? Something that just puts it on
<br /> the books about, how I'm sure you would already be contracting with local contractors.
<br /> Mr. Hopkins replied, We would love to enter into those discussions with you.
<br /> 10
<br />
|