In our new series, Precast Chalk Talk, we explore the Precast Industry.
What is concrete? Hagen Harker, president of Mid-States Concrete Industries explains concrete.
New Year, New Opportunities, New Goals
On New Year’s Day, I like to take some time to unwrap my calendar for the new year, check out all the photos (usually dogs doing silly things), and then fill it in with all of the important things to remember throughout the year.
Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, due dates, vacations, business trips, annual macaroni and cheese competitions (wait, everyone doesn’t do this?), graduations and more are all inked into the year’s plan. It is amazing how many wonderful things we have to anticipate each year, and then there is the anticipation of not yet knowing what might fill up the rest of your calendar for the year. Will you receive an unexpected wedding invitation? Will Nsync finally schedule a reunion tour? Will you have the opportunity to take a trip for work?
And what about resolutions? Are New Year’s resolutions something you make? There’s arguments on both sides of the fence as to whether resolutions should or shouldn’t be made. For what it’s worth, here are my two cents: the new year is a perfect time to resolve to do something better, or many an improvement, or learn something new. There is something psychological about the changing of the calendar that makes it feel like I am making a fresh start. My goal is to be better every day than I was the day before. If setting a goal at the start of a new year can help someone become better than they were previously, I am all for it.
The Value of Indoor Parking
Have you ever hit the snooze button one too many times or just woke up a little later than planned? You spend the morning running around and getting everything ready for work and trying to decide if you have time to make coffee or swing through a drive thru on your way into the office. After realizing you are out of coffee filters anyway, the drive thru it is. Then, you get out to your car and it is freezing, so now you have to scrape the heavy frost off of the windshield. Because you are in a hurry, you go with the great driving style of leaning way down to view your path through the small part of the windshield that is actually staying defrosted. And because of all this, you no longer have time to stop and grab a cup of coffee. It is going to be a LONG morning! This is the reality of many renters during the winter months.
Indoor parking for tenants has several obvious advantages. A few of them are:
Security
Vehicle wear and tear
Convenience
Protection from the elements
One of the greatest advantages and sells of apartment garage parking is the added security. If you live in an apartment with only an open parking lot or parking on the street, you leave yourself and your vehicle far more exposed. This may not be much of a concern in a generally crime-free neighborhood and may not prove worth the additional cost, but it can prove quite an advantage in an area that's more prone to nighttime prowlers. Plus, you won't have to be as worried about walking alone to your building or remember not to leave anything valuable in your car for fear of attracting thieves.
These types of parking options also help the building owner to have a more successful property, allowing owners to charge a higher rent. These properties also oftentimes average a higher occupancy rate. Underground/indoor parking is common for multi-family residential, mixed-use, and senior living communities. Especially in the Midwest, people want the convenience of a climate-controlled parking area.
In a senior living community, under-structure parking is often a desirable amenity. It can provide a sense of security to tenants, protection from inclement weather (which is especially important to residents that might be more susceptible to falls), as well as offers some storage space.
In working on various projects in cities all over Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa, we have come to understand just how imperative the right parking offerings are to a project.
Indoor parking provides solutions to several potential issues and concerns. It also helps projects be more successful for owners. We are here to help. If you have any questions and want to speak about an upcoming project, please contact us at 800.236.1072 or sales@msprecast.com.
Proud Partner of Hononegah High School
Our mission is to build meaningful buildings in which to live, work and play. These are not just words to us, but an opportunity to impact people in an amazing way. We are extremely grateful to have been part of building the Hononegah Community High School field house.
The new field house and ticket booths include 188 insulated precast wall panels, created at our plant in South Beloit, less than five miles from the high school.
The new building will replace the dome, which collapsed during a winter storm in 2015. As of now, the field house is expected to be completed by March. Wall panels, which feature a thin-brick design to match the existing building, were installed in June.
Mid-States Concrete has 42 families that reside in Hononegah Community High School District 207.
The Mid-States team donated two custom-etched Hononegah Indian heads which are featured in the school’s new monument, located on the south side of the field house near the ticket booths. The monument was unveiled at a ceremony on Monday, Nov. 19.
“The community is proud of Hononegah and the whole idea of having something like this really gives us the opportunity to show off,” said School Board President David Kurlinkus.
The Indian heads were created using Graphic Concrete. Graphic Concrete enables durable patterns and images to be produced on precast surfaces through the use of a membrane with a surface retarder. Concrete is cast on the membrane and when the retarder is washed away, the image is revealed.
“There’s a lot that goes in to putting a project like this together and so today was just an opportunity to say thank you and we look forward to watching the kids play ball here and grow,” said Hagen Harker, president of Mid-States Concrete.
What are you thankful for?
With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, it is a great opportunity to take a moment and consider all the things we have to give thanks and be grateful for.
Last year, I was first and foremost grateful for the baby having a dance party in my womb. This year, I am first and foremost grateful for the sweet baby boy who is now here, crawling all over the place, starting to pull himself up on things, and getting into everything he isn’t supposed to. His favorite thing is laughing at me when I tell him “no.” I’m using my stern voice, I swear!
I am thankful for the additions to my family within the past year, and thankful for the additions with quickly approaching due dates. I’m grateful that despite a few health scares this year, my family is all here to celebrate another holiday together.
I am especially thankful for all the help I received with my newborn son. It truly takes a village, especially when the new villager has colic! Thank God he outgrew that and is just the sweetest, happiest little boy you will ever meet (not that I am biased or anything!).
I’m grateful for friends, who despite the miles between us, still manage to play a large role in each other’s lives. Even with our growing families, we still find the time to pick up the phone regularly and see each other as often as we can. I wouldn’t trade my SQUAD for anything.
I am thankful to be part of the Mid-States team. This team is made up of some truly amazing individuals, individuals that I feel lucky to know and work with. It continues to be wonderful to work for a company that truly cares about its team members and invests in them. And despite how they can drive me crazy sometimes, I really do enjoy the people that I work with every day. They are all just a a little bit weird!
Finally, I am thankful to know that I have so much to look forward to in the coming year. It will be as good as I make it, and I am aiming for GREAT! I have been truly blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving! In recognition of the holiday, Mid-States will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23. May your Thanksgiving be filled with family, friends, and plenty of delicious food!