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Contractors Honoring Veterans While Constructing Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic

VA Clinic Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Erhardt Construction and Manhattan Construction Co. are commemorating this Veterans Day by celebrating local veterans involved in the construction of the new Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic project.

Local Michigan-based Erhardt Construction is working with top-tier national contractor Manhattan Construction Co. to build the new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Wyoming, MI. Manhattan is serving as construction manager and Erhardt is providing general contracting services for the project.

Situated on the campus of Metro Health Village at 5838 Metro Way Street in Wyoming, the new clinic will be a two-story 126,500-square-foot facility that will provide outpatient services for nearly 18,000 Veterans annually in the West Michigan area.

The modern facility will replace the current VA Clinic located on Grand Rapids northeast side. Currently, the clinic operates in a 64,000 square feet facility, with about 35,000 square feet of clinic space.

The new clinic will almost triple the size of the facility and expand services available for the increasing number of veterans in the area. That includes offering primary care, mental health, dental, radiology, and physical therapy services that are not now offered at the Grand Rapids location.

Erhardt and Manhattan are also celebrating the local veteran community the facility will serve, as well as the veteran workers who are currently on site at the facility.

This Veterans Day we hold the local veterans and the new clinic that will serve their healthcare needs in high regard. We celebrate the facility and our veterans who currently work on the project.

“I feel the level of satisfaction that comes with performing a job well done is amplified on this project because everyone involved knows this facility will service the fine men and women veterans that do so much for our great country” said Robert O’Connor, Manhattan Construction project manager.

Don Resler, an employee at Erhardt Construction, is working on the clinic as an assistant superintendent. Resler served from 1969-1989 in the military police and as a drill sergeant, in many parts of the world including Korea, Germany, and Vietnam. Resler has been with Erhardt since 1996, and was planning on retiring until he was asked to work on the Veteran Affairs Clinic. Working on a facility that will serve fellow veterans is being held in high reverence by Resler, holding off retiring until after the project is complete.

Dave VanderHyde, another Erhardt employee, came out of retirement for a three-month period to supervise a portion of construction. VanderHyde worked at Erhardt for 33 years before retiring, and served in the Army with a tour in Vietnam during his 1971-1973 duty. “The biggest thing that drew me out of retirement was the opportunity to help build a facility to serve fellow veterans” said VanderHyde.

The Veteran Affairs Clinic will be the last project of their careers. “It feels like we are going somewhat full-circle, from serving our country to building a facility that will serve the healthcare needs of others who bravely serve” said Resler.

We are honored to be part of a project that will serve our local veterans. These men and women are heroes, and we are humbled and honored to be part of a project that will provide them with care for many years to come. To think about the heroes that will be walking through these doors and the sacrifices they’ve made for our country is truly impactful. It makes you feel like you’re building a lot more than a building” – Ben  Wickstrom, President of Erhardt Construction.

Last month, the contractors held a ‘Topping Out Party’ to signify the last piece of steel placed. A barbeque lunch was served to the jobsite workers, team members, and staff of the VA Clinic. During the celebration, the subcontractors and project team made donations to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Ground was broken in April 2013, and the project is scheduled to finish in November 2014.

ABOUT MANHATTAN CONSTRUCTION:
When Laurence H. Rooney founded what is now Manhattan Construction Group in Oklahoma Territory in 1896, he built his business and reputation for trustworthiness and dependability through consistent performance. These same timeless values have enabled Manhattan to grow and prosper into one of the most respected construction firms in the nation. The firm’s operating companies are Manhattan Construction Co., Cantera Concrete Co. and Manhattan Road & Bridge. Manhattan is recognized by Engineering News-Record as a top 20 U.S. domestic builder and in last two years has received 50+ industry honors for quality and safety. The company’s services include Builder-Driven Pre-Construction®, construction management, general building, design-build and turn-key projects, and roads, bridges and civil works. The company works in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. For more information about Manhattan, please visit: www.manhattanconstructiongroup.com or connect with us on twitter @ManhattanBuild, via Facebook/ManhattanConstruction and on LinkedIn.

ABOUT ERHARDT CONSTRUCTION:

Erhardt Construction, founded in 1962, is a general contracting and construction management firm operating in West Michigan. Providing the best construction experience for clients – right from the start – has been the firm’s goal since its beginning, and continues to be the primary goal today. For more information visit www.ErhardtCC.com