K & L PARTNERS WITH LEGENDARY LOCAL SPEEDWAY

K & L will be a corporate sponsor of Highland Speedway in 2023, the 62nd consecutive season of racing on the quarter-mile dirt track.  K & L will be sponsoring the new Driver’s Profile Wall, located on the chain-link fence near the ticket shed.  Between 20 and 30 drivers will be highlighted on the fence with individual signs.  K & L’s logo will be prominently featured in the display.

Racing begins on April 1 and will include Super Late Models, Modifieds, ProMods, Street Stocks, and Warriors.  According to a press release from Highland Speedway, “two Sprint Car events are also on the schedule, and for the first time in many years Midgets will return.”

K & L looks forward to supporting Highland Speedway, which attracts thousands of race fans each year.

Last fall, K & L was a sponsor of Chad Lappe’s team in the 24-Hour Laps for Leaps event at Highland Speedway.  Teams vied for the most laps recorded in 24 consecutive hours.  The Lappe team finished second.  Funds raised benefited Leaps of Love, a group that supports children with brain tumors and other cancers.

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K & L DONATES TO CARITAS CHRISTMAS DRIVE

Korte & Luitjohan Contractors purchased toys for 10 children in Caritas Family Solution’s annual Angel Tree program. K & L employees Traci Albers, Bill Blechinger, Janet Gillespie, John Goldsmith, Lisa Pontious, and Cynthia Simpson did our shopping. John Whitworth, K & L vice president, delivered the toys to Alexis and Cody in Caritas’s Highland office on Friday, December 2, 2022.  K & L President Gregg Korte serves on Caritas’s board of directors.

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K & L SUPPORTS TOY DRIVE IN HILLSDALE, MO

Korte & Luitjohan President Gregg Korte delivered toys November 30th to Hillsdale Demolition & Contracting for their 1st Annual Community Toy Drive. Ley Woods, Hillsdale’s general manager, accepted the donation. The company was founded in 2014 by Lakkia Davis-Hynes, whose grandfather had also been in the construction industry.

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MARSHALL BROWNING HOSPITAL EXPANSION GROUNDBREAKING HELD

On Tuesday, November 22, 2022, Marshall Browning Hospital and its guests held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of a state-of-the-art outpatient rehab expansion. The 7,700-square-foot addition is part of a plan and commitment to significantly expand therapy services. The expansion is critical to accommodate the growth in the therapy services and will better meet the needs of patients in the community. The expansion includes a gymnasium, a larger pool for aquatic therapy, patient treatment rooms for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, vestibular rehab therapy, and lymphedema therapy.

“The expanded rehab facility will create the environment our staff need, and our patients deserve. This new building will allow us to continue to excel in our mission to improve the health and quality of life for the people and communities we serve,” said Dan Eaves, CEO. “With the expansion of this facility, we will be able to offer better access for patients, decreased waiting times for appointments, space for expansion of therapists, and additional rehabilitation services for patients. I am confident that with the support of our highly qualified staff, Marshall Browning Rehab will continue to provide the most comprehensive rehabilitation services in the best environment for decades to come.”

Following the completion of the addition, the current rehab facility will become home to the hospital’s nationally accredited cardiopulmonary rehab program. This highly successful service has outgrown its current area within the hospital and the larger space will better serve the needs of cardiopulmonary patients.

Quadrant Design was selected as the architect. They are a well-respected firm from Waterloo, IL.  To bring the project to life, Marshall Browning Hospital hired Korte & Luitjohan Contractors Inc.  Gregg Korte, president of Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc., said his company is looking forward to partnering with Marshall Browning Hospital on this project.  “As the Hospital celebrates its Centennial, we’re excited to be construction manager on this newest chapter,” noted Korte.  “We’ve worked with the architect, Quadrant Design, on many occasions.  That relationship, coupled with our ICRA-trained field staff, will provide Marshall Browning with the best facility possible.”  ICRA (Infection Control Risk Assessment) Solutions provides training and equipment to healthcare contractors. Founded in 1958, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. (K & L) is a family-owned general contractor based in Highland, Illinois.  The company has construction experience in a variety of markets including medical facilities, commercial buildings, industrial and infrastructure, churches, and schools.

Financing for the project includes a $1 million USDA grant. The hospital will fund the remaining $1.3 million for the addition.

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WALL BREAKING CEREMONY HELD IN BELLEVILLE

The St. Clair County Historical Society (STCCHS) swung a gold hammer on Phase Two of the Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center.  STCCHS members and supporters gathered for a short ceremony on Tuesday, November 15 to launch the next round of work on the 1909 Queen Anne-style house that will be the future site of the Discovery Center.

Daphne Sumner, a longtime board member and past president of the Society, made the initial donation that inspired subsequent fundraising for the Center that will bear her name.  Additional funds are needed to see the project to fruition.  When completed, it will house a research library, artifact conservatories, offices, and programming spaces.

Founded in 1905, the STCCHS’s mission seeks to make St. Clair County’s amazing story tangible and relevant for today’s diverse community and for generations to come.

Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. (K & L) of Highland has been hired for the basement-to-second floor demolition and revitalization of the structure.  Phase One, which also involved K  & L, included a gazebo, outdoor gathering area, and rose garden.

“The Society looks forward to working with Korte & Luitjohan to make the Discovery Center, a hub for local history, a reality for local residents and visitors alike,” said STCCHS President Chip Gray.

Gregg Korte, president of K & L, said his company is eager to partner with St. Clair County Historical Society on this project.  “It was a pleasure working with the Society two years ago on the first phase of the Daphne Summer History Discovery Center.  We are ready to help them fulfill their ultimate vision for the Center.”

The future Daphne Sumner History Discovery Center is located at 705 E. Washington St. in Belleville.

(PRESS RELEASE COURTESY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY)

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CAMP ONDESSONK GOLF SCRAMBLE RAISES BIG DOLLARS

“It’s all for the kids!”

The personal motto of Pete Korte, chairman of Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc., in Highland, Illinois rang especially true this year at the Camp Ondessonk 27th Annual Golf Benefit. Thanks to the passion and dedication of Korte and his family, friends, and colleagues, almost one million dollars has been raised over the past 27 years, providing tuition assistance for families, changing countless lives through the opportunity to attend summer camp.

This year’s Golf Benefit took place at the Roland Barkau Memorial Golf Course in Okawville, Illinois on October 8, 2022. In addition to the time and dedication of volunteers, this event would not be possible without the support of many sponsors. The Premium tournament sponsors were Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc., Beelman Ready Mix, Pepsi MidAmerica, Prindable Insurance Agency, and Thomas Young, Sr. The Diamond sponsor was Roland Machinery Company. The Platinum sponsors were Ameren Illinois, First Mid Bank & Trust, Jim & Carol Henrichs, Jansen Chevrolet, Keeley & Sons, Midwest Municipal Supply, Jim & Kate Shively, SICAP, and USI Insurance & Bonds. The golfer gift sponsor was Silkworm, Inc., and the food and beverage sponsors included US Foods, Trenton Processing, Robert “Chick” Fritz Distributing, and Pepsi MidAmerica.

The Pete Korte family’s involvement and support of Camp Ondessonk spans decades. His children and grandchildren attended Camp and served as counselors, and Pete and his generous employees have donated thousands of hours of their time, equipment, and construction expertise to help build many projects around Camp Ondessonk. The current K&L assisted project involves laying pipes for a new staff duplex on property to be named Pete Korte Lodge, honoring Pete’s legacy and support for Ondessonk.

In 2022, Camp Ondessonk served nearly 3,200 campers during the summer season, steadily building since the loss of summer camp 2020, with the majority from Illinois and Missouri.

Thank you to Pete & Jane Korte, their beautiful family, the employees at Korte & Luitjohan, and all the businesses, sponsors, and golfers who have supported the campers of Ondessonk for the last 27 incredible years, and for many years to come!

(PRESS RELEASE COURTESY OF CAMP ONDESSONK)

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Touch a Truck Draws Huge Crowd of Youngsters

It was another successful (and crowded) Touch a Truck at Edwardsville Township Community Park on September 24, 2022. Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. was happy to be a sponsor and participant in the event. Thanks to our Adam Kampwerth for representing K & L and thanks to our friends at Luby Equipment for partnering with us.  Kids were given K & L coloring books, plastic construction helmets, and juice boxes.

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K & L Sponsors Street Artist

The Highland Chamber of Commerce held another successful Street Art Fest September 17, 2022, on the Highland square. Korte & Luitjohan Contractors and Windows on Broadway partnered to sponsor artist Catie Whitworth, daughter of K & L Vice President John Whitworth. She was awarded 2nd Place in her division!

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K & L Supports Homestead Harvest Event

In recent years, Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. has assisted with transporting a vintage steam engine to and from the Latzer Homestead in Highland for the annual Homestead Harvest Days.  This year, for the 34th annual event, K & L also sponsored the Living History area.  K & L believes in the Highland Historical Society’s mission to preserve and display our rural heritage.  There was much to see and do at Homestead Harvest Days, but perhaps this photo best showcases why we’re proud to be a sponsor.  Harvest Days was held September 9, 10, and 11, 2022.  We’re looking forward to participating again in 2023.

 

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K & L Sponsors Big Car Show on 66

Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. was a Bronze level sponsor of the 2022 Kicks on 66 Car Cruise at the On the Hill Golf Course in Edwardsville.  Held September 10, the weather was perfect, and an array of classic and modern cars descended upon the course.  K & L hosted a hospitality tent for our invited guests. If you are a car enthusiast, this was the place to be!  We’re looking forward to participating in 2023.

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