Whitewater Valley REMC took its next step into the future on June 27 when it held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility in Liberty.
Construction on the 33,860 square-foot building is projected to take 12 months with relocation to the new facility expected to take place in the summer of 2024.
This will mark the sixth move in the history of Whitewater Valley REMC, which began in 1936 and is the consolidation of Fayette-Union REMC and Wayne County REMC, which were based out of Liberty and Richmond, respectively.
“All these moves have been the result of the changing needs of our member base and the physical needs of the rural electric cooperative business itself,” Whitewater Valley REMC President and CEO Mary Jo Thomas said in a news release. “What’s not changing is our commitment to our members and the communities we serve.”
That commitment will be reflected in the new facility, which sits on nine of 20 acres of land purchased by the cooperative. It will include:
• A drive-through for members
• 14,060 square feet of office space, including the lobby, a multi-purpose room, and an operations and hardened dispatch area with information technology (IT)
• A 6,000 square-foot warehouse
• A 13,800 square-foot garage for bucket trucks and job trailers with in-floor heat
• A whole facility diesel generator
• Above ground fuel tanks and fueling station
• A compact gravel storage area with room for contractor or visiting crew parking
• A paved entrance and parking area
• Fencing around all facilities
This centralized location for the cooperative’s 28 employees, assets and inventory also includes plans for potential future expansion while serving both residential and industrial members that stretch 70 miles from north to south across six counties.
Whitewater Valley REMC’s current locations consist of two separate buildings in Liberty – one for the office and lobby with the other for operations – and three separate storage facilities in Union County.
