Prime Meridian

The extra elbow room already had made all the difference in the world.

Ted Gebhardt, the district foreman at United Cooperative Services’ Meridian office, said employees already began moving into some areas of the new facility on state Highway 6 well before the new office received a final cleaning.

“We moved the warehouse and the pole yard to the new office, and it went really, really well,” Gebhardt said. “We did it in stages, and it’s much better now. We’re able to organize a lot more efficiently and store a lot more materials. The warehouse at the old office wasn’t what I would call a problem, but it was very inconvenient.”

The original warehouse offered only 875-square-feet of space to house all tools, materials and lineman lockers and had been at capacity for years.  That area, along with the office, member service desk, and parking facilities received a much-needed upgrade that will not only meet the current needs of the Meridian office, but also allow for growth in the years to come, according to United officials.

“The pole yard and warehouse have much improved air circulation,” Gebhardt said. “I think the biggest thing we see is just the increased room and and not having to cram eight people in an area built for only two.”

Just about everything about the old Meridian office was at or over capacity, said Jared Wennermark, senior vice president of planning & procurement. It lacked ADA access, parking for members and employees was inadequate and the watershed from the hill on which the old facility was built caused erosion problems when it rained.

The training area for employees was also too small, and no area existed for maintaining the cooperative’s fleet vehicles, he said.
Originally built in the 1970s, the 1,900-square-foot facility will be replaced by the nearly 12,000-square-feet of space built not only to serve the needs of today’s members and employees, but also allows plenty of room for future growth.

Now, employees can sprawl out in 5,257-square-feet of office space and store plenty of supplies in a 5,258-square-foot warehouse. Employees and visitors will have plenty of parking.

 “The old facility was high-maintenance, too small for the six employees that were crammed into the only office, and did not adequately serve members due to a small lobby and no drive-thru,” Wennermark said. “This will be a great addition to the Meridian community in terms of the convenience and improved electric and internet service from United employees that it will provide. The building has modern features and functionality, with aesthetics and themes that blend in with the culture and community of the rural area. Members have been stopping by throughout the construction phase asking excitedly about the project, as well as when we will be opening.”

Perhaps one of the most anticipated features of the new building is the addition of more than 1,000-square-feet of meeting space in the community room available for members to use, said Chief Administrative Officer Landy Bennett. As with other offices, these rooms will be free if not booked for use by the co-op.

“The new building was built for several reasons,” he said. “We didn’t have the room that we needed for materials and supplies in warehouse. The access for members to meet with a member service representative was crowded, and the size and location of the facility did not lend itself to easy accessibility. The building was due for a much-needed renovation due to the age of the structure, which led to a decision on either a renovation or building a new facility. We had already outlived the useful life of the old building years ago. It was decided for the long-term benefit to the membership and the co-op that it would be better to build a new facility.”

Officials began searching for a new site in February 2018, Bennett said. Workers laid the slab for the new building in December 2019.

“The new building, as it has reached completion, has surpassed any and all expectations, due to a new drive-thru being added, easy access for members to walk up to get help with any questions and the increased warehouse facility,” Bennett said. “We did not realize how much a community room was needed in this area until we heard about that need at a community meeting. The anticipation for opening up this facility to our members and surrounding Meridian area is great, and serves as a major asset to the co-op as well.

“This will handle the growth in the future, and stands as a new addition to the Meridian community that they and we can be proud of for years and years to come.”