This past May, Lind-Exco, Inc. celebrated 40 years in the construction industry. Lind Excavating was formed in May 1971 in Vermillion, South Dakota by two brothers, Doug and Greg Lind, with the help of their father, Sterling, as a means of paying for college expenses. Their first job consisted of installing approximately 1000 l.f. of polyethylene waterline for a new water system for the family farm, in return for a three month rental of a very well used Ford 4500 Tractor Backhoe. After the initial rental period had expired, a work backlog had grown and the brothers decided to extend the rent for another three month period, and ultimately ended up purchasing a newer and less well-used Ford 4500 Tractor Backhoe, and that was the start of the fleet! Their primary scope of business for the first three years was residential and agricultural utility service work, including installation of farm and water systems, septic systems, residential municipal sewer and water services along with small excavation projects, while attending college at USD full-time
In 1974, the company incorporated, becoming Lind-Exco, Inc. At that time Doug and Greg split the responsibilities with Doug Lind becoming President and Greg Lind Secretary/Treasurer. From 1974 to 1980 the company concentrated on installation of mainline municipal utilities, working in towns and cities from the northeastern corner of South Dakota, to central South Dakota, as far east as western Minnesota and Iowa, and as far south as central Nebraska.
Due to a severely depressed underground utilities market in their market area at that time, the brothers were glad, but apprehensive, when they were given a subcontract by Sheesley Plumbing of Mitchell, SD, to construct a new Sanitary Sewer System on Reservoir Road in the Rapid Valley area of Rapid City, on the other side of the state. After completing an extremely challenging project full of rocks and water, and actually “breaking even” on the job, they performed their first site development project for Dean Kurtz Construction, in 1982, helping to build the first phase of the new Rapid City Regional Airport Terminal. Later that summer, Groathouse Construction of Laramie, WY hired Lind-Exco to do site development for the new Field Maintenance Shop at Ellsworth Air Force Base, and since then, Lind-Exco has had an almost-constant presence at Ellsworth Air Force Base and earned a great deal of respect by both U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel and Air Force Engineering, for a high degree of excellence in performing contracts of all types at the base.
1988 brought new opportunities, when Lind-Exco, Inc. began an environmental services division with the EPA and SD DENR- mandated underground fuel storage tank removals and removal and remediation of associated contaminated soils. The environmental division of Lind-Exco remains an active and vital division of the company.
Lind-Exco, Inc. began marketing itself as a full service site development contractor in 1996, acting as the general contractor on large site development projects in charge of all phases of civil construction. In the fall of 1999, Lind-Exco was awarded the first phase of Estates at Red Rock, which eventually led to construction of all phases of Red Rock, as well as the adjacent Red Rock Golf Course, and several years later, Red Rock Meadows. In total, over 900 lots with adjacent streets and infrastructure were developed, and the project is indeed the company’s landmark achievement. The Lind-Exco mission statement “To provide a safe and rewarding work environment for our employees while providing top quality workmanship at a fair price to our customers”, continues to be the foundation of their success!
CIC Note:
Please join us in congratulating Lind-Exco, Inc. on this momentous milestone!
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