Jeffrey Steckbeck was born and raised in Lebanon County.
He went to college at Penn State University. But then he
left the area to work as an engineer at a big firm in Texas. He had great
experiences and learned a lot, but when it came time to settle down and build a
family and business several years later, he returned to his roots.
He founded Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying in 1990,
and it quickly grew to become the dominant firm in Lebanon County. “There was a
void in my hometown, and everybody wanted to use me,” he said. These days, his
company is among the Lebanon and Lancaster county firms that work in the local
construction industry to shape the landscape of Central Pennsylvania.
Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying does work for 5 of
the 6 school districts in Lebanon County, 16 of the county's 26 municipalities
and many of the largest businesses in the county. The firm has worked with Bell
& Evans on projects at its existing chicken-processing facility and just
finished a $30 million state-of-the art hatchery nearby.
“I am humbled, grateful and proud that people have relied
upon me and my employees to help them,” Steckbeck said.
Having that kind of reputation and relationships with
local clients is a big part of why other local companies enjoy doing business
in their home area.
Matt Hartzler, president of Warfel Construction, said
many of his company’s clients are repeat customers, some becoming clients for
life. He said he enjoys projects such as the North Cornwall Medical Center,
where the East Petersburg-based general contractor gets to work with other
local companies.
“This area is known for quality craftsmen, and there are
a lot of good trade subcontractors we can work with,” said Hartzler. “Being
from the same area, we have similar approaches to business and make quality a
part of what we want to do.”
Brent Kreider, president of B.R. Kreider & Son, Inc.,
which performs excavation, paving and site management, said employees of his
Manheim-based company get to work with members of the local community at all
levels, from individual homeowners who need their driveways paved to large
retail projects such as The Shoppes at Belmont, a mixed-use development at the corner
of Route 30 and Fruitville Pike in Lancaster.
“There are a lot of good people, good businesses and good
nonprofits here, and it’s so rewarding to be able to work alongside them to
achieve their different missions,” said Kreider. “I really appreciate all the
connections that take place.”
B.R. Kreider & Son associates are typically the first
ones to arrive on the site of a project — to excavate and prepare the land —
and the last ones to leave after putting the finishing touches on asphalt and
paving.
“It’s fun to see both ends,” Kreider said. “There’s a
sense of pride when you look around the area and you see a project you have
been part of. That’s really neat and that’s what gets us excited.”
For a specialty contractor like The Witmer Group of Mount
Joy, which specializes in masonry, concrete and façade restoration, and
historic preservation, this area of Pennsylvania is a fabulous place to work.
“There are a lot of beautiful buildings here with
historic significance,” said CEO Todd Witmer. Many colleges and churches invest
in their properties and want to care for their buildings. “We do pretty much
everything that is on the exterior of a building, so the results of our work
are very evident. You get this great sense of satisfaction from making things
last another 50 years.”
When visitors come to the area, he said they are often
most impressed by the well-kept buildings that they may not see in their home
areas. “It’s a real draw,” he said.
Witmer said at least half of his company’s work is done
in Lancaster, Lebanon, Dauphin and York counties. He notes that a vibrant and
diversified local economy keeps the region more insulated from economic highs
and lows that other parts of the country experience at times.
