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H&K in Biltmore
The road has been long but they are making it better: Paving Ashland Drive in the Biltmore Estates housing development, Skippack, Pennsylvania.
One for the Road, One for the Hood: Rarely, if ever, do I think about the people who work hard to create the pleasant and comfortable moments that make my day bearable. For example, many fine mornings, I walk from my home to the WaWa in Skippack and get a cup of hot coffee. I do not stop to think about whoever grew the coffee beans or the manufacturer of the paper cup that holds my beverage. I pay, consume and move on.
This morning, in pursuit of hot coffee, I met up with Skippack Township Manager Ted Locker at WaWa. Ted remarked to me on the fine work being done by Haines & Kibblehouse in my housing development, Biltmore Estates. Haines & Kibblehouse is one of the mid Atlantic region’s largest construction materials and full-service site contracting companies with headquarters in Skippack.
Russ Landis (upper left) and Steven Yoder paving Ashland Drive in Biltmore Estates. The Skippack Blogger lives in the cluster of houses in the background.
Fallout from our harsh economic times brought Haines & Kibblehouse to my doorstep. Hit hard by the rapid decline in the housing market, the developer for Biltmore Estates, TH Properties, filed for bankruptcy on April 30th, 2009. Since then my housing development has been on a long, complicated but hopeful road to recovery and rebuilding. Haines & Kibblehouse was brought in to complete public improvements at Biltmore, such as laying sewer lines and paving roads and sidewalks, that were left unfinished when THP suspended operations. Initially, their work was funded through the release of an escrow account by Skippack Township, with the funds secured through a bond held by the township.
According to Ted Locker, “Both the completion of public improvements and additional housing would have taken much longer without the extra effort and help from Haines & Kibblehouse.” In addition to site construction work, Haines & Kibblehouse invested substantially from their own pocket in Biltmore Estates, showing faith in our community in the face of the harsh economy.
When I arrived home from the WaWa, a crew from Haines & Kibblehouse was paving the main street in my development, Ashland Drive. I ran to my house to grab my camera and came back out again. There I was, a community blogger following these working men and snapping photos like a paparazzo, getting the hot asphalt on the bottom of my sneaker. They put up with my awkward intrusion with patience, stopping for pictures, laughing, then going back to their tasks with the modesty characteristic of men who do real work.
Because of their hard work, I will enjoy a better quality of life and my home has a better chance of retaining its value. My debt and gratitude to these men would have been unknown even to myself had I not run into Ted Locker at the WaWa this morning. And it would not have been expressed were it not for the blog you are looking at now, dear reader.
Thanks, fellas!
Scroll down for more photos
A Haines & Kibblehouse laborer pauses to smile for the camera while working at Biltmore Estates in Skippack.
A distinguished gentleman in a white hard hat: Chick Morgan, superintendent at Haines & Kibblehouse, oversees the paving of Ashland Drive in Biltmore Estates.
Portrait of a working man: Steve Laubach from Haines & Kibblehouse at work in Biltmore Estates.
The working life: Laborers paving Ashland Drive.
Paving Ashland Drive: Ammon Moyer behind the wheel.
Steve Yoder at work. The haze is caused by steam from the hot asphalt.
Russ Landis behind the wheel.
Paving Ashland Drive: Eric Stull focusing on the task at hand.
Paving Ashland Drive: Haines & Kibblehouse crew and trucks.
Links
Blog post on Biltmore Estates from August 2010
Blog post on Biltmore Estates from May 2011
they are doing a great job. this is hard work and they are so nice and patient with people coming through while they work! thank you for pointing out this admirable team of people.
Thanks for the information I love your blogs keep up the good work.
Thank you Michael, for your kind and gentle soul, you are there, keeping an eye on all of Skippack Village and surrounding area’s. The information is up to date, and done with class and thoughtfulness for the many,many working folks, that do the dirty work, that put up with the impatient drivers, the extreme cold, the extreme heat, the long hours. They earn every penny they make, the good out ways the bad! Especially when someone like you takes the time to talk about them , with them, and for them! We are so fortunate as Americans to have people that work so hard at their jobs, to perform a service. Not just in 1 area , but in the USA,in every little town and village. Kudo’s to all our hard working folks, men and women, no matter their jobs. May we be thankful to all, and that we all remember the reason for the season. From a very chilly Texas, Thank you.