New headquarters for co-op

By Mindy Honey
Society Editor
Originally published Nov. 21, 2009

While the number of residents and businesses that rely on White River Valley Electric Coopera-tives’ services have grown by nearly 350 percent over the past 35 years, the co-ops’ headquarters have not.

A $15 million project to build a 54,000-square-foot headquarters near its existing facility on Missouri 76 began in late summer.

“The timing is just right,” said Member Services Manager Jeff Pardeck.

The new building will be more energy efficient, double in size of the current facility and will better meet U. S. Department of Homeland Security mandates. It also helps that the price of insulation, drywall, steel and metals are down approximately 20 percent.

“This, combined with all-time low interest rates, combines in an ideal building environment,” said Amy Rosier, public information officer.

According to Rosier, the co-op’s current building is inefficient and in need of costly repairs, including a new HVAC system, new roof and doors.

She said because White River is always encouraging members to be green and conserve energy, this is a great way the company can take the lead.

Pardeck said the new facility will be equipped with ground-source heat pumps that will provide about a 40-percent savings over a straight electric furnace.

The additional space will also be welcomed.

“We have outgrown this space,” said Rosier.

In 1974, White River had 14,433 services in place. Today, there are nearly 50,000. When the co-op first occupied the building, it had just more than 40 employees working in the Branson office. Currently, there are 96 employees based out the the company’s headquarters.

Safety was also a deciding factor in the decision to build.

Rosier said the new facility will allow White River to better meet Homeland Security mandates, as utilities have been identified as top priority in the Homeland Security Act.

The new facility, set to be complete in early 2011, will include a secure dispatch area with restricted access. The area, known as the “bunker,” is rated to withstand an F3 tornado.

Other security features include a secure vault to store current microfilm, a secure vault area to store non-public personal information, as well as a secure area for servers to prevent unauthorized access to equipment.