Missouri American Water broke ground Monday on a new $4.3 million service center in Jefferson City.
The new center, located at 320 Hoover Road, will service Jefferson City and surrounding communities. The existing service center at 906 W. High St. will be vacated and receive some upgrades as well over the next two years, including to some equipment dating back to the 1880s.
At Monday's groundbreaking, Missouri American Water President Debbie Dewey said the service center will provide a home for the company's growing team and allow it to serve its growing customer base in Mid-Missouri.
The new service center is expected to open in May 2020 and will provide more than 7,000 square feet of office space and 4,800 square feet of garage space that will include a fabrication area, welding shop and materials storage.
It will also house a conference room, which Dewey said will allow the company to bring together employees from around Mid-Missouri for training or other meetings.
American Water has nearby water or wastewater systems in Wardsville, Redfield, Hickory Hills and Hillers Creek, which were added in the past five years.
Dewey said the new center is a good investment that will generate more than $100,000 a year in property taxes paid to the area.
State Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, reminded Monday's crowd about the importance of water.
"Water is really crucial to our lives. We use it every day and especially on days like today - hot summer days, even extended into September - and it truly does sustain life," Griffith said.
He praised American Water for its commitment to providing water to Missouri.
"Our water system may be out of sight, but for me and for a lot of you I'm glad it's not out of mind for the hard-working men and women that keep our lives flowing every day," Griffith said.
One of those hard-working men - retired Missouri American Water maintenance worker Dan Vanderfeltz - will be the namesake of the new center. He retired in May after 32 years with the company, and Dewey said some other employees recommended the center be named after him.
"I was shocked," Vanderfeltz said of the honor. "It really meant a lot. It kind of meant everything."
Vanderfeltz said the reality won't quite set in until next spring when he sees his name on the wall of the building.
He told the crowd at the groundbreaking that American Water was a great place to work and he enjoyed good relationships with the city and many others during his time.