Spring 2022 Newsletter

An Extremely Aggressive Schedule For This Fire Restoration Project

On the evening of August 18, 2020, a large fire destroyed a good portion of Metro Auto Recyclers’ facility at 2155 W Lincolnway in Valparaiso. Firefighters from Washington Township, South Haven, Boone Grove, Liberty Township, Union Township, and Morgan Township assisted Valpo with multiple tankers. On arrival, crews dealt with heavy smoke and flames that resulted in extensive damage to the company’s offices and part of its warehouse.

Owner Steve Dykstra contacted Metro’s insurance company, which obtained estimates from various contractors to begin the extensive reconstruction process. “Each contractor had items they would do and items they would not.

After a few instances of ‘who is handling this?’ we asked our insurance company if we could get a quote from an all-inclusive contractor,” says John Leegwater, Operations Manager of Metro Auto Recyclers. “They were hesitant at first, but after our meeting with Hamstra’s Project Manager, Kevin VanderMolen, and his confident answers of, ‘Yes, we will take care of that,’ and ‘Yes we can meet that goal,’ the job was awarded to Hamstra Group.

“The insurance company set a very aggressive three-month goal for completion,” notes VanderMolen. “Despite days of snow and sleet, we managed to meet the scheduled completion date— thanks to the teamwork of all our trades, especially our plumbing, mechanical, electrical and carpentry partners.” …