Thirty years ago, in June 1994, Contractors United Inc., Astro Paving and Fauber Construction merged to become Milestone Contractors LP. In the 30 years since, we have grown and added many more companies and Milestone family members, all with the mission to Make Lives Better, One Road and Bridge at a Time. As we reflect on the last 30 years, we think about the projects built and memories made with one another. 

Merging companies together can be a challenge, but with the implementation of our Best Practices in 1997, we grew closer and stronger than we had ever imagined. Regional Safety Manager Amy Bingham started working for Milestone in 1996 and recalls the development of this innovative system of standards.  

“At the time, Milestone was cutting edge in the industry for starting our Best Practices. Merging companies and getting on the same page can take time,” said Amy. “Forming these Best Practices allowed us to take the strengths from each area and implement them into the work force. This got us to one consistent Milestone.” 

Safety is at the core of our Best Practices. “Safety was a factor in everything we did,” said Amy. “We never visualized safety differently from quality.”  The implementation of this practice led to a 75 percent decrease in recordable incidents from 1996 to 2004. Milestone was also one of the first companies to have Stop Work Authority (SWA), which means if it’s unsafe, you did not do it. 

 Other innovative safety measures along the way included requiring new hires to wear green hard hats. This helps our crews and others identify new employees on site and give them an extra hand when needed.  

As we have moved along in the last 30 years, many advancements in our world have taken place. Computer advancements have allowed us to bid more work than ever before. In the field, we are seeing more efficiency because of upgraded GPS equipment. Hiring for positions now takes place online rather than in the local newspaper. One thing that remains the same, however, is the family culture that we have built.  

“As much as we have grown, there is no one that I could not walk up to have a friendly chat with,” said Senior Estimator Joel McClenney . “No matter how big we are, we have that family culture, and many of us are still family.”  

As we look ahead, we are excited to be on the forefront of building infrastructure that touches and improves the daily lives of Hoosiers across the state. Project Manager Wyatt Jester started his career with us six years ago, and since then his love for the industry has blossomed. One of the things he is looking forward to is continuing to provide the quality services that Milestone is known for.

“As we celebrate our thirtieth anniversary and move on to celebrating many more years in business, I look forward to providing the best services and product to our customers, while further developing relationships in our industry.” said Wyatt Jester. 

Wyatt believes that it is up to him and the incoming generation to uphold the reputation that Milestone has worked hard to gain.  

“We affect so many lives every day. Think about how many people drive on the roads we build each day,” said Wyatt. “We are assisting in the development of the state. It is truly an amazing time to be a part of infrastructure development.” 

This mindset and spirit are what have driven the last three decades of success at Milestone. We are so thankful for our employees, industry partners and supporters who have helped us get to where we are today. Cheers to 30 years. If you have any memories or photos you would like to share, please submit them to [email protected].