SouthEastern Co-Op raising new office

MARION - Motorists traveling on Illinois Highway 13 - east of Marion - may notice a lot of construction near the Williamson-Saline counties line.

That's because SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative broke ground this summer for a new facility that will serve as the headquarters for its 10-county service region.

The cooperative acquired the property in 2010. Its member population center is located just three miles southwest of the new site.

President/CEO Dustin Tripp said the site offered advantages not available at the existing location - built in 1953.

"The construction of a new headquarters will allow the cooperative to reduce the number of facilities from four to three by incorporating the Marion office into the new headquarters. Combining Eldorado and Marion will also provide additional productivity and efficiency gains."

Tripp said due to interest rates being at all-time lows and reasonable construction costs, the most fiscally responsible time to build for the cooperative is now.

"This new facility will fulfill the numerous needs the cooperative has been experiencing for years in the current facility and provide the much needed space and functionality for years to come. It will improve member access, more convenient parking and entrance capabilities, drive-through services and better member privacy," he said.

The new facility is also expected to provide needed enclosed vehicle storage and warehouse space for cooperative vehicles and equipment.

The new headquarters will include over 20,000 square feet of office space, 26,000 square feet of enclosed vehicle storage space and over 10,000 square feet of warehouse space. In addition, the facility will include two additional material and equipment storage buildings with about 15,000 square feet of space.

"This new facility will provide a hardened space that will protect employees and critical technology equipment when disasters strike while also serving as the storm center for restoration efforts," Tripp noted.

SouthEastern Illinois Electric Cooperative currently has 75 full time employees and 54 of those employees will work from the new headquarters when completed. The cooperative reports it has 23,000 accounts and over 3,500 miles of power lines on its system.

The new headquarters is expected to be completed in July 2016.