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The history of Iroquois Paving Corporation is not unlike the history of Rogers Group: a company started decades ago that has prospered and continues to grow. Their relationship with our Newton County Stone operation goes back more than 50 years, and both Rogers and IPC expect continued success well into the next century.
Iroquois Paving Corporation was launched by D.E. Lynch and A.J. Shanks, who were anxious to start a business in earthmoving and paving after World War I. Based in Watseka, Illinois at the northern end of the Illinois/Indiana border, the company did some of their earliest earthmoving work with mules. In many cases, they created original streets and roadways in the small towns and surrounding rural areas they served. |
 This drawing of D.E. Lynch, center, with sons Ditty, left, and Jack, right, hangs in IPC's office lobby as a reminder of their heritage. |
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Mr. Lynch's two sons, Jack and Ditty, started working for the company as teenagers, and eventually assumed leadership of the company after Mr. Lynch and Mr. Shanks died in the '50's. Jack and Ditty have lead the company's growth into an expanding market area on the Illinois/Indiana border and have broadened the scope of their work to include excavation, bridge construction, and portable crushing & recycling. In paving, they are now capable of everything from driveways to Interstates using concrete or asphalt, including Superpave projects. One of their largest current projects is the Route 24/45 Project that runs through the community of Gilman, Illinois. This $5 million project consists of rebuilding, widening, adding curb and gutter and resurfacing, and is expected to be completed in 1999. IPC has placed a new concrete plant in Gilman to serve this project. Newton County Stone is proud to be supplying approximately 100,000 tons of stone annually to IPC for their many jobs. | |
 Erecting plant equipment in Gilman, Illinois, for IPC's $5 million road job there. |
Jack and Ditty Lynch are now in their seventies, and have fond memories of their long-time relationship with Rogers Group. Both men recall having had lunch with Ralph Rogers and Gus Sieboldt, and describe Ralph as "a most unforgettable character." They also remember a young Richard Rechter, who worked at Newton County Stone several years ago and now serves as Rogers' Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jack and Ditty have focussed energy the past few years into putting a professional team into place to lead IPC into the future. Today, Joe Cowan serves as President and Jack and Ditty can spend less time at work and more time pursuing leisure activities. Jack's son, John, works as an estimator for the company, so the family involvement is likely to continue for years to come. IPC knows the importance of quality in their materials and work, and they have Frank Mathewson to thank for leading their improvements in quality assurance and quality control. Frank's 20 years of experience with the Illinois Department of Transportation have made him a valuable asset to IPC, and he shares that expertise through training and teamwork with their QA/QC staff. Frank joined IPC five years ago. |
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The company has from 20 - 120 employees, the number varying seasonally, and several have worked there 15 to 20 years.
"IPC's values and commitment to its people have created loyalty among its employees, as well as in their relationship with Rogers Group," says Northern Indiana SBU Manager Andy Williams. "Expect to see both companies growing and succeeding together in the future."
|  IPC's plant at Gilman, Illinois. |
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