Mr. and Mrs. Hillard Johnmeyer recieve the "key to the office" from Rolla Mayor Eugene Northern and Chamber of Commerce President Jack Mirly.
Large Construction Company Located At Rolla Nat'l Airport
A large construction, company recently moved its headquarters to the Rolla area, and is currently leasing office space at the Ralla National Airport, at Vichy.
The firm is known as Johnmeyer Construction Company, Inc., and was formerly located at St. Clair, Mo.
The owner of the firm, Hillard Johnmeyer, who uses airplanes in his business, became acquainted with the Rolla National Airport manager, Lee Maples, and has purchased two airplanes from him. Airport property would make an ideal location for his business, especially convenient since he could obtain service for his planes and have them based near his office.
Negotiations with the city were entered into, and Johnmeyer signed a contract with the city for lease of office space, space for parking his equipment when not in use, and for the use of the landing runways.
His firm primarily engaged in construction of telephone lines, and underground cable work, mostly under contract with Southwestern Bell.
He currently has projects underway in the states of Indiana and Oklahoma, and at Bolivar, Mo. Thus he keeps his two Rolla-based airplanes in use keeping track of the three far-spaced jobs.
Currently, the firm has between 55 and 60 men employed, but in the summer months will employ as many as 120 persons, Johnmeyer stated. In addition to his office here, he has sub-offices at Springfield, Cape Girardeau, Mexico, Farmington, St. Clair, and Florrisant.
Johnmeyer and two, other key employees have rented houses on the airport property from the city, and will be moving their families here as soon as their children are out of school.
The firm started business in 1938, and among its major projects in this area was the construction of an underground communications cable between Rolla and Springfield.
Constructed for Southwestern Bell, the cable connects all area towns along the route with telephone service. Prior to that project, the firm constructed a similar underground cable between Springfield and Cabool.
Although primarily doing cable construction, the now Rolla-based firm also does rock blasting, winch truck service, pipe pushing, and other related construction.
Some of the Johnmeyer personnel at the open house were, from left seated, Bob Johnson, company attorney, Hillard Johnmeyer, president; standing from left, Melvin Wagner, production superintendent, Philip Collins, office staff, Richard Johnmeyer, St. Clair superintendent, and Lee J. Emmons, estimator.
Mr. Phil Collins of Vichy, Missouri, is in charge of inter equipment rentals and job costing. He has been with the company 2 and 1/2 years.
Mrs. Betty Feeler of Vichy, Missouri, has been with the company one year doing typing of proposals, filing of invoices, and general secretarial work.
Mrs. Bernadine Winkler of St. Clair, Missouri: (Bernie) is Controller for Johnmeyer Construction Co., Inc. She has been with the firm for the past six years.
Mrs. Winkler is in charge of accounting, which includes accounts receivable, area manager's accounts, and group insurance.
Mrs. Carol Jean Heck of Belle, Missouri, has been employed one year with Johnmeyer Construction Co., Inc. in the capacity of payroll clerk, and the processing of time sheets.
What you have to get accustomed to sometimes with private right of way in Oklahoma. (1965)
Rock saw #1, patented by Hillard E. Johnmeyer, Sr., being used on a Bell System toll job. (1970)
United States Patent 3,663,063
Johnmeyer, Sr.; Hillard E. (Vichy, MO) May 16, 1972
A trenching implement adapted for cutting a narrow trench in rock or frozen ground comprising a wheel which is mounted for rotation in a power trenching vehicle and which has a plurality of cutting bit holders spaced at equal intervals around its periphery with a cutting bit rotatably and removably mounted in each bit holder. The bit holders are mounted in such positions on the wheel as to hold all the cutting bits at the same positive rake angle, certain of the bit holders holding the respective cutting bits in the plane of the wheel, others holding the respective bits at skew angles with respect to the plane of the wheel with the respective bits extending out at one side of the wheel, and other holders holding their respective bits at skew angles with respect to the plane of the wheel with the respective bits extending out at the other side of the wheel.
On the town square in Fulton, Mississippi pouring manholes and backfilling conduit. (1973)
click image to enlarge
