Sargent in the New Millennium

Sargent showed its strength as a design-build contractor with a pair of electric cooperative facilities. In 2000, Sargent built the beautiful 70,000+ square foot corporate headquarters for Black River Electric Cooperative in Fredericktown, Missouri. Sargent was especially proud of being able to provide a smooth design-build contract process for the Black River Electric board of directors and avoid some of the typical “headaches” involved in a large building project. Seeing a customer enjoying their new building and finding “it’s just what we needed” is one of the best rewards for Sargent employees.

In 2003, the M&A Electric Cooperative needed multiple new buildings and upgrades made to their existing facility. Sargent again used a design-build team to complete the large job under budget and ahead of schedule.

Coming to the Aid of Businesses Affected by Natural Disasters

Unfortunately, part of running a construction business also includes repairs for buildings when Mother Nature strikes. Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois experienced widespread damage in 2009 from a “Super Derecho,” which is a storm that produces high-speed winds sustained over a long period of time. Fredericktown experienced 70-90 mph winds for over 45 minutes during the storm, gaining the local nickname of “inland hurricane.” Sargent deployed crews and repaired many damaged roofs and buildings in the area. Impressively, none of the local Sargent-built Star Building Systems failed during the storms.