If you are from the Region, there is a good chance you or your child’s school has benefitted from Korellis’ expertise. Throughout its over six decades of history, the contractor has worked with local school systems to repair, replace, or install completely new rooftops, ensuring safe learning environments for students to learn.
That history has continued to grow in recent times, especially with Korellis expanding its sheet metal, masonry, and carpentry services. Korellis’ crews work on everything from elementary schools to athletic facilities, with their wealth of experience earning schools’ trust.
“The diversity of roof systems that we’re able to do strengthens our crews,” said Ronnie Strain, Director of Operations. “We’re really able to lean on each other thanks to this eclectic knowledge pool that we have. We’ve performed such a diverse range of work that there’s not a lot we haven’t seen before.”
Among Korellis’ more recent projects are Lake Prairie Elementary School in Lowell, Jane Ball Elementary School in Cedar Lake, Miller Elementary School in Merrillville, Wadsworth Elementary School in Griffith, and Washington Township Elementary School in Valparaiso. These schools alone represent tens of thousands of square feet of work.
“Having a secure environment for the development of these young minds is our number one priority,” Strain said. “A child shouldn’t be in school worrying about the roof leaking. Their attention should be on their teachers and the class material at hand. There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes from doing this kind of work and making sure that these children are safe.”
Helping put together buildings that host field houses, gyms, weight rooms, and other training facilities is also a part of the job. Many of Korellis’ team members are former student-athletes or have children taking part in school sports. Contributing to those projects can hit close to home.
“These schools are putting a lot of investment into these buildings so that the young athletes have nice, new, upgraded facilities where they can pour their time, hearts, and energy into their sports,” Strain said. “Being a part of that process is something we’re proud of.”
Korellis’ work for school systems – which consist of schools with a couple hundred students to those with thousands – is in every corner of the Region. Much of the company’s usual work is commercial or industrial, so Korellis’ teams love the opportunity to work on projects that are purely for the sake of students and teachers in their home communities.
“Korellis was born in the Region, here in Hammond, so it’s important to us to give back to the community we were founded in,” Strain said. “We’ve been doing this for 65 years now, and being able to make these relationships with different towns and municipalities is pivotal to the success of our business.”
Work for schools sometimes poses unique challenges or tight deadlines. Strain recalled the company’s recent work for Lowell High School and Crown Point High School, where its teams contributed to revamping athletic facilities.
“For those projects, we had quickly approaching deadlines because their sports seasons were starting up,” he said. “They had competitions coming up on those fields, so we had to rise to the occasion and put everything together while racing against the clock. It’s so satisfying when everyone comes together to meet that challenge.”
To learn more about Korellis and its services, or to see a gallery of some of its work on local schools, please visit korellis.com.
