Ver Steeg turns over construction reins

Ed Ver Steeg recently placed ownership of his construction company's assets in the apt hands of Mark and Cindi Hinton.

Circumstances are what prompted the 36-year-old Spencer man, who'd spent the last nine years running his namesake, to let his friends assume responsibility of the charge he loved.

Circumstances such as family, job loss, legal issues and perceived growth.

Another determining factor was trust. All parties involved in the business transaction are confident their friends, as well as the area at large, will benefit from Ver Steeg Construction becoming Crown Inc.

(Photo by Kris Todd) Mark and Cindi Hinton recently created a new business, Crown Inc., with the help of Ed Ver Steeg, former president of Ver Steeg Construction. Ver Steeg, standing at right, will serve as project manager of their Spencer-based construction company. [Order this photo]

The players

Even though Ver Steeg never planned on becoming a carpenter, it's what he's done for over half his lifetime.

Some would say it comes natural to the husband and father of four.

Ver Steeg received his start in construction in 1990 with Kopischke Construction of Little Rock. As his skills evolved, Ver Steeg worked into a foreman position, in which he oversaw his two younger brothers, Greg and Dave, among others.

After graduating from the University of Northern Iowa, Ver Steeg moved to Ruthven, where he served as a shop teacher at Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District. Thinking he'd relish having a set work schedule and summers off, Ver Steeg found differently his first day in the Palo Alto County community -- when he helped pour Ruthven's basketball court.

Before long, summer "vacations" from the Ruthven-Ayrshire and Spencer school districts turned into opportunities for the teacher to do construction work with some of the most promising students enrolled in his classes. After spending seven years as a teacher, Ver Steeg realized construction was his vocation.

By May 2001, his garage and the former Clay County shop on West 18th Street in Spencer had become the headquarters for the then-fledgling Ver Steeg Construction.

"I started with just a 1980 Chevy pickup and a saw," he recalled with a slight smile.

Two years later, Ver Steeg's promising company had grown enough that he was able to purchase the site Crown Inc. is currently located at. He formed an incorporated construction company and became its president.

At its height in 2006, the business employed 43 workers.

Spencer establishments carrying the Ver Steeg Construction moniker today include the Seventh Day Adventist Church, the Dayspring Assembly of God Church, the Northwest Aging Association building, the Chad and Kim Moser home, and the Ron and Jan Mummert residence and the current home of Tom and Mary O'Brien. Whisper Oaks, a five-story condominium complex in Spirit Lake, the Farmers Savings Bank in Milford, and the Iowa Lakes Community College Forensics and Criminal Science Lab in Estherville are others.

Additions made to the homes of Kurt and Kim Weeks, Paul and Linda Abrahamson, and Mark and Cindi Hinton are also the handiworks of Ver Steeg and his crews. In fact, the construction project at the Hintons' Spencer home was where the two now-business associates were introduced.

Cindi Hinton, who was hired to serve as Ver Steeg's office manager in November 2004, had worked in the Farmers Bank loan department for a dozen years before agreeing to oversee his company's paperwork.

Mark Hinton, the president of Crown Inc., could be called a true jack of all trades. He's managed Shoppers Supply and Tractor Supply, co-owned an appliance store, worked as the maintenance person at Iowa Eye Institute, poured concrete and run heavy equipment, among other things. Since purchasing the assets of Ver Steeg Construction from their friend, the Eaton machinist has continued to serve in his new role on nights and weekends.

The couple, which married on May 8, 1976, has reared three sons: Jesse of Sioux Falls, Joe of Spencer, and Sam of Sioux Falls. They've also deemed Ver Steeg "an adopted Hinton and part of the family."

The business transition

Within a matter of days, Ver Steeg was informed that his wife Michelle's half-time position with Spencer schools would be reduced, Joe Hinton lost his press job at RR Donnelly and Ver Steeg learned there was nothing to gain from the companies he'd subcontracted work for, not been paid by and been battling in court for over two years.

Rather than relocating, though, both families chose to stake their futures in Spencer.

The Hintons decided to invest in something they believed in wholeheartedly -- the business and their friends' abilities. They purchased Ver Steeg Construction's assets two weeks ago.

"We both have faith in Ed. And, I know there's money to be made. I do the books here," Cindi said. " ... We want to live in a progressive community, too. This is just our way of trying to help make the area more productive."

In the meantime, the final decision to pare down the former company's staff and equipment occurred over the span of several days and sleepless nights. Ver Steeg Construction was closed because of legal circumstances beyond Ver Steeg's control -- due to lack of payments, as well as his belief that a handshake and a person's word mean more than big-city, ruthless business practices.

Although it was personally a hard conclusion to reach, Ver Steeg admitted that he enjoys the change now. He's serving as the new company's project manager and estimator. His expertise is being put to use more effectively. He's once again working with skilled people he enjoys on job sites. And, because of all this, he's also experiencing more fulfillment in his personal life.

"I'm very lucky to have friends and family who have stuck by me through this whole thing," Ver Steeg said. "And now, to have a chance to start over again -- with friends -- I'm so lucky."

The Hintons, meanwhile, say they intend to grow Crown Inc. slowly. Current employees include Ver Steeg, their son, Joe, who's responsible for landscaping and lawn care, Mike Maurer, its carpenter, and Mike Schmillen, the scheduler and quality control person. Additional workers will be brought in on an as-needed basis, Mark Hinton added.

Since taking ownership, Mark and Cindi Hinton have also diversified the operation. Whereas Ver Steeg offered design services, residential and commercial construction, renovations and remodeling, the services currently offered by Crown Inc. also include landscaping and lawn care, snow removal, cleaning, appliance installation and repair, kitchen and bathroom work, cabinetry, tile and hardwood flooring, demolition and mold mitigation.

The Spencer entrepreneurs have also chosen to lease space on their one acre of industrial and commercial-zoned property. For example, Eric Weeks, the Hard Tops of Iowa owner, has chosen to lease the west side of the site's warehouse. Plans are also in place to rent the two buildings behind the Crown Inc. office as indoor, insulated storage areas, as well as allow camper, recreational vehicle and boat parking on site.

* Contact information for Crown Inc., which is located at 204 W. Eighth St. in Spencer, includes the office telephone, (712) 580-5464, and e-mail, crowninc@smunet.net.