A large crowd of more than 1,000 members of the co-op and its community gathered on Saturday, September 24 for a dedication and open house of Mid-Ohio Energy’s new Kenton headquarters. 

  "Several years of careful planning and construction have resulted in this wonderful facility to serve our members and community," said President & CEO John Metcalf during an office dedication ceremony that kicked off the day's events. Metcalf also thanked the many groups– employees, community, local businesses, contractors, and co-op members– for making the project possible. 

  Gene McCluer, chairman of Mid-Ohio Energy's Board of Trustees, also addressed the crowd to thank all who "took those plans on paper and made them a reality for us." In thanking members, McCluer noted, "We've been working hard replacing old copper lines and poles, updating substations and controlling equipment, to give the best and most reliable electric service possible.  Thanks for your support as you've also recognized this was the time to update our facilities."

Several federal, state, and local ambassadors also attended the ceremony to wish the cooperative well. Offerings to the co-op included Congressman Robert Latta presenting Chairman McCluer with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol and Larry Park, Logan County Electric Cooperative trustee, presenting the co-op with a handmade wooden gavel for use in cooperative meetings. 

   Following the dedication, members of the cooperative and community received guided tours of the facilities while choosing from a variety of lunch and dessert options from local food vendors. Co-op linemen presented live electric line safety demonstrations. Children in attendance were able to get close-up views of the co-op's large bucket trucks and dress in full lineworker gear to pose for photos. 

The ability to accommodate such an event is one of the benefits of the new office, and Mid-Ohio Energy plans to make good use of the building's versatility. The 2017 Annual Meeting of Members will be held on-site. The office's large Community Room was designed as a state-of-the-art meeting facility that can be used by area non-profit organizations, groups, and businesses. In return for using the room, groups can make a voluntary donation to Mid-Ohio Energy's Community Fund.

The new 30,600 sq. ft. facility was also designed to be very energy efficient. Geothermal is in place to meet heating and cooling needs. LED and high-efficiency flourescent lights are used throughout the office and warehouse, paired with a great amount of natural lighting.

"Our prior location served us well for nearly 70 years. We aren't planning on going anywhere, we built this to meet our needs for a very long time," said Metcalf.