Worthington Integrated Building Systems is partnering with the METALCON International trade show and Homes for Our Troops to build a home for injured U.S. Marine Corps veteran Cpl. Evan Morgan and his family.
The donation continues a METALCON tradition of donating a structure built for the show to a non-profit organization or worthy cause when the show is finished. W-IBS is donating all framing and truss materials for the structure, and Bruce Ward, head of construction for W-IBS’ northwest division, is leading the process of building the structure. The show will air Oct. 3 – 5, 2007.
Deployed to Iraq in 2003, Morgan was seriously injured in January 2005 while with a U.S. Army Special Forces unit that was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As a result of the IED, he lost his left leg below the knee, his right leg above the knee, and the sight in his right eye. After three months in the hospital, he spent a year in a physical rehabilitation center in Bethesda, Md. In February 2006, he moved home to Bakersfield, Calif., where he now lives in a rented house with his wife Jillian and 3-month-old daughter Sophie. With the assistance of prosthetics, Morgan not only walks but he also swims and bikes in triathlons and is focusing on long-distance running next.
“It’s special for all of us to be involved in unique projects like this one, where we can apply our experience in building thousands of steel-framed homes for military families nationwide,” said Ralph Roberts, president of W-IBS. “The Morgan’s steel-framed house will be an 1800-square-foot structure with three bedrooms and two baths designed to be handicap accessible.”
W-IBS is a single-source solution for mid-rise, military, and single-family residential construction. The W-IBS solution provides design, engineering, and installation through a panelized system approach that speeds installation and improves coordination of the mechanical and electrical trades. W-IBS has built more than 6000 military housing units from Hawaii to South Carolina, and has nine housing projects currently underway in Hawaii, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Worthington Industries is a leading diversified metal processing company with annual sales of approximately $3 billion. The Columbus, Ohio, based company is a premiere North American value-added steel processor and a leader in manufactured metal products such as metal framing, metal ceiling grid systems, pressure cylinders, automotive past model service stampings and laser welded blanks. The company employs more than 8,000 people and operates 67 facilities in 10 countries.
Founded in 1955, the company operates under a long-standing corporate philosophy rooted in the golden rule, with earning money for its shareholders as the first corporate goal. This philosophy, an unwavering commitment to the customer, and one of the strongest employee/employer partnerships in American industry serve as the company’s foundation.