This Morton-based restoration company has a new name, a new owner — and new services

Steve Stein
·3 min read
Menold employee Christopher Angeli unplugs equipment while co-worker Angie Semon reads the moisture levels of a home in Washington on Nov. 22, 2021.
Menold employee Christopher Angeli unplugs equipment while co-worker Angie Semon reads the moisture levels of a home in Washington on Nov. 22, 2021.

MORTON -- One of Morton's most well-known and longstanding businesses has a new name.

Menold Construction and Restoration, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2017, was acquired this fall by BluSky Restoration Contractors and now carries that company's name.

Denver-based BluSky is one of the largest restoration companies in the U.S., with 40 offices in 18 states and about 1,000 employees.

Jeff Neihouser, formerly Menold's chief operating officer and now a BluSky vice president, said the merger will provide job security for Menold's approximately 80 employees because of BluSky's national operation.

"At a time when there is so much instability and uncertainty in the business world, we have stability for our Menold employees, which makes me very happy," Neihouser said.

It will also mean an expansion in the kinds of work Menold employees perform.

What else employees are doing now

Commercial roofing and restoration of health-care facilities have been added to Menold's service offerings, which focus on residential and commercial structural damage restoration and repair work, Neihouser said.

Salvage business: Once home to cars and soda-pop bottles, Peoria building reopens with architectural salvage

BluSky has a health-care facility restoration training facility in Memphis, Tenn.

"We've already taken and accepted calls for services that we previously had to turn down," Neihouser said.

Menold owners Jeff Neihouser and Jon Stapel stand in the front lobby of the construction and restoration business on Nov. 22, 2021.
Menold owners Jeff Neihouser and Jon Stapel stand in the front lobby of the construction and restoration business on Nov. 22, 2021.

In addition to its headquarters office in Morton, Menold has offices in Normal and Mahomet.

The company serves residential and commercial clients in 22 central Illinois counties including the Peoria area and western Illinois.

Visible during Peoria-area disaster recovery

While business is usually brisk at Menold, some days in recent years have stood out.

The company received about 900 calls from across the state April 17, 2013, because of flooding. Later that year, Nov. 17, the EF-4 tornado that ripped through Tazewell County resulted in many calls.

Not restored: Two familiar sites were destroyed by Washington's 2013 tornado. Why they haven't rebuilt

Then there was the Dec. 29, 2015, ice storm that left area residents with water in their basements and no electricity for days, which resulted in hundreds of calls.

Menold was founded in 1977 by Tom Menold, a U.S. Army veteran.

In 2004, the company purchased and renovated the 32,000-square-foot former Tazewell Publishing building at 888 W. Jefferson St. in Morton that serves as the company's headquarters.

Neihouser and two other men purchased the company from Tom Menold about 18 months ago and sold the company to BluSky.

Neihousen said he and his co-owners looked for a merger partner for several months. BluSky was the most attractive.

"We did our due diligence," Neihouser said. "BluSky has similar business values as Menold."

Menold employee Angie Semon writes down her findings while doing a temperature check for a home in Washington on Nov. 22, 2021.
Menold employee Angie Semon writes down her findings while doing a temperature check for a home in Washington on Nov. 22, 2021.

'Its longevity says something'

The acquisition of Menold Restoration marks the sixth merger in four years by BluSky, which began as a startup in 2004.

BluSky does restoration, renovation, environmental and roofing work for properties damaged by water, fire, storms and other disasters in the continental U.S. and continental U.S. island communities.

"Their company culture and ours align closely," said BluSky President Drew Bisping, who praised Menold Restoration for having an "outstanding reputation in the restoration community."

Lisa Tran, BluSky's national director of marketing, called BluSky's acquisition of Menold Restoration a no-brainer.

"Menold is such a well-known name in our business, and its longevity says something," she said. "Thanks to their management and employees, they have survived and thrived in the ups and downs of the economy."

New Morton business: This Peoria barbecue restaurant has expanded to a former steakhouse in Morton

BluSky CEO Kent Stemper now oversees Menold Restoration's day-to-day operations, but Neihouser still serves as the company spokesman.

"Even though it has a different name, Menold is the same company today as it was yesterday," Neihouser said. "Same people, same work, same level of value, different banner."

Steve Stein can be reached at (248) 224-2616 or stevestein21@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpartanSteve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Menold Construction and Restoration now BluSky Restoration Contractors