June 1, 1980 – retired August 28, 2024. CFC’s first downtown project was the Graham Plaza, an iconic building on Bloomington’s downtown square. Renovation of the Graham property began on March 1, 1979. CFC hired Pritchett Brothers as the general contractor, and Rick started working on the Graham Plaza as a Pritchett Brothers employee. Once the construction was finished, Rick was hired by CFC as a Maintenance Technician on June 1, 1980.
Although Rick has served as a maintenance technician for several CFC buildings over the last four decades, he continued to oversee the Graham Plaza, which officially opened in 1982. “It has been a blessing to have someone on at the beginning of construction and continue with its maintenance and operation. Rick’s love and care of the building has proven to keep one of the finest office buildings in Bloomington going all these years,” stated Steve Ferguson, then President of CFC Properties and current Chairman of the Board for Cook Group Inc.
Rick has shown true dedication during his time at CFC. He has often stayed ‘on-duty’ overnight in extreme weather, ensuring he was available for anything needed at our properties or by our tenants and guests. Rick’s 44 years of perfect attendance is astounding. He has the second-highest record of perfect attendance within the entire Cook organization!
Rick is very creative; he used galvanized conduit and large C5 light bulbs to make a giant candle that was placed on the north side of Graham Plaza. It was hung by means of a pulley, with all maintenance staff on-hand to help hoist it atop the Graham Plaza porte-cochère (canopy). After the candle was retired, CFC began displaying a large Christmas tree on the Graham canopy.
Rick’s manager, Shane Salzmann, said, “I always appreciate the cleanliness and organization of Rick’s maintenance and mechanical rooms. I can always count on him maintaining his rooms the same as they were over 20 years ago. I’ve never seen anything out of place.”
Rick also kept a drum set in the Graham maintenance room for 39 years. He played it early in the morning before tenants showed up. He also had a weight bar and some dumbbells in the room so that he could periodically lift.
Rick’s dedication to his craft and to the people he works with has led to long friendships with employees and tenants. He’s been a dependable, and friendly fixture in downtown Bloomington and always greets everyone with a smile.
Rick’s expertise has been invaluable to CFC Properties throughout the years, and he will be missed by his co-workers and the tenants. We wish Rick all the best in his retirement!
