Two decades after arriving in Downtown Evansville, Bowen is expanding its office space at 233 S.E. Third St. to benefit the community as well as the firm.
Founded in Indianapolis in 1967, the general contracting firm originally specialized in municipal water and wastewater facilities, and its scope has grown with energy and industrial projects. Regional work includes facilities for the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility, CenterPoint Energy, Alcoa Warrick Operations, and SABIC.
Bowen rented 2,500 square feet on Morgan Avenue in 1999 but outgrew it within seven years. When company officials considered sites outside city limits, then-Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel encouraged them to come Downtown, where Bowen bought its attractive Tudor building.
“He was a big supporter and helped lure us to Downtown, and we’ve had no regrets ever since,” Vice President of Business Development and Marketing Jeff Purdue says. “Our employees love working Downtown. The revitalization of Downtown has been impressive. We are really excited to be part of that.”
The firm’s recent expansion by Empire Contractors branches off the original Tudor-style building and brings Bowen’s total square footage above 40,000. Key features are an expansive training center, a glass-enclosed executive boardroom, and second-floor offices — all needed additions as the firm has grown to around 90 fulltime local team members.
“This building was an accumulation of partnerships we’ve had. A lot of the local construction companies we are able to utilize outside in our normal day-to-day business also helped us build this,” explains Executive Vice President Aaron Purdue, Jeff’s brother. “Being able to work with them and help us bring this to Downtown has been a really positive thing.”
Bowen’s commitment to philanthropy also has a place in the renovated office. The company was involved in leadership groups for construction of projects such as Granted’s House of Hope and Mickey’s Kingdom, and the firm’s new 125-person training center is open for use by local agencies.
Jeff notes that a Bowen employee has started a nonprofit endeavor of her own to expose grade school students to the construction industry trades. He also points to Bowen’s relationships with engineering programs at the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana — Bowen has hired talent from both institutions.
“We really empower our employees,” Jeff says. “We’re going to work hard, but anything we can do to share our time, talent, and treasure to make the community better is worthwhile because the community makes us better.”
