Ribbon cutting RPJ Truck and Equipment Sales

Today a new business, RPJ Truck and Equipment Sales, had its Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting. It is located in the building just south of the John Deere dealership that previously housed MacAllister Equipment (before they moved to a new building east of the airport).

 I remember writing about this business many months ago when it was looking for a variance to open near Remington, but I cannot find that post. Plans for opening in Remington were abandoned and instead Rensselaer now has a heavy truck dealership.

 Most of the business is not local. The owner, Patience Taruwinga, teaches business at Saint Joseph's College and has for a number of years had an export business specializing in selling heavy equipment to Africa.  He now sells throughout the United States, with some of that local. The trucks in front are used and were once operated by Schilli. I learned today that if a semi is properly cared for, it can run for two million miles. (That is equivalent to four trips to the moon and back, or around the world about 80 times.)

The building does not have much in the front part other than a reception desk and a small side office. In the back there is space for truck repair and the business is searching for a mechanic. Currently repairs are being done across the highway at the Hopkins Trucking Company and if you look carefully at the first picture, you can see the owner of Hopkins Trucking on the left partially hidden behind in the second row.

Mr Taruwinga comes from Zimbabwe. The picture above includes his parents, wife and children, and a brother who I know from my association with CDC Resources. (I am on the board of directors.) Earlier this week CDC Resources had its annual meeting/banquet and at that banquet Sodexo Food Services of Saint Joseph's College won an Employer of the Year award for its efforts to hire people with developmental disabilities. The event was held in the gymnasium of the Reynolds School, and unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no pictures. However, here is a picture of the crowd holding candles (a fun part of the evening) and of the featured speaker, who is president of  the ARC of Indiana, along with the executive director of CDC Resources and two of our local state representatives, Doug Gutwein and Don Lehe.