Written By: Steve Daniels, Account Executive at BlueGrace Logistics – 855.878.2556
For 20 years the Jeremiah Chapel has been home to daily chapel service, summer camps and conferences for the students of Cedarville University. After 7 straight years of record student enrollment numbers the university’s board of trustees voted in favor of a $3 million dollar renovation project of the chapel which would raise the seating capacity to close to 3,500 seats.
Associate Vice President for Operations, Rod Johnson, states that the primary goal of the renovation was to give students a facility to worship and study in that is completely refreshed in both look and feel. Elsewhere on campus a $1 million renovation to the campus operation center is near completion. The operations center is vital to the maintenance of the campus grounds.
300 Church Pews Loaded & Shipped
All hands were on deck on April 19th as students and a crew from a BlueGrace Logistics client loaded close to 300 of the chapel’s original pews into multiple truckloads headed towards their final destination in North Carolina. On April 20th, students enjoyed the final chapel service of the year while seated on the floor of the chapel, but when they return for the 2016 – 2017 academic year they’ll be comfortably seated in new movie theater style seats that will be fully installed by the renovation’s completion in August.
In addition to the seating upgrades the facility is receiving, there will also be updates to the chapel’s carpeting and paint. Eco-friendly LED lighting will be installed to lower energy consumption and students will also enjoy upgrades to the chapel’s audio, video and IT systems.
While students lent a hand in the loading of the trucks arranged by BlueGrace, they aren’t at all financially responsible for the $3 million renovation the chapel is undergoing. The renovations are being financed exclusively from private donations instead of student tuition or fees.
Difficult Shipments Made Simple
The old pews removed from the chapel won’t be going to waste in a landfill somewhere. The BlueGrace client responsible for the removal of the pews has partnered with Steve Daniels from the BlueGrace Truckload Team for years on projects just like this. After removal of the pews from the job site they are transported to the client’s warehouse where their company will begin extensive restoration work. The pews will then be sold at a discount to churches all across the United States. Often these pews are sold to churches who are in desperate need of new pews as their old pews may have been badly damaged in floods, fires or other natural disasters, or simply need replacing due to years of wear and tear.
BlueGrace Logistics is proud to be able to give back to the community, whether it be through local projects, charity events or our annual Cats Vs. Dog food drive. This shipment was another example of how even indirectly, we can help schools or communities through our logistics services.
About Cedarville University
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,711 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.
