Our March Member of the Month is Airmarking Co.  Pictured from left – Mayor Mark Smiley, chamber president Kendra Chudzynski, owners Greg Lowe and Steve Thomas, chamber executive director LIz Honeycutt and director Sharon Morris.

The Sentinel Photo/Mike Kenney

The Airmarking Company, Inc. was founded in 1948 by owner/operator Cale Walker.  The first few years the business painted Rooftop air markers.  Back in the early days the airplanes didn’t have radios, so they had to rely on the rooftop markers to give them directions to various towns and airfields.  This was done by painting directions on flat rooftops such as Rochester 3 miles, thus origin of the name the name ‘Airmarking Co’.  Through the years there were fewer rooftop air markers with the introduction of radios in airplanes.  The business evolved into painting parking lots and airport runways.

 The company incorporated in 1079 and Cale’s son John became more involved in the company and eventually became owner/operator of the company after Cale’s retirement.  Steve Thomas started as a laborer  in 1974 painting on the road with John.  He worked with John for over 20 years as a laborer moving into a crew chief and operator.  Steve was promoted to the administrative work around 1990 then vice president in 1991.  

In 1999 John had decided to retire and offered to sell the company to Steve Thomas and Greg Lowe, another employee who had worked for Airmarking Co. since 1979.  Greg had also worked up from the ranks os laborer to crew chief and operator to management.  Steve and Greg together with help from John were able to purchase the Airmarking Company.

 It has been a great business for both of them and also their employees who number from 12 – 15 in the summer.  It is strictly a fair weather business.  They do highway painting, epoxy painting, thermoplastic striping, snowplowable  raised pavement markers and various other products. They  do a lot of  subcontracting for the state of Indiana and also many various county and city jobs.  Airmarking has been a Chamber of Commerce member for over 30 years and has been in business for 64 years and hope to continue to be a successful business for many years to come.  

Steve Thomas says, “In the 40 years I have worked for the company I have seen it grow from 5 – 6 trucks to a fleet of 22 trucks and be very successful.  We will be forever grateful to John Walker and his family for the opportunity to pursue and eventually purchase this great company and what it means to Greg Lowe and his family and myself and my family.”