Construction progresses on Mevert Automotive HQ

Construction of Mevert Automotive's new headquarters on the former Bockhorn Motors site on State Route 150/4 is coming along, as wood framing went up last week on the roughly 6,200-square-foot building.
Mevert Automotive owner Matt Mevert said the new building will be about the same size as his current facility, but will make a more efficient use of space with an eight-bay design that features three vehicle bays in front and five on the backside.
"I am truly grateful," said Mevert, who got his start in the automotive industry as a high schooler at the same site his headquarters is being built on. "It's great that the town of Steeleville and the city officials are so good about working with businesses and promoting business expansion."
The Village of Steeleville approved a tax increment financing agreement with Mevert that helped pave the way for the expansion. Empire Earth and Concrete, a Coulterville-based business, will move into Mevert Automotive's current facility after the new building is occupied.
"I'm just thankful that the people of the community have been so great to us and have allowed us to do this," Mevert said. "This expansion is really a testament to the support of our customers and the people in this town supporting local business. We sure can't ask for much more than that."
Mevert noted that the new building will have some office space and a reception area.
"We'll have a little nicer customer area than what we have now," he said.
The new headquarters continues an automotive tradition at the site, which started in the mid-1940s when part-owners Wayne Bockhorn and Edison Fiene constructed a Dodge-Plymouth dealership.
An addition was built in the late 1940s, followed by a body shop in the 1970s. Kenny Bockhorn later joined his brother Wayne as owners, with Kenny becoming sole owner in 1971.
The Bockhorn Motors building changed hands several times over the next few decades before being purchased by the Village of Steeleville for $250,000 in 2015. It was demolished in March of 2016.
"I didn't want to see an old deteriorating business there and it was my vision to have the business there and get that property back to being a functional business again," Mevert said. "It's great that the people of this community give you opportunities and support to make this all happen."
Mevert noted he hopes to be operating out of the new building by the end of this year.