by Barb Riley
Bj Thompson Associates

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College recently dedicated its new Andrew W. Frech Press Box Facility during an invitational track and field meet. It was named for the founder and chairman of the board of Goshen company Ancon Construction, which built the school’s Roman Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center and some of its new student housing. Ancon donated the press box facility to the school and has donated materials and labor in the past for other Goshen projects, such as Oaklawn Foundation.

During the dedication ceremony, Goshen College president James E. Brenneman praised Frech for moving 20 years ago to make Ancon an ESOP company and for his leadership and contributions within the community.

“Andy exemplifies servant leadership, one of our school’s strong core values. We are only one institution in a long string of beneficiaries of Ancon’s philanthropy under Andy’s guidance,” Brenneman stated. “We at Goshen College are committed to the education and spiritual health and well-being of our students, and that applies to all 14 of our athletic teams, some of which are here today. The greatest honor we can give to Andy, in both personal victory or defeat, is to run the race as well as he has: competitively, fairly, honorably, but above all, with Christian-centered values.”

Frech said he was “honored and humbled” by all the attention he was receiving at the ceremony where he was presented with a plaque by college representatives. Of his decision to turn the company over to employee ownership, he said he is “most proud that the employees at Ancon decided to make the effort to give something back, which to me is the golden life.”

He also had some words of wisdom for the students in attendance. “Looking back on the last 33 years in this business, what I want to say to the students is keep your nose to the grindstone,” he said. “Be patient and persistent, and when you look back, you’ll be amazed at what you accomplished.”

Some of those students currently live in the new student housing that Ancon recently finished. Senior Jeff Hochstetler, 22, said the new housing is “great. It’s very homey and comfortable.” As for the athletic center, he said it is “miles ahead” of some other colleges’ facilities. “It allows for indoor meets, even for events like shot put,” Hochstetler commented. “All the centers we compete in these days are newer, but what makes ours better is that it’s so multipurpose for the space we have. We just use every square foot in it.”

Brenneman said he was pleased to have a facility at the college with Frech’s name on it. “I love to walk around campus and tell stories of the people whose names are on the buildings,” he said. “It reminds us that how one runs the race of life does, in fact, matter.”