Community businesses step up to open visitor center

Businesses from across the Flathead Valley and the U.S. are working to put the finishing touches on the relocated Apgar Visitor Center before it opens its doors to visitors on May 17.

Talk about an enhanced visitor and discovery center near Apgar has been going on for more than 15 years. The first step is finally being realized through commitment on the part of Glacier National Park and the Glacier National Park Conservancy, working in partnership with a number of private companies.

“We could only have realized this project because of Dewey Swank and Swank Enterprises’ leadership,” Glacier National Park Conservancy president and CEO Mark Preiss said. “When Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Plum Creek and HKS, Inc. stepped up to join them, we knew we had the team we needed to get this visitor center open in time for the summer season.”

Combined, these four companies have donated nearly all of the labor and materials for the project.

The center will open in the existing Apgar Transit Center. The interior will be remodeled to provide visitor services for about 2,000 people a day at the height of summer. The remodeling work was accomplished in a few short months.

Swank Enterprises, one of the largest construction companies in the Flathead Valley, led the effort, donating all time and expertise to the project.

“We knew we had a short timeline, and we were excited to tackle the challenge,” said Shawn Baker, of Swank Enterprises. “We thought it was doable, but we had no time to waste.”

Sun Electric, Scott’s Flooring, and Hagestad Painting were all invited by Swank to help out and lent considerable expertise to the project at or below cost.

Kalispell Regional Medical Center stepped forward and offered to build the cabinetry and the new sweeping visitor information desk, all of which has been custom-built in KRMC’s carpentry shop.

“I wanted to build a desk that my grandkids will see when they walk into the visitor center,” said John Richards, one KRMC’s carpenters.

KRMC was able to solicit additional donations from Valley Glass, Sherwin Williams, Western Building Center and Dupont Corian to cover and stain the desks and cabinets.

Plum Creek donated most of the specialty wood for the project, including material for all of the cabinets and visitor information desk. Locally sourced, the wood helps maintain the visitor center’s LEED Gold certification.

When asked to participate with a materials donation, Tom Ray, vice president of Plum Creek’s northwest resources, said, “How much do you want, and where do you want it? The park is a jewel and we are happy to support such an important project.”

Plum Creeke worked to deliver all of the materials to the KRMC carpentry shop, and found additional supplies as the project required.

HKS, Inc., a leading national architectural design firm, stepped forward to donate a unique architectural renovation plan for the center. Led by Mo Stein, principal and senior vice president for HKS and vice-chairman of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, the visitor center plans incorporate a nod to the Park’s rustic roots, while incorporating modern elements and technologies that visitors have come to expect today.

“Before you know it, thousands of people will be using this visitor center every day, and engaging families and children more than ever before,” Stein said.

HKS collaborated with CCRD Engineering Services, which donated engineering work related to the building’s systems, needed to ensure that the design was compatible with existing infrastructure.

“This project is a great example of folks coming together to leverage private resources to the greater benefit of Glacier National Park,” Preiss said. “This project to enhance the visitor experience would not have been possible except through the renewed leadership at the Park under superintendent Jeff Mow and his team, and Glacier Conservancy’s position to build new partnerships in the Flathead Valley.”