For a local Highland woman like Diane Gilomen, there’s no better place to work than The Korte Company.
That’s why she’s sad to leave after 36 years in the accounting department.
In that time, she’s seen a lot change in the company and the construction industry. She’s gone from submitting invoices on paper to practically everything being done electronically.
But the friendships she made along the way will never change.
From Highland High to The Korte Company
Diane was born in The Korte Company’s hometown of Highland, Illinois.
She worked at a local nursing home before she graduated from Highland High School. She then left for college but returned and married Ronnie Gilomen, a local man who worked for JF Electric.
And Highland is where they stayed, raising two children who are now grown and off on their own, one married in Missouri and another living in Illinois.
Until 1988, Diane worked at a men’s clothing store with long evening and weekend shifts. Her brother-in-law, Dan Hurford, was an architect at The Korte Company and connected her with an opening that fit her skillset.
Diane applied, got the job, “and I’ve been here 36 years since,” she said. “And always in accounting.”
Diane liked that The Korte Company was a family business, even within her family. Dan and Diane’s sister had met there when she was a secretary. “Everybody knows Korte here in Highland,” she said. “That was a big draw.”
Diane started in accounts payable, and she’s been there ever since. At first, the construction industry was intimidating. But she didn’t let it get her down for long.
“Oh, it was absolutely new,” she said. “I didn’t know construction at all. And I’ve loved it ever since.”
Diane was hired as Deb Gall went on maternity leave before returning part-time. When she came back, Deb helped Diane learn the finer points of the accounting department.
“She taught me a lot over the years,” Diane said. “[For a while,] we did all the posting, all the filing, all the writing, all of that just the two of us. She just retired two years ago. She was here 40 years, and I called her my work wife because we were together 35 years.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same
While her core responsibilities remain the same, the technology she uses has changed a lot.
When she started in ’88, invoice approvals were made on carbon paper and delivered to the superintendents in individual mailboxes. Now she just scans the invoices, routes them out to the superintendents and get approvals right away.
While the internet made much of her job simpler, it also made it less social. Her favorite subcontractors don’t come in for their checks anymore. Most of the project superintendents are on faraway jobsites. Diane misses the chance to share stories with more of her coworkers, especially on Fridays when the special soda machine dispensed free beer.
“On Fridays, everybody stood around [that soda machine] and kind of told stories,” she said. “It was interesting to hear what happened in the field versus what we see on paper every day. It was fun to hear all their stories, but there were so many jobs here in the area that all the superintendents were in this area. Back then, you met everybody, and it was just fun.”
Diane doesn’t get to socialize with as many coworkers these days, but she still has a group of friends who regularly get together.
“I have several good friends here that I consider family,” she said.
They all work in different departments. Shelley Kauhl is in insurance, Susie Bast is in payroll, Sandy Grapperhaus is an executive administrative assistant, and Nancy Tebbe is a field administrative assistant.
Shelly, Nancy and Diane all started in the same year, joining Susie and Sandy who were already working at The Korte Company.
“We’ve just been here 30 some years together. We’ve gotten married, had our children and grandchildren, helped each other when our parents passed. We really are family.”
Working at The Korte Company helped her keep up with her at-home family, too.
“I was able to raise my family and go to holiday parties at school, spelling bees, and sporting events,” she said. “Back in the day, that wasn’t the norm. If you had a job in St. Louis, you couldn’t come home for a track meet here in Highland or a football practice at 5 p.m. I could run and do stuff for my kids and still be here and get work done. I love the fact that I live and work in Highland.”
Ups and downs, and more ups
Diane has been with The Korte Company through good times and bad. And she always knew which was coming. Light invoicing weeks meant slow times ahead and heavy weeks signaled good times ahead.
The good times outweighed the bad and then some. The company now works in states from coast to coast. And that’s meant a lot of work for the accounting department. But it’s also Diane’s favorite part of working in construction. Even if she never gets to go to the jobsite, she loves knowing she’s a part of building across America.
“One of my favorite things to do is watch the jobsite photo slide at our company meetings,” she said. “It’s something to be proud of. You can say ‘I was a part of that.’ Yeah, we’re not on the front line, but I feel like we’re still helping each one of those projects get done.”
Diane runs bank reports daily to account for all the money for projects across various states. Every transaction — EFT, credit card payment or otherwise — must be logged. Then she ensures all the subcontractors are paid, along with the third parties that the subcontractor hired.
Retirement plans
Diane will retire at age 60, just like her husband.
She plans to enjoy spending time at home and traveling — just not doing a month-end closing.
“I’ve been here for 36 years, and I think I’ve only missed four month-end closings for my two maternity leaves,” she said. “Otherwise, you’re here for every month end. I think the first month end I’m not here, I’m going away for the weekend.”
Diane is the first of her friends to retire, but she doesn’t think she’ll be the only one for long. She’s looking forward to the retirement pool parties.
But as for her last day, she hopes to leave without a big “hoopla.” She just wants to sneak out the door and walk straight into the sunset.
“I just want to go out quietly,” she said. “I want to fly under the radar and just be gone.”
Whether she makes a stealthy exit or not, Diane won’t be soon forgotten.
There’s always another “beer thirty” on the clock. She won’t have easy access to the old soda machine, but there are still plenty of times to share with her lifelong friends from The Korte Company.
