Heber Valley Visitor Center – Part II
With the decision made to re-roof the Heber Valley Visitor Center with Bellaforté Shake roofing tiles, county leaders turned to Utah Correctional Industries (UCI) for installation assistance. Started in 1997 in conjunction with the Division of Facilities and Construction Management, the roofing program provides job training to low risk inmates who have been cleared and qualified for the work release program.
"The objective is to enable prisoners to make a contribution to society," says Jason Manwaring, correctional industries supervisor for UCI. "The program helps reduce prison idleness while increasing inmate job skills that can improve the prospects for a successful transition back into the community when they're released.
For the re-roofing of the Heber Valley Visitors Center with simulated shake tiles, UCI inmates, under the supervision of Manwaring and Adam Pierce, learned skills associated with the easy-installation of Bellaforté Shake roofing tiles. "The DaVinci team was very supportive of this project, making it go smoothly for everyone involved," says Manwaring. "This is a product that is very self-explanatory to install and the inmates were able to complete the entire roofing project in less than two weeks."
According to Rachel Kahler with the visitors center, the inmates did exemplary work.
"These individuals were respectful, kind and professional," says Kahler. "Because we're in a high-profile location, we get 25,000 people cars passing us daily on Main Street. Whenever visitors stopped in our center during the roofing process, the inmates ensured the area was clean and the building accessible — all while working efficiently to have the roof installed in a timely manner."