Destin Water Users, Inc. Unveils Richard F. Griswold Building

On Monday, March 4, Destin Water Users, Inc. (DWU) celebrated the completion of their newest building, the Richard F. Griswold Building, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication luncheon.

Located at 14 Industrial Park Lane, the Richard F. Griswold Building started out as a dream that began in 2010 when then DWU general manager, Richard Griswold, began making plans to convert the existing inventory buildings into offices to consolidate all the plant personnel under one roof. His hope was to improve coordination within the company and facilitate teamwork between employees. However, due to space and structural limitations of the existing buildings, the project was put on hold.

After Hurricane Michael and its proximity to Destin, DWU picked up the project again in 2019 as it was clear the new facility was needed to not only bring the team together, but to withstand another hurricane and be prepared to start recovery efforts as soon as possible. After extensive planning and thoughtful design, construction began on the new project in 2022.
“We live and work in a little piece of paradise, and DWU is intent on doing our part to keep it that way,” said DWU president Tom Weidenhamer.

The dedication brought together representatives from each company who played an integral part in creating the new building, as well as the DWU Board of Directors, employees, and community members.

“I want to give a special thank you to Monica Wallis and Paul Reese for their efforts managing the project on behalf of DWU,” Weidenhamer said.

Wednesday’s ceremony honored Walbridge, who served as the construction manager for the project, along with Dell Consulting and Michael Baker International (MBI) who designed the building and helped foster the project from concept to completion. United Community Bank was also honored during the ceremony for financing the project as well as Emerald Coast Office Products who assisted in furnishing the new facility. 

“This building, this dream that we are dedicating in honor of former General Manager Richard F Griswold, proves our commitment to be prepared to serve the members of DWU in fair or in foul weather,” Weidenhamer said. “We hope it serves our company, team, and community well into the future.”