The Board of Directors of the Ohio Land Improvement Contractors Association is pleased to announce the availability of a limited number of academic scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $500 each to selected recipients.

​To qualify, each applicant must:

• be the child or grandchild of an OLICA member in good standing (membership dues paid up to date) 
• be a high school graduate; or graduating senior for the current school year
• have been admitted to or currently enrolled in an accredited two or four-year post-secondary learning institution
• submit this application with all required fields filled in, along with the required supporting documents:
  • Letters of Recommendation: TWO letters of recommendation describing your academic accomplishments, community service, and/or leadership experiences, 1 letter must be from a teacher or professor and 1 from a member of the community who has known you for at least 5 years. Contact information needs to be included for each reference. 
  • Essay: In 500 words or less, describe your academic, vocational, and personal career goals and how this scholarship can help you accomplish your goals.
  • Transcripts: A copy of your most recent high school, college, or technical school transcript. 

Recipients will be awarded a $500 scholarship to use towards tuition, books, and/or fees. Awards will be presented January 4, 2019 at the Ohio LICA Awards Banquet. Recipients will be notified and are invited and highly encouraged to be in attendance. Scholarship check will be sent directly to the institution for deposit into the student's account. 

Applications must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2018. 

The application may be found at https://form.jotform.com/olica/2019-scholarship-application

The 2018 National LICA Summer Convention was held July 9-15 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ohio members from Cy Schwieterman Inc. and Inbody Drainage Company Inc. and their families made the trip north to attend the convention with many others from all over. The week was full of tours, seminars, and fun for all ages. Tuesday started off the convention with tours of a local family-owned mint farm of more than 2000 acres, lunch at AgroLiquid, and a tour of Steenblik Dairy which houses 3450 milking cows.

​​Wednesday, we headed from Grand Rapids to Silver Lake to enjoy a ride on the sand dunes and gorgeous views. ​We stopped along the lake for a bit to take in the beauty. The kids loved getting their feet wet in the lake and cooling off. Just look at the fun they had!

Next on the day's journey was The Fox Barn. We arrived at the winery for a light lunch and wine tasting. We were able to explore the grounds and shop their winery for some new favorite wines after the meal. The Foxes are a five generation farm. 

Thursday, the Schwieterman and Gerten families enjoyed John Ball Zoo, before heading to Associate's Night that evening. Members could attend a variety of seminars throughout the day as well. 

Friday, the Schwietermans visited the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, and the Gertens visited the Gerald R. Ford Museum. A variety of meetings took place throughout the morning and early evening for members as part of the convention. 

Saturday, the convention was coming to an end with the National LICA Board Meeting held in the morning just after breakfast. After the meeting Ohio members walked across the bridge to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. There, they saw a little bit of everything, from history of things in Grand Rapids to a Be an Astronaut exhibit and a carousal ride. The kids, and adults, really enjoyed their time there. 

The Schwietermans also attended the AIS Construction Equipment Skills Competition on Saturday afternoon, where they got to test out equipment. 

As you can tell, we all had a very busy, fun filled week at the National LICA Summer Convention. From tours, to exploring the area, to meetings and seminars, we all found something to do at the convention. We can't wait for the next time!

With that, I will leave you with the future of OLICA...Urban Schwieterman and Case Gerten. Someday, they will follow in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers with this amazing organization and love of equipment, and have made great friends along the way!