Home > News > Riley Children’s Hospital Celebrates Topping Off Ceremony, Simon Family Tower Completes Construction Milestone Riley Children’s Hospital Celebrates Topping Off Ceremony, Simon Family Tower Completes Construction Milestone Indianapolis, IN (March 2008): Construction of the ten-story Riley Children’s Hospital Phase V expansion project, the Simon Family Tower, celebrated a key milestone on March 4th with a topping off ceremony. Officials from Lenex Steel, Pepper Construction, Ben Hur Construction, Jacobs Engineering, Riley Children’s Foundation, and Clarian Health Partners gathered with patients, families and members of the Riley family to mark this important occasion. Selected to fabricate, furnish and install the structural steel for the project, Lenex produced 6,000 tons of structural steel and miscellaneous metals to support the tower's 10-story framework. As construction progressed, ironworkers discovered this was no ordinary project. The tower’s location positioned the workers in close proximity to the patients. Fascinated by the work taking place outside their windows, the children began to leave notes on the windows for the workers. The workers began to write back. Relationships formed and friendships grew. Mike Berghoff, president of Lenex, notes, "These children became a part of the construction family, and it was not uncommon to find workers shedding a tear or two as the work they were doing took on a more personal meaning." The topping off ceremony became a celebration of the relationships formed. The ceremonial beam was placed in the hospital lobby for patients, families, hospital workers and construction workers to sign. By March 4, the beam was covered in powerful messages of thanks and marked the journeys of the children who will continue to benefit from the hospital's expansion project. Part of Riley's 10-year strategic plan, construction of the Simon Family Tower is the first step towards meeting its goal to be one of the largest and best children’s hospitals in the nation. Lenex won the contract to provide the fabricated steel for the project in 2007. Upon completion, the Simon Family Tower will add 675,000 square feet and 288 new hospital beds. Lenex is an Indianapolis-based steel fabricator and full service design/build firm that provides structural and miscellaneous steel for projects throughout the region. Its 150,000 square foot fabrication facility is located in Terre Haute. Lenex also operates a miscellaneous steel fabrication facility in Indianapolis and is headquartered on the north side of Indianapolis. To learn more about the company, visit www.lenexsteel.com.