Growing and diversifying to better serve the community
By Jillian Chandler
Alan and Cathi Winkelseth have been blessed to call North Idaho home for the past 53 years. And for the last 26 of those years, they have been the proud owners of Wink, Inc.
“Our biggest inspiration is our children,” smiles Cathi. “From the beginning, we have sought to build a business to pass down to our next generation.”
What originally began as a logging company in 1995 was later converted into home construction and land development in the early 2000s. It wasn’t until 2012 that Cathi and her husband Alan purchased property in Moyie Springs that they would change direction of Wink, Inc. and start a gravel operation with their sons Wade and Jordan, and daughter Ashley.
“We were fortunate to have the first gravel pit approved in Boundary County in nearly three decades,” says Cathi. “Subsequently, we have been blessed with sustainable growth through our excavation services and gravel sales, which has shaped the company we are today.”
Wink, Inc. is an excavation and road building construction company. Their capabilities include site preparation for new development, building pads, underground utilities, demolition, gravel sales and delivery. As one of the few locally owned gravel suppliers, Wink Inc. strives to provide excellent quality aggregate at affordable prices paired with exceptional customer service.
Nearly all material prices have increased rapidly in recent years, but Wink, Inc. has worked tirelessly to keep up with the demand for crushed rock while continuing to offer their customers the same great, competitive prices. “In fact, our prices have remained unchanged in the last five years,” affirms Alan.
Wink, Inc. has continued to expand their crushing operation, providing even more aggregate products for the community. In recent years, they have been strategically preparing for the growth of the area by hiring a full-time civil engineer, and purchasing GPS-controlled machinery and survey equipment. In addition, Wink, Inc. is now offering design-build services, which can considerably cut costs and time by eliminating third-party engineering and surveying. Diversification has also led to the creation of their newest endeavor—Wink Bros. LLC.
Wink Bros. LLC, which specializes in road surfacing and chip seal paving, is the only private chip seal paving company in Boundary and Bonner counties. “Chip sealing requires hot summer days and will be a short season, so don’t wait to get on our list!” says Alan.
The Winkelseths find the work they do truly fulfilling and the end result gratifying. “The great thing about construction is getting to visually see your progress every day,” says Alan. “But nothing is as rewarding as supporting our community by continuing to hire/buy local and seeing our community prosper.”
Alan and Cathi enjoy having the opportunity to work together as a family, while growing their business relationships with local contractors and homeowners. And they attribute the continued success of the business to their greatest asset—their hard-working, dedicated employees.
As spring will soon make its arrival, with summer to quickly follow, be sure to reach out to Wink, Inc. for all of your crushing, hauling and excavation needs, and Wink Bros. LLC for your road surfacing and paving projects. With more than two decades of experience, you can trust you’re in good hands.
Wink Inc.
Highway 2
Moyie Springs, Idaho
208.267.5804