FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — In Fond du Lac, one of the most iconic structures is undoubtedly the lighthouse, which was built in the early 1930's.
Ron Spies, the CEO of Spies Painting Inc., says the lighthouse has been a part of his life for a long time.
"I've been with the company since I was a little kid, but started full-time in about '68," Spies said.
For the Spies family, working on a local legacy meant building their own.
Fourth-generation painter Landon Spies is the latest to join the company tradition.
"It seems more like an honor than anything," Spies said. "Just seeing how happy people are when they turn and see the result."
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While the Spies family just wrapped up work recently on repainting the lighthouse, the President of the company, Erik Spies, says it's changed over the years from when they started with pulley systems.
"It progressed to scaffolding use around the perimeter of the lighthouse," Spies said. "Now we are able to use boom lifts and stuff. So its a lot more productive and a lot safer."
Ron says that he's extremely proud of his family, and the work they have done over the numerous decades.
"I wish my dad was still alive, so that he could see where we have come with what he started," Spies said.
While Landon continues to learn and grow in the family business, he hopes to lead it to the century mark and beyond, just as they have been painting at Lakeside Park for over 70 years.
