WILICA Defined

An Overview
The Wisconsin Land Improvement Contractors Association (WILICA) is one of 26 state chapters of the National Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA). The Wisconsin chapter was initially incorporated in 1968 by a group of excavating contractors, University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture representatives, government agency representatives, and other like-minded individuals seeking to encourage responsible land development and economic growth. The initiators of WILICA quickly recognized a commonality with the existing LICA organization, established in 1950, and was chartered under the auspices of the national organization.

Anyone who moves dirt for a living should consider joining the Land Improvement Contractors of America (LICA). Our members range from “owner-operator” contractors to large construction businesses with over 200 employees. They are a cross-section of contractors who improve and protect our precious land. A contractor membership in Wisconsin LICA includes membership in National LICA and access to all of the National LICA benefits and programs.

LICA Contractors Are Unsung Heroes
LICA members are unsung heroes in our society, who never get the credit for what they do. They build churches, schools, senior citizen homes and complexes, hospitals, parks, athletic fields, golf courses, all of which add to the quality of our life, while protecting our natural resources. LICA, through its national office in Lisle, Illinois, its 23 state chapters, and members-at-large strive to improve the members’ business climate by working for better legislation and regulations, keeping members abreast of the latest changes in the laws impacting their companies, and providing training in the latest technology. Our members are well prepared.

A Brief History of LICA
For almost 75 years, LICA contractors have paved the way for our country’s growth and expansion. We have contractors from coast to coast, providing a wide range of services: grading, excavating, drainage, landscaping, paving, wetland development, terraces and waterways, and site preparation, just to name a few. Our contractors work in urban and rural areas, on farms and in neighborhoods. They work with dedication and commitment to the professional conservation of soil and water. If you are a contractor, you should become a member of this great association and enjoy its many benefits!

LICA Objectives
The aim of the Association is to encourage high standards of workmanship in resource management and to promote enterprises in land improvement contracting. This association of contractors brings together people who have similar interests in improving and preserving our natural resources, with an adequate profit.

LICA Benefits
Along with many commodity, safety, and health programs, the organization offers numerous training and networking opportunities for its members. At national and state conventions, seminars are offered in safety programs, management techniques, insurance and many other topics. Our programs and meetings provide opportunities for our members to network and find better, more efficient ways to run their businesses and do their jobs. We offer members support to be efficient entrepreneurs and to run their businesses safely and profitably.

Field Days
Many state chapters conduct field days. A field day provides an opportunity for contractors, associates, universities and municipalities to work together to learn about new applications through demonstrations of equipment and cutting-edge products.

Our Vision Statement

LICA will be an effective partner to its members supporting their capability in assisting landowners and users in the stewardship of our nation’s precious natural resources by providing leadership and training, improving communications, promoting sound financial management, and providing representation to federal, state and local legislative bodies on natural resource issues.

Our Mission Statement
To promote the economic interests of association members by supporting education and legislation which will advance our founding principles of Soil, Water, and Environmental Stewardship.

A Little History
The Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) was founded in Missouri in 1941 by a group of, primarily, terracing contractors in an attempt to promote the proper management of soil and water, with the ultimate goal being the preservation of precious topsoil. Other contractors soon began to take notice of those contractors’ success and formed their own LICA state chapters, resulting in the founding of the National LICA in 1951. Wisconsin LICA was founded in 1968. Although LICA’s underlying activity is still topsoil conservation, the organization has undergone many transformations over the years. Today, we represent construction companies from across the state which perform the following types of work:
Cable/Utility Installation Gravel/Rock Production Reclamation
Crane Services Hardscaping Road Boring/Drainage
Directional Boring Land Leveling Septic Systems
Drainage/Irrigation Landscaping Sewer/ Water/Underground Utilities
Dredging Open Ditch Work Site Preparation/Development
Earthmoving/Land Clearing On Site Waste Management Terraces/Waterways
Erosion Control Paving Trucking/Hauling
Excavating/Grading Ponds/Dams  Water Management