SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today the winners from the recent 30th annual Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward awards, and one of the five winners is a Centralia contracting business.

DePew & Owen Builders, Inc., was awarded Prime of the Primes for their achievements and efforts that helped to grow and support minority- and female-owned businesses in 2019.

Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward is a two-day conference sponsored by IDOT’s Office of Business and Workforce Diversity to provide the tools and resources that help firms participate in state projects through the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.

Held Feb. 10 and 11, this year’s conference drew almost 400 participants, representing a variety of prime contractors and subcontractors. It was the largest crowd ever in the history of the conference.