Editor’s Note:
This is part of Equipment World's in-depth series that explores the troubling state of mental health in the construction industry and what can be done about it.
Also in this series: Why the Industry's Suicide Rate So High?
Roger Wenning had always been able to handle whatever life threw at him, and mental health was not something he talked or thought about much.
He’s the owner of Wenning Excavating and Drainage in Greensburg, Indiana, and a lifelong farmer. Both occupations give him a lot of time to himself, independence and loads of responsibility.
“You're a tough guy,” he says. “You don't have problems. You do your work on your own. You don’t need help.
“And that's what I believed.”
That all changed five years ago. His grandson Travis lost his 10-month battle with cancer. He was only 6 years old.
“We were awful close,” Wenning says. “He loved farming, the excavating stuff.
