Third-grader Grant Forman and his father were at conferences at Sibley Elementary School when they noticed the wooden benches in the entrance were shoddy.

The boy asked his father, Jeremiah Forman, if Grandpa could fix the benches. Grandpa is John Forman, the president of Alamco Wood Products in Albert Lea.

The father, of course, told the son to ask the principal. Ross Williams gave Grant the OK. The third-grader then was persistent in reminding his grandfather and his principal to touch base on getting the project rolling.

“He was not going to allow the job to go undone,” Williams said.

Finally, they arranged for the work to be done during the school district’s winter break. It just so happened that Alamco’s employees had the time between Christmas and New Year’s off, too. Only the managers were there.

Grant came to Alamco and worked on the benches, John said. Production supervisor Lon Beckius helped, too, and added the varnish. He said the wood on the benches was replaced so they would be thicker and sturdier than before. Grant did a lot of sanding when he wasn’t in school that week.

John and Grant Forman, Beckius and Williams gathered on wintry Wednesday for a photograph. Grant is slated to be recognized by the Albert Lea school board on Jan. 19.