ORLEANS – On Saturday, March 14, 2026, on behalf of Governor Mike Braun (R – Jasper), State Senator Eric Koch (R – Bedford) appointed Jerry Lee Reynolds as a Distinguished Hoosier during a surprise 80th birthday party with family and former employees-turned-lifelong friends. In presenting the Award, Senator Koch recognized Jerry’s success in business and in leading a great family. Jerry and his teams at Reynolds Inc. and Inliner rebuilt large swaths of North America’s water and wastewater infrastructure. Jerry attributed his success to the great people he worked alongside.
The Distinguished Hoosier Award recognizes a Hoosier who has distinguished himself through significant contributions to his community, whose qualities and characteristics reflect the best of the great State of Indiana, whose actions endear him in the hearts and minds of all Hoosiers, and who has earned the respect and admiration of Hoosiers across the State.
Jerry Lee Reynolds was born on March 9, 1946, in Orange County. He grew up in the little community of Orangeville, where his ancestors had settled over 100 years prior. Lost River and the fields and woods along its banks were his playground. He graduated from Orleans High School, but his career began long before then. As a young man, he worked on the family farms and assisted his father and brothers with well-drilling projects.
Jerry’s grandfather, John Lesley Reynolds Sr., started well drilling in the 1930’s. Jerry’s father, John Lesley Reynolds II, widely known as Big John, assumed the family business, which was incorporated as John Reynolds & Sons, Inc. in 1965. The company diversified into a full-service water supply contractor. The company reincorporated as Reynolds, Inc. in 1987 with a trio of brothers at the helm: Jack, Jerry, and Bill. The business was first headquartered at the Castle Knoll Farm, later moved to Paoli, and eventually to south of Orleans on State Road 37.
Perseverance and an entrepreneurial spirit transformed Reynolds, Inc. into one of the United States’ leading water resource contractors. Under Jerry and the family’s leadership, the business employed over 750 people, was active in 26 states, and maintained offices in Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Reynolds, Inc. was consistently recognized by Engineering News Record as one of the nation’s top 50 heavy industrial contractors and was the nation’s largest contractor, deriving its revenue from water and wastewater projects. Jerry also operated Inliner, which developed first-of-its-kind liner technology used to rehabilitate pipeline systems across the nation and around the world.
An Orangeville boy who grew up to rebuild infrastructure in his home state and as far away as Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and beyond is a story that embodies the American dream. Importantly, he gave countless friends and family who worked with him a runway for their own dreams.
Jerry remains active on his farms in Lawrence and Orange Counties, where he continues to solve problems with the same creative thinking that led to his success. He assists his son and grandsons on their respective grain and cattle farms. He loves spending time with family (especially his dog, Mac), telling jokes and stories at breakfast, and fishing and golfing with friends. Despite Jerry’s uncommon success and worldly travels, he remains afoot in the woods, fields, and rivers of his youth. He has laid a blueprint for his family and friends to follow in their lives: build things that will last generations, be creative in your work, love the people you surround yourself with, and never stop leading an interesting life. He represents a generation of Hoosiers that carries the know-how, no-nonsense, tough-as-nails attitude needed to tackle and enjoy this interesting thing called life. We look forward to Jerry’s 80 th year and the many more to follow.
