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…Now let’s talk about history:

The Region Rat was first envisioned by Tim King while a student at Millikin University in the 1980’s : a time during which he also worked for the carpenter’s union at LTV Steel. King, the son and nephew of steelworkers, wished to pay tribute to the place he called home and to the many industry workers he began to meet in his early career as a signman serving the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland region.

The term “region rat” goes hand and hand with the term “mill rat” which has long been used to describe mill/industry/tradespeople of the Northwest Indiana region…those working in industrial spaces which actual large rats have historically wandered around. King’s vision was fully brought to life in the early 1990’s when he sought the help of artist Dave Mantel. The suspender wearing, cigar smoking/pint drinking (off duty), mill worker Region Rat sitting with the steel at this back has stood the test of time as an embodiment of Midwest grit ever since. A homage to our generations of hardworking industry workers: an iconic piece of region history.

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