Building Indiana News

MAY/JUNE 2011

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Healthcare Checkup Feature

Franciscan St. Francis Health: Towering Achievement 46

Green & Sustainable In the Bag 77

Welcome Center Beyond the Race 80

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Publisher’s Desk Learn Something New Every Day One of the things that I love the most about this magazine is how much I learn and discover as we put each issue together. For a state that’s popularly perceived as the epitome of flyover county, Indiana has a whole lot going on.

For example, I had no idea Indiana was home to the world’s largest plastic bag recycling plant, or that the state had more golf courses designed by World Golf Hall of Fame course architect Pete Dye. And to be honest, I had no more idea who Pete Dye was than I did Peter Skidd. Skidd is an Arizona artist who designed the “Sympathy of St. Francis,” a striking steel wall sculpture adorning the lobby of the new tower at St. Francis in Indianapolis (visit peterskidd.com for more examples of his work).

I didn’t know that the golf business adds an estimated $1.7 billion to Indiana’s economy every year, or that the orthopedics industry, located mostly in the Warsaw area, contributes $3.7 billion in economic activity to the state.

I learned that there are hospitals in northern and southern Indiana that allow you to schedule your emergency room visit online, and that a growing number of Hoosier communities are expanding efforts to provide low-income working families with access to regular banking services.

I could go on, but you get the point. There’s a lot here we don’t know about Indiana – and that could very well include what you and your company are doing. So drop us a line and let us know what you’re up to. And if you want to keep up with happenings on a daily basis, click over to our blog at buildingindianablog.com or visit us on Facebook for daily news and updates from around the state.

219.226.0300 • 317.632.1410 www.buildingindiananews.com www.buildingindianablog.com CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 1330 Arrowhead Court Crown Point, IN 46307 Publisher/Editor Andrea M. Pearman andrea@buildingindiananews.com Senior Writer David Wellman dave@buildingindiananews.com Creative Director Rebekah Hendricks rebekah@buildingindiananews.com Office Coordinator Carrie Sovola carrie@buildingindiananews.com Special Projects Coordinator Jen Labriola jen@buildingindiananews.com Director of Marketing Chrischelle Schmidt chrischelle@buildingindiananews.com Director of Events Kristin Jurczak kristin@buildingindiananews.com Director of Creative Media Sumer Rex sumer@buildingindiananews.com Director of Communications Melissa Garcia melissa@buildingindiananews.com PR Specialist Kristy Hannagan kristy@buildingindiananews.com Administrative Assistant Jennifer Ward jennifer@buildingindiananews.com Advertising and Marketing Specialist Liza Hilliard liza@buildingindiananews.com Accounting Lindsey Andershock la@buildingindiananews.com INDIANAPOlIS OffICE 317.632.1410 Business Development Manager Lee Ann Richardson leeann@buildingindiananews.com

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Copyright ©2011 Building Indiana News is published six times a year. Address correspondence to: 1330 Arrowhead Court, Crown Point, IN 46307. Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any editorial or advertising matter. Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts or art. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise duplicated without the written permission of the publisher. For general reprint information, contact Building Indiana News at andrea@buildingindiananews.com. All opinions and views are solely those of the participants or editors and are not necessarily the views of magazine sponsors.

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MAY/JUNE 2011

In the Bag

77

Building indiana takes a road trip to North Vernon in Southern Indiana to tour the world’s largest plastic bag recycling facility.

42 BEING PRODUCTIvE Service Sells 56 SMAll BUSINESS SPOTlIGHT Soup for You!

Towering Achievement 46

60 REAl ESTATE Looking for Momentum

This month’s health care report highlights the finished first phase of Franciscan St. Francis Health’s Indianapolis Campus Expansion. (above) and the new emergency department at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Hobart. Also: Purdue Research Parks nuture the next generation of health information technology companies.

32 PHOTO fEATURE

49 fEATURE Emergency Expansion 52 fACTS & STATS Health Care Statistics 54 fEATURE Healthcare Update 58 fEATURE On the Move 70 ONSITE All Aboard

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09 Business Buzz 28 People News 87 Real Estate Marketplace 88 Location Finder Healthcare Directory

DEPARTMENTS

08 Contributors

EXPERT ADVICE

FEATURES

46 fEATURE Towering Achievement

73 lOGISTICS Concrete Action

04 Publisher’s Desk

EVERY ISSUE

44 MASS PRODUCTION Health Information Revolution

62 CONSTRUCTION The Annual CAF/NWIBRT Awards

75 YOUR WEll-BEING Spinal Tips 77 GREEN & SUSTAINABlE In the Bag 80 WElCOME CENTER Beyond the Race

34 STATE Of THE INDUSTRY Agreements That Work

82 MARKETING Extraordinary Events

36 RUlE Of lAW Avoiding the Voidable

84 REGION fOCUS Accelerated Development

38 SAfETY ZONE Violence Vigilance

86 REGION fOCUS Washington Readies for Growth

40 THE BOTTOM lINE Cash Advance

92 THE lAST WORD An Indiana Success Story www.buildingindiananews.com

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Contributors RONALD J. ARNOLD Ron Arnold is Executive Director of the Daviess County Economic Development Corporation and the Daviess County Economic Development Foundation, both located in Washington, Indiana. Arnold also serves on the Executive Committee for the

board of directors for the Radius Indiana Regional Partnership, an economic development organization that includes eight counties in southern Indiana.

MIKE CONQUEST Mike Conquest is the Safety/ Environmental Coordinator for the Indiana

Division of Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete, Inc. He is in his 17th year working for Ozinga and has been in the ready mixed concrete industry since 1976. He is a member of the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s Safety and Environmental Committee.

Conquest became a LEED AP in 2009 and is a graduate of Valparaiso University.

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CHRIS JANAK Chris Janak is a partner in the Utilities Group and Governmental Services Group at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP. Janak has served as special and local counsel for many for-profit and nonprofit utilities, regional districts, conservancy districts, municipalities, and other governmental entities.

KRISTIN JURCZAK Kristin Jurczak is Director of Events for Diversified Marketing Strategies.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Communication from Purdue University Calumet.

Jurczak has more than eight years of experience managing events, including favorites like the Midwest Smoke Out and the Big Schmooze.

JOHN KEELING John Keeling is a Safety Advisor with the Safety Services Group at Safety Management Group (SMG). Keeling also serves as a Safety Trainer after obtaining his certification to provide OSHA Outreach training for the construction industry.

Because of his knowledge and reputation, he currently assists the local OSHA Outreach Training Institute by providing OSHA 500 level instruction.

LOU MARTINEZ Lou Martinez is the President of the Lake Area

United Way. Martinez currently serves on the boards of the Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council and Race Relations Council of NWI. DEWEY PEARMAN Dewey Pearman serves as the Executive Director for the Construction Advancement Foundation. The Foundation promotes the union construction industry of Northwest Indiana by helping to enhance its efficiency and competitiveness via labor relations and government management, education, training, safety and workforce development.

JIM PORTER Jim Porter is President of Porter Pipe & Supply.

The Addison, IL-based company, which also has branches in Chicago and Hammond, offers a complete selection of pipe, valve and fitting products as well as a variety of related services.

For more information, visit porterpipe.com.

DR. DWIGHT TYNDALL Dr. Dwight Tyndall is a Board Certified, Fellowship Trained Spine Specialist with Spine Care Specialists in Munster.

He completed his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at the Stanford University Medical Center in California. He has been involved in research projects including publications in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.

www.buildingindiananews.com

BUSINESS BUZZ

Indiana Exports to China Surpassed $1 Billion in 2010

E

xports from Indiana to China climbed past the $1 billion mark for the first time in 2010, according to a new report from the U.S.–China Business Council (USCBC).

The Hoosier State sent $1.09 billion worth of goods to China last year, up from $869 million in 2009. The previous high came in 2008, when Indiana exports to China totaled $930 million.

Overall, from 2000 to 2010, Indiana’s exports to China have grown 554 percent, while the state’s exports to all other coun-

tries have increased just 81 percent. As a result, China is now Indiana’s seventhlargest export market.

Nationally, Indiana is now one of 24 states whose exports to China exceed $1 billion annually. In total, U.S. exports to China (not including Hong Kong) hit a record $91.9 billion in 2010, up 32 percent over 2009.

“Exports to China are an essential part of the U.S. economy. China is our thirdlargest export market and is growing faster than many of our other major destinations for American manufactured goods and

INDIANA EXPORTS TO CHINA

BY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT – 2009

INDIANA EXPORTS TO CHINA 2000 – 2010 YEAR

$ (millions)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

$167 $200 $187 $234 $294 $420 $559 $759 $930 $869 $1,090

Source: USCBC

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farm products,” says USCBC President John Frisbie. “China ranks behind only our two immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico. Over the last decade we have seen exports to China rise from $16.2 billion to $91.9 billion, a 468 percent increase.”

What’s especially gratifying, he adds, is that the number of states exporting more than $1 billion worth of goods to China has tripled versus just five years ago. “Thirty states now count China as one of their top three export markets and forty-seven states have registered at least triple-digit growth to China since 2000,” he says.

INDIANA’S TOP 5 EXPORTS TO CHINA – 2010 EXPORT

RANK 1 2 3 4 5

Machinery (except electrical) Chemicals Computers & Electronic Transportation Equipment Primary Metal Manufacturing

Source: USCBC

$ (millions) $279 $221 $141 $133 $70

DISTRICT

$ (millions)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

$57 $182 $126 $161 $147 $147 $122 $56 $109

2009 vs. 2008 DURING GLOBAL RECESSION CHINA REST OF WORLD -0.8% 0.5% 2.0% 0.4% 9.0% -1.0% 13.0% -6.0% 1.0%

-14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0% -14.0%

Source: USCBC

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BUSINESS BUZZ

Northwest Contractor Wins Award Roofing contractor E. C. Babilla, Inc. (Gary) has been awarded the Firestone Building Products’ 2011 Firestone Master Contractor Award. The firm is among 262 commercial roofing contractors to receive the award this year. The firm has also earned the Firestone Inner Circle of Quality Award for its commitment to high-quality commercial roofing system installation.

The Master Contractor program recognizes roofing firms for attaining Firestone’s high level of criteria, which is based on total square footage installed and outstanding inspection ratings. The Inner Circle of Quality Award identi-

fies Master Contractors throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico who demonstrate quality execution, professionalism and a commitment to Firestone’s standards for superior roofing installations.

Local Celebrates 100th Anniversary IBEW Local No. 697, a union of electrical workers covering Lake and Newton counties, will celebrate its 100th anniversary this summer. Chartered on June 12th, 1911, Local 697 started with only nine electrical workers.

Today, the local boasts roughly 1,400 active and retired members.

The organization recently completed construction on a new union hall (see Building indiana March/April 2010), which will serve not only as the hall and a gathering place for the Retiree’s Club but also as the funds offices, a credit union and a state-of-the-art Apprenticeship Training Center. The new facility is the first LEED building in Lake County and features cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology and building practices.

IBEW Local No. 697 will gather for its 100th anniversary celebration on June 11th at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond.

PNC Approved to Offer New Degree The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) has granted approval to Purdue University North Central for the College of Engineering and Technology to offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. PNC students will have the opportunity to enroll in these bachelor’s degree classes for the fall of 2011.

This becomes the 20th bachelor’s degree program offered by PNC. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, electrical engineers are expected to see employment growth through 2018. The median earnings for electrical engineers in 2008 (the most recent data available) was $82,160.

White Family Honored With Award Dean, Barbara, Bruce, and Beth White were honored as the 2011 recipients of the first Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award.

The new award is named for the late Will Koch, long-time Owner and President of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, IN, and CEO of its parent company, Koch Development Corporation.

Founded as Whiteco Industries, Inc. 10

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A healthy workforce.

BUSINESS BUZZ

in 1985, White Lodging is a fully integrated owner, developer and manager of premium brand hotels. The company’s portfolio has expanded to more than 160 mid-to-large scale hotels in 17 states, including 33 in Indiana.

With the recent opening of Marriott Place in Indianapolis, a self-financed project that has already become an iconic fixture in the city’s skyline, White Lodging now employs more than 2,500 Hoosiers.

In addition to their business accomplishments, the Whites have given generously to various causes. A $5.5 million gift from the Dean & Barbara White Family Foundation and the Bruce & Beth White Family Foundation will fund the new Purdue University Calumet White Lodging Center for Hospitality and Tourism Management. White Lodging has also donated funds to establish an Indianapolis chapter of Back On My Feet, a nationwide initiative that helps homeless populations access educational and career development opportunities.

The first step to building a healthy community.

Occupational Health Provider Opens New Office Indiana University Occupational Health Services, an affiliate of Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital, has opened a new occupational health and wellness clinic in Valparaiso.

The clinic offers treatment of work-related injuries with case management, drug and alcohol testing, work-related physicals, ergonomics/injury prevention, employee wellness and more. The facility includes three exam rooms, an on-site digital X-ray room, a physical therapy area and several testing rooms.

In addition to the Valparaiso location, IU Occupational Health Services also has locations in La Porte and Michigan City.

Two Companies Eye Merrillville Amish marketplace Riegsecker Marketplace and custom forging company Modern Drop Forge have requested 10-year tax abatements for new facilities in Merrillville.

Shipshewana-based Riegsecker Marketplace wants to move into the former Handy Andy building at 6490 Broadway. The marketplace and restaurant would require $500,000 in improvements and employ about 25.

Modern Drop Forge (Blue Island, IL) is considering a facility at 8757 Colorado St. The company would invest $7 million investment and bring 240 jobs to the community.

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5/11/2011 2:51:08 PM

BUSINESS BUZZ

NWI Contributes to ArcelorMittal Energy Star Award ArcelorMittal has earned its fourth consecutive Energy Star award, recognizing the company’s commitment to reducing energy intensity at its U.S. operations. Over the past two years, the company has achieved more than $22.7 million in ongoing annual energy savings through implementing energy savings projects.

Projects at Indiana Harbor, Burns Harbor and Riverdale were important contributors to this honor. They include: the Burns Harbor Hot Dip Coating Line Blower Upgrade Project, which resulted in a 64 percent reduction in electricity consumed by the blowers; the Energy Efficient Lighting at Riverdale pilot project for energy efficient high-bay and low-bay lighting that led to electricity savings of approximately $38,000 a year; and the Indiana Harbor Energy Recovery & Reuse Project, which broke ground last October. This $63.2 million investment will increase the energy efficiency of the largest blast furnace in North America. It will take 30 months to complete, with the system startup expected in March 2012.

Sweet Deal for Business Park Albanese Confectionery (Hobart) has leased nearly 32,000 square feet at Becknell Development’s NorthWind Crossings business park in Hobart. The candy manufacturer will use the new location for storage and packaging of product and to facilitate expansion of its growing business.

The space is located within an existing 95,000-square-foot building in the 200-acre business park. Albanese has leased the space in order to free up 20,400 square feet at its Hobart plant to expand Gummi bear production.

PNC Chancellor to Head National Group Dr. James B. Dworkin, chancellor of Purdue University North Central has been named Chairman of the Board of Campus Compact, the nonprofit coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents, representing some six million students, who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education.

The Campus Compact board is a distinguished group of leaders from across the country representing all segments of higher education as well as the philanthropic and business communities. The Board guides the organization in its mission of deepening higher education’s ability to improve community life and educate students for civic and social responsibility.

Hammond, PUC to Partner on Sports Facility The city of Hammond and Purdue University Calumet have agreed to partner in the development of an outdoor sports complex that will serve the university’s growing athletics program and city activities.

The multi-sport complex, to be located at Dowling Park in the city’s Hessville neighborhood, will include a six-court tennis

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Walsh congratulates St. Mary’s Medical Center on the a successful completion of the Emergency Department expansion.

12

www.buildingindiananews.com

BUSINESS BUZZ

facility; full size, lighted soccer field with artificial turf; and regulation baseball and softball fields with natural surfaces. Plans call for the complex to be developed in phases, subject to available funding. The city will fund one-third of the cost; Purdue Calumet will be responsible for the remainder through a combination of budgeted dollars and private fundraising efforts.

The first phase of development will be the tennis facility. Development will begin contingent on the university’s ability to generate its share of the $625,000 cost. Phase two will feature soccer field development. The baseball and softball fields will be developed during phase three. Included in each phase of development are other park improvements, such as increased landscaping, a walking trail and children’s recreation area. Funding availability will drive each phase of development. Phase two and three cost figures have yet to be determined.

New Operations Center Will Bring Company Closer to Customers When Graycor Industrial Constructors Inc. the industrial construction subsidiary of North American contractor Graycor, and Graycor Blasting Company, the industrial services subsidiary of Graycor, selected Portage as the site of their new Northwest Indiana operations center, they did so with several factors in mind. Among those reasons, says Tom Muchesko, senior vice president, Graycor Industrial, was that the location would allow the company to become more active with key labor and business groups in the region.

“While we have been active in these groups for many years, being right there in Portage now, versus an hour away in Homewood, Illinois, means that we can be at more functions with more people,” he notes. “This will give us an even deeper understanding and insight into the specific needs of our key clients in Northwest Indiana.”

Scheduled to open this summer, the new Portage facility will offer 44,000 square feet of office and operations support space on approximately 10 acres of land in the Ameriplex at the Port business park.

City Eyed for Rail Transfer Center The City of Hammond is in talks with PotashCorp, the world’s largest fertilizer producer, for a multi-million-dollar rail transfer center in Hammond’s Gibson Yard. The Canadian company is already working with the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad on a proposed $80 million project at the yard, according to Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr., and the railroad has two other companies interested in locating there if the PotashCorp deal materializes.

In all, total investment at the site could hit $200 million.

Phil Taillon, Hammond Director of Planning and Development, said that negotiations on incentives are ongoing and that a deal could be finalized by September. The PotashCorp project could eventually result in up to 80 permanent and 225 temporary construction jobs.

Casino Offers to Help With Bridge Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) officials met in April with representatives from Ameristar Casino and the City of East Chicago after Ameristar offered to contribute up to $10 million to help rebuild the Cline Avenue bridge.

- continued on pg 14 www.buildingindiananews.com

13

BUSINESS BUZZ

“We have been presented with an opportunity, and it appears we can now consider rebuilding the Cline Avenue bridge with the financial support Ameristar Casino has offered,” said INDOT Commissioner Michael Cline. “We have discussed a four-lane bridge in the same footprint of the existing structure By combining the funds INDOT has set aside for the ground route solution together with the financial support from Ameristar, rebuilding the bridge may now be a possibility.”

INDOT had previously estimated the cost of rebuilding the bridge, which was closed after it was discovered to be structurally unsound, at a hefty $150 million and had decided not to rebuild it. The resulting diversion of traffic has made it difficult for Ameristar customers to reach the casino. If an agreement can be reached, INDOT hopes to begin construction of a new bridge this summer.

For daily news from Northwest Indiana and around the state, visit our blog at www.buildingindiananews.com.

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Northeast Fort Wayne Metals Establishes Whitley County Operation Advanced Materials Development, LLC, a manufacturer of premium metal alloys and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation will locate a new operation in Columbia City, creating up to 68 new jobs by 2014.

The company plans to invest $12.9 million to renovate the 115,000-square-foot former Fort Wayne Foundry building and purchase production equipment that will enhance capabilities and increase capacity in support of current operations. The facility will process stainless steel, nickel, cobalt and titanium alloys that are used in its products.

Fort Wayne Metals currently employs 570 team members throughout its seven Allen County locations. The newly established subsidiary plans to begin hiring production workers in Columbia City in August.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Advanced Materials Development up to $700,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

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Western Power Sports will invest $3.8 million to lease and equip an existing facility in Ashley to serve as its distribution center for the Upper Midwest.

The company, a wholesale distributor of parts and accessories for motorcycles, allterrain vehicles, snowmobiles, watercraft and bicycles, projects that the move will create up to 40 new jobs by 2012.

The company is the third largest wholesale distributor in the United States and has warehouses in Idaho, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Western Power Sports up to $150,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $15,000 in training grants based on its job-creation plans.

www.buildingindiananews.com

India-based Auto Manufacturer to Expand

Manufacturer to Establish First Indiana Facility Global Parts Network, LLC, a manufacturer of heavy-duty truck parts, will establish a new manufacturing and distribution operation in South Bend, creating up to 30 new jobs by 2014.

The Crystal Lake, IL-based company, which manufactures brake shoes for tractor trailers and heavy-duty trucks, will invest more than $3.2 million to lease and equip 73,000 square feet of space for production and distribution of the truck parts. The facility will be the company’s first Indiana operation.

Global Parts Network plans to begin hiring manufacturing and distribution workers in the second quarter of 2011 with an anticipated operational date in July.

- continued on pg 16

Food Company Moving HQ Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) has agreed to sell the closed Leesburg Elementary School to Maple Leaf Farms for $178,000. The Warsaw-based duck producer will extensively remodel the school, vacant since the 2009-10 school year, as its new headquarters. When complete, the 80 employees currently at the company’s Milford headquarters will be moved to the new location.

As part of the deal, the Leesburg Lions Club will be allowed to continue to use the school’s baseball diamonds for at least five years, and Maple Leaf Farms has pledged to contribute $10,000 a year for five years to a fund to help the Lions relocate the fields. The company’s decision also relieves WCS of the need to demolish the old school, which would have cost $125,000. Instead, it will use the money to purchase property for future expansion needs.

New Contracts Drive Hiring Albion-based BUSCHE, which specializes in medium- to high-volume production machining for the durable goods industry, will hire 24 new workers and invest $5 million in new equipment as a result of two new production contracts from General Aluminum.

General Aluminum has awarded the company five-year contracts for parts for the 2013 Cadillac CTS, Camaro and the new Cadillac SUV which will create 12 new jobs and require an investment of $2 million for four new machining centers. The new business is projected to be up and running by summer 2012.

The company will also invest more than $3 million for the purchase of six more mawww.buildingindiananews.com

15

BUSINESS BUZZ

Autoline Industries, an India-based engineering and automotive parts manufacturing company, has announced plans to expand its Butler operations, creating up to 25 new jobs by 2013.

Autoline manufactures pedal assemblies and spare tire kits at its Dekalb County facility, which opened in 2008 and has since grown to 80 employees. The company expects to make a $1.5 million investment in equipment and building improvements to accommodate increased demand.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered up to $225,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

chining centers this year, creating another 12 new jobs, to handle the machining and assembly of Chrysler’s New Sedan Control Arm for General Aluminum. The five-year contract calls for the machining of over 340,000 pieces annually. Full production will begin in January 2012.

Bring Your Vision BUSINESS BUZZ

to Life

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered up to $145,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $5,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

New Haven Medical Center Expands Lutheran Health Network has announced a 4,300-square-foot expansion of its medical facility in the Lutheran Health Plaza in New Haven. The $500,000 investment in Phase II will incorporate two new suites, nine exam rooms and space for two physicians adjacent to the existing 9,007-square-foot facility that opened last August.

Women’s Health Advantage, one of the largest providers of women’s healthcare in the Midwest, has arranged for an obstetrician/gynecologist and a nurse practitioner to provide services in the new space.

Phase I of the $1.9 million medical facility included redeveloping a former Scott’s Foods store. At capacity, the medical facility employs the equivalent of 16 full-time employees.

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Michelin North America Inc. said that it will grow its Woodburn operations, creating up to 35 new jobs by the end of the year.

The company, which designs, manufactures and markets tires for all types of vehicles, bicycles and heavy equipment, plans to invest $50 million to expand production capacity at its BFGoodrich Tire manufacturing facility in the town nearly 20 miles east of Fort Wayne.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Michelin up to $250,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

Texas Company to Build Indiana Plant Scot Industries, Inc. a manufacturer of steel tube and bar products, will establish a new production facility in Auburn, creating up to 65 new jobs by 2014.

At the plant, Scot will initially produce turned, ground and chrome-plated steel bars for use as hydraulic cylinder piston rods.

The Lone Star, TX-based company will invest several million dollars to equip the 250,000-square-foot plant.

Scot plans to start construction in late summer 2011 and begin hiring manufacturing, supervisory and clerical associates in the third quarter of 2012.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Scot up to $625,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

Global Flavor Business to Expand in South Bend Flavor manufacturer McCormick & Company will further expand its operations in South Bend, creating up to 14 positions with the addition of a new brand of products being manufactured at the facility.

After announcing plans last year to add a distribution facility, the company will invest an additional $8 million to move an existing brand of products from an outside co-packing facility.

McCormick, which currently employs more than 100 manufacturing and distribution associates in South Bend plans to begin hiring additional associates as operations are shifted to the North Central Indiana facility starting later this year. The company makes a www.buildingindiananews.com

variety of condiments, salad dressings and sauces at the center.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered McCormick & Company up to $100,000 in performancebased tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

The Warsaw City Council has approved tax abatements for expansions by manufacturers Flexaust and Winona PVD. Flexaust, a subsidiary of the German conglomerate Schauenburg GmbH, is acquiring a vacant 53,000-square-foot manufacturing building in Warsaw to expand its manufacturing operations. The company, which already employs 160 at a separate Warsaw facility, plans to add 25 manufacturing jobs in the first year of operation.The company produces materials for reinforced flexible hoses used in a wide range of industries.

The City Council also approved conceptually the TIF bonding for Winona PVD’s expansion. A manufacturer of chromeplated wheels for the automotive industry, PVD will increase its manufacturing space by 62,000 square feet of new construction and add 50,000 square feet of warehousing space, creating 60 new manufacturing jobs.

Modular Framing Supplier to Grow T-slotted aluminum components and framing provider 80/20 Inc. will expand its manufacturing and distribution operations in Columbia City, creating up to 110 new jobs by 2014.

The company, which designs and manufactures modular

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Whitley County Toolmaker Adds Production C&A Tool Engineering announced today that the company is expanding production capabilities at its Churubusco operations at both its main facility and the former MAHLE Clevite facility, which the company acquired in spring 2010.

C&A Tool will add equipment to support new business for the jet engine, power generation, and industrial markets. In addition, the company is expanding its high volume precision fuel system capabilities to support expanding diesel engine demand.

The company also plans to add 18 new positions to its current 511 employee Churubusco-area workforce.

The Churubusco Town Council has approved a request for phase-in of personal property taxes on approximately $8 million in new machinery and equipment purchases.

For daily news from Northeast Indiana and around the state, visit our blog at www.buildingindiananews.com.

17

BUSINESS BUZZ

City Approves Abatement, TIF Bonding

extruded aluminum framing for a variety of industrial and home-hobby applications, will invest more than $9.4 million to construct more than 90,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space at its Columbia City campus. The expansion follows the company’s 2008 investment of $5 million and 40 new jobs to expand manufacturing and distribution capabilities at the site.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered 80/20 up to $500,000 in tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the its job creation plans.

BUSINESS BUZZ

Central Manufacturer to Create 300 Jobs in Indy Genesis Casket Company will open a manufacturing and distribution operation in Indianapolis and hire 300 employees at an average wage of $26 an hour by 2014. The first 150 workers are expected to be on the job when the facility opens this summer.

Genesis Casket Company and its partner, Gestamp North America, Inc., based in Troy, MI, will invest $16.5 million in equipment to manufacture and distribute metal caskets that will be sold to customers throughout North America. Genesis expects to produce 30,000 caskets in its first full year of operation.

William Anthony Colson has been named CEO of Genesis and will relocate to Indianapolis to oversee the new operation.

Colson has extensive experience in the funeral industry, most recently serving as the president and CEO of Wilbert Funeral Services in Chicago, a manufacturer and distributor of burial vaults and cremation products. He and his team chose to locate the company in Indianapolis after evaluating sites in Michigan and Kentucky.

Develop Indy is supporting the company’s request for a personal property tax abatement before the Metropolitan

Development Commission based on its job creation and capital investment plans. EmployIndy (formerly the Indianapolis Private Industry Council) has offered recruiting assistance and a $300,000 training grant, which will assist the company in identifying and preparing a pipeline of local workers to fill the new jobs. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered up to $4.5 million in performance-based tax credits. The Indy Partnership provided site selection assistance and research.

Transmission Titan Expands Global transmission maker Allison Transmission will expand its operations and product offerings in Speedway, creating up to 205 new jobs through 2013.

Allison, the world’s largest manufacturer of fully-automatic transmissions for medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, tactical U.S. military vehicles and hybrid-propulsion systems for transit buses, plans to invest more than $89 million in its Speedway operations. The majority of the investment will be directed toward improving existing infrastructure, manufacturing operations and production equipment.

The company, which currently employs nearly 2,500 people in Speedway, hired 50 employees in April. Additional positions will be filled as facility upgrades are phased in throughout the Speedway campus over the next two years.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation will assist the town of Speedway in applying for up to $5 million in federal highway funds from the Indiana Department of Transportation.

2011

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Plastic Welder to Boost Operations Genesis Plastics Welding, a provider of contract plastics welding and manufacturing services, will expand its operations in Fortville, creating up to 54 new jobs by 2014.

The company, which serves original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the medical, military, automotive and consumer products sectors, plans to invest more than $3.3 million to add 50,000 square feet of production space at its existing facility in Fortville. Construction, scheduled to be completed by December of this year, also will include a new ISO Class 7 Standard certified medical clean room.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Genesis up to $340,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

FedEx to Build $5 Million Facility FedEx Ground, an operating company of FedEx Corporation specializing in cost-effective, small-package shipping, is moving forward on a new $5 million, 63,000-square foot distribution center in Kokomo. The project is expected to create 12 new jobs and retain 20.

BUSINESS BUZZ

Advion BioServices Inc., an Ithica, NY-based provider of contract bioanalytical research services, will establish a laboratory at the Purdue Research Park at Ameriplex near the Indianapolis International Airport, adding 49 immediate jobs and up to 66 jobs by 2015.

The company, which provides a range of laboratory testing services and laboratory equipment to pharmaceutical developers and university researchers, will invest more than $6.1 million to lease and equip 22,000 square feet of space.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered Advion up to $650,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $30,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

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State Launches New Entrepreneurship Initiative The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has unveiled the INVEST Indiana initiative designed to attract new resources and increase access to capital for Indiana entrepreneurs.

Through resources from Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology Fund, the IEDC will create a new, statewide entrepreneurial network to engage private sector investors and regional stakeholders to encourage the creation and support of high-growth companies.

The 21 Fund is Indiana’s key initiative to support entrepreneurship and innovation and has made more than 400 awards to companies since 2006. The INVEST Indiana initiative will expand upon the 21 Fund’s investment and service capacities to engage new, nontraditional sources of capital and provide new ventures access to experienced entrepreneurs for assistance.

The network and services will be conducted through Elevate Ventures, a new nonprofit commissioned to attract new investment partners and to work with local stakeholders to cultivate a robust entrepreneurial environment throughout the state. Through Elevate Ventures, state leaders believe that they can attract an additional - continued on pg 20 www.buildingindiananews.com

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BUSINESS BUZZ

Airport Changes Name Mt. Comfort Airport, located in Hancock County near Greenfield, has changed its name to the Indianapolis Regional Airport.

Airport officials and supporters joined forces to request the name change several months ago. The former Mt. Comfort Airport is a general aviation or “reliever” facility to Indianapolis International Airport. One of the largest facilities of its kind in Indiana, the airport is home of the popular Indianapolis Air Show, which attracts thousands of aviation enthusiasts each year. It primarily serves corporate users and private aircraft owners.

Nice-Pak Expanding in Indiana Nice-Pak, the world’s leading manufacturer of wet wipes, is expanding its overall capacity, and introducing new state-of-the-art equipment and packaging technologies in its Jonesboro, AR, and Mooresville, IN, facilities.

Production at Nice-Pak’s soon-to-close Green Bay facility will be relocated to its expanded manufacturing and distribution facilities in Indiana. This move is intended to further the company’s leadership position and enhance its global sustainability platform.

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Dow AgroSciences will relocate its Seed Quality Control Lab from Iowa to a larger laboratory site at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette.

The new lab facility will enable the future capacity and capabilities needed to support the growing Dow AgroSciences Seeds business, serve as a proving ground for its next generation technologies and allow for closer collaboration with scientists at Dow AgroSciences’ Indianapolis global headquarters.

All current Dow AgroSciences quality control lab employees based in Marshalltown, Iowa, will be offered an opportunity at the new lab. The transition of programs and people will begin after construction of the new facility is completed in the third quarter of 2011.

The relocation is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2012.

The new facility adds to the current Dow AgroSciences presence at the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, which currently includes a 15,000-square-foot research and development space and an 11,000-square-foot greenhouse complex leased by Dow AgroSciences for life sciences research.

County Establishes Incentive Program The Morgan County Council has established the Morgan County Data Center Personal Property Tax Exemption (DCTE) in an effort to attract data center facilities.

To be eligible for this exemption from property taxes on personal property, an entity must be: engaged in a business that operates one or more facilities dedicated to computing networking or data storage activities; located in a facility or data center in Morgan County; invest in the aggregate at least $10 million in real and personal property in Morgan County after June 30, 2009; and pay wages that are at least 125% of the county average wage for Morgan County. www.buildingindiananews.com

University Boosts Online Learning Program

Metal Maker to Consolidate Muncie Operations Mid-West Metal Products, a fabricated wire and sheet metal manufacturing company will be investing over $6 million in new equipment and real estate improvements within the ABB Community Revitalization Enhancement District adjacent to the Industria Centre Industrial Park in Muncie.

A new 150,660-square-foot office and manufacturing facility will be constructed at 23rd Street and Cowan Road and will result in the retention of 44 - continued on pg 22

Logistics Firm to Open Indianapolis Office Total Quality Logistics (TQL), a national freight brokerage firm, has opened a satellite office in Indianapolis. The seventh new TQL office to open in less than two years, this 4,600-square-foot location is in the Keystone at the Crossing Office complex on the northwest side of Marion County. TQL will relocate six of its Logistics Account Executives from its Cincinnati headquarters to seed the new office and plans to hire an additional 50 sales employees by 2012.

Wayne County Companies Grow Two Wayne County companies, Primex Plastics and Silgan White Cap, are planning expansions.

With a capital investment of $3.8 million, Primex Plastics Corporation will expand their accounting department, purchase new equipment and upgrade existing machinery in their Richmond headquarters. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Wayne County is providing $60,000 in an Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) Grant for the project, which will create 10 new jobs. www.buildingindiananews.com

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BUSINESS BUZZ

Purdue University will expand its distance-learning program to create capacity for 10,000 enrollments in online courses, according to university officials.

Purdue student enrollments in onlinelearning classes totaled about 8,200 in 20092010, with 35 percent in courses originating on the Purdue campus.

The effort is part of a growing trend.

Eduventures, an educational research firm, projects that by 2013 participation in online learning will exceed 3.5 million and that 18 percent of all higher education students will be online.

Purdue also plans to attract new off-campus students to participate in online degree programs. Based on the recommendations by a taskforce of faculty and administrators, Purdue contracted with Chicago-based Deltak for marketing and development, beginning with a pilot project with the College of Education. Deltak works with 26 partner institutions nationwide and has launched more than 70 degree programs.

Online degrees are expected to provide a new revenue stream for the university.

Primex makes products for industries including automotive, marine, RV, food and medical as well as indoor/outdoor displays and signage.

Silgan White Cap in Richmond will receive a $16,128 EDIT Grant to purchase equipment that will upgrade one of their composite cap production lines.

The company manufactures metal and plastic caps for the food and beverage industry. The new equipment will allow the company to increase production and continue to diversify their product line.

BUSINESS BUZZ

jobs and $2.8 million in annual payroll.

The Delaware County government entities approved $1.2 million in tax increment financing (TIF) and tax abatement for the company.

Pallet Recycler Expands Quality Pallet, a recycler of wood pallets, will be locating a new facility in Hartford City. The company could create up to 10 jobs by the middle of 2011.

Quality Pallet has a similar operation in East Central Indiana, and will be expanding into a 20,000-square-foot facility in the Blackford Industrial Park.

Indiana Ethanol Production Surpasses One Billion Gallons POET, the world’s largest ethanol producer, has opened its 27th ethanol plant and fourth plant in Indiana, POET Biorefining - Cloverdale, in Cloverdale, IN. The opening pushes Indiana’s total ethanol production capacity to more

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POET purchased the 90 million-gallon-peryear ethanol plant from Altra Biofuels in June 2010. Since then, the company has been busy installing about $30 million in upgrades. The plant provides the equivalent of 43 full-time jobs and annual payroll and benefits of more than $2 million.

Franciscan Alliance Chooses Indiana for New Administrative Center Franciscan Alliance, a multi-state health care system, announced today that it will consolidate its physician billing operations to a new facility in Greenwood, adding up to 84 new jobs by 2015.

The Mishawaka-based Catholic health care system plans to invest $8.3 million to purchase, remodel, and equip a 96,505 square-foot office building located at 1040 Sierra Drive that will house all physician billing operations for the organization’s 13 hospitals in Indiana and Illinois.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Franciscan Alliance up to $700,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

Three Companies Expanding in Noble County The Ligonier City Council has approved three tax abatements for local companies Jeld Wen, BRC Rubber and Plastics and AME Swiss Machining. All three companies have plans that could bring more jobs to the area.

Jeld Wen is planning to spend $2.5 million on a new coil line. According to Jeld Wen General Manager Tom Griewank, the new line replaces an older and less efficient line that has kept production from increasing. Installation of the new coil line was expected to be complete by the beginning of May. BRC Rubber and Plastics is spending $430,000 to purchase a building at 1497 Gerber Street. The company will move from its current facility to the larger space, which will allow room for expansion.

Currently 57 people are employed at BRC’s Ligonier plant. That workforce is expected to grow, Meyer says, by around 77 percent, or 40 employees, over a three year period. The additional jobs will bring about $1.1 million in salaries to area workers.

Advanced Metal Etching (AME), which has been specializing in photochemical etchwww.buildingindiananews.com

Indianapolis Developer Wins Award Browning Investments received top honors during the third annual Indiana NAIOP Industry Awards Dinner. Browning’s strong pipeline of economic development projects over the past two years was cited as reasons the firm was named “Developer of the Year” in Indiana for 2010.

This is a repeat honor for Browning, which was also recognized as 2009 “Developer of the Year” in Indiana.

In addition to Developer of the Year, Browning also received top honors, along with CB Richard Ellis, Ice Miller, Browning

Day Mullins Dierdorf and the City of Greenfield, on a collaborative effort on the Elanco Global Headquarters project, voted as the Best Office Project in 2010. Browning in their role as developer and general contractor constructed the three-building campus totaling 129,600 square feet including 14,000 square feet of lab space, a credit union and cafeteria.

Air Force Base Breaks Ground on New Tower Grissom Air Reserve Base has begun construction of a new air traffic control tower. The new ATC tower, with a programmed cost of $7.4 million, will replace an existing structure built in 1965 and enhance Grissom’s ATC abilities.

When complete, the nine-story tower will provide Grissom’s air traffic controllers with increased visibility, space for a control tower simulator to enhance training, increased security, office space for administrative functions, and enhanced environmental controls.

This new addition will not only affect military aviation, but civilian and commercial aviation as well as Grissom is a joint-use aviation facility.The estimated completion date is 2012.

Logistics Firm to Open New Headquarters Blue Ribbon Transport will open a new Indianapolis headquarters, creating up to 75 new jobs by 2014.

Blue Ribbon Transport provides third party logistics services including transportation, warehousing and forward - continued on pg 24

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BUSINESS BUZZ

ing, is branching out with a new company arm called AME Swiss Machining.

The Ligonier City Council has approved a tax abatement for the company on two Citizen CNC Swiss Turning Machines, valued at $362,000. The equipment will allow AME to manufacture parts from metal rod with high precision, says AME Swiss Machining Director of Operations Bob Kroll. It’s a different process from AME’s photochemical etching process, which works with flat stock.

Nearly 25 people are employed at the parent company, while AME Swiss Machining has just one employee. The addition of the Swiss Turning Machines will create one job right away, but the company has a larger goal in mind. Within 48 months, Kroll says the company hopes to expand into a new location, which will house 16 Swiss Turning Machines and ten additional employees.

BUSINESS BUZZ

distribution. Currently located on Indianapolis’ east side, Blue Ribbon Transport plans to invest $1 million to purchase an existing building near the City of Lawrence at Fort Benjamin Harrison within the area currently being developed as Lawrence Village at the Fort.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered up to $575,000 in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans.

Tech Company Bolts Cincy for Indy INTACT Integrated Services, a provider of managed information technology services has relocated its North American HQ to Carmel and will create up to 100 new jobs by 2015.

The company, which provides a suite of project, support and managed services solutions to the information and communication technology industry, including network development, maintenance and support services for Cisco products, is investing in office space and equipment in Carmel to serve as the company’s Americas division headquarters. INTACT was formerly housed in suburban Cincinnati.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered INTACT up to $1.75 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $25,000 in training grants based on the company’s job-creation plans.

For daily news from Central Indiana and around the state, visit our blog at www.buildingindiananews.com.

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South

South

Company Recalls 200 Employees American Commercial Lines’ Jeffboat manufacturing facility is recalling approximately 200 hourly employees, and hiring several salaried supervisory personnel, to build an increased number of barges in 2011. Jeffboat, located on the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, is the country’s largest inland shipbuilder.

“Customers are beginning to build new barges again as demand for moving freight on the inland waterways system returns in our recovering economy. Our active Jeffboat production lines are nearly sold out for 2011, and we are starting to contract for business in 2012,” says ACL President and CEO Mike Ryan.

In order to replenish its fleet, ACL will be building between 75 and 100 liquid and dry barges at Jeffboat in 2011.

Evansville Plastics Company Expands Berry Plastics Corporation has announced plans for the addition of a new $5 million production line at its operations in Daviess County to increase manufacturing capacity. The company had earlier expanded its physical operations near the city of Odon in Daviess County to 29,000 square feet. The expansion, which is receiving tax abatement incentives from the county, is

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Building to Bolster Development Thompson Thrift Development, Inc., has announced plans to construct a 33,000-square-foot, three-story professional office building at 925 Wabash Ave. that would serve as yet another building block in redeveloping the eastern edge of downtown Terre Haute. Construction is scheduled to begin in July and be completed by May 2012.

The building will increase the opportunity for businesses to lease Class A office space in downtown. Its anchor tenants will be Old National Insurance and Emmis Communications.

The building will feature a masonry façade and will incorporate urban architectural features. Walkways and streets linked to the new structure’s site will feature plantings and brick pavers to tie the area together and enhance its aesthetics. To further boost the site’s attractiveness, existing utility poles will be removed and lines will be moved underground. In addition, the long-vacant lot on the northeast corner of 9th and Ohio streets will be improved as part of the project.

The site is within Terre Haute’s C-8 Downtown Business District, which is the city’s major center for finance, retail, professional offices and other services.

BUSINESS BUZZ

expected to create up to five new jobs.

Beyond the initial project phase, Berry Plastics’ future plans could include additional capital investment and employment at the selected site as additional capacity is required by the market.

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Duke Energy Boosts Gibson County Efforts Duke Energy is awarding $20,000 to the Gibson County Economic Development Corporation to help prepare a 150-acre parcel to attract new businesses to southwest Indiana.

The work, which includes an environmental site assessment, land surveys, wetland delineation, site infrastructure and associated engineering, is expected to be finished by spring 2012, after which the county’s economic development group will apply to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation for the shovel-ready designation. That designation makes it easier for prospective businesses, particularly manufacturers, to build on the property.

The grant is made possible through Duke Energy’s Community Growth Partnership

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Electronics Manufacturer to Grow in Jeffersonville Key Electronics, a manufacturer of industrial controls and electronic instruments will grow its operations in Southern Indiana, creating up to 75 new jobs by 2014. The company, which manufactures electronic components for customers in the aerospace and defense, medical device, appliance and consumer products markets, plans to invest more than $2.2 million to increase production space in Jeffersonville.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation has offered up to $250,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

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BUSINESS BUZZ

Grant Program and is aimed at generating new jobs and capital investment in Indiana. Since 2008, a total of 27 grant recipients, all local or regional economic development organizations, have received more than $328,000 toward economic development projects.

SS&C Technologies to Create 500 Jobs in Evansville SS&C Technologies will open a new service and technology center in Evansville, creating up to 500 new jobs by 2014.

SS&C provides software and softwareenabled services for trading, accounting, reporting, risk management and fund administration to hedge fund clients, insurance companies and institutional asset managers, among other finance industry clients. The company will invest approximately $3.9 million to lease and equip space at a to-be-determined site in Indiana’s third largest city.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered SS&C Technologies up to $8.3 million in performance-based tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

EDC Hires New Director The Board of Directors of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Greensburg Decatur County has named Marc H. Coplon as the corporation’s new Executive Director. Coplon will lead efforts to bring new business and industry to the area and to assist existing business to grow and expand in Greensburg and Decatur County.

Coplon has more than 20 years economic development experience, most recently with the Southeast Tennessee Development District, Chattanooga, TN.

Hospital Unveils $100 Million Master Plan Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes has unveiled a $100 million master facility plan study which incorporates an expansion and enhancement program that would include a five-story state-of-the-art inpatient pavilion, a redesign of key health care service areas and an upgrade of the hospital’s critical engineering systems.

The work would be completed in five phases. The first would be to build a 200,000-square-foot, 120-bed inpatient pavilion. The following phases would include construction of an energy center and renovations of the Columbian Towers and Health Pavilion. After all renovations, the total number of hospital beds would be 165, which include inpatient, rehabilitation, and psychiatric.

The hospital has contracted with Indianapolis-based BSA Lifestructures, an architecture and engineering firm that specializes in health care, to proceed with the formal design. www.buildingindiananews.com

Development Group Buys Whirlpool Plant

BUSINESS BUZZ

The Kunkel Group, Inc., an Evansville-based development company, has finalized the purchase of 1.2 million square feet of the former Whirlpool manufacturing facility in Evansville. Whirlpool Corporation will maintain its Product Development Center (PDC) in Evansville, and will retain ownership of a portion of the property.

Whirlpool has also entered into a lease agreement with The Kunkel Group for additional space for the PDC, which will also provide flexibility for future needs.

University Offers New Degree Program A new partnership between Vincennes University and the Education Center of Rising Sun will bring associate degree programs in Culinary Arts and Hotel-Motel Management to Ohio County residents.

Classes will begin in August 2011 at the Education Center.

The Education Center currently offers a pilot program called START (Skills, Tasks, and Results Training) which introduces students to 12 careers within the hotel industry. After completing 15 weeks of classes and passing a final START examination, students become certified by the American Hotel and Lodging Institute.

The program also helps prepare students for smooth transition to higher-level hospitality coursework, such as VU classes.

By successfully completing 75 hours of instruction through the START course, the new partnership with VU will allow students to be eligible to receive VU credits which may be applied toward either associate degree program.

Dubois County Fills Development Post The Dubois County Area Development Corporation (DCADC) has hired Jim Dinkle as its new President.

Dinkle, 51, brings extensive knowledge of business recruiting and economic development to the role. His most recent professional position was with the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, where he served as President and CEO. Previously, he spent five years as Midwest Regional Manager of Economic Development over five states for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the nation’s second largest railroad.

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Testing Service to Hire This Summer Environmental Laboratories Inc., a provider of environmental testing services and products, will expand its operations in Madison, creating up to 20 new full-time jobs by 2014.

The company, which provides wastewater, drinking water and solid waste testing services and in-home test kits for soil and water testing, will invest more than $683,000 to lease and equip additional space to increase overall testing capacity and provide assembly space for new product offerings.

Environmental Laboratories plans to begin hiring testing personnel and assembly workers later this summer as new machinery is phased in at the Madison office. In addition to the assembly operations, the company will add new wastewater and drinking water testing capabilities.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Environmental Laboratories up to $85,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $35,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. www.buildingindiananews.com

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People News Hoops to Helm ICVA The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA) has chosen Leonard Hoops as its new President & CEO. Hoops most recently served as Executive Vice President & Chief Customer Officer for the San Francisco Travel Association. A seasoned hospitality executive with 25 years of experience, Hoops was named one of the “25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.

Vectren Hires Former Congressman Former Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth has joined Vectren Corporation as the president of its Vectren Energy Delivery of Indiana - North gas utility. The position, announced in a 2010 management reorganization, is designed to enhance the company’s presence with local government officials, community leaders and customers in the 49 Indiana counties served by the utility.

Schoenike to Oversee New Evansville Arena VenuWorks has named Scott Schoenike Executive Director of the under-construction New Evansville Arena in Evansville. Schoenike brings more than 21 years of experience in the entertainment and hospitality industry.

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He comes to Evansville after four years as Executive Director of the U.S. Cellular Center, Paramount Theatre and Cedar Rapids Ice Arena. The $127 million New Evansville Arena is slated to open in November.

TAG Promotes Munguia The American Group of Constructors (TAG) has named Mario Munguia Vice President of Operations.

Previously, Munguia was Operations Manager for the Hammond-based company.

McIntosh Honored by Bankers Association The Farmers Bank (Frankfort) announced that Vice President of Retail Banking Rita McIntosh has been inducted into the Indiana Bankers Association Forty Year Banker Club. The Indiana Bankers Association salutes the Forty Year Banker Club members, who have dedicated at least 40 years of service to the banking industry.

McIntosh began her banking career in December 1969 with Indiana National Bank and joined Farmers in 2003.

Marra Digs in at Midwest Mole Midwest Mole (Indianapolis) has brought on Randy Marra as the new Director of Business Development.

Marra has more than 30 years experience in the underground construction industry, and

owned and operated Tramco, Inc. since 1985, prior to working more than 10 years with S&M Constructors, Inc. Indiana Trusts Bill Clayton T. Bill has joined Indiana Trust Company (Mishawaka) as an Investment Officer, assisting in investment research, financial planning, and portfolio management. He has more than 13 years of experience in the banking industry, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Purdue Brings Aboard Economic Development Director Mark Van Fleet, a former senior executive with the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, has been named Executive Director of Purdue’s Global Business Engagement Initiative. Van Fleet will lead the initiative that offers international business development resources, consulting services, cross-cultural orientation and connections to foreign trade and investment partners.

Fulford to Lead Partnership Indy Partnership, the regional economic development organization representing the ninecounty Indianapolis metro area for Central Indiana, has chosen veteran economic developer Scott Fulford to become the organization’s new Executive Director. Prior to joining Indy

Partnership in 2006, Fulford spent over 30 years working for Cinergy (now Duke Energy) where he served as a Marketing Manager in their economic development department.

Hilliard Joins DMS Liza Hilliard has joined Diversified Marketing Strategies as Advertising and Marketing Specialist. A native of Crown Point and a graduate of Valparaiso University, Hilliard will apply her marketing and promotion experience to advertising inquiries, specialty items and events coordination.

Methodist Hospitals Adds to Board John A. Lowenstine, CPA, has been named to the Board of Directors of Methodist Hospitals (Gary).

Lowenstine has been a CPA since 1988. He worked at the accounting firm of Geo. S. Olive prior to opening his own practice. John is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana CPA Society.

Ice Miller Names CIO Ice Miller LLP has tapped Andrew Collier has as Chief Information Officer. Collier will focus on technology management as well as development of staff in areas of infrastructure, application development, service desk and technical support. Prior to www.buildingindiananews.com

joining Ice Miller, Collier was the director of information technology for another one of the top 200 largest law firms in the country.

bassador for the Greater Greenfield Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally she has extensive staff, P&L and customer service skills.

Norman Joins Salin Brendan Norman has joined Salin Bank (Indianapolis) as Vice President, Wealth Management Business Development. Norman comes to Salin with more than 15 years of banking and investment experience. Prior to joining the Salin, he worked for Nationwide Retirement Solutions as a Registered Investment Advisor.

UE Names Business School Dean The University of Evansville has named Dr. Stephen Standifird as the new Dean of the Schroeder Family School of Business Administration. Standifird, who has served as associate dean of graduate and professional programs for the School of Business at the University of San Diego will fill the position vacated by Robert Clark, who left UE in January 2010 to become president of Husson University in Maine.

Lawrence Chamber Appoints Tower The Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce has appointed Jessica Tower as Executive Director. Tower has previous chamber experience as an Am-

www.buildingindiananews.com

Trusgnich Named Director Terry Trusgnich has been elected to the Board of Directors

of the American Rental Association (ARA), an international trade association serving the equipment rental industry.

Trusgnich is president of Aide Rentals & Sales I and II, located in South Chicago Heights, IL and Highland, IN. As Region Five Director, Trusgnich will serve a 3-year term representing ARA members in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Drivers of the Year Honored Transportation and warehousing services provider Trans-United, Inc. has honored Larry and Aldona Parsley as the Burns Harborbased company’s 2010 Drivers of the Year. They were presented with a certificate and cash award at the March 5th Safety Meeting.

Glaros Gets Update Matt Glaros a Health Insurance Broker, with Employer Benefit Systems in Dyer, recently completed a United Health Care training program in Minneapolis. The program was designed for the most elite level of insurance brokers who write United Health Care business. The course was developed to update and train the brokers on health management, cuttingedge self-funding techniques and health care reform.

DLZ Promotes Glaze DLZ Corporation, a national, top 100 engineering and architecture firm with offices in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky and Ohio, has promoted Brian L. Glaze, P.E. to President of DLZ Indi-

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ana, LLC. Glaze, a Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology graduate, joined DLZ in 1989 and since 1999 has served as Vice President of DLZ Indiana.

Sanders Joins First Financial Mallory Sanders has joined First Financial Wealth Management (North Manchester) as trust officer. Sanders will serve clients in North Manchester and Wabash County. Sanders, a resident of Wabash, is a graduate of Manchester College and a Relay for Life volunteer.

Rose Named CEO Rieth-Riley Construction Co. Inc. President A. Keith Rose has been named Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Rose replaced Ronald Pope, who retired at the end of March. Rose joined Rieth-Riley in 1999 as vice president of Michigan operations.

Prior to joining Rieth-Riley, Rose was operations manager for Kinsley Construction Inc. in York, PA. Goshen-based Rieth-Riley is one of the largest paving contractors in the United States.

Stutesman Advances at Gibson Cindy Stutesman of Gibson has been promoted to Senior Claims Specialist. As a Senior Claims Specialist she is responsible for processing personal and commercial claims, being a strong client advocate, and providing service until final claim resolution. Gibson is a regional insurance broker and risk management services firm with offices in South Bend, Plymouth, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne.

IU Health Welcomes Higley Indiana University Health La Porte Physicians has welcomed Ann Higley as the new 30

clerical supervisor for Founders’ Square. Higley is responsible with the overall daily operations of the clerical staff and patient services.

She handles duties for pediatric, primary care, internal medicine and after hours care medical offices to assure the best possible patient experience.

Miller Joins Southeastern Southeastern Equipment Company (Columbus, OH) has announced that Jason Miller has joined the company as leasing and rental manager. In his new position, Miller is responsible for expanding rental and leasing sales across all of the company’s locations. Miller has nearly ten years of experience in the heavy equipment industry.

Southeastern Equipment has eighteen locations throughout Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Gaskell to VP Post Julie Gaskell has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Operations of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. Gaskell, who joined the Valpo Chamber in 1998 as a parttime employee, performs numerous administrative duties for both the Chamber and the Valparaiso Economic Development Corporation.

Collins and Broad Join the Northwest Indiana Workforce Board J o i n ing the Northwest Indiana Workforce B o a r d (NWIWB) this past February were Adam Collins, Plant Manager with Kruz, Incorporated in Starke County and David Broad, CoOwner of Alliance E.M.S. in Pulaski County. Both will serve on the board and support its vision www.buildingindiananews.com

of having a highly skilled, motivated, and diverse workforce that earns sustainable or higher wages and is actively engaged in skill advancement and lifelong learning. The NWIWB is responsible for the strategic vision of workforce development and governance of the regional WorkOne system.

Purdue Names New Tech College Dean Gary R. Bertoline has been appointed Dean of the Purdue College of Technology. The appointment, subject to ratification by the university’s Board of Trustees, is effective July 1. Bertoline, who has been at Purdue since 1990, is Associate Dean for Graduate studies in the College of Technology, a distinguished professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology and a

www.buildingindiananews.com

professor of computer and information technology. He also is the Executive Director of the Center for Professional Studies and Applied Research, which focuses on delivering degree and non-degree programs for business and industry.

Strachan Appointed CIO Community Health Network has appointed Ronald Strachan Chief Information Officer. In his new role, Strachan will oversee approximately 150 employees.

He is responsible for developing an enterprise-wide vision of technology, supporting the strategy and business needs of the network. He will also provide facilitative leadership for the design and implementation of plans supporting the information technology vision.

Collier to Head Business Banking Team Huntington Bank has tapped Randy Collier as Vice President

and Business Banking Team Leader for Huntington’s Indiana region. In his new role, Collier will have responsibility for management and growth of the Indianapolis business banking portfolio while also leading initiatives designed to further broaden Huntingtonís reach throughout the Indianapolis area. Prior to joining Huntington, Collier was President and CEO of Shelby County Bank in Shelbyville.

WellPoint Chooses Veteran Leader WellPoint, Inc. has named John Martie President and CEO of its National Accounts business. In his new role, Martie is responsible for customer relationships and continued growth of the national business, which currently serves more than 12 million members. He has 26 years

of industry experience and is a 14-year WellPoint veteran. He currently serves as president of the company’s Colorado local group plan.

Schwartzentruber Takes Top Cancer Post Dr. Doug Schwar tzentruber has been named System Medical Director of IU Health Cancer Services, as well as the Associate Director of Clinical Operations at the IU Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis. Schwartzentruber will be involved in Melanoma patient care and support clinical trials across all different types of cancers and will also continue his internationally recognized research in the development of a Melanoma Cancer vaccine, the work that resulted in his being named to TIME Magazine’s 2010 list of the 100 Most Influential People.

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Photo Feature Cigar Stars More than 1,800 attendees from 15 states and three countries made the trip to Indiana for the second annual Midwest Smoke Out at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond. There, they sampled more than a dozen cigars as well as fine spirits and gourmet cuisine, and had an opportunity to meet cigar legends Rocky Patel and Carlito Fuente.

To see more photos and keep up with news about the third annual Midwest Smoke Out, set for April 19, 2012, visit www. midwestsmokeout.com. (l. to r.) Randy Gluth; Dustin Gorelick; Bo DePaoli; and Todd Williams.

(l. to r.) Tony Hauprich; Rick Caeinski; Crown Point Mayor David Uran; Aaron McDermott; Sumer Rex; and Eric Evans.

Building Indiana Editor and Publisher Andrea Pearman with Scott and Karen Lauerman of the Northwest Indiana Forum.

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Cigar legend Carlito Fuento (hat) with (l. to r.) Karl Herzog, Fuente Cigars, and Humidipak’s Sean Knutsen and Tim Swail.

Cigar lovers pack The Venue at Horseshoe Casino for the second annual Midwest Smoke Out. www.buildingindiananews.com

(l. to r.) The Schepel Auto Group’s Tom Van Prooyen, Jason Boone and John Poke.

Building Indiana’s Andrea Pearman (center) with DLZ Industrial executives and guests.

Two of the Tilted Kilt’s finest ladies with one of Schepel Cadillac’s slickest cars.

Some of the crowd at the Midwest Smoke Out enjoying the scene and their cigars. www.buildingindiananews.com

(l. to r.) Lou Martinez, Lake Area United Way; “Lady Hennessy” Tocarra Jones; and Bill Masterson and Bill Nangle, Times Media Company.

The lovely ladies from Albert’s Diamond Jewelers in Schererville had a nice suprise for attendees: $100 Albert’s gift certificates.

33

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Agreements That Work Project Labor Agreements provide many benefits to both project owners and Indiana construction workers and contractors.

By Dewey Pearman, Executive Director, Construction Advancement Foundation

I

n the last edition of Building indiana I wrote about an important public policy debate then being waged in the Indiana Assembly which, had it become law, would have a significant negative affect on the vast majority of construction companies in Indiana – the “right-to-work” legislation.

Fortunately, that legislation failed to pass when the General Assembly adjourned the 2011 session on April 29. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it will be back as a topic of discussion in a summer legislative study committee, and probably in the form of legislative proposal in the 2012 session of the General Assembly. We will have to stay tuned for the outcome of those debates.

Continuing on the theme of bad public policies, I want to tell you about another topic which will be debated in a summer study committee: project labor agreements 34

(PLAs). Like the right-to-work bill, a ban on project labor agreements for public projects was introduced in the 2011 session, but was taken off the legislative table and referred to the study committee when the bill’s supporters failed to find enough votes to pass the legislation.

Project labor agreements are contractual agreements used by many private and public project owners in Indiana and across the country. They are used by project owners to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget. A PLA requires all contractors working on the project to secure their skilled workforce through the local union hall. The unions agree to supply all the workers needed to complete the project, with no work stoppages, strikes or jurisdictional disputes. If the project labor agreements were not an effective means of securing an adequate local supply of highly skilled labor, they would not be used exten-

sively by private project owners. To list just a few recent examples of private projects that included PLAs: • BP Modernization Project, Whiting ($3.8 billion) • Horseshoe Casino, Hammond ($458 million) • Subaru-Isuzu Factory, Lafayette ($500 million) • Conrad Hilton Hotel, Indianapolis ($90 million) • Combustion Turbine Peaking Station Project, Indianapolis ($30 million) Terre Haute ($80-$100 million) • Circle Centre Mall, Indianapolis ($500 million) • PSI Wabash River Coal Gasification Project • Power Generating Station, Washington ($100 Million) • Toyota Truck Assembly Plant, www.buildingindiananews.com

Gibson County ($250 million) • Special Bar Quality Mini Mill, Pitsboro ($148 million) • Montpelier Generating Project, Northeastern Indiana ($80 million) Why do these major corporations use project labor agreements? Here are just a few reasons. A PLA guarantees a continuous work flow by ensuring an ample supply of skilled workers, no strikes or work stoppages, and no jurisdictional disputes.

A PLA also supersedes local collective bargaining agreements, thereby standardizing work rules on the job. This makes administration and management of labor easier.

Project labor agreements have been used successfully on many public projects in Indiana as well: • New Castle Correctional Facility ($120 million) • Indiana State Museum ($55.2 million) • United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute ($200 million) • Conseco Field House, Indianapolis ($185 million) • Indianapolis Marion County Central Library ($102 million) • Phase IV Expansion of Convention Center ($45 million) There are important societal benefits to using PLAs on public projects. For example, they require hiring of local workers. Even if an out-of-state contractor works on a public PLA project, they are required to hire their skilled labor through the local union halls instead of bringing in their workforce from out-of-state.

That helps ensure that the tax dollars spent on the project stay in the local economy and benefit Indiana families. PLAs also establish diversity requirements to guarantee that minorityand women-owned business benefit from the projects.

So, if PLAs are so great, what’s the controversy all about? Again, as in the case of right-to-work, it’s all about politics and misrepresentations. The political piece is simple.

As I said in the last edition of Building indiana, in politics you help your friends and you tend not to be so helpful to your political opponents.

Some politicians see union workers as their political opponents and are not inclined to be helpful to them. But I hesitate to overstate the www.buildingindiananews.com

political side of this controversy. I think the often-mentioned misrepresentation of this issue is primarily responsible for the controversy. Here are a few myths and reality statements about PLAs. Myth: A PLA shuts out non-union labor from bidding on a construction project.

Reality: PLA projects are not “union-only” projects. It is illegal to discriminate on public works construction projects based on union or non-union status. Non-union contractors can bid, and have won bids, on projects constructed with PLAs. Myth: For taxpayers, PLAs mean higher project costs and typically higher taxes or fees to pay for the project.

Reality: On public work projects, the wages incorporated in a PLA have already been determined under Indiana’s Common Wage Law. A PLA merely incorporates those wages into the agreement.

Myth:

Non-union

contractors

would be required to sign collective bargaining agreements with local building trades’ unions.

Reality: Although in the past non-union contactors would sign a “project only” collective bargaining agreement with the union, many recent PLAs specifically state that no contractor would be required to sign any local union’s collective bargaining agreement.

Myth: PLAs would require union membership of all those employed on the project.

Reality: Under federal law, it is illegal to require union membership.

These and many other misrepresentations are frequently made by the Associated Building Contractors, (ABC) the non-union association of contractors. The ABC, which represents less than three percent of all Indiana contractors, has created great confusion in the debate over PLAs. I am certain we will have a healthy exchange in the coming months.

Let’s hope we can stick to the facts about this important public policy issue.

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avoiding RULE OF LAW

the Voidable

Municipal contracting is different, and if you don’t know how, you could get burned.

By J. Christopher Janak, Bose McKinney & Evans LLP

M

unicipal contracting, in whatever form, can prove to be much riskier to a business than its typical agreements.

Take the following situation as an example: A business contracts with a public works department to construct new facilities that will benefit the municipality and its customers. The contract is accepted by the board of public works, signed off on by the mayor, and approved by the city council.

After being awarded the contract, the business spends nearly $30,000 on the project. The city then wants out of the contract and refuses to pay. The court rules that the business cannot enforce the contract and cannot recover its $30,000.

This was the case in Laramore & Douglass, Inc. v. City of Anderson, 222 F.2d 480 (7th Cir. 1955). The lesson to be learned from Laramore and other similar cases is, quite simply, that any business contracting with a municipal entity bears the risk that the municipal entity may avoid its contractual obligation if the municipal entity failed to strictly comply with all applicable proce36

dures and regulations.

Contracting with a municipality is legally distinct from contracting with any other entity and, therefore, requires unique attention. Typically, contract law has evolved to ensure that parties deal with each other in “arms-length� transactions that achieve results that do not unjustly enrich one party to the detriment of the other. That is, the law creates an environment in which each party contracts for itself and is expected to understand its own limits while being fairly held accountable when it fails to meet its obligations under the agreement. Even if the contract simply becomes impossible to perform, the law has developed tools to ensure that, at a minimum, the innocent party still recovers its expenses.

Different Rules Apply But the same rules do not necessarily apply when contracting with a city, town, public board or other municipal entity.

When entering a contractual relationship with a public entity, the business is responsible not only for its own well-being, but must also monitor the actions of the public entity to ensure the public entity is following all the requisite procedures for contracting with third parties.

Unless all required procedures are followed, a municipality can step away from a contract rendered void by its own omission, keep the benefits a business provides

it and pay nothing, all at a loss to the business. And of course, unlike their municipal counterparts, businesses lack the legal ability to void their contractual obligations when the municipal entity failed to follow the applicable procedures.

While at first blush such an outcome appears to be exceedingly unfair, the rationale cited by the long list of judicial decisions applying the rule does make some sense from a public policy standpoint. The legislatively mandated procedures for municipal contracting are intended to safeguard the general public and its interests.

Without the harsh rule, a business and municipal entity could effectively sidestep the proper public scrutiny and protection by simply entering into an agreement and having the business begin performance.

The courts have thus opted for a rule that requires a business to be aware of the requisite contracting procedures for public entities and, in turn, be responsible for ensuring that such procedures were followed by the public entity.

The message for businesses is clear: if you contract with a municipality, you owe yourself a duty to ensure that the municipality strictly complies with the procedures required by law. While the record of decisions enforcing the rule are not always as extreme as the result in the Laramore case, the consistent application of the rule evidences the importance of the much broader role a business accepts in contracting with a municipality. Thus, regardless of whether the stakes are slight or significant, the rule of buyer beware remains all too real in the world of municipal contracting. www.buildingindiananews.com

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37

SAFETY ZONE

Violence Vigilance Workplace safety includes taking sensible steps to prevent workplace violence.

By John Keeling, Advisor, Safety Management Group

S

afety professionals look at workplace safety through a very broad lens that encompasses dozens of issues. In recent years, the issue of workplace violence is one that has drawn more attention and energy. OSHA had turned up the volume on the issue, advising companies to include steps for dealing with violence in their safety plans.

Each time a high-profile shooting or other example of workplace violence explodes into the media, employers and many employees begin to wonder if something similar could happen on their jobsites. The simple answer is that workplace violence can happen on any worksite at any time.

That means companies need to consider two aspects of the issue: how do we prevent situations from escalating into workplace 38

violence, and how would we react if one of our employees became violent or was the intended victim of violence?

Most safety issues are pretty blackand-white. A worker shouldn’t stand beyond a certain step on a ladder. Electrical devices must be correctly grounded. If a task calls for eye protection, the worker is expected to wear it. But when it comes to preventing employees from violent acts at work, the issues are much grayer, often involving subtle aspects of employment laws and privacy regulations.

In addition, while the common assumption is that workplace violence usually involves a worker seeking revenge for being disciplined or fired, many cases actually center on something in the worker’s personal life spilling over into the workplace. A divorced couple battles over custody issues, and one spouse shows up at the other’s workplace, igniting an argument that turns physical. Fights between relatives suddenly make their way into the lobby of your building. An employee’s financial troubles lead to a suicide attempt during work hours.

Your company has nothing to do with causing the situation, but you’re right in the middle of the result.

The best prevention is for supervisors

to monitor employees, and to be alert to any sudden or disturbing changes in mood.

For example, if an employee who is normally lively and outgoing starts becoming sullen and angry, there may be an underlying cause. It could be anything from substance abuse to financial problems to trouble at home. A supervisor who’s aware of his or her employees’ personal lives – without

Many companies are moving toward a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to threats by employees. crossing the line into being nosy – may be able to spot problems before they develop into something bigger.

Share Any Concerns The response depends upon the situation and individuals. In some cases, the supervisor and employee may be close enough that one can ask the other how things are going. In other cases, a friendly question may actually be the trigger that provokes violence. That’s why it’s usually a good idea for a supervisor who has a concern to share it with others in leadership roles, for exwww.buildingindiananews.com

ample with the HR department.

Working together, they may be able to create an appropriate intervention, or simply may agree on the need for more monitoring and investigation.

Whatever action you take, the critical point is to treat the issue seriously. Consider threats as an example. If one worker is threatening another, or telling co-workers that he or she is going to kill a supervisor, don’t assume that the employee is all talk or laugh it off. Something needs to

tective order. An angry and desperate individual may not know where his or her spouse is now living, but probably knows where he or she works. Security plans at far too many companies do not consider violent intruders. (And what do you do if the potential victim is at the front desk of your facility or out making sales calls on the company’s behalf? You may not be aware of a dangerous situation until a violent act has occurred.)

Security systems and protocol can help. So can awareness training to help supervisors and employees recognize dangerous situations or signs that a fellow employee may be at risk of becoming a victim or an offender.

If your company’s emergency action plan doesn’t already address workplace violence, begin to develop policies and procedures on the issue. be done immediately. Companies should have rules in place for handling threats. They may result in the employee being written up, or they may be cause for immediate termination. Many companies are moving toward a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to threats by employees.

Beyond not wanting other employees to be hurt, they want to avoid the potential liability associated with a threat that turns into a real act of violence.

Domestic Violence One area that cannot be ignored is domestic violence. Situations involving domestic violence tend to escalate over time, and the most violent behavior often follows a partner moving out of the home or obtaining a prowww.buildingindiananews.com

If your company’s emergency action plan doesn’t already address workplace violence, begin to develop policies and procedures on the issue. Just as your employees and supervisors need to know what to do when a fire breaks out or a tornado is bearing down upon your jobsite, they should know what to do if a coworker appears with a weapon or starts making (or receiving) threats. Who responds and how?

What do you handle internally and when do you call the police?

Yes, this type of planning takes time and energy, but as with all other aspects of safety, it’s far better to address it before an incident than to ask yourself after the fact what you could have done to prevent a worker’s injury or death.

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39

THE BOTTOM LINE

Cash Advance Propelled by higher earnings, personal income growth in Indiana last year outstripped that of most other states.

By David Wellman

P

ersonal income growth in Indiana outstripped that of not only most neighboring states, but most of the nation as well, in 2010. Hoosiers earned $226.6 billion in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), a 3.7 percent increase over 2009 and the eighth-best improvement in the nation.

Nationwide, personal income – a measure of all income received by all persons from all sources – rose an average of three percent last year, rebounding from a 1.7 percent decline in 2009.

The BEA’s measure of personal income includes three components: earnings, such as wages and salaries; property income, which includes dividend and interest income; and transfer receipts, such as Social Security payments Nationally, all three components increased in 2010. This was in contrast to 2009, when only transfer receipts grew. However, in 2010, transfer receipts still grew more strongly (7.6 percent) than earnings (2.4 percent) or property income (0.6 percent).

In Indiana, transfer receipts grew at a slower pace, 5.7 percent, than they did nationally, while earnings improved more strongly (3.9 percent) among Hoosiers than they did for U.S. residents as a whole. In fact, Indiana residents’ 3.9 percent jump in earnings was the biggest earnings gain, percentage-wise, in the U.S. in 2010.

As a result, while the nation’s overall improvement in personal income was driven almost equally by increases in earnings and transfer payments, Indiana’s performance was primarily a result of workers making more money: 2.6 percentage points of the 3.7 percent gain were attributable to higher earnings.

In dollar terms, Hoosiers’ aggregate personal income rose more than $8 billion in 2010, $5.6 billion of which came from higher earnings and $2.5 billion from higher transfer receipts; property income was down about $94 million.

Of the states surrounding Indiana, only Kentucky scored a bigger gain in personal income, 3.98 percent, than Indiana. However, Kentucky’s improvement was due more to increases in transfer receipts and

PERSONAL INCOME CHANGE BY COMPONENT – 2010 NET EARNINGS Kentucky Indiana Total U.S. Michigan Ohio Illinois Source: BEA

40

3.45% 3.94% 2.38% 2.55% 2.08% 1.67%

7.67% 5.72% 7.57% 5.96% 6.63% 8.18%

3.98% 3.68% 2.97% 2.84% 2.73% 2.47%

MI

PERSONAL INCOME GROWTH – U.S. RANK 2010

PROPERTY TRANSFER TOTAL PERSONAL RECEIPTS INCOME INCOME 0.23% -0.29% 0.64% -0.41% 0.05% 0.44%

property income, and less to higher pay, than was the case in Indiana.

On an industry basis, industries that contributed most strongly to personal income growth in Indiana in 2010 included: durable good manufacturing (1.11 percentage points); health care and social assistance (0.37 points); administrative and waste services (0.30 points); and nondurable good manufacturing (0.25 points).

Notably, the Indiana construction industry had a solid positive impact on the state’s personal income growth of 0.12 percentage points as compared to the construction industry nationwide, whose slump actually subtracted 0.19 percentage points from total U.S. personal income growth.

Industry sectors that contributed more to total U.S. personal income improvement than they did to Indiana’s gains were: professional and technical services (0.24 percentage points nationally versus 0.14 points in Indiana); management (0.09 versus 0.01 points); finance and insurance (0.08 versus 0.00 points); information (0.05 versus -0.02 points); and state and local government (0.04 versus -0.08 points).

Nationwide, personal income rose an average of three percent last year.

40 IL

27 8 IN KY

31 OH

3

www.buildingindiananews.com

Cancer Fighters.

When you or a loved one needs the highest level of cancer care, you’ll f ind it at Methodist Hospitals.

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The first step to curing colon cancer is preventing it.

Colon cancer kills 57,000 people each year, yet it is 80–90% curable if detected early. All it takes is a simple screening known as a colonoscopy.

If you’re age 50 or older, or age 45 or older for African-Americans, you should begin regular colon cancer screening. If your tests reveal that you have colon cancer, you can rest assured that the experienced professionals at Methodist Hospitals will use the most advanced treatment options to deliver the very best outcomes. That’s why our Comprehensive Cancer Program has been accredited by the American College of Surgeons every year, since 1974.

When a simple screening can help protect you from colon cancer, you owe it to yourself to take that f irst step. Call for a Free Colon Cancer Risk Assessment. 1-888-909-DOCS (3627) ONCOLOGY INSTITUTE 888-909-DOCS (3627) METHODISTHOSPITALS.ORG www.buildingindiananews.com

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41

BEING PRODUCTIVE

Service

Sells

Incenting people to provide great customer service is the secret to success no matter what business you’re in.

By Jim Porter, Porter Pipe & Supply

W

holesale industrial supplier Porter Pipe & Supply was founded in 1976 by my father Ralph Porter and myself. Ralph took a chance to start a company at 50 years old and eight children still in school. Like most companies, its beginnings were humble, as we operated out of a 4,000 square foot rented location in Addison, IL. Our main business was hydronic heating supplies, pursuing the multi-tenant residential construction market.

We carried pipe up to two feet in diameter and all billing was done by hand. Boilers and baseboards were the main products, along with pumps and specialties for wet heat systems. We worked 17 hours a day while my mother Lita went to work selling homes to support the family.

Today, Porter Pipe & Supply has projected sales of more than $70 million for 2011. My brother Bud and I bought dad out in 1996 and Ralph is happily retired in Florida. The secret to our success? Relentless dedication to customer service fueled by a commitment to make everyone feel like family, customers and employees alike.

Porter Pipe & Supply operates 24 hours a day Monday through Friday. Customers can call and place orders at any time. Pipe 42

fabrication is done at night so that orders can be ready for early morning, next-day delivery. Trucks are loaded at night and are on the road by 5 a.m. And while the company is closed most Saturdays and all day Sundays, customers are given “emergency cards” with names of Porter personnel they can call if they need something when closed.

Porter’s inside salesmen, led by Bob Langton, are among the best-educated in product application in the industry and regularly attend in-house training programs.

Porter maintains 12 full-time outside salesmen, under manager Kevin Roche, and these men and women are also welltrained. A 98.7 percent tracked fill rate to the field has indeed made for a reputation unmatched in the Chicago/Indiana market.

A Family Atmosphere Keeping employees informed and inviting feedback is another way the company keeps their people involved. Porter shares company goals and sales performance and holds quarterly brainstorming meetings and dinners with groups of employees. We also encourage a family atmosphere with picnics, barbecues and rewards programs.

The result is that while the company has grown far beyond its humble beginnings, it still retains the focus on customer

service that once had my dad and I delivering back-ordered items with our own cars same-day. Porter Pipe maintains an $11 million inventory in its Addison and Hammond facilities, and if we don’t have what a customer needs in stock, purchase agent Bob Beers and his team source things that others can’t, and they treat hard-to-find items as a real challenge.

Porter also maintains a fleet of over 25 mobile warehouse trailers. These 40-footlong semi trailers are customer built with bins, pipe racks and even drawing boards.

They are customer-loaded with specific job materials right down to computerized generated bin labels and shipped out to industrial projects where they can sit for up to six or eight months with no charge.

Porter continues to grow in our local industrial market, out of the Hammond branch opened in 2007, led by manager Art Mendez. The 20,000-square-foot facility carries a multitude of products to meet the daily requirement of the industrial piping market, and a multitude of people to deliver more than the daily requirement of customer service.

Porter Pipe & Supply continually recognizes employees, practices team-building and adheres to its roots to achieve and maintain success. www.buildingindiananews.com

www.buildingindiananews.com

43

MASS PRODUCTION

Health Information

SPECIAL REPORT HealtHcare

Revolution Research park nurtures a new generation of health information technology providers.

By Steve Martin

H

ealth Information Technology (HIT) is among the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. healthcare industry, with sales projected to top $42 billion by 2014, according to an analysis by IBM. It’s also a field in which Indiana has a rich history, dating back more than four decades to the establishment of the Regenstreif Foundation and Regenstrief Institute on the Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis campus by entrepreneur Sam Regenstrief, whose vision was the application of digital information technology to healthcare.

Two privately held high-technology firms this sector can be found at the Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana: HealthCall, LLC and I-DENTI-FIED, Inc. HealthCall’s solutions have automated routine actions and complex workflow processes between more than 700,000 patients and their healthcare providers and payers for almost a decade. I-DENTI-FIED’s technology, now being implemented in Indiana, uses radio frequency identification technology (RFID) to provide patients with fast and complete access to their medical information.

Improving Outcomes “Healthcare professionals use our solutions to enable the communication of more timely and relevant health information between them and patients,” says Daniel Hayes, President and CEO of HealthCall. “The improved clinical management and patientcentric approach results in increased patient involvement, healthier self-care behaviors and higher quality outcomes.”

HealthCall provides solutions in the areas 44

Purdue Research Park of Northwest Indiana Modeled after West Lafayette’s Purdue Research Park flagship incubator that is owned and operated by Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana sits on 386 acres west of I-65 near Merrillville. The facility and the Purdue University Calumet Academic Learning Center serve as anchors for the surrounding mixed-use Ameriplex at the Crossroads business and technology park.

The 48,000-square-foot center, which opened with seven charter client firms in January 2005, now serves 14 technology-based tenants, four additional tenants and eight affiliate companies. Companies with offices inside the center currently employ 95 workers.

HealthCall’s Hayes says that the Park is the right environment for clinical innovation and behavioral health. “Along with the required secure facilities and technology infrastructure, we have access to clinical and medical research teams within the university,” Hayes says.

“The facilities support new product deployment, training, and ongoing client education.”

Likewise, Wise says that I-DENTI-FIED chose the Park because it met many of the company’s most pressing needs. “Purdue has the relationships and network to provide us the support we need to gain funding, help with business planning, marketing and technology design,” he says. “There also are relationships in place to help us gain access to new markets and get our product into the health care system and patient population.”

of administrative outreach, medical compliance, wellness programs and chronic care. Administrative outreach tools include appointment reminders, satisfaction surveys, courtesy notifications, supply replenishment and insurance verification.

“Using HealthCall for patient outreach reduces the amount of time necessary to reach larger patient populations,” Hayes says. “And due to the automated system, errors are also reduced.”

Medical compliance is one of the top challenges facing health care providers today, as Harvard University’s Institute on Healthcare Improvement determined that almost half of all Americans are not receiving optimal therapy.

“HealthCall is designed to measure compliance to medical therapy; to track metrics such as weight, blood sugar and blood pressure; and identify and monitor symptoms,” Hayes says. “This frequent interaction enables encourages patients www.buildingindiananews.com

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The technology has also been used in conjunction with a broad range of wellness programs including employee wellness, weight management, prenatal care and preand post-surgery, as well as in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

“Managing chronic diseases by closely monitoring the patient has proven to greatly increase quality of life and life expectancy,” Hayes says. “Our technology interacts directly with patients to collect current and relevant information that results in earlier recognition of impending crises, reduced demands upon professional staff and reduced healthcare system consumption.”

Coordinating Care I-DENTI-FIED was formed “because patients sometimes are unable to communicate their medical information to hospitals, doctors, emergency medical personnel, caregivers and pharmacies in a standardized and effective manner, which can result in delayed treatment, ineffective coordination and medication errors,” explains Steven M. Wise, CEO of I-DENTI-FIED. “This adds costs to the healthcare system and reduces quality of care for patients.

I-DENTI-FIED provides multiple forms www.buildingindiananews.com

of RFID technology for patient identification, from a wallet card to placing a tiny RFID transponder safely and securely into a tooth, denture or dental prosthetic.

“When enrolled as a member, the patient is provided access to a Care Coordination Portal where they can consolidate and keep track of multiple locations where their health history resides, and indicate a primary source of information such as an Online Personal Health Record,” Wise says. “When read with an RFID scanner, the I-DENTITAG number becomes a key to unlock access to the patient’s Care Coordination Portal to display their electronic medical history.”

I-DENTI-FIED received clearance from the Food & Drug Administration in 2008 to market its technology for dentures, dental prosthetics and wallet cards. The program was implemented in January 2010 with Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point, and five dentists and two dental labs in Northwest Indiana currently are certified to work with the technology.

There are more than 100 I-DENTIFIED members throughout Northwest Indiana and neighboring states, and there is an agreement for the company to add 500 First Responders from Indiana Homeland Security and 50 U.S. Olympic athletes in a separate program.

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45

franciscan St. francis Health Indianapolis Campus Expansion Phase One Contractor list General Contractor Tonn and Blank Construction Engineer Cripe Architects + Engineers Interior Design lohr Design Excavation Poindexter Excavating, Inc. Asphalt Paving Rieth-Riley Construction Co., Inc. Landscaping Mathies landscaping Inc. Precast Concrete High Concrete Rebar Install Delta Erecting Inc. Masonry, Generator Building and D Wing Broady Campbell, Inc. Structural Steel Geiger & Peters, Inc. Millwork & Casework Steven Industries, Inc. Waterproofing Jarnagin Enterprises, Inc. Fireproofing Division Seven, Inc. Sheet Metal Flashing Expansion Joint Installation Henry C. Smither Roofing Company, Inc. Doors, Frames & Hardware Central Indiana Hardware Glass, Glazing & Skylights Precision Wall Systems, Inc Tile Santarossa Mosaic & Tile Co., Inc.

SPECIAL REPORT HealtHcare

Towering

Achievement

Franciscan St. Francis Health completes the first phase of a stunning new tower on its Indianapolis campus.

By David Wellman

I

n April, Franciscan St. Francis Health celebrated the completion of the first phase of Indianapolis Campus Expansion (ICE) project. Directed by Tonn and Blank Construction (Michigan City), phase one included the basement and first two levels of a planned six-story, 432,000-square-foot bed tower which will enable Franciscan St. Francis Health to consolidate its Indianapolis and Beech Grove operations into a single location. And at the same time, it has given the hospital the opportunity to upgrade its offerings in the increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace.

“The hospital is consolidating services in order to be operationally and financially more conscious of health care costs,” says

Jake Irwin, Clinical Equipment Manager and Transition Planner at St. Francis. At the same time, he adds, the expansion integrates cutting-edge technology, amenities such as all private rooms and even a new cafeteria, the Terrace Café.

The centerpiece of phase one is a new and larger emergency department, featuring 63 exam rooms arranged in “pods” designed to provide more personalized care to patients. Created after staffers toured new emergency rooms in North Carolina and Ohio, the pod approach groups patients with similar needs in order to provide faster and safer care. The design also places rooms for the sickest patients off of a central core near the ambulance entrance.

An imaging area and lab services, as

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46

www.buildingindiananews.com

well as a working area for nurses and unit secretaries, also are located within the emergency department. Further upgrades in the new facility include ten new technologybased surgical suites and the relocation and expansion of the Wound Care Institute from Beech Grove to the new building. As part of the move, the Center gained a second hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber.

The second and final phase of the project is slated for completion in May 2012, with floors three through six adding 221 inpatient beds. Also, a new and expanded St. Francis Cancer Center – nearly quadrupling its current size – is expected to open in January.

Mishawaka-based Franciscan Alliance broke ground on the $265 million tower project in late 2007. Phase one achieved its

www.buildingindiananews.com

goal of opening in early 2011 despite a recession-induced halt in construction work from March to September of 2009.

“There are a lot of excited physicians,” Irwin says. In addition to simply being a new, state-of-the-art facility, the consolidation aspect of the project promises to give doctors and staff more time to focus on patients. “For example, we are taking three central sterilization locations down to one,” Irwin says. “So there will be less equipment, which means less repair, more functional space and a more productive environment.”

Since predicting advances in medical technology is tricky, Franciscan St. Francis has focused on building a high-tech foundation like a campus-wide wireless network.

“That will allow us to adapt to new technol-

“

The hospital is consolidating services in order to be operationally and financially more conscious of health care costs.

”

- Jake Irwin, Clinical Equipment Manager and Transition Planner, St. Francis

47

In addition to simply being a new, state-of-the-art facility, the consolidation aspect of the project promises to give doctors and staff more time to focus on patients.

Congratulations St.Francis - Indianapolis

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Acute Care Expansion 48

ogy without having to make a major investment,” Irwin says.

Among the most striking design elements of the new tower is part of the main entrance: Arizona artist Peter Skidd’s “Sympathy of St. Francis,” crafted to represent the Saint’s “farreaching, all-embracing sympathy.” The three waves in the steel artwork represent Francis’ vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. (A record of its construction and installation can be found on Skidd’s blog, peterskidd.com.)

Another design element is the incorporation of nature and natural light. Included in the project are four rooftop gardens, totaling 19,800 square feet on the second and third floor roofs of the new patient tower.

In addition to the visible elements of the expansion, Irwin adds that there are a number of behind-the-scenes elements related to safety and security as well. “We went to great lengths to make sure this building was safe,” he says. These steps included the installation of backup generators and structural design elements to maintain the building in the event of an earthquake.

“It’s very sound and we will be able to handle any unforeseen disasters and still maintain a high level of care,” he says.

The first phase of construction went smoothly, reports Tonn and Blank Construction Manager Brian Phillips. The location of the new tower itself – on a former parking lot bordered on three sides by the hospital – created some wind issues, he notes, and the foundation had to be built around an existing utility tunnel, but overall “there were just the typical challenges of working next to a functioning hospital,” he says.

That smooth progress perhaps owes something to one unique element added to the concrete foundation of the tower: a handful of stones gathered on a pilgrimage to Italy by Sister Marlene Shapley, Vice President of Mission Services, and Father John Mannion of Spiritual Care from locations important to St. Francis and his followers.

“The purpose of our pilgrimage was to deepen our knowledge and understanding of our Franciscan heritage,” says Sister Marlene. “At the time, St. Francis was just about to launch its consolidation and construction, and it just seemed like an opportunity to link our past with our future. Symbolically and quite literally, the expanded hospital is being built on our Franciscan tradition.” www.buildingindiananews.com

SPECIAL REPORT HealtHcare

St. Mary’s Medical Center Emergency Department Contractor list General Contractor Walsh Construction

Architect Design Alliance Architects

Excavation TW Edmier Excavation

Concrete Walker Concrete Co., Inc.

Steel JA McMahon, Inc.

Masonry Kwiatkowski Masonry, Inc.

Electrical EMCOR Hyre Electric

Roofing Korellis Roofing, Inc.

HVAC Mechanical Concepts, Inc.

Millwork Cain Millwork, Inc.

Flooring Tile Specialists, Inc.

ICU Doors Besam

Automatic Doors TJ Automatic Doors

Drywall Taping Stan’s Painting and Decorating, Inc.

Interior Painting Ascher Brothers

www.buildingindiananews.com

Emergency Expansion To meet growing demand for emergency services, St. Mary’s Medical Center added more space, more technology and a new online registry service.

By David Wellman

E

mergency room visits have been increasing nationwide for years. For example, a 2008 study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that the annual number of visits rose 32 percent between 1996 and 2006. Indiana hospitals, including those of Community Healthcare System, haven’t been exempt from the trend, and in response the Munster-based organization recently completed a major expansion of the emergency department at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Hobart.

“When we looked at our data, we found that from 2003 to 2007, our emergency department visits had increased 53 percent,” says Janice Ryba, CEO of St. Mary’s Medi-

cal Center. “Between 2008 and 2010, there was another increase of 18 percent. So it was imperative that we look at our service levels and capacity.”

What they found was an emergency department that was simply too small to meet patient demand in a timely manner and which often had to declare itself on bypass – meaning that it was so busy that ambulances with new patients needed to divert to another hospital. So St. Mary’s embarked on an $11 million expansion that would: more than double the department’s footprint; add services to improve speed, convenience and patient comfort; and install an online scheduling service to address the changing way that people are utilizing the emergency de49

partment today.

The hospital tapped Chicago-based Walsh Construction, which has offices in Crown Point, to direct the two-phase project. In phase one, completed in September of 2010, Walsh built an 11,000-square-foot addition adjacent to the existing emergency department. Phase 2, finished in December, involved the expansion and renovation of the old emergency department.

“Operations in a hospital are much different,” says Tom Caplis, Program Manager for Walsh Construction. “We are a guest in their facility and we have to make sure that patients and doctors and nurses

can all go about their business uninterrupted.” Walsh was able to call upon its experience in healthcare construction, both locally and nationwide, to do that while also getting the work done in the short time allotted.

“St. Mary’s and the design team at Alliance Architects and North Star Engineering were easy to work with. They truly valued our input, and that really helped our schedule,” Caplis says. To meet the schedule, Walsh turned to Building Information Modeling (BIM), which allows designers, architects and builders to create virtual 3-D models of new construction prior to

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actually starting the project.

“BIM has been a healthcare standard for us for more than 10 years,” Caplis notes. “We have our own department dedicated to BIM and three people in our healthcare group devoted to BIM.” On the St Mary’s project, “we utilized BIM for coordination, especially where the old emergency department tied into the new expansion,” he explains. “We could build it virtually first, so most of the surprises you find when you actually open up the walls were eliminated before we got to the jobsite.”

This led to a smooth transition between the two project phases. “Our emergency department was still operating and the project had to be timed so that once the addition was open, we could transfer operations with no downtime,” Ryba says. “It was quite a feat.”

“St. Mary’s was easy to work with. They truly valued our input, and that really helped our schedule,” Caplis says.

Key features of the new emergency department are evident from the moment visitors enter the parking lot. A wide, brightly lit, easily identifiable canopy offers a clearly defined point of entry that is also heated and features a skylight. Upon entering, visitors are greeted with an interior design inspired by the Lake Michigan dunes, with curves, textures and colors reminiscent of the beach, a water wall and a fireplace.

The new department boasts 24 rooms and more than 19,000 square feet, up from 14 rooms and 7,700 square feet in the old emergency room. The hospital estimates that it will be capable of accommodating 40,000 visits a year, about 10,000 more than the previous www.buildingindiananews.com

facility could handle. A larger waiting room, specialized trauma rooms, triage rooms, “fast track” rooms and a dedicated x-ray room all contribute to improving the patient experience and, more importantly, speeding up their care.

Medical teams can perform an EKG in every room, providing a quicker assessment of a patient’s condition, especially those experiencing a stroke or heart attack. Wireless technology also enables staff to monitor a patient’s condition as they may be moved throughout the department and results can be sent instantly to cardiologists or neurologists. There’s also a built-in tube system which enables staff to send tissue and blood samples to the laboratory for analysis, rather than having to transport them, thus getting results sooner.

As a result, Ryba says that since opening the new emergency department, the time between a patient’s arrival and their seeing a doctor has dropped to an average of 12 minutes (versus a national average of half an hour).

But perhaps the most unique addition to the new emergency department was InQuickER, an online registry created and maintained

by Nashville, TN-based InQuickER LLC that allows patients to schedule a visit to the emergency department ahead of time and reserve a place in line.

There are numerous factors driving the increase in emergency department visits, Ryba says. One is an increase in the number of patients who are using the emergency department after their primary care physicians’ office hours. “Also, with the economy, we are seeing a slight increase in the number of patients who have delayed access to treatments,” Ryba says.

When medical problems don’t clear up or get www.buildingindiananews.com

worse, they end up in the emergency room.

InQuickER is designed for patients whose symptoms or conditions are not severe enough to require immediate attention. Instead, patients with low-acuity conditions such as the flu or a sprain, can go online, look up the posted wait time, and register to be seen at a specific time. After filling out their medical information and symptoms, they wait at home rather than

a hospital waiting room and know that once they arrive, they are guaranteed to be treated within 15 minutes. The service costs $24.99 to use, and the fee is refunded if patients don’t get treatment within 15 minutes.

Currently, St Mary’s and IU Health Bloomington are the only two Indiana facilities to offer InQuickER. “We have had very positive feedback,” Ryba says.

Congratulations St. Mary Medical Center

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Emergency Room 51

SPECIAL REPORT HealtHcare

Statistics: Health Care 19%

33%

123

INDIANA DENTISTS BY GENDER – 2009 FEMALE - 758

Of the global orthopedics industry is based in Warsaw, Indiana.

Hospitals in Indiana.

Source: Kaiser Foundation, 2008

Source: BioCrossroads

81%

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INDIANA LONG-TERM CARE FACILTIES – 2009

MALE - 3,153 Output Labor Income Jobs

Source: Kaiser Foundation

DIRECT

INDIRECT

INDUCED

TOTAL

$4,266.30 $2,375 74,580

$1,330.90 $360.20 10,140

$2,388.10 $722.60 20,660

$7,985.30 $3,458.20 105,308

% OF TOTAL STATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 3.00% 2.50% 3.00%

Source: American Health Care Association, dollar figures in millions

u ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INDIANA COMMUNITY HOSPITALS – 2008 Number of Jobs (full- and part-time) Multiplier for Employment u Effect of Hospital Jobs on Total Indiana Jobs Percent of Total (non-farm) Indiana Employment Supported by Hospital Employment Hospital Payroll and benefits (millions) Multiplier for Earnings u Effect of Hospital Payroll and Benefits on Indiana Total Labor Income (millions) Hospital Expenditures (millions) Multiplier for Output u Effect of Hospital Expenditures on Total Output in Indiana Economy

PERCENT OF POPULATION LIVING IN PRIMARY CARE PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (HPSA) – 2008

127,002 1.9919 252,975

Ohio

8.56%

6.8% 16.9% 7.8%

Illinois

$7,277.00 1.736

11.8%

$12,633.00

U.S. Average

$14,947.00 2.114

10.7% 11.3%

Indiana

Michigan

Kentucky

$31,598

Source: Kaiser Foundation

Source: American Hospital Association

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OFFICE-BASED PHYSICIANS BY STATE INDIANA Total Number of Physicians Total Number of Jobs Supported Average per Office-Based Physician Total Sales Revenue Generated* Total Wages & Benefits Supported* Total State & Local Tax Revenue Generated * figures in billions ** figures in millions Source: American Medical Association

52

11,549 66,409 5.8 $14.70 $9.60 $581.40

ILLINOIS

OHIO

26,917 155,690 5.8 $43.00 $27.80 $1,840.00

24,107 139,373 5.8 $33.90 $21.50 $1,610.00

MICHIGAN

KENTUCKY

21,091 121,419 5.8 $31.20 $20.10 $1,430.00

7,996 45,273 5.7 $9.70 $6.10 $392.40

$313.4 million State tax revenue derived from longterm care facilities in Indiana in 2009.

Source: American Health Care Association

www.buildingindiananews.com

Hospital care is the largest component of the nation’s health care sector. In 2008, this sector accounted for

16.2%

of the U.S. Gross Domestic product (GDP).

Source: Kaiser Foundation

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY GROWTH IN INDIANA 1998 – 2008 YEAR 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Average Annual Growth

JOBS 969 1,062 1,393 1,448 1,580 1,690 1,793 1,834 1,876 2,180 2,316 8.70%

COMPANIES 33 36 39 40 41 43 51 58 63 65 69 7.30%

SALES $89,948,784 $102,030,363 $142,589,401 $157,394,690 $161,041,498 $172,307,545 $173,139,475 $166,420,668 $173,815,802 $197,935,193 $201,974,696 8.10%

Source: BioCrossroads

82,549,426 Total number of retail prescription drugs filled at Indiana pharmacies in 2009.

Source: Kaiser Foundation

JOBS SUPPORTED BY INDIANA LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES – 2009 INDUSTRY/SECTOR

INDUCED

74,580 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 2,960 Real Estate Establishments 0 Imputed Rental Activity for Owner-Occupied Dwellings 3,110 Foodservice and Drinking Places 1,210 Private Hospitals 890 Wholesale Trade Businesses 530 Insurance Carriers Offices of Physicians, Dentists and Other Healthcare Providers 1,010 10 Petroleum Refineries 21,080 All Other Industries

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY $4,266.30 $318.40 $285.60 $161.10 $152.50 $151.80 $140.00 $131.40 $110.20 $2,268.00

Source: American Health Care Association, dollar figures in millions

www.buildingindiananews.com

53

FEATURE

Healthcare

SPECIAL REPORT HealtHcare

Update Notes from Indiana’s fast-moving healthcare scene.

Best of the Best Where are the best hospitals and healthcare systems in Indiana?

• IU Health Goshen Hospital, Goshen • OrthoIndy, Indianapolis

Here are the results of three recent rankings from nationally respected sources.

Women’s health. In May, HealthGrades released the HealthGrades Women’s Health in American Hospitals Report,

Best hospitals. U.S. News & World report rolled out its first-ever Best Hospitals rankings earlier this year, identifing the top hospitals in major metro areas including Indianapolis, Louisville, KY, and Chicago, IL. The best Indiana hospitals in those markets are: Indianapolis Metro • Clarian Health, Indianapolis • St. Vincent Hospital and Health Center, Indianapolis • Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel • St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, Carmel • St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana, Indianapolis • Wishard Health Services, Indianapolis • Clarian West Medical Center, Avon • Community Hospital East, Indianapolis • St. Francis Hospital, Mooresville • Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis Chicago Metro • Methodist Hospitals, Gary • Community Hospital, Munster • St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago • Porter Health, Valparaiso • St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart Louisville Metro • Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services, New Albany • Clark Memorial, Jeffersonville Best Places to Work. Four of the top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare are in Indiana, according to Becker’s Hospital review/Becker’s ASC Reviews’ 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare – 2011: • Deaconess Health System, Evansville • Hancock Regional Hospital, Greenfield 54

which identified hospitals around the country that ranked in the top five percent for women’s health. Indiana’s winners: • Community Hospital, Munster • Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services, New Albany • Franciscan St. Margaret Health, Hammond • IU Health Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis (includes IU Health University Hospital, Indianapolis) • Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne (includes Parkview North Hospital, Fort Wayne) • St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, Indianapolis

Orthopedics Brings Billions to State A new report produced by the Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC) at Indiana University found that the orthopedic industry cluster in Kosciusko County had a total statewide economic impact of $3.7 billion in 2009.

The report was commissioned by OrthoWorx, a Warsawbased organization dedicated to advancing the area’s orthopedics sector.

According to IBRC’s analysis, the combined effects of the orthopedic industry generated 13,000 jobs in Kosciusko County, which accounts for 43 percent of the county’s employment. Statewide, the industry’s total employment footprint is 16,700 jobs.

The study estimates that in 2009, the county’s orthopedics industry generated about $2.4 billion in direct output – the economic concept for the value of local production only.

However, every dollar of that output generates an additional 31 cents of economic activity in Kosciusko County. In other words, the ripple effects of this output support an additional $742 million in economic activity. This brings the total impact of the industry to nearly $3.1 billion, 44 percent of Kosciusko County’s total output.

Throughout the rest of Indiana, an additional 55 cents of ecowww.buildingindiananews.com

nomic activity is generated by each dollar of orthopedic manufac-

years of potential life lost prior to age 75. The morbidity rank rep-

turing output, spurring another $581 million in economic activity.

resents health-related quality of life and birth outcomes derived

The average annual wage for Kosciusko County’s medical de-

from four measures: self-reported fair or poor health, poor physi-

vice workers was more than $70,000 – $11,000 more than the

cal health days, poor mental health days, and the percent of births

state average and $12,000 above the national average. The com-

with low birthweight.

panies also generate $114 million in state and local government tax revenues.

Health factors is also based on four factors: health behaviors such as smoking and diet; access to and quality of clinical care;

Overall, the orthopedics industry accounts for nearly one per-

social and economic factors like education and employment; and

cent of Indiana’s total economic output.

physical environments, which measures environmental quality.

hoosier health by County

tral Indiana, while just two counties, Marion and Madison, rank

Ten of the top 25 health factors counties are located in Cen-

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of

in the bottom 22 counties. However, Northeastern Indiana boasts

Wisconsin have again ranked Indiana’s 92

2011 COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS – BOTTOM 10

counties according to

RANK

two health measures,

83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92

health outcomes and health factors.

Health outcomes looks at each county in terms of mortality and morbidity. The mortality rank is based on the

HEALTH OUTCOMES Jay Lake Jennings Martin Sullivan Fayette Switzerland Pike Starke Scott

RANK 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92

HEALTH FACTORS Crawford Madison Fayette Washington Owen Blackford Marion Jennings Starke Lake

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, University of Wisconsin

www.buildingindiananews.com

2011 COUNTY HEALTH RANKINGS – TOP 10 RANK

HEALTH OUTCOMES

RANK

HEALTH FACTORS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Hamilton Dubois Boone LaGrange Hendricks Warrick DeKalb Wells Whitley Marshall

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Hamilton Hendricks Boone Warrick Hancock Dubois Monroe Johnson Wells Spencer

nine of the top 25 health outcomes counties and 13 of the top 46 health outcomes counties in the state.

For complete details on the 2011 report, visit www.buildingindiananews.com.

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, University of Wisconsin

55

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Soup for You! A recent expansion by Integrative Flavors will allow the Michigan City company to pursue new business opportunities.

By David Wellman

I

ntegrative Flavors, a supplier of soup bases to the foodservice and retail industries, is expanding its product line thanks to a new 28,000-square-foot facility in Michigan City that the company moved into in the second half of last year.

The new manufacturing facility is a substantial step up from the company’s old 6,700-square-foot location. There, recalls President Georgeann Quealy, the company would have to shift equipment from room to room in order to create space to work on new formulations. Storage space was minimal and inconvenient, adds Vice President Brian Quealy. “Here, we have a freezer you can drive a pallet into,” he says. “Before, we had to break everything down. It just provides better flow and is more efficient.”

It also makes the company move competitive. “We can now order in larger volumes so we will be able to offer customers better pricing,” Georgeann notes. “And we have new equipment so we can go after business we couldn’t go after in the past.”

The road to the new facility has been a long one. The company is actually more than 70 years old, having been founded in 1938 as Williams, West and Witt’s Products Company. At one time, it employed 100 people in Northwest Indiana and was a major supplier of soup bases to the military.

56

However, by the early Eighties had dwindled to just two employees in a Gary office.

“My parents bought the business in 1981,” Georgeann says. “My dad initially thought that the business would just run itself and all they would have to do is stop in and pick up checks. But they found that wasn’t the case.”

Georgeann, then a college student, was among those aghast at her parents’ bravado in buying the business. “When mom and

“The RDC was very helpful in the process to pull everything together. We are happy with how everything turned out.”

- Georgeann Quealy, President, Integrative Flavors dad first purchased the company, they knew nothing about running a food company or entrepreneurship,” she says. However, what they did know was how to work hard.

Georgeann’s father dived into the financials of running a business, while her mom took charge of soup base formulations.

Georgeann joined her mother in the company kitchens in 1990. Fifteen years later, she and her husband bought the company, and shortly thereafter began exploring options for a new facility.

The new location is an existing building that was renovated and equipped thanks to a small business loan from First Source Bank facilitated by Valparaiso-based Regional Development Company (RDC).

Georgeann and Brian met with the RDC early in the process. “We probably could have done this on our own but all the rates and terms were more favorable,” Brian says of the decision to pursue a 504 loan through the RDC. The RDC “was very helpful in the process to pull everything together,” Georgeann says. “We are very happy with how everything turned out.”

South Bend-based Casteel Construction handed the renovation work according to plans created by Forum Architects, also based in South Bend. The company moved into the building in August 2010, and was honored in December by the Michigan City Economic Development Corporation with its 2010 Business Investment Award, which recognizes manufacturing investments in the area. The plant employs 15 people.

The benefits of the new facility can already be seen in a new line of barbecue dry rubs. “The soup business is seasonal so we are focused on creating products that will keep us busy year-round,” Georgeann says.

“With the new facility we have room to expand into new areas.” www.buildingindiananews.com

www.buildingindiananews.com

57

FEATURE

On the Move New mobile and modular solutions are being developed by Indiana companies.

By David Wellman

G

reen construction trailers.

Prefabricated modular clean rooms. Emergency power for any first responders’ needs. These are all being developed by Indiana companies for an ever more mobile and cost-conscious world.

In Rochester, architecture firm Miletus Group and Jobsite Leasing Company have createed the mobile office industry’s first green options. Brownsburg-based Biologics LLC is commercializing modular clean rooms made from intermodal shipping containers. And in Austin, On Site Manufacturing has developed the Packaged Electric Air Conditioning & Heat (PEACH), a mobile response support system that has already won fans among New York City firefighters.

The PEACH was the brainchild of

Irv French, a Hoosier native who moved to New York to found On Site Energy, which designed, built, sold and maintained cogeneration plants, in 1984. Four years later, the company added mobile power generation services to its portfolio, “and over the years that became the dominant part of the business,” French says.

In 2001, the company was called in to help with the cleanup of Ground Zero after the 9/11 attack. On Site Energy spent two years at the site, in the process gaining a first-hand look at the capabilities and shortcoming of emergency response equipment, and after several more years of consultation with first response agencies, began development of the PEACH. In 2007, the company purchased a five-acre facility in Austin and after two more years of prototype work, introduced the production version in 2010.

The PEACH provides 45 kilowatts of back-up power, with ten tons of A/C and 140,000 BTUs of heat, and has sufficient fuel to run for up to 72 hours. Options include a reverse osmosis potable drinking water system, command light towers, and a satellite cell phone communication system.

The 7,800 lb. unit can be towed behind a truck or SUV. Several units have been sold to New York-area firefighters and On Site Manufacturing is currently in the process of setting up a national dealer network.

Just as On Site set out to modernize mobile power generation, Miletus and Jobsite Leasing want to bring modular offices and mobile trailers into the 21st century.

“The mobile trailer has not been thought about in 30 years,” says Miletus President James Guthrie. “It became a commodity.

To date, Jobsite has leased the new High Performance trailers to contractors on at least a dozen projects around Indiana.

58

www.buildingindiananews.com

But when energy prices started to spike, there was finally interest because they are energy hogs.”

There are about 350,000 temporary office buildings amounting to 250 million square feet in the U.S. “So the impact of rethinking the industry could be huge,” Guthrie says.

Many of the modifications came to the building envelope. “It’s usually metal with wood studs and fiberglass insulation,” Guthrie notes.

“If the wind blew it basically went right through.” Trailers are typically raised on site and there was no insulation beneath the floor. “If your feet are cold, you are cold,” he says, “so we had to get a thermal barrier in there.” The same was true of the roof.

All the refinements led to a 50 percent or greater reduction in energy use.

“The first one we shipped, the contractor couldn’t get power on the site for three days,” Guthrie says. This was during the summer, and thanks to the better insulation, the contractor could still work in the trailer without AC for those three days.

To date, the new trailers have been

used on at least a dozen projects around Indiana, including ones in South Bend, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis and at Grissom Air Force Base.

Whereas Miletus and Jobsite’s project

involved green modular offices, Biologics LLC’s involves clean modular facilities.

Established in 2010, the company plans to transform reclaimed intermodal shipping containers into Food & Drug Administration-certified clean rooms for use in fields like health care. According to Director of Marketing Todd Hockemeyer, the idea emerged from conversations with research parks about ways they could make them-

selves more enticing.

“When a company is done with their research and ready to move to clinical trials they need an FDA-regulated facility,” he explains. “Typically, every clean room is designed and built from scratch.” That can take 18 to 24 months and cost upward of $1,000 per square foot.

Biologics has been able to reduce that cost by 20 percent, and cut construction time down to 20 weeks.

The repurposed shipping container/ clean rooms are 3,000 square feet, include their own integrated HVAC and air handling systems and can be ganged together to create larger facilities if needed. And since they are ex-shipping containers, they can be delivered by simply dropping them on a semi or rail car.

“Right now we have a couple of clients that we are completing projects for and as we get more involved with research parks we are finding extreme interest,” Hockemeyer says. Even established companies have inquired, he adds, as they search for less expensive alternatives in order to get the most bang for their R&D buck.

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59

REAL ESTATE

Looking for

Momentum There are solid signs of a rebound in Central Indiana real estate, but hesitant businesses have kept forward progress slow.

By David Wellman

T

he industrial and office real estate markets in Central Indiana continued to show signs of improvement in the first quarter of 2011, according to figures from the Indianapolis office of Cassidy Turley, but a glut of inventory and the slow pace of job creation remain a drag on growth.

“Growth is occurring,” says Cassidy Turley Research Director Jason Tolliver.

“Now what we lack is momentum.”

The vacancy rate in the Indianapolis industrial real estate market fell to six percent in the first quarter, half a point down from the final quarter of 2010 and 1.3 percentage points from a year ago. However, Tolliver says that there is still a lot of shadow inventory – unoccupied properties not being actively marketed – in the Indianapolis region that is only now coming back on the market, and that continues to offset vacancy rate improvements. That inventory isn’t expected to be depleted un-

NOTABLE INDUSTRIAL TRANSACTIONS Q1 2011 COMPANY Venture Warehouse and Distribution Stanley Security Systems Cherryman Industries Krunchers Capital City Container Sky Enterprises Ontario Limited (a.k.a. St. Regis) ABC Supply Sataria International Paper American Tire Commercial Warehouse & Cartage Stephen Gould Tridien Medical Bosma American Tire Fastenal Source: Cassidy Turley

60

til the second half of this year.

Office vacancies ticked up to 20.7 percent in the first quarter from 20.6 percent in the last three months of 2010. The good news, Tolliver says, is that “while we did see some negative absorption, it was all the result of decisions that had been made 12, 15, 24 months ago. What we did not see was more companies shutting down operations.”

Part of the increased vacancy rate can also be blamed on companies leaving

NOTABLE MULTI-TENANT OFFICE TRANSACTIONS Q1 2011

SUBMARKET

SQUARE FOOTAGE

TRANSACTION TYPE

COMPANY

SUBMARKET

West East East Northwest Northwest Northwest East Northwest Southwest Northwest Southwest Southwest Northwest Northeast Northwest Southwest Northwest

299,000 138,000 135,000 132,000 94,000 90,000 84,000 83,000 73,000 72,000 70,000 70,000 62,000 60,000 59,000 52,000 51,000

Lease Lease Lease Renewal & Expansion Renewal & Expansion Lease User Sale Renewal & Expansion Lease Lease Renewal & Expansion Renewal & Expansion Renewal & Expansion Lease User Sale Renewal & Expansion Lease

Ascension Healthcare Family & Social Services Administration DeVry University/Chamberlain University Biosound, Esaote Adayana Farmers Insurance Wolters Kluwer Health Exact Target Virtual Marketing Strategies United Healthcare Services Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity Zurich North America Indiana University Foundation Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA Funds Total Square Feet

Northwest East Keystone Northeast Northwest Northeast Keystone Downtown Keystone Downtown North/Carmel Keystone Northeast Northeast Fishers

SQUARE TRANSACTION FOOTAGE TYPE 92,000 86,000 42,000 39,000 28,000 27,000 27,000 26,000 23,000 22,000 19,000 17,000 16,000 16,000 15,000 495,000

Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Lease Sale Lease Sale Lease Lease

Source: Cassidy Turley Source: Cassidy Turley

www.buildingindiananews.com

multi-tenant office buildings for their own facilities, he adds. “We expect to see positive absorption in the second half of the year,” he says.

Another positive development, Tolliver says, is an increase in real estate investment activity. “Capital is starting to come off the sideline,” he notes. While financing remains a challenge, “we’re seeing more liquidity. It’s still tough for small to midsized businesses, but lenders are engaged now.” Last year’s cursory conversations have given way to more detailed discussions, though banks are still being very picky about the deals they enter into.

“As one executive I spoke with in

northern Indiana recently put it, the water’s not boiling yet, but it’s warm – it isn’t ice cold any more,” Tolliver says.

Outside of the usual factors like financing and the economy, one new element entered the Central Indiana real estate equation in mid-April when the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) broke ground on a long-awaited $600 million project to transform U.S. 31 in Hamilton County. The project, the largest ever done in the county, will build overpasses, underpasses and exchanges to replace 13 stoplights and speed traffic into and out of Indianapolis.

Projected completion date? 2017.

INDIANAPOLIS INDUSTRIAL MARKET SNAPSHOT INVENTORY

CHANGE YTD

67,000 SF 1Q 2010 240,487,000 SF 4Q 2010 241,899,000 SF 1,479,000 SF 1Q 2011 241,843,000 SF (56,000 SF) Source: Cassidy Turley Source: Cassidy Turley

www.buildingindiananews.com

VACANCY RATE 7.3% 6.5% 6.0%

The U.S. 31 corridor in Central Indiana runs through bustling suburbs like Carmel and supports an estimated quarter-million jobs, making it second only to downtown Indianapolis in terms of economic impact.

In terms of real estate impact, the sevenyear project is likely to affect both the commercial and office markets.

“In the short run, it’s going to impact the retail segment more,” Tolliver says.

“For offices, it may raise the question of whether a given location is still a Class A location. The one good thing is that there’s been so much growth in that area that they are used to it, and it’s just a question of managing it.”

INDIANAPOLIS MULTI-TENANT OFFICE VACANCY SUBMARKET

INVENTORY

Downtown Midtown Suburban Total Indianapolis

10,355,000 SF 1,554,000 SF 19,830,000 SF 31,739,000 SF

Q1 2011 16.3% 26.4% 22.5% 20.7%

VACANCY RATE Q4 2010 Q1 2010 15.6% 26.9% 22.3% 20.3%

16.3% 27.7% 22.2% 20.6%

Source: Cassidy Turley

61

2011 Construction Advancement foundation Award Winners Commercial Contractor of the Year Berglund Construction Industrial Contractor of the Year Hasse Construction Company

Works of Excellence The Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana honors the region’s best construction projects of the past year.

By David Wellman

Subcontractor of the Year Thatcher Foundations, Inc. Professional & Engineering Services Contractor of the Year ACMS Group, Inc. Highway Contractor of the Year Walsh & Kelly, Inc. Commercial Project of the Year Berglund Construction IBEW NECA Training & Administration Center (INTAC), IBEW Local 697 Industrial Project of the Year Hasse Construction Company SMR 5 & 6 Expansion, Praxair, Inc. Public Works Project of the Year The Pangere Corporation Munster High School Athletic Field Reconstruction, School Town of Munster

62 62

(l. to r.) Jimmy DePaoli, ACMS Group, Fred Berglund, Berglund Construction and Dan McClure, Walsh & Kelly, accepting their CAF Awards from presenter Shawn Kelly of DLZ.

B

erglund Construction and Hasse Construction Company were the big winners in this year’s Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF) project and contractor of the year competition. Each company came away with a pair of honors – Hasse nabbed both Industrial Contractor of the Year and Industrial Project of the Year, while Berglund snagged the Commercial Contractor and Commercial Project of the Year awards.

Other area contractors scoring CAF awards in 2011 were: The Pangere Corporation, winner of the Public Works Project of the Year award; ACMS Group, named Professional/Engineering Contractor of the Year; Thatcher Foundations, the Subcon-

tractor of the Year; and Walsh & Kelly, the Highway Contractor of the Year.

“On behalf of our judging panel, I would like to congratulate this year’s winners,” says Dewey Pearman, Executive Director of the Construction Advancement Foundation, a construction trade association serving union contractors in Lake, Porter, La Porte, Newton, Stark and Jasper counties. “We had many competitive entries, but these projects and contractors stood out as excellent examples of the quality of work and dedication to excellence put forth on a regular basis by the region’s contractors and building trades.”

The Pangere Corporation was recognized with the Publics Work Project of the Year for its efforts reconstructing and expanding the athletic fields and their associwww.buildingindiananews.com

(l. to r.) Bill Gorski, Berglund, Ray Kasmark, Local 697 and Spero Valavanis, Design Organization accept the award for Commerical Project of the Year.

Also recognized at this year’s awards banquet were the first graduates of CAF’s Supervisory Training Program (STP).

(l. to r.) Paul Derolf, Hasse Construction Company and Steve Parkison, Thatcher Foundations, claim their CAF awards from presenter Shawn Kelly.

ated structures for Munster High School. The result, says Project Manager Jim Vermillion, “is one of the nicest-looking fields in the state.”

The $5 million project included rebuilding the school’s football field from the ground up, expanding its surrounding running track from eight to 10 lanes, expanding a 5,000-square-foot concession stand and classroom building, and various and sundry projects involving the baseball field and backstop, lighting systems, bleachers and scoreboards.

The football field represented the greatest challenge. “We www.buildingindiananews.com

started in June of 2009 so we had to work around the existing field because they were playing football on it,” Vermillion says. “So we started work on the building and the baseball field – basically everything except the football field.”

Once the season was over, Pangere turned its attention to the gridiron, but that of course meant working through the winter, always a challenge in Northwest Indiana, and even more so in a year that featured record snowfalls followed by heavy spring rains.

However the company persevered, tearing up the old field, installing a new drainage sys63

(l. to r.) Jim Vermillion and Tony Pangere, The Pangere Corp., and John Friend, School Town of Munster, are awarded the Public Project of the Year.

Dewey Pearman, Executive Director of the Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana.

More than 650 construction executives, union leaders and project owners packed the Avalon Manor in Merrillville for this year’s CAF/NWIBRT Awards Banquet.

64

Hasse Construction’s John (left) and Bill (right) Hasse accept their award for Industrial Project of the Year.

www.buildingindiananews.com

tem, setting a new base in place and pouring winterized concrete and finally finishing the field off with new artificial turf (the old surface was grass). The project was completed in August of 2010 – just in time for the next season.

Berglund’s winning entry for Commercial Project of the Year was the new IBEW NECA Training & Administration Center (INTAC) built for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 697 in Merrillville. Featured in the March/ April issue of Building indiana, INTAC is a $10 million, state-of-the-art union hall and training center that features the latest in equipment and technology. It offers both apprenticeship and lifelong learning opportunities that will ensure Local 697 members stay on the cutting edge of technology.

The building, which is expected to receive LEED Gold certification, incorporates solar panel technology, a “green roof,” and will have a wind turbine on campus – all of which was installed by union members under Berglund’s direction. Other green construction features include biosuales for filtering storm water runoff, the reuse of hardwoods harvested at the construction site for paneling and furniture, LED lighting and low-VOC paints.

The Industrial Project of the Year, won by Hasse, involved work that was part of Praxair’s two-yearlong expansion project in Whiting.

In 2008, Danbury, CT-based Praxair inked a deal to supply hydrogen to BP’s Whiting refinery, necessitating a $300 million expansion of its facilities. Hasse’s chunk was a $25 million project to expand Steam Methane Reformers (SMRs) 5 and 6.

Hasse’s work at Praxair included pouring 15,000 cubic yards of concrete, installing 17,000 feet of sewer and water lines, installing a lift station and force main, errecting ten metal buildings and the design and construction of a 10,000-square-foot office building. www.buildingindiananews.com

Northwest Indiana Construction Awards Banquet Sponsors PRESENTING SPONSORS • Berglund Construction • Superior Construction Company, Inc. • Working Well PlATINUM SPONSORS • ACMS Group, Inc. • DlZ Industrial, llC • Pekron Consulting Inc. • Solid Platforms, Inc. • The American Group of

Building our track record on 80 years of client satisfaction.

Constructors (TAG) GOlD SPONSORS • Aker Construction, Inc. • ArcelorMittal • BP • Indiana-Illinois-Iowa foundation for fair Contracting • Graycor Industrial Constructors Inc. • KM Plant Services, Inc. • Magiera Diesel Injection (MDI)

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• N.A. logan, Inc. • Policy Analytics, llC • Ronson Equipment Co., llC • Ryan fireprotection, Inc. • Safety-Kleen • Safety Management Group • Sargent Electric Company Inc. • The Ross Group, Inc. • Tonn & Blank Construction • vidimos, Inc. • WorkOne Northwest Indiana Workforce Board, Inc. SIlvER SPONSORS • Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers • Ambitech Engineering Corporation • Hayes Mechanical • Hoeppner, Wagner & Evans llP • Manta Industrial, Inc. • Senator Sue landske • Stevenson Crane Service, Inc. BAR SPONSORS • AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc. • Berglund Construction • Mersino Dewatering, Inc. • The Pangere Corporation

Friday, Sept. 16, 2011 Briar Ridge Country Club 11am – Lunch • 12:30pm – Shotgun Start This outing supports the Shrine of Christ’s Passion.

Located in St. John, the Shrine is an interactive half-mile winding pathway that illustrates the Passion of Christ as depicted in the Stations of the Cross.

Hosted by: Mr. & Mrs. Frank Schilling

Want more info?

Call Paul Anderson: 219-616-2028 or Rick Thomas: 219-730-6064 www.shrinegolfclassic.com 65

NWIBRT 2010 Safety Award Recipients CONTRACTOR Of THE YEAR Regional Contractors Alliance, LLC (RCA) INNOvATION AWARD Superior Construction Company, Inc. The American Group of Constructors (TAG) ROGER WAlTERS AWARD Jeff Scheub The Pangere Corporation

Safety Zone The Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable honors the top safety performances of 2010.

By David Wellman

EXCEllENCE AWARD Ambitech Engineering Corporation Atlantic Plant Services Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services Culver Roofing, Inc. Interstate Environmental Services, Inc. Interstate Insulation Corporation M&O Insulation Company Manta Industrial Meade Electric Company The Pangere Corporation Regional Contractors Alliance, LLC (RCA) Sargent Electric Company Solid Platforms, Inc. Superior Construction Company, Inc. Total Safety ACHIEvEMENT AWARD Cornerstone Electrical Consultants, Inc. Falk-PLI Engineering & Surveying Middough Inc. Orbital Engineering, Inc. R. J. Mycka Inc. Stevenson Crane Service Inc. The American Group of Constructors (TAG) RECOGNITION AWARD ACMS Group, Inc. Amex Construction Company, Inc. AMS Mechanical Systems Inc BMW Constructors, Inc. Correct Construction, Inc. EMCOR Hyre Electric Company of Indiana Inc. Graycor Services LLC Hasse Construction Company, Inc. KM Plant Services, Inc. Mersino Dewatering, Inc. Safway Services, Inc. Thatcher Foundations, Inc. Tonn and Blank Construction Walsh & Kelly, Inc. PROGRESS AWARD G.E. Marshall, Inc. M&O Environmental Company The Ross Group, Inc.

66 66

Representative of the Regional Contractors Alliance (RCA), winner of both an Excellence Award and the Contractor of the Year Award. (l. to r.) Joe Winkelman, Heather Udovich, Denise Graves Hardin, Kathie LeRoy, Joanne Frizzell, Jean Ellis and Jeff Spies.

T

he strength of the Northwest Indiana construction and maintenance industry’s commitment to safety was demonstrated once again by the long list of companies honored by the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable (NWIBRT) for stellar safety performance in 2010.

“I don’t think you could find a group of companies with a stronger culture of safety, or more dedicated and professional safety leadership, anywhere else in the world.” says NWIBRT Executive Director Willis Shepherd.

“It’s our honor at NWIBRT to be able to give them the recognition that they deserve.”

Heading the list of winners this year is the Regional Contractors Alliance (RCA), a group of six companies that joined forces in 2001

to offer their services in a more cost-effective manner to BP: BMW Constructors, Solid Platforms, Superior Construction, M&O Insulation, Meade Electric and Manta Industrial.

As of the end of last year, the RCA’s member companies had put in more than 25.8 million man-hours of work at BP’s Whiting refinery, during which time they had 85 OSHA recordable injuries and just seven injuries resulting in lost time for an overall OSHA recordable rate of 0.66. About 20 percent of those manhours came just last year, yet the recordable injury rate was even lower, 0.4.

RCA Safety Director Joe Winkelman says that the biggest challenge was finding a way to build communication and trust across the personnel of six different companies. One strategy was the “Purple Circle” safety trainwww.buildingindiananews.com

Above: NWIBRT Executive Director Willis Shepherd (l.) presents the 2010 Roger Walters Safety Award to Jeff Scheub, The Pangere Corporation.

Top left: Gary Wafemann (l.) and Tom Owens of Superior Construction, winner of both an Excellence and an Innovation Award.

Left: Shepherd presents an Achievement Award to Kym Thiel of The American Group of Constructors (TAG). TAG was also the recipient of an Innovation Award.

ing program. Once workers had gone through the training, they received apparel with the Purple Circle logo (a purple circle with a hand in it). Like wearing a Cubs or Sox hat, “it was kind of an icebreaker,” Winkelman says. “If someone saw someone else wearing the Purple Circle, then you can start a conversation.”

“At one time we had 2,500 people working out here,” he says.

“So it was all about getting people to trust one another. Safety is a people business, and you have to develop that trust that safety is a resource, not a police group.”

The RCA also employed a variety of safety incentives, such as tickets to Gary South Shore RailCats games for workers who found or corrected unsafe conditions or habits.

Two companies received NWIBRT Innovation Awards this year: Superior Construction Comwww.buildingindiananews.com

pany, and The American Group of Constructors (TAG).

Superior Construction has gotten solid results from its “good catch” program, which encourages workers to look for and call out potential safety problems before they become serious, according to Safety Director Tom Owens.

“We’ve had 10 million work-hours in 11 years without a lost time incident,” he notes. About one million of those hours have occurred since August of last year, all without a single recordable injury. “It had proven to be a great program for reducing injuries and serious accidents,” he says.

The good catch program isn’t complicated. “If an employee sees a danger or hazard, a close call incident or a person working unsafely, they report it, we immediately correct it, and that person gets a $20 gas card,” Owens explains. “It started slow since peo-

ple didn’t want to report on each other, but once it got going people were encouraged by the cards and by recognition at safety meetings.” Since the program’s implementation, more than 1,500 gas cards have been given out, in some cases for issues that could have become serious problems.

For example, Owens recounts an incident in which some Superior Construction employees happened by some oxygen tanks on a wheeled cart that another contractor’s employees had left standing close to a hot process line. “The tanks were so hot that you couldn’t put your hand on them, so they wheeled them away,” he says. “That could have been a catastrophe.”

All of us at Pangere and Culver send our sincerest congratulations to

Jeff Scheub Recipient of the 2010 Roger Walters Safety Award We are proud that Jeff is a member of our organization, and we are honored to work with him.

67

(l. to r.) The Pangere Corporation’s Jeff Scheub, Jim Vermillion, Steve Pangere, Tony Pangere and Bill Rathjen with their NWIBRT Excellence Award.

Overall, Owens says, the good catch program “keeps employees more alert and is a real team-building program.”

The American Group of Constructors continues to reap the benefits of a safety program overhaul it initiated five years ago that has since slashed its OSHA recordable rate by nearly half “We wanted to make safety a core value,” says Nick Michailides, who came aboard at TAG in 2006 as head of the thennewly created Health & Safety Department.

He began by throwing out the old safety program – not because it had been unsuccessful, but because it was too generic – and created a new one geared to TAG’s needs.

Joe Coar of Tonn and Blank (l.) accepts a Recognition Award from Willis Shepherd of NWIBRT.

68

Joe Idaszak of Ambitech (l.) accepts his company’s Excellence Award from NWIBRT’s Willis Shepherd.

To build upon common requirements like the completion of OSHA’s Ten-Hour Course, TAG added in-house training on a variety of subjects, all tailored specifically to TAG’s nine business units. TAG supervisors were required to complete a minimum of 24 more hours of training a year, and the organization placed increased emphasis on reporting and investigating “near misses.”

TAG also instituted an annual Safety Retreat for employees and their families to reinforce the most important reason for good safety practices on a construction job site: returning home safe and sound to those we care for each and every day.

Finally, TAG developed a Return to

Kevin Crum of AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc., shows off the company’s Recognition Award.

Work program which allows injured workers to return to full duty more rapidly than in the past. “The description for every job within a craft’s scope is now specifically defined allowing TAG to easily determine what tasks can be performed should an employee have restrictions or limited duty,” Michailides explains. Each business unit also has specific headquarters-level jobs, such as those that handle reporting and other administrative procedural documentation, so that workers on restricted or light duty can still contribute to their segment of the business.

This year’s Roger Waters Safety Award for outstanding achievement was presented

Willis Shepherd (l.) presents a Recognition Award to Ted Vrehas of Graycor Industrial Constructors Inc. www.buildingindiananews.com

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Ross Marshall (r.) of G.E. Marshall is presented with a Progress Award.

Willis Shepherd (l.) presents an Excellence Award to Ben Sherman, Sargent Electric. www.buildingindiananews.com

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the workers in the field and their supervisors for any safety successes the company achieves,” Pangere says. “He is openly proud of our accomplishments, with no mention of how hard he had worked to help them achieve sustained safety work performance.”

Since Scheub joined the companies, The Pangere Corporation’s EMR rating has improved by 35 percent, Pangere notes, and Culver Roofing has not had a recordable accident in more than seven years.

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to Jeff Scheub, the Safety Coordinator and Field Safety Manager for The Pangere Corporation and Culver Roofing. Scheub, a 23-year veteran of the Portage Fire Department where he rose to the rank of Assistant Chief before his retirement, joined the Gary-based companies eight years ago. “He is a true professional who embodies the spirit of the award,” says Steve Pangere, President of The Pangere Corporation and Culver Roofing.

“Jeff is a modest, humble man and always gives credit to

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Bill Underwood, Solid Platforms (r.) receives an Excellence Award from Shepherd.

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Doug Patton, BMW Constructors (l.) holds his company’s Recognition Award.

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AllAboard Companies at AllPoints AllPoints at Anson Amazon.com Distibution Center ASI limited Corporate Headquarters CEvA logistics Supply Chain Solutions Medco Health Solutions Pharmaceuticals AllPoints Midwest Prime Distribution Services, Inc. logistics Brightpoint, Inc. Wireless fulfillment

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Central Indiana’s twin AllPoints developments are seeing growth as the economy gets back on track.

By David Wellman

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rowth at Central Indiana’s two AllPoints business parks – AllPoints at Anson in Boone County and AllPoints Midwest in Plainfield – stalled along with the economy in 2009. But now, Browning Investments and Duke Realty Corporation, who manage the parks in a 50/50 join venture, are optimistic that the January arrival of Brightpoint at AllPoints Midwest combined with nearby infrastructure improvements herald the next round of development at the locations.

The joint venture “was set up five years ago at the height of the market,” recalls John Hirschman, Director, Development at Browning.

“Industrial and bulk distribution was going like hotcakes. Browning was developing in Plainfield

and the area was getting developed out. So we wanted to assemble a big parcel for the future.”

At the same time, Duke Realty had a mixeduse development going in Boone County. “The two companies started talking and decided that the whole would be greater than the sum of its parts,” he says. “These were the two strongest economic submarkets in the city.”

The end results were AllPoints Midwest and AllPoints at Anson. AllPoints Midwest would be developed as a top-tier modern bulk distribution park with more than 13.6 million square feet of space on 958 acres of land. AllPoints at Anson would cover 600 acres within Anson, a 1,700-acre mixed-use community that includes office, industrial, retail, medical and residential development, as well as green space, parks, trails

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and schools. When complete, AllPoints at Anson would be home to 8.1 million square feet of industrial space in 20 buildings.

The joint venture’s first win came in August 2007, when Indianapolis construction firm ASI Limited chose Building 14 at Anson for its new corporate headquarters.

ASI occupied 180,000 square feet, more than two-thirds of the facility.

In December, AllPoints Midwest got its first tenant, Prime Distribution Services, Inc. (PDS), a third-party logistics company.

PDS consolidated its Indianapolis operations in Building 1 at AllPoints Midwest, which was expanded to 1.2 million square feet to accommodate the company’s needs.

The project turned out to be the state’s largest lease in 2007.

Finally, just a week before Christmas, the two companies got an early holiday gift when pharmacy benefit manager Medco Health Solutions landed at AllPoints at Anson. The New Jersey-based company chose the park after a national search for a site

for a new automated prescription fulfillment and distribution center. The project was projected to bring upward of 1,300 jobs to Central Indiana.

“It was the single largest project in the state in 2008,” Hirschman says.

“The payroll alone exceeded that of the Honda plant. It was a very high-value project.” Key to Medco’s choice was the location of AllPoints at Anson. Medco would need to hire many pharmacists to staff the facility, and the Anson development put the company squarely between Purdue and Butler Universities, which are home to the two largest pharmacy schools in the state.

The good times continued to roll in 2008. In February, CEVA Logistics announced plans to lease 40,000 of the 60,000 square feet of space in Building 14 at AllPoints at Anson that ASI was not going to use. A month later, the development welcomed 1,200 more

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jobs when Amazon.com picked AllPoints at Anson for a 630,500-square-foot distribution center. And in the second half of 2008, CSX opened a new rail route offering direct service to the West Coast from its intermodal facility in Avon. Its close proximity to AllPoints Midwest would make the park a perfect location for an “inland port.”

Then the economy fell off a cliff. Real estate investment and development dried up. Rail volume collapsed. And activity at the AllPoints developments slowed to a crawl. Things finally began to turn around last year, with activity continuing into 2011.

“In 2010, Amazon expanded their facility by 400,000 square feet to 1.1 million square feet,” notes Mark Hosfeld, Vice President, Industrial Leasing at Duke Realty. “That was one of the only development project in Indianapolis last year.”

A 525,000-square-foot spec building at AllPoints at Anson is also on the drawing

board. “We need an anchor tenant and we have several prospects,” he says.

In January 2011, Brightpoint, Inc., which offers supply chain solutions to the wireless industry, selected AllPoints Midwest for one of three “Centers of Excellence” in the U.S. Two will be located in metro Indianapolis and one in Reno, Nevada. The company purchased a 533,000- squarefoot spec facility in AllPoints Midwest and leased an additional 200,000 square feet in Plainfield to support its operations.

Boost From Road and Rail Projects With infrastructure projects around AllPoints Midwest continuing to add to its attractiveness as a logistics hub, Hirschman and Hosfeld see more development on the horizon. Hirschman points to the $15 million project to expand the Ronald Reagan Highway, “which will open up traffic flow on the west side of Indianapolis.” But the

big opportunity remains the CSX intermodal yard. Two years after West Coast service opened, it remains underutilized, Hirschman says. Despite enabling companies to avoid the rail bottleneck in Chicago, “it isn’t as cheap as it could be. The railroad needs to upgrade the rail lines between here and St. Louis.”

Efforts on that front are being led by Conexus, the state’s logistics initiative. Currently, negotiations are underway between CSX, Conexus and the Ports of Indiana on an agreement to extend direct rail service to the Avon intermodal facility. “It’s hoped that an announcement on the Avon railyard could be forthcoming in 2011,” says Mark DeFabis, President and CEO of Integrated Distribution Services in Plainfield and a Conexus Logistics Council member. “If successful, this expansion would clearly mean a competitive edge for Central Indiana manufacturers.”

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LOGISTICS

Concrete Action Roller-compacted concrete provides economy, performance and versatility.

By Mike Conquest, Safety/Environmental Coordinator, Indiana Division of Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete, Inc.

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hen the Portland Cement Association (PCA) writes about roller-compacted concrete (RCC), they use words like economy, performance and versatility to describe its characteristics. In today’s world, where local governments and businesses are working with limited budgets and are forced to try and get more for less, RCC can be a useful product to help achieve those goals.

When it comes to low-speed roadways, streets, intersections, parking lots and storage areas, RCC is proving to be a superior alternative to asphalt.

RCC has been around since the 1970s when the logging industry started searching for a material that was strong enough to handle heavy loads and logging equipment.

RCC worked well for the application. In the 1980s, RCC began to be used in dam construction. Today, RCC is being used by industry and local governments in roadways and various types of pavement.

RCC consists of the same materials that you find in conventional concrete: www.buildingindiananews.com

sand, stone, cement and water. However, RCC is batched and placed at a very low slump. In other words, it has a drier or stiffer consistency compared to regular, everyday concrete. Because of the stiffness, RCC is best batched in pugmills or central mix concrete batch plants and dumped directly into dump trucks. Dry batch concrete plants can also load directly into mixers trucks. However, this process is best for smaller, centrally located jobs, as mixer trucks need to be placed on ramps and unload into end-loaders. The end-loaders in turn load the material into dump trucks.

On the jobsite, RCC is placed with conventional or high-density asphalt paving equipment and then compacted with steel or rubber wheel rollers. RCC is stiff enough to accommodate, and is better compacted through, the use of vibratory rollers.

The PCA states that compaction is the most important stage of construction. It is the compaction that gives RCC its density, high strength, smoothness and surface texture. As with any cement, product curing is also important. In the case of RCC, the low

amount of water used in the mix makes curing essential. Moist curing should be done through flooding the surface with water or other means that will keep the surface continually wet and then applying a spray-on curing compound. It is the high strength and density of RCC that helps it to outperform asphalt. It will not rut under heavy loads or soften and deform under high heat. It can bridge soft localized subgrades.

The density achieved through the compaction of the roller makes the pavement practically impervious, thus making it very durable even under freeze-thaw conditions.

Speeds Work, Reduces Costs There is no formwork involved in placing RCC, there is no finishing, nor is there need for dowel or steel reinforcement. This lends itself to fast construction and reduced labor costs, so that a project using RCC can bring savings in the neighborhood of 20 percent. Making RCC even more attractive is the fact that as oil prices continue to rise, petroleum-based asphalt continues to become more and more expensive.

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Interest in RCC at Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete and a need for a paved roadway was turned into an opportunity to showcase RCC at Ozinga’s New Buffalo, MI plant.

Semi trucks from Kenneth Smith, Inc. had been using a gravel road behind the Ozinga plant to access their property. Over time, the gravel road developed ruts, which in turn made for a rough and noisy ride as the semis bumped their way along the deteriorating roadway.

Spearheaded by Ozinga RMC – Indiana Division President Don Rapley and Sales and Marketing Manager Tony Shivley, a group was formed to not only have the gravel roadway paved with RCC, but also turn the job into a demonstration and showcase for RCC. The construction team included Rieth-Riley, Rudd Equipment, Flood Testing, Burkholder Excavating, and the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

The roadway consists of 395 cubic yards of concrete. It is 550 feet long, 30 feet wide and approximately eight inches thick.

It achieved a compressive strength of 5,000 psi in two days and 7,600 psi in seven days.

After placement, the RCC achieved a rate of 94 percent compaction. The roadway now carries the weight of Kenneth Smith’s fully loaded Michigan train semis which can weigh up to 165,000 pounds. New Buffalo Plant Manager Robert Wittenburg happily says that he no longer hears the “bang” of the semis hitting the ruts and holes in the old gravel road. As an added bonus, Robert states that there is no more dust generated from the use of the gravel road.

The Portland Cement Association does

an excellent job of summing up the advantages of RCC when they write: “Low cost continues to draw engineers, owners, and construction managers to RCC. But today’s RCC owes much of its appeal to performance: The strength to withstand heavy and specialized loads; the durability to resist freeze-thaw damage; and the versatility to take on a wide variety of paving applications. From container ports to parking lots, RCC is the right choice for tough duty.”

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YOUR WELL-BEING

Spinal Tips Rehabilitation for those with work-related back injuries.

By Dr. Dwight Tyndall, Spine Care Specialists

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pine-related injuries can occur in all workers, from sedentary white-collar workers to those who have more physically demanding occupations. That said, the preponderance of injuries occur among workers with more physically demanding jobs such as construction workers and laborers.

Although patients who perform sedentary work such as office workers might not seem to be at risk for spine-related injury, they are. Precisely because of their sedentary work, their muscles are not usually well-conditioned and therefore place them at risk when strenuous work like moving a desk or a heavy object is required.

Patients who do more physical work are, of course, at risk from the constant wear and tear. These patients usually show early degenerative changes to their discs and facets. Because of this, their physical reserves are low and even slight trauma could cause injury and symptoms.

Symptoms can vary from back pain/ ache, muscle spasms and restricted range of motion to radicular pain or weakness in the lower extremities. However, the patient can be treated successfully if a thorough treatment plan is implemented. Here are some elements that should be included in any such plan.

history. In the evaluation of an injured patient, the importance of the history cannot be over emphasized. For example a patient who works at a desk who comes in with back pain but no leg pain after lifting a computer is quite different than one who does the same job but has both back and leg pain. The latter patient might not only www.buildingindiananews.com

have a muscle strain but might also have a disc herniation. Past history of back pain and treatment, surgical as well as nonsurgical, should be noted. The history should also focus not only the patient’s current symptoms but also work environment and any other systemic illness which might be important.

Rehabilitation. After the initial evaluation, most patients can begin rehabilitation. Work modification is useful while patients are in rehab. Work modification will help the patient to remain actively employed while undergoing treatment. This is important so that the patient doesn’t focus entirely on his or her injury.

Rehabilitation should focus on three main objectives: 1. Decreasing pain and discomfort; 2. increasing flexibility; and 3. strengthening muscles and stamina.

Medication. Preferred medications are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Muscle relaxers can also be used but effort should be made at this point to avoid narcotics due to their addictive and abuse potential. Patients who demand narcotics or who claim that none of the NSAIDs are effective in controlling their pain should be viewed with caution.

Other red flags for abuse are patients who lose their prescription, especially if it is eaten by the dog, has fallen into the toilet or been stolen from a purse/wallet.

Moreover, drug-seeking patients will exhibit certain behavior patterns. These will 75

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include often calling for new prescriptions after hours or on the weekends, doctor shopping or even use multiple pharmacies to fill their prescriptions.

NSAIDs should only be used if the patient can tolerate it and has no history of adverse reactions such as GI ulcers. The combination of NSAID and early progressive therapy is very helpful in diminishing patient’s symptoms and can be very encouraging for the patients.

Flexibility. As the patient’s pain symptoms decrease a flexibility program can begin. The focus of this part of therapy is to focus on not only the “back” muscles but also the core muscles such as abdominals and also equally importantly the gluts/hamstring and quadriceps.

It is advisable to progress slowly at first. Pharmaceuticals are usually used at this point and are very helpful to diminish painful symptoms, allowing the patient to maximize the stretching program.

Although these muscles aren’t located in and or around the spine they serve very important functions in that they help to balance the pelvis from which most of the back muscles originate from. Hamstring tightness is a common cause of back pain and is also indicative of underlying spine pathology such as pars defect and spondylolisthesis.

Stretching exercises should be gradual and done only after the muscles are properly warmed up. Stretching is to be done gradually to a point, held and then relaxed.

As the patient flexibility improves then the strengthening program should begin. Often times it is best to combine both a flexibility program and a strengthening program in each session.

Currently the emphasis in a strengthening program is on core muscles. These include not only abdominal muscles but also back muscles. All these muscles cocontract to varying degrees when the lumbar spine is in use. Therefore it is important to have all these muscles working in concert so one group isn’t overloaded.

The Swiss medicine ball is a great tool to teach muscle co-ordination since it helps with balance.

Next Steps. For the injured worker who does not improve with therapy further diagnostic studies are useful. These studies include MRI scan or perhaps a CT scan for those patients with metal fragments, pacemakers or vascular stents in which an MRI might be contra-indicated.

MRI scan is the imagining study of choice for the spine for a number of reasons. These reasons include the ability to examine the spine in multi-planes, ability to examine both neural and soft tissue structures and the abililty to examine the condition of the inter-vertebral disc.

Other reasons for the use of an MRI or CT scan include the ability to look for more serious conditions such as neoplasms and infections.

Patients who show no significant improvement with rehab alone can be considered for injections. The injections are based on the pathology. For example if the patient has facet pain then facet injections are indicated, for patients with spinal stenosis then epidurals are useful.

These interventions are very useful for those patients who do not want surgical treatment but who are plateauing in therapy.

The injections although temporary can significantly diminish the patient’s symptoms and allow them to maximize physical therapy. www.buildingindiananews.com

GREEN & SUSTAINABLE

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In the Bag Southern Indiana is home to the world’s largest plastic bag recycling facility.

By David Wellman

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t’s not easy being green, but it’s even harder being brown. And that, in a nutshell, is the challenge faced by Hilex Poly as it campaigns for the broader adoption of plastic shopping bags with high levels of recycled content.

“The color of the bag is the biggest obstacle,” explains Phil Rozenski, Director of Sustainability and Marketing for Hilex. The Hartsville, SC-based company manufactures plastic bags for many of the nation’s largest retailers and fast-food franchises, www.buildingindiananews.com

all of whom have their own colors and logos emblazoned on their shopping and carryout bags. When those bags are recycled, the colors blend together to create a variety

In 2009, nearly 854 million postconsumer plastic bags and wraps were recycled. of muddy brown or gray shades. “If you’ve spent years and millions of dollars building a logo or color, you’re not in a hurry to change,” Rozenski says.

4 1. At the start of the recycling process, bales of plastic are chopped up and dumped on a conveyor. At the top, workers sort through the plastic by hand to remove obvious contaminants like paper receipts.

2. Thousand-pound bales of plastic await recycling.

3. Plastic scrap partway through the recycling process.

4. The end result: pellets of plastic, ready to be turned into plastic bags for your neighborhood grocer. It takes about a dozen pellets to produce a plastic shopping bag.

However, more and more chains are making the switch, or at least considering it as consumer awareness of the benefits of plastic shopping bags incorporating significant amounts of recycled material rises. And Hilex’s plant in North Vernon is on the front lines of this emerging trend.

The Southern Indiana facility – the company’s largest plastic bag manufacturing plant, pumping out some 28 million bags a day (yes, a day) – is also home to the largest plastic bag recycling facility in the U.S. Built in 2005 and expanded to twice 77

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its original size in 2010, its goal is to process 25 million pounds of plastic bags a year, reducing them to tiny pellets that can be fed into extrusion machines to create film for new plastic bags.

Used plastic arrives at the plant in 1,000-lb. bales from wholesalers and distributors who have collected it from their retail customers who operate collection programs. This is termed “postconsumer” plastic since it was used by consumers and includes things like plastic shopping bags, plastic packaging from paper towels or toilet paper and plastic overwraps used in the beverage industry. Hilex also recycles “post-industrial” plastic, such as the shrink-wrap used to secure 78

products on shipping pallets or the waste scraps from its own bag manufacturing operations.

The recycling setup for postconsumer plastic at the North

Hilex Poly has worked with retailers to establish 30,000 plastic bag recycling points across the U.S. Vernon Hilex facility has a delightfully Rube Goldberg-esque quality. An agglomeration of slicers, shredders, conveyors, centrifuges, cleaners, ducts and dryers that to the untrained eye looks like the industrial version of the old board game Mousetrap ingests the contents of each bale www.buildingindiananews.com

5. Pellets of plastic, recycled or virgin, are placed in extrusion machines to be made into bags. Here, the lower section of an extrusion machine blows a column of gray plastic up to where it will be collected by a roller on the next floor. Hilex is currently adding 15 more extrusion lines (and with them eight jobs) for a total of 90 lines at the North Vernon plant. Overall, the plant employs about 250 people.

6. The upper section of the extrusion machine, where the new plastic is collected onto giant rolls. Each roll will produce about 3 million bags.

7. The rolls are placed on presses where they are printed with the appropriate store names and logos and then cut up into individual bags for shipping to the retailer.

8. Finished recycled-content bags hot off the press.

and at the end produces mounds of warm plastic pellets about the size of a grain of uncooked rice.

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“Our engineers designed the machine,” says Operations Manager Chris Dickson.

“No one had ever done this combination of machines before. There was a lot of innovating in the process.” The primary focus of the extremely noisy and occasionally foulsmelling process is to remove contaminants – basically everything but the plastic – before the pellets are made. “Our own scrap

Made in the USA: the U.S. still manufactures 80 to 90 percent of the plastic bags used in the country. we run through a simpler process because it’s already cleaner,” Dickson says. Once the pellets are produced, they’re stored for use at the plant or for shipping to one of Hilex’s eight other facilities around the U.S. New plastic bags can be made from these pellets of recycled material, but how much recycled material goes into each bag depends on the customer. For example, for stores that insist on white bags, only about

10 percent recycled material can be used, and that’s usually post-industrial content.

For retailers willing to make the switch to brown or gray bags, recycled content can go up to 30 to 40 percent.

“You can go up to almost 100 percent recycled content in bags, but we are limited by what we can get back,” Rozenski says.

Currently, only about 13 percent of plastic bags get recycled. Most, about 60 percent, are re-used by consumers for trash liners or pet waste or other purposes. The remainder end up in landfills. “We are working with retailers to increase what’s being brought back to stores,” Rozenski says.

As part of that program, Hilex has launched a public relations campaign to educate consumers on the benefits of plastic bag recycling, such as the fact that the process is 80 to 90 percent less energyintensive than the process used to recycle paper bags.

“Ten years ago, plastic was looked at as an alternative to paper,” Rozenski says.

“Now, we want to be the alternative to ourselves.”

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WELCOME CENTER

Beyond the Race

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is working to expand its appeal as a dining, recreation and events venue.

By David Wellman

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hen it comes to big events in Indianapolis, the 2012 Super Bowl is the city’s shiny new hood ornament. But beneath that bit of automotive bling purrs a 100-yearold economic engine that was in town long before anyone dreamt of the big game, and plans to be around long after it’s moved on.

“The Indy 500 is equal to about three Super Bowls,” says Jeff Williams, PGA Director of Golf for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 18-hole Brickyard Crossing Golf Course. The Speedway doesn’t release attendance figures, but crowd estimates routinely exceed 300,000 people, all 80

of who buy – literally – tanker trucks worth of soda and beer, and whole restaurants’ worth of burgers, chicken tenders and fries.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Speedway’s signature race “and there is a huge buzz,” Williams says. “We’ve seen it with both our retail and ticket sales. They’re just exploding this year. Usually our apparel sales are spread out pretty evenly among our products but this year we’re getting hammered on 100th anniversary merchandise. It will be 80 percent of our retail.”

With all the attention, the Speedway has taken steps to buff its non-raceway chops in order to reintroduce itself to both the public and business community as something more than just a place where lots of cars drive around in an oval.

The first step in a three-phase plan de-

Golfing with Nature Diners at the new restaurant and duffers on the links shouldn’t be surprised if a fox sprints across the greens now and then, since the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course is one of just eight Indiana courses certified under Audubon International’s Cooperative Sanctuary Program: • Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, Indianapolis • Chariot Run Golf Club, Laconia • Knollwood Country Club, Granger • Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton • Smock Golf Course, Indianapolis • Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh • The William K. and Natalie O. Warren Golf Course, Notre Dame • Winding River Golf Course, Indianapolis The program recognizes courses that protect the environment, conserve natural resources and provide wildlife habitats. A course must develop and implement an environmental management plan and document its results to become certified. The process generally takes one to three years to complete, and recertification is required every two years. www.buildingindiananews.com

buted in March with the opening of the updated Brickyard Crossing Golf & Conference Center. “The building hadn’t been touched since the Sixties,” Williams says.

The new venue features event space that can accommodate groups from 10 to 400 and a completely remodeled restaurant with new management and a new menu.

To run the new restaurant and develop a new menu, the Speedway looked to Cibus, the Indianapolis-based caterer that was already providing racegoers with all those burgers, fries and chicken tenders.

“Cibus had catered inside the track for the last three or four years, and they approached us about partnering with them to manage the Center,” Williams says.

“It was a big opportunity,” says Bonnie Burkhardt, Director of Sales and Events for Cibus at the Brickyard. “We are good at doing events but we need to take the food to another level in order to attract a steady crowd back to the restaurant.”

The Speedway is also partnering with other golf courses around the state to promote the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.

The goal of this group is to take advantage

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of one of the unique assets Indiana has in the world of golf – the nation’s largest collection of courses designed by legendary course architect Pete Dye. One of the most influential designers in golf history, Dye (who today resides in Carmel) has been heaped with honors for work that began in the 1930s, including becoming the sixth recipient of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and one of just five architects inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2008. Among his courses in Indiana is the Brickyard Crossing, which has teamed with five other Dye-designed courses in the state to create the Pete Dye Golf Trail.

“We want to make this a golf destination,” Williams says. “It’s great for hotels and restaurants because it makes a golf trip easy to plan.” The trail stretches from the French Lick Resort in southern Indiana to a trio of Indianapolis-area courses – the Brickyard Crossing, Fort Golf resort and Plum Creek Golf Club – then proceeds north to the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette and Mystic Hills in Culver.

Golf adds $1.7 Billion to indiana economy Home to 430 golf facilities and playing host to the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in 2012, golf in the Hoosier State is more than an enjoyable pastime. According to a new report from Golf 20/20, a collaborative industry group managed by the World Golf Foundation, it is a key contributor to the Indiana economy.

In 2008, the report says that the size of Indiana’s direct golf economy was approximately $909.6 million. When the total economic impact of these golfrelated activities is considered, Indiana’s golf industry generated approximately $1.7 billion of direct, indirect and induced economic output, $530.7 million of wage income, and 21,173 jobs in 2008.

The golf industry’s $909.6 million in direct revenues supports economic activity comparable to several other important industries in the state: medical equipment manufacturing ($5.8 billion); soybean production ($2.4 billion); and dairy products ($640.1 million).

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MARKETING

Extraordinary Events Today’s event professionals know that planning a top-notch event takes more than a few phone calls and a trip to the office supply store for some stick-on nametags.

By Kristin Jurczak, Director of Events, Diversified Marketing Strategies

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orporate events are your organization’s moment to shine. Their success goes a long way in determining how you are perceived by clients and employees alike. But putting together the perfect soiree takes much more than invitations and a bit of luck. It takes calculated planning, cohesive branding and the Wow Factor.

In the past, many have thought that hiring an event planner was an extravagance only meant for the larger corporations. After all, why spend money for something you could “do yourself?”

Today, however, times have changed.

The costs and complexity of planning any event have many organizations turning to an event planner. Professional event management will handle your event from conception to implementation.

But hire an event planner? That sounds expensive!

Professional event planners have the advantage of knowing what and where the best resources are. Planners eliminate weeks of hassle scouting venues, contracting with reliable vendors, renting equipment and any of the other countless, time-consuming details associated with planning a successful event. You and your employees will be freed up to tackle the tasks and issues critical to the success of your business.

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Planners can save you money with insider knowledge in planning events in the most efficient and cost-effective ways possible. They know what to look for in booking the most appropriate vendor or location for you to fit within your budget. They can also offer creative ideas to suit any financial plan and know where to cut and where to splurge to make your event look the most luxurious.

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.CalCulated PlaNNiNG Event planners are your A-type personalities, highly efficient and organized. These are the folks who color-coordinate their sock drawer.

Event planners manage your entire event and keep you organized, offer advice, manage and coordinate intricate details, and, perhaps most importantly, provide a single point of contact when you have questions or needs. They help you create an affordable budget, review all contracts, ensure you have the necessary insurance policies and make sure that your expectations are met. In many cases, they have insider knowledge and can negotiate better rates with vendors, boosting your bottom line.

If you are trying to impress clients, raise money, or educate colleagues, you want to be sure that everything is done right. Having an event planner will

ensure that your event is not only enjoyable and successful, but is as stress-free as possible. You will not need to spend time worrying about small details and possible problems, allowing you to focus on the guests attending your event.

2

CReatiNG a COheSive BRaNd Your event has a purpose and goal to fulfill. Virtually all events or meetings are created to communicate a message to a group of attendees. If your message gets overshadowed by vibrant decor, big name entertainment or a long speaking program, guests may not absorb the full intention of the event. A good planner will help identify your core objectives at the start of your plan.

Keeping a consistent and targeted brand will help you achieve these goals and result in a successful event. A planner will take your vision for your event and make it a reality. www.buildingindiananews.com

In addition, there is a Wow Factor to consider when planning an event. This is that thing that will have guests raving about your event. Whether it’s the food, the entertainment, the décor or the ambiance, you’ll want to showcase an event that has guests asking for next year’s date.

Whether it’s your annual company picnic or regional sales meeting, your next event is a great opportunity to investigate hiring an event planner. Consider all the departments in your organization that take the lead in planning a variety of events, including marketing, human resources and administration. An event planner will save time and resources out of the gate and maintain focus on achieving your core objectives; giving you and your guests the much needed Wow Factor.

3

FiNd the RiGht PeRSON OK, you’re sold. Hiring an event planner for your next bash makes sense. But where do you start?

How can you tell which ones have their act together? Here are three steps you should take to find the perfect planner.

www.buildingindiananews.com

First, your search should begin by asking for referrals. If you want to know who has a reputation for delivering services or expertise in a particular market, check with the local convention and visitors bureau. Many event planners are active members. They also maintain relationships with local chambers of commerce.

Second, meet with them in person.

While it’s not always possible to meet someone in person, especially if your program is out of town, this is a very important step. And it’s a step that should be invested prior to narrowing your list of potential planners.

Keep in mind that the most highly experienced planner may not always be the best hire. There’s something about building a rapport with someone, looking at them eye to eye, and listening to their ideas. You’ll gain a sense for someone’s passion and professionalism this way, too.

Ask the event planner or their firm to share information about their business, experience with events and how they plan for contingencies. Because you are the one

who will be hiring the planner, your job is to listen. It’s like hiring an employee. (But the truth is a good event planner will also screen you.)

Lastly, before signing a contract, ask for references and to see a final budget.

It’s not good enough to go on your gut instinct, the advice of your friends, or even colleagues and coworkers. This is your event, and your name and your reputation will be associated with it.

Of course, you will ask for names of clients who have worked with the planner before. And you’re likely to get favorable contacts. But do more digging. Ask the event planner to talk about where they’ve held events before, and check those sources. Read information about their business, do a Google search and find your own references to check. Also, be sure you’ve seen a final budget before signing any contracts. You’ll want to understand all the potential costs upfront.

Following these three easy steps will ensure you’re on your way to event victory, completing your objectives and wowing your guests.

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REGION FOCUS

Accelerated Development Lakeshore and airport projects are laying a foundation for economic development in Northwest Indiana.

By David Wellman

A

t its quarterly board meeting in late April, the Board of Directors of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) accepted grant applications from the Gary/Chicago International Airport and the Town of Porter which, if approved, would spur approximately $47.6 million in construction and development activity in Lake and Porter Counties over the next several years.

These requests came just days after officials from the City of Gary and the region celebrated the start of Marquette Park Lakefront East Project, which is being funded by a $28 million grant from the RDA. With both the airport and Porter

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requests expected to meet with approval, Lake and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana will reap something on the order of $75 million in economic development projects over the next two to three years.

Projects in Gary and Porter are aimed at creating western and eastern gateways to the Lake Michigan lakeshore which will attract business and tourism. Plans in Gary include restoring the 241-acre Marquette Park and the Gary Beach Bathing Aquatorium, adding a children’s playground and numerous beach and landscape improvements. At the other end of the project, the Town of Porter is focusing on developing and improving roadways, most notably state route 49, and trails

such as the Dunes Kankakee Trail, that will feed visitors into the popular Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Porter has applied for a $17.6 million grant for the next phase of its gateway project, which town officials say is advancing rapidly. In fact, Porter asked that if possible about $4 million be expedited so that the town can piggyback on Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) projects in the area. INDOT will complete new bridges over state routes 12 and 20

by Memorial Day, and Porter is seeking immediate funding to build the stretch of the Dunes Kankakee Trail between the two new spans. Given funding, Porter could also construct the Dunes Kankakee

www.buildingindiananews.com

hammond Pavilion Wins award

(l. to r.) Dean Button, SEH, presents the Honor Award for Engineering Excellence from the Indiana chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for The Wolf Lake Festival Pavilion in Hammond to Regional Development Authority (RDA) Treasurer Bill Joiner and Chairman of the Board Leigh Morris. Funded with the aid of a grant from the RDA, the pavilion was designed by SEH, Inc of Indiana and built by a team led by Gough, Inc. (Merrillville).

The Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired pavilion was completed last summer.

Trail trailhead in concert with a $1 million INDOT project which will convert the entrance road to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore from four lanes to two with a trail. Additionally, Porter is seeking expedited funds for further land acquisition for the Dunes Kankakee Trail, Indiana 49 reconstruction, and for engineering and design work on the proposed Gateway Development Area.

Gary/Chicago International Airport has requested $30 million from the RDA to help fund its $153 million runway expansion project. According to Interim Airport Director Steve Landry, the $30 million would be used for three major projects in 2011 and 2012: the construction of a vehicle overpass and two railroad bridges so that railroad tracks currently blocking the runway expansion can be moved. These projects would generate approximately 1,000 constructionrelated jobs and nearly $130 million in total economic impact over the next three years, Landry said.

“The expansion of the runway is vital to Northwest Indiana,” Landry said.

“There’s no way to get this done without the help of the RDA.” While the Board only accepted, not approved, the application, its Chairman, Leigh Morris, reiterated the promise he made in 2010 at the release of airport’s new strategic plan. “Dirt will fly by the Fourth of July,” he said. “What that means is that you will see construction activity at the Gary Airport this summer.”

In other business, the Board accepted a proposal from RDA Executive Director Bill Hanna establishing a “Buy Northwest Indiana” policy encouraging grant recipients to utilize Northwest Indiana businesses for employees, goods and services, and requiring them to report on their efforts to do so. The policy also creates an even playing field for local contractors from Lake and Porter Counties to compete for work funded in part by the RDA. Along similar lines, the Board also encouraged further development of an internal system to track the impact of its spending on wages and employment in Northwest Indiana.

BCC

BURKE COSTANZA & CARBERRY

LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

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REGION FOCUS

Washington

Readies for Growth

A Southern Indiana town prepares for the arrival of an interstate link by laying the groundwork for economic development.

By Ron Arnold, Executive Director, Daviess County Economic Development Corporation

A

s the all-new I-69 interstate link races toward completion in 2012, the city of Washington is preparing to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities. “We responded well as a city to the challenges at the end of the last decade and are now poised for growth,” says Mayor Larry Haag, noting that the city had in place a comprehensive plan to capture I-69 growth opportunities.

By securing more than $20 million in federal and state grants and tax credits, Washington was able to begin revitalizing key areas of the city, which serves as the county seat of Daviess County. The city will have a direct off- and on-ramp to I-69, and has responded by developing planning, 86

support and incentives for businesses considering expansion to the region.

Priorities to cut wasteful spending, become more energy efficient and achieve a significant reduction in operating costs over the past three years have all produced positive results. “We’ve been able to put aside small-town politics and build a better city across the board,” Haag says. “All of that bodes well for Washington as new economic opportunities emerge from the construction and opening of I-69.”

For businesses considering relocating to or expanding into the Washington area, the city has become more attractive and forward-looking in terms of building infrastructure for water and power to take care of present and future needs.

The city possesses a long history of capitalizing on transportation opportunities such as the I-69 link, beginning with the establishment of the former B&O railroad repair yards back in the later 1880s.

City leaders showed creative entrepreneurial leadership then, which resulted in what would today be a $1 billion investment.

One similar example today is how critical civic infrastructure was put in place to effectively deal with wastewater issues.

“One plan was being considered that would cost upwards of $63 million to resolve wastewater issues that had been building for decades,” Haag notes. “With cooperative efforts throughout the city and the city council, together with grant support from the state, we were able to chop $40 million www.buildingindiananews.com

off that price tag and achieve an environmentally friendly solution.”

The Mayor says that numerous organizations and individuals, ranging from the Daviess County Chamber of Commerce to local business owners have “done much” to revitalize the downtown area. “While I’m certain we’ll see a lot of economic development activity located directly on or near the interstate as it comes through on the east side of town, it remains critical that we have a vibrant downtown area for local residents and businesses,” he explains.

Community pride and recreational opportunities are also important to drive growth, and the city was able to replace its aging community pool with a state-of-theart waterpark.

“That project showed just how committed our residents are to this city,” Haag says. “Local citizens and businesses contributed directly to the $1.25 million rebuilding costs, and thanks to them, the pool is now completely paid off ahead of what anyone would have thought.”

“

We’ve been able to put aside small-town politics and build a better city across the board.

”

- City of Washington Mayor Larry Haag Citizens gave or raised more than $525,000 for the rebuilding project, including local children operating a lemonade stand and “bringing in wagonfuls of pennies,” Haag says.

Efforts continue to secure more grant funding and to take advantage of the business expansion already underway as in the growing WestGate Crane Technology Park, which is about 29 miles from the city.

“The WestGate, coupled with the fact

that the 2000 census showed that Daviess County is the median center of the U.S. population, is but one of many advantages we can offer,” Haag says. “Washington is a great place to live and we look forward to capturing growth opportunities as the interstate opens and we see new expansion from the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane.”

The city’s efforts were recognized in late April when Washington was one of seven Indiana communities highlighted by Lt. Governor Becky Skillman as part of the 25th Annual National Community Development Week.

“In order for Indiana to succeed, all of our communities need to have a chance at prosperity,” Skillman says. “For the last six years our agencies have worked tirelessly to help cities, towns, and counties move forward toward economic growth.”

And as the interstate moves toward completion, Haag is poised to capitalize on all the groundwork. “When I-69 opens, we’ll be ready,” he concludes.

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The Worker’s Compensation & Wellness Directory RETURN TO WORk SERvICES

INSURANCE

Advanced Worksite Solutions

Braman Insurance Services

5949 W Raymond Street Indianapolis, IN 46241 (317) 390-5590 Fax: (317) 486-2194 Suzanne Fowler, Director of Operations sfowler@advancedpt.com www.advancedworksitesolutions.com

8001 Broadway, Suite 300 Merrillville, IN 46410 (219) 738-2526 Fax (219) 738-1833 www.bramaninsurance.com Carla Cohen, Employee Benefits Account Executive carla.cohen@bramaninsurance.com

AWS offers Prevention and Early Intervention services to keep minor sprains and strains minor. For Return to Work we provide Job Site Analysis, Functional Job Description Development, as well as assistance with transition back to Full Duty.

Braman Insurance Services is an established regional, insurance broker providing insurance solutions for companies with complex needs. We offer a combination of customized services, safety management, claims consulting and Human Resource programs designed for Property & Casualty, Risk Management, Employee Benefits, and Personal insurance.

ATTORNEYS

Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

521 E. County Line Road, Suite D Greenwood, IN 46143 (317) 846-0717 • Fax (317) 882-9423 www.indycdi.com Amy Brown amy.brown@cdirad.com

9191 Broadway Merrillville, IN 46410 (219) 769-1313 Fax: (219) 769-6806 Mark J. Terborg - Business Manager firm@bcclegal.com www.bcclegal.com

Burke Costanza & Carberry LLC is the leading full-service civil law firm in Northwest Indiana. The firm has capable attorneys experienced in construction and real estate transactions and litigation as well as in other areas of commercial law.

Employer Benefit Systems

Center for Diagnostic Imaging

CDI has six convenient outpatient imaging centers in Indianapolis. Led by doctors specialized in the area of the body being imaged, we offer a full-range of medical imaging services, including high field wide-open MRI, CT and injections/pain management. What’s more, CDI can be 30-50% less expensive than other providers. Visit www.IndyCDI.com today to learn more about or locations and services!

HEALTH INSURANCE BROkERS

EDUCATION

Indiana Worker’s Compensation Institute, Inc.

200 Monticello Drive Dyer, IN 46311 (219) 322-1556 Fax: (219) 322-1548 Will Glaros, RHU, Owner wglaros@ebsinsure.com Matthew Glaros mglaros@ebinsure.com www.ebsinsure.com

PO Box 90320 Indianapolis, IN 46290 www.iwci.org Kathy Young Schiffman, President president@iwci.org

EBS specializes in helping companies control healthcare costs by implementing proven wellness programs that engage and transform employees into healthier more productive team members.

HOSPITAL

For more than 20 years IWCI has been providing educational and financial support programs in worker’s compensation and related areas, improving our members growth, knowledge, and skills. By collaborating with the Indiana Self Insured Association in 2011, IWCI is continuing to strengthen its mission by providing a more diverse agenda at our August Annual Seminar to include employers based education.

HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY

Methodist Hospitals

Physicians Health Plan

Two Locations 8701 Broadway • Merrillville, IN 46410 600 Grant St. • Gary, IN 46402 (219) 886-4239 Fax: (219) 886-4592 Deborah Mansfield, Director of Nursing Support and Rehabilitation Services dmansfield@methodisthospitals.org • www.methodisthospitals.org

8101 West Jefferson Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46804 (260) 432-6690 Fax: (260) 432-0493 Brian Steiner, Senior Account Executive bsteiner@phpni.com www.phpni.com

Methodist Hospitals is a community-based, not-for-profit health system with two fullservice acute care facilities and an outpatient care facility. Methodist Hospitals offers a number of award – winning programs, including its Neuroscience Institute that includes the Spine Care Center. Its range of services also includes Home Health services, comprehensive Rehabilitation Services that includes physical therapy and Diagnostic Imaging services.

Founded in 1983, Physicians Health Plan is a physician-sponsored not-for-profit organization based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, focused on preserving the community’s access to quality, affordable healthcare. Our employee benefits products include medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, FSAs, HRAs, high-deductible plans, life, disability, TPA services, and we also offer individual health insurance.

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Real Estate Marketplace HOSPITAL

Pinnacle Hospital

700 Chase St. Gary, Indiana 46404

Pinnacle Hospital- a physician owned facility, is a unique collaboration between primary care physicians, surgeons and other specialists in the community.

Pinnacle was formed to bring individualized care and uncompromising quality to every patient offering a myriad of services. Visit www.pinnaclehealthcare.net or call 219 756-2100.

PHYSICIAN

South Bend Orthopaedics

53880 Carmichael Dr. South Bend, IN 46635 (800) 424-0367 • (574) 247-5103 Fax: (574) 247-6565 www.sbortho.com Robyn Boggs, Work Comp rboggs@sbortho.com SBO is led by a team of board-certified surgeons, offering excellence in comprehensive orthopedic care to patients in the Michiana area with offices in South Bend, Mishawaka, Plymouth and LaPorte. SBO provides specialties in joint replacement, hand, spine, podiatry, sports medicine, and rehabilitation therapy. Additional services include IMEs, file reviews, industrial rehabilitation, and in-house case management.

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5 locations to serve you in NW Indiana - 5 after hour care locations 866-552-WELL (9355) www.workingwell.org Tim Ross – Regional Administrative Director - Tim.Ross@franciscanalliance.org Diana Bridges – Business Development Supervisor – Diana.Bridges@franciscanalliance.org WorkingWell A Network of Occupational Healthcare is the leading provider of quality medical care for your workers compensation needs. We also take a proactive approach in wellness offering many programs to serve you. We are the only NAOHP Certified Occupational Health Program in Indiana and are rated among the Best in the Nation.

We have been Voted Best Occupational Health Provider 5 years in a row by Northwest Indiana Business Readers (2006 – 2010). www.buildingindiananews.com

Phone: 312-446-7059 /219-736-0014 Website: www.commercial-adv.com Broker Name: Commercial Advantage, Inc. Email: Lori Tubbs: ltubbs@commercial-adv.com /Don H. Wagener: dwagener@commercial-adv.com Total Square Feet: 207,000 sq. ft. with Interior Rail, Three 21,800 SF Bays with Interior Rail Property Type: M-3 Industrial Description: ELECTRICAL: 3 Phase – 480 Volt Service LIGHTING: Majority is Mercury Vapo CEILING HEIGHT: 18’ to 23’

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The Last Word lending a hand “Bank On” programs are spreading nationwide, providing much-needed banking services to low-income working families.

By Lou Martinez, President, Lake Area United Way

I

n 2006, officials in San Francisco launched the “Bank on San Francisco” initiative.

The comprehensive program, designed by the New America Foundation and the Corporation for Enterprise Development, was aimed at providing low-income working families with access to banking services. The goal was to give them an alternative to the high fees and predatory practices often found at check cashing and advance payday loan outlets.

Since then, the Bank On program has been replicated in communities nationwide, including several in Indiana.

The first such program in the Hoosier state was launched in Evansville in 2008.

Other Bank On initiatives have been rolled out in Indianapolis and Lafayette.

In April, Northwest Indiana joined their ranks with Bank On NWI. This new program will help connect Northwest Indiana’s estimated 21,700 “underbanked” residents with free or lowcost bank accounts, financial education and other mainstream financial services.

In its first year, the program hopes to help 1,000 people open new accounts and to provide free high-quality financial education to 1,500 individuals.

Everyone Deserves a Chance Its message is simple: Everyone deserves a chance. Everyone is welcome.

For many, opening a checking and a saving account is the first step toward climbing the economic ladder, achieving financial stability in their daily lives and

to begin saving for their future.

Through Bank On NWI, participants can keep an account open with no minimum balance even if they have had trouble with a prior account and even if they need to spend all their money each month.

A key component of the program is helping participants make the most of their money. Bank On NWI has quarterly programs to help consumers learn how to manage their money, set and stay on a budget, manage a checking account, improve their credit rating, and pay off debt.

The effort is supported by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the

Nationwide, there are at least 17 million Americans who are unbanked, according to the FDIC. Indiana State Treasurer’s Office, Centier Bank, Citizens Financial Bank, First Midwest Bank, Peoples Bank, Northwest Indiana Community Action, and the Lake Area United Way. Key backers of Bank On NWI include: David A. Bochnowski, Chairman and CEO, Peoples Bank; Angelisa M. Harris, Community Affairs Officer, FDIC, Chicago Regional Office; Richard Mourdock, Indiana State Treasurer; Gary Olund, President and CEO, Northwest Indiana Community Action; Daryl D. Pomranke, President and COO, Citizens Financial Bank; Mike Schrage, President and CEO, Centier Bank; and Brad Vosberg,

Regional Retail Sales Manager, First Midwest Bank.

Nationwide, there are at least 17 million Americans who are unbanked, according to the FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households.

Most are African-American or Hispanic and earn less than $30,000 a year.

Although the survey reports Indiana has 180,000 unbanked households, it does not have unbanked data for Lake County. A 2008 Pew Charitable Trust study estimated Lake County to have 17,000 unbanked households.

Could Save Thousands a Year People who don’t use mainstream financial institutions spend an estimated $1,148 a year on check-cashing services, which charge a percentage of the value of the check, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trust.

“I applaud the efforts of Bank On Northwest Indiana in helping to decrease the number of unbanked consumers,” says Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock. “Individuals who have a relationship with their local financial institutions will reduce monthly expenses, save for their future, and establish a good credit history.”

Bank on NWI is the first activity of the Financial Stability Alliance. The group meets every month at Lake Area United Way’s office in Griffith and is seeking more banks and credit unions to join the effort. For more information, please call Dave Sikes at (219) 923-2302, ext. 303.

The opinions expressed in this article are the views of the authors. We welcome your response.

If you are interested in writing an opinion piece, send an e-mail to editor@buildingindiananews.com.

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The Power of Pipe Insulation One foot of insulation in your building could save 12 barrels of oil a year!

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“A

SURE FOUNDATION INSPIRES CONFIDENCE, ENCOURAGES CREATIVE THINKING, AND ENABLES US ALL TO ACHIEVE WONDERFUL THINGS….”

THE AMERICAN GROUP

CONSTRUCTORS

FOUNDATION STONES OF

The business of The American Group of Constructors shall be evidenced by the following values: • Determination in our Commitment to Safety Allowing a TAG Employee to be placed in harm’s way is unacceptable. We will place the safety of our Employees before profit, before any project, and before any potential customer.

• Pride in our Workmanship The finished product of an American Group of Constructors project will be held to the strictest of standards, meeting or exceeding all of the expectations of our Customer.

Phone 92

• Trust in our Relationships Our Customers, Vendors, and Employees must know that we fulfill our commitments, meet our schedules, and make honesty our watchword.

• Care in our Stewardship We will preserve and grow those things placed in our trust. We will be good stewards regarding: the well-being of our Employees; the state of our finances; the natural environment in which we work and live; and the knowledge which we can share regarding our fields of expertise.

877-937-1508 • Fax 219-937-1512 • www.tagconstructors.com www.buildingindiananews.com