Evansville Business April/May 2021 by Evansville Living Magazine

POLITICALLY CONNECTED Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch A publication of Evansville Living & Tucker Publishing Group

Alexis Berggren, general manager of the Old National Events Plaza

$32 Million Hit Local tourism and hospitality suffered during the pandemic, but they’re ready for a comeback

Kim Howard Remembered A testament to her impactful work and legacy in the community

APRIL/MAY 2021

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A Constant in the Midst of Change As we head into 2021, many questions still arise around the globe about how the commercial real estate market will be impacted by decisions from the current administration, interest and cap rates, and the global impact of various dynamics and events that influence the marketplace. One thing is for certain. Whether buying, selling or investing, wise business owners rely on the analysis, advice and representation that only a qualified commercial real estate broker can provide. Summit Real Estate Services, a full-service boutique commercial real estate agency, has served the Tri-State since 1995. Our experts are in tune with trends affecting the local marketplace and the inventory available in our area. We help both private and institutional commercial property owners find the right locations for their businesses and the right buyers for their properties.

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Evansville Business | 3

VOLUME 20 / NUMBER 2

PUBLISHER, Todd A. Tucker EDITOR, Kristen K. Tucker CREATIVE DIRECTOR, Laura Mathis

A Publication of Tucker Publishing Group

STAFF WRITERS Dallas Carter, Riley Guerzini

MASONRY CONTRACTOR -SINCE 1946-

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jessica Hoffman, Jennifer Rhoades

Third Generation | Family-Owned Business

SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR Misti Wagemann

Troy Schreiber & Tammy Evans, owners MASONRY TUCKPOINTING CLEANING CAULKING CHIMNEY REPAIR

CONTRIBUTORS Trista Lutgring, Zach Straw, Megan Thorne

Tucker Publishing Group 25 N.W. Riverside Drive, Ste. 200 Evansville, IN 47708 812-426-2115

evansvillebusiness.com

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DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION MANAGER Gregg Martin TUCKER PUBLISHING GROUP Todd A. Tucker, President Kristen K. Tucker, Vice President

What Evansville event do you hope comes back in 2021?

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscriptions are $18 for one year, $24 for two years, or $30 for three years. To subscribe, renew, or change address, write to the address listed above, call 812-426-2115, visit our website, or email subscriptions@evansvilleliving.com.

As the country begins to ease restrictions and the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available, we are looking ahead to our favorite events returning to the Tri-State this year.

IN THE NEWS

“I hope more concerts come back to the Ford Center. One of my favorite things to do is to listen to live music.”

Evansville Business welcomes submissions for our business social page and corporate news. Please mail or email these items six weeks in advance of the magazine cover date to the address above or events@evansvilleliving.com.

UE Basketball Practice Facility

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER, Casey Scarbrough

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER Letters to the publisher may be sent to the address above or to ttucker@ evansvilleliving.com. ADVERTISING INFORMATION Take advantage of Evansville Business’ prime advertising space. Please call us at 812-426-2115 or visit evansvilleliving.com.

JENNIFER RHOADES SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

“Fall Fest, of course!” DALLAS CARTER STAFF WRITER

“The Fall Festival. It’s just a really unique event that highlights the best of Evansville and without it, the city just isn’t the same.” RILEY GUERZINI STAFF WRITER

“The W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival!” CASEY SCARBROUGH SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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812-424-2704 troy@nmbungeinc.com 4 April/May | 2021

Evansville Business is published bimonthly by Tucker Publishing Group, 25 N.W. Riverside Drive, Ste. 200, Evansville, IN 47708, and printed at LSC Communications, Lebanon Junction, Ky. Any views expressed in any advertisement, signed letter, article, or photograph are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Evansville Business.

“I hope the YMCA Half Marathon comes back this year. I ran it last year on the day of and ran the regular course — it was so much harder to complete without spectators and other runners keeping you motivated.”

“The Evansville Otters at Bosse Field.”

JESSICA HOFFMAN SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

MISTI WAGEMANN SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

Contents

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 1

11 Featured

Regulars

6 PUBLISHER’S LETTER

CROWD PLEASER The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated tourism and hospitality — the country’s fifth largest industry. In Evansville and across the nation, events, travel, attractions, and hotels are beginning to make a comeback. As vaccine distribution fuels the travel and spending of tourists and residents alike, experts in the field weigh in on the timeline for complete industry recovery.

While Others Learned and Celebrated

8 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 SECOND GLANCE Interstate 69 is in its two final stages

11 NICHE BUSINESS How Bill Floyd found success with Lucas Oil Centers

12 BUILDING EVANSVILLE Skanska utilizes innovative techniques to complete the new ECS building

12 IN A WORD A correction to the “In a Word” story in the February/March issue

13 ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Deborah Witte lights up her clients’ homes and businesses

13 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Area nonprofits find support in the William E. Schmidt foundation

14 IN THE SPOTLIGHT From volunteer to executive director, Sean Kuykendall serves his community

17 IN MEMORIAM Kim Howard dedicated her life to cultivating success for Evansville businesses

39 BUSINESS LIFE

48 BACK TALK Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch breaks down her role in Indiana’s government

Special Advertising Sections 20 WELLNESS AT WORK Local experts help area workers stay on top of their game and their health.

28 TECHNOLOGY Get to know the businesses offering innovative, customerfriendly services and products in the technology field.

41 IN THE NEWS

ON THE COVER Old National Events Plaza general manager Alexis Berggren. Photo by Zach Straw.

Evansville Business | 5

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

While Others Learned and Celebrated

e all have learned a great deal about ourselves (and others) over the last 14 months. One thing I have learned: I lack the ability to sit around and be counterproductive. I think some early — ahem — less than productive years are directly responsible for this. Obviously, though, I am not the only one who, out of either quarantine boredom or a desire to embrace positive change, decided to do some soul searching and make the quarantine and pandemic as productive as possible and interesting as it could be. A quick bit of research turned up my top ten interesting and bizarre things people attempted and accomplished during the pandemic. Some depend on your definition of “accomplished.”

People who researched “How to hide your baldness.” Hey … you’re bald! There is no hiding it and I’m certainly not using spray paint…obviously.

2. Learning the practice of JOMO, the joy of missing out, instead of FOMO, fear of missing out. I believe I already had this skillset down. It’s called staying home.

3. “How to deal with a naughty child.” Could have use this a decade ago. Of course, they are both such “good boys” now.

4. “Best lower back stretches” for boomers like myself and would be helpful to prevent me from routinely seeing the ugliest chiropractor in the Tri-State.

5. “Training your cat to use the toilet.” If you don’t get this, you either don’t have cats or litter responsibilities. Still a tad bit unsure of it, though. Do you really want to walk in on that?

6. A personal favorite: the 103-year-old grandma who beat COVID-19 and celebrated with a Bud Light. Who would not have wanted to clink glasses with her? How awesome is that? Rock on, Grandma!

7. A man in France ran a marathon all on his 23-foot balcony during the lockdown — demonstrating the fine line between idiocy and brilliance. Such a fine line.

6 April/May | 2021

8. Not to be outdone by the balcony marathoner in France, a British man ran one in his 20-foot backyard during lockdown while thousands tuned in and he raised $32,000 for healthcare services.

9. A man in suburban Chicago who then was inspired by said British runner ran 7,000 times back and forth in his backyard also raising thousands for charity and getting his wife and children involved, with their own backyard milestones.

10. Then there is the 59-year-old magazine publisher who, after last doing an ironman in 2007 and saying “never again,” looked down at the scale a week before Halloween and said *$%#!! then decided to do something about it and signed up for Ironman Tulsa on May 23. Might be one of the damn dumbest things I have heard of but the guy is not known as “Mr. Logical.” Does a 2.4mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26-mile run sound pleasant to you? “Getting there” has not been half the fun. Maybe he should have learned “you don’t always need to be productive” and learned Spanish. Then maybe he wouldn’t be so damn sore and need to see the ugly chiropractor. Once again, on that fine line between idiocy and brilliance, I know where I fall. As always I look forward to hearing from most of you.

Todd A. Tucker Publisher

P.S. A very special thanks for helping an old man along to Bodyworks, the YMCA, Dr. Chris Gilkey, CycleBar and my running partner Steve Nussmeier. I also really appreciate my wife who must use her own endurance to hear about it all, as do I listening to my running partner.

Read Todd’s interview with Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch on page 48.

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SECOND GLANCE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To the Finish Line Interstate 69 heads toward completion

Awesome sauce from an awesome family (in “Boss of the Sauce” in the February/March issue of Evansville Business.) Cheryl Harris, Evansville

here’s good news for those who travel from southern Indiana toward the state capital — in February, Indiana announced the final two contracts which will finish the last stretch of the interstate from Martinsville, Indiana, to Indianapolis. Currently, the remaining 27 miles from Evansville to Indy is completed by traveling along State Road 37. This final phase will convert that stretch to I-69 and then connect to I-465. It is the last of six sections completing the corridor, which totals 142 miles from Evansville. According to the state, this road construction will eliminate at-grade crossings, construct

SAUCE BOSS

DESIGN GEM

overpasses and underpasses, build local access road connections, and introduce interstate access points along the way. Over the next 20 years, the state predicts the project to generate $4.1 billion in positive regional economic impact. The final stretch from Martinsville is set to open to traffic in late 2024. — Trista Lutgring

Thanks so much to you and your talented and creative staff for your tremendous support of the Holy Rosary’s 29th Annual Virtual Rose Gala. The invitations and event programs they designed were very well done. Once again, they carried out our theme well. (Senior Graphic Designer) Casey Scarbrough was a jewel and so great to work with! We appreciate your willingness to do ‘all you do’ for us each and every year. Christine Giles, Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Letters to the editor can be sent to letters@evansvilleliving.com.

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FAST A ND F U R I O U S

P.12.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

P.13.

W H AT E V E R I T TA K E S

P.14.

BUSINESS FRONT

Race, Break, and Fix Lucas Oil Center changes more than just oil

BY RILEY GUERZINI

Lucas Oil Center owner Bill Floyd and his daughter and human resources and operations manager April Maxey attribute their success to the quality of the product. “We’re proud that they’ve entrusted us to continue to share their product and wear their name on our jacket,” she says.

It was 2007 and Bill Floyd was in Indianapolis

on a college visit for his daughter when he heard that Lucas Oil was going to be the name of the new football stadium downtown. Knowing people at Lucas Oil from his days working in automotive manufacturing in Southern California, he and his wife Brenda had an idea that if the company was going to label their product Lucas Oil, they were going to need a place where people could go to put it in their car. Within four hours and a few phone calls, Floyd sat down for a meeting with Lucas P H OTO S BY Z AC H S T R AW

Oil founder Forrest Lucas at their manufacturing plant in Corydon, Indiana. A few short years later in 2011, America’s first-ever Lucas Oil Center was open for business at 2650 N. Green River Road. “This is a family developed and operated business, and we have a great brand partner in Lucas Oil,” says Floyd. “We have a fantastic relationship. They let us do our thing and as we grow, they just want to see more stores.” Everything about the business was Floyd’s vision, from the name and logo to the services and products offered, and

even the design and layout of the building — with a welcoming lobby with retail products, a coffee shop, and a massage chair. It was also designed to be a headquarters for the business going forward, which is why offices were built upstairs from the shop. Business surged in the years after they opened on North Green River Road. A second store was opened in 2017 on the West Side and another store is set to open in Owensboro, Kentucky, in the near future. Floyd says they are hoping to establish more locations north toward Indianapolis. Known in the industry as

NICHE BUSINESS a full service quick lube, auto center, and car wash, Lucas Oil Center offers oil changes, tire changes, driveline and transmission fluid service, AC and cooling system service, batteries, and brakes. “What’s really neat about what we offer that a car dealership or general auto repair facility can’t do is that we really require no appointment,” says Floyd. “Our stores are designed so that we have staging areas and we are processing cars as many as nine an hour.” They added a full-service bay to their West Side location where they have a full-time master mechanic on staff to do more mechanical services like ball joints or AC repair. Following Floyd’s passion, Lucas Oil Center formed a new USAC Silver Crown Racing Team in 2020. The team is called Pink 69 Racing — named after people who have called him Pink Floyd throughout the years and Interstate 69. The car was built last year and in their first season, they had consecutive top 10 finishes driven by Princeton, Indiana standout Kyle Cummins. Their season opens with the 66th running of the Hoosier Hundred on May 27 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds dirt mile during the Indy 500 race week. z LUCASOILCENTER.COM

Evansville Business | 11

BUSINESS FRONT E B U I L D I N G E VA N S V I L L E

Fast and Furious

Community support and new technology fuels Skanska’s latest build B Y T R I S TA L U T G R I N G

IN A WORD

Correction Due to a production error in the February/March edition of Evansville Business, the responses of Tonya Rine and Tony Loudermilk were switched in the “In A Word” story. Below are their correct responses to the word “transition.”

P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

TONY LOUDERMILK

Barb Daum and Brittany Roudenbush

he team of Skanska crews working at Evansville Christian School’s new elementary school along Epworth Road are employing many innovative techniques in building the facility, set to open for the 2021-2022 academic year. But it’s the work trailer onsite that gets them the most excited. Walk inside and it is hard to miss the drawings, notes, cards, and more from the kindergarten through sixth-grade students who will call the new school home. “Everyone is so appreciative. It’s just so unheard of to have this engagement,” says Skanska Project Executive Barb Daum. The partnership between Skanska and ECS for the elementary school building is not the first for the two organie ill sv an s from Ev Cards and letter hool students. zations — SkanSc n Christia ska also built the nearby high school building in July 2017. The building has been constructed at a remarkable rate thanks to a system of precast panels. The 36,000-pound pieces are made in Indianapolis and include electrical prefabrication as well as insulation for each building section when they are cast. Once they arrive from the manufac12 April/May | 2021

turer, the process is then just placing the slabs and pouring the floors. This technique, coupled with Skanska’s metal fabrication shop and design team, PCI Skanska, allowed for an aggressive construction schedule to be realized. “We set anywhere from 11 to 13 panels each day, and once those are set, we are able to pour all of the concrete (floor) slabs,” says Brittany Roudenbush, project engineer with Skanska. “We’re moving fast and furious.” Fast and furious is accurate — with the first bit of dirt moved in September 2020, Roudenbush and Daum say the construction will be finished in time for the school to move in by June and welcome around 500 students in the fall. As they continue to head toward the finish line, Daum took a step further, putting together informative newsletters for family and staff of ECS, as well as videos and other interactions with the students who show the crews support on the build. “They want this building to be able to provide a space for kids to not only grow in education but in faith,” says Roudenbush. “I think that is special. This building is going to be awesome, but they are really building for a purpose.” z USA.SKANSKA.COM EVANSVILLECHRISTIAN.ORG

The word “transition” certainly has taken a new meaning over the past year. When we think about the challenges we have all faced during the pandemic, I would say we have all dealt with transition in one way or the other. Many work environments had to transition to different methods of operating. Virtual, no contact, cleaning, wearing masks etc. Personal lives at home had to make transitions. Students transitioned to virtual learning. Families had to transition to quarantine, isolation, or limited contact with family and friends. These transitions have forced us to be flexible and learn different ways of navigating everyday life. — Loudermilk is a regional senior vice president of retail banking at German American Bank.

TONYA RINE When I think of the word transition, I think of it as an internal process that occurs as we go through changes in life. Whether it be our communities, families, or places of work, we always are in some stage of transition. Our attitude determines how we react, reflect, and adapt during the transition. How we manage transition can evolve and be improved over time, especially when equipped with positive resources and support of others. Choosing to embrace change allows for growth and better positions each of us to merge onto that continuous highway of life. — Rine is a senior financial analyst with CenterPoint Energy and treasurer/board member of the nonprofit United Caring Services.

E ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Let There Be Light Deborah Witte is an expert in her field

Lighting, both commercial and residential, has become

more than simply flipping a switch. For more than 30 years, Deborah Witte has made a name for herself in this illuminating industry. “I admired interiors, so that was my inspiration, and as I got into it, I really wanted something more technical, and I realized I had a talent for lighting,” she says. Witte, who holds a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Arizona, owns two businesses related to lighting; Illumination Resources, Inc., a national lighting equipment distributor, and Centricity Brands, Inc. The New York City native founded Illumination Resources — a preferred provider for Audi of America —in 2014. Centricity Business and Centricity Home opened in July 2019. From digitally controlled artistic and functional lighting, A/V systems, and HVAC control to media walls, custom touch

B Y DA L L A S CA R T E R

panels, and signature scents, Centricity brings clients the latest technology and design trends. “The name Centricity came from being human-centric, about the person,” she says. “I always think about the person’s experience in the space as opposed to an architectural or engineered experience.” Witte’s expertise comes from working with some of the best architects and designers in the world, including Gensler, HOK, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. She did lighting for the National Science Foundation’s station on the South Pole and Europe’s tallest building in Moscow. In 2010, she also received Crestron’s Dealer of Distinction Integration award for a custom touch panel design she created. While Illumination Resources operates out of Ridgeway, Illinois, Evansville was the perfect fit for Centricity. “I think this market is attractive and I

Aiding the Tri-State Foundation supports area nonprofits

love the historic architecture down here, it’s really fun,” says Witte. “I think it’s a really great business community.” Witte’s first local client is a mixeduse building at 219 Main St. She serves customers out of her Downtown office which showcases her lighting talents with 17 layers of light. “I see opportunity everywhere,” says Witte. “My feeling from all the way back was that I wanted to make environments better for people.” z

Bill Schmid

C O M M U N I T Y PA R T N E R S

he pandemic hurt many businesses across the Tri-State, but perhaps the organizations most affected were local nonprofits. Through the generosity of the William E. Schmidt Foundation, however, they are hoping to return to pre-pandemic success. The William E. Schmidt Foundation, founded by longtime Evansville businessman Bill Schmidt, provides support for a number of local nonprofits, including the Albion Bacon Center, Dream Center, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Habitat for Humanity, Dan Scism Scholarship Foundation, Mattingly Charities, University of Evansville Opera Series, and YMCA Camp Carson. In 2020 and 2021, the foundation will have awarded $324,000 in charitable grants to these organizations. Bill Schmidt was born in the small L&N railroad town of Irvine, Kentucky, where he was raised in modest surroundings. His father was in the watch repair

CENTRICITYHOME.COM

t, 1983

BY RILEY GUERZINI

business and his mother cleaned houses. “His legacy is about helping young people who need, not a handout, but a helping hand,” says local businessman and foundation board member Mike Small. “He wants to help the person who has a good work ethic, who is working hard, who has integrity, and is willing to put sweat equity into it.” Schmidt became a real estate developer, where he succeeded in developing malls and other commercial real estate, most notably the Haute City Center (formerly known as the Honey Creek Mall) in Terre Haute, Indiana, along with other developments in Sandestin, Florida. Before going into the real estate industry, he was an Air Force pilot and flight instructor for the Republic F-84 Thunderjet and North American F-86 Sabre. Schmidt died in 2014 at the age of 80 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease, but his commitment to charitable

organizations and the arts lives on in his family, friends, and colleagues through the foundation. A lover of music, Schmidt and his sister Anna Lee Hamilton — an accomplished soprano in her own right — founded a music competition in Indianapolis that turned into the Schmidt Vocal Competitions, which now holds 17 contests nationwide each year with the top three winners in each competition earning monetary awards and eligibility for scholarships. He was instrumental in the renovation of the historic Sarasota Opera House, now named the William E. Schmidt Opera Theater, in Sarasota, Florida, where he retired. z SCHMIDTVOCALARTS.ORG Evansville Business | 13

Whatever It Takes

Sean Kuykendall gives his all for the community B Y DA L L A S CA R T E R

ainted in the Opportunity Center in Mount Vernon, Indiana, where his father taught were the words “whatever is takes” — a mantra that would drive Sean Kuykendall through life and business. The executive director of the YMCA Community Outreach Branch obtained his bachelor’s degree in social work from Ball State University in 1991 and his master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1994. A Mount Vernon, Indiana native, he first interacted with the YMCA while developing after-school tutoring programs with the Volunteer Services Office at the University of Evansville. For the next 17 years, Kuykendall volunteered

on the YMCA Board of Directors and worked as a licensed social worker at several local centers before accepting his current role in January 2011. “In social work, there’s two worlds — micro and macro,” he says. “The micro work is those services like therapy. Those positions are rewarding, however I knew I wanted to have a bigger approach and solve bigger problems in the community.” The branch without walls, the Community Outreach Branch of the YMCA of Southwestern Indiana has 60 staff members. The branch currently has 37 programs in 25 local schools serving about 1,800 children. Every program, focusing on

RUL ES OF MODERN IN V ES T ING

literacy and college and career readiness to food drives, is completely free. The YMCA dedicates 10 percent of their operating budget — about $1.1 million — to Community Outreach. “I feel like I have one of the better jobs at the Y because I have the opportunity every day to do the mission work of the Y,” says Kuykendall. “It’s a place where I can fulfill what I believe strongest in, which is doing everything we can as citizens of our communities to make the world a better place.” Kuykendall also serves as the president of the Booker T. Washington Society and Club (Evansville is the only city in the nation to host a society and club), serves on a mental health services group called FACES, and sits on the Talent 2025 Poverty task force. Looking ahead, Kuykendall plans to remain dedicated to his role. He recently received a half million-dollar grant from

CenterPoint Energy to remodel the Caldwell Community Center. The upgrades will include, a STEM lab, kitchen, and more. The project is expected to be completed in October 2021. z YMCASWIN.ORG

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P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

BUSINESS FRONT E B U I L D I N G E VA N S V I L L E

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IN MEMORIAM

Built for Business

A Tribute to Businesswoman Kim Howard

BY D A L L A S C A RT E R

f you didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Kim Howard, you at least knew of or were impacted by her work. The regional director of the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center worked with the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, taskforces established by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, and more. Known as a trusted advisor to her coworkers and a role model to her family, Kim dedicated her life to positively shaping Evansville’s business landscape. On March 13, 2021, Kim passed away after battling a glioblastoma (the most aggressive type of brain tumor in adults) for seven months. “I’m an unabashed supporter and cheerleader for my wife,” says Chris Howard, Kim’s husband. “Kim was a very strong person. As I got to know her, I realized how smart, how generous, and just what a great thinker she was.” While day-to-day operations continue, Kim’s death has left a notable hole in Evansville’s business community — a testament to her impactful work and legacy her coworkers, friends, and family now celebrate and share.

Humble Beginnings Kim was born on April 26, 1957, in Indianapolis. While it’s clear now that she was built for business, her life began on a musical track. Kim and her sister Leslie, who come from a family of musicians and conductors, were once selected for the McDonald’s Marching Band — a national band made up of two young musicians from each state. She was talented at many forms of music, but it was the clarinet that earned her a full-ride scholarship to Butler University in Indianapolis. Eventually switching her major to public speaking and business management, Kim became another in a long line of Butler alumni after graduating in 1979. A L L P H OTO S P R OV I D E D

Two years after receiving her master’s degree from the University of Evansville in 1985, Kim met with a friend who worked at the Cork n’ Cleaver restaurant and was introduced to the new manager, Chris Howard. The Kalamazoo, Michigan, native had recently transferred to Evansville’s Cork n’ Cleaver from Lexington, Kentucky. Eight months after meeting, Chris was on one knee in the restaurant surprising Kim with an engagement ring perched atop her usual order of king crab. “We were married in 1988. I floated the idea after eight months of meeting her; I knew that I loved her,” he says. “I was then, and still am, the luckiest person in the world. I would not trade it for anything in the world, even the last seven months when I stayed home and took care of her.”

Kim Howard was well known for her work in Evansville, a reputation she built most notably during her 16 years at the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center with her tight-knit coworkers (below). But she always made time for her family (above) — her husband of 32 years Chris Howard, daughter Olivia, and son Spencer.

Chris and Kim built a life together in Evansville in their 32 years of marriage. They completely renovated their home of 23 years, created a luscious garden in their backyard, ate many delicious meals at home prepared by Chris, and raised two children. Besides being an inspiration to 29-year-old Spencer, who works for Dell in Nashville, and 25-year-old Olivia, who works for the Chamber of Commerce in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Kim adored her two nieces and sat on the 4C of Southern Indiana board of directors. Evansville Business | 17

“Kim was a wonderful strategic thought partner. She was highly skilled at pulling a diverse group of people together toward a common goal, as well as capable of navigating challenges as they arose.” — Strategy and leadership development consultant, Kathy Kleindorfer

“She is absolutely a hero and a role model to her kids,” says Chris. “She was always concerned about children and how they were being brought up to help them progress in life.” To honor her memory, Kim requested donations be made in her name to 4C, a nonprofit childcare agency. This donation represents Kim’s commitment to her community which she displayed every day through her work.

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For 16 years, Kim worked at the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center as regional director. In this role, she supported small businesses and local entrepreneurs through industry resources, networking, and funding. “I remember sitting in meetings with her and watching her interact with people in the meeting and being almost in awe of her,” says ISBDC office administrator Karina Hampton. “She organized a lot of programs that no one would really know that she did because she wasn’t an attention seeker.” Hampton, who was hired by Kim in 2014, says Kim never asked for recognition for her work — in fact, she often forbid it. When Kim was named the 2017 ISBDC State Star, she specifically asked Hampton not to post her achievement on social media. This wasn’t a surprise to those who knew her — Kim was a private person, happy to work quietly behind the scenes. During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she continued to come to the office. She joined Mayor Winnecke’s Reopen Evansville task force and created the COVID information pages on the Chamber’s website. But business wasn’t all covert for Kim. She couldn’t escape her due credit for founding programs such as the Family Business

Alliance and Tri-State Manufacturers Alliance. Both alliances hosted by the Chamber offer networking events and quarterly speakers and panels. The FBA sprouted from the collaborative efforts of Kim, strategy and leadership development consultant Kathy Kleindorfer, retired Harding Shymanski & Co. vice president Randy Schulz, and current vice president Shannon Brewer in 2013. Since then, the FBA has hosted 23 events and launched CEO and Next Gen peer groups, with Kim playing an integral role in the group’s logistics. “Kim was a wonderful strategic thought partner,” says Kleindorfer. “She was highly skilled at pulling a diverse group of people together toward a common goal, as well as capable of navigating challenges as they arose.” Even with a full resume of successful projects, she wasn’t one to slow down. Kim played a role in the creation of UE’s Changemaker Challenges (a competition for high schoolers to submit innovation projects). In 2013, she also crossed paths with Kelley Coures, executive director of the Department of Metropolitan Development, and the two signed an agreement between ISBDC and DMD to rewrite federal loan programs, such as the Community Revitalization Loan fund and the Economic Development fund, for small businesses. Throughout 16 years of work, one thing stood out to all of her business partners. It wasn’t the successful initiatives or innovative ideas — it was Kim herself. “She never said no — not one time — no matter what else she had going on,” says Coures. “Most of us go through our professional lives interacting with others in order to accomplish a

The Indianapolis native’s work with the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce to support small businesses often took her as far as Washington, D.C.

goal or improve the machinery of government or business, and we work together with these folks sometimes for many years without considering them a friend. I always thought of Kim as a friend in whom I could put my trust and confidence. I will miss having her in my life.” “She was a trusted advisor,” adds Hampton. “I just really miss her, we had great conversations. She wasn’t concerned about herself and she definitely did not take the credit.” While Chris says Kim wouldn’t love the recognition her peers have given her, it is the recognition he has always known she deserves. “She was an exceptional person and sometimes people tend to talk about somebody after they died in glowing terms, but I would’ve talked this way about my wife before — and I had,” he says. “I think you would’ve found that with everybody that she worked with.” z

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WELLNESS AT WORK

From Left: Richard Cooley, TSAC Tennis Pro Severin Birchler, TSAC Aquatics Director Sydney Barnett, TSAC Group Fitness Director Bianca Snyder, TSAC Yoga Studio Director Don Martin, TSAC Club Manager / Tennis Pro Greg Eberhart, TSAC Asst. General Manager Kristen Davis, TSAC WERQ Instructor Andrea Myers, TSAC Owner Lisane Swartwood, TSAC Tennis Pro Jesse Sharp, TSAC Personal Training Director

Tri-State Athletic Club Tri-State Athletic Club is committed to providing a truly unique fitness experience to the Tri-State area. They are thrilled that 2021 marks 50 years of service to the community. Offering a wide variety of athletic programs from tennis, aquatics, and hot yoga to personal training, group fitness, and private Pilates, TSAC has got you covered. The success of the club for more than 50 years would not be possible without a solid foundation set in place. That foundation is their strong team of trained fitness professionals motivated to inspire personal growth and positive change on a daily basis. To set goals. To take action. To exceed expectations. But it doesn’t stop in the club. Now more than ever, the team at TSAC is dedicated to giving back to the community that has given them so much. Their efforts include involvement in local charities and organizations, numerous fundraising events, blood drives, and outreach projects such as their new worksite wellness program. Tri-State Athletic Club has been proud to call Evansville home for the past five decades and pledges to continue enriching the community through health and wellness for many more years to come.

555 Tennis Lane • 812-479-3111 • tristateathleticclub.com 20 April/May | 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

WELLNESS AT WORK

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CROWD PLEASER Local tourism and hospitality suffered this past year, but they’re working to bring visitors back BY RILEY GUERZINI

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY IS A $700 BILLION INDUSTRY according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics that is focused on bringing in visitors to stay in local hotels, eat at restaurants, and shop at stores. But perhaps no market suffered more from the crisis of this past year than the fifth largest industry in the country. As the pandemic raged across the United States 96 percent of companies that hosted or produced events had to cut staff or wages. These were the group of workers most affected by the pandemic as 75 percent of employees in the hospitality or events industry lost all of their income. That impact was felt particularly in Evansville, though not as much as larger cities. In 2020, local hotel revenues were down 39.3 percent with occupancy down around 28 percent. The city still exceeded larger regional cities like Indianapolis, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky by 4.8 percent and 8.9 percent. Overall in 2020, COVID-19 related event cancellations in Vanderburgh County totaled 140 events, 30,269 hotel night stays, and an economic impact loss of $32.8 million, according to the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Old National Events Plaza. The major loss of events and connected revenue forced the CVB to adapt in ways they never before had done. They immediately reduced their operating budget from $1.8 million to $1.2 million and put a hold on all 2020 advertising. They also closed their Visitor’s Center, the Pagoda along the Riverfront in Downtown Evansville, to the public. “For us as an industry, we saw this as certainly square on our radar screen, that it was going to have a significant impact as everything came to a halt when people could no longer meet and gather,” says Jim Wood, president and CEO of the CVB. “We were hoping it was going to be a short term impact, so we started seeing some cancellations leading into the March, April, June dates and then as we got into over the next couple of months, then we saw cancellations for the remainder of the year with a higher level of uncertainty of what the future was going to hold for those events.” It’s been the uncertainty that Wood says has been the difficulty trying to get things back to normal. He says many of the events scheduled in 2021 were rebooked in hopes they could get back to normal, but

22 April/May | 2021

“For us as an industry, we saw this as certainly square on our radar screen, that it was going to have a significant impact as everything came to a halt when people could no longer meet and gather.” — Jim Wood, president and CEO of the CVB many were more confident about meeting in 2022 than in 2021. “That type of scenario has been playing out all across America and for us as well,” he says. “Some events have rebooked, so if we spent a lot of our time helping and assisting those conventions that were booked, trying to rebook for future years or we couldn’t, then we had to work on releasing them from their contracts because this was a unique situation.” Wood adds that the good news is activity is perking up and events are scheduled for later this year and into 2022 and 2023, when he expects a full return to 2019 levels. Events that were rebooked include the National Beta Club Indiana State Convention in 2021, the 2021 Massey Expo of North American, the Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers, and the International Jugglers Association Festival in 2025.

Opposite, clockwise from top row, Global Leadership Summit and Indiana Department of Education convention, both in 2019 at Old National Events Plaza. Bottom row, Foreigner concert at Old National Events Plaza and USSSA opening ceremonies in 2019 at the Ford Center. U S S S A O P E N I N G C E R E M O N Y P H OTO BY A L E X M O R GA N V I A E VA N S V I L L E CO N V E N T I O N A N D V I S I TO R ’ S B U R E AU . A L L OT H E R S P R OV I D E D BY O L D N AT I O N A L E V E N T S P L A Z A

Evansville Business | 23

Above, Deaconess Sports Park and left, Bosse Field are integral parts of Evansville’s largest tourism market — amateur sports. Last year, sporting events made a big impact on the hotel occupancy.

This also includes tournaments scheduled this summer at the Deaconess Sports Park at 6800 N. Green River Road. Unlike many other events, the Sports Park did host 19 tournaments last summer under strict social distancing guidelines with 829 teams participating, though still far from the usual 30-plus tournaments it hosts each summer. The adjacent Goebel Soccer Complex hosted two tournaments with 100 teams participating. Though attendance was still down by 40 percent, the economic impact from both complexes total $10.3 million. Amateur sports are Evansville’s largest tourism market. Aside from the sports complexes that host a large number of youth sporting events each year, Bosse Field, which is home to the Frontier League baseball team the Evansville Otters, attracts a large base of local and regional sports fans each summer. The Ford Center, Swonder Ice Arena, and Old National Events Plaza also host many sporting events from hockey to basketball. The Deaconess Aquatics Center, which is expected to open in July 2021, will also attract more sporting events to the area. The $28 million facility will have a stretch 50-meter pool plus separated diving wells with just under 1,000 seats for spectators with the ability to accommodate more than 1,000 bleacher seats on the pool deck. “We are very fortunate to be able to have hosted some sporting events last year at the sports complex,” says Wood. “It really made a big impact on the hotel occupancy. In retrospect,

24 April/May | 2021

we are very fortunate that the tournaments hung in there.” Despite successful tourism from local youth sports tournaments through the years, Evansville has struggled to find its footing as a destination for tourists, largely due to a lack of a downtown convention hotel. The city’s main convention hotel, the Executive Inn, was torn down in 2011 to make room for the Old National Events Plaza and the Ford Center. The Old National Events Plaza was opened as The Centre in 2000 without a downtown convention hotel despite its main purpose of hosting conventions. This remained for 17 years before the Hilton DoubleTree opened on Valentine’s Day 2017. This has brought other hospitality companies to look at Evansville as a city to invest in, including Hyatt Place, located at the corner of Second Street and Chestnut Street in Downtown Evansville, which is expected to open within the next couple of months. “We’re excited for the opening of the Hyatt Place and know that it will bring additional room nights and their associated restaurant and retail activity to Downtown Evansville,” says Josh Armstrong, President of the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District. The victory of a returning convention hotel was short-lived, however, as the world came to a screeching halt in early 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Innkeepers tax revenues were down 37.3 percent. The CVB, which reports to the Vanderburgh County Council and Commission, is funded through the county Innkeepers tax. Revenue from the tax is distributed among the CVB for sales and marketing promotion, the Tourism Capital Improvement Fund — which is designed to support facilities and events to increase tourism and hotel occupancy in Vanderburgh County — and the Old National Events Plaza. “It was pretty significant in terms of the monies that were

P H OTO O F A L E X I S B E R G G R E N BY Z AC H S T R AW. A L L OT H E R P H OTO S BY A L E X M O R GA N V I A E VA N S V I L L E CO N V E N T I O N A N D V I S I TO R ’ S B U R E AU

brought in to support both organizations, which ultimately drives tourism to town,” says Alexis Berggren, general Manager of the Old National Events Plaza. The Old National Events Plaza alone lost about $10.7 million from cancelled scheduled events in 2020 — that’s in addition to the $22.1 million reported by the CVB. Berggren says they’ve already lost about $2 million this year from events that would have been held in 2021. In 2020, more than 80 percent of the Events Plaza’s forecasted events were either cancelled or postponed, a huge step back from their 365 event days in 2019. “That was a great year for us and so we were hoping to push past that mark in 2020,” says Berggren. “We had a great 2020 lined up. 2020 across the industry was just looking to be stellar.” After being shut down for 11 days after their last event on March 11, the Events Plaza was asked to reopen to host emergency and essential meetings for the city and county, which they continued to do for the next several months. They also become a satellite location for the courts. When they opened back up to small, public events in October of last year, they made sure requirements were in place to handle pandemic protocols. Social media videos were created to explain to ticket purchasers the Event Plaza’s procedures. They also invested in touchless technol-

ogy to cut down on interactions between guests and staff as well as self-scanning ticket kiosks and mobile apps for concession purchases. Berggren says the shift to more technology-based services was a long time coming and an aspect of pandemicera live events that will stay in the future. She says handling social distancing was the biggest challenge the Events Plaza faced from the pandemic, particularly in its financial implications. “A lot of theatres and arenas and venues have found the math just doesn’t work at any sort of half capacity,” she says. “Even if you are seating a socialdistanced venue, you have to open up the whole venue, so it doesn’t necessarily help in terms of cost savings on utilities or staffing because it’s still the whole venue, it’s just less people.” Though the tourism and hospitality industry has suffered immensely from the pandemic, the outlook is not all dreary. Full capacity shows are expected to come back in August with public, ticketed events resuming in the Aiken Theatre at a limited capacity beginning June 23. Many of the larger events will come back in 2022. “We will be at about 95 percent of where we were in 2019 by 2022. We’ll be almost back to normal but not quite,” she says. “Next year looks great. The year after looks better.”

Alexis Berggren, general Manager of the Old National Events Plaza, expects to be at about 95 percent of where they were in 2019 by 2022. Below, an aerial view of Old National Events Plaza, Doubletree Inn, and the Ford Center. A rolling schedule of events through 2025 is expected to bring almost 20,000 attendees, 12,000 room nights and over $8 million in economic impact to Vanderburgh County. As for the CVB, event leads through 2025 could result in an additional $25 million in economic impact. z

Evansville Business | 25

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UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA THANKS THESE GENEROUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS

What we do together today, determines tomorrow. Thank you to those who are creating brighter tomorrows for thousands in our community. Accuride AK Steel Albion Fellows Bacon Center Alcoa American Electric Power American Red Cross of Southern Indiana Anchor Industries, Inc. Apex Tool & Mfg., Inc. Ark Crisis Child Care Center Ascension St. Vincent Evansville AT & T Atlas World Group Aurora, Inc. Azzip Pizza Baird Banterra Bank Berry Global Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana BKD, LLP Blankenberger Brothers, Inc. Boy Scouts Buffalo Trace Council Boys & Girls Club of Evansville Brake Supply Company, Inc. Breck Logistics Carver Community Organization Caterpillar, Inc. Catholic Charities Diocese of Evansville Catholic Diocese of Evansville CenterPoint Energy City of Evansville Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. Crescent Plastics, Inc. Cresline Plastic Pipe Co, Inc. D Patrick, Inc. David Matthews Associates Deaconess Health System Deig Bros Lumber & Construction Diehl Consulting Group Donaldson Capital Management Duke Energy Easterseals Rehabilitation Center

ECHO Community Health Care, Inc. Energy Systems Group Evansville Housing Authority Evansville Regional Airport Evansville Sheet Metal Works Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation F.C. Tucker Emge Realtors FedEx Fifth Third Bank First Federal Savings Bank First Financial Bank GE Appliances George Koch Sons, LLC German American Bank Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana Goodwill Industries Hafer Associates, PC Harding, Shymanski & Company PSC Heritage Federal Credit Union HR Solutions, Inc. HSC Medical Billing & Consulting, LLC IBEW Local 16 Jerry David Enterprises, Inc. Kahn, Dees, Donovan & Kahn Keller Schroeder & Assoc., Inc. Kemper CPA Group Koch Air LLC Koch Enterprises Inc. Lampion Center Legal Aid Society Lensing Building Specialties Lochmueller Group Louisville Gas & Electric LyondellBasell Advanced Polymers Meijer Memorial Community Development Corp. Mental Health America / Vanderbugh Merrill Lynch & Company Midwest Equipment & Supply Co. Mills Body Shop

Old National Bank OneMain Financial ONI Risk Partners Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Red Spot Paint & Varnish Co. Regency Property Services, LLC Schiff Air Conditioning Schnucks Markets, Inc. Shoe Carnival, Inc. Skanska South Western Communications, Inc. Southwest Indiana Chamber Springfield Electric Supply St. Meinrad Archabbey St. Vincent Early Learning Center, Inc. Sterling Industrial Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC Suez Water Target Stores Texas Gas Company The Arc of Evansville The Salvation Army The Women’s Hospital Traylor Brothers, Inc. Tri-State Bearing Company Tri-State Trophies Uniseal, Inc. United Bank United Companies United Way of Southwestern Indiana University of Evansville University of Southern Indiana UPS - United Parcel Service Vanderburgh County CASA Vanderburgh County Health Department VOICES Wabash Plastics Woodward Commercial Realty YMCA of Southwestern Indiana YWCA of Evansville Ziemer Funeral Home Ziemer Stayman Weitzel Shoulders

NOW MORE THAN EVER. LIVE UNITED. WHEN CHALLENGES ARISE, it is more important than ever to unite in service to others. These generous partners stepped up to invest in our community during a critical time. Their contributions will help provide financial assistance to those who have lost jobs, support for students who are falling behind, and affordable childcare for local families. TOMORROW IS BETTER WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER. Call (812) 421-7479 to learn how your company can get involved with United Way.

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Evansville Business | 27

28 April/May | 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

Keller Schroeder Keller Schroeder exists to make positive, personal impacts on our employee-owners, clients, and in our communities. We are a technology company in the performance improvement business, and our mission is to leverage technology tools and services to help clients successfully achieve their objectives.

Evansville | 812-474-6825 • Nashville, TN | 615-208-7726 • kellerschroeder.com

he frequent pace of change in technology is a consistent challenge for companies. The time between ‘new’ and ‘end of life’ is brief, and the increased demands on systems make steady investment necessary. Refreshes, upgrades, and patches create a whirlwind of operations requirements, making it tempting to divert focus in two potentially misguided ways. First, focusing on ‘road maps’ and ‘new features’ can lead to elevating technology over business purpose. When technology drives the decision-making process, and things happen because they can rather than because they are needed, a gap can grow between what the system provides and the real needs of the business area it serves. Companies should not invest in technology just because it is new, impressive, and ground-breaking. Investment should add value in the form of things like measurable risk mitigation, process automation, improving efficiency, cost savings, or enhanced revenue generation. If a company is making significant investments in technology without talking about those types of benefits, it could create a growing disparity between the perceived and potential value of technology. The second potential pitfall is the belief that infrastructure is ‘not a key component’ to a company’s success and therefore its management can be outsourced with minimal impact. The frequent analogy used here is that infrastructure is like electricity and can come from an outside entity just like power from our local energy provider. Similar to an electrical system, both on-premise and cloud infrastructure includes complex topics like capacity planning, resource allocation, and security considerations. More importantly, infrastructure architecture done properly includes an

ongoing commitment to understanding existing and emerging needs within the business. Those needs vary far greater than simplifying to an analogy that the power company knows you need electricity at the plug. Designing, maintaining, and operating an efficient enterprise infrastructure requires that the business need and the technical aspects are integrated. Certainly, there are cases where companies find balance in ‘having the latest’ and still map to business needs, and cases where companies successfully outsource and still find ways to bridge the gap between ‘ownership’ and ‘ongoing strategic use’ of technology. However, both pitfalls are common enough to merit consideration when dealing with the whirlwind of ongoing operations required with such constant change. If you have a technology strategy which exists without direct correlation to a business strategy, you will likely find the gap created is diluting the positive impacts technology can have on your business.

JEFF GORMAN PRESIDENT, KELLER SCHROEDER

Evansville Business | 29

Marketing Solutions. Marketing Results.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

VIV VIV has been providing integrated digital marketing solutions for more than 650 companies since 2016. Owners Allan Noe and Austin Hoffman bring cutting-edge thinking, creative execution, and professional excellence to every project. They believe digital marketing needs to ignite emotion in order to spark action, and strive to make every campaign compellingly human.

10999 Stahl Road Newburgh • 888-748-1848 • builtbyviv.com What is the goal/mission of your company? VIV is a creative agency helping local businesses reach their goals with essential online marketing tools.

What makes VIV unique? We custom build your marketing plan specific to your business. If you’re a lawyer we’re not going to use the same approach as a bank’s marketing plan. Every business is unique in their own way, so we need to really build a custom approach to your online goals.

What has been the biggest change you’ve seen in the last year? By far the demand to bring your products and business online. We set out five years ago knowing there would be a big push for websites, but this past year with COVID-19 really pushed the narrative that if business owners want to thrive they need to be online.

What is a compliment you often hear from clients, both long-term and new? We are complimented a lot on our growth as a company when we talk with other agencies. Most agencies handled between 50 or so clients and we’ve been able to build up to more than 650 clients in a short period of time. We’re now adding around 30 new clients a month to our portfolio.

AUSTIN HOFFMAN, OWNER

How long has your company been in business? How have you adapted over that time? Five years. We originally started just building websites but now we’re building custom marketing solutions for businesses of all sizes. We’re continually building new products for our clients to grow their online sales. Now we’re pushing heavy into the ecommerce builds to help bring all our clients online as the push for online sales boom.

What is your process to help clients find the tech that is right for their business? Every client that signs with our company has access to a minimum of five team members that put together a custom approach to what you’re trying to solve by being online.

How does your business utilize professional partnerships to further benefit clients? AP Solutions is an official partner of VIV. AP Solutions focuses on the sales and e-commerce side of our industry, offering merchant processing, payment services, and even text alerts for online ordering on customers’ websites.

ALLAN NOE, OWNER

Evansville Business | 31

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

Midwest Telecom Communications More than 38 years ago, Midwest Telecom recognized a need for a locally based, technology driven company. The key to their success is to go above and beyond the customers expectation, while delivering a specialized approach in areas of expertise including communication solutions, video surveillance, sound and paging, door access control, and networking.

1281 Maxwell Ave. Evansville • 812-421-0111 • midwesttel.com What is something customers should keep in mind when looking for technology? In technology it is easy to follow a trend or simply buy what appears to be the latest technology. The question is, what will benefit your company and offer the tools to best support your services? At Midwest Telecom, we take the time to meet with and educate the customer, so the best solution is implemented. Our philosophy is simple; listen to the customer, understand their needs, and provide the best solution. The most crucial thing businesses should pay close attention to is the total cost of technology. Many times, we meet with customers that need

to make an immediate change in their technology and unfortunately, they are locked in a long-term contract or a contract that has auto-renewed. Unless these service costs are reviewed annually, you are probably paying too much. Midwest Telecom will review your technology related cost and contracts to see how we can save you money.

What are the current trends in your industry that business owners should be aware of? One of the current trends is a cloud based communication system with NEC Univerge Blue Connect no matter where your employees are. A cloud communications and collaboration platform makes telecommuting efficient, reliable,

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UNIVERGE BLUE® CONNECT is an easy-to-use, cloud-based communications platform that helps easily manage team communications and collaboration. One simple cloud app delivers a seamless, unified experience while reducing complexity and costs. 32 April/May | 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

Nomad Technology Group Nomad Technology Group is committed to providing excellent technology support and maintaining integrity and trust while performing in the best interest of our clients. Nomad’s business model is a complete paradigm switch from the IT industry. In order to fulfill our mission, we have to be in line with our clients’ needs and wants. We choose a business model that is “win-win.” When our clients are happy, we make money. When they aren’t, it costs us.

310 Main St. • 812-618-4032 • NomadTechGroup.com Your business depends on technology. Do you know the answers to these important questions? Our clients do and so should you. If your server fails, how long would it be for your IT company to get a replacement back up and running? How long will it take for your IT company to get your companies data available, functioning and enable your company to make money again?

Our clients know! Is there someone watching over your network for hackers? Do you know if your IT company is constantly looking for vulnerabilities? Are your employees doing what is “best practice” for security? Does your company utilize a NIST framework? Is your company as secure as it should be? Do you know how secure that is?

Our clients know! Do you trust the salesperson that is helping you decide on your newest upgrade? Is it a good idea to use a salesperson to help you create your

technology budget? If your IT company makes money every time you buy something, do you know if they have your best interest in mind? Our clients know!

COMMON SENSE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Targeting businesses from 15-200 employees

Strategic approaches to IT support and cyber security

Utilize NIST framework 310 Main Street, Evansville • 812-618-4032 • NomadTechGroup.com Evansville Business | 33

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

North Main Systems North Main Systems helps organizations leverage technology in innovative ways to save time, reduce costs, and operate more efficiently. With cloud-based VoIP phones, video conferencing, and other collaboration tools, we can help your team work together from home, the office, or wherever they are.

8601 N Kentucky Ave. Ste. F • 812-402-0300 • northmainsystems.com How has business changed in the last year? With all the uncertainty in 2020 people were reluctant to make large purchases, so we’ve seen a big shift to monthly subscriptions. We’ve had success the last few years with subscription-based Voice-over IP (VoIP) phones, and the sudden need for remote work escalated the demand for these services.

What makes your VoIP better?

You get the flexibility to work from anywhere, and high-end features such as a mobile app. With our cloud VoIP solution, we include free remote support, and can make changes the same business day. We have a small setup fee for each phone and no hidden charges.

Who is a good candidate for your VoIP solution? We have clients ranging from two to 500 phones across industries including healthcare, education, and professional services. Anyone still using a digital phone system can potentially save money on

34 April/May | 2021

their monthly overhead. We’ve also been able to significantly reduce bills for people working with the national VoIP providers and provide a higher level of customer service. The features are robust for a low price. We handle all the details of porting your phone numbers and customizing the system to work best for you.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

SolTek Audio & Video Solutions SolTek is an AV Systems Integrator servicing the Tri-State for more than 20 years. We provide AV equipment, installation, and design services for various audio and video systems. Utilizing the latest equipment, information, and techniques, often aided by computer analysis tools, we provide the best solution for your application.

1816 N Bedford Ave. Evansville • 812-773-3295 • solteksystems.com How long has your company been in business? How have you adapted over that time?

What is your process to help clients find the tech that is right for their business?

SolTek has been in business for more than 20 years. The use of computers and the Internet in our industry has changed how we work. We now have resources that were only available to much larger companies, allowing us to remain small and flexible.

We meet with our customers and discuss their AV issues and needs. We then design a system to solve their issues. If that system doesn’t meet their budget or criteria, we will rework it until it does. Even after the installation process we continue to work with our customers until we get the result they need.

What technology problem solving solutions can you offer clients? We have wireless and wired solutions to help transition to app-based video conference platforms. While app-based technology may work great on your laptop or phone it can be a challenge to make it work correctly in conference rooms.

What is the goal/mission of your company? SolTek provides our customers with the best solution within budget to solve their AV needs.

Evansville Business | 35

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

Southern Business Machines Southern Business Machines, Inc. opened its doors in October of 1989. SBM, Inc. is WBE Certified and family owned/operated. We are proud to offer the latest trends in mailing, shipping, and printing equipment and software solutions for customers.

2040 E Division St • 812-475-8895 • southernbusinessmachines.com How can the technologies you offer help businesses succeed and grow? Offering technology that lends to our customer’s changing needs is vitally important. For example, universities are looking to enhance student experience to grow their enrollment. Our Parcel Lockers help do just that. Read what our most recent customer, University of Southern Indiana, has to say. “With Quadient Parcel Lockers we’ve found that giving students the ease of being able to pick up their packages whenever they want is something they value. With Southern Business Machines as our partner, we pushed into the future with technology that we

actually need for today’s USI student.” — Betsy Jo Mullins, Business Operations Coordinator “The lockers have benefited oncampus residents by making it easier and faster to get our packages. It only takes a few minutes rather than having to wait in a long line at the front desk.” — Arika Ballard, USI Freshman

What has been the biggest change you have seen in the last year? Recently, companies had to send their administrative teams home to work remotely — bringing new challenges to their back office, order-to-cash procedures. Through our partnership with Quadient, SBM is able to offer

• Postage Meters/ Mailing Machines

• Mail Management Software

• Hybrid Outsourcing

• Shipping/Tracking Solutions

• Multifunction Printers Copiers • Parcel Lockers • Folder/Inserters

businesses a solution to the “How will we be able to send customer communications from home?” question. Our secure portal, Impress Distribute, is a platform that allows end users to upload their documents from anywhere and our team will print, fold, insert, and mail for them. They have complete visibility of the process right from their personal dashboard, to see where their communications are at in the process and when they hit the mail stream.

• Letter Openers • Remote Mailing Solutions

812-475-8895 southernbusinessmachines.com 36 April/May | 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

TECHNOLOGY

uBreakiFix Aren’t you tired of staring at your broken phone screen? For a fast expert in Evansville come to uBreakiFix! We’re pros at all kinds of fixes, including iPhone screen repair, Pixel repair, and all sorts of other tech troubles. At our store, you’ll be greeted by a team of highly trained technicians, ready to assist with your broken device.

850 N. Green River Rd. • ubreakifix.com • 812-773-5018

We can fix all your tech!

Do you offer free diagnostics? We believe in a transparent repair process. If you’re not sure what’s wrong with your device, we’ll diagnose it for free.

What is the turnaround? We know you don’t have all day so we’ll return your device as quickly as possible. Most of our repairs can be performed in less than two hours.

Do you have a warranty? All of our repairs are backed with our 90-day, hassle-free warranty. This warranty is valid at all of our locations worldwide. All parts and labor that we provide are covered by a 90-day warranty. If your repaired device seems to be having issues after a repair, please visit uBreakiFix right away for warranty diagnostics. Whether you like to play games, take selfies, or just need to get work done, we fix and reunite you with your device. We put our customers first, always.

Evansville 850 N. Green River Rd Evansville, IN 47715 (812) 773-5018 Carry-in • Curbside • We come to you • Mail-in Evansville Business | 37

38 April/May | 2021

BUSINESS LIFE

DEACONESS HEARTSAVER PRESENTS AEDS TO AREA FIRST RESPONDERS FEB. 24, Evansville Police Department: Deputy Chief Brad Hill and Assistant Chief of Police Philip Smith 2. Henderson Police Department: Lieutenant Daniel Lehman and Administrative Major Briscoe Edwards

P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY D OW N TOW N E VA N S V I L L E I N D I A N A

D-PATRICK PRESENTS DONATION TO CANCER PATHWAYS MIDWEST (FORMERLY GILDA’S CLUB) MARCH 9, D-PATRICK FORD Cody Staffelbach, Carrie Raber, Melanie Atwood, and Peter O’Daniel

HUANG WINS UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA’S $10,000 DONOR INCENTIVE DRAWING; DONATES WINNINGS BACK TO UNITED WAY FEB. 25, HERITAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION 1. Steve Traylor, Jennifer Huang, and Emily Kendrick 2. Amy Canterbury, Jennifer Huang, and Tony Aylsworth

EMGE’S LAST WEEK AT DOWNTOWN LOCATION MARCH 17, DOWNTOWN EVANSVILLE Shelly Stone, Tracie Jones, Jan Howell, and Melissa Layne Evansville Business | 39

40 April/May | 2021

IN THE NEWS

E W H O ’ S M A K I N G T H I N G S H A P P E N I N L O C A L B U S I N E S S A N D I N D U S T RY

NEW HIRES/PROMOTIONS

Tucker Publishing Group hires Misti Wagemann has been hired as sales and marketing coordinator at Tucker Publishing Misti Wagemann Group. Previously, Wagemann worked in the plastics industry for 16 years, building experience in office administration, sales, marketing, customer service, and sales support. She received her associates degree in business administration and marketing from Ivy Tech Community College. Tucker Publishing Group produces Evansville Living, Evansville Business, Evansville City View, and several ancillary publications.

Gribbins Insulation promotes

Derek Beck

Moving from a job in the field to an office role at Gribbins Insulation, former insulator and foreman Derek

Beck will now serve as estimator/project manager. Beck has 20 years of experience in the field, completed the insulator apprenticeship training program in 2005, and received his associate’s degree in construction technologies from ITT Technical Institute.

Deaconess welcomes

Dr. JoAnn Wood

Jennifer Chiusano

Deaconess Health System administration welcomed Dr. JoAnn Wood, new vice president and chief medical officer, and Jennifer Chiusano, vice president and chief nurse executive, in September 2020 and January 2021 respectively. Dr. Wood previously served at Baptist Memorial Hospital — DeSoto in Southhaven, Mississippi and Chiusano worked as a nursing administrator for more than 30 years.

B BUSINESS SUCCESS

Through the Years

BY DALLAS CARTER

n March 17, McMahon Exterminating celebrated its 50th anniversary in the pest control business. Started in 1971 by Jack McMahon, the company’s goal is to provide quality pest control solutions combined with trustworthy service. The anniversary was commemorated at their offices at 1605 Theater Drive with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. McMahon is now in its third generation. Jack’s son, CEO Charlie McMahon, has helped expand the business into services beyond pest control, making adjustments for the COVID-19 pandemic. Charlie’s son Luke also joined the team in 2018. “We’re grateful for the unwavering support and commitment of our customers over the last 50 years, and we’re looking forward to the next 50,” says Charlie. The three McMahons and their team celebrated by launching several

EPIC hires Ben Schmitt, previously an employee benefits advisor with EPIC Insurance Midwest, returns to EPIC Ben Schmitt as region practice leader and senior employee benefits advisor. Working in EPIC’s Evansville office, Schmitt brings more than 20 years of experience to his new position. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Southern Indiana and is a certified self-funding professional through NAHU.

Farmers expands

Michael Fleming and Amy Jorgensen

Renee Hanft’s Farmers Insurance agency at 2516 Waterbridge Way has expanded its team. Michael Fleming and Amy Jorgensen have been appointed insurance producers. Fleming previously worked as a Spanish teacher and received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish studies from the University of Southern Indiana. Jorgensen holds a master’s degree in communications from USI and previously taught at Ivy Tech Community College and worked for the Census Bureau.

Wesselman Woods hires

new initiatives. A comprehensive pest control guide focused on providing clients with important information on pests is now on their website. They also debuted an informational video series available on their YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website. “We strive to educate our customers on the importance of being able to deter pests from their homes and business because even though they are pests to them, they still all serve an important part to our local ecosystems,” says Charlie. z McMAHONCAN.COM

Cindy Cifuentes

Kristina Arwood

Cindy Cifuentes and Kristina Arwood join the team at Wesselman Woods as the director of Natural Resources and Research and director of Marketing and Community Engagement. A Crawfordsville, Indiana native and Butler University alumna, Cifuentes studied wildlife across the world before coming to Wesselman. Arwood received her bachelor’s degree in art and design from USI and was chosen as the 2014 Efroymson Bridge Year Fellow.

Evansville Business | 41

EvEnt vEnuE LocaLLy ownEd

and

opEratEd

4925 Hitch and Peters Road, Evansville 812-204-9283 | kmiller@mediconsite.com

thecottonwoodcenter.com 42 April/May | 2021

IN THE NEWS

Easterseals Rehabilitation Center announces 2021 Board of Directors All members are volunteers who help Easterseals serve about 5,000 children and adults with disabilities. John Raisor (Fifth Third Bank) is the 2021 Board Chair. Executive Committee members include Paul Green, Brian Hape, Denny Hargett, Sara Miller, Bill Norman, Dan Parod, John Schroeder, Scott Schroeder, Spencer Tanner, and Matt Theby. New board members are Scott Albin, Maurice Berendes, Rob Bingham, Scott Branam, Geoff Gentil, Katy Gilberg, Michelle Graham, Chad Grunow, Carol Hull, Doug Kanet, Curt Molander, Dana Myers, Ken Smith, Anne Thrasher Boyd, and Brian Williams.

Holli Sullivan appointed State Rep. Holli Sullivan was named Indiana Secretary of State by Gov. Eric Holcomb on March 16. Sullivan sucHolli Sullivan ceeds Connie Lawson in the position. Her current two-year term representing House District 78, which covers eastern Vanderburgh County and Newburgh in Warrick County, will be completed by an individual selected by a caucus of Republican precinct committeemen. AWARDS/RECOGNITION

Edward Jones Advisor receives Edward Jones financial advisor Melissa Nicholson recently received the TNT Client Melissa Nicholson Development Award. The award, which got its name from 1950s brokers who traveled the Midwest Tuesdays through Thursdays, was only given to 782 advisors across the country. Operating at the Newburgh, Indiana office at 3775 Haley Dr., Ste. B, Nicholson was honored for her outstanding service efforts in 2020.

B BUSINESS SUCCESS

Engaging Employee

awn Stoneking has been named the executive director for Outreach and Engagement at the University of Southern Indiana. Stoneking has served as interim associate provost for Outreach and Engagement since Aug. 1, 2019 and previously the assistant director of Lifelong Learning. Stoneking worked at Virginia Tech University as the assistant director of Enrollment and Degree Management, assistant director for Distance Learning Initiatives, and various leadership positions in Continuing and Professional Education in Outreach and International Affairs. “I’m so glad I made the move to USI in 2016,” says Stoneking. “I’ve been forever grateful for the opportunities

BY DALLAS CARTER

for expansion since I’ve been here.” Stoneking is a member of the University and Professional Continuing Education Association, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the Growth Alliance of Greater Evansville, and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in social work from Radford University, Radford, Virginia. In her new role, Stoneking will develop and maintain the relationship between the community and USI. She oversees multiple programs and services within USI, such as the College Achievement Program, ROTC, and the Center for Applied Research. “My guiding principles really have been to act with honesty, integrity, and genuineness,” she says. “When you have the courage to be yourself and follow those guiding principles, you’ll be amazed how far you can progress.” z

Turf Plus, LLC F O R C O M M E R C IA L P R O P E RT I E S

Design | Installation | Maintenance | Service | Synthetic Turf

Evansville Teachers receives Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union was named America’s Best Credit Union for checking by the financial website Investopedia. The New York City-based publication releases its Best Credit Unions annually, with six recognized nationwide in specific categories. Evansville Teachers received this honor for their free vertical checking. ETFCU’s vertical checking was also featured in “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance” as a top checking account in the nation.

Turf Plus

, LLC

Turf-plus.com 812-454-3229 Evansville Business | 43

IN THE NEWS

Tri-State Food Bank accepts

Chemicals

Paper Products

Equipment

Liners

Laundry Products

American Sanitary Supply is one of the largest cleaning supply companies in the tri-state area and has earned a reputation as a major supplier of industrial and commercial equipment and supplies. We are committed to providing the highest quality of lines of equipment, chemicals, paper, and tools necessary for maintaining the smallest church to the largest factory.

Now Selling Victory Electrostatic Sprayers and Disposable Face Masks!

811 N. Main St., Evansville, IN | 812-426-0201 info@americansanitarysupply.com | americansanitarysupply.com

Revitalize Your Enterprise

Katie and Chip Kenworthy

19 local McDonald’s owners donated more than 32,000 McRib patties and other food products to the Tri-State Food Bank. Arriving in a McDonald’s truck from Martin Brower Distribution, the donations will help the food bank continue serving hungry families in 33 counties across Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. Owners Larry Lovelace, Stephanie Bishop, Michael Burrell, Ivan Carvajal, Kelsey Hamlet, Chip Kenworthy, Katie Kenworthy, Ryan Kramer, Mike Love, Michael Love Jr., Rick Mann, Susan Mann, Chris McEnaney, Joe McEnaney, Kathy McEnaney, John Moreland, Wally Nowakowski, Brad Short, and Tina Short made the donations from their combined 76 restaurants in the Tri-State.

Farmer Scott Ozete Robinson & Schmitt attorneys selected

SHERWIN - wILLIAMS

KAMAN technologies

Terry Farmer

Andrew Ozete

Beth Burger

Lindsay Schmitt

NESTLE DISTRIBUTION SITE

• Build to Suit & General Contracting • Commercial & Industrial Leasing • Brokerage Services 1524 Kimber Lane • Evansville, Indiana • 812-421-0066 • www.melmar.us 44 April/May | 2021

Four attorneys from Farmer Scott Ozete Robinson & Schmitt LLP have been selected as 2021 Indiana Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Terry Farmer was named a Super Lawyer in Business Litigation, Andrew Ozete in Business Bankruptcy, and Beth Burger in Estate Planning and Probate. In the Rising Star category, Lindsay Schmitt was also selected in the area of Estate Planning and Probate. Only five percent of Indiana attorneys are labeled Super Lawyers while only 2.5 percent are awarded the Rising Star Distinction.

YOUR FULL SERVICE DEALER FOR OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT D-Patrick donates In continuation of their “Honda Helping Kids” campaign, D-Patrick Honda donated $1,500 to Foster Care in the U.S. in March. FCUS focuses on creating licensed foster care homes to house the 450,000 children in the U.S. foster care system. D-Patrick Ford/Lincoln has also continued a charitable giving campaign, “$10 per Test Drive.” On March 9, D-Patrick presented $2,500 to Gilda’s Club Evansville. Gilda’s Club is free to everyone and an affiliate of the Cancer Support Community.

Edward Jones receives Three local Edward Jones Investments’ branch office administrators with financial advisor Jim Black received the BOA Managing Brittany Maurer and Kelbe Douglass Partner’s Award. This award, given to Debbie Chattin, Kelbe Douglass, and Brittany Maurer, who work for one of the 400 offices nationwide who qualify for the award.

14101 Highway 65 • Evansville, IN 47720 • (812) 963-5024 Just north of Boonville New Harmony Road • strauboutdoorpower.com

Keep Rolling Campaign raises North High School alumnus DeAndre Wilson is raising money for local families and nonprofits with his Keep Rolling Campaign. For the month of March, the 80 miles Wilson rolls a 230-pound tractor tire will fuel his goal to raise $1,500 for EVSC’s Hangers.

ACCOUNTING • TAX • CONSULTING • PAYROLL

EVSC Foundation accepts The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Foundation accepted a $30,000 check from Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union on March 30. The donation was a part of the ETFCU/EVSC debit card program which allocates funds collected from EVSC debit card usage to the academic needs of local schools.

JASON STEPHENS

MARK AITON

GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT

University of Evansville releases After announcing their initial draft realignment plan in December 2020, the University of Evansville released its final realignment plan on March 11. The Department of Music will be rebranded to the UE Music Conservatory and retain all five music degrees. Out of the 17 proposed cut majors only art history, philosophy, and religion will no longer be offered as majors to incoming students.

Whether your need is for ACCOUNTING, TAX or PAYROLL, we have the

dedicated and knowledgeable staff to assist you. Over the last 25 years Vowells & Schaaf, LLP has assisted both individuals and businesses in their everyday needs. We appreciate the confidence you have placed in us and look forward to working with you in the future.

www.vscpas.com • 4 Locations EVANSVILLE OFFICE

812-421-4165

BOONVILLE OFFICE

812-897-0120

PRINCETON OFFICE

812-385-4872

DALE OFFICE

812-937-7064

Evansville Business | 45

Inspiring with nature ... for lives with insight

Through a wide array of services including design and installation, water features, consultation, maintenance, seasonal displays, and more,

Landscapes by Dallas Foster brings each client’s dream space to life with beautiful, harmonious, natural works of art — inside or out.

Design • Install • Maintain

Vincennes

Evansville

(800) 659-0719

3729 N. Camp Arthur Road

829 Canal Street

www.dallasfoster.com

(812) 882-0719

(812) 423-7098

46 April/May | 2021

Jagoe Homes announces The area between Petersburgh Road, Seib Road, and south of Boonville New Harmony Road in McCutchanville will be a new singlefamily community, McCutchan Trace, built by Jagoe Homes. To sign up for Trace’s priority email list, visit jagoehomes.com

Worldwide Communications expands Worldwide Communications Consultants, Inc. officially expanded into the steel fabrication industry on Feb. 19. Specializing in broadcast tower services since 1985, the local, family owned company will rebrand to Worldwide Structural Fabrication, Inc. as part of the transition. The expansion also includes the introduction of new advanced fabrication equipment and client services.

Otters announce The Evansville Otters have announced updates for their upcoming 2021 season. The 26th season will kick off on May 27 against the Schaumburg Boomers at Wintrust Field in Schaumburg, Illinois. At their home opener against the Gateway Grizzlies on June 1, the Otters will debut their new home uniforms which is part of the newly designed logo.

Habitat for Humanity completes On March 5, Habitat for Humanity of Evansville celebrated the completion of its 531st home. This home was the 30th house built by Lutherans for Habitat. A ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing were held to commemorate the milestone.

Evansville Entities merge On April 1, 2021, the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville, and the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce celebrated the formation of a new unified economic development organization. For more than 15 years, these three organizations have worked closely to advance the region’s businesses and economic and community growth.

EVPL resumes The Passport Services at the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library resumed on April 1 at EVPL Central. Travelers can apply for passports, renew existing passports, and take passport photos. These services are available in the small conference room on the second floor by appointment only. z

SEASON SCHEDULE

IN THE NEWS Tuesday, June 1 Wednesday, June 2 Thursday, June 3 Friday, June 11 Saturday June 12 Sunday, June 13 Tuesday, June 15 Wednesday, June 16 Thursday, June 17 Friday, June 18 Saturday, June 19 Sunday, June 20 Tuesday, June 29 Wednesday, June 30 Thursday, July 1 Tuesday, July 6

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Wednesday, July 7 Thursday, July 8 Friday, July 9 Saturday, July 10 Sunday, July 11 Friday, July 16 Saturday, July 17 Sunday, July 18 Tuesday, July 27 Wednesday, July 28 Thursday, July 29 Firday, July 30 Saturday, July 31 Sunday, Aug. 1 Tuesday, Aug. 10 Wednesday, Aug. 11

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Thursday, Aug. 12 Friday, Aug. 13 Saturday, Aug. 14 Sunday, Aug. 15 Friday, Aug. 20 Saturday, Aug. 21 Sunday, Aug. 22 Tuesday, Aug. 24 Wednesday, Aug. 25 Thursday, Aug. 26 Tuesday, Sept. 7 Wednesday, Sept. 8 Thursday, Sept. 9 Friday, Sept. 10 Saturday, Sept. 11 Sunday, Sept. 12

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LET US CATER YOUR NEXT CORPORATE EVENT!

3 DAY NOTICE

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ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY...................PAGE #

Keller Schroeder.............28,29

SMART Local 20..................19

American Sanitary Supply Co.........................44

Landscapes By Dallas Foster, Inc.............46

Soltek..................................35

Baird.................................. C3

Lighthouse Counseling Services...........................21

Biaggi’s..............................40

Southern Business Machines, Inc..................36

Melmar Properties..............44

Southwestern Indiana Chamber of Commerce......9

Midwest Telecom Communications.............32

Straub Mower Service, LLC.....................45

Mountain Valley Water of Evansville..........18

Summit Real Estate Services..........................2,3

N.M. Bunge, Inc....................4

Three I Design.....................42

NFP.....................................21

Tri-State Athletic Club........20

Nomad Technology Group...............................33

Tucker Publishing Group ..............................26

North Main Systems...........34

Turf Plus.............................43

Nussmeier Engraving.........38

Ubreakifix............................37

First Bank...........................16

Pass Pest Control...............40

Frank’s Catering.................47

Popham Construction......................8

United Way of Southwestern Indiana.....27

Bodyworks Massage Therapy............................21 CenterPoint Energy.............15 Charles Schwab.................14 Corporate Design................10 Cottonwood Center.............42 D-Patrick Motoplex...............1 Evansville Otters Baseball..........................47 Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union....... C4

Harrell-Fish Incorporated (HFI)............16 Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana...........10

RE/MAX/ Richardson, Mike............ C2 Signarama..........................18

VIV.................................30,31 Vowells & Schaaf, LLP........45 Woodward Commercial Realty, Inc..........................7

Evansville Business | 47

BACK TALK E

BY T O D D T U C K E R

Suzanne Crouch EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in political science from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. RESUME: Vanderburgh County Auditor, 1994-2002; Vanderburgh County Commissioner, 2002-2005; Indiana State Representative for House District 78, 2005-2014; Indiana State Auditor, 2014-2016; Indiana Lieutenant Governor, 2016-present. HOMETOWN: Evansville, Indiana FAMILY: Husband Larry Downs and adult child Courtney

uzanne Crouch has had quite an interesting career path, from her time serving in county politics to a second term as lieutenant governor. Growing up on the West Side and at Mater Dei High School, never did she think she would hold the second highest ranking position in the state. Her command of both state and local politics has made her one of the most prominent political figures in Indiana throughout the past decade.

What is the primary role of the Lieutenant Governor in the State of Indiana? If you think of the president and the vice president, it’s kind of the same in the state government with the governor and the lieutenant governor. Every state is a little different — in Indiana the lieutenant governor probably has more duties and responsibilities than most any other lieutenant governor in the country. I serve, as all lieutenant governor’s do, if the governor becomes incapacitated. But in addition to that, constitutionally in Indiana, I am President of the Senate. So when the Senate is in session, I’m running the Senate. Statutorily, I head up four agencies in Indiana. I’m secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development; I head up our Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, which supports affordable housing projects in Indiana. I head up the Office of Community and Rural Affairs and that distributes $32 million in community development block grant money and then I also head up the newly formed Indiana Destination Development Corporation which used to be our State Tourism Agency until July of last year, it kind of morphed into a quasi-government agency that is not just focused on attracting visi48 April/May | 2021

tors to Indiana, but also attracting talent and businesses, keeping our students here after they graduate.

You have a long political history in Vanderburgh County — serving as county auditor, commissioner, and also as a state representative. How did this help prepare you for your role as lieutenant governor? I really believe that God puts us in places and puts people in our lives and I didn’t appreciate it maybe at the time, but looking back, I now see how every role that I’ve had has kind of prepared me for where I am, and prepared me for that next role. So as a result of being auditor and commissioner, and then state rep., and then auditor of state, and now lieutenant governor, I have a vast knowledge and experience at the local and state level and legislative and executive branches. But I think what is even more important than that is that longevity and experience has allowed me to develop a lot of relationships. And at the end of the day, it’s all about relationships.

What was the most interesting private sector job you held before getting into politics? I think that probably the most impactful job I’ve ever had was probably the first

job I had. When I was a senior in high school, I started working as a nurse’s aid at a nursing home and then continued that throughout college. So whenever there were holidays, or during the summer, I would come back and work at the nursing home. And I think what it did is it really gave me a look at the end of people’s lives. It really has over the years given me the appreciation for how important every moment is.

Describe your interactions with the Governor. We have tremendous respect for each other. We’re kind of each other’s confidant. So we will meet every week for one or two hours, just he and I, no staff around and we really share kind of what’s going on, and what we’re feeling and we talk about things like preparing for the future, initiatives that we have, problems and challenges that we’re facing. I will talk to him and text him periodically during the week, when issues come up or there are things that I want to run by, we have that time carved out down to where we really kind of confide in each other. So it’s kind of that connection, I think, that makes our partnership work so well, because we truly have respect for each other. z

P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY L I E U T E N A N T G OV E R N O R S UZ A N N E C R O U C H ’ S O F F I C E

Discover the Baird Difference in Evansville

Ron Boren Managing Director

John Schutz Managing Director

Jeffrey Berger Director

Felicia Hostettler Assistant Vice President

110 Main St. Evansville, IN 47708 812-426-1481 . 888-426-1481 bairdevansville.com Tawne Wandling Assistant Vice President

Jill Pate Senior Client Specialist

Michelle Vanover Senior Client Specialist

Baird’s Evansville office is proud to congratulate the following members of our team on their recent new officer titles and designations, a hard-earned result of their accomplishments and contributions to our firm. We would also like to recognize Ron Boren and John Schutz on making the Forbes/SHOOK Research “Best in State Wealth Advisors” list and John Schutz for making the Barron’s Top 1200 State by State list.

Evansville Business April/May 2021

Articles inside

BUSINESS LIFE

WELLNESS AT WORK

BACK TALK

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

NICHE BUSINESS

IN MEMORIAM