Evansville Business June/July 2022 by Evansville Living Magazine

RETRO ROOTS Zesto on Riverside at 70 | BOSS FAMILY The Watsons’ Entrepreneurial Spirit A publication of Evansville Living & Tucker Publishing Group

ENVIRONM ENTAL S TEWARDS

Local companies devoted to cleaner and more efficient ways of doing business

PLASTICS

VALLEY

Recycled polypropylene IN S E S S IO N plastic pieces at Vidal Plastics of the Legal profiles

area’s leading attorneys

IN S E S S IO N

Innovation, expertise, and a pioneering past fuel our dominance in the industry JUNE/JULY 2022

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Legal profiles of the area’s leading attorneys ENVIRONMENTAL S T E WARDS

Local companies devoted to cleaner and more efficient ways of doing business

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MASONRY • TUCKPOINTING • CLEANING CAULKING • CHIMNEY REPAIR

VOLUME 21 / NUMBER 3

A Publication of Tucker Publishing Group

PUBLISHER

Todd A. Tucker

EDITORIAL

Troy Schreiber and Tammy Evans, Owners Third Generation Family-Owned Business MASONRY CONTRACTOR SINCE 1946

Kristen K. Tucker Editor Jodi Keen Managing Editor Dallas Carter Staff Writer Riley Guerzini Staff Writer

DESIGN

Laura Mathis Creative Director Kevin Goodbar Art Director Deaconess Aquatic Center

Morgan Dean Graphic Designer and Advertising Administrator Bailey Brush Graphic Design Fellow

Drake’s

ADVERTISING

Jessica Hoffman Senior Account Executive Jennifer Rhoades Senior Account Executive Logen Sitzman Sales and Marketing Coordinator

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CIRCULATION

Gregg Martin Distribution and Circulation Manager

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS Audra Straw, Zach Straw

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812-424-2704 troy@nmbungeinc.com

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2 JUNE/JULY | 2022

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

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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. Copyright © 2022 Tucker Publishing Group. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Tucker Publishing Group.

Contents

JUNE/ J U LY 2 0 2 2

Featured

Regulars 4

PREVAILING PLASTICS Since the 1930s, the Tri-State has been a hub for plastics manufacturing innovation and expansion. The region has gained steam as the decades go by, earning the moniker “Plastics Valley.” Dive into our plastics past and explore its modern landscape with local experts and industry leaders.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER Something is Wrong with My Planner

SECOND GLANCE Central Lofts repurposes a piece of Downtown history

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Tri-State Painting transtions to a third generation of the McDonald family

11 ASK EBM We answer your questions about the EFD’s new traffic preemption system

13 BY THE NUMBERS Vanderburgh County roads have resurfacing in their future

13 ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Business runs in the family for Tracy and Lee Watson

15 IN A WORD Refresh

15 MADE IN EVANSVILLE Bring farm-fresh produce to your table with Local Source

52 BUSINESS LIFE 54 IN THE NEWS 64 BACK TALK Jacqueline Russell

Department 18 CAREER PATH Zesto on Riverside Drive keeps to its retro roots as it celebrates its 70th anniversary

Special Advertising Sections 35 IN SESSION WITH LOCAL ATTORNEYS Hear from area attorneys about important issues

43 ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS Businesses and community organizations discuss ecological responsibility and trends in energy efficiency

ON THE COVER Alfonso Vidal, president of Vidal Plastics, holds recycled polypropylene plastic. The material is compounded into plastic pellets and sold to injection molders and extruders, who use them to make food packaging, machinery parts, furniture, and other plastic products. Photo by Audra Straw EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 3

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

Something is Wrong with My Planner “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” — Woody Allen

oming off 2021, a year in which I had worked very hard, both personally and professionally (and like everyone, during COVID-19, often under difficult circumstances), I was excited to welcome the new year as I always embrace the opportunity to establish a fresh set of goals and do my best to stay focused on trying to achieve them, sometimes failing spectacularly. I especially looked forward to this year for a few specific reasons. I would be turning 60 in April and was working to put myself in as good of physical condition as I ever had been in to prepare for Ironman Texas in Houston, just three days after my birthday. Instead of being concerned about turning 60, I was pleased to “age up” into a higher age group, and a less competitive one, at that. In January, all the plans and reservations were in place. The hours of training always help get me through a tough stretch of winter, and I enjoy it while “most” bad habits fall to the wayside. I mean, I still want to keep a few around so things don’t get too boring. The only potential obstacle looming in the new year was a trip I knew all too well, heading north up Interstate 69 to the Ascension St. Vincent Heart Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 28. This meant tests and, more importantly to me, the scans. Bad scan equals bad surgery. As someone with no surgical history, I would become quite anxious prior to each visit wondering if this would be “the one.” I already had resigned myself to eventually ry. Janua from plans laid having the surgery done when ully My caref the surgeon said, “it’s time.” Knowing I was seeing a new surgeon who might have a differing opinion did not bring me inner calmness and tranquility. Within 20 minutes of my appointment upon hearing a rather blunt assessment of my aneurysm’s “progress,” I heard myself saying, “I will take the first availability in your surgical schedule.” Early in the morning of April 8, I underwent — by all accounts — a very successful surgery to repair my ascending aortic aneurysm. I did learn a few things post operatively. • The surgeon and team are likely not going to share everything with you pre-operation. That would tend to make you less likely to move forward with surgery. It was not helpful that, in my previous surgical sales career, I had witnessed approximately 50 open-heart procedures.

4 JUNE/JULY | 2022

• Being a walking fool and doing laps on the unit floor definitely aided in helping (in my opinion) speed up my release from the hospital. After that, the ride home … not so great. • Don’t ever take being comfortable for granted again. There was no “comfortable” anything for weeks. • The care from my wife “Nurse Ratched” and our boys as well as the outpouring of support was and has been gratifying. I was prepared only for a trickle. • Winner of the funniest and “most wrong” observation goes to my “acquaintance” Steve Nussmeier. He knows what he said. I tried to not lose my sense of humor throughout. (And Steve needs a win.) It’s been eight weeks now, and I am making continual positive progress thanks to cardiac rehab and some “tough love.” I hope to be at close to 100 percent (whatever that is) by around the Fourth of July. I now am having more good days than bad. I won’t sugarcoat … bad was bad, but I don’t know what kind of price you place on not having my aorta dissect, as there would be no trip to the ER. I wanted to ensure I am around to someday help teach grandchildren the “important stuff” and to continue to grow old with my wife. Thirty-three years ago, when we said, “for better or for worse,” she could not have envisioned what worse really meant. Really. Thanks to everyone who has said prayers (hopefully for a recovery), reached out, cooked, called, sent cards, and made bad jokes. I have appreciated it all. I have enjoyed hearing from everyone, and take care of yourselves, as I have shared, “you don’t want this.”

Todd A. Tucker, Publisher

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SECOND GLANCE

P H OTO S BY Z AC H S T R AW

A New Purpose Central Lofts brings housing and history to Downtown

he building at 203 N.W. Fifth St. has been a high school, community center, and offices. Since April 12, the Central Lofts affordable housing complex has breathed new life into the structure while maintaining its historical significance. The property opened in 1914 and partly served as Central High School’s original site. It was also the location of the Downtown YMCA, which moved across the street to 516 Court St. in 2019; the organization still owns sections of the building. Indianapolis, Indiana, developer Jon Anderson purchased the building’s Shopbell section from the YMCA in 2018 and partnered with Indianapolis-based Crestline for construction and management. “This building went underused for a very long time, and we are so happy to be in it,” says LeeAnn Rickard, Central Lofts’ property manager.

Central Lofts features exposed brick, loft-style levels, skylights, and even the original gymnasium floor on units built inside the former gym. Already at 50 percent occupancy and still accepting applications, the building offers 62 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units (all with one bathroom) between 500 and 1,300 square feet. Some apartments in the five-story building have in-unit laundry machines, and every floor has a free communal laundry room. Apartments, which are designated Section 42 housing for low-income families, include LEED Gold standard energyefficient appliances and cover the cost of utilities; electric and cable are separate. Rent is based on a complex system, but at its core can be calculated from 30, 50, and 60 percent of the annual median income of Vanderburgh County for the entire household depending on unit size, resulting in a range of $266 to $800 per month.

“Our goal is to provide full, affordable housing to people who want to live Downtown, want to work and play Downtown, and we are happy to do it,” says Rickard. “YMCAs were founded to assist the community and people stayed in these rooms years and years ago, so every one of those doors represent a unit that was there, and now it still gets to be used.” —Dallas Carter CENTRALLOFTS.THINKCRESTLINE.COM

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TICK TOCK

Attention Alcoa Mechanical Maintenance peeps. Carroll Hickrod is featured in the latest issue of Evansville Business magazine (“Time Keeper,” April/May 2022). He keeps the Old Courthouse clock ticking. I was pleased that they used my photos. Steve Geis via Facebook OVER THE MOON

We have had such a great response to our article (“On the Line,” April/May 2022) in Evansville Business, and word of mouth has been a wonderful source of traffic driven in our direction. We want to make sure you get your spot reserved, and your party can be all aboard on MoonBeam. MoonBeam Trolley Co. via Facebook GLOBAL IMPACT

Among the many things that separates ProRehab from the herd is the continued effort to provide leading edge therapy in treatment and prevention. Attached is a nice article (“On the Move,” April/May 2022) that demonstrates that, while ProRehab is local, our work has had a national and — in the sports world — global impact. ProRehab via Facebook SPLISH SPLASH

Praise for “Making a Splash” in the April/May 2022 issue Learn more about a project that is near and dear to Lilly’s heart, the new Deaconess Aquatic Center. Thanks to everyone who made the project a reality!

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Thanks for sharing our story. Deaconess Aquatic Center via Facebook

Deaconess Aquatic Center on the cover of the April/May edition of Evansville Business. Awesome story and photos. Check it out! Noah Stubbs via LinkedIn

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BUSINESS FRONT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Staying the Course Tri-State Painting continues family tradition for third generation BY RILEY GUERZINI

o check passes through the front doors ment, and her three boys would do their At 95 years old, KewBee McDonald still works to make sure all accounts are paid on time at the business of Tri-State Painting without KewBee homework while she was doing payroll.” she founded with her husband Charles, a longtime McDonald knowing about it. Although her workload has diminished union painter, in 1961. In 2021, the McDonald family At a spry 95 years old, KewBee — named over the years, KewBee has no plans to call matriarch transferred majority ownership to her granddaughter and now-president Penny, who says she for the bread sold in the 1920s by Evansville’s it quits yet. She still comes into the office hopes to carry on her grandmother’s legacy. Walsh Baking Co. where her father worked — every day and works from her home office still keeps a keen eye on the daily operations in the early morning and evening. KewBee, TSP-USA.COM of the business she founded in 1961 with her a University of Evansville Purple Aces husband Charles, who died in 1992. She keeps a manual ledger for acseason-ticket holder and avid Chicago Cubs baseball fan, works counting, checking all the numbers against the computerized version. diligently to ensure all accounts are paid on time. The company “I’ll always remember the W-2s that I had to type up: carcontinues to work closely with the painter’s union, with whom it bon paper, carbon paper, carbon paper. Running it through the has been signatories since day one, a point of pride for KewBee. As the family-owned business transitions to a third generatypewriter,” she says. “If you made a mistake, it ruined all three tion, Penny says she hopes to carry on her grandmother’s legaof them. And I typed all those on a typewriter and now she does cy. She serves as co-chair on the training fund for the painter’s it just like that.” “She” is KewBee’s granddaughter, Penny. Joined by Kewunion and was the first woman elected to the Finishing ConBee’s sons Rod, Robin, and Ken, the McDonald family matriarch tractors Association International Board eight years ago. She has continued to oversee the growth and vision of the commeralso sits as a trustee on the International Union Painter’s and cial and industrial painting company, even after transferring maAllied Trades pension fund and the IUPAT LMCI, an internajority ownership to now-president Penny in July 2021. tional labor management fund “Our first shop was at 15 E. Riverside, which at the time was a “We went from a little company in a converted gas station converted gas station,” says Penny. “KewBee’s office was at home and a picnic table to now being involved on an international for the first 35 years. She used to have a picnic table in her basescale,” Penny says. P H OTO S BY Z AC H S T R AW

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 9

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BUSINESS FRONT

Rapid Response

ASK EBM

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Everything necessary is in one comprehensive organizer!

new emergency response system was unveiled during Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s annual State of the City address on March 29. The Evansville Fire Department launched a system in June 2021 that will help it shorten response times to calls, cut down on fuel consumption, and increase safety when navigating major roads and highways. The Glance Priority and Preemption system by Applied Information will allow the department’s 29 apparatus and command vehicles to send signals directly to traffic lights across 229 city intersections to give the responding emergency vehicles priority through green lights on their path. How does this new traffic light system work? “The stoplights have a receiver mounted on them, and when our trucks engage their warning lights and they flip the switch to turn on their warning lights, that activates the little black box inside each truck,” says Mike Larson, a division chief with EFD. “As that truck drives down the road, it is sending out signals to the stoplight boxes, causing those lights to go into a cycle. It communicates to one that communicates to the next in that path.” P H OTO S BY R I L E Y G U E R Z I N I

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How will this improve response times and safety? Assistant Fire Chief Paul Anslinger estimates the new system, financed through a federal transportation funding program, have cut response times by 20 to 25 percent. Along with a reduction in response times, he says the department will have less fuel consumption as its 40,000-80,000pound trucks won’t launch from stopped to full speed as they hit each light. “It cannot be said enough that safety is our biggest priority,” says Anslinger. “By providing a safer path of travel, it gives our crews the peace of mind to concentrate on the task at hand and prepare themselves for the incident that they are responding to.”

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BUSINESS FRONT BY THE NUMBERS

Country Roads, Take Me Home

As River City residents cruise country roads in the summer sun, recent funds approved by the Vanderburgh County Council join other pools of money being set aside to repave routes throughout the county.

BY JODI KEEN

550+ Miles of public roadways maintained by the Vanderburgh County Highway Department

1827 Year Vanderburgh County assumed responsibility for maintaining the 15.56-mile stretch of Old Henderson Road from Dixie Flyer Road to Golden Rule Road in Union Township

$1,971,235 County roads appropriations request amount approved in May by the Vanderburgh County Council

$441,087.74 Funds awarded by an Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings grant for county road improvements

$1.4 million Money already set aside for road improvements in the highway department’s 2022 fiscal budget S O U R C E : J O H N S TO L L , VA N D E R B U R G H CO U N T Y E N G I N E E R

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Building a Legacy Tracy and Lee Watson forge their own entrepreneurial paths BY DALLAS CARTER

WHEN IT COMES to owning and operating businesses in the Tri-State, Tracy and Lee Watson are well experienced, especially with regard to building an entrepreneurial legacy. Married in 1983, the Watsons’ story starts almost 25 years ago when Lee’s father, Everett, founded his masonry business. In 1984, having amassed industry knowledge from his father, Lee started Watson Masonry. It wasn’t until 2014 — after years of designing and decorating as a hobby and studying interior design at Ivy Tech Community College from 2010-2012 — that Tracy followed her own aspirations and opened Tracy’s Attic (now known as Tracy’s) home furnishings and interior design studio. “My dad always told me when you’re in business for yourself, you can work whenever you want, and then you work a hell of a lot of times that you don’t want,” says Lee. “I don’t know for how many years (Lee) worked six days a

week and I worked seven because I’m doing paperwork on one day,” adds Tracy. But the dedication has paid off. Not only did Tracy upgrade to her 4,000-square-foot space at 2233 W. Franklin St. in 2019, but the duo also collaborated on several home projects for the Southwestern Indiana Builders Association’s Parade of Homes in 2015 and 2021. Working as a team and, most importantly, a family has been a major focus for the Watsons. Their daughter Jennifer, 42, is Tracy’s “right-hand man” at the store, while Matthew, 36, has followed in Lee’s footsteps and opened his own masonry business, Mr. Mason, in 2020. “Something that’s always been an inspiration to us is our kids,” says Tracy. “I could’ve never done all this without Jennifer. And In 1984, Lee Watson opened Watson Masonry. Almost thirty years later, in 2014, his it’s been great for Lee wife Tracy opened Tracy’s Attic (now Tracy’s). Now, the husband and wife duo are passing their local business legacy to their two children. to know that he taught his son about being a successful business WORKING FROM HOME owner, too.” facebook.com/tracyshomefurnishings P H OTO S BY Z AC H S T R AW

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 13

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BUSINESS FRONT

Refresh

ZACH GARCIA

Refresh. There is a level of excitement, hope, and determination that comes to mind with that one word. Those emotions are evident with everyone I have had the opportunity to meet since joining the Evansville community. Sometimes, things in life require that type of reinvigoration to provide increased energy and new beginnings. It is that increased energy and excitement that I believe will propel the University of Evansville Athletics Department into a new era of excellence. This level of excellence will be for our community and in honor of all those who have put blood, sweat, and tears into making UE what it is today. The future is bright! Go Aces!

The majority of the time, we refresh our emails to see what new kilobyte of information and energy venture to our screens. We get wrapped into the speed of go, go, go, and we seldom take the opportunity to step back and click our own personal refresh button. At Wesselman Woods, I get mixed up in the hype of the day, and I easily forget that I am surrounded by the Earth’s refresh. So, what’s in a word like refresh? I would argue it’s more than reflecting or starting anew — it’s a transformation. It’s a means to understand your dormancy, stagnation, or monotony. And, for me, it’s a reactive embrace to restore balance. I’m biased, but I use plants as the example. Core elements of sunlight, water, and soil nutrients provide plants that push out of dormancy to transform into magnificent beings. Refresh is a call to action. Eat your favorite food, go running, watch Netflix, volunteer, or take a hike in Wesselman Woods. Make that transformation to willfully discover your energy to grow and flourish.

— Siegfried is the athletics director

— Garcia is the executive director of

at the University of Evansville.

Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve.

Three well-established Evansville organizations have welcomed new leadership this year. We asked these leaders how the word “refresh” factors into their new positions. EDITED BY DALLAS CARTER ALEXIS BERGGREN As a 42-year-old mother to a one-yearold and 3-year-old, five months in a new position as president and CEO, the first word I think of when I describe my current environment is probably not “refreshed.” But with all these big changes and forces in my life right now, there is wonderful and exciting opportunity. For all of us, as the pandemic ebbs, there is opportunity to reconnect with our world, reconvene with our loved ones, and “refresh” those routines we may have abandoned in new and inventive ways. Whether it’s experiences at home or at work, I feel freed from some of the playbooks I held to as standard. Now, it’s often, “Let’s try this!” and “What comes next?” And that is, indeed, “refreshing.” — Berggren is the president and CEO of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

KENNETH “ZIGGY” SIEGFRIED

M A D E I N E VA N S V I L L E

Farm to Tablet

Local Source is a homegrown digital option for produce shopping BY DALLAS CARTER

lettuces. I sell those to some of the local restauWHEN THE Indianapolis-based online food ordering rants, but there weren’t any real outlets to try and and delivery service Market Wagon pulled out of get that product out to individual customers.” Evansville in late 2021 and Elbert’s Natural Food Localsourceswi.com hosts the digital shopMarket closed in 2022, Scott Anderson, owner of ping cart that allows users to place orders for APE Aquaponics and the upcoming Cosmo’s Bisfresh produce and goods on a week-to-week tro, saw an opportunity that would benefit local cycle. Orders can be placed until 11:55 p.m. on producers and consumers alike. Tuesday nights, producers deliver to Anderson’s Local Source is an aggregator and online food hub — overseen by Caroline Koenig, formarketplace of Tri-State-grown and produced merly a manager at Elbert’s — at 111 S.E. Third food products. Officially launched on April 5, St. on Thursday mornings, and users can pick up the service has been in the works with local protheir orders from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursday. ducers for several years, with Anderson about Scott Anderson Local Source already has about 17 producers a year ago joining efforts with Kristi and Tim and 100 regular customers who only pay the price Schulz, owners of Evansville Countryside Orof the products; there are no membership fees. Anderson says the chard, and Mary and Roger Winstead, owners of Beautiful Edibles. group doesn’t have plans to expand outside the Tri-State but would “(Local Source) gives us a chance to get our product out to a like to open pick-up locations on Evansville’s West, East, and North large number of people that we might not have the opportunity to Sides, as well as Newburgh, Indiana. do otherwise,” says Anderson, who will retire from his role as pro“We’re advertising product that gets picked the day before gram coordinator for computer science at the University of Southpick-ups,” he says. “You just can’t get any fresher ern Indiana in 2023. “For instance, the product that I than that.” offer on the shopping cart app is aquaponically grown LOCALSOURCESWI.COM P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 15

A L L P H OTO S P R OV I D E D

IN A WORD

Here for you today, BY THE NUMBERS

Number of advisors

22 2.

Number of Employee Associates

25 Advisor Average Tenure

15 years Collective Years of Experience

336 Advisor Average Age

41 Advisors who Interned before joining Full-Time

14 1.

Years of providing internships to local college students

55 Years of continuous operation in the Tri State

131 Insurance protection for Tri State Families and Businesses

$4.67 Billion Dividends paid to Tri State Policy owners in 2022

$14.34 million

Client Assets Under Management

$2.2 Billion

Pictured from right to left: 1. Andrew Suggs, Jacob Steinhart • 2. Hillerie Kandul-Hughes, Andrew Rice, Jon Newton, Tannya Cain • 3. Ryan Schmitt, Dan Grimm, Daniel Grimm • 4. Reba Riggs, Billy Wagner, Pressley Johnson, Allison Wagner • 5. Jessica Burton, Neil Fortwendel, Lindsay Whitsitt • 6. Hope Doninger, Cameron Klemczewski • 7. Andrew Fallwell, Josh Smith, Ellen Grimm, Daniel Grimm, Dan Grimm, Melissa Holden, Alex Seward, Wayne Hall, Dylan Woodall, Mandy Newton • 8. Lucas Bartnick, Jon Eastham, Will Wimber, Shoiban Gantt, Josh Miller, Elizabeth Fiorella, Craig Austin • 9. Jim Bennett, Ken Hansen, Lucas Chamberlain, Paul Nord • 10. Tara Lamb, John Hevron • Not Pictured: Mark & Lana Cox, Brandon Hatten

and every day after.

10.

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CAREER PATH E Z E S T O O N R I V E R S I D E

Retro on Riverside

Zesto reflects Evansville’s simpler past. New ownership plans to keep it frozen in time. BY RILEY GUERZINI | PHOTOS BY ZACH STRAW

Todd and Peggy Hardesty

I Dan Hardesty

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t’s been a habitual sight during Evansville’s scorching summers for the past half century: crowds of families lined up on Riverside Drive awaiting the service windows of Zesto to open, ready to bite into a classic burger, hearty chili dog, or soft serve ice cream cone. For many people, Zesto brings back memories from a simpler time devoid of slick restaurants and national chains. For Dan and Todd Hardesty, Zesto means more than just a reminder of yes-

After more than 30 years of ownership, Dan Hardesty is retiring from the business he has worked at since he was 11 years old, selling the South Side neighborhood favorite Zesto to his brother Todd. Todd, along with his wife Peggy, say they hope to keep the nostalgia of the walk-up burger and ice cream shop, welcoming customers back to a simpler time of fast food eats.

teryear’s fast-food era; it means family. Opened in 1952, Zesto on Riverside Drive is celebrating 70 years of filling hungry patrons with sizzling burgers and soft serve ice cream. Now, a not-sonew face will greet loyal customers of this neighborhood favorite.

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the neighbor people tell us they want to get to know us.” At one time, Zesto on Riverside Drive was part of a larger chain of restaurants scattered throughout the Midwest and southeastern U.S. Frank and Mildred Krug partnered with another couple in the late 1940s to open three Zesto franchises in Evansville on Riverside Drive, Franklin Street, and Boonville Highway. The Riverside and Franklin locations remain open, but with different owners. The franchises would be short lived, abandoned by 1960 to become privately owned and operated locations. Seizing an opportunity to own what was still a popular ice cream and burger joint, Tom and Pat Hardesty purchased the Riverside location —

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“We have a personal touch. People get to know you. All the neighbor people tell us they want to get to know us.”

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After more than 30 years of ownership, Dan Hardesty is retiring from the business he has worked at since he was 11 years old. On Feb. 1, Dan officially sold Zesto to his brother Todd and his wife Peggy, passing on one of Evansville’s most iconic properties and keeping afloat the restaurant that has been in the Hardesty family since 1971. “I just thought it would be cool to keep it in the family,” says Todd, who is retiring after a 20-year career as a sign fabricator to take up ownership of Zesto. “We have a personal touch. People get to know you. All

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positioned between the Tepe Park and Glenwood neighborhoods on Evansville’s South Side — in 1971. The couple kept to Zesto’s 1950s approach, specializing in juicy quarter-pound burgers and ice cream. The soft serve from the trusty Taylor Freezer Corp. machine — Taylor originally franchised the Zesto concept in 1945 and centered it around the Zest-O-Mat frozen custard machines the company sold — that defined the walk-up restaurant. Soon, the Hardestys brought their 11 children on board to help take orders, flip burgers, and pour ice cream.

“We grew up in this business. We lived just a block away on Ravenswood (Drive). Everybody in the whole family — all 11 of us — worked here.” — Todd Hardesty

“We grew up in this business,” Todd says. “We lived just a block away on Ravenswood (Drive). Everybody in the whole family — all 11 of us — worked here.” Todd recalls stopping by to order a milkshake or Z burger combo — costing a measly $1.99 at the time — when he was young. He worked at Zesto as a teenager, often with one of his siblings or friends who were employed there throughout the years. “This was back when it was a big deal to share a Coke with a sibling,” he says. “We stayed open until like 3 a.m. back then. We used to stay open until the bars closed.” The Hardestys entered an ownership partnership in the early 1980s with their son Dan, who managed Zesto until officially buying out his

Zesto on Riverside Drive has served Evansville customers its popular ice cream and savory American classic food since it opened in 1952. This acrylic painting made by Dennis Rowe of Newburgh, Indiana, highlights the casual, neighborhood feel of this retro, walk-up restaurant. Of the three Zesto’s that opened in Evansville, the Riverside Drive and Franklin Street locations remain, but with different owners.

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parents in the early 1990s. Dan subsequently became the owner of the Riverside restaurant along with his wife Mary. After 30 years, Dan decided it was time to retire from the only job he has ever known. He approached his brother in April 2021 about the prospect of purchasing the ice cream and burger stand. Todd and Peggy eventually agreed to purchase Zesto in September, with the deal finalized in February. “I picked them because I knew they were right for it,” Dan says. “They were the first ones I went to asking if they were interested in buying it.”

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“Everybody knows when they come up here what’s here because it’s been so long. We’re not changing anything.” — Todd Hardesty

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Dan certainly had plenty of family members to choose from. Out of the 11 Hardesty siblings, half of them went into the ice cream or food service business. His brother Dave owned a Dairy Queen franchise in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, for about 20 years, and youngest brother Joe recently purchased Big Top, a similar walk-up style ice cream and burger shop on North Fulton Avenue, from their sister Becky Hofmann, who owned the restaurant with her husband Jerry for nearly 33 years. Todd and Peggy also owned a mall Dairy Queen franchise in Tennnessee for about three years in the mid-1990s. Zesto continues to run on family. The Hardestys’ brother-in-law Jim Ward is a manager and has worked at the restaurant since he was 15 years old. Todd and Peggy’s daughter Grace also works parttime at Zesto. The plan, Peggy says, is to keep Zesto in the family once they too decide to retire. “It would be nice to keep it in the family and keep the tradition going,” says Peggy, who serves as bookkeeper while Todd runs the day-to-day operations. The setup mimics the roles Dan shared with Mary. “Dan’s been impeccable in being patient and guiding us through this whole thing,” she adds. “Without Dan and Mary, I don’t know if we ever could have done this.” Despite the new ownership, don’t expect any changes on the menu. Todd says apart from repainting the service windows and installing LED strips around the roof to revive the retro appearance, customers can count on the same Double Z Burger Special and twinkle kote ice cream (a vanilla cone rolled in a combination of peanuts and sprinkles) they’ve been ordering since they were children. “Everybody knows when they come up here what’s here because it’s been so long,” he says. “We’re not changing anything.” It’s a new chapter for the small restaurant that has survived a furious wave of fast food giants and corporatized industry, but Zesto is sticking to what it does best: easy, good food for a community that supports them, and vice versa. “We appreciate the neighborhood,” Todd says. “We appreciate them coming up and buying every day.”

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P REVA I LI NG P LASTI C S The Tri-State’s past, present, and future as Plastics Valley

BY DALLAS CARTER AND RILEY GUERZINI PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATION BY ZACH STRAW

NY GIVEN DAY IN EVANSVILLE, drivers travel on the

Lloyd Expressway in cars produced at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana plant in Princeton, Indiana. Residents wash residue from dirty dishes down the sink drain and into plastic-piped sewer lines. Lunch crowds fill branded Azzip Pizza cups with their favorite soft drink as they wait for their custom pies to cook. These seemingly mundane activities are made possible by one of the Tri-State’s oldest and most successful manufacturing sectors. The plastics industry has long called Evansville home and relied on resilience and innovation to persevere through a world war, shifting manufacturing trends, and changing environmental standards — endurance that gradually earned Evansville the local moniker “Plastics Valley.” “When you look at it, the kind of overall impact it has on the economy … it’s pretty phenomenal,” says Greg Wathen, who is retiring as president of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership in fall 2022. “It’s kind of one of those things where I don’t think people realize the scope and breadth of the industry, and it touches on so many people throughout our broader region.” The industry is vast in the Ohio Valley in more ways than one. Each manufacturer has its own role in plastics production, fabricating raw materials and resins, or products such as plastic bottles, piping, films, and industrial parts. Some are homegrown; others are satellite operations with one or more facilities locally. This is a competitive area for plastics manufacturers, and you’re bound to run into someone who works in the industry around town. “(My wife and I) always talk at dinnertime about what’s going on and what customer this and customer that,” says Deavron Farmer, new business development manager for industrial applications at LyondellBasell, a global raw plastics compounder with three Tri-State locations. “And if we’re out to eat somewhere at a restaurant, we don’t want to talk about customers because chances are somebody at a table near you works in the industry.” But does Evansville, a longtime frontrunner in plastics manufacturing, still have a stronghold on the industry? To look at our future, let’s start with the past. EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 27

that was still really new. Because of their molding experience, they are making all kinds of stuff for the military. You can go down the whole list of Air Force bombers, the gun turrets, the observation domes — they all switched from glass to plastic.” As the war ended, the industry again was looking for its next big thing. The local plastics workforce had grown exponentially, and metal still was in short supply. Schmitt says the common misconception of plastic as a cheap alternative had finally fallen to the wayside, and the industry quickly turned back to its automotive and refrigeration roots.

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anderburgh County Historian Stan Schmitt describes Evansville’s plastics industry as a family tree, with the first branch being Hoosier Lamp and Stamping. A “new thing coming out of Germany,” Schmitt says, was a process called injection molding. It first was brought to Evansville in 1935 by Thomas Morton Jr., owner of Hoosier Lamp and Stamping, which produced metal refrigerator parts, such as ice cube trays. A chance meeting with Jack Bauer, whose father owned a machine company in Springfield, Ohio, sparked an idea: Morton could make ice cube trays and other refrigeration products out of plastic using injection molding. After buying a German Isoma plastics injection molding machine, he was in business and founded Hoosier Cardinal in 1936 to focus on plastics. The shelf stud he made for Sears Roebuck’s Coldspot refrigerators was the first application of high-volume injection molding in the U.S. “Hoosier had the second (machine) in the country,” Schmitt says. “Ford Motor Company had the first there, so he’s (Morton) as low to the ground floor as you can get with a business.” Morton’s partnership with Bauer remained strong as Hoosier Cardinal slowly chipped away at plastic’s reputation as a cheap product and began replacing metal parts in the refrigeration and automotive industries. Together, the duo created a new plastic process called “See-Deep,” which resulted in a threedimensional and multi-color product. But unlike the rainbow of choices we have when buying plastic products such as PVC pipe and even those yellow Azzip cups, coloring plastic was a difficult, elusive process at the time. Hoosier Cardinal turned to another longstanding local company for help. Founded in 1903 by Harry D. Bourland, Red Spot Paint & Varnish engineers led by Milton Thorson swiftly developed a paint that would adhere to plastics in the late 1930s. But just as local plastics was gaining a foothold, America entered World War II, and the board was erased again. “World War II starts, and you’re looking for substitutes,” Schmitt says. “Hoosier Cardinal was one where they had expertise and a thing

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P H OTO CO U R T E S Y O F W I L L A R D L I B R A RY H I S TO R I C P H OTO CO L L EC T I O N

Plastics in Evansville got its start with strong roots when Hoosier Cardinal was created out of Hoosier Lamp and Stamping by Thomas Morton Jr. in 1936.

n 1944, plastics crossed the Ohio River when Tri-State Plastics was founded in Henderson, Kentucky. Back in Evansville, Kent Plastics opened in 1945, and Kusan Plastics in 1946. The next decade saw a domino effect of growth, with the oversized workforce leaving companies to start their own. While many companies spawned off-shoots — DEHM Plastic Products and Windsor Plastics both came from Kent, and Kusan would become Sterling Engineering Products in 1987 — some expanded out of necessity. Originally from Germany, the Schroeder family migrated in 1866 from Cincinnati to Evansville, where Adam H. Schroeder founded Schroeder Headlight Company in 1893. Incorporated in 1899 and evolving from manufacturing locomotive headlamps to electric refrigerators and then munitions during the war, the company was eventually overseen by J. Henry Schroeder. J. Henry retired in 1946, and the company was later acquired. But the father soon grew bored with retirement and rallied his son John H. Schroeder in 1949 to start Crescent Plastics Inc. with two machines performing extrusion, a process that creates plastic parts by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. After a few years of producing tubular plastic, Crescent spawned Cresline Plastic Pipe Co., Inc. in 1966 and opened its first plant in Henderson. Three companies now comprise Cresline: Cresline Plastic Pipe Co., Inc, Cresline-West, Inc., and CreslineNorthwest, LLC. “Since that time, we’ve now got six plants all across the country,” says Richard Schroeder, John H. Schroeder’s son and president and CEO of the Cresline companies. “We service the entire U.S. and do a little bit of business in export to Canada and Mexico. We’re one of the few that can go coast to coast with our product.” Crescent Plastics again would expand in 1973 with the creation of the Wabash Plastics

Inc. plant off of U.S. Highway 41 for custom injection molding. “They moved the eight (injection molding) machines over here (and) started out with 50,000 square feet,” says John C. Schroeder, Richard’s older brother and president and CEO of Wabash Plastics and Crescent Plastics. “We’ve grown … to about 63 machines and right under 300,000 square feet.” Crescent, Wabash, and Cresline are now in their fourth generation, with John C. and Richard’s sons, Scott and David Schroeder, helping run operations as Wabash’s and Crescent’s executive vice president and Cresline’s manager of administrative services, respectively. Part of the development of plastic’s enduring legacy in Evansville is how many companies have split off others. Fiberfil Engineered Plastics, another Morton-derived business, led to the arrival of DSM Engineering Plastics Inc. From Kent-derived Windsor Plastics came SRG Global in 2009. Sunbeam, a diversion from the Schroeder Headlight Company, made its Tri-State plastics debut in the 1950s. From Sunbeam, Robert Morris, also a former grain elevator owner and operator, founded Imperial Plastics in 1967, which later was purchased by Florida-based citrus grower Jack Berry Sr. and renamed Berry Plastics in 1987. Saudi-owned SABIC Innovate Plastics acquired GE Plastics in Mount Vernon, Indiana, in 2007. This complex web of development was made possible by the diversity of the companies’ processes and products. In the plastics industry, there are compounders (the makers of raw plastics) and processors (manufacturers of plastic products and parts from raw materials).

Richard and David Schroeder

“We’ve now got six plants all across the country. We service the entire U.S. and do a little bit of business in export to Canada and Mexico. We’re one of the few that can go coast to coast with our product.” RICHARD SCHROEDER, President and CEO, Cresline Plastics

Deavron Farmer and his family have supplied raw material to plastics companies since his father, Charles, entered plastics in 1964 working for Fiberfil. Charles later formed Replas with Ray Wright, Jim Pender, and Marcia Frey in 1984. Farmer joined his father at Replas in 1996; 22 years later, now operating as The Matrixx Group, the company underwent its first acquisition to become Citadel Plastics, and most recently was sold to LyondellBasell in 2018. Decades of cutting-edge innovation have helped Evansville’s plastics manufacturers navigate what now is of the world’s leading industries, and many economic and industry leaders credit our humble region as the birthplace of modern plastics. “I still feel that the Southern Indiana/Illinois/Kentucky region right here, the little Tri-State area that we’re in, for me, still hold(s) the moniker of ‘Plastics Valley,’” Farmer says. “There are still more people in the Evansville, Henderson, Mount Vernon, Tri-State area here. There are more plastics companies than any other location I’ve been in. I don’t think there (are) a lot of places on the Earth that have more independent companies making plastic than this area right here.”

Cresline Plastics, with three companies and six plants total across the U.S., is in its fourth generation of management. Richard Schroder serves as President and CEO, while his son David works as the manager of administrative services.

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Joe Barker, John C. Schroeder, and Scott Schroeder

Led by president and CEO John C. Schroeder and his son, executive vice president Scott Schroeder, Wabash and Crescent Plastics continue to thrive in the Tri-State and beyond. Joe Barker, Wabash vice president and plant manager, oversees the company’s first plant, opened in 1973.

“It’s centrally located. There’s a lot of expertise in the labor force and with the subcontractors. Every plumber (and) electrician, they’ve dealt with plastics and that equipment, and they’re very familiar with it.” Initially established as a holding company for a resin distributor in Mexico, Vidal Plastics later formed its own plastic compounding organization for prime and recycled polypropylene. The compounded material, molded into plastic pellets, is used in a variety of injectionmolded products, such as plastic food packaging, machinery parts, and furniture. Eighty percent of the raw material used to make the pellets comes from recycled plastics. The rest is made through prime compounding, the process of incorporating additives and modifiers into polypropylene, which is melted together and cooled to produce the pellets. “The plastic industry is pretty large, and there (are) a lot of resins, a lot of niches, a lot of things that you can do,” Vidal says. “So essentially, we take polypropylene, and we add certain things to enhance it. We do a lot of recycling, so we take that and turn it back into pellets.” The compounded plastics material made at Vidal Plastics ships across the world to processors, one of which is Wabash Plastics, which quickly branched out from injection molding parts for its sister company Cresline Plastics into producing parts for other original equipment manufacturers. Today, many of the companies’ 63 injection molding machines produce 2K parts that are molded using two different materials. For years, Wabash’s dominant customer was Whirlpool Corporation, which had a

G LO BAL R E AC H

s of 2020, there were 45 overall plastics businesses in the Evansville-Henderson Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Vanderburgh, Posey, Warrick, and Gibson counties in Indiana and Henderson County in Kentucky. In the larger Bureau of Economic Analysis region of 24 counties in the Tri-State, there were 72 plastics businesses in 2020. One of the newer companies in Evansville is Vidal Plastics, founded by Alfonso Vidal in 2013. Vidal originally didn’t have a desire to start a plastics company here, but knew he wanted to start his own business. The Venezuela-born entrepreneur arrived in Evansville 25 years ago after fleeing his home country to escape Colombian guerillas who had briefly kidnapped him, and what was supposed to be a three-month stay has turned into a quarter century for Vidal. “It has been a good industry for this area,” says Vidal, who started in the industry as a resin sales engineer for Omni Plastics.

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A L F O N S O V I DA L P H OTO BY AU D R A S T R AW. A L L OT H E R P H OTO S BY Z AC H S T R AW

Alfonso Vidal refrigerator factory in Evansville for more than 50 years before moving operations to Mexico in 2009. Though Whirlpool still is one of Wabash’s primary customers, its business has declined locally. But Wabash continues to grow as an injection molder for international appliance manufacturers like Carrier and GE. At Cresline, the company specializes in plastic pipe extrusion. Its largest markets are residential homes and irrigation systems. “We find it in some of the major ballparks in the country. St. Louis has it in their (Cardinals baseball) stadium,” Richard Schroeder says. “Baltimore has it (at the Orioles’ baseball stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards). A lot of the really high-end vineyards in California and in Washington use our pipe.”

Now in its fourth generation, Cresline supplies markets coast to coast, and has made its mark on the industry. “To give you a ‘gee whiz’ kind of number, if you took out the amount of pipe we make in one given year and laid it out end to end, it would circle the Earth more than five times at the equator,” Schroeder says. “So you have to wonder where all that pipe goes.” Perhaps no company has epitomized the worldwide reach and expansion of Evansville’s “Plastics Valley” influence more than Berry Global. Berry is now an international, publicly traded Fortune 300 company. It employs 47,000 people at more than 300 locations across the globe; to emphasize its expansion far outside its River City roots, in 2017 the company changed the word “Plastics” in its corporate name to “Global.” Building its worldwide reach through 40 years of acquisitions and the subsequent addition of newer technologies beyond packaging, Berry Global is now one of the largest plastic manufacturers in the world, fabricating products people use every day such as snack packaging, cups, bottles, inhaler packaging, and dairy containers. The company molds plastics for more than 18,000 global corporate customers, expanding on its role as a manufacturer by acting as a consultant using integrated design techniques through its in-house Blue Clover Studios. “This little company that started in Evansville really has a global impact today,” says Bill Norman, Berry Global’s president of consumer products, North America. “We have an ability to share best practices all over the world and learn from one another.” “We can sit in rooms with our largest customers, and we’re their consultants,” adds Norman, an Evansville native who started on Berry’s production line 30 years ago. “It’s clear that we have an edge in terms of our knowledge of what’s happening in the markets and how we’re going to face the future and how it affects them.” Overall, plastics accounts for the second-largest manufacturing sector in Evansville’s five-county MSA with 5,634 employees.

Founded in 2013 by Alfonso Vidal, Vidal Plastics sells its compounded polypropylene plastic material (known commonly as plastic pellets) internationally. The plastic pellets are then melted down by injection molders and extruders and developed into new products such as cups, pipes, and furniture.

P L AST I C S ’ EC ON OMI C I MPACT By Riley Guerzini

try has global reach, and Evansville plays a major role in its growth and innovation in the world. In the past 10 months, both average annual wages and total employment were up in the local sector. The average wage per worker in area plastics is $65,103, above the national average of $63,603. The industry’s location quotient, a measurement of concentration in comparison to the nation, is 10.13. Pipes leave Cresline Plastic Pipe Co.’s plant in Evansville “This means we are 10 times larger in terms of our plastics than anywhere ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY one million else in the country,” says E-REP president Greg jobs in the U.S. and $395 billion in shipments Wathen. “I think we’re going to continue seein 2021, plastics is the eighth-largest industry ing this industry being one of those drivers domestically, according to the Plastics Industry for the region.” Association, and accounts for an even larger The plastics industry has continued to grow portion of the economy worldwide. The indusin the region as more and more products utilize

the material, especially as the benefits of its circular use become clear. The area has remained a manufacturing hub in the country, even as companies like Whirlpool and Chrysler have left. “These companies, even the ones that are not headquartered here, have such a large presence,” Wathen says. “Then looking at companies, whether it be Wabash Plastics and all these impressive plastic companies — just the fact that we have this sector is so incredibly important, and you saw it during the pandemic in particular. It’s one of the sectors that was essential.” “When COVID hit and we shut down everything and as we were coming back, our MSA was the fastest coming-back MSA in the state of Indiana, primarily because of our manufacturing presence,” he adds, “and that includes plastics.”

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The sector is behind only automotive manufacturing at 7,382 employees. The plastics industry in the local MSA region generates more than $1 billion in sales annually, firmly cementing its status as one of the Tri-State’s largest revenue generators. Among the publicly traded companies that operate locally, Berry Global (BERY) trades at $54.65 per share and LyondellBasell (LYB) at $104.45 on the New York Stock Exchange, as of press time. SABIC common stock trades at $115 per share on the Tadawul Exchange, as of press time.

“This little company that started in Evansville really has a global impact today. We have an ability to share best practices all over the world and learn from one another.” BILL NORMAN President of Consumer Products North America, Berry Global

One of the largest plastic manufacturers in the world, Berry Global is an industry leader in innovative in-house product design, manufacturing techniques, and sustainability efforts to transition to a more circular economy. The Fortune 300 company, headquartered in Evansville, recently partnered with Wendy’s restaurants and LyondellBasell to produce plastic cups with stronger recycling capabilities, diverting about 10 million pounds of waste from landfills in the first two years.

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P L AST I C S I N THE F UTUR E

s the plastics industry steams toward its 90th year in Evansville, Stan Schmitt says the local industry and, more importantly, the local workforce are holding strong. “It kind of helped the continual growth as some of the auto and refrigeration started tapering back and disappearing,” he says. “You didn’t have this close and this close, and everybody in Evansville go, ‘Ah! We have no jobs.’ You were switching something, and Evansville has done that forever. Evansville has gone through a whole series of history of what the main industry is here.” Locally, Berry Global has three production facilities in Evansville, plus locations in Princeton, Indiana, and Madisonville, Kentucky. The company has partnered with local recyclers and the state of Indiana to implement innovative technology for plastic recycling, investing in its continued sustainability initiative. Berry donated half the funds to install a $300,000 AMP Robotics Cortex high-speed system to sort No. 5 plastics (polypropylenes) at Tri-State Resource Recovery. Evansville is the first city in Indiana to use robotic sortation in a single-stream recycling facility. “We see our responsibility in corporate citizenship as a great opportunity to bring our expertise and investments into the 300 local communities we serve around the world,” says Tom Salmon, Berry Global CEO and chairman of its board of directors. “Evansville is the location of our corporate headquarters, and we partner with the community to bring education and investments supporting the growing urgency of the world’s commitment to a net-zero economy.” Recently, the company has partnered with Wendy’s restaurants to launch clear, all-plastic drink cups containing mechanically recycled post-consumer resin made by LyondellBasell as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability packaging. The goal is to divert 10 million pounds of waste from landfills over the first two years of operations. This commitment includes using alternative sources to achieve similar properties through mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and renewables. The goal is to evolve away from petroleum oil and toward biobased alternatives. By 2030, company officials say 30 percent of plastics used in Berry’s consumer goods packaging will be through this circular economy, relieving more than 600 million pounds of plastic from landfills and oceans each year.

“The plastics sector is constantly innovating and evolving. And plastic has a vital role to play in moving a circular economy forward,” Salmon says. “Understandably, people have biases about plastics’ role in transitioning to a net-zero economy and we want them to understand how investments and substrate innovation are progressing faster than ever before.” While there are pockets of plastic producers in other places such as California and Texas, the Tri-State still holds up today as the world’s original Plastics Valley. “I think it’s important that Evansville stay in the mix because we’ve got the longevity, the history, the folks that have been doing this, like me, second generation,” Farmer says. “We’ve got people in the industry whose parents were in the industry all here in Evansville … I think there’s going to be more jobs. There’s going to be more opportunity and more growth in the plastic industry than any other industry we have immediately available to us in this region.” y

PLAST ICS’ ENVIRONM ENTAL IM PACT By Dallas Carter

Wendy’s cups made by Berry Global THE NATIONAL DEMAND for plastics — production was at 35.7 million tons in the U.S. in 2018, according to the EPA — is expected to triple by 2050, according to investment firm Closed Loop Partners. The 2019 report also estimates almost 90 percent of plastics worldwide will eventually end up in a landfill, incinerator, or oceans, and the EPA says plastic was 12.2 percent of 2018’s municipal solid waste. The plastics industry, specifically single-use products, generates criticism for its disposability, and it begs the question about the Tri-State’s plastics stronghold. Locally, the industry is working not only to shift perceptions but make tangible changes to manufacturing processes and products to achieve sustainability. “I have to remind people all the time (that) in the grand scheme of things, plastic is still fairly new as compared to wood, paper, iron, copper, bronze,” Deavron Farmer says. “They’re really jumping on this opportunity to do better and see if they can come up with some better ideas.” Most recently, the plastics industry has adopted ISO Standard 14044, which

is a Life Cycle Assessment calculating the numerical value for the carbon footprint of a given plastic. Cresline CEO Richard Schroeder sits on the board of the Green Globes Initiative, a green-building certification program. Berry Global is a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a worldwide organization committed to ending plastic waste in the environment. Individual businesses also are adopting their own internal techniques. Cresline, Wabash, and Crescent plastics companies recycle about 99 percent of their scrap. Much of their initial product is also reprocessed. Farmer says LyondellBasell is starting to polymerize used oil and vegetable oil instead of traditional crude. As part of a partnership with Berry Global, LyondellBasell is using mixed postconsumer material for single-substrate, clear plastic drink cups for Wendy’s restaurants. The initiative is expected to eliminate about 10 million pounds of plastic waste from landfills in the first two years. Berry also has committed to cutting 25 percent of absolute operational Scope 3 GHG emissions by 2025 from a 2019 baseline. Plastic also has become more durable and long-lasting over the years. Cresline Manager of Administrative Services David Schroeder says this allows products such as the company’s PVC pipes to function for a longer time than other raw materials. Farmer says plastic is also optimizing the products it supplements. “One of the reasons why you can buy a car today that can get 30, 40, 45 miles to the gallon is because it’s not one huge hunk of iron,” he says. “We’ve lightweighted the vehicle.”

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 33

WHAT OUR ADVERTISERS SAY At Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, we appreciate the way Evansville Living can highlight our outstanding products and share stories of the amazing people we work with — both in our offices and in the community. Whether it has been with the Idea Home, Leading Women in Business, Evansville Gives or other focused issues, working with the team at Tucker has been easy and enjoyable. As a former newspaper editor in Evansville, I understand the importance of connecting with your readers, and Tucker Publishing does an excellent job with that. TIM ETHRIDGE, Business Development Officer Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union

ADVERTISE TODAY!

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34 JUNE/JULY | 2022

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In-Session with Local Attorneys Need an attorney? Connect with these local experts on a wide range of legal topics. BY JODI KEEN In Your Defense The importance of protecting intellectual property With the advent of the internet came the rising mention of intellectual property. Although once a seemingly abstract concept, intellectual property has become deeply ingrained in modern business practices and, thus, more vital to protect. “Brands and other intellectual property (IP) can be just as valuable to a business as inventory, factories, and labs,” says Joshua A. Claybourn, a member at Jackson Kelly PLLC. “Whether it is a start-up or a Fortune 500 company, we assist from the inception of intellectual property all the way through to the enforcement or defense of that intellectual property.” Intellectual property is any product or work that resulted from original thought, such as brand slogans or logos, website

content, inventions, business names, product names, or other original confidential information that benefits a business. “As soon as you have a business name and logo, you should register those trademarks right away. A good and memorable trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will give you a business advantage over competitors, including the potential to recover treble damages and attorneys’ fees in any dispute,” Claybourn says. “Although trade secrets such as formulas and customer lists cannot obtain p

Foster, O’Daniel, Hambidge & Lynch We are here to help. We, the attorneys at Foster, O’Daniel, Hambidge & Lynch work together to achieve our common goal: we want to help people. Whether it’s a criminal, family law, business, or estate planning/administration matter, we are here to listen, offer advice, support, and help our clients reach their desired results. We believe every person has a story to be told and deserves to have an advocate on their side to help them through the issues life can bring us. Our aim is to not only help our clients have a better today, but also have a better tomorrow.

Tim Hambidge, Shaunda Lynch, Mark Foster, and Conor O’Daniel

3820 Oak Hill Road 812- 424-8101 • fohlaw.com EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 35

Special Advertising Section In-Session with Local Attorneys

Brian K. Smith Attorney at Law For more than 26 years, attorney Brian K. Smith has appeared before Vanderburgh County judges in an effort to help his clients with their legal needs. Focusing primarily on criminal law, expungements, and licensing issues, the Law Office of Brian K. Smith has the experience, knowledge, and familiarity with our court system to help you navigate through your legal needs. Brian K. Smith provides a complete range of criminal legal services and has represented thousands of clients ranging from speeding tickets to serious crimes such as armed robbery and murder. The Law Office of Brian K. Smith also has represented thousands of clients in getting their sentences reduced based on their good behavior. Brian’s clients can expect that their case will be handled in a professional and expeditious manner. Removing an old criminal charge from your record once was not always possible in Indiana. Now, you can get an old arrest or charge expunged or sealed so the public cannot see the case or charge. With internet access to public records constantly expanding, expunging your record is recommended. The Law Office of Brian K. Smith can advise you if you qualify for an expungement and lead you through the process of sealing up your criminal record. In

36 JUNE/JULY | 2022

some cases, your gun rights can be restored, and potential employers and licensing agencies cannot ask you about anything that has been expunged. Navigating through the legal system can be stressful. Brian K. Smith has the experience and knowledge to get you the results you need.

915 Main St. #102 • 812-422-1650 • brianksmithlaw.com

Special Advertising Section In-Session with Local Attorneys

protection by registration, businesses may use nondisclosure agreements and postemployment restrictive covenants to restrict access to confidential information and maintain trade secrets.” The consequences of failing to secure your business’ intellectual property can be swift, devastating, and potentially irreversible. “Unless a business officially secures its intellectual property, others may more easily take such brands and ideas for themselves. The odds of beating content and idea thieves are much higher if your intellectual property is protected,” Claybourn says. Joshua A. Claybourn is a member at Jackson Kelly PLLC focusing on intellectual property, renewable energy and utilities, commercial transactions, and state and local government. Jackson Kelly, PLLC • jacksonkelly.com

"Whether it is a start-up or a Fortune 500 company, we assist from the inception of intellectual property all the way through to the enforcement or defense of that intellectual property." Joshua A. Claybourn Member at Jackson Kelly PLLC

Approachable Attorneys The personal aspect of practicing law Attorneys know they often are meeting people experiencing a difficult life event. By practicing law related to marriage, divorce, child custody, criminal offenses, estate planning, new businesses, and traffic infractions, Conor O’Daniel, a partner at Foster, O’Daniel, Hambidge & Lynch, LLP, says the firm can confidently guide clients through any event at any stage in their life. “Taking the legal burden away is a big comfort to people,” O’Daniel says. “Whenever you anticipate major life events, whether that be a marriage, new business venture, children, or death in the family — as you face these changes in your life, it’s not a bad idea to have a conversation about ‘what should I be looking out for?’ You’d be having that conversation with your best friends. We want to be approachable in that sense. As you face these challenges, you need to have a conversation with a knowledgeable, friendly, and approachable counselor.”

Being approachable, O’Daniel says, doesn’t mean the conversation necessarily is easy. “We want to prepare someone, who is not familiar with the legal process, with guidance on our best estimate on what can be done,” he says. “It may be tough to stomach at the beginning, but people appreciate that kind of advice. You never want to get blindsided.” “Being thorough provides a roadmap of where things stand,” adds Tim Hambidge, a partner at the firm. In the event a case goes to trial, both attorneys say it’s important for an attorney to

have relevant courtroom experience and a deep understanding of their client to best serve them. “Whether it’s a divorce matter or a pre-nup or a criminal matter, you really need to learn a lot about somebody,” O’Daniel says. “As we listen, we learn quite a bit about the people we serve. Whether it is a divorce, business venture, or criminal matter, we aim to build client relationships.” “We are your attorneys from cradle to grave,” Hambidge adds. “The people we help are, first, our friends.” Foster, O’Daniel, Hambidge & Lynch, LLP • fohlaw.com

"We are your attorneys from cradle to grave. The people we help are, first, our friends." Tim Hambidge Partner at Foster, O'Daniel, Hambidge & Lynch, LLP EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 37

JACKSON KELLY CELEBRATES

200 YEARS

OF SERVING CLIENTS IN 2022

Mark T. Abell Associate

Joshua A. Claybourn Member

Marc D. Fine Member

Angela L. Freel Member

Kevin M. Halter Member

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221 NW Fifth Street • 304-284-4110 • jacksonkelly.com/offices/evansville

We are grateful for the privilege of helping clients pursue opportunities since 1822. We’ve grown from a single attorney to 160 attorneys across 10 offices in 6 states.

The one thing that hasn’t changed throughout our history is our focus on serving our clients. Our attorneys deliver thoughtful advice and cost-effective solutions in virtually all aspects of law – from litigation and commercial finance to tax matters, employee benefits, and real estate. Whether you are embarking into new endeavors, require resources for expansion and growth, or need a legal obstacle moved out of the way, our top-tier legal talent is available, ready to bring the results for your future.

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Special Advertising Section In-Session with Local Attorneys

Patrick Duff Duff Law, LLC Duff Law brings a fresh professional and personal approach to the representation of their clients. This is accomplished by placing the clients’ interests first and treating them as if they were their own. Family has always been important for Duff Law, whether it is the strong team that makes up the practice, or the families that turn to us for help. The already demanding process of navigating some of life’s hardest challenges can be even further complicated by decisions relating to child custody, parenting time, child support, and the division of marital property. Duff Law can not only give you the advice you need, but will also handle your case with dignity, compassion, and respect. When it comes to criminal defense, our practice provides counsel for all major felonies and misdemeanors. A criminal conviction can be life changing for you and your family. It is critical to have the right legal counsel that is experienced, trustworthy, and dependable. It is also important to expeditiously navigate through the investigative process, in hopes of preventing charges from ever being filed. The sooner you retain counsel, the better your chances are of successfully defending your case.

40 JUNE/JULY | 2022

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed, but Duff Law is here to listen to your needs and help you make decisions moving forward with your case. We look forward to helping you through any issue life brings your way.

111 S.E. Third St., Ste. 201 812-402-3833 • dufflawllc.com

Special Advertising Section In-Session with Local Attorneys

Separating Smoothly The challenges of divorce proceedings Marriage most often is meant to last forever, but current divorce rates show this intent does not always pan out. A problem, then, is navigating divorce proceedings when no divorce plan was put in place. Patrick Duff of Duff Law, LLC, offers some advice. “Many individuals focus solely on the immediate financial impact of a potential settlement and do not take into consideration how the settlement may affect them long term. I always advise my clients to think about how this is going to impact you years from now,” Duff says. What could damage a client's divorce case? “A situation I find concerning in a lot of divorces is if the primary financial provider for the family decides to cut the other party off financially,” Duff says. “For obvious reasons, it would not be beneficial to go into court with an individual who has been the sole financial provider for the family and then all of a sudden expect the other party to be able to provide for themselves, as well as potentially the parties’ children, without any sort of financial assistance.” How is individual property handled during a divorce? “There is a presumption that all property brought into the marriage and acquired during the marriage should be separated evenly (50/50). However, there are various means for a court to deviate from the presumed equal separation of marital property. Some of the most common examples would be property that is inherited, or property that was acquired by one party prior to the marriage,” Duff says. What role does mediation play in divorce proceedings? “Mediation is a process of trying to resolve a matter by a means alternative to litigation,” Duff says. “Often, the parties do not see or interact with one another at mediation. A professional mediator’s sole objective is to help the parties reach an agreement without anyone going to court.” Duff Law, LLC • dufflawllc.com

"I always advise my clients to think about how this is going to impact you years from now." Patrick Duff Duff Law, LLC

While expungement doesn't erase a crime, it does seal those records so that a local or state agency or potential employer cannot see that conviction.

Exploring Expungements The case for clearing a conviction “Expungement” is a word that has received more traction since Indiana’s “Second Chance Law” was passed in 2011 and revised in 2013. Expungement is determined by the kind of convictions or arrests the person has and the related timeline. More serious convictions, such as sex crimes and perjury, generally are not eligible for expungement. An arrest without conviction can be expunged after one year, while a felony downgraded to a misdemeanor can be expunged after five years. While expungement doesn’t erase a crime, it does seal those records so that a local or state agency or potential employer cannot see that conviction. After petitioning, the expungement process averages about 60 days, but it can take longer depending on the case, especially if it concerns multiple arrests, says Brian K. Smith, attorney at the Law Office of Brian K. Smith. Most counties in Indiana don’t require an expungement hearing as long as the prosecutor doesn’t object. County judges will want to ensure the person has paid any case fees as part of the criminal statute, and if involving a more serious crime, the court may have to provide notice to the crime’s victim. If the judge grants an expungement, an order is sent to agencies such as the state attorney general, state licensing, and department of corrections to have them seal any records they have regarding the conviction or arrest of that person. In the case of law enforcement, Smith says, agencies can see that person’s record. Smith says expunging a crime can positively impact a person’s ability to find work. Once a case has been expunged, “an employer can’t even ask about it. They can only ask about arrests and convictions that have not been expunged,” Smith says. State licensing agencies also won’t be able to see or consider any expunged convictions. In certain cases, a person’s right to serve on a jury or own a gun can be restored. In Indiana, having a felony conviction doesn’t necessarily remove a person’s right to vote. Law Office of Brian K. Smith brianksmithlaw.com EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 41

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www.pophamconstruction.com 42 JUNE/JULY | 2022

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Caring for the environment is important, and everyone can participate. In this section, read about local businesses and organizations that are striving to protect the environment with new initiatives, including free air sensors and recycling robots. STORIES BY JODI KEEN

Curious Collection

Air sensors are the latest addition to EVPL’s Library of Things

The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library is a haven for curiosity, but even its newest addition expands its collection to new ground. Ten portable air sensors were added to the Library of Things in April through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 5 office serving the Midwest. The sensors track particulate matter in the air, including humidity, noise, and temperature. The sensor collects data, which is uploaded to the EPA via a smart device and helps the agency track particulates in local air. The kits come with an air sensor, user guide, a smart device, and a lanyard so users can wear the sensors around their neighborhood. “By having these sensors available, we’re raising awareness of local air quality and promoting improvement in our community,” says Heather McKinney, EVPL’s writing and social media specialist. “Air quality is not something you think about every day, and it creates empathy for people who aren’t able to breathe well because of things in our air that we can’t see.” Established to expand EVPL’s collection of rentable items, the Library of Things itself encourages environmentally P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY E V P L

friendly use of common household items. Instead of purchasing a new Instant Pot, specialty cake pan, or film projector that is used once and then collects dust, library patrons can borrow the item as needed, saving money and resources from being spent unnecessarily. All Library of Things items are checked out and returned like a regular book. Checkouts are free to patrons with an EVPL library card. Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library evpl.org

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 43

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Sorted and Sourced Robot helps Tri-State Resource Recovery improve recycling efficiency

Efficiency can take many forms — something Tri-State Resource Recovery, a division of Evansville’s Urban Enterprise Association, has learned since the city’s curbside program began in the mid-1990s. TSRR’s adoption of a sortation robot dates back to 2019, when recycling markets were depressed and burdened by export restrictions. TSRR General Manager Brian Whitesell says a conversation with Berry Global about the situation led TSRR to seek a grant opportunity for new products in the areas of recycling through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. As the top grant applicant at that time, IDEM awarded TSRR $150,000, with Berry Global matching another $150,000 to purchase and install a programmable recycle sortation robot. Made by Colorado-based AMP Robotics, a leading sortation technology manufacturer, the robot was installed and has been operational since May 2021. It runs eight hours a day at TSRR’s recycling center at 1511 Harriet St. Once turned on, it can run independently until it’s shut off and sorts 80 pieces of plastic per minute, making for faster, more consistent sorting.

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The robot can sort and identify plastics with a resin identification code between 1 and 7 but is programmed to prioritize polypropylene (PP) plastics, which are a key component feed stock at Berry Global. TSRR, therefore, can sell recycled material back to a plastics manufacturer. Using the robotic sorting equipment “helps close the loop between the consumer, the recycling and sorting process, the FDA processor, and then plastic going back to the manufacturer,” Whitesell says. “In lieu of manufacturers buying virgin materials, they can capture recycled material.” Tri-State Resource Recovery evansville-recycle.org

Power Factor

Smart planning and systems can decrease consumption From electric components to smart systems, energy usage optimization often is the first step to better efficiency. “At most places, heating and cooling are the largest consumers of electrical power, so we really attack energy efficiency from two directions: consumption and generation,” says Scott Hartig, president of MelKay, which specializes in

Comfort & Savings for Your Business. ENJOY CLEANER, FRESHER AIR Let J.E. Shekell’s expert team install an iWave, air ionization device, on your businesses air conditioning system. When air passes over the iWave, ions produced by the device reduce certain bacteria and viruses, particles, smoke and odors in the air.

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• Conduct ENERGY STAR® benchmarking and audits • Uncover low- and no-cost energy saving measures • Identify efficiency opportunities and propose improvements • Recommend economizers or other controls, such as smart thermostats and Advanced Rooftop Controls (ARCs) • Regulate energy consumption and customize usage plans

Schedule your appointment today to find out your savings! Our certified technicians will provide quick, practical, economical solutions for your business.

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 45

P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY T R I -S TAT E R E S O U R C E R ECOV E Y

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Smart energy. Smart solutions. It’s a win-win. Along with boosting energy efficiency and minimizing costs, implementing green designs can help improve the long-term health of your facility and your employees. MelKay’s team of experts is able to design and install the sustainable systems that benefit your business.

The Library of Things is an extension of our collection. Categories include Outdoor Games, Musical Instruments, Arts & Crafts, Tools & Equipment, Kitchen Equipment, Health & Fitness, Baking Supplies, Outdoor Entertainment, and Gardening Tools. New to the Library of Things are portable Air Sensors. The Library of Things is here to help you discover, explore, and connect in new ways. For more information, visit evpl.org/libraryofthings. 46 JUNE/JULY | 2022

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS

mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. “The idea is to get the same benefits and functionality out of your building while utilizing less energy.” Hartig says installing energyefficient heating and cooling systems, as well as lighting, are some of the best ways to reduce energy consumption. MelKay also has installed solar panels at Tri-State businesses such as the SIGMA Group, Alpha Laser & Imaging, and Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation’s technology center on Lynch Road. Whether implemented in small offices or large distribution centers, “(Solar) can sharply reduce electric bills and greenhouse admissions,” Hartig says. MelKay performs a “power factor” audit for industrial plants that is designed to better optimize the plants’ use of power. The goal is to decrease the number of peaks during an onrush of energy and reduce the load on the electric utility. The company also has invested in solar for its own facility.

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“When COVID hit, we were looking for ways to keep our people working, so we decided to install solar on our own three buildings so we could avoid layoffs,” Hartig says. “It was a good opportunity to walk our own talk.” MelKay melkay.com

‘Where’s My Bridge?’ Regional trails groups advocate for local ‘railwith-trail’ option

BY INDIANA TRAILS COMMUNITY, WITH JODI KEEN Advocating for non-motorized pathways and hike-bike routes in Indiana and across state lines, the Indiana Trails Community sees an opportu-

nity for enhanced accessibility in the Tri-State’s Interstate 69 bridge project. ITC supports the work of local trails groups, frequently in collaboration with them, and has “railbanked” or leased dozens of miles of former railroad corridors for interim trail use and/or future reintroduction of rail service. ITC endorses a nationally utilized concept called “railwith-trail” where multi-use paths and public transit share right-of-ways, but are parallel, separated by physical barriers. “Pedestrian, bicycle, and wheelchair accommodations will positively impact our region economically and the quality of place overall, benefiting everyone,” says Evansville Trails Coalition Director Lorie Van Hook. In the Tri-State, ITC supports the ETC’s efforts to build a safe, separate, protected bike-hike path across the Ohio River from Evansville to Henderson, Kentucky, beside Interstate 69 or on the southbound U.S. 41 bridge. ITC and ETC’s plans mirror similar bridge

Melmar has the experience and connections necessary to successfully navigate all economic conditions, and help your firm expand its competitive edge. • BUILD TO SUIT • ASSET BROKERAGE • GENERAL CONTRACTING 1524 Kimber Lane, Evansville • 812-421-0066 • www.melmar.us EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 47

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812-479-0771

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path projects in Louisville, Kentucky; Madison, Wisconsin; and across the Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky. “Forward-thinking states realize that non-motorized access to bridge crossings is not only an economic issue, it is also a matter of social justice,” says ITC board member Jim Garlits. To draw awareness to its “Where’s my Bridge?” campaign, ITC has launched a change.org petition. Read more at https://www.change.org/p/where-s-my-bridge. Indiana Trails Community indianatrails.com

Up to Date

Invest in regular maintenance to keep your home’s equipment running efficiently Benjamin Franklin is credited with coining the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and the HVAC technicians at J.E. Shekell, Inc. agree with that sentiment. “Providing maintenance is so critical,” says Tom East, the company’s director of residential HVAC. “Get involved with a maintenance program. It’s no different than going to your doctor. These things are very expensive to fix nowadays.” As part of J.E. Shekell’s ARMOR Protec-

tion Plan, technicians visit members’ homes in the spring and fall to check HVAC systems for a variety of potential problems, saving homeowners time, money, and energy consumption. Improved Energy Efficiency Particularly during spring inspections, technicians disassemble the air conditioner unit to clean out debris — especially the cottonwood prevalent in southern Indiana — from the inside. “If you have a system that has an air conditioner or filters that are so clogged the air can’t pass through, the system must run harder. Cleaning the air conditioner and filters can save up to 30 percent of the energy you’re using,” says Jeff Bruce, J.E. Shekell’s sales and marketing leader. Extending the Lifespan of Heating and Cooling Equipment “Maintenance isn’t a one and done kind of thing, and the benefits of the service compound best when it’s administered over time,” East says. “This goes for optimizing the system for higher efficiency, avoiding repairs, and increasing the over-

P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY J . E . S H E K E L L , I N C .

WHY IS RECYCLING AND LANDFILL DIVERSION IMPORTANT FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT? Protects ecosystems and wildlife • Conserves our natural resources • Saves energy Reduces the need to harvest new materials • Reduces carbon emissions Saves money • Educates people about the importance of protecting the environment Reduces incineration • Creates jobs • Brings people together

Tri-State Resource Recovery is a not-for-profit material recovery facility dedicated to keeping Evansville green and fulfilling our mission. We accept commercial accounts only. Products include cardboard, paper and plastic by straight truck, trailer loads or tipped from an industrial truck on the floor. No pick up trucks.

1511 Harriet Street, Evansville, IN 47710 • mpatton@evansville-recycle.org EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 49

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VANDERBURGH COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS ONLY

812-985-6653 pacefieldservices.com

VISIT OUR UPCOMING RECYCLE EVENTS:

INDUSTRIAL TESTING FOR

Electronics Recycling

Airborne Asbestos, Dust & Metals •

July 16 and September 24 8 am – Noon, Civic Center parking lot

Welding Fumes • Silica •

ITEMS TO BRING:

Chemicals / VOC’s • Noise Exposure Levels • Hundreds of Airborne • Contaminants Steve Plough, President

Reduce Reuse Recycle Rethink

• Computers & laptops • Monitors • Printers • Hard drives

• TVs • Cell phones • Digital cameras • Cables & cords

Tox-Away Day

October 8 9 am – 1 pm, Civic Center parking lot

RESIDENTIAL TESTING FOR • Radon

ITEMS TO BRING:

• Mold Allergens

• Motor oil, gas, anti-freeze & fluids

• Asbestos

• Oil based paint, solvents & thinners

• Lead-Based Paint • Bacteria

FOR MORE INFO

Call the Solid Waste District: (812) 436-7800

• VOC’s Jennifer Ethridge, P.G. Sr. IH Tech

50 JUNE/JULY | 2022

• Household cleaners • Pesticides & herbicides • Pharmaceuticals • Smoke detectors

WWW.EVANSVILLE.IN.GOV/RECYCLE

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS

all life expectancy of the HVAC system.” Additional benefits of the ARMOR Protection Plan include securing top priority for maintenance calls and discounts on additional services. “We want to make sure our customers get to see the value we bring with our ARMOR protection plan,” East says. J.E. Shekell, Inc. shekell.com

Enlightened and Engaged

TO P P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY W E S S E L M A N WO O D S . B OT TO M P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

Wesselman Woods balances ecosystem preservation with public education Extensive research, planning, and labor are integral parts of preserving the forest and wetlands in Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve’s care. As such, a delicate balance takes place between the public and the important urban ecosystem residing in Evansville. “We want people to enjoy the forest with the least amount of disturbance,” says Cindy Cifuentes, Wesselman

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Woods’ director of natural resources and research. “Letting the public visit is essential in protecting the nature preserve. We have an important, fragile ecosystem in the middle of our city. The more opportunities you have to learn about it, the deeper your understanding, and that leads to a deeper appreciation for the woods.” Part of that education involves opportunities to truly dig in. Volunteers join Wesselman Woods staff in tracking the 300 to 500 salamanders who migrate through the forest and help remove invasive species from the land. The prairie at Howell Wetlands, also managed by Wesselman Woods, has undergone extensive maintenance and reseeding with the help of volunteers. And each winter, the sap from 17 sugar maple trees must be tapped in a laborious process. “We couldn’t get things done by staff alone,” Cifuentes says. “We have loyal and dedicated volunteers.” Tri-State residents also are encouraged to engage with Wildlife Watch, a citizen science project Cifuentes started. Trail cameras allow spectators at home to view wildlife in the woods, while the images they capture are uploaded to an online database. “It’s a great way for the public to see what goes on in the forest when no one’s around,” she says. “It gives people a better understanding of who we share the city with.” Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve wesselmanwoods.org

Waste Not

Melmar Properties working to create efficient, useful buildings Business owners building a facility can embrace the luxury of designing their new site to their exact wishes. But how does a contractor meet those desires while being good environmental stewards? Brian Hutchinson, a partner at Melmar Properties, says the process begins with the plans. “How the facility operates for their business comes first,” he says. “We look at the needs of their firm and how their facility functions for them to do their business.” Making the construction process less wasteful is an important early point achieved through analyzing the general ideas of space, lighting and HVAC requirements, and offices. Hutchinson says a big factor in planning is to reduce the building’s heat load from equipment and lighting. Once contractors know where and what the facility’s heat load is, they can begin plugging in strategic mechanical systems to offset it. “Construction waste has been more of a topic over the past couple of years, such as using renewable materials for aesthetic features,” Hutchinson says. “Some corporate clients are asking, ‘How can we substitute a renewable or recycled material into the building? How can construction minimize what goes into a landfill?’” Hutchinson says material options are growing to meet those client desires. “The commercial side doesn’t have much waste because we use a lot of steel, and unused steel gets recycled automatically. More composites — recycled plastics — are coming out because of the rising price of steel. Depending on how they’re supported, composites can be used,” he says. “It’s a good change on everyone’s part.” Melmar Properties melmarrealty.com EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 51

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P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY T H E R OTA RY C L U B O F E VA N S V I L L E

BUSINESS LIFE

D-PATRICK HONDA CHECK PRESENTATION TO THE ISAIAH 1:17 PROJECT APRIL 6, D-PATRICK HONDA Justin Robinson, Aaron Coulter, and Jeremy Seger

EXPANSION RIBBON CUTTING MAY 5, REXING COMPANIES Employees, family members, and supporters

KIWANIS CLUB OF NEWBURGH WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS APRIL 5, KIWANIS CLUB OF NEWBURGH, INDIANA Doyle Bedwell, Logan Robinson, Arnold Sorenson, Adrienne Murphy, Scott Murphy, Ann Heathcott, Todd Heathcott, Sidney Hardgrave, Andreas Hardgrave, Edwin Cahill, Melinda Remley, and Ryan Rokicki

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ROTARY CLUB OF EVANSVILLE WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS MAY 10, BALLY’S CONFERENCE CENTER Josh Bowman and Christy Walker

BOSSE HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES FIVE NEW TENNIS COURTS APRIL 7, BENJAMIN BOSSE HIGH SCHOOL Benjamin Bosse High School student-athletes and athletic instructors, EVSC administrators, donors, and community supporters

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P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY C H R I S B E R N E K I N G P H OTO G R A P H Y

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 ECO N O M I C I M P R OV E M E N T D I S T R I C T

DOWNTOWN EVANSVILLE SIDEWALK SALE Children’s book author Courtney Daughtery

MAY 7, MAIN STREET

UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR PRESS CONFERENCE APRIL 21, UE MEEKS FAMILY FIELDHOUSE Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried, Ace Purple, and Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz

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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 has hired two new members to its team. Kevin Goodbar is the Art Director for Evansville Living, KEVIN GOODBAR Evansville Business, Evansville Living City View, and other ancillary publications. Born in Kansas, Goodbar was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and spent most of his life in BAILEY BRUSH Texas. He most recently worked for D Magazine in Dallas, Texas, for six and a half years, and also has held positions at Austin Monthly, St. Louis magazine, and 5280 in Denver, Colorado. He received his bachelor’s degree in visual communications from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, and has been honored by industry organizations such as Communications Arts, the Society of Publication Designers, and the City and Regional Magazine Association. Bailey Brush is the 2022 summer design intern and Western Kentucky University Student Publications fellow. A rising junior at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Brush is a visual arts graphic design major who also is pursuing a UX design certificate. The Evansville native graduated from Mater Dei High School in 2020 and will serve as the design editor for Cherry Creative, a student production group at WKU.

B BUSINESS SUCCESS

On-Air Awards

niversity of Southern Indiana communications students have seen major wins in the Spring 2022 semester. The school’s radio and television program earned top rankings from the Broadcasting Education Association, while communications swept awards at the annual Indiana Association of School Broadcasters competition. The USI RTV program in April was named the 39th top winning overall program and seventh best audio program in the U.S. and ranked in the top 30 for sports broadcasting. The rankings are based on results of the BEA Festival of Media Arts international media competition. Ten USI students were honored at the IASB’s college broadcasting competition March 26 in Carmel, Indiana. 95.7 The Spin members Cole Carter, Dell

BY DALLAS CARTER

Cripe, Tyler Huyser, Max Edwards, and Andrew Newland earned first place in categories from radio play-by-play to radio newscast. Second-place winners included Terra Klonne, Lauren Pilkington, and Matthew Will of 95.7, and Dalton Biggs of the digital advanced audio production class. Andrew Newland (95.7) and Brody Atchley (digital advanced audio production) both earned third-place honors. “I am so very proud of our students’ achievements and success in broadcasting,” says Melinda Roberts, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “These awards reflect the impressive work our students are doing in the radio station and in the classroom, as well as the high-quality faculty that mentor them.” USI.EDU/LIBERAL-ARTS/COMMUNICATIONS/

University of Evansville has appointed two new members to its staff. Holly Carter is the new executive director and dean of HOLLY CARTER Harlaxton College, UE’s study abroad center. Carter served as interim principal of Harlaxton for the past two years. She previously worked as the director of programs KENNETH “ZIGGY” SIEGFRIED for Harlaxton and UE’s director of education abroad. Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried is the new director of athletics, after previously serving as athletics director and associate vice president for student affairs at California State University, Bakersfield, California.

54 JUNE/JULY | 2022

P H OTO P R OV I D E D BY T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H E R N I N D I A N A

On a national level, he is on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association board and in his third year serving on the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program committee. In conference, he is on the Big West Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee and the NCAA Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association ScholarAthlete Team committee and has been on the conference championships committee for both the Western Athletic and Big West conferences. He received his bachelor’s degree in education and sports management in 2003 from the University of Memphis, Tennessee, his master’s degree in sports administration in 2004

from Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and his doctorate in education from the University of Memphis in 2019.

Commonwealth Engineers, Inc. has hired Jeff Lashlee as the newest member of its project management team. Serving JEFF LASHLEE in the company’s Bowling Green, Kentucky, office, Lashlee received a degree in civil engineering in 1990 from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee. A L L P H OTO S P R OV I D E D U N L E S S N OT E D

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IN THE NEWS

promotions. Thomas Ruder, senior vice president of investments of the Evansville Private THOMAS RUDER Client Group office of the firm’s brokerdealer subsidiary, Stifel, Nicolaus, & Company, Inc., has qualified for the Chairman’s Council. Based on his 2021 production, BRYAN RUDER the appointment puts Ruder among 378 of Stifel’s top-producing financial advisors out of approximately 2,300 currently employed advisors nationwide. Ruder joined Stifel in 2015 and has been published in Registered Representative and Institutional Investor magazines. Bryan Ruder of the Ruder Investment Group in the firm’s same location has been promoted to first vice president of investments. He joined Stifel in 2015 after receiving a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in personal finance planning from Hanover College, Hanover, Indiana. Ruder is the board president of Ark Crisis Child Care Center, a board trustee at Hanover College, and a member of the Evansville Estate and Financial Planning Council.

Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation Board of Trustees has appointed a new boys’ head basketball coach at F.J. Reitz High AUSTIN BROOKS School. Austin Brooks, who will also teach at Reitz, has coached high school basketball at Evansville Day School and McCluer South Berkeley High School, St. Louis, Missouri. For the past three years, he coached at Boonville High School, Boonville, Indiana, and led the team to its first sectional championship game in more than 10 years. Brooks holds the top records for field goals, free throws, and assists at Ancilla College, Donaldson, Indiana, which he attended before playing at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois and graduating in May 2008.

Henderson Chamber of Commerce has welcomed Clay Gillham as events and communications coordinator. Gillham will

56 JUNE/JULY | 2022

assist in event planning, marketing and communications, and other support for the business organization in Henderson, Kentucky.

University of Southern Indiana has announced Del Doughty as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Effective July 1, DEL DOUGHTY Doughty succeeds James Beeby, who served for five years, and Melinda Roberts, who just completed a year as interim dean. Previously the dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education at Texas A&M University, College Station,

Texas, Doughty began his career in 1996 at Huntington University, Huntington, Indiana. For the past 20 years, he has served as a volunteer or board member for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, Habitat for Humanity, and the Literacy Council of Miller and Bowie counties. A first-generation college graduate, he holds a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing and a master’s degree in humanities from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, and a doctorate in comparative literature from Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania.

Reitz Memorial High School has hired its next principal, Aaron M. Schmitt. Previously the school’s social studies teacher and

B BUSINESS SUCCESS

A Fine Farewell BY DALLAS CARTER

fter 36 years in economic development, Greg Wathen, president of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, has announced his retirement. Effective in fall 2022, his retirement ends more than 15 years of service to the Tri-State, including the formation of E-REP and his position as the first and only president and CEO of the former Economic Development Coalition, which he held for 14 years. The coalition merged with the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce and Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville to form E-REP in 2021. “From Day One, my goal for the E-REP merger was to ensure that we collectively laid a EVANSVILLEREGION.COM solid foundation for the future to build a stronger regional voice, and I believe that process is well underway,” says Wathen. Wathen’s achievements include initiating the concept of Downtown’s Post House development and securing $42 million in Regional Cities Initiative funding to help create projects to attract talent to the region and leverage nearly $1 billion in public and private investment. He has twice earned the designation of a top 50 economic developer in North America from Consultant Connect, a national consulting and networking firm based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “The region is on a great trajectory for a prosperous future, and I am humbled to have played a small role in helping to make Evansville and Southwest Indiana a better place to live,” he says. Jenna Richardt, vice president for community and economic development, will serve as the lead economic and community development contact as Wathen readies for his last day in the office.

P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

Stifel Financial Corp. has announced two staff

department chair, he will be responsible for academic affairs and day-to-day operations as of July 1. A 2004 alum, Schmitt received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education - social science from the University of Southern Indiana in 2009, and a master’s degree in educational psychology in 2015 from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.

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Schultheis Insurance has promoted commercial lines customer service agent Cassie Noah to director of commercial CASSIE NOAH lines service operations. Noah joined Schultheis in October 2011 and is an alumna of the University of Southern Indiana. She is active in the Junior League of Evansville and formerly served as president.

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the newest edition to its engineering team. Staff electrical engineer Mauricio Godinez served as MAURICIO GODINEZ an electrical engineer at BCCLT, Inc. and completed two bachelor’s degrees in engineering and electrical engineering at the University of Southern Indiana.

Banterra Bank has announced Gary Dillard will join the executive management team as executive vice president and chief financial ofGARY DILLARD ficer. Dillard, a Southern Illinois native, was most recently the tax managing director at KPMG in St. Louis, Missouri. He will replace Banterra’s current CFO Barbara McKenzie, who will now serve as executive vice president and chief financial officer – transition executive. Dillard received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and master’s degree in accounting from Southeastern Illinois College, Harrisburg, Illinois. He is a certified public accountant in both Illinois and Missouri and a volunteer coach.

Ivy Tech Community College Evansville has hired two new employees to its team.

Gina Schmitz is the director of student

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IN THE NEWS life and Carmen Davis is accounts receivable clerk. Schmitz most recently served as international admissions coordinator for the University of Southern Indiana. She has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and global business from the University of Mobile, Alabama, and a master’s degree in business administration from USI. Davis previously worked as field operations administrative assistant for MetroNet.

DEPARTURES

University of Evansville has announced the departure of men’s head basketball coach Todd Lickliter and his staff. The announcement was the first major development under the newly hired director of athletics, Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried. Lickliter was named head coach on Jan. 21, 2020 to replace Walter McCarty and oversaw the program throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. UE Athletics and President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz made the announcement at a press conference on May 5 inside the Fifth Third Bank Basketball Practice Facility on campus.

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

A team from the University of Southern Indiana has been named overall champion at the Econ Games 2022. The team of students from the USI Romain College of Business, consisting of economics majors Parker Collignon, Jailine McElroy, Cole Stephenson, and Elijah Toavs, competed in the two-day event hosted by University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics in Lexington, Kentucky. This was the team’s and faculty adviser Daria Sevastianova’s second appearance. They beat out 10 other teams from competing universities for a cash prize of $1,500 and five-year Stata licenses.

Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has received two awards from Leadership

Everyone’s 27th Annual Celebration of Leadership. The Project or Program Award in Education was awarded to Tutor.com, EVPL’s free resources and services website in partnership with Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. The Book N’ Cook education initiative for children ages 8 to 10 with Urban Seeds and Princeton, Indiana’s Legacy Taste of the Garden and won the Regional Collaboration Award.

Easterseals Rehabilitation Center has raised $905,433 from its 45th annual Easterseals Telethon, which ended at 7 p.m. April 8. The show aired live on ABC 25/CW7 — the only station in the U.S. to donate 100 percent of production and air-time costs for a local Easterseals telethon — from the center’s facility at 3701 Bellemeade Ave. Hosts from Eyewitness News, including Brad Byrd, Shelley Kirk, Wayne Hart, Ange Humphrey, and Ron Rhodes, facilitated the fundraiser and guest appearances by the E’ville Iron Street Rod Club’s annual Telethon Cruise-in and Mayor Lloyd Winnecke declaring “Easterseals Day” in Evansville. All proceeds help provide inclusive early education and essential therapy services for Tri-State children and adults with disabilities.

Evansville Regional Economic Partnership has elected Farmer Scott Ozete Robinson & Schmitt LLP partner, Laura A. Scott, LAURA A. SCOTT to its board of directors. One of the state’s largest economic development business organizations,

B BUSINESS SUCCESS

Top of the Line

n April 26, the US News & World Report released its school rankings, an annual analysis of the country’s public and private education institutions. The TriState was soon buzzing with the news that one local school had a prominent place on several lists. Signature School, a public charter free to attend for students whose applications are accepted, was ranked the No. 1 Charter School in the nation, with an overall scorecard of 99.98 out of 100. The scorecard grades different factors including graduation rate — of which Signature has a 100 percent —

58 JUNE/JULY | 2022

and subject proficiency, such as Signature’s 98 percent in reading. The score also launched Signature into the second-place position for most challenging school in the nation, per the Jay Matthews Challenge Index, with 100 percent of students taking and passing at least one Advanced Placement exam. It was also named the No. 3 overall best school in the nation behind Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, and Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston, South Carolina.

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P H OTO BY J O D I K E E N

BY DALLAS CARTER

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Ivy Tech Community College has announced the winners of the annual Automotive Technology Skills Competition at its Evansville campus. Isaac Ahl from Tell City High School, Tell City, Indiana won first place, a $2,000 academic scholarship, and a $1,000 tool scholarship. Second place went to Elliot Rahman of Heritage Hills High School, Lincoln City, Indiana, third to Chris Wilkins of Tell City, and fourth to Levi Smith of Tell City. The students competed in eight skills stations including alignment, no start, tire pressure monitoring, and an Automotive Service Excellence written test. Funding for the award scholarships was provided by Larry’s Automotive Repair, Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, Raben Tire & Auto Service, Expressway Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, Kenny Kent Toyota, Duell’s Evansville Hyundai Evansville Kia, and the Technician Academy. WWW.THREEIDESIGN.COM

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Field & Main Bank has been named one of the top extraordinary banks in the U.S. by the Institute for Extraordinary Banking. Based in Henderson, Kentucky, Field & Main was recognized with two awards: the Banky award and the Thank God It’s Monday Banky award. This top culture award is given by a panel of industry experts.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has presented the 2022 McGary Jones Visionary & Humanitarian Award to (D) Wayne Kinney, lifelong Evansville resident and main benefactor, along with his wife Beth, of the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic

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IN THE NEWS Garden’s Kinney Family Penguins of Patagonia Exhibit. Kinney received the award at the United Way of Southwest Indiana’s annual Day of Caring on April 22. The award was named for the City of Evansville’s founder Hugh McGary Jr. and retired bank executive Bob Jones, the award’s first recipient in 2019.

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The Allstate Foundation has donated about $12,000 to the Kiwanis Club of Historic Newburgh over the past 12 years. Local AllState representative Laura Sanders also recently gave her time and helped secure two $500 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands Grants. Since its first meeting in 1988, the Kiwanis Club has given about $300,000 to the community.

D-Patrick Ford/Lincoln has presented a $2,500 check to the Marian Educational Outreach as part of its $10 per test drive event to make donations to local charitable organizations. Marian Educational Outreach is a ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Evansville that provides educational opportunities to students within the Catholic school systems with unique learning needs, as well as their instructors. GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT

We seek long-term business relationships based on mutual respect among our employees and clients. After 36 years, Project Associates still provides services to our original three clients. This speaks to our track record of quality, commitment, safety and innovation.

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Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library has announced its partnership with Driving

for Change, Sensory Inclusion to offer sensory-friendly bags for library users. Visitors to all EVPL locations will have access to bags that include noise-canceling headphones, sensory activities, and more.

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IN THE NEWS

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new location. The new site at 691 Diamond Ave. officially opened on April 4 and will offer clients easier access to services, as well as two additional drive-up lanes and security deposit boxes. The former branch at 840 Diamond Ave. will serve as the credit union’s administrative center.

Downtown Henderson Partnership has announced its collaboration with the

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Diamond Valley Federal Credit Union has moved its Diamond Avenue branch to a

Henderson Chamber of Commerce in Henderson, Kentucky, to make DHP a division of the Chamber. As part of the merger, businesses that are members of both organizations will now have one membership with full benefits from both entities.

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In addition, EVPL Central has monthly Sensory Storytime and a Sensory Room so children with sensory processing differences and other conditions can have a safe, calm space to learn.

Ivy Tech Community College has partnered with The PepsiCo Foundation to launch the Uplift Scholarship program in support of Black and Hispanic students pursuing two-year degrees and professional certificate programs. 52 Black, Latino, and Hispanic students studying information technology and advanced manufacturing will be supported with financial assistance, dedicated success coaches, access to emergency grants, and financial literacy courses. In total, Ivy Tech received $400,000 in scholarship funds for the program, which is offered at 20 community colleges across the country and has distributed more than $100,000 so far. To be eligible, students must be new first-time students enrolled at least half-time for a credential/degree in information technology or advanced manufacturing with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a current FASFA on file.

Fifth Third Bank has provided an additional $15,000 to the Jacobsville Advantage in partnership with Embrace Marketing and Communications. Launched in October 2021, Jacobsville Advantage is an initiative to fuel the growth and development of businesses in the Jacobsville neighborhood north of Downtown. Fifth Third’s grant, including the initial $25,000 provided last year, support ongoing, discounted services from Embrace to several neighborhood organizations and

businesses, including Foster Care in the US Inc., GaylaCake, Zesto on Franklin, and the Jacobsville Fine Arts Association. Embrace, a student-run marketing agency based at the University of Evansville, offers services including website creation and redesign, print materials, video advertisements, social media services, and more. To apply for the program, visit jacobsvilleadvantage.org.

The University of Southern Indiana has announced several new partnerships to expand programs and opportunities for students. USI and Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences have agreed to offer a doctor of pharmacy pathway that will give students a degree in a more affordable and efficient timeframe by allowing eligible students at USI who have completed three years of all prerequisite courses in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry to matriculate into the Sullivan University program at its locations in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. USI has also joined with SIGMA Group for the construction of electronic testing and repair benches for SIGMA

Surplus by USI’s engineering department. Two students, Gregory Clevidence and Brenden Bittner, worked on the project with Bradley Kicklighter, advisor and clinical assistant professor of engineering technology.

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union has announced a company-wide rebrand that will take place in mid-September and include a name change. Rebranding to Liberty Federal Credit Union, the financial institution says its decision is not tied to any recent or pending acquisitions but a desire for a fresh identity and reflection of its growth over the past few years. The credit union currently has 28 branches across Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and will open a new branch in Jasper, Indiana, next summer. ETFCU has operated under the name since it was founded by local teachers in 1936.

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Berry Global.................................................25

N.M. Bunge, Inc...............................................2 Boren Bernardin Schiff Wealth Advisors..................................14 Newburgh Dermatology......................10 Northwestern Mutual................... 16, 17 CenterPoint Energy Service Company, LLC......................................44 P.A.C.E. Field Services, Inc....................50 CrossPoint Polymer Parrish Consulting Services, Inc.....59 Technologies.........................................34 Pass Pest Control....................................60 D-Patrick Motoplex....................................1 PCI, a Salas O’Brien Company..........10 Duff Law, LLC.......................................40, 41 Pettinga Financial Advisors.................7 Dyna-Kleen....................................................57 Popham Construction..........................42 Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-Rep).......................24 Project Associates.................................60 RE/MAX/Richardson, Mike.............IFC Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union....................................... OBC Shepherd Insurance, LLC....................20 Evansville Vanderburgh Signarama....................................................63 Public Library..............................43, 46 Southern Business First Bank.........................................................5 Machines, Inc........................................62 Foster, O’Daniel, Hambidge Straub Mower Service, LLC.............57 & Lynch............................................35, 37 Summit Real Estate Services............5 Frank’s Catering.......................................63 Three I Design.............................................59 IBEW NECA JATC, (EPIC)...................... 48 Tucker Publishing Indiana Trails Community....47, 49, 50 Group.................................34, 53, 55, 61 J.E. Shekell....................................45, 49, 51 Urban Enterprise Association/TriState Resource Recovery....45, 49 Jackson Kelly PLLC................35, 37-39 Vanderburgh County Solid Jade Investments Waste District.....................................50 and Retirement..................................22 Keller Schroeder.......................................19 Vowells & Schaaf, LLP...........................62

Landscapes By Dallas Foster, Inc....12 Warehouse Services.............................22 Wesselman Woods Law Office of Brian K. Smith......36, 41 Nature Preserve................................51 Lieberman Technologies........................8 When The Time Comes..........................11 Link Graphics..................................................8 Woodward Commercial M. Holland.......................................................23

Realty, Inc.........................................................IBC

EVANSVILLE BUSINESS | 63

BACK TALK E

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

Jacqueline Russell EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Southern Indiana RESUME: cash management sales and service, Old National Bank; asset allocation program specialist, Old National Trust Company; business development and client management, Integra Wealth Management; trust administrator, client

“I

’m a total reflector,” says Jacqueline Russell, vice president and trust specialist at Baird Trust Company. “I like to think about things, but as I started thinking about this (interview), I thought, what a great platform for me to be able to use my experiences to benefit other women and maybe other young professionals who are coming up that want to look at career paths of someone who might be similar to them.” On the surface, Russell’s statement may appear a simple realization, but it is a testament to the mentality that has propelled her through more than 30 years in financial services and local nonprofits. The second of 10 siblings, Russell grew up as the “assistant boss” under her older sister. She says she was taught and expected to help those around her, and it turned into a sense of responsibility that has spurred a lifetime of mentorship. In addition to her tenured career at some of Evansville’s top financial institutions, Russell was a founding member and currently is on the advisory board of Holly’s House, a non-residential child and adult victim advocacy center. She’s also volunteered with and sat on the boards of more than 10 nonprofits. She was a YWCA mentor and is a member of Baird’s women’s employee resource group, Ascend.

AS A WOMAN IN FINANCE, WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU FACED? HAS THAT EXPERIENCE AFFECTED HOW YOU APPROACH YOUR ROLE? I got into the trust area, and so that’s what brought me into this industry in a bigger

64 JUNE/JULY | 2022

advisor, and certified financial planner license, Old National Wealth Management; vice president and trust officer, and certified trust and fiduciary advisor, Baird Trust Company (2016-present)

HOMETOWN: Newburgh, Indiana FAMILY: Husband, Rodney; son, Wesley (14); dog, Parker

way. I would go to these huge symposiums and there’d be 10 percent women, and we’re talking hundreds of people. Growing up with six brothers, I was around males my whole life, but then I softened up and became a mentor. So, I wasn’t intimidated by that because I knew I had a lot to bring to the table and it’s just my background. It did make me work harder because there was a stigma that women maybe — not that they didn’t belong — but it was more dominated by males. It was kind of special to be unique at the time. And I was like, I’m going to embrace this. It made me work so much harder to really receive the respect of my male peer group. I wanted to really embrace that challenge and hopefully be successful in it.

WHAT DOES THE WORD “MENTORSHIP” MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED THAT IN YOUR CAREER? It’s really about setting a good example. One of the things that my mom instilled in me was doing the right thing. We’re a Catholic family; we went to church every week. I went to a religious grade school. And so, it was all about setting a good example, being the best version of yourself. And I wanted to carry that through. I try to think about that every single day. What is the best version of yourself, and how do you want other people to see you? In my profession, unfortunately I have to go to funerals. So, how do you want to be remembered? I want to be remembered in a positive way, that I cared about people, that I wanted to make a difference, and that I helped others.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR FINANCES? If we think about the evolution of women in careers and work life, not only are they doing what their moms did, but they also do what their dads did. So, they don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to it. There was a study done that two-thirds of women said that they deferred those financial matters to their spouse because of the demands and they don’t have the time. Some women don’t have spouses. We have a lot of blended families in the world, and so what do they do? Something that women can do is really to talk to other people who are in the industry, just to do their own little research, and then to take a class and start with the basics. We’re trying to help women carve out that time. It’s finding the time, and you have to make it a priority. We’ve got something called the WomenAtBaird.com space where we’re focused on women’s wealth.” P H OTO BY Z AC H S T R AW

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