Quartely Business Magazine by Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce

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owensboro

SECOND Quarter 2014

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Hampton, Holiday inns vital to convention center, downtown Page 10

2 Greater Owensboro Business

SECOND Quarter 2014

In this issue from the chamber

“T

ell your stor y, tell it well and tell it often.” It’s a saying that stuck with me after a meeting many moons ago with a large public relations firm. Business owners, if you don’t work to tell your own stor y, no one else will. And that’s why the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce works to build programs that allow you to do just that. Amy Jackson Our Business of the Year Awards proPresident gram allows our member businesses and Greater Owensboro nonprofits to take some time to brag about Chamber of Commerce themselves and their efforts in our community. The chamber’s strength in this community rests solely on its members and their investment in the community and in our organization. The chamber wants to celebrate each day with members and the way they ser ve their customers, grow their businesses, give back to the community and create this great sense of place that Greater Owensboro has. We hope that the 2014 Business of the Year awards program has helped do that for the six winners. Please, take time to get to know the Business of the Year award winners you’ll find highlighted in this issue. And, please remember to buy local, shop local and support local businesses in order to keep Owensboro on the move! Amy Jackson President and CEO Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce

business greater

owensboro

Second Quarter 2014 Vol. 10 • Number 2

back in the game Owensboro Convention Center already busy

grand opening gala

The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront at 401 West Second St.

Convention Center hosts event to celebrate opening of facilities checking in

Hampton, Holiday Inns vital to Convention Center, downtown

and the winner is...

Chamber launches new awards to recognize more members hard hitting

Dinger Bats opens corporate office in Owensboro

Welded together

on the cover

Castlen Welding does agricultural, industrial work

on the move

Local business leaders on the move in their industry and in the community membership matters

Jim DeMaio discusses the importance of having a plan

SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

Back in the

game

Photo by John Dunham/jdunham@messenger-inqurier.com

Owensboro Convention Center already busy

The 92,000 square-foot venue offers space that conventions and meetings haven’t had since the Executive Inn ust one month after opening, closed in June 2008. The convention the Owensboro Convention Center had already hosted just center has a 44,000-square-foot exhibition hall that can be partitioned into more than a dozen events. The first Saturday in March three separate spaces. Its large, bay doors allow exhibitors found the new convention cento bring in large displays, such as farm ter hosting four -- The River combines at the Ag Expo in late JanuCity Festival of Films, the ary or kitchen and bathroom displays Owensboro Boat & Recreation Show, at the Home Builders Association of the Junior League of Owensboro’s annual Charity Ball, and Handing Back Owensboro’s Home and Garden Show. The first several weeks at the with Jason Koger, a fundraiser for sevOwensboro Convention Center went eral local charities. The opening of the Owensboro Con- well, Dean Dennis, general manager of the venue, said in mid-February. vention Center, on property which “We’re still working through getting once held the Executive Inn Rivermont and its convention space, marks a new moved in,” he said. “It’s kind of like when you get into a new home. You era for the city and county. The venue is hosting everything from fundraisers have things about the home you have to trade shows and concerts to conven- to get fixed before you can get fully up to speed.” tions. By Beth Noffsinger M e ss e n g e r - Inq u i r e r

4 Greater Owensboro Business

In mid-February, the convention center, which is managed by Global Spectrum, was still doing employee training on its systems and procedures. Staff members were also learning about the capabilities of the building. “We get asked a lot from clients,” Dennis said, “‘can we hang this? Can we do this? So we’re learning all of those kind of things that we can and can’t do in the building and developing procedures around those. “But boy we came out with such a bang, it’s been hard to catch our breath and get on to the next phase.” The Owensboro Convention Center’s first large event was the annual Ag Expo on Jan. 29. The opening weekend celebration began Jan. 31 with a grand opening gala. That gala featured a performance by country singer Sara Evans. SECOND Quarter 2014

Public tours and events continued that weekend, including a concert featuring Marty Brown and The Willis Clan on Feb. 1 and a Super Bowl party on Feb. 2. “The whole purpose of the event, our grand opening gala and grand opening weekend, were to showcase the facility and let people know what a great venue this is for their business ...,” Dennis said. The gala weekend also allowed convention center staff to showcase the capabilities of the building to regional officials. One of the things officials learned from the opening weekend is that the exhibit hall might make a good venue for concerts. The convention center was slated to host Paddy O’Beach on March 14, a concert featuring Parrots of the Caribbean, a Jimmy Buffet tribute band, and ZBTB, a Zac Brown Band tribute. Motown Hits Downtown, featuring the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, was scheduled for March 15. “We’ll know more after those events in terms of the acoustics and the ability to pull off those kinds of events,” Dennis said. “I think we were really pleasantly surprised with the ability to do music in the exhibit hall.”

The convention center’s first and foremost priority, however, is attracting regional and statewide associations as well as convention business. Those are multi-day shows that usually have hotel room nights associated with them, Dennis said, adding those events have “a bigger economic impact for us.” “We really are focused on that kind of business,” he said. The next priority are multi-day public shows. “Those are important because they bring in vendors from out of town,” Dennis said. They “bring in the regional, outlying counties to Owensboro to see those shows, so they’re very important to us.” Then, the convention center focuses on single-day events, such as wedding receptions, banquets and other functions. “We really try to stay focused on that kind of business,” Dennis said, “because I think it’s got the greatest impact.” Because the convention center is a multi-purpose facility, it allows multiple activities to take place at the same time, such as the first weekend of March. The convention center has meeting rooms and ballrooms as well as the Riverview Room and exhibition hall.

“Because we have those different spaces, we can do a lot of different things here,” Dennis said. For Shannon Wetzel, executive director of the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the new convention center offers another way to bring visitors because the facility is capable of hosting large conferences and meetings for groups and associations in the state and region. “Any time visitors come to the community to stay overnight in our hotels, they are also going to be spending money in our restaurants and other businesses,” Wetzel wrote in an email. “Those visitors boost our local economy by bringing their money and spending it here.” One of the CVB’s goals is to make sure convention visitors have such a positive experience in the community that they recommend Owensboro to other associations and groups, she wrote. “Our hope is that some of those visitors also like our community enough that they decide to bring their family back to visit for pleasure,” she wrote. Owensboro Convention Center staff are also working with local businesses, including several who are its vendors.

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Much of the convention center’s menu will be Kentucky Proud, meaning it will feature products produced in Kentucky, including purchasing items through the Owensboro Regional Farmers Market. “We try to work as much as we can with the local community,” Dennis said. The Owensboro Convention Center is in the midst of budgeting for next year, finding its way in terms of programming, how to program it and how to fund the budget and sponsor money for events, Dennis said. The convention center has also created some of its own programming. “One of our jobs is to look at the marketplace and see what we can do to help to make bigger an existing event we could possibly support in some way,” Dennis said. That includes the Better Your Backyard Outdoor Living & Gardening Expo, planned for May 9-11. It will coincide with the International Bar-B-Q Festival. That event will feature everything from grills to outdoor furniture. The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro Waterfront, which opened in January, and the Holiday Inn

John Dunham, Messenger-Inquirer/ jdunham@messenger-inquirer.com, (270) 926-0123

Boat enthusiasts browse inventory on display March 1 during the Owensboro Boat & Recreation Show at the Owensboro Convention Center. Visitors were able to see between $7 million and $10 million of watercraft during the show. Owensboro Riverfront, which will be opening in the coming months, will also be crucial to the success of the convention center. The Hampton Inn is just east of the convention center, and the Holiday Inn will be west of the events center — both will be easily accessible to the convention center. For a public space, such as a convention center, to reach its full potential, it

needs to have hotel rooms attached, Dennis said. “It’s a very critical part of it,” he said. “There are a lot of cities clamoring to get a hotel next to their public space.” Global Spectrum manages some convention centers that don’t have hotels attached or nearby, Dennis said, and that makes a difference in their ability to compete. “It’s one of the first questions meeting planners will ask,” he said. “We feel good about our ability to answer with two brand new hotels right next door.” The convention center has several events booked for the rest of this year, and it has some events booked for as far out as 2020. Dennis said 2015 is shaping up to be a better year than 2014, and he expects 2016 to be even better as the convention center continues to grow. Dennis said he was pleased during the gala weekend to see both Owensboro residents’ and people from other counties’ pride in the new Owensboro Convention Center. “People were truly happy to see their community back in the game,” he said.

A Special Publication of the Messenger-Inquirer Beth Noffsinger

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6 Greater Owensboro Business

SECOND Quarter 2014

Owensboro Convention Center Schedule

he following events are scheduled for the Owensboro Convention Center in the coming months: April 1 — Tribute Band Tuesday April 3 — Rooster Booster Breakfast April 15 — Tribute Band Tuesday April 29 — Tribute Band Tuesday May 1 — Rooster Booster Breakfast May 9-11 — Better Your Backyard May 14-15 — Kentucky Travel Industry Association Spring Travel Forum May 30-June 1 — Owensboro Flea Market June 4-6 — Kentucky Gas Association Annual Meeting June 5 — Rooster Booster Breakfast June 13-16 — OMG! CON 2014

Buying-Selling Trade Show Aug. 21-24 — River Valley Cluster Dog Show Sept. 4 — Rooster Booster Breakfast Sept. 5-7 — Owensboro Flea Market Sept. 29-Oct. 1 — Healthcare Coalition Conference Oct. 2 — Rooster Booster Breakfast Oct. 2-4 — Democratic Woman’s Club of Kentucky annual convention Oct. 3-5 — Owensboro Flea Market Oct. 19 — Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk John Dunham, Messenger-Inquirer/jdunham@messenger-inquirer.com Nov. 6 — Rooster Booster Maria Overton, left, fits a dress on Kate Rusher, 15, as Molly Deyo, right, fixes the hair of Kene Roach before they model prom Breakfast Nov. 7-9 — Kraftucky, an dresses Feb. 22 during the Your Perfect Day Wedding and Prom art and crafts expo Show at the Owensboro Convention Center. Nov. 21-23 — Owensboro Christmas Show June 27-28 — Owensboro Against Breast Cancer Dec. 4 — Rooster Booster Area Quilters Guild Show Breakfast July 3 — Rooster Booster Aug. 7 — Rooster Booster Breakfast Breakfast Dec. 5-7 — Owensboro Breakfast July 30 — Making Strides Flea Market Aug. 12-13 — Winkler

SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

Grand opening

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Jenny Beth Willis performs for the crowd on Jan. 31 during the grand opening gala for the Owensboro Convention Center.

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Above left: A server walks in between rows of preset tables in preparation for the grand opening gala for the downtown Owensboro Convention Center. Dinner was served to the 2,100 guests during the night’s event. Above right: Country singer Sara Evans sings center stage during the Owensboro Convention Center’s grand opening gala.

Above: Gala attendees partake in refreshments during the Owensboro Convention Center’s grand opening. The gala kicked off three days of events for the $39.5 million facility. Above right: Gala attendees arrive for the Owensboro Convention Center’s grand opening. Right: Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne pumps his fist next to Gov. Steve Beshear during the Owensboro Convention Center grand opening gala.

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Hampton, Holiday inns vital to convention center, downtown By Beth Noffsinger M e ss e n g e r - Inq u i r e r

or just more than 30 years, the Executive Inn Rivermont was a beacon overlooking the Ohio River in downtown Owensboro. Just a few years after that hotel was imploded, new life — and a new hospitality scene — has come to the Owensboro riverfront. The Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront opened in mid-January, just before the new Owensboro Convention Center. The Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront is

are making so many things happen here. I’m reluctant to even want to name them all, there’s so, so many people that are stepping up and investing in our community. under construction, with plans to open“They are local people. They’re not ing in the coming months. people coming in from outside investing The two hotel projects are examples in the community. They want to invest of some of the investments being made in Owensboro. They want to see these by Owensboro developers. The Hampthings happen in this community.” ton Inn was developed by the Malcolm Excitement in the city over downBryant Corp., and the Holiday Inn is a town development began when Smothpartnership between Riverfront JAM, ers Park re-opened, Payne said. which is operated by Jack Wells and “It just continues with the opening of Matt Hayden, and LinGate Hospitality, the convention center,” he said. “Of an Owensboro company founded by course, the convention center would not be the success it’s going to be without Glenn Higdon. the Hampton Inn and Suites. We had to “We would not be where we are today without our local entrepreneurs,” have a hotel next to the convention cenOwensboro Mayor Ron Payne said. ter. I can’t say enough about Malcolm “There’s just no doubt in my mind. They and Independence Bank and all the peo-

10 Greater Owensboro Business

SECOND Quarter 2014

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Curious local residents tour Lure Seafood & Grille on Feb. 1, following a ribbon cutting at the new $20 million Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront next to the Owensboro Convention Center. ple involved about making it a reality. “The Holiday Inn is just icing on the cake. To have two hotels this quick is just unbelievable. It’s far exceeded my most optimistic dreams of what was going to happen downtown and how long it was going to take to happen.”

Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront

Malcolm Bryant, president of the Malcolm Bryant Corp., said his company has been in the development and property management business in Owensboro for 34 years. “We certainly have a rhythm of goodness going on in our community,” Bryant said, “and we like to be part of things that are well done. So we invited the city to do something extremely well in their infrastructure and their public landscaping, and we promised if they would do that well, we would match it with a complimentary hotel.” The 150-room Hampton Inn & Suites is part of Hilton Worldwide Brands. Hilton, Bryant said, had an interest in taking a Hampton Inn & Suites and making it more of a Hilton-style hotel. “So here we’ve got a product that’s a convention-style hotel with a value-oriented price point,” Bryant said. “And that seemed to be a good win-win for the community.” The full-service hotel will feature several local entrepreneurs’ businesses. Lure Seafood and Grille has already

opened and is owned by the Skiadas family, who also own Famous Bistro. Changes Spa and Salon, owned by Carla Newton, and Blossoms Boutique, owned by Vicki Mills and Jessica McKinley, are also in the hotel. “Those three entities being locally owned was important for, I think, our success,” Bryant said, “that people have a sense of local ownership and pride, and those companies are owned by people who are generational, (have had) experiences here with families that go way back in the history of Daviess County and children that are coming along through the businesses that want to stay in Owensboro.” Cape Air, which offers flights from the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport to Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, also has an office in the hotel. The finished Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront turned out better than those involved with building the hotel expected, Bryant said. The contractors, designers and architects involved with creating the hotel wanted to do something special for their own businesses and for the community, he said. Every day as planning went along, officials thought about how they could make the hotel even better, Bryant said. “I think we’re creating what we always wanted to,” he said, “which was a destination site. Now, I think you can

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The Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront, a $15 million project, is being built just west of the Owensboro Convention Center. say in very respectable terms, ‘let’s go to downtown Owensboro. We’re not exactly sure what’s going on, but there’s always something going on.’”

Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront

The 123-room Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront is a partnership between LinGate Hospitality and Riverfront JAM. LinGate Hospitality operates hotels in several states, including the Courtyard by Marriott off Kentucky 54. Riverfront JAM has been involved in much of Owensboro’s downtown revitalization, including the new Texas Gas building on Second Street and Waterford Place, a condo complex that will be built near the Holiday Inn. “Early on, we had a real vision of a successful downtown,” Wells of Riverfront JAM said. “When you could see what was happening with the new parks system and the proposed convention center at the time, if you really look five years out, as most developers and business people have to do with their own business, you could really see that our downtown was on a path of success. “Matt and I wanted to be a part of that.” Construction on the Holiday Inn has been impacted by the cold, sometimes snowy, winter. Claude Bacon, vice president for administration, sales and e-commerce for LinGate, said in midFebruary that it was too early to project a completion date for the hotel because of the rough winter. Owensboro is LinGate’s hometown and where its corporate office is located. “Being involved in supporting this community as well as doing what we do best, and that’s develop and manage hotels, was a great marriage,” Bacon

John Dunham, Messenger-Inquirer/jdunham@messenger-inquirer.com

A young girl looks up toward the top of the water curtain inside the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront on Feb. 1, following a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new $20 million facility. said. “So, we’re able to do a hotel in our hometown and still be involved in a business that we all love.” The Holiday Inn will also be a fullservice hotel featuring Another Broken Egg, a breakfast/brunch restaurant that will be open daily. That chain has restaurants in several states, though the Owensboro locale will be its first in a hotel. The Holiday Inn is Riverfront JAM’s first true hotel development, though Wells has been an investor in hotels for about 10 years. Though the Hampton Inn had already been announced, Wells said the convention center would generate enough business to require a second hotel. After making a proposal to the city

12 Greater Owensboro Business

about building a hotel on the west side of the convention center, Riverfront JAM teamed up with LinGate. “They are experts in management and development of hotels,” Wells said. “We really have a great partner in Glenn and LinGate.” Ruth Ann Dearness, general manager of LinGate’s Courtyard Marriott, said the Holiday Inn’s full-service product will fit well with the Owensboro community and the market conditions. Having the two hotels downtown will help Owensboro Convention Center staff attract larger conventions, she said. “We’re just excited to be a part of all this,” Dearness said. “It’s fun. It’s a fun time to be in Owensboro.” SECOND Quarter 2014

A third hotel?

Though Payne envisions the need for a third hotel — one that’s possibly a little less expensive and further from the convention center — the Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn developers say it’s too early to tell if a third hotel with be necessary. “I think that will be determined by the market, by the demand,” Dearness said. “If the demand is there, of course there will” be another hotel. Wells said he believes the whole downtown area is in a real transition. Riverfront JAM owns eight parcels of properties in downtown, he said. “As downtown changes and transcends into a real economic powerhouse for Owensboro,” Wells said, “things will start developing on their own. So we’ll probably know within in five years what else is going to take place downtown.” Bryant said the need for a third hotel would be random right now. There might be one or two nights in the next year where officials might wish there were another 100 rooms downtown, he said, but that doesn’t pay the bills the other nights of year, adding that there is no successful economic model for a third hotel at this time.

John Dunham, Messenger-Inquirer/jdunham@messenger-inquirer.com, 926-0123

People tour the $20 million Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront hotel on Feb. 1 following a ribbon cutting at the facility. “We’ve got to grow the pie,” Bryant said, “not just compete one hotel against the other.” But Payne is convinced there will be a market for a third hotel once conven-

SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

tions start bringing “thousands and thousands” of people to Owensboro. “I think the more rooms we have in Owensboro,” he said, “the more we’re going to be able to do.”

and the winner is ...

Chamber launches new awards to recognize more members By Beth Noffsinger M e ss e n g e r - Inq u i r e r

The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce took a hiatus from its annual awards program in 2013. The organization’s small business committee spent time that year revamping the awards programming, adding new categories and accepting nominations. An outside panel was brought in to judge the awards, and winners of the inaugural Business of the Year awards were announced on Jan. 18 at the chamber’s 2014 Business Celebration at the RiverPark Center. The chamber’s awards previously honored businesses in just three categories. There are six categories in the new format. “We wanted to tr y to include all of our membership base,” said Tammy Maglinger, chair woman of the chamber’s small business committee and vice chairwoman of membership services on the chamber’s board of directors. The new awar ds ar e: Emerging Business of the Year, Business of the Year with one to 10 employees, Business of the Year with 11 to 50 employees, Business of the Year with 51 or more employees, Nonprofit of the Year and Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year. Awards that carried over from the previous program were Chamber Director of the Year, Chamber Ambassador of the Year and Connect-

Emerging Business of the Year — From left to right, Tammy Maglinger, Custom Audio Video, vice chairwoman of member services for the chamber; Jason Tanner, president of Owensboro Parent Magazine, and Bob Smiley, US Bank Home Mortgage, sponsor of Business of the Year Awards

Business of the Year, one to 10 employees — Pictured from left, Tammy Maglinger; Ben Clark, Jr., owner and operator of Bathrooms in 1 Week, and Bob Smiley. i n g Yo u n g L e a d e r s o f Owensboro Member of the Year. “It was really because we wanted to take time to make sure we were honoring all of our membership and not just our small businesses and our

entrepreneurs,” Amy Jackson, president and CEO of the chamber, said of the new awards. The awards were also incorporated into the chamber’s annual dinner. Maglinger said she was

14 Greater Owensboro Business

pleased with how the awards c a m e t o g e t h e r. G r e a t e r Owensbor o Chamber of Commerce members nominated organizations for the awards. Businesses must be chamber members to be nominated. Nominees, who could be nominated in more than one categor y, had to fill out an extensive application, and 44 nominees applied. Maglinger said she was overwhelmed by the number of nominations because there were more in 2013 than there had been in the previous four years that she headed the small business committee. In the past, the application process wasn’t as extensive, Jackson said, and the small business committee selected the winners. Seven judges spent several hours each reviewing the applications for the revamped awar ds. Nominees wer e asked to discuss in their applications areas such as financial figures, examples of excellent customer ser vice and innovation. The panel of judges came f r o m t h e c o m m u n i t y, Maglinger said, and the judges weren’t on the chamber’s board of directors. Some had experience with industries highlighted by the awards, such as small business or nonprofits. The chamber received a cross section of applications, Jackson said, with some nominees submitting stories, videos or customer testimonials. “Our members do fantastic SECOND Quarter 2014

things every day,” she said. “They choose to invest in the chamber, and we need to celebrate all the things they do on a daily basis to make their businesses grow and thrive, which in tur n makes Owensboro grow and thrive. “A lot of our businesses forget to tell their own story of the great things that they do, and we believe this is a way we can help tell their stor y, tell it well and tell it often.” The next round of nominations will star t in a few months. Maglinger said that it is important that the chamber’s nearly 900 members are showcased, saying that is what the chamber is all about. “It’s about the achievements these businesses have had in the past year,” she said. “When you are nominated by your peers, other

Business of the Year, 11 to 50 employees — From left, Tammy Maglinger; Rick Thomas, president, Unique Granite & Marble, and Bob Smiley. members, and you can showcase your achievements, I think it’s important to celebrate that.” Business of the Year award winners: Emerging Business of the Year — Owensboro Parent magazine. Owensboro

Parent magazine describes itself on its website as being “the family guide for all aspects of raising children in Owensboro.” Published by Jason Tanner, who also publishes Owensboro Living magazine, Owensboro Parent covers topics ranging

from weekend events to advice from columnists to stories from a parent who has experienced what he or she is writing about, the website states. Business of the Year with one to 10 employees -- Bathrooms in 1 Week. Bathrooms in 1 Week builds new, custom bathrooms in one week. The company was founded by Nathan Cravens in Lexington in 2006, according to its website, and after a successful launch in that city, he told Ben Clark, Jr., of Owensboro, about the business. Clark opened the Owensboro location in 2008. Business of the Year with 11 to 50 employees — Unique Granite and Marble. Unique Granite and Marble was founded on a commitment to providing outstanding ser vice. The company produces all of its countertops in a “state-of-the-art fabrication facility in

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Non-Profit of the Year — From left to right, Tammy Maglinger; Terry Brownson, CEO of Wendell Foster Campus, and Bob Smiley. Owensboro,” the website states. It has more than 800 granite slabs in stock at any given time, according to Facebook, and it car ries other materials, including marble, quar tz, limestone, onyx and travertine. Business of the Year with 51 or more employees — First Security Bank, Inc. First Security Bank is headquartered in Owensboro and serves customers in Owensboro, Lexington, Bowling Gr een, Franklin, Evansville, Ind., and Newburgh, Ind. The bank has about $430 million in assets and 11 office locations with 150 employees. “The bank dif ferentiates itself from larger competitors with its focus on relationship banking, personalized service, direct customer contact and the ability to make credit and other business decisions locally,” according to the website. Nonprofit of the Year — Wendell Foster’s Campus for Developmental Disabilities. The Wendell Foster’s Campus was founded in the 1940s by Edith and Wendell Foster, whose daughter, Louise, was born with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. The couple committed their lives to helping children with developmental disabilities, according to the organization’s website. The Wendell

Foster Campus is an organization that provides individualized support, therapy and training that empowers individuals with cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities to realize their dreams and potential. Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year — Wester n Kentucky UniversityOwensboro. WKU-O has been educating students in Owensboro for more than 40 years, according to its website. Its own campus opened in 2010, and students can get a bachelor’s or master’s degree locally. WKU-O offers 16 graduate programs and numerous cer tificates through flexible class offerings (face-to-face, online and hybrid). WKU-O has more than 40 par t-time and fulltime faculty teaching more than 200 classes each year. 2013 Chamber Director of the Year — Tammy Maglinger, who co-owns Custom Audio Video with her husband, Larry. Tammy Maglinger has a heart and mind for business, according to information provided by Jackson, and she had demonstrated true commitment to the chamber. 2013 Chamber Ambassador of the Year — Kevin Gibson, who is vice president/business development

Business of the Year, 51 or more employees — From left to right, Tammy Maglinger; Michael F. Beckwith, CFO of First Security Bank, Inc.; Lynn Cooper, CEO of First Security Bank, Inc.; John Edge, First Security Bank, Inc.; Bob Smiley; Robert Whitaker, First Security Bank, Inc.; Freddy Carr, First Security Bank, Inc. and Suzanne Blazar, First Security Bank, Inc.

Education and Workforce Development Program of the Year — From left to right, Tammy Maglinger; Gene Tice, Chancellor of WKU-O Campus, and Bob Smiley. of ficer at South Central Bank of Daviess County. Gibson has won Ambassador of the Month several times, and according to infor mation provided by Jackson, he helped recruit some of the chamber’s 88 new members in 2013 as well as retain members. 2013 Connecting Yo u n g L e a d e r s o f Owensboro (CYLO) Mem-

16 Greater Owensboro Business

ber of the Year — Luke Alexander, who is a sales rep with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Andrews zeroed in on the needs of more than 70 members of CYLO during its re-launch, according to infor mation provided by Jackson, as well as created a successful professional development roundtable. He is engaged in public affairs for Pfizer. SECOND Quarter 2014

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Hard hitting Dinger Bats opens corporate office in Owensboro

Former Brescia University golfer Shane Shepherd is director of business development for Dinger Bats with corporate headquarters at 101 E. Second St. in Owensboro.

By Beth Noffsinger M e ss e n g e r - Inq u i r e r

hen Starling Marte made his Major League Baseball debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012, he hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major league at-bat. And the bat on the connecting end of that homer was a Dinger bat, made by Dinger Bats. Dinger Bats located its corporate headquarters to downtown Owensboro in 2013. Its manufacturing facility is in Ridgway, Ill. Last year was Dinger Bats’ 11th year. Dinger Bats gave Marte an exact replica of his home run bat that it had chromed, said Shane Shepherd, director of business development for Dinger Bats. Though the company has some major leaguers swinging its bats, most of its growth has come from the combined effort of youth athletes, amateurs who use the bats and high school tournaments that use wooden bats. Dinger Bats hopes as players work their way from the minor leagues to the big league, they will decide to use Dinger Bats most of the time. “Our big goal is to get four big players under our belt, under contract — exclusivity,” Shepherd said. Dinger Bats was founded by Kyle Drone and his father, Randy. Kyle Drone played college baseball, but when aspirations of playing professional ball didn’t pan out, he turned toward production. While in college and then after graduation, he worked for a minor league team. While he was in school, some of the players didn’t have cars, so he would give them rides. They would pay him in bats since they didn’t have much money. Drone would then sell the bats he didn’t want to teammates to use in batting practice, and that’s how he made his spending money during college.

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He also learned while working for the minor league team that some of the players weren’t pleased with the quality of their wooden bats. “I thought, why couldn’t we do it?” Drone said of making bats. “I presented it to my dad. He kind of thought it was crazy at first. After a few weeks, he started noticing articles in newspapers about the dangers of aluminum bats and kids getting hurt.” So they got a lathe, Drone said. “There we were in the bat business,” he said. The corporate office opened in the Newberry-Wile Building about three months ago. Shepherd is an Owensboro native who grew up in Bullitt County, then attended Brescia University on a golf scholarship, settling in the city. His sales reps are scattered throughout the United States and in some other countries, including

Messenger-Inquirer file photo

A photo of Cincinnati Reds player Donald Lutz sits atop a rack of bats and a couple of Dinger baseball gloves in Shane Shepherd’s office at 101 E. Second St. in Owensboro. Germany, Australia and Canada. Drone said Owensboro is a very central location.

“It’s a good opportunity, I think, for us to expand,” he said. “There are a lot more resources for us to use there

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from a marketing and sales standpoint. “You can manufacture anywhere, which is why our facility here (Ridgway, Ill.) works. I just feel like it was a good move for us from a sales standpoint.” Shepherd began working as a consultant for Dinger Bats about 21⁄2 years ago, and he has been working with the company full-time for six months. “Obviously, he knows the marketing and sales side of business,” Drone said. “He knows the game, which is very important when you’re dealing with these pro players.” Dinger Bats has created a rewards program for players that swing its bats 80 percent of the time, and Shepherd said he is trying to get those awards from Owensboro businesses. When the company initially started, Drone said, it had

R. Mitch Settle, CWA® Senior Vice President Financial Consultant Shannon Raines, CRPS® Financial Associate Tara Estes Registered Sales Assistant Jennifer Wathen Registered Sales Assistant Also pictured: Heather Osborn, CFP® Hilliard Lyons Regional Wealth Planner 1035 Frederica St., Suite 100 Owensboro, KY 42301 270-926-4747 | 800-588-1598 www.settlegroup.hilliardfc.com/

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SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

ety of colors. The bats are available at a some issues on the front end with the qual- all the big league bats.â&#x20AC;? few hitting facilities around the country, He added he thinks the owner of the ity of wood because it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where but most of its retail operation is through company making playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bats carries to purchase hardwoods. the website. weight with the players when he and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our first runs werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really successLast year, Dinger Bats made 33,000 Shepherd are selling bats to professional ful, but we shut it down,â&#x20AC;? Drone said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We bats, and it hopes to increase orders and athletes. did a lot of research over the next three production to 50,000 this year, Shepherd But, whether a bat is being sold to a months, finding (and) getting samples major league star or someone just starting said. from different mills and finding out where Dinger Bats also plans to have an his career, the same quality wood is used. the best hardwoods are.â&#x20AC;? unpaid internship program in Owensboro â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our idea was, if we can Most of wood for Dinger this summer. Shepherd is working with get our bats of high quality Bats comes from the north- â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just want to put out Kentucky Wesleyan College and Brescia into the hands of the guys eastern United States, and the best possible on the program so the interns would get as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming up,â&#x20AC;? it occasionally purchases product, and I feel at college credit, and he will be looking for Shepherd said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it will be wood from Canada. Birch, interns in graphic design and sales. maple and ash are used to this point, I want to be easier for us to approach Drone said Dinger Batsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goal is to be them when they make it to make baseball bats. the one to take care of the bigs and say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;would one of the top producers of custom wood Dinger Bats has been in all the big league bats.â&#x20AC;? you be interested in trying bats in the industry. Major League Baseball for â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always said, as a kid, your our bats if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t 10 years. Companies have â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Kyle Drone already?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Nine times out of dream is to be in the major leagues,â&#x20AC;? to be recognized vendors of co-founder of Dinger Bats 10, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve swung it Drone said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the major Major League Baseball for leagues, just in a different way. ... Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m probefore.â&#x20AC;? their products to be used ducing bats for the highest level of play in At the major league level, a team purby professional players. the world. ... Obviously, I would rather be chases all of its playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bats. In the minor To be considered, a company has to playing in the big league, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leagues, Shepherd said, some teams will either have reached a certain number of purchase bats for players when they reach work for everybody. sales or get a MLB official, such as a clubâ&#x20AC;&#x153;I just wanted to be in baseball. ... a certain level, and some buy bats for cerhouse manager, to write a letter to vouch (Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re) lucky after a lot of long, hard tain players. for the company. The latter happened for Dinger Bats takes custom orders on its years, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to a level where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty Dinger Bats, Shepherd said. successful. The potential is endless at this website, including engraving names and Companies also pay an annual, compoint right now.â&#x20AC;? logos as well as having finishes in a varibined licensing fee and liability insurance to be a recognized vendor. When Dinger Bats started, Drone had connections in both the minor and major leagues, including Brad Wilkerson, who played baseball at Apollo and the University of Florida. He was active in the majors from 2001 to 2009. Drone said he had played against Wilk:K\ GULYH ZKHQ \RX FDQ KRS RQ D IDVW Ë&#x2022;LJKW RXW RI 2ZHQVERUR erson, and Dinger Bats were one of the DQG FRQQHFW WR RYHU QRQ VWRS GHVWLQDWLRQV LQ 6W /RXLV" bats that he used. Shepherd and Drone met through Wilkerson. 6SHHG\ VHFXULW\ FKHFNV WRR %RRN RQOLQH WRGD\ Dinger Bats has used a grass roots approach to grow, Drone said. It has veter)DUHV IURP an players using its bats, and Dinger Bats is trying to develop brand loyalty by getting bats into playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hands in the major league teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farm systems. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website lists more than 80 players who have used its bats, though HDFK ZD\ not necessarily exclusively, including LQFOXGLQJ DOO Hunter Pence, J.J. Hardy and Shane VicWD[HV DQG IHHV torino. Marte does not exclusively use Dinger Bats. Drone is the only person at Dinger Bats who cuts bats for the major league players. The company, which started in a garage and now makes its bats in a 6,000-squarefoot facility, employs about seven full-time workers, many of which are family memFDSHDLU FRP &$3( $,5 bers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just want to put out the best possible )DUHV DUH VXEMHFW WR DYDLODELOLW\ DQG RWKHU VLJQLË&#x201D;FDQW FRQGLWLRQV )DUHV PD\ FKDQJH ZLWKRXW QRWLFH DQG DUH product,â&#x20AC;? Drone said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and I feel at this QRW JXDUDQWHHG XQWLO WLFNHWHG point, I want to be the one to take care of

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20 Greater Owensboro Business

SECOND Quarter 2014

Welded together

Castlen Welding does agricultural, industrial work

att Castlen and his wife, Laura, were 20 and 19, respectively, when they started Castlen Welding and Manufacturing in Maceo in a 30 by 40 garage behind their house on a farm. Matt Castlen has a welding degree from Owensboro Community & Technical College, and the business started with he and another welder taking odd and end welding jobs for different people. “We started building attachments for front end loaders,” Castlen said. “That’s kind of where we got our start, then just revolved into doing these other things, servicing agriculture industry. I grew up on a farm, so it’s in my background, in my blood still. I still farm some on the side, but that’s kind of why we chose the agricultural industry to service, because we knew it.” Over the past seven years, Castlen

To learn more For more information on Castlen Welding and Manufacturing, call (270) 264-2734. Welding has added many services, working both agricultural and industrial projects. The company, which has moved off the farm and into a facility on U.S. 60 East, builds commercial and on-farm grain systems and commercial fertilizer facilities for storage of liquid and dry fertilizer as well as offering steel sales to public and industrial customers. For the first time this year, Castlen Welding will have its own electrical contracting division headed by Mike Peacock. “So we’ll do all of our own electrical work behind our millwright and iron work-

SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

Messenger-Inquirer | File Photo

Castlen Welding & Manufacturing LLC owner Matt Castlen, left, and new electrical contractor Mike Peacock, stand next to a stack of 4,000-pound conveyor system components in the company’s new 16,000-square-foot building at 7549 Iceland Road, Maceo. Castlen Welding specializes in building grain handling systems and storage, steel erections services, plus retail and the manufacturing of grapples.

ing jobs we do,” Castlen said. “We have our own cranes (and) certified crane operators that we use on our own projects and also do custom crane work. (We) do a lot of welding and fabrication.” Castlen Welding also builds a lot of its own conveying systems. The company has grown to 17 full-time employees, most of whom are from Daviess County. Castlen said he wanted to be a business owner, and the company took off “kind of like a snow ball.” “We started off just doing service for people,” he said. “When they would ask if we could do it, we would never say no. … We try to be a turn-key business. When somebody comes here with ... a plan, we try to make it a one-stop shop.” Castlen Welding works primarily in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee. The company has a division that, this year, will do liquid fertilizer tank inspection and cleaning, and they will basically travel nationwide, Castlen said. When the Castlens started their company, Matt Castlen said, he didn’t envision it growing as it has. He estimated the company has grown 20 or 30 percent each year since it started. Grain systems and fertilizer systems are the heart of Castlen Welding’s business, Castlen said. Welding and fabrication are the things the company started with that it still does today. The company also does a lot of work at river terminals on the commercial side of its business. Castlen said, growing up with a background in farming, there was always a shortage of somebody who wanted to do mechanical contracting for agriculture. “Everybody focused more toward industrial and those kind of things, and there was just kind of an opening geared more toward the ag,” he said, “so we just kind of took advantage of that opportunity and grew it.” Castlen Welding is a Sukup dealer for its grain systems, and the local company engineered its own fertilizer equipment, a lot of which uses conveying and pipeline systems for conditioning and handling of fertilizers. The company decided to add the electrical contracting division because “they go hand in hand,” Castlen said. “We thought we would bring it inhouse to just kind of complete a turn-key type operation. ... (Customers) don’t have to call different people,” Castlen said. “So the coordination and the scheduling

makes it a lot easier on the customer. ... Everything we build requires electricity to make it go.” Peacock and Castlen had worked together on agricultural, industrial and commercial jobs in the past. “We worked well together,” Peacock said, “and both of us have an ag background. I’ve been in ag myself for the last 30 years. And it just was a good fit.” Peacock started his career in agriculture working for Billy Joe Miles. He later became an electrical contractor, working both for himself and as a partner with Hayden Electric before joining Castlen Welding. Peacock said it makes a difference to have an electrical contractor with a background in the agriculture industry because he understands the market and knows a lot of the same people. He said he is looking forward to working with Castlen Welding because “it’s such a good fit with the guys that work for us and myself.” “We’re all guys that like the agricultural community, like the people,” Peacock said. “We like new challenges, and just it’s a real comfortable feeling. We like new projects, and we like being able to help

22 Greater Owensboro Business

our old customers.” Castlen and Peacock are both involved in the community outside of business hours. Peacock is the chairman of the Daviess County Lions Club Fair and works with Dream Riders of Kentucky. Castlen is a member of the Daviess County Young Farm Bureau and a board member for Daviess County Farm Bureau Insurance. He previously served a fouryear team on the Ag Development Board. Castlen Welding is involved with Future Farmers of America, and it has had school groups tour its facility. Castlen Welding’s primary goals are to provide customer service and to continue growing. The company has five different crews, and Castlen usually goes with each crew one day a week. He called Castlen Welding’s growth “almost a blur, to say the least.” “Things change everyday,” Castlen said. “It’s been exciting. It’s been rewarding, to say the least. More than anything, I’m just happy to be able to see our employees provided with a job that takes care of them and their families. “If it wasn’t for our employees, we wouldn’t be here.”

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• West Crabtree has been promoted to building information modeling designer at Associated Engineers, Inc. with emphasis of responsibilities in project BIM implementation and coordination. He has more than 12 years of architectural and structural design experience including building design, contract document preparation, 3D modeling and BIM utilization. Associated Engineers, 1001 Frederica St., has offices in Owensboro and Madisonville. The company offers professional engineering and inspection services including structural, civil, geotechnical, mining, land sur veying and special inspections. • Wes Roberts recently graduated from the Producer Development Program in Lansing, Mich., through Auto Owners Corp. and the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. Roberts is an insurance adviser with Neace Lukens specializing in commercial insurance. He also recently passed his life and health state insurance exams. Roberts is also licensed in property and casualty and focuses on small to large businesses. • Garrett O. Booth recently joined Alexander & Co. CPAs, PSC, as a staff accountant. Booth graduated cum laude from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor of science in accounting. He is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Owensboro. •Dynamic Directions has announced the promotion of Yvette Nelson to operations manager. Nelson will lead business development programs, daily operations of the firm and staff development. She was previously transformation project manager for Dynamic Directions. Nelson is the former advertising sales manager at the Owensboro MessengerInquirer. Dynamic Dir ections has also announced the hiring of Ashley Phillips as transformation project manager, Jacqueline Jordan as director of wow

and associate marketing director and Benjamin Hoak as marketing director. Phillips will be responsible for driving implementation of each step in the client experience timeline. She will also be the primary contact for scheduling coaching calls and visits, workshop attendance and a variety of other client needs. Phillips graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and recently worked as the assistant event manager and marketing director for the event division of Welborn Floral Co. in Owensboro. Jordan will be responsible for enhancing client experience by providing the “WOW” factor and will assist with marketing efforts. She will also administer the company’s educational webinar program. Jordan graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and recently managed the special publications department of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. She is a volunteer for the American Cancer Society and is involved in fundraising for Relay for Life and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Hoak will coordinate strategic planning for marketing and communications efforts that deliver the company’s message to clients and prospective clients. He will also administer online presence and collaborate on other business planning and events. Hoak graduated from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a bachelor’s degree in biology and most recently worked in corporate communications at Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline in Owensboro. • Thomas Gordon recently passed his Professional Engineers Exam and is now a licensed professional engineer in Kentucky. He has been a project engineer at Associated Engineers, Inc. in the Owensboro office for the past three and a half years. Associated Engineers, 1001 Frederica St., is a multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm with offices in Owensboro

24 Greater Owensboro Business

and Madisonville. The company offers a professional engineering and inspection services including structural, civil, geotechnical, mining, land surveying and special inspections. •Melissa A. Bickett has joined the Owensboro of fice of Riney Hancock CPAs as a para-professional in the accounting ser vices division. Her responsibilities include payroll and accounts payable processing, maintaining general ledgers and preparing financial statements. Bickett graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and is also certified in Microsoft Office products. •Erin Bailes has joined Christina O’Bryan at Beacon Asset Management as a client ser vice associate. Bailes earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University in 2004. •Thomas Elwood Castlen was recently presented with the Half Century Award by the Kentucky Real Estate Commission for his 50 years in the real estate business. Castlen was first licensed in June 2, 1960, and still has an active real estate license. The award was presented by Michael W. Wooden, executive director of the Kentucky Real Estate Commission. •Kelsey Mann has joined Old National Bank as a financial adviser. Mann earned her master’s in business administration from Auburn University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisville. She is a member of the Junior League of Owensboro, Connecting Young Leaders of Owensboro and Emerge Owensboro. •Kate Higdon, master photographer and co-owner of Captured Moments Photography Studio was named photographer of the year at PhotoProExpo in Covington on Feb. 8. Higdon also won best of show, best black and white, children’s portrait specialist, open portrait SECOND Quarter 2014

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specialist, Fuji masterpiece and three Judge’s Choice awards. Jason Higdon, master photographer and also a co-owner of Captured Moments Photography Studio earned his PhotoPro Network Degree of Excellence for accumulating more than 30 blue ribbons in PPN competitions. Higdon was also included in the PPN Top 10. Kristin Bivins, associate photographer at Captured Moments Photography was named fourth overall photographer. •Kristen M. Hart CPA,with Riney Hancock CPAs PSC, recently received her Certified Public Accountant’s license by successfully completing the CPA examination and experience requirements. Hart is a staff II accountant in the audit and assurance division in the Owensboro office. She graduated magna cum laude from Kentucky Wesleyan College with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Hart is also the community outreach vice chair for Connecting Young Leaders of Owensboro. •Mary Mattingly, with L. Steve Castlen Realtors, was presented with the 2013 Realtor of the Year Award by the previous year’s award recipient, John

Reynolds, on Jan. 21. The award is given to recognize a member of the Greater Owensboro Realtor Association who has provided outstanding service, leadership and experience to the profession and community. •Mike Henderson has joined the service department of Horton’s Office Machines, 2105 Old Henderson Road. Henderson has 30 years of experience with the repair of copiers, fax machines and printers. He has attended training dealing with Sharp, Samsung and

Hewlett-Packard products. •Leslie K. Nance, of Louisville, a 2006 graduate of Hancock County High School, has been promoted to process analyst for post enrollment member services at Humana. Nance will write, revise and maintain Medicare processes and do research on root cause analysis for escalated issues. She is a 2010 graduate of Ball State University and has worked as a Medicare enrollment specialist since 2010. • Hairstylists Cindy Schwar tz,

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Becky Payne and Theresa Bennett have moved from N’Style Beauty Shop to Bella Vita Beauty Shop, 225 Williamsburg Square, located one block off of Veach Road. •Jason Higdon, owner/digital artist of Captured Moments Photography, received his masters of photography degree from Professional Photographers of America on Jan. 14 in Phoenix. •Er nie “Mac” McCollam was named Salesperson of the Year for 2013 at Champion Ford-Lincoln-Mazda. He has been in the automobile business for 27 years, and this is his seventh time winning the salesperson of the year award during his nine years at Champion. Paula Vincent was named Employee of the Year for 2013 at Champion FordLincoln-Mazda. She is a title clerk and has been with Champion for 14 years. The award is based on votes by fellow employees. • The American Society of Civil Engineers recently named James R. Riney as a Fellow Member based on his continued support of both ASCE and the civil engineering profession. Riney was also appointed to the Committee on Examinations for Professional Surveyors of the National Council of Examiners for Engi-

“T

neering and Sur veying at its annual meeting. The NCEES develops, administers and scores the examinations used for engineering and surveying licensing in the U.S. and related territories. Riney is a member of HRG, PLLC Sur veying & Engineering and was recently reappointed to the Kentucky State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. •Derek Alexander has joined Wright Implement, 3225 Carter Road, as a member of their sales force. He has 15 years of sales experience. • Matt Castlen, Eric Stogner and Jeremy Bennett of Castlen Welding and Manufacturing, LLC recently attended the 2013 Sukup Sales and Ser vice Seminar in Arcola, Ill. Attendees learned about the company’s latest developments in their product line including grain bins and dryers, axial and centrifugal fans, heaters and stirring machines. •Dedrick Jackson has joined Wells Fargo, 1925 Frederica St., Suite 100, as a financial adviser. Jackson previously worked as a financial adviser at JP Morgan Securities. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in business. •Nick Fulkerson recently passed the Certified Public Accountant exam.

Fulkerson is a staff accountant in the assurance ser vices depar tment with Alexander and Company CPAs PSC. He graduated summa cum laude from Brescia University with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. He joined Alexander and Company in 2012. •Michael Tyler Fillman from Riney Hancock CPAs attended the Kentucky Society of CPAs (KyCPA) awards banquet for newly certified public accountants on Oct. 25 at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Cher yl Lalond, assistant attorney general of the commonwealth of Kentucky, administered the oath of the Certified Public Accountant to eligible attendees at the banquet. • Chris Keller, sales consultant at Don Moore Honda, recently received his sales and leasing certifications from Honda and Toyota. The tests were administered through the manufacturer, and training from Toyota was completed in Nashville. • Br uce Br ubaker III, general manager of Champion Dealerships, graduated from the National Automobile Dealer Academy in McClean, Va., on Nov. 15. He was also recently elected as treasurer of the Kentucky Automobile Dealerships Association at the KADA’s headquarters in Frankfort.

Membership Matters

he single biggest danger in business and life, other than outright failure, is to be successful without being resolutely clear about why you are successful in the first place.” — Robert Burgelman, Stanford Business School. I came across this quote while reading “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, which is an amazing book on what makes businesses excel past their competition. The point rings so true with so many local business people that I speak with about the importance of planning for your company, career or success in life. You have to start with a plan. It may not be a perfect plan — and the plan may change — but you have to start with a plan. Figure out what your goals are. Write them down, then write down what you need to do to achieve them. Once your plan is set, keep track of your successes and failures. Use those experiences to adjust your plan. Seldom do people or businesses achieve

success exactly the way they thought it would go. I was once told, “If you don’t know where you’ve been, how can you know where you are going?” Many will tell you that your plan is ever evolving and changing. You may even get to the point that you change your goals based on what you have learned following your plan. At the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, we strive to help all businesses grow and reach their goals. We want to see your business, marketing or life plans come to fruition. We hope you will choose to involve the chamber in your plans. Whether by joining for the first time, renewing your membership or becoming more active, we want to be a partner to help. Through our networking events, marketing opportunities, advocacy efforts and many other membership perks, we believe it is the best investment you can make to attain success.

SECOND Quarter 2014 Greater Owensboro Business

Jim DeMaio

Vice President – Membership Development Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce

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Office: 270.684.4013 Serving Kentucky & Southern Indiana

800.264.0013

Fax: 270.684.0535 www.thelivingstongroupky.com

Office: 270.684.4013 Serving Kentucky & Southern Indiana Fax: 270.684.0535 www.thelivingstongroupky.com Serving Kentucky & Southern Indiana

PROFESSIONAL SUPPLIES. . . PROFESSIONAL SERVICE SINCE 1967

PROFESSIONAL SINCE SUPPLIES . . . PROFESSIONAL 1967 SERVICE SINCE 1967

www.thelivingstongroupky.com

28 Greater Owensboro Business

SECOND Quarter 2014