Business Weekly - Aug. 30, 2013

Business Weekly GREATER

FORT WAYNE

AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

Daily updates at www.fwbusiness.com

LOCAL NEWS

Scientific method Warsaw expands STEM program

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$1.00

Knock on (almost) wood Syracuse company expands on strength of its outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic

BY RICK FARRANT

Polywood co-founder and President Doug Rassi sits in one of the plastic-wood Adirondack chairs his company manufactures in Syracuse.

The chairs and tables behind him are also Polywood products.

rfarrant@kpcmedia.com

Doug Rassi likes talking about big ideas and critical thinking and things never done before. He’s much less keen on talking about himself.

That may be because, even at 53, he hasn’t quite figured out all the complexities of his personality, other than he marches to a unique beat and he knows that, above all else, he’s a relentless entrepreneur.

“It’s hard for me to talk about myself,” he said. “I would rather someone else say something kind about me. I’m a behind-thescenes guy.”

With, as it turns out, a lively imagination and a fearless drive to act on his visions.

“Back in (high) school, you know, when the teacher asked the questions, whatever the answer was, I was thinking something different,” he said. “I was not thinking whatever the answer was.

That’s the first clue I had that I wasn’t like the other children.” n

RICK FARRANT

Polywood workers assemble various sections of furniture.

During peak season, Polywood manufactures up to 1,200 pieces of furniture a day.

RICK FARRANT

See POLYWOOD on PAGE 21

Presidents say Forbes college rankings don’t make the grade Trine campaign to raise $75 million — a portion of which will go to raising school’s endowment

BY RICK FARRANT rfarrant@kpcmedia.com

Brooks

n

Indiana Tech President Arthur Snyder doesn’t put much stock in a recent Forbes magazine report assessing the financial health of private, nonprofit fouryear institutions, even though his school was given one the highest rankings and grades in northeast Indiana.

INSIDE

Vol. 9 Issue 35

“Some institutions just operate closer to the bone, if you will,” said Snyder, whose university was given a “B+”. “I value all of these other institutions (in northeast Indiana). I don’t think any one of them is in any kind of financial straits.”

Trine University President Earl Brooks II, whose institution received a “D” and, rankings-wise, was the lowest rated in northeast Indiana, was even firmer: He

called the rankings inaccurate.

“There’s no way that they can be accurate,” he said.

“We’re probably as a sound of an institution as we ever have been financially.”

What is concerning, though, is the impression such rankings may leave on families and prospective n

See GRADE on PAGE 23

Local news .................... 3-7

VAN WERT COUNTY

PERSONAL BUSINESS

BizView .............................. 8

Offering a lift

A ‘Better’ way

Van Wert ...................... 9-10

Revamped Hot Air Festival helps support county’s fairgrounds

Smitley moves from banking to business bureau

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Personal Business ... 13-16 BizLeads..................... 18-20

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

August 30 - September 5, 2013

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

Logistics council advances biz interests on projects New organization represents 13-county area

BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

A new group has formed with the help of Conexus Indiana to make sure business and economic-development concerns are considered along with traffic congestion and safety when decisions are made about the region’s transportation issues and infrastructure.

The Northeast Regional Logistics Council held its first meeting on Aug. 22 after forming in June with membership from a mix of more than 30 logistics and advanced-manufacturing employers as well as officials involved in economic development for the 13 counties NRLC will serve.

The council is needed because “oftentimes with respect to infrastructure projects, interstate or roadway projects, rail, airport or water projects, there’s been a list put together — it’s out there — and (success) depends on who is leading a particular effort,” said Katy Silliman, vice president of regional initiatives for the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.

“Historically, most of this has been done on a county-by-county level, and everyone has been competing with one another and whoever speaks with the loudest voice may at times have been the one to win out.”

The council will examine all of the transportation infrastructure projects in the region and apply a uniform standard of evaluation to them.

It also will recommend priorities for them based on their importance to advanced

manufacturing and transportation business growth, as well as economic development at the county, regional and state level.

For example, development of a four-lane, limited-access highway between Fort Wayne and Warsaw already has support of the Conexus Indiana Logistics Council because the project would connect in Warsaw with two other four-lane, limited-access highway projects the state council wants to see spanning most of the width of Indiana.

Conexus, the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics initiative, established its Conexus Indiana Logistics Council with statewide membership to deal with issues and projects that affect all of Indiana.

The Hoosier Heartland Highway the state council favors would replace State Road 25, a rural, two-lane highway built from Lafayette to Warsaw during the 1930s.

With the U.S. 24 Fort to Port highway completed last year, trucks on the new highway would be able to haul freight between Lafayette and Toledo, passing Fort Wayne, Columbia City and Warsaw.

The state council also would like to see completion of a similar four-lane, limited-access highway along U.S. 30 from Valparaiso to Fort Wayne.

A shorter project of a regional nature is a four-mile extension of Interstate 469 west to U.S. 24 at Roanoke, which would pass the General Motors Co. plant, the Vera Bradley Inc. complex and the Silverado Industrial n

See LOGISTICS on PAGE 7

In the bag What has turned out to be a summer of lackluster sales for retailers who cater to teens may bode well for Fort Wayne-based Vera Bradley Inc. Some retail analysts think fashion-concious teenage girls are spending more on handbags and less on trendy clothes, according to investment site Seeking Alpha.

Teen fashion favorites Aeropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle

Outfitters all experienced disappointing sales for the second quarter.

Vera Bradley is expected to release sales figures for its fiscal 2014 second quarter on Sept. 11.

CORRECTION Q A story in the Aug. 23-29 issue of Business Weekly misidentified a downtown Fort Wayne building that is being converted to condos. The condos are in the former Anthony Wayne Bank building.

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August 30 - September 5, 2013

Fort Wayne Costco store to open in October Northeast Indiana’s first Costco warehouse store is expected to open some time in October, according to information posted on the company’s website.

The store is being built on Lima Road, near the Interstate 69 interchange. The company has leased office space in the nearby Lima Road Retail Center, 4715 Lima Road, to help with hiring and other administrative tasks while the construction work is being completed.

The store will hire nearly 200 people.

The company’s website, www.costco.com, lists a variety of positions, typical of Costco stores, that it expects to fill at the new Fort Wayne location. Applications can be submitted online.

Costco is known for providing its employees with higher wages and better benefits than other warehouse and discount stores, such as Walmart and Sam’s Club.

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The publicly traded company, based in Issaquah, Wash., reported July sales of $7.87 billion, an increase of 7 percent from the same month in 2012. Costco presently operates 632 warehouse stores, including 451 in the United States and Puerto Rico.

AWS CONSIDERS ARENA The AWS Foundation has commissioned a study of the feasibility of creating a downtown Fort Wayne sports arena to serve the needs of people with intellectual and physical disabilities, their families and the community at large.

Focus-group studies conducted by the foundation indicated critical needs in two areas — access and recreation — and a downtown arena could address both.

Victus Advisors of Park City, Utah, has been retained to conduct the feasibility study, which will include a market demand

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analysis, financial n projections and an assessment of the potential economic impact.

The feasibility study is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

HABITAT BREAKS GROUND Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity has

Reporter’s

NOTEBOOK

REAL ESTATE & RETAIL Linda Lipp

broken ground on its $10-million, 120-lot subdivision off West Cook Road.

Fuller’s Landing will be developed in three phases over the next five to seven years. “Shifting from building one home at a time to developing an entire front-porch neighborhood will enable Habitat families to live in an area that provides a safe,

stable and united community we will all help build together,” said Justin Berger, Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity’s chief executive officer. “We are excited to bring this model of community-building that has been successful for Habitat affiliates around the country to families here in Fort Wayne.”

Fuller’s Landing will feature new one-, one-and-a-half and two-story home designs with a minimum of three bedrooms. The homes will range from 1,200 to 1,800 square feet, with two-car garages and front porches. The neighborhood also will include a community playground and sidewalks throughout.

Habitat homeowners will pay zero-interest mortgages with 20- to 30-year terms, making for typical payments of about $500 per month, including taxes and insurance.

Because of volunteer involvement, the cost of a standard three-bedroom home is kept affordable, at about $60,000, although the actual value of the home is much higher.

BAKER STREET Baker

Street

Office

Furnishings

provided the furniture for the new Franklin n

See REAL ESTATE on PAGE 7

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

Mirro center to open on Parkview Regional campus Construction is n expected to begin this fall on the Mirro Family Research and Education on the Center campus of Parkview Regional Medical Parkview Center ,

Reporter’s WALK-IN MINUTECLINIC NOTEBOOK OPENS IN CVS STORE

Health officials said.

The center, expected to cost about $20 million, will conduct translational research, which essentially bridges the gap between clinical research and the application of that research in patient Rick Farrant settings.

Parkview Health officials said the facility also will have an advanced education simulation center that will improve the performance and training of the entire spectrum of healthcare professionals.

The center will focus primarily on heart disease, oncology, radiation oncology, neurological conditions and orthopedics.

The Parkview Foundation has thus far raised $4 million toward the construction of the Mirro center. Money has come from the Mirro Family Foundation, other community foundations and trusts, Parkview Physicians Group and Parkview Ortho Hospital.

Parkview Health will cover the remainder of the construction cost, a Parkview Health spokesman said.

Fundraising, meanwhile, will continue even after the center opens to help support the facility’s work.

HEALTH CARE

WEBSITE TARGETS PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and the Indiana Prescription Drug Prevention Task Force have launched a website that provides information about prescription drug abuse, including how to recognize signs and symptoms and where to find help.

The website can be visited at www. bitterpill.in.gov.

The Indiana State Department of Health said 718 Hoosiers died from accidental drug overdoses in 2011, up from 654 the year before.

MinuteClinic has opened a walk-in medical clinic inside the CVS store in Leo-Cedarville, 13821 Leo Road.

It is the fifth store-based MinuteClinic in northeast Indiana. There are 36 statewide.

No appointments are required at MinuteClinics and most health insurance is accepted.

MinuteClinic officials said its nurse practitioners can diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common illnesses, as well as treat minor wounds, abrasions and joint sprains.

MinuteClinic is a division of CVS Caremark Corp.

PARKVIEW HONORED FOR ASTHMA EDUCATION Parkview Health’s Comprehensive Asthma Education and Care Navigation team has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the 2013 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management.

The award recognizes programs that use innovative approaches to improve patient health and quality of life.

“Parkview’s program,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman, “is a national model for educating patients about the actions they can take to manage asthma, a disease that affects nearly 26 million people.”

Parkview Health is one of only three winners of the award this year.

VA HOSPITAL HAS NEW PUBLIC-AFFAIRS OFFICERS The VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, which includes the Fort Wayne campus, has hired Mike Brady as the new public-affairs officer.

Brady replaces Sheryl Grubb, who accepted a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs position in California.

Brady most recently was public-affairs specialist for the Army Reserve’s 81st Regional Support Command in Columbia, S.C. If you have items of interest for the health care column, please contact Rick Farrant at rfarrant@kpcmedia.com, (260) 426-2640, ext. 308, or at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

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Johnson joins KPC Claudia Johnson has joined KPC Media Group Inc. as marketing manager.

Johnson is a highly accomplished marketer, strategic planner and public-relations specialist, with more than 25 years of experience with nonprofit and social-service organizations. At KPC, she will coordinate marketing for all of KPC’s print and digital businesses, including: Business Weekly; the Times Community Publications; daily newspapers in Kendallville, Auburn and Angola; INFortWayne.com; Keyflow Creative; and KPC Mail Connection. She will work out of KPC’s Fort Wayne office at 3306 Independence Drive.

Before joining KPC, Johnson was director of communications for Community Harvest Food Bank. Prior to that, she spent 18 years at WFWA PBS 39, first as broadcast manager and then as vice president of programming and production.

A graduate of Indiana University where she received a degree in telecommunications, Johnson went on to the University of Montana, where she was a producer, director, instructor and news anchor at KUFM, its public radio station, from 1985 through 1989 before moving back to Fort

RYAN SCHNURR

Claudia Johnson worked at Community Harvest Food Bank prior to joining KPC Media Group Inc. as the company’s new marketing manager.

Wayne. Johnson is married to WANE-TV meterologist Greg Shoup. The couple have two teenage sons, Colba and Montana.

In addition to its family of newspapers, KPC Media Group publishes the Greater Fort Wayne Family magazine and the Smart Shopper, along with phone books and real-estate guides in northeast Indiana.

The company also offers commercial printing services.

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Warsaw steps up STEM ed

BY BARRY ROCHFORD brochford@kpcmedia.com

A year after Warsaw Community Schools Corp. transformed Washington Elementary into a K-6 academy focusing on teaching students science, Hintz technology, engineering and math concepts, the district is launching an initiative to expand STEM education to all of its primary schools.

On Aug. 26, OrthoWorx, the nonprofit organization launched in 2009 to advance Warsaw’s orthopedics industry, announced it would contribute $300,000 to the “Moving STEM Forward” effort. Warsaw Community Schools also is committing $182,000 to the initiative, which will be implemented in the 2014-2015 school year.

“We think elementary is the place where you’ve got to get kids interested in STEM topics,” said Brad Bishop, executive director of OrthoWorx. “By the time you get to high school, they just won’t have the interest or ability to grasp the STEM concepts.”

The combined funding will allow the school district to hire a STEM adviser with knowledge of the orthopedics industry, offer professional development for elementary-school teachers and create a mobile STEM learning lab in which students at the district’s elementary schools can conduct experiments and complete projects.

In addition, a team from Warsaw Community Schools will go to the Smithsonian Science Education Center in Washington, D.C., next spring to get further schooling n

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See STEM on PAGE 7

FUND DRIVE Q The Orthopedics Capital Foundation, which supports OrthoWorx programs, is in the middle of a campaign to raise $3.5 million by Oct. 15. If successful, the foundation would receive a $3.5-million matching grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., which will provide additional funding for OrthoWorx’s education, work-force development, innovation and community-enhancement initiatives.

August 30 - September 5, 2013

Donnelly visits Fort Wayne Exelis operations U.S.

Sen. n

Donnelly,

Reporter’s

D-Ind., thanked

NOTEBOOK

Joe ITT

Exelis

employees for their dedication to their work and said he is committed to getting more funding for defense spending during his visit to Fort Wayne for a tour of the defense electronics company’s operDoug LeDuc ations in the city.

The company is among the city’s larger employers, with 690 working at its Night Vision and Tactical Communications Systems Division and 475 working at its Geospatial Systems Division.

The Aug. 26 visit was part of a “Serving those who Serve” tour of six Indiana cities.

Stops included an Air National Guard base at Terra Haute, a Purdue University rocket laboratory at West Lafayette and companies that do defense contracting and have a good record of hiring veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard.

At Exelis, Donnelly said many lives have been saved by the storm warnings made possible by the weather satellite payloads designed and built by the company’s Geospatial Systems workers, and many men and women in the U.S. military have made it back home from fighting because of the radios designed and built by Night Vision and Tactical Communications Systems.

“They build a product of unparalled quality, and we’ll work together with them to fix the sequester,” he said. “We know the sequestration creates significant challenges.”

Donnelly said federal spending can be reduced “in a more thoughtful way with less of a focus just on defense and human services.”

Any benefits to Exelis and other defense contractors of a deal in Congress to increase defense spending “would all depend on what the details of an agreement would be,” Tim White, communications director for local Night Vision and Tactical Communications System operations said after the news conference.

Even before sequestration kicked in, the Pentagon had been reducing its spending as wars wound down in Iraq and Afghani-

TECHNOLOGY

stan, and defense contractors were reducing the size of their work forces to adjust to changing customer needs, he said.

The main product of the local Night Vision and Tactical Communications System operations has been the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System — the workhorse tactical radio that supports operations in Afghanistan.

Monthly production of the radios peaked at 6,000 during 2006 and had fallen to 3,000 by 2011. White said the division now makes 1,000 SINCGARS per month, or less. The size of the division’s local work force is down to about half what it was three years ago.

EMBREE TO SPEAK AT NIDIA MEMBERS MEETING Duane Embree, director for the Indiana Office of Defense Development, will

discuss its work to help stabilize or grow the state’s defense industry at a September meeting of the Northeast Indiana Defense Industry Association.

The office was created earlier this year

by Gov. Mike Pence to preserve and grow military assets and installations in the state as well as its defense industry, and to attract defense contractors to Indiana and create jobs in the state by commercializing defense and federal intellectual property.

The meeting for dues-paying members of NIDIA, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park, 6601 Innovation Blvd., will include a presentation from Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and the purchasing group of the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard.

It also will include presentations by the Fort Wayne operations of defense prime contractors ITT Exelis and Raytheon Co., as well as presentations by six featured defense subcontractors.

WORKSHOP WILL EXPLAIN DEFENSE PROCUREMENT A workshop designed to acquaint smallto mid-sized manufacturers with the U.S. Department of Defense procurement process has been scheduled for the Purdue Technology Center of Indianapolis

The “Indy Def 2013-DOD Source Approval Request Workshop” scheduled for 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at the center at 5225 Exploration Drive in Indianapolis will be hosted by the center and a supplychain software company there, Imaginestics, as well as the Indiana Defense Technology Council, Conexus Indiana and CEO-NET.

Part of the workshop will explain a DOD program called Connecting American Manufacturing, which helps identify requests for proposals that match a company’s manufacturing capabilities.

Unfortunately, some manufacturers that qualify for the program but are unaware of it “struggle for new business while government requests for proposals often go unfulfilled,” said Rob Hill, an Imaginestics business analyst.

The event costs $25, which includes a box lunch, and it requires registration. To register or learn more about it, go to http:// indydef2013.eventbrite.com.

FORT WAYNE POLICE USING VIDEO CAPTURE SOFTWARE The Fort Wayne Police Department expects to be able to identify bad guys and their getaway cars more effectively with some forensic video capture software it has been testing this summer.

Michael Joyner, a public information officer for the department, said the department issued portable, password-protected, 32-gigabyte thumb drives with special forensic video and image capture software to 20 of its detectives in August.

The Omnivore software samples the frame rate and screen size of a video that could be useful as evidence and adjusts settings so it can be captured without dropping frames for viewing in an uncompressed format.

The Ocean Systems software supports clarification processing, which can compensate for some problems with lighting and can accurately produce more sharply focused images. All use, handling and processing is tracked by the software so it will stand up as solid evidence in court.

The system costs about $18,000 and close to one third of that expense was covered by donations from area civic groups and credit unions.

More than 1,500 agencies across the country, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, use the system, and local testing of Omnivore has proven it to be a very useful investigative tool, Joyner said.

“We have 100 detectives in our department and would love to give each one that field kit,” he said. “Thank God for groups that understand the importance of having this equipment.”

If you have items for the technology column, please contact Doug LeDuc by e-mail at dleduc@kpcmedia.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 309, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

August 30 - September 5, 2013

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Greater Fort Wayne wants to raise $5 million

BY RICK FARRANT rfarrant@kpcmedia.com

The newly formed Greater Fort Wayne Inc. economic-development organization has launched a $5-million private-sector fundraising campaign that has already generated $1.2 million from eight corporate sponsors.

Officials said the money raised during the campaign, themed “Be Part of Something Greater,” will help support the orga-

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and job creation.

“As the largest metro center in northeast Indiana, we have a responsibility — all of us — to make greater Fort Wayne as strong as it can be for future generations and for our neighbors in the 10-county region,” Greater Fort Wayne CEO Mark Becker said in a statement.

“GFW Inc. will be a leader, supporting the broader regional efforts established by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.”

LOGISTICS: Intermodal facility could be part of transportation plan

Continued from PAGE 3

Park.

“We’re hoping every potential project that exists today can be identified by that information. Once you put together those kinds of economic impact profiles, you can give projects an apples-to-apples comparison,” Silliman said.

A project would not need to be in more than one county to have an impact on more than one county. Examples of that would be projects that improve interstate highway access to a community with more than a little employment or improvement to widely used air or rail transportation resources.

For example, development of an intermodal facility could be a small but an

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nization in its first five years.

The organization, which essentially is a merger of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, also announced it will be using a newly developed Fort Wayne Competitive Index to measure the organization’s progress toward its goals.

The chief goal, officials said, is to have Fort Wayne recognized as a top-25 metro area in the Midwest in terms of prosperity

important part of a regional transportation plan, said Patrick Dooley, vice president for airport development at Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance.

Economic-development officials have studied for almost a decade the potential for a facility of that nature in Fort Wayne, he said, which would combine rail freight and trucking, almost like an inland port.

An intermodal facility could require an investment of $20 million to $25 million, he said. Noting that it would be in competition with nine other intermodal facilities, Dooley declined to elaborate on any planning for one he said Fort Wayne economic-development officials have discussed with Norfolk Southern.

The Northeast Regional Logistics Council will be among six similar regional

councils Conexus has helped establish.

David Holt, vice president of operations and business development for Conexus Indiana, said a project proposed for one region of the state can help another.

An example of that would be Fort Wayne benefiting from the completion of Interstate 69 to Evansville, which he said “gives you that route from Canada to Mexico.”

The 13-county region served by the Northeast Regional Logistics Council includes Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Grant, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties.

The Conexus Indiana Logistics Council’s infrastructure task force is chaired by Andy Brooks, president of Fort Waynebased Brooks Construction Co.

STEM: District ultimately wants to create high-school academy

Continued from PAGE 6

in STEM education so they can develop a “road map” for extending project-based and inquiry-based learning to every school in the district, said Superintendent Craig Hintz.

Following an event Aug. 27 at Washington STEM Academy, during which district officials provided details on the “Moving STEM Forward” initiative and were treated to a show-and-tell of students’ STEM projects, Hintz said the district wants to change how science, math and other subjects are taught.

“The kinds of activities that are taking place in this school, the interest is that all elementary children ought to have that same kind of (opportunity),” he said.

In 2012, Warsaw Community Schools received more than $439,000 in the form of an Innovation Grant from the Indiana Department of Education. That funding, along with financial support from OrthoWorx, let the district turn the former Washington Elementary into a STEM

academy. Earlier this year, OrthoWorx pledged another $112,000 to support STEM education at the academy during the 20132014 school year.

“This school’s gained a lot of momentum,” Hintz said. “The staff has been involved in a lot of professional development. And we can assess that it has been a really wonderful success.”

That success, and the district’s close ties to some of the biggest medical-device manufacturers in the world are driving Warsaw Community Schools to expand STEM education.

“Ultimately, what we would like to see is a STEM academy, a very focused highschool experience for kids who are really interested in STEM topics so they can be prepared to either stay here in the community with advanced-manufacturing jobs, which are very STEM-focused, or go to engineering or medicine or whatever they choose,” Bishop.

Another benefit is that not only is the district preparing students for careers at Warsaw’s biggest employers, it may also

help those same employers attract talent from elsewhere because of the quality of the district’s education.

“We think the talent attraction and retention portion of this is very important,” Bishop said. “The people the orthopedic industry is trying to recruit from other locations are among the best in the world. They can work virtually wherever they want to.”

More than ever, Hintz said, a school district needs to be nimble. Technology is changing all the time, and it’s reshaping the world in the process. Schools need to reflect those changes so that when students dream about their futures, they’ll have the educational foundation to make those dreams come true.

“I shared with all of our staff on opening day, are we preparing all of our students for their future or our past?” Hintz said.

“It’s hard to imagine what this world will be like when our kindergarten students that just enrolled three weeks ago — the Class of 2026 — graduate. What will their world be like 13 years down the line?”

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REAL ESTATE: First

Jersey Mike’s opens Continued from PAGE 4 Electric Co. Inc. headquarters on the southwest side of Fort Wayne.

NAI HARDING DAHM Russ Jehl represented the seller, Donugal Corridor LLC, in the sale of the

2,612-square-foot office at 827 Webster St. Stanley Phillips represented the landlord, Bauerlie 14 Square LLC, and Jehl represented the tenant, Edward D. Jones and Co., in the renewal of a lease of 1,321 square feet of space at 4916 Illinois Road.

Jehl represented the landlord, 7616 DiSalle Blvd. Partnership, and John Caffray represented the tenant, Omni Instruments LLC, in the lease of 2,150 square feet of industrial space at 7616 DiSalle Boulevard, Suite H.

JERSEY MIKE’S OPENS Jersey Mike’s Subs has opened its first sub shop in Fort Wayne, located at 6408 W. Jefferson Blvd.

The restaurant franchise, known for its freshly sliced, freshly grilled Jersey Shorestyle subs, has more than 750 locations open or under development nationwide.

The official opening of the Fort Wayne shop, owned by franchisees Lee Pines and Peter Lieffring, was Aug. 28.

In conjunction with its opening, the sub shop was circulating 10,000 coupons in the community offering a free regular sub in exchange for a minimum $1 contribution to support the athletic departments at Homestead High School and Canterbury School, through Sept. 1.

Started at the Jersey Shore in 1956, Jersey Mike’s uses only private-label meats and cheeses that are sliced fresh for each sandwich and served on in-store baked bread.

If you have items for the real estate and retail column, please contact Linda Lipp by e-mail at llipp@kpcmedia.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 307, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

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August 30 - September 5, 2013

A change at the top

Terry Housholder thousholder@kpcmedia.com Publisher

Barry Rochford brochford@kpcmedia.com Editor

Linda Lipp llipp@kpcmedia.com Associate Editor/Reporter

Rick Farrant rfarrant@kpcmedia.com Reporter

Doug LeDuc dleduc@kpcmedia.com Reporter

Lynette Donley ldonley@kpcmedia.com Advertising Director

Claudia Johnson cjohnson@kpcmedia.com Marketing Manager

Mary Schmitz mschmitz@kpcmedia.com Creative Supervisor

Ashley LeTourneau aletourneau@kpcmedia.com Researcher

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Brenda McLay Kelly Bransteter George O. Witwer Publisher Emeritus

Terry Housholder President, CEO

Terry Ward Chief Operating Office

S. Rick Mitchell Chief Financial Officer

Kelly Lynch Digital Media Director

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is a publication of KPC Media Group Inc.

©2013 All rights reserved

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Downtown: the place to be It was only a few, short years ago that the solution to the problem of trying to reinvigorate downtown Fort Wayne remained frustratingly elusive. There had been studies, there was much lip service, but progress was sorely lacking.

It was a chicken-or-egg dilemma: To get people to live downtown, you needed businesses, activities and amenities that made them want to be there. To attract those businesses, you needed people living in downtown Fort Wayne.

In the end — like a lot of things — what has sparked the rise of the downtown area has been a lot of good old-fashioned hard work.

The Harrison apartment building is fully occupied. More than half of the downtown condominiums available at the Anthony Wayne building that’s under renovation have been sold.

Only a few short years ago, the thought of people snatching up downtown condos ranging from $130,000 to $360,000 would have drawn polite scoffs.

The downtown has become a wellspring of events, exhibits, shows and performances. New businesses have

n

EDITORIAL

opened their doors, eager to serve the small but growing downtown residential community and capitalize on the thousands upon thousands of other Fort Wayne residents and visitors drawn to the heart of the city.

Many, many people have done the pushing, the prodding, the arm wrestling needed to make this happen.

There was not a lone catalyst that caused this. It was a confluence of people who decided lip service was not enough. It was time time to do something about it.

The city of Fort Wayne funded the construction of Parkview Field, and it has directed money and focused resources on other projects that improve the downtown. Businesses and organizations like the University of Saint Francis have stepped in to give new life to old buildings. Individuals and community groups have put in countless hours creating events that keep the downtown vibrant and give people a reason to stay there past 5 p.m.

All that hard work is paying off.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW? Want to share your thoughts on something you’ve read? Business Weekly welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. E-mail them to news@fwbusiness. com, fax them to (260) 426-2503 or mail them to Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808. Business Weekly reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length.

Michael Huber is the new president at the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. His is not the ordinary climb up the ladder. He has not moved from one chamber to another, ever increasing the size and scope of his responsibilities.

Instead, Huber comes via the political route to the top. He spent three years with the Daniels state administration in the Office of Management and Budget, plus a stint with the Department of Administration.

Then he signed on with the Ballard city of Indianapolis administration where he was responsible for enterprise development, rising to deputy mayor for economic development. Before joining the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, he seems to have been in a holding pattern as senior director of commercial enterprise at the Indianapolis Airport Authority.

As a good administrator, with an MBA from n the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, he has already announced his intention to roll out a new strategic plan for the chamber. If it already has such a plan, it is necessarily obsolete when new management comes on board.

Huber has a tough assignment. His predecessor, Scott Miller, welded together three wings to fly the chamber to new heights. One wing is designed to bring new businesses to Indianapolis; another is to work on the same task, but with a regional orientation.

The third wing, the Business Ownership Initiative, exists to help new and expanding small businesses understand how to function better in today’s complex economic environment. (In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the Morton J. BOI board.)

On top of this configuration of functions, the Marcus chamber is supposed to be what chambers have been for more than 100 years: a spokesman for the business community and an organizer of civic efforts for the benefit of the wider community.

The Indianapolis chamber, in recent decades, has been a progressive voice in Indiana. Blessed with a strong market position, Indianapolis has been able to work on programs that are beneficial beyond its borders.

However, the rest of the state often sees Indianapolis as a greedy octopus, reaching out in all directions to dominate its neighbors. One task for the local chamber, therefore, is to demonstrate real regional interest and a generous understanding of the many smaller communities of the state.

This is not easy to do when the rest of the state is fundamentally hostile to the leading growth center of the state. That hostility is consistent with the long-term anti-urban bias Hoosiers have exhibited and with the contemporary competitive atmosphere concerning economic development.

The absence of a state policy on economic development addressing geographic competition is a handicap. Perhaps Michael Huber has some friends in the Pence administration that can help.

Clearly, Huber must satisfy the traditional expectations of a chamber executive. In addition, he needs to navigate a vessel with three flapping wings and set an example for other chambers statewide caught in similar circumstances.

EYE ON THE PIE

MORTON J. MARCUS is an independent economist, writer and speaker formerly with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He can be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo.com.

Van Wert County n

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

InFocus

n

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 9

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Balloon festival expected to give a lift to county’s economy

BY LINDA LIPP llipp@kpcmedia.com

Hot-air balloons are the centerpiece of Van Wert County, Ohio’s Hot Air Festival Sept. 6-8, but there will be just as much activity on the ground as in the air.

Jerry Mazur, who’s heading the organization of the festival for the second year, expects it to attract 30,000 or more visitors to partake of food, fireworks, concerts, craft fairs, garage sales, a nighttime motorcycle trek and of course, balloon launches and rides.

“I really want to emphasize what we’re trying to do is bring business into the community,” Mazur said.

Van Wert and its businesses stand to benefit from hotel rooms occupied and an accompanying hotel tax, as well as the added business at restaurants and gas stations, but he believes the festival also could serve the longer range goal of economic development.

“People who have balloons generally have some wherewithal,” Mazur said. If introducing them to Van Wert through the festival leads to companies considering operations in Van Wert, that’s even better.

The Hot Air Festival was launched, or rather relaunched, in 2012 as a way to raise funds for the Van Wert County Fairground. Van Wert had hosted an annual event known as the Hot Air Affair from 1986 to 1999, but the Junior Chamber of Commerce that sponsored it ceased to exist and the balloon festival ended as a result.

Mazur, a private pilot who worked for 30 years for Otis Elevator, most recently in New York City, retired several years ago to Van Wert with his wife, who had family in the area, then ended up managing the Van Wert County Regional Airport.

“It became kind of mundane, so I had to look around for something to do,” he said.

Mazur eventually left for an elevator job in the Caymans, but came back to Van Wert when he retired for the second time.

“I was not home long before the fair director asked me to do something to raise money for the fairground,” he recalled.

Mazur had organized three air shows during his tenure at the Van Wert airport, and when someone suggested the community bring back the balloon festival, he took the lead role in organizing it.

Eighteen hot air balloons came in for last year’s festivities, but the weather was not cooperative, Mazur recalled.

Only 2,500 people came through the gate on the first day, a Friday, and it looked like the rest of the festival was not

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEMORIES SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY

The Hot Air Festival benefits the Van Wert County Fairground. The festival originally ran from 1986 to 1999 and was brought back in 2012.

going to fare any better.

“At 4 a.m. (on Saturday) I was listening to the rain, and thinking we were dead, and then it stopped. It cleared up,” he said. “In just three hours, we had 12,500 people come through the gate. The vendors sold out of food. They were happy. Everyone was happy.”

One slight disappointment was with a couple who were scheduled to be married in flight by a balloonist who is also a minister. Because of high winds, the ceremony had to be conducted while the balloon was tethered.

Financially, the 2012 festival was a little disappointing as well, although the fairgrounds, the airport and the nonprofit groups that helped out did earn some money.

Mazur believes this year will be better.

“The notion was to get this thing to the point so that it would be self-sufficient and we wouldn’t have to knock on doors and beg. We still had to knock on doors this year, but we have added a lot of groups that weren’t here last year.”

This year’s festival at the fairgrounds will start in earnest on Sept. 6. Previews will be offered the day before at the airport to the media, as will free tethered balloon rides for persons with disabilities in a balloon with a special handicapped accessible basket.

Tethered balloon rides also will be offered Friday and Saturday, for a fee of $12 per adult and $8 per child. For n

See FESTIVAL on PAGE 10

PAGE 10

n

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

FESTIVAL: Wind farms won’t pose a problem for balloonists

Continued from PAGE 9

those who can afford to be more adventurous, free-flying “crew rides,” called by that name because passengers sign a crew agreement for liability purposes, will be offered at $200 per person.

Prospective crew flight passengers shouldn’t be worried about the tall turbines on the wind farms now prevalent in Van Wert and neighboring Paulding County.

“I actually asked about that,” Mazur said, “and they said they just go higher and farther.”

The most dramatic of the crew rides will be the Dawn Patrol launch, beginning about 60 minutes before sunrise on Sept. 7. Led by balloonist Tony Sandlin, the balloons will fly from the darkness into the dawn and land about an hour from Van Wert.

Eighteen balloons will participate in this year’s festival. Some are sponsored, some are corporate and pay to get in. Sales of advertisements on some balloons bring in additional revenue for the festival.

The admission structure has been changed this year. Visitors will pay at the gate, and then no additional fees will be charged for entertainment within the fairgrounds, except for the balloon rides. The price will be $10 per adult, with children

Q

August 30 - September 5, 2013

BRIEFLY

ALLEN COUNTY

‘SCIENCE GUY’ KICKS OFF OMNIBUS SERIES

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEMORIES SCENE PHOTOGRAPHY

Eighteen balloons will participate in this year’s Hot Air Festival.

under age 12 admitted for free. Early-bird admission is half price, or just $5 per adult, between 5-10 a.m.

Living Life CALL 866-226-9057 TODAY TO LEARN MORE!

For more information and a detailed event schedule, visit VanWertHotAirFestival.com.

Bill Nye, science advocate and host of the popular “Bill Nye the Science Guy” syndicated television show that aired from 1993 to 1998, will be the first speaker in Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne’s revamped Omnibus Lecture Series.

The series, now in its 19th year, will be limited to three events in September, October and November.

Nye’s lecture is titled “Hey, Earthlings, Let’s Change the World.” It will be held Sept. 12 in the Auer Performance Hall inside IPFW’s John and Ruth Rhinehart Music Center. Other Omnibus Lecture Series speakers are: • Jeannette Walls, author of the New York times best-selling book “The Glass Castle.” Her lecture, “The Glass Castle: Demon Hunting and Other Life Lessons,” will take place Oct. 23.

• Jim Clifton, CEO of Gallup Inc. and author of “The Coming Jobs War.” His lecture, “The Coming Jobs War,” will take place Nov. 12.

For more information, go to www. omnibuslectures.org.

at Harbour of Fort Wayne SENIOR LIFESTYLE WINS ALFA 2013 BEST OF THE BEST AWARD Senior Lifestyle has won the ALFA 2013 Best of the Best Award in the category of Supporting Families of Residents During Transitional Times. This national award honors programs that are advancing business excellence in the field of senior living. Walk with Me is a care partnership program developed by Senior Lifestyle to create engaging relationships between residents, families and caregivers. The intent is to create a successful transition into our community and to continue the partnership throughout the resident’s ongoing journey. Unlike other care partnership programs, Walk with Me is a collaborative journey that takes each individual (family member(s), resident and caregiver) through the transitions of life and memory loss. A strong emphasis is on embracing the resident’s sense of self. Often times when we think of whom we are, we think of our accomplishments that make up our sense of self. Family member’s proactive attention to whom their loved one is and their accomplishments in life help build a bond between the three (resident, family and caregiver) that will create a strong foundation for this journey. Our goal is to empower caregivers to connect with the resident through the family.

Kelly McCarthy, Director of Memory Care Services at Senior Lifestyle shares: “We understand that when a family moves their loved one into our community it can often times be a heart wrenching decision and families frequently do not know where they fit in. The Walk with Me Program establishes the bond between family and team to create an understanding of purpose and value for the family.”

“We have the honor to spread the good news about remarkable resident-centered programs fulfilling every aspect of senior-living operations, from wellness services to staff development,” said Rick Grimes, president and CEO of ALFA.

ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE 3110 EAST COLISEUM BLVD | FORT WAYNE, IN 46805 WWW.SENIORLIFESTYLE.COM

When the doctor told me my father needed memory care twenty-four hours a day, I was worried about finding a place where Dad would be well taken care of and feel comfortable in his surroundings. After visiting several communities, we walked into Harbour and immediately felt at home. The staff was welcoming and highly visible throughout the building. Occupational and physical therapy and an on-call physician are an added bonus to his care. Dad became acclimated very quickly and keeps busy with group activities and outings tailored to meet his needs and abilities. We love the special family events, especially those involving tasty fare prepared by Harbour’s fantastic chef. It is wonderful to know the staff has become family and Harbour is a perfect fit for Dad. – Dawn Schwehn

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 11

These lessons can help you ace your sales test Chamber Night

The next chapter in great relationship building!

Summer’s over. n Back to school.

Boy, those are some memories.

High school. College.

Subjects you loved, subjects you hated.

Teachers you loved, teachers you hated.

The question is: What did you learn in school? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early and later schoollearned lessons I am grateful for: 1. Grammar from ninth and 10th grade.

It’s the basis of my writing and communication. In today’s world, misuse of the words they’re, their, there, your and you’re create lasting (bad) first impressions.

2. In college (Temple University in 1964), my modern European history professor said, “It’s not the date of what happened that matters. It’s what happened in response to the date (events, outcomes) that creates history.”

2.5. Later in life I came to the realization that algebra was not about math, it was about learning how to solve problems logically. I wish my algebra teacher could have put it that way when I started.

And how about sales and business? What lessons have you learned? What lessons are you still using?

I have 2.5 major, early sales lessons I am grateful for: 1. Questions control conversations. The person who’s asking is in control.

2. Relax, find common ground and be friendly with the prospect before you start the sales conversation.

2.5. Find out why they want to buy before you start to sell.

Here are 11.5 lessons you can use to start this school year off with a bang — and a bunch of sales: 1. Study your (or your company’s) last 100 sales. The history of where your last 100 sales came from will predict and help you complete your next 100 sales.

2. Record on video the buying motives of your top 10 customers. Call your top 10 customers and meet with them for a short, casual conversation about why they buy from you.

3. Meet one customer a day for morning coffee. Just talk personally. In a year this

JEFFREY GITOMER

will give you the personal insight of 250 customers.

4. Study service issues. Find out what issues customers have. Study how (and how fast) they were resolved.

5. Study back orders. Why did the back order occur? How was it dealt with? How was it resolved?

6. Talk to users, not just buyers. Go to your customers and talk to the people that use your product or service. Find out what they love and what’s missing. Record the interviews. Secret: Get purchasing people to be at the meeting with the people who use your product so they can understand the difference between price, productivity, value and profit.

7. Talk to your loyal customers who don’t buy price. Find out the true non-price buying motive(s) for dealing with you.

8. Get involved on a deeper, hands-on level. Make a few deliveries yourself.

Take a few service calls yourself. Work in accounting for a day. Find out what’s really happening with, and to, your customers.

9. Get short meetings with executives.

Talk about the issues they value the most — loyalty, productivity, morale and profit.

Maybe ask a question or two about their vision or leadership philosophy, and leave.

Do not ask for business. Just make an impression. Idea: Create a blog around executive leadership philosophies.

10. Start your own value messaging via social media. Post your ideas and thoughts on all social-media outlets. Then email the links to all your customers and prospects so they can follow you.

11. Post customer testimonials on YouTube. Then email and tweet the links to all your customers and prospects.

11.5. Create a customer “reasons” book.

List all the reasons why they buy, say no, stay loyal, or leave you. As you write, answers and actions will become evident.

Key point of understanding: The lessons you have learned from your history of doing business with customers is very valuable, but not as valuable as your customer’s history of doing business with you. A subtle but powerful difference. Both are valuable, but your customers’ input from their perspective can teach you how to achieve and maintain loyalty.

Those are lessons you can learn from and earn from.

JEFFREY GITOMER, a syndicated columnist, can be reached at salesman@gitomer.com.

@ Indiana Tech Law School 5-7 P.M. September 25, 1120 E. Washington Blvd.

Join Dr. Arthur Snyder, Dean Peter Alexander and Greater Fort Wayne Inc. as we celebrate the opening of Indiana Tech’s Law School.

Indiana Tech’s foodservice, led by chef Jeff Rude, will provide the hors d’oeuvres, and students will provide tours.

Admission is $5 for Chamber members and $10 for nonmembers.

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is now part of Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

Register at fwchamber.org/night

Register Now! at fwbusiness.com

UPICK’EM contest to win National and Local prizes.

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fathead.com Call 260-426-2640 x305 for sponsorship and advertising opportunities

PAGE 12

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n August

fwbusiness.com

Q

THE PROGNOSIS ON HEALTH-CARE REFORM

30 - September 5, 2013

BRIEFLY

ALLEN COUNTY

USW, GOODRICH AGREE ON CONTRACT After rejecting an earlier contract proposal, members of the United Steelworkers at BF Goodrich plants in Woodburn and Tuscaloosa, Ala., have ratiďŹ ed a new three-year contract.

The deal was announced by the company, a subsidiary of Michelin North America Inc. The contract covers more than 2,400 workers. The previous contract expired July 27. Union members voted down the ďŹ rst proposal presented to them, and the union and the company resumed negotiations on Aug. 14.

MICROTECH TO EXPAND

RYAN SCHNURR

Jim Brunnemer, CFO of Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, answers a question during Business Weekly’s Power Breakfast Series event Aug. 22 that dealt with health-care reform. Brunnemer took part in a panel discussion that also featured: Michelle Walters of Group Insurance Services of Fort Wayne; John Gause of Apex BeneďŹ ts; Sheryl Eakins of McGladrey LLP; Chris Creamer of Walgreens; and Tom Markle of Barrett & McNagny LLP. Business Weekly will honor its Health Care Awards winners at a breakfast event Sept. 12. To order tickets for that event, go to FWBusiness.com.

Microtech Welding Corp. will invest $540,000 to expand its operations in Fort Wayne, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. announced.

The company will add 4,400 square feet of manufacturing space at its existing 7,500-square-foot facility at 3601 Focus Drive. Microtech, which provides microscopic and laser welding services, also will purchase a new computer numeric controlled laser welder and work station.

Microtech, which has 18 employees, also will hire at least one additional welder.

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n August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

PersonalBusiness

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 13

“Do you want to be successful? Do just a little bit more than your supervisor expects.”

I worked in the banking industry for over 33 years. My exposure to banking began in high school when I was hired as a part-time janitor at the First National Bank in Portland, Ind. Apart from that experience, my banking journey started in earnest after graduating from college in January 1980. This was at the height of the Jimmy Carter recession and I didn’t have too many job offers to choose from, but the one that intrigued me the most was for a management training position at Anthony Wayne Bank. I liked the idea of being a banker because, from my observation, bankers were always helpful and were respected

leaders in the community.

What are some of the accomplishments of your banking career of which you are most proud? Why?

A few accomplishments come to mind: • Being a knowledgeable lending professional and learning how to grow a quality loan portfolio. I estimate that I loaned over $250 million in funds to individuals and local businesses and my charge-off (bad debt) experience was less than one-fourth of 1 percent. It’s satisfying to look back and to know I helped hundreds of individuals with their dreams and was a integral piece in helping so many businesses to grow and prosper — many of n

See SMITLEY on PAGE 14

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Before becoming president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Northeast Indiana, Greg Smitley was president and CEO of MarkleBank.

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Name: Greg Smitley Organization: Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Indiana Title: president and CEO Length of time in the position: three months Education: bachelor’s from Huntington University; MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University; graduate of Graduate School of Banking at University of Wisconsin-Madison

You spent many years in the banking business. What was it that attracted you to that industry?

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n August

fwbusiness.com

30 - September 5, 2013

SMITLEY: The Better Business Bureau helps promote and protect the marketplace

Continued from PAGE 13

them starting from ground zero.

• I had the privilege and pleasure of being the president and CEO of MarkleBank for six years. I worked with so many kind and talented individuals. Our team was able to produce excellent customer service, very positive customer growth and, I think, a memorable impact on our community.

• Being selected as the Indiana representative to the Banker’s Advisory Board to the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then having the privilege of being elected to serve as chairman of this august board and then being asked to serve on the faculty.

What led you to move to the Better Business Bureau?

Mike Coil, longtime president of the BBB, was set to retire in 2013 and they were looking for a replacement for him. I always had a great deal of respect for the BBB and knew it was (and still is) an organization with a fine reputation and longstanding commitment to the community.

The banking industry is being pummeled by excess regulations and red tape and, frankly, it was not as fun as it used to be.

This seemed like a good opportunity to stretch my wings into a different industry and environment.

What is the BBB’s mission?

The purpose of the BBB is to promote and protect marketplace trust. We assist consumers and businesses in finding trustworthy companies and charities with which to do business and we assist businesses and charities in marketing themselves to consumers and business prospects.

The BBB is a leading resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses and charities. It is a significant distributor of consumer and business education information, including tips and alerts about dishonest business practices, and provides dispute-resolution services for consumers and businesses when there is a disagreement in viewpoints. Finally, the BBB has a number of effective products and services that enable accredited businesses to improve brand awareness, revenue and profitability.

The Northern Indiana BBB and its 21 staff members serve 23 Indiana counties.

How is leading the BBB similar to what you did in banking? What are the biggest differences?

The similarities are: (1) I still get to work with business customers; (2) I’m working in an industry that values character, integrity and trust; and (3) I’m working in an industry that helps make our community a better place to live and work.

The biggest differences are: (1) the technical differences between the two industries — learning new policies and procedures; and (2) the subtle cultural difference in working at a nonprofit organization versus a for-profit corporation.

I really enjoy speaking with “accredited businesses” (BBB lexicon for members) as well as prospective ABs to tell them what the BBB can do for their business. I like learning about our ABs and how they operate their respective businesses and I like to share with them the story of the BBB.

What are the biggest challenges for the BBB going forward?

A wise man once said that the secret of success can be summed up in five simple words: “Just a little bit more.” The longer I’m in the business world, the more I see how this statement is true. Do you want to be successful? Do just a little bit more than your supervisor expects. And to take it another step, do just a little bit more than anyone else in the office or workplace. Do you want to be a success in your marriage?

Do just a little bit more than your spouse expects. You can see how this short statement has relevance to all areas of life.

Our primary challenges are: • Transferring the positive and favorable brand reputation of the BBB to the next generation of consumers and businesses — essentially letting people know what the BBB does and how we can assist them; • Clarifying in people’s minds that the BBB is a private, nonprofit organization that receives no government funding and, in fact, is not connected to the government in any way; and • The proliferation of new review sites that try to be competitors to the BBB. What are you finding the most rewarding about the work?

What advice would you give a young person considering a career in banking?

Or with an organization such as the BBB?

By Linda Lipp. To suggest an idea for “Career Path,” email news@fwbusiness.com or call (260) 426-2640.

Exclusively featuring

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 15

E-mail your People on the Move items to news@fwbusiness.com.

UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS Kathleen Clemmer was named a director at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. She previously served on the university’s Mission and Effectiveness Committee and the Caritas Holy Family Hospital board.

Clemmer

Kellam

Green

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FORT WAYNE CENTER FOR LEARNING The Fort Wayne Center for Learning recently announced its executive committee of the board of directors for the 2013-14 fiscal year. They are: president, Deb Overcash, FWRadiology; vice presi- Cozad dent of finance, Tiffany Berry, St. Joseph Hospital; vice president of governance, Sara Schneider, Parkview Health; and secretary, Jan Patterson, Lutheran Health Network.

The board of directors also includes: Jennifer Jo Brown, Nationwide Retirements Solutions; Mary Ann Flueckiger, community volunteer; Kenn Kunze, Fort Hernandez Wayne Fire Department; Dr. Jane Leatherman, of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne; Bob Nicholson, Carson Boxberger LLP; Dennis Rohrs, Fort Wayne Metals; and Donna Yngstrom, community volunteer.

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BRINER BUILDING Alex Kellam joined Briner Building Inc.

in Bluffton an an assistant superintendent on the 46-acre Living Essentials job site in Wabash.

Cameron Green joined the firm as an estimator and project manager.

REIMBOLD & ANDERSON Troy Cozad joined Reimbold & Anderson, a financial advisory practice

of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., as marketing consultant. He will provide marketing, media-relations and community-relations support for the practice. He has more than 25 years of corporate communications experience.

DIRIG SHEET METAL Steve Mueller was promoted to senior vice president-project manager at Dirig Sheet Metal in Fort Wayne. He has worked at Dirig since 1999 and has more than 20 years of experience in the sheet-metal industry.

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RUOFF HOME MORTGAGE Clint Morgan, senior vice president and chief lending officer at Ruoff Home Mortgage in Fort Wayne, was elected to the board of directors of the Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association.

DO IT BEST Misty Hernandez joined Do it Best Corp. in Fort Wayne as accounting specialist.

Patrick Luce was hired as assistant

merchandise manager for housewares.

Jerry Reff was hired as PC/Web support analyst.

Shane Burnworth was promoted to associate merchandise manager.

Susan Rucker was promoted to member accounts specialist.

BRIDGE OF GRACE Gary Jones was elected treasurer of the board of Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center in Fort Wayne.

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n August

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

National TV adds shine to collector-car auction

RE/MAX RESULT Rob Harris of Re/Max Results

in Fort Wayne placed within the top 250 real-estate agents in the United States as published by the Wall Street Journal and Real Trends for the number of properties sold in 2012. He has more than 34 years of experience in the Fort Wayne market.

BY DAVE KURTZ Harris

Love

Meyer

CORFAC International

PROFED ProFed Federal Credit Union in Fort Wayne recognized Robert Love for 50 years of service to the credit union. He presently serves as chairman of the credit union’s supervisory committee.

THE ZACHER CO. Zach Meyer joined the Zacher Co./

30 - September 5, 2013

in Fort Wayne as a trainee appraiser.

Rachel

Romary

joined the firm as a sales associate. She will handle the sales and leasing of retail, office and industrial properties, and commercial land sales.

Romary

dkurtz@kpcmedia.com

With three days of national TV coverage, Auctions America is gearing up to put on a good show Labor Day weekend with its annual collector car auction.

The NBC Sports Network was scheduled to carry the action live on Aug. 29-31 as auctioneers take bids on some 1,200 collectible vehicles.

TV coverage was scheduled for Aug. 29 from 8 p.m. to midnight; Aug. 30, 8-10 p.m.; and Aug. 31, 12:30-4 p.m., according to the

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network’s website.

“It adds a fun element to the sale. It makes it fun for people to be part of live TV. I think it will help grow Auburn — both spring and fall,” said Keith Koscak, auction manager for the giant sale at Auburn Auction Park.

“It’s the best offering we’ve had in Auburn, both dollar-wise and in quality,” Koscak said about the lineup for the weekend’s sale.

“One of the greatest things about this event is the diversity in the cars that are here.

There’s something for everybody,” Koscak added. “We span over 100 years of automotive history, which is pretty cool.”

Cars in the auction range from a 1907 Ford Runabout to a 2013 Dodge Challenger.

A trio of classic Duesenbergs top the list of potential prices. A 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe leads the pack with an estimated top bid of up to $1.6 million. Its first owner was an heiress to the DuPont fortune.

Auction America is staging its fourth auction in Auburn as it carries on a 42-year tradition of collector car sales during the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival.

The company is hoping to continue the momentum from its first California sale four weeks ago, which saw $17.2 million in sales and an 84-percent sale rate.

In addition to its Duesenbergs, the sale offers six Auburn automobiles, topped by a 1933 Auburn Boattail Speedster with a 12-cylinder engine.

Bidding opened Aug. 28 with a session selling more than 400 lots from the memorabilia collection of Kirk White. It included automotive fine art, racing memorabilia, vintage toys, early model trains, automotive literature, tether and model cars and antiques.

The auction should reach its peak Aug. 30 during the “Saturday Salon” segment of the sale. It includes more than 90 cars from southern Indiana collector Edward Ewing, with an emphasis on 1950s and ’60s models.

Richard and Linda Kughn of Michigan, well-known members of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club, will offer 20 cars from their collection.

Not all of the attention will be focused on the bidding. Outside the auction arena, the event will offer helicopter rides, monster truck shows and rides and an action sports stunt show.

This story originally appeared in The Star, which is published by Business Weekly owner KPC Media Group Inc.

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

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PAGE 17

Forum offers tips, techniques for international trade

BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Todd Schwartz has been in a position to observe successful international trade by businesses of all sizes throughout his professional life.

He has seen what works and how government programs can help, and the deputy special representative for commercial and business affairs at the State Department’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs plans to share some of what he has learned during the annual CEO Forum at the University of Saint Francis.

The 7:30 a.m. Oct. 17 event, sponsored by Tower Bank at the USF Performing Arts Center, will focus on “The Future of Entrepreneurship: Redefining the Marketplace.”

Schwartz and three entrepreneurial business leaders in northeast Indiana will discuss how companies can find growth opportunities beyond conventional markets by globalizing, doing business online or expanding their footprint. He described some of the points he would try to make in his keynote address for the forum in a phone interview.

As the world accelerates its adoption of an entrepreneurial culture and places increasing value on the results achievable with a faster, more innovative workplace, “that creates incredible opportunities for U.S. firms to play a more global role in the international marketplace,” Schwartz said.

“Businesses everywhere do have opportunities to benefit from changes we’ve seen in global markets,” he said.

“Exporting has been a huge boost for the economy.”

Q

University research facilities across the country continually provide opportunities for entrepreneurship through the commercialization of new technologies, which he said contributes to job creation and economic growth.

There is no reason to limit commercialization of most new technologies developed in the United States to domestic markets, Schwartz said. “The United States is a leader in pretty much any area (of technology) you want to address.”

Having a good partner native to a foreign market can contribute to business success there, and the State Department can help create good partners through its Global Entrepreneurship Program.

The program helps connect aspiring foreign entrepreneurs with help such as funding, training, market information and other expertise needed to set up and operate a business.

In addition to finding individuals with good entrepreneurial potential native to foreign markets “our focus primarily is on leading our foreign partners to those kinds of resources and connecting American companies to those foreign partners.”

The department also operates a program called Direct Line, which provides opportunities for small- to medium-sized American businesses to learn about opportunities and challenges in foreign markets through conference phone calls or web conferencing with business and economic officials in those markets.

In a recent survey on the year-old program, 75 percent

of respondents said they were likely or highly likely to take some business-related action based on information they received through a Direct Line session they joined.

More than 90 percent of the respondents said they would recommend Direct Line to others in their organization and more than 95 percent said they would be likely to participate in future Direct Line calls.

“I think the real value added from Direct Line is because our embassies overseas can serve as eyes and ears to businesses on the ground,” Schwartz said.

The department is working on a business information database system it expects to launch in October. It will allow U.S. embassies to enter information on its open database platform about federal infrastructure projects and other government business opportunities overseas.

The three other speakers will follow Schwartz with individual segments and some informal discussion before opening the event to questions from the audience.

Maciek Szaferski, of EDM Products Direct, will explain how imports drive his business. Lori Berndt, president of the Olive Twist, will discuss the use of social media and the impact of partnerships and collaboration on business.

Scott Glaze, chief executive officer of Fort Wayne Metals, will describe how a focus on exports and overseas operations and partnerships have increased that company’s sales by one-third.

To register for the event or learn more about it, go to ceoforum2013.eventbrite.com.

BRIEFLY

A L LE N C O U N T Y

INDIANA TECH TO DEDICATE NEW LAW SCHOOL Indiana Tech will formally dedicate its new $16-million, 70,000-square-foot law school at a ceremony that begins at 10 a.m.

Sept. 14.

Dignitaries expected to attend the dedication include: Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller; Frank Easterbrook, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago; and Katherine Broderick, dean of the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia.

The ceremony will be in the Schaefer Center gymnasium on Indiana Tech’s Fort Wayne campus. In addition to dedicating the law school, founding dean Peter Alexander will be given the title of vice president and dean of the law school.

The inaugural law school class began studies Monday. The law school hopes to eventually have 350 students enrolled in its three-year, experiential-based program.

PRAIRIE QUEST WINS IEDC’S SPOTLIGHT AWARD Prairie Quest Consulting in Fort Wayne was one of five companies from across the

state that received the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s Companies to Watch Spotlight Award at an event Aug. 22.

Prairie Quest, which provides project-management and other services to government agencies and businesses, received the Companies to Watch award from the IEDC in 2010. The Spotlight Award, which is presented by the IEDC, the Indiana Small Business Development Center and the Edward Lowe Foundation, recognizes businesses that have continued to grow since receiving the Companies to Watch award.

In an announcement, IEDC said in the last year, Prairie Quest has added more than 30 full-time employees and saw revenue increase by 42 percent. The company also has opened an office in Dayton, Ohio.

Prairie Quest, the other Spotlight Award winners and the 2013 Companies to Watch winners were honored Aug. 22 in Indianapolis.

N O B LE C O U NT Y

VILLAGE POST OFFICE OPENS IN LAOTTO A small community along State Road 205 that got its first name from a local postmaster opened the 51st Village Post Office of the U.S. Postal Service’s Greater Indiana

District.

Named Simon’s Corners by the postmaster when it was established in the 1830s, the town was renamed Simonsville, then Grand Rapids Crossing before Noble County commissioners finally approved a name that stuck — LaOtto — in 1875. The Village Post Office in the community seven miles north of Fort Wayne and seven miles south of Kendallville started operations Aug. 27 at the LaOtto Marathon, 6467 Merchants Drive.

The store’s hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, and it will operate the Village Post Office during that time.

E LK H A RT C O U NT Y

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO UNEMPLOYMENT FRAUD An Elkhart man will serve three years’ probation and was ordered to pay the state of Indiana more than $27,000 after pleading guilty to committing unemployment insurance fraud.

According to the Department of Workforce Development, Willis Fields, 47, collected unemployment insurance benefits even as he was working full time. The department said one of its investigators was alerted to that, and the DWD verified what

happened by checking agency records and using information from Fields’ employer.

Fields pled guilty to felony unemployment insurance fraud Aug. 19 in the U.S. Northern District Court in South Bend. He was ordered to repay the Department of Workforce Development $27,610.

DEK ALB COUNTY

DEVELOPER GETS NOD TO CLEAN OUT BUILDING The Auburn Board of Public Works and Safety on Aug. 22 gave the go-ahead for a developer to begin cleaning out a dilapidated, abandoned electric utility building on the city’s south side, The Star reported.

Neil Colchin of Fort Wayne was the lone bidder in the city’s request for proposals from developers interested in leasing the building at 1400 S. Wayne St. from the city and rehabilitating it. Colchin has planned a classic motorcycle museum for the building, which sits just north of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and National Auto & Truck Museums The board on Aug. 22 granted approval for Colchin to begin cleaning out the 80-year-old structure, which is heaped with debris and items.

n PAGE 18

BizLeads

n PAGES 18-20 GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n August

fwbusiness.com

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS FORT WAYNE ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP McCon Building Corp.

6026 Stellhorn Road $1,027,000

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS FORT WAYNE ABOITE TOWNSHIP

READER’S GUIDE BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from northeast Indiana courthouses, state government offices and informational Web sites.

These listings are intended to help companies find new customers as well as stay on top of happenings with current customers, vendors and competitors.

New Businesses lists firms that were recently incorporated in the state of Indiana. Information is gathered from the Indiana Secretary of State.

Addresses listed may not be the actual address of the business.

Building Permits are issued by the Allen County Building Department during the specified period of time.

Palatial Homes, Inc. 7725 Griffey Drive $441,000

Real Estate is a list of agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential real estate sales recorded by the state of Indiana.

PERRY TOWNSHIP

Bankruptcies are from the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana.

For complete data involving a particular filing please access the The PACER Service Center, the Federal Judiciary’s centralized registration, billing, and technical support center for electronic access to U.S. District, Bankruptcy, and Appellate court records. Its Web site URL is http://pacer. psc.uscourts.gov.

Bob Buescher Homes 13587 Lurrey Pass $372,000

NEW HAVEN ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 3316 Landin Meadows Run $203,728

ALLEN COUNTY ABOITE TOWNSHIP

Patents include the following: Patent number, local inventor and assignee, brief description, filed date and approved date. Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office.

J&K Contractors 2864 Mediterra Lane $220,000

Listings may vary due to information availability and space constraints.

Bob Buescher Homes 14769 Sandstone Drive $296,000

PERRY TOWNSHIP Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 11214 Belleharbour Cove $238,185 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 11240 Belleharbour Cove $235,073 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 11288 Belleharbour Cove $284,096 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 15240 Towne Park Run $152,000 Star Homes by Delagrange & Richhart Inc. 13306 Dolcetto Cove $235,000 KAM Construction Inc. 12590 Tocchi Cove $280,000

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Windsor Inc. 7301 Foxfield Drive $156,217

Lancia Homes 7114 Holden Drive $162,500

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. 4819 Redwall Rim Passage $148,800

REAL-ESTATE TRANSACTIONS 46835 6321 Londonderry Lane From Pamela K. Pierson to Steven L. and Anna L. Aichele $103,900 9514 Old Grist Mill Place From Theodore W. Dienelt and Stephanie A. Debolt to Jeremy Krause $162,000 7129 Elmbrook Drive From James E. and Janet M. Shovlin to Troy and Linda Wooten $68,000 6523 Rockingham Drive From Harley R. Knickrehm to Richard David Walent II and Jodi A. Intelicato $125,000

6008 Bellingham Lane From Phillip A. and Melissa R. Hirsch to Richard A. Euckert $89,900 7312 Dry Creek Court From Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc.. to Stephen L. and Amy L. Carney $189,630 5319 Willman Lane From Chad A. and Kristen E. Chenowith to Ryan and Angela Beineke $164,000 4215 Castell Drive From Jason W. and Sandra K Barbknecht to Seth D. Bennett $144,900

46845 1817 Autumn Run From Chestnut Group Inc. to Sharon R. Evers $40,000 16527 Claystone Court From Kathryn L. Dewitt and Kristine L. Giant to David W. and Janine E. Rudolph $175,000

10710 Maple Springs Cove From Richard and Janet Miller to John Kohl $245,000

5403 Lonesome Oak Court From Andrew and Rebekah Trulock to Vanessa Hake $146,900

4417 Denali Cove From Randy J. and Jennifer M. Jennings to Argirios G. and Jamie N. Rongos $463,500

13031 Winding Vine Run From Lancia Homes Inc. to Christopher O. Fogt $167,900

5228 Brunello Terrace From Trent D. and Michele E. Karshner to John Watkins $349,900

534 Union Chapel Road From MCC Management LLC to Nolan Commercial Property LLC $472,600

12518 Falcatta Drive From Natalie R. Sonner to Melissa and Matthew Howe $135,000

13328 Vitiano Court From Lancia Homes Inc. to Jacklyn Oakley $209,500

13744 Lurrey Pass From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Gnana J. Robinson $87,900

10905 Baldham Pass From Jeffrey T. and Jean L. Dunbar to Keith E. and Virginia L. Minick $368,000

11300 Hardisty Road From Ruth E. Leichty to Seiler Family Farms LLC $236,666

5115 Argiano Crossing From Jeffrey and Megan Learing to Jeffery T. and Jean L. Dunbar $178,900

12650 Tocchi Cove From Tuscany LLC to Heller & Sons Inc. 46455 10916 Scarlet Oak Run From Allen County sheriff to Fannie Mae $154,155 13909 Coldwater Road From Norman A. and Doris D. Conklin to Alexander Vasko $151,000 1729 Millennium Xing From Jason E. Hipskind to Rosalind and Nathan D. Wilson $200,000 10722 Lone Eagle Way From Douglas P. Hamm to David J. Shuherk $185,000 4318 Union Chapel Road From Kevin L. and Stacy L. Thompson to George and Denise Jackson $280,000 12676 Tocchi Cove From Heller & Sons Inc. to Kaye M. Cowart and Demian L. Poll $269,266 11411 Woodshire Court From John R. and Nancy A. Snyder to Francis M. and Gloria J. Demayo $222,000 6818 Pintail Drake Court From Millennium Development Inc. to Phillip J. Babb and Rayna S. Kaczmarczyk $51,500 1520 Switchback Cove From Allen County sheriff to PNC Bank $137,286

2625 Wind Star Court From Douglas M. McComb to Jennifer and Brian Henriksen $356,750 13127 Hollow Oak Road From Timothy G. Gast to Brandon L. Maddux $195,000 10716 Bayou Blvd.

From Del V. and Susan L. Roth to David A. and Karisten L. Klein $183,500 10624 Lake Pointe Drive From Marjorie E. Snyder to Bradley W. and Cynthia Gilbert $137,000 12732 Auburn Road From Larry J. and Donna K. Smith to Ranvir S. Sekhon $175,000 11319 Twin Creeks Drive From William D. and Jodie L. Edgell to Mark T. and Danielle M. Becraft $159,900 6933 Tree Top Trail From Harold J. and Judith A. Luttman to Jimmie and Martha Pohl $190,000 423 Estero Road From James E. and Diann L. Eggleston to Max R. and Michelle L. Baumgartner $240,000 10333 River Rapids Run From Lewis E. and Deborah Heath to Anna M. and Christopher N. Dowty $176,000 10607 Wild Flower Place From Robert W. and Lillian L. Bolyard to John R. and Nancy A. Snyder $87,000

2311 White Hall Drive From Allen County sheriff to CitiMortgage Inc. $124,743 4593 Hawthorne Crossover From Brandenberger Construction Inc. to Eric G. and Rachel A. Peterson $99,900 1491 Gateway Trail From CH Development Corp. to Tom Schmucker Construction LP $37,506 12447 Tocchi Drive From Slattery Builders LLC to Brent T. and Valerie Herald $350,000 317 Foxberry Lake Run From Thomas E. Smith to Brian J. and Becky S. Grawcock $249,000 710 Windrift Lane From Stephen and Kathleen Widau to John D. and Nicole A. Kauffman $167,000 25104 Lincoln Highway From the estate of Dale Keith Grabner to Kelly A. Spieth $37,500 19427 Notestine Road From Amos R. and Lillian A. Schwartz to Abraham Skidd $78,000 7012 Ardmore Ave. From Ardmore Investments LLC to Reilley Real Estate LLC $973,400 11000 Johnson Road From Allan W. and Marolyn J. Felger to Riyadh Al-Awadi $182,493

46723 7820 Bears Pass From Terry W. Younghans and Catherine A. Hubbard to Angela N. Galligher and Gregory A. Cripe $237,485

46741 13224 Indiana St. From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. and to James D. and Emily M. Mendez $165,746

13503 Stowe Drive From Larry Myers to Krisin L. Zimmerman $134,500

46743

30 - September 5, 2013 16121 Ballantyne Trail From Twin Eagles Development LLC to Granite Ridge Builders, Inc. $120,000

12123 Water St. From David R. Hieber to Rebecca Graber and Jesse Lengacher $30,000

2018 Apollo Drive From Zackary J. Harris to Darrin E. and Jean A. Bieszke $99,000

46745

46765

Monroeville Road From Nicholas J. Beckman to David M. and Rosalin L. Gaskill $90,000

9227 Schlatter Road From Alan R. Rockmore to Donald A. and Rebecca S. Hoekema $200,000

Emanuel Road From Robert and Lou A. Saalfrank to Kenton A. Kleine and Linda K. Kleine $380,000

7415 Hosler Road From William R. and June A. Pocock to Floyd S. and Pamela I. Newcomer $89,500

46748 16324 Grand Willow Blvd.

From Nees Jason and Stephanie Leffers to Darrel C. and Elaine M. Dunn $121,000 1415 Rambler Road From David M. and Laura E. Moses to Jon D. Belcher and Susanna M. Cramer $147,500 15802 Winterberry Court From Shelby W. and Judith A. Gallien to Sayler H. and Tamara L. Daugherty $499,000

Leo Road From Joan P. Miller to Old Town Management Inc. $30,000 7015 Hosler Road From Paul B. and Lou A. Blake to Jason R. Abbott $119,700 8907 Gerig Road From Brian and Lisa J. Reilly to Andrew D. and Christina K. Hayes $299,900 8810 Schlatter Road From Schlatter Road Real Estate LLC to Tramel and Aimee Prosser $149,000

15022 Hunters Lane From Capital State Improvements LLC to Dianna J. and Danny W. Graves $68,900

7508 Cedarcrest Drive From Allen County sheriff to Bradford Pepple $52,754

112 Creekside Court From Richard and Susan Allart to Joshua M. and Abby M. Fern $320,000

10130 Garman Road From Marty R. and Beth A. Thoman to Terry W. Stapleton $337,000

1811 W. Gump Road From Ellen Clair and Aleczander J. and Rachel D. Haggenjos $82,500

9721 Garman Road From Paulius V. Blusys to Odest T. Greshan $269,000

16204 Ballantyne Trail From Covington Partnership to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $44,900 16217 Gemma Pass From KAM Construction Inc. to Joshua W. and Ashley M. Seward $399,900 16119 Silver Shadow Lane From Douglas A. and Leann M. Pendarvis to Randall S. and Maria L. Christlieb $175,000

46773 17403 Lincoln Highway E. From Virgil E. and Geraldine C. Huguenard to Brett A. Saalfrank $77,000

46774 9569 Falcon Way From the estate of Ritchie D. Maitlen to Roben S. Mudrack $131,500 327 Hartzell Road From Allen County sheriff to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA $37,867

August 30 - September 5, 2013 3626 Country Knoll From Stephen R. and Dawn S. Poor to Sue L. Bunnell $84,000 15114 Dawkins Road From Gerald M. and Laura J. Pettit to M & J Family Farms LLC $74,924 1111 Canal St. From Daniel Scheele to Marjory E. Winters $76,500 8711 Amberly Drive From Michael P. and Linda S. Pennucci to Allison N. Huston $123,200 905 Straford Road From Allen County sheriff to Freddie Mac $79,289 4516 Silver Birch Cove From Andrew and Kara L. Laughlin to Karl and Amanda R. Zimmerman $189,400 1831 N. Tyland Blvd.

From Karl J. and Amanda R. Zimmerman to Kenneth N. and Angelia M. Calvelage $92,900 1774 Pinelock Court From Lanco LLC to Carol L. Kirsch $28,710 1815 Richfield Drive From Fannie Mae to Roger A. and Carolyn J. Macke $56,750 6700 Webster Road From Eugene L. Frecker to Chad Zelt and William Kantner $57,148

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

6700 Webster Road From the Eugene L. and Rita M. Frecker revocable living trust to Michael A. and Cristy M. Fritz $24,000 15500 Gar Creek Road From Hauke Enterprises Inc. to Walter C. Werling Jr. and Pamela K. Werling $104,962 9911 Greenmoor Drive From Lawrence A. Schortgen to Nicholas L. McClure $117,500 6428 Brush College Road From Marian Delagrange to Geary M. and Rebecca Buchanan $275,000

46783 11335 Nightingale Cove From Allen County sheriff to Nationstar Mortgage LLC $217,800

46788 18828 N. S.R. 1 From Bennie L. and Opal E. Steward to John L. Long $55,000

46797

16631 Indianapolis Road From Christopher Hartsock and Sandra R. EastonGillen to Braxton L. Shirar and Elizabeth M. TaylorShirar $212,000

46802 1230 Swinney Ave. From Allen County Community Development Corp. to Jeanette A. Martinez $7,600 2136 Fairfield Ave. From Medlin Family Investments to Rodney W. Patch $90,000 905 W. Main St. From Fannie Mae to Brett Gilpin $28,116 1213 Fairfield Ave. From Barry W. Staley to city of Fort Wayne $112,000 222 Pearl St. From Ronald L. Bonar to 222 Pearl St. LLC $253,000 1302 Ewing St. From Griebel Properties LLC to city of Fort Wayne $250,000

22105 Maple Court From Loraine R. Brenneke to Terri Reed $82,000

425 W. Williams St. From John J. Foster to Arline D. Nation $51,500

4303 Ara Drive From Freddie Mac to Kaufmann LLC $32,000

1235 Fairfield Ave. From Gordon D. Walker to city of Fort Wayne $240,000

46798

1211 Fairfield Ave. From Marc E. and Deanna Dugue to city of Fort Wayne $215,000

16926 Indianapolis Road From the estate of Paul E. Reddin Jr. to Larry W. Reddin $66,000

fwbusiness.com 1228 Stophlet St. From Christopher Crane to Lena Y. Miller $7,500

7925 Sky Breeze Court From 3030 LLC to Colonial Home Inc. $49,900

2148 Fox Ave. From Equitypoint Management Inc. to Nathan Glick $30,000

10629 Deep Creek Court From the Robins family supplemental needs trust to Christopher L. Johnson $115,000

420 W. Brackenridge St. From C&M Management & Property Inc. to city of Fort Wayne $34,000

46803 2441 Julian St. From Thomas F. and Alice M. Huth to John P. Kraft $50,000 830 E. Lewis St. From Allen County sheriff to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA $6,848 1702 Lumbard St. From Paul W. and Donna R. Schoenle to Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend Inc. $35,000 2211 Dellwood Drive From Keith A. Robbins to Terry Thomas $67,500 2316 Birchwood Ave. From William R. Watkins to Andrew R. Michalski $7,200

46804 4014 Ravenscliff Place From Jennifer Rhodenhamel to Gerald Cervantes $119,900 1739 S. Hadley Road From Carter R. and Teresa Wireman to Gloria Glaubatz $205,000

2721 Alstone Manor Drive From Southwest Development at Covington Road I LLC to Patrick A. and Susan J. Sorenson $34,500 2209 Galina Place From Dana M. and Gingerla B. Perkins to Roydon N. and Nancy L. Smith $201,400 7904 Sky Breeze Court From Colonial Homes Inc. to Richard L. and Debra J. Fradette $47,900 6231 Shadow Ridge Run From Steven P. Bermes to Terry J. and Beth A. Fackler $170,500 10417 Arbor Trail From Samantha Real Estate Holdings LLC to Peter Dominowski $184,900 618 Sumpter Drive From Fred C. Mathews Jr. to Charles H. Bradford Jr. $65,000 7914 Hidden Cove From 3030 LLC to Buescher Construction Co. Inc. $52,155 915 Westlawn Drive From Michael A. and Rose A. Janik to Athony J. Hulette $166,500

827 Autumn Ridge Lane From Geoffrey S. and Lorraine M. Gambino to Zachary S. and Rebecca A. Spencer $148,000 3024 Emerald Lake Drive From Dieter and Gloria Gaubatz to Cesar and Mellany Esperanza $369,000 8915 Kasselton Court From Sara I. Quinlan to Anita K. Snell $136,500 3916 Coleman Ave. From John E. and June H. Hilker to Jamie Joslin $125,900 5505 Maurane Drive From Derek J. Daniels to Carey Martin $101,000 3720 Turf Lane From Joshua M. Mahler to Laci R. Bryant $126,000 7815 Griffey Drive From William A. and Jane V. Rentschler to Ali Farhoumand $365,000 6611 Quail Ridge Lane From Virginia A. Harwood to Travis and Lacy Nichols $105,000 105 Glenmoor Drive From Gregory S. and Jill E. Caudill to Mary C. Frank $182,000 6752 Covington Creek Trail From Eric C. and Katherine A. Ellet to Douglas C. and Sandra E. Lux $155,000

6611 Quail Ridge Lane From Travis and Lacy Nichols to Marcia Autry $105,000 622 Mission Hill Drive From 622 Mission Hill Trust to A4 Holdings LLC $120,000 9032 Spring Forest Drive From Phillip A. Ratkos to Terrence L. Glass $144,500 1825 Paveys Glen Run From Ryan D. Rice to Blaine G. Sensibaugh and Kelsey R. Cottrell $97,000 6117 Chapel Pines Run From Jack E. and Paula R. Lorence to Jamaal Chapman and Ashley Brooks $154,000

PAGE 19

2029 Hillside Ave. From Allen County sheriff to the Bank of New York Mellon $42,075 1510 Glenwood Ave. From Kyi Htaw to Erin E. Stresemann $67,500 2706 Dodge Ave. From Kay D. Otis to Burning Stone Investors LLC $32,500 2006 Vance Ave. From J&D Real Estate Ventures LLC to Julie A. Finn $44,000 1040 Columbia Ave. From Allen County Community Development Corp. to Click4Homes LLC $10,750

10802 Lupine Lane From Donald P. and Sarah L. Ross to Fei and Virginia L. Yang $129,988

726 Riverside Ave. From Allen County sheriff to Bank of America, N.A $59,020

4024 Chancery Place From Charles L. Schenkel to Joe Treadway $117,500

1110 Dodge Ave. From Allen County sheriff to Bank of America NA $55,699

734 Yellow Lake Drive From Thad and Rebecca Winter to Phil and Peggy Hoghe $147,000

1609 Tecumseh St. From Three Rivers Federal Credit Union to KLR Holdings LLC $29,900

46805 2800 E. Coliseum Blvd.

From Allen County sheriff to IAB Financial Bank $707,104

2523 Santa Rosa Drive From Louis G. and Delores E. Ditton to George A. and Arthur J. Bruce $70,000

2723 Roscommon Drive From Allen County sheriff to US Bank $132,062

2224 Alabama Ave. From HUD to Christopher M. and Megan E. Wiegand $37,270

Commercial Real Estate Commercial space for lease?

Land? Warehouse?

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PAGE 20

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n August

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1615 Hillside Ave. From Heather M. Keller to Patrick T. and Maureen R. Burns $40,000

Debbie R. Cooley 1510 Farwood Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $2,750 Liabilities: $20,156

Darlene E. Shaw 2617 Charlotte Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $2,070 Liabilities: $208,052

Esther J. Steffen 4631 Brandt Court Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $11,450 Liabilities: $39,095

2026 St. Joseph Blvd.

From Pinnacle Credit Union to John Goleeke $31,000

Christina M. Bearss 3806 Brentwood Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $8,060 Liabilities: $64,752

LaQuisha R. Page 3431 Contessa Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $95,350 Liabilities: $142,362

Aisha Y. Pearson 6931 Chadwick Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $111,350 Liabilities: $132,343

Kathy A. Eme 1431 Spy Run Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $59,641 Liabilities: $25,484

Liana J. Frye 515 Russell Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $17,400 Liabilities: $76,286

LeeAnn N. Benson 7711 E. State Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $8,500 Liabilities: $26,680

Jose A. Zacarias 3215 Logan Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Assets: $78,622 Liabilities: $190,818

Ramon and Renee L. Pantoja 902 Keller Drive New Haven, IN 46774 Assets: $38,504 Liabilities: $102,309

Andrew T. Kidd 3910 Chancery Place Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Assets: $1,000 Liabilities: $119,614

2720 Sherborne Blvd.

From the Dennis F. Reith estate to Jay Lah $75,500

46806 4637 Lafayette Esplanade St. From Allen County Sheriff to Parc 6 LLC $41,300 4005 Oliver St. From Beverly L. Blakeley to Jiang Xiaoling $25,000 5211 Sherrill Drive From HUD to Willie C. Lewis $32,602 4021 Warsaw St. From AMH Enterprises LLC to Jacqueline F. Kaough living trust $32,000 726 Drexel Ave. From Lopes F. Leal to Rolando Castillo $15,000

BANKRUPTCIES ADAMS COUNTY Chad M. and Michelle L. McIntosh 1131 W. Jackson St. Decatur, IN 46733 Assets: $11,469 Liabilities: $66,243

ALLEN COUNTY Dawanna M. Grant 4923 Webster St. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Assets: $5,720 Liabilities: $19,123 Stephanie M. Taylor 8416 Lakeside Drive, Apt. 3A Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $13,200 Liabilities: $23,598

Q

Robert L. Black, Jr. 340 W. Creighton Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Assets: $3,355 Liabilities: $21,808 Cynthia L. Wasson 411 Elm St. Monroeville, IN 46773 Assets: $53,511 Liabilities: $76,094 Zeljko and Stacey L. Antunovic 2914 Clara Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $96,717 Liabilities: $281,986 Pepi Jordan 3912 Clermont Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $64,425 Liabilities: $161,914

Jeffrey S. and Molly E. Polak 322 Rays Creek Way Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $15,780 Liabilities: $156,605 Annette M. Davis 627 Elmer Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $76,251 Liabilities: $81,447 Neil R. Gaff 3818 Wingspread Cove Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Assets: $133,150 Liabilities: $154,505

Sean P. and Samanthalynn F. Bennett 6236 Landmark Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $114,675 Liabilities: $104,077 Mark E. Milledge 10114 Coburg Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $19,950 Liabilities: $49,667 Adam D. Relue 601 Curdes Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $9,700 Liabilities: $148,328

Aaron J. Young 703 E. Camden Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $14,000 Liabilities: $43,793

Ronald E. and Laura A. Goodwin 16226 Thunderbird Road Huntertown, IN 46748 Assets: $254,387 Liabilities: $257,612

Eric M. and Andrea R. Rasmussen 8712 Windbur Place New Haven, IN 46774 Assets: $271,420 Liabilities: $34,352

Pamela S. Murray 3525 Elmcrest Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46809 Assets: $107,240 Liabilities: $142,076

Michelle A. Parra 2209 Lakeland Lane Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $4,080 Liabilities: $439,776

Tiffany M. Landrum 5106 W. Till Road Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Assets: $1,860 Liabilities: $29,085

Stephen C. Hartman 3914 Reed St. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $1,735 Liabilities: $83,977

Richard and Edith J. Bearman 9510 Woodstream Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Assets: $131,108 Liabilities: $157,418

Todd M. and Crystal D. Babcock 412 Sara Drive New Haven, IN 46774 Assets: $93,700 Liabilities: $103,095

Kimberly Aguirre 8517 Bridgeway Drive, Apt. 1B Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $10,260 Liabilities: $42,662

30 - September 5, 2013

Jon J. Brotherton and Rhianna L. Proffitt 8208 Wyoming Pass Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $117,374 Liabilities: $114,728

Edward E. Campbell III and Linda M. Campbell 1013 Iowa St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $79,150 Liabilities: $106,970

Michael L. Lengacher 411 Lincoln Way West, Apt. B Ligonier, IN 46767 Assets: $1,543 Liabilities: $42,772

WHITLEY COUNTY

DEKALB COUNTY

David B. and Susan L. Lavine 822 Woodlawn St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $88,820 Liabilities: $99,022

Ronald J. and Charlotte M. Shafer 3093 C.R. 1 Kendallville, IN 46755 Assets: $164,697 Liabilities: $229,456

Walter R. Allard III 307 N. Whitley St. Columbia City, IN 46725 Assets: $25,400 Liabilities: $181,986

Dominique N. Lewis 952 Jackson St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $7,824 Liabilities: $20,296

Kenneth L. and Sharon K. Spencer 620 Simon St. Kendallville, IN 46755 Assets: $125,713 Liabilities: $126,968

Ornan D. and Joy M. Williams 414 N. Clark St. Auburn, IN 46706 Assets: $149,915 Liabilities: $179,158 Michael R. Warner 110 High St. Butler, IN 46721 Assets: $14,000 Liabilities: $27,631 Deborah A. Steury 319 S. Franklin St. Garrett, IN 46738 Assets: $75,195 Liabilities: $77,482 Barbara D. Lapadot 6820 C.R. 5 Laotto, IN 46763 Assets: $48,898 Liabilities: $23,135

Eric D. Eggiman P.O. Box 441 Roanoke, IN 46783 Assets: $4,875 Liabilities: $8,994 Danielle R. Stapleton 8 Emerald Lane Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $6,410 Liabilities: $133,338

Gina A. Petelle 304 E. High St. Garrett, IN 46738 Assets: $4,287 Liabilities: $32,384

Jeffrey A. Dolby and Michelle H. Myers 167 W. McCrum St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $24,535 Liabilities: $72,795

Charles J. Wills 1363 C.R. 68 Garrett, IN 46738 Assets: $2,450 Liabilities: $28,967

Nakia M. Humann 207 S. Grover St., Apt. 2D Warren, IN 46792 Assets: $5,675 Liabilities: $29,482

Michelle L. Likes 612 E. King St. Garrett, IN 46738 Assets: $79,572 Liabilities: $108,924

LAGRANGE COUNTY Noah J. Hoopingarner 7505 N. 1200 West Middlebury, IN 46540 Assets: $111,705 Liabilities: $206,318

HUNTINGTON COUNTY Brandon E. Best 160 Curry St. Markle, IN 46770 Assets: $54,348 Liabilities: $79,843 Brandon D. Meekin 749 Webster St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $20,230 Liabilities: $167,874

NOBLE COUNTY Judy K. Boyd 602 Westfield Drive Kendallville, IN 46755 Assets: $92,915 Liabilities: $100,496 Angela Anderson 1409 S. Main St. Kendallville, IN 46755 Assets: $24,619 Liabilities: $34,412

STEUBEN COUNTY Arthur E. Sattison 3040 N. State Road 1 Fremont, IN 46737 Assets: $17,990 Liabilities: $43,581 Skipper J. Weinreich Jr. and Crystal M. Weinreich 1940 W. 100 North Angola, IN 46703 Assets: $123,226 Liabilities: $168,029 Kyra R. and Scott E. McVicker 29 W. Third St. Fremont, IN 46737 Assets: $15,181 Liabilities: $77,256 Dawn M. O’Connor 115 N. Cross St. Angola, IN 46703 Assets: $12,031 Liabilities: $126,746

Carrie E. Randall 921 E. Van Buren St. Columbia City, IN 46725 Assets: $55,638 Liabilities: $255,624

Robert A. and Cindy J. Headford 4670 N. Sheldon Road Churubusco, IN 46723 Assets: $256,772 Liabilities: $212,154 Jonnie C. Johnson 1025 S. 500 East Columbia City, IN 46725 Assets: $92,865 Liabilities: $119,499 Tina T. Garcia 5470 S. Meridian Road Columbia City, IN 46725 Assets: $94,775 Liabilities: $115,331

PATENTS D688,195 Pair of motorcycle side bags Adam J. Robinson, Spencerville Derk J. Hinsey, Fort Wayne Bad Dad Custom Motorcycle Finishes Inc., Fort Wayne Filed: Jan. 31, 2012 Approved: Aug. 20, 2013

8,512,374 Jeffrey J. Dickinson 3645 N. S.R. 827 Fremont, IN 46737 Assets: $9,612 Liabilities: $130,547

WELLS COUNTY Michael A. Numbers 37 E. 900 North Ossian, IN 46777 Assets: $55,170 Liabilities: $39,660 Deidre E. Therrien 816 Greenlawn Bluffton, IN 46714 Assets: $7,537 Liabilities: $7,857

Soft tissue locking device Herbert E. Schwartz, Fort Wayne Thomas C. May, Winona Kale Stuart Fromm, Rapid City, S.D. Robert-Jan Enzerink, Davis, Calif.

Eric Hubbard, Modesto, Calif.

John Margetts, Bountiful, Utah Keith Denlinger, Warsaw David Cox, Warsaw DePuy Mitek LLC, Raynham, Mass.

Filed: Jan. 15, 2004 Approved: Aug. 20, 2013

BRIEFLY

N ATI O N A L

GM WILL BRING BACK SUPER BOWL ADS (Bloomberg) — General Motors Co., which opted against advertising during the Super Bowl this year, will return to marketing the Chevrolet brand during the National Football League’s championship game in February.

The automaker is planning a new Super

Bowl ad push on Fox, which will air the game, as it introduces 18 new or refreshed vehicles this year, including 13 Chevrolets.

The company is hosting a “GM Truck Homecoming” Sept. 14 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne to celebrate the launch of the redesigned 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, which are made the Fort Wayne Assembly Plant.

“The timing of Super Bowl XLVIII lines up perfectly with our aggressive car

and truck launch plans,” Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet global chief marketing officer, said in an emailed statement. “The Super Bowl is a great stage for showcasing the Chevrolet brand and our newest cars and trucks.”

GM’s return to the Super Bowl marks another reversal of advertising strategy created under ousted former Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick. The executive, who left the Detroit-based automaker in July 2012, had also eschewed

advertising on Facebook, the world’s most popular social-networking website.

Ewanick was ousted over the cost of a sponsorship deal with the Manchester United soccer team, people familiar with the move said at the time. Once he was gone, GM began undoing many of his decisions, including advertising during the Super Bowl pregame programming this year and announcing in April a return to paid Facebook ads, using the social network’s mobile applications and website.

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

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PAGE 21

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A colorful assortment of Polywood rockers and Adirondack chairs greets visitors to the Living Quarters furniture store, where Polywood founders Doug Rassi and Mark Phillabaum sold their first Adirondack in 1990.

n

POLYWOOD: It’s adding 42K square feet

Continued from PAGE 1

And that has been a good thing for Rassi.

Rassi is the co-founder and president of Polywood, a Syracuse company that makes leisure outdoor plastic-wood furniture from recycled milk jugs, detergent containers and other items.

His vision, which he carved out with a former Wawasee High School chum in the garage of Rassi’s Milford family farm in the late 1980s, has grown into a 180-employee business in six buildings on 35 acres just west of downtown Syracuse.

Polywood’s products are sold by more than 700 brick-and-mortar and e-commerce dealers throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. The privately held company has recorded double-digit revenue increases in each of the last five years. And the brand name Polywood, Rassi said, has become synonymous with wood-like products made from plastic polymers — sort of like the Kleenex of the tissue trade and the Zerox of the copying industry.

Business has been so good that Polywood is in the middle of a 42,000-squarefoot addition that will expand the company’s space to more than 300,000 square feet.

The creation of Polywood wasn’t Rassi’s first venture into exploring the unexplored. He said he and his father, Buss, were pioneers in developing PVC fencing for ranchers. And not just pioneers. The pioneers.

At 24, he said, he was the first to take PVC fencing to a world fence trade show and try to sell the product to the industry.

“The fence guys told me no one would buy PVC fencing,” he said. “I knew they were wrong. Every fence company now has a brand of PVC fence that they sell.

Because the consumers want it. Because it performs.”

The line of thinking was similar when Rassi and friend Mark Phillabaum, now in sales with Polywood, designed and built an Adirondack chair in Rassi’s Milford garage from already-processed plastic wood. In 1990, they offered it for sale at the Living Quarters outdoor furniture store in Syracuse, which is owned by Phillabaum’s parents. The chair sold quickly for $150.

Rassi quipped that the sales price was arrived at “because we needed $150 to buy more lumber.” The company’s Adirondacks and other chairs now sell for between $300 and $500 apiece and carry a 20-year residential-use warranty.

Rassi and Phillabaum followed their first sale with production of other items, including a chaise lounge and dining set.

And in 1992, Sharper Image founder Richard Thalheimer “discovered” Polywood and for four years included Polywood products in Sharper Image catalogues.

The boost from Sharper Image led Polywood, legally known as Poly-Wood Inc., to begin processing its own plastic wood from raw recycled materials and further expand n

See POLYWOOD on PAGE 22

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PAGE 22

n

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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POLYWOOD: Competing against low-cost Chinese labor is challenging

Continued from PAGE 21

its product lines.

Some of the dining and table sets can retail for as much as $2,500.

Rassi said he gets his greatest thrill from designing the furniture, something he used to do with a protractor, compass and drawings on graph paper before moving to more sophisticated computer-aided 3-D design.

He’s also passionate about the ecologically friendly qualities of Polywood’s products, their durability and the opportunity to continue broadening the boundaries of plastic-wood furniture, including introducing aluminum tubing supports in some products.

“We’re developing the next version of plastic lumber that’s going to be the coolest thing that anyone has ever seen,” he said, carefully avoiding specificity. “It’s going to be something that no one’s ever done before.

It’s going to be aesthetically beautiful. And we’re going to make high-end furnishings that will be affordable to America.”

It is on the “made-in-America” point where one of those curious complexities about Rassi’s nature suddenly emerges. His eyes begin to water.

“It’s one of the greatest challenges,” he said, his words slowing. “You know, we

n

“I really enjoy making things and developing things — things that don’t exist that we envision and bring into existence.”

Doug Rassi Polywood

talked about the design of the furniture itself. But the greatest challenge of all is the design of the manufacturing process.

Ninety percent of all outdoor furnishings in America is imported from countries with really low labor costs, like China.

“How do you compete against them?

Not an easy question. Because it’s never really been done before. But we’re doing it.”

Rassi never really explains how Polywood still manages to make its furniture in America. Nor can he really explain why he is prone to sudden surges of emotion.

The emotion, he suggests, has a little to do with his pride in America: “We’re solving things that no one’s solved before.

One of the things we have going for us is the brand strength of ‘Made in America.’

The world wants American products.”

The emotion also has a little to do with what he sees as his contribution to future generations — helping provide the leadership that will develop entrepreneurial critical thinkers like himself.

“The thing that we have as Americans that is unique to us that the Chinese don’t have is we have a fantastic heritage of entrepreneurial world view. We praise critical thinkers. We reward critical thinkers in this nation.

“My interest is to raise a leadership group with this company — which is something I can actually do — of critical thinkers who can then go out and create more critical thinkers. Whether it’s their children or the associates they work with.”

And while he’s doing that, he’ll continue his own critical thinking and continue pushing the envelope on Polywood’s products.

“I really enjoy making things and developing things — things that don’t exist that we envision and bring into existence.

No matter what it is, it requires critical thinking and it’s also a characteristic of entrepreneurs.

“Critical thinkers, even when they create something that’s cool, they feel compelled to have to improve it. They don’t get to be happy for very long.”

Q

August 30 - September 5, 2013

BRIEFLY

E L K H A RT C O U N T Y

THOR ACQUIRES LIVIN’ LITE ASSETS Elkhart-based Thor Industries Inc. is acquiring the assets of recreational-vehicle maker Livin’ Lite.

“We are pleased to welcome Livin’ Lite to the Thor family of RV brands.

Adding such a creative RV maker to Thor’s strong stable of brands will enable us to expand our industry-leading position in new product development into camping trailers and truck campers,” said Bob Martin, Thor president and CEO, in an announcement of the deal Aug. 27.

The purchase is expected to be completed by Aug. 30. Thor expects to add Livin’ Lite’s 35 models to its dealer network immediately.

Founded by former Heartland executive Scott Tuttle, Wakarusa-based Livin’ Lite is known for the advanced lightweight aluminum construction it has applied to a variety of smaller RVs, including travel trailers, toy haulers, camping trailers and truck campers.

It recently was named to Inc. magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies for the third consecutive year.

August 30 - September 5, 2013

n

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

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PAGE 23

GRADES: Poor ranking on Forbes list could create negative perception for schools

Continued from PAGE 1

REGION RANKINGS

students pondering college choices, the two educational leaders said.

The Forbes rankings looked at the ďŹ nancial health of more than 900 private colleges and universities nationally. The publication’s measurements were based on such things as: endowment assets per full-time equivalent students; expendable assets relative to annual expenses and debt load; core operating margins; and tuition as a percentage of core revenue.

At the top of the list of schools receiving “A’s� was Princeton. The highest-ranked institution in Indiana was Notre Dame at No. 7, and the highest-ranked institution in northeast Indiana was Goshen College.

The August Forbes article, written by staffer Matt Schifrin, focused heavily on the paradox of some institutions raising tuition rates and then offering sometimes deep discounts to attract students. It suggested such a practice was a symptom of a deeply troubled system.

But Snyder, Brooks and others said all private colleges and universities offer discounts, otherwise referred to as institutional scholarships or institutional ďŹ nancial aid. As a result, they agreed, that one particular barometer of ďŹ nancial health becomes a wash.

The article also focused on endowments as a measure of an institution’s ďŹ nancial wellbeing, and, indeed, local private university leaders said an endowment is an important tool in helping cover costs.

Indiana Tech, with about 1,200 students at its Fort Wayne campus and more than 8,000 system-wide, has an endowment of about $50 million, Snyder said. The 1,300-student Manchester University, which was given a “Bâ€? grade by Forbes, has a similar endowment, according to Chief Financial OfďŹ cer and Treasurer Jack Gochenaur.

Meanwhile, Trine, with a main-campus enrollment of about 1,800 and a total enrollment of 2,500, has an endowment of approximately $25 million. The 1,200-student Huntington University, which was given a “D� grade, has an endowment of $22.6 million, and the nearly 2,400-student University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, which was given a “C�, has an endowment of about $15 million.

The Trine endowment, acknowledged Brooks, is inadequate and the school soon will launch the public portion of a $75-million capital campaign. Forty percent of the money raised through the campaign will go to the endowment.

But the endowment aside, Brooks said the Angola university has a lot of things going for it. “We’ve had two straight record ďŹ nancial years,â€? he said. “We’ve had four straight

Forbes magazine assessed the ďŹ nancial health of 925 private, nonproďŹ t fouryear colleges and universities in the U.S. Following are the rankings and letter grades given to selected northeast Indiana institutions: Q Goshen College: 121st, “A-“ Q Indiana Tech: 143rd, “B+â€?

Q Manchester College: 285th, “B�

Q University of Saint Francis: 486th, “C�

Q Huntington University: 839th, “D�

Q Grace College: 871st, “D�

Q Trine University: 875th, “D�

years of record enrollment growth. We’ve had 11 straight years of balanced budgets and positive cash ow.�

Net assets, he said, increased by $7 million in ďŹ scal 2012, and net cash ow rose nearly $5 million. A low endowment alone, he said, “does not equate to ďŹ nancial instability.â€?

Stacy Adkinson, executive vice president at Saint Francis, and Julie Hendryx, interim vice president for business and ďŹ nance at Huntington, agreed and said both institutions are ďŹ nancially stable despite their low Forbes grades.

Adkinson and Hendryx said there is some validity to the individual metrics used by Forbes in assessing an institution’s ďŹ nancial health, but taken together they may not present an accurate picture. Moreover, they said the Forbes rankings offer merely a snapshot in time that does not reect the ďŹ nancial trends of an institution.

Adkinson did take issue with Forbes’ metric assessing endowment assets per full-time-equivalent students. She said the national average for private colleges is nearly $17,000 per FTE, yet the institutions that got full credit in the endowment category registered at least $100,000 per FTE. “It starts to feel a little isolating,� she said, “for those of us who don’t have billions and billions in assets. That’s one factoid where it’s a matter of perspective.�

One question that remains unanswered in the Forbes ratings is this: What does a low ranking mean? The article’s author could not be reached for comment on that matter. “What does a ‘D’ rating mean?� asked Manchester’s Gochenaur. “That they’re about ready to fall off a cliff? I don’t think so.�

The incorrect inference from a low rating, Snyder said, is that a university isn’t going to be able to invest much in the institution or that there will be a deterioration of intellectual capital.

Just as concerning, he and others said, is how the general public might perceive a negative ranking. “It’s really not serving the general public very well,� Snyder said.

Gochenaur acknowledged that even

though he is not a fan of the rankings, there is likely an advantage in the public-opinion arena if an institution gets a high grade. “I would be concerned if the (rankings) went out and Manchester got a ‘D’,� he said. “I would be worried about the average person and how they would interpret that.

Wouldn’t you? “There could be the perception that (someone) wouldn’t want to go to that school. I won’t say it would be a fair perception, but it would be a perception.�

An even greater issue, he said, is ďŹ nding ways to make a college education more

affordable – something President Barack Obama coincidentally addressed recently in announcing plans to link ďŹ nancial aid to a proposed rating system focusing on such things as tuition, debt and graduation rates.

Snyder, Brooks, Gochenaur, Adkinson and Hendryx said their schools all work hard to operate efďŹ ciently to cut costs. “But I think what is facing all of our institutions is at what level with tuition will it be where the consumer says, ‘I can’t afford it,’â€?

Gochenaur said. “I think in the Midwest — and in particular this state — it is becoming more and more of an issue.�

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August 30 - September 5, 2013

3DUWQHUVKLS The paved roads of Fort Wayne can trace their legacy back more than a century to when Brooks Construction Company started.

Today, you’ll find third-generation owners and cousins John and Andy Brooks driving the company. Determined to continue their company’s success, they looked for a bank that offered “a businessman’s perspective more than a banker’s perspective.” So they switched to STAR Bank, a family-owned bank that believes partnership is the road to success. Are you ready for a switch?

For all your commercial banking needs, call Joe Martin at 260.479.2500 today or visit starfinancial.com for more information.

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Business Weekly

John and Andy Brooks Owners

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PAGE 24