Hamilton County Business Magazine Aug/Sept 2018

AUGUST • SEPTEMBER 2018

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• Seeking the High-Performance Manager • Living up to the Double-Platinum Rule • Escape Rooms Challenge Workers and Gamers

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WHERE YOUR SUCCESS TAKES ROOT.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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August / September 2018

www.hamiltoncountybusiness.com Published six times per year by the Hamilton County Media Group PO Box 502, Noblesville, IN 46061 317-774-7747 EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Mike Corbett

Entrance Hall, Asherwood

mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Bridget Gurtowsky

bridget@gurtowskygraphics.com

Features

20

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Dave Bechtel dave@hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Asherwood

14 17

Escape Rooms

21 22 24

Pitch-In

25

Chamber Pages

Spiritual Entrepreunership

Roundabout

Aggressively Organic

Columns 6

Editor

8

Management Dr. Charles Waldo

10

Ethics Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow

12

Technology J. David Shinn

30

History David Heighway

CORRESPONDENTS Christine Bavender crbavender@gmail.com Ann Craig-Cinnamon jandacinnamon@aol.com John Cinnamon jlcinnamon@aol.com Benjamin Lashar benjaminlashar@gmail.com Susan Hoskins Miller skhmiller@gmail.com Stephanie Miller sccwriter-@gmail.com Samantha Hyde samantharhyde@gmail.com Patricia Pickett pickettwrites@gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS David Heighway heighwayd@earthlink.net J. David Shinn david@shinntechnology.com Robby Slaughter rslaughter@accelawork.com Dr. Charles Waldo cnwaldo@comcast.net Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow cfwester@iupui.edu

Please send news items and photos to news@hamiltoncountybusiness.com Submission does not guarantee publication

Subscription $20/year To subscribe or advertise, contact Mike Corbett at

mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Cover photo by C. J. Walker 4

Copyright 2018 Hamilton County Media Group.

All rights reserved.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

More than an office… it’s a Community Introducing Office Evolution, Hamilton County’s newest shared office space. Located on Congressional Boulevard in Carmel, we provide the office space and services designed to help you achieve your business goals.

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August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

5

Letter from the Editor August • September 2018

Welcome to our Tenth Anniversary edition. I started this magazine in August, 2008, at the beginning of the Great Recession. At the time I was publishing the Noblesville Daily Times and we were seeking ways to diversify our product offerings. Later that month, the owners of the newspaper closed it and I purchased this magazine and our annual Welcome to Hamilton County Community Guide.

Our first cover featured Hamilton Town Center, which had just opened at Exit 10 in Noblesville (now Exit 210). St. Vincent’s was preparing to open in October and IU Health Saxony (then Clarian Health) was still a plan.

Fishers was still a town with a very suburban-style government center and a train station that housed its Chamber of Commerce.

Mike Corbett Editor and Publisher

In Carmel, The Palladium was still a field next to the Monon Trail, City Center was under construction, single story structures were yielding to high rises on Main Street and no one had heard of Midtown yet. There were just a handful of roundabouts in Carmel and one or two elsewhere in the county. Keystone Parkway was punctuated with traffic signals every mile or two. Grand Park was still farm fields. There was only one brewpub in the county (Barley Island in Noblesville).

Our first edition

There were six Chambers of Commerce in the county (since combined into four) and we partnered with them to tie together the business community through a bi-monthly glossy business report, direct mailed to their members. Over the years we have added and subtracted featured content and advertising but we have never missed an issue. One advertiser and one writer have appeared in all 61 issues so far: Logan Street Signs and Banners and David Heighway, the county historian.

Chamber members receive this magazine as a benefit of belonging to the chamber, so we receive very little subscription revenue. Advertising pays the bills and I am very grateful to those businesses who choose us as a marketing vehicle. We reach a great audience: business owners and managers in Indiana’s most affluent county, but advertisers have many options and they choose us. Thank you.

From a personal perspective, I have worked this job longer than I have any other in my career. I don’t just like it, I love it. Love being my own boss, love the variety, the people I interact with, love telling stories about Hamilton County businesses. It’s a great gig. It has given me the opportunity to pursue my own passions and ambitions, like running for mayor of Noblesville, which I will be doing again next year.

I am grateful to the chambers and their membership for allowing me to pursue this American Dream for the past decade. My writers, printers, designers, columnists, salespeople and colleagues have all been top-notch and helped contribute to our success. Thank you all. I have no idea what will happen over the next ten years, but I am confident they will hold as much adventure, stimulation and opportunity as the last ten. Bring it on.

See you around the county,

Editor and Publisher mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com 317-774-7747

6

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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Management Charles Waldo

Seeking the Top 10% High Performers are hard to find “Find me someone who gets things done; someone with the ‘Right Stuff.’”

In an earlier chapter of my professional life, I joined one of the U.S.’s Top Ten executive recruiting firms, doing upper and midlevel management recruitments, mainly in the Midwest, including Hamilton County.

The above quote (or something like it) was often uttered—with a lot of emotion (negative)—by the CEO or another high-level executive during my first visit to their organization to see if I could help them fill a key position.

In most of these exploratory discussions the executive would admit at some point that they had looked inside their own ranks first (the right thing to do) but came up empty-handed. Not good. Then they ran ads, made industry inquiries, and contacted several contingency-fee-based recruiting firms. Again, no luck.

When asked why their efforts were unsuccessful, the executive generally responded with something like, “Oh, we got plenty of resumes, but I need a doer-type leader in this position; someone who has a track record of getting things done.

Someone with the ‘right stuff.’ The fellows we reviewed all seemed to be “follower” types. We’ve given up on trying to do it ourselves and will pay your outlandish fee if you find and help bring on board the right person.”

I then repeated what they had found— that managers (or almost any employee, for that matter) who consistently meet —and usually exceed—ever-higher goals and are constantly moving up the organization ladder are pretty scarce. In fact, studies by several executive recruiting firms put the percentage of “High Flyers” at only around 10% or less of the executive population. These folks are 8

constantly getting recruiters’ calls—they don’t call recruiters—and can move on just about whenever they want if their present company is not meeting their psychological and financial needs. “Sort of like blackmail, isn’t it?” snorted the CEO. “Sort of, but that is the reality of the employment situation,” I’d reply. “Great people are scarce and have many opportunities to move. If your firm has

of special candidates is simply “industrial wooing” and match-making.

Qualities that identify Doers Readers should note that, while the term “executive” is widely used in this article, for the most part, any employee can have or develop the “right stuff” and move up the organization ladder—if the “right stuff” is used right.

“Those with long, extraordinary careers know how value is created in the

workplace and translate that knowledge into action.”

-James Citrin and Richard Smith The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers

not made the investment to build a pipeline of ready executives, it will have to pay the price of recruiting from the outside if it wants and needs a top flight person in the open slot right now.”

Sometimes the firm wouldn’t or couldn’t pay the needed compensation and would limp along with the best insider they had. Even when the compensation offered to an outsider was fine, these types of searches took far more time and effort than usual. True “make things happen” prospects are scarce and much wooing by search consultants and the firm is needed. In the world of romance, breakups happen, sometimes before the “I do’s” are said; sometimes, more unfortunately, after the knot was tied. The identification and successful recruitment

Many studies have been done over the years trying to identify the characteristics that separate very high performers—those with the “right stuff”—from lesser achievers. Consider the findings from these three, well-respected sources: From The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, by James Citrin and Richard Smith, senior consultants for the highly regarded executive recruiting firm, Spencer Stuart:

1) “Those with long, extraordinary careers know how value is created in the workplace and translate that knowledge into action; 2) They practice benevolent leadership.

They give, then get, trust and loyalty, in that order; 3) They find ways to overcome the “permission paradox”—getting the OK to take on assignments for which they might not be prepared…but succeeding, nevertheless; 4) They ruthlessly allocate their time using the 80/20 principle (aka “Pareto’s Law”)…applying most of their time and efforts (the 80%) to the relatively few (the 20%) projects or tasks from which they get the biggest bangs for their bucks and

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

will make the most positive differences; 5) They find the right fit for their particular strengths, passions, and people.”

From Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by consultant and writer Dr. Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy, former CEO of Honeywell and Allied Signal: 1) They know their business inside and out. They simply can’t be fooled; 2) They insist on realism, openness, and no “puffing;”

“They know their own strengths and play to them, then find and develop subordinates or staff who have complementary strengths.”

-Ram Charan and Larry Bossidy The Discipline of Getting Things Done

3) They set clear goals, priorities, and timelines for themselves and their reports; 4) They follow-through on deadlines and make sure they’re being met; 5) They reward doers, often big time; 6) They are great teachers and mentors and help others to expand their capabilities; and

1) Be proactive, taking responsibility for one’s actions. Keep commitments; 2) Begin with the end in mind: what you are aiming for will determine what you aim with; 3) Put first things first, doing what will move you towards your goals and avoiding what detracts; 4) Think win-win. Collaboration, partnering, consensus building; 5) Seek first to understand, then be understood. Walk in the other person’s shoes. Empathy.

6) Synergize. The 2 + 2 = 5 concept. Cooperation, collaboration, sharing; 7) “Sharpen the saw.” Periodically refresh and refuel oneself mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

How do you stack up?

How do you rate yourself on these key points? How does your boss rate you? What about a trusted co-worker or your team?

Are there one or two factors you can begin working on right now?

Don’t wait to start. Hesitating or delaying is not usually a characteristic of the high achiever.

Some people seem to be born with at least some the “right stuff” while others develop it over time in a variety of ways.

In the next issue we’ll look at practical means that almost anyone can use to acquire more of the “right stuff.” Please hold on to this article.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80, Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young,” (Henry Ford) HCBM

7) They know their own strengths and play to them, then find and develop subordinates or staff who have complementary strengths.

From The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which helped launch the highly successful writing, speaking, and consulting career of its author, Dr. Stephen Covey:

Charles Waldo, Ph.D., is Professor of Marketing (ret.) in Anderson University’s Falls School of Business. He can be reached at cnwaldo@comcast.net.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

9

Ethics Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow

Beyond The Golden Rule

Why not go Platinum? Or even Double Platinum?

When you buy a product, you hope you’re going to get what a company is advertising. And when you support a business, you hope they’re being transparent and honest in their dealings—or they risk losing customers, shareholders, even employees. Unfortunately, some businesses learn the hard way that a lack of transparency and honesty are sure signs to customers that they should not do business with them.

The Right Thing

Take Wells Fargo’s woes over the past several years. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined the company $100 million in 2016, after it found that thousands of employees opened unauthorized deposit and credit card accounts to hit sales targets and receive bonuses. After this scandal rocked the company (and continues to), Wells Fargo’s employees, shareholders, and customers were left in the dust—not trusting in the company, its board of directors, or company leaders at all.

That’s not good for business.

It’s cost the organization and customers millions. They’re still working to dig out of the mess.

One of the most generally accepted practices that evidences good ethics is found in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you. In other

This year, the company started a new public relations campaign to try to move past this scandal, called Re-Established. One commercial is literally called “Earning Back Your Trust,” and rightfully so. At the same time, the company is working to reassure employees to trust in their employer. One executive recently told CNN that employees are “increasingly using the banks confidential hotline to report bad behavior,” which is what they want.

10

An extreme example, but it shows how important ethics are in business—not only to your bottom line, but to brand loyalty, etc. Will Wells Fargo ever fully recover? Maybe not, or probably not— the question remains the same—isn’t it best to do the right thing?

Simply stated, ethics are "principles of right conduct.”

“The Golden Rule, as great as it is, has limitations, since all people and all situations are different.”

Dave Kerpen -Author, The Art of People words, treat people the way you want to be treated. Loyal customers value ethical businesses who “do the right thing,” even when it’s not easy to do.

When business and money are involved, the basic principle “of doing the right thing” doesn’t always work. There can be bad apples. Accounts of business leaders

who behave badly—in both their professional capacities and personal lives —frequently dominate news headlines.

Some business gurus encourage smalland mid-sized businesses to put profits first—always! (“Profits aren’t everything, they’re the only thing.”)

The Golden Rule always has been one of my favorite mantras. As Orison Swett Marden put it: “The golden rule for every business man [woman] is this: ‘Put yourself in your customer's place.’” Yet, there are those who say that applying it in business is not quite good enough.

Double Platinum Dave Kerpen, author of The Art of People, writes, "We all grow up learning about the simplicity and power of the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would want done to you. It's a splendid concept except for one thing: Everyone is different, and the truth is that in many cases what you'd want done to you is different from what your partner, employee, customer, investor, wife or child would want done to him or her."

Rather than using the Golden Rule, Kerpen came up with the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would want done to them. He explains, "The Golden Rule, as great as it is, has limitations, since all people and all situations are different. When you follow the Platinum Rule, however, you can be sure you're actually doing what the other person wants done and assure yourself of a better outcome."

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

In his book, Kerpen quotes a story that Dale Carnegie told in How to Win Friends and Influence People: “Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms.

So when I went fishing, I didn't think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn't bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish and said: ‘Wouldn't you like to have that?’”

If you think that businesses should utilize the high standard of the Platinum standard, you might want to consider using a higher standard for digital advertising, the Double Platinum Rule, originally created by consultant Bryan K. Williams: “Treat others as they don’t even know they want to be treated.”

This requires the same communication as the Platinum Rule, and it requires businesses to consider their audience – and to work to know their audience.

It asks businesses to think about what their clients might enjoy in their products or advertisements based on what they know about them.

Takeaways The 2013 National Business Ethics Survey showed that “observed misconduct” was down and at a historic low, but also found that much of the misconduct is committed by managers.

So how do you improve ethics at your company? A Harvard Business Review article by Christopher McLaverty and Annie McKee examines the ethical choices C-suite executives have every day. The article had a particular quote that stood out to me: “Companies become ethical one person at a time, one decision at a time.”

The authors discuss having emotional selfcontrol—the courage to “step away from the crowd and do the right thing.”

“Treating

customers well is an effective

The authors also recommend that you learn what matters in your organization— take a look at how people are paid, who gets promoted and why, and how employees feel about the company. They recommend building a strong network to serve as a sounding board when faced with dilemmas. And, they say, don’t be afraid to speak up. Stay true to your personal values.

strategy to

build a mass of

loyal and repeat customers.”

Treating customers well is an effective business strategy to build a mass of loyal and repeat customers. In a digitallyconnected world, they’ll share that message—whether it’s on social media, an online review, or just talking with their friends. In turn, treating your employees well will motivate them to not only work harder, but also to spread that message to your customers.

There is no doubt that businesses must turn a profit to continue. It can also be said that profits can drive companies to cut corners and act badly. Mounting evidence suggests that it is not just beneficial, but a growing necessity for businesses to operate under the framework of ethical values and adopt either the Golden, Platinum, or the Double Platinum Rule (or all three ethical standards).

Research from the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) found “workplace misconduct declines when leaders are effective in communicating values.” So where do you stand? How will you stay true to your Golden Rule? HCBM

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Primerica, Inc. Charlotte Westerhaus-Renfrow teaches management and business law at IU’s Kelley School of Business and is President of ChangePro LLC, a leadership development consultancy.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

8415 Allison Pointe Blvd, Suite 415 Castleton, IN 46250 Office 877-798-9957 Cell 317-374-1021

11

Technology

J. David Shinn

Tech Talk:

Using Office 365 to manage your business

I have migrated many of my small business clients over to the Microsoft Office 365 environment. Office 365 is a family of products that help small business owners manage their business by providing Office software tools, business email management, file storage and workgroup communication. Working a simple migration plan will get all your current Outlook data into the Office 365 environment…and limit losing any email in the transition. You can order and setup your account online at www.Office365.com.

Over the years, I have seen many companies offer different pieces of the business puzzle to help a business owner manage their organization and staff. I feel that Microsoft is the first company to successfully put all of those business puzzle pieces together to provide a total management/communication system under one roof.

4) Email & calendaring Use business-class email through a rich and familiar Outlook experience you can access from your desktop, mobile phone or a web browser. You get a 50 GB mailbox per user and can send attachments up to 150 MB. You can link your domain name to your Office 365 account to continue your brand recognition (ie: david@ShinnTechnology.com).

8) Security & compliance Protect your email against spam, malware, and known threats with Exchange Online Protection. EOP meets key international, regional, and industryspecific standards and terms, with more than 1,000 security and privacy controls.

Control who and when someone has access to your business information with security groups and custom permissions.

The nice thing about working in the Exchange environment over a standard POP3 email account is that all your data (email, contacts, calendar, tasks) are in the Microsoft Cloud. Each device you connect to your account views a consistent display of data. If you update a calendar event on one device, it will automatically be updated on all other devices.

Non-Profit organizations

Each user has a personal calendar. But, you can also create a separate business calendar that all users can view, but only an Admin user can update. This There are many Office 365 programs, helps better manage meetings, corporate but I will focus on the Office 365 Business Premium offering in this article. The events and projects.

Office 365 Business Premium program is 5) File storage & sharing $12.50 per month (with an annual comOneDrive for Business gives each user mitment), per user. Using your Office 365 1 TB of OneDrive storage that can be Dashboard, you can easily add/remove accessed from anywhere, on any device. users and program licenses.

Easily share documents with others

This is what is included: 1) Desktop versions of Office applications Fully-installed and always up-to-date versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote for Windows or Mac (plus Access and Publisher for PC’s). Each user can install the Office apps on up to 5 PCs or Macs.

2) Mobile versions of Office applications Each user can install the Office apps on up to 5 phones and 5 tablets.

3) Web versions of Office applications Web versions of Microsoft Office are also included with real-time co-authoring so multiple users can work in the same document, simultaneously.

12

inside and outside your organization and control who can see and edit each file.

6) Teamwork & communication Communicate using messaging, voice calls, and video calls, and let people know your availability with your online status. Share presence, messaging, and audio calling with Skype users.

7) Tools to build & manage your business Manage schedules and daily staff work tasks with Microsoft StaffHub. Create email marketing campaigns to build customer loyalty and get new customers with Microsoft Connections. Have real-time, accurate mileage tracking and reporting in the palm of your hand with MileIQ.

Microsoft also has programs for nonprofit organizations. The same Office 365 Business Premium for non-profit organizations is just $3.00 per month, per user. TechSoup manages all the non-profit products for Microsoft. They can be reached at 800-659-3579 or visit www.TechSoup.org. Please note they have limited phone support hours of 7am-Noon PST. The setup process through TechSoup is a bit convoluted…call us for a quick setup punch-list, if needed.

Support Support for the Microsoft Office 365 environment is absolutely awesome.

Through your Dashboard you can request a call. Within 15 minutes a tech support professional will call you to help with your setup issue or problem. They can also remote connect to your computer to show you how to navigate through your Dashboard options. HCBM

J. David Shinn is President of Shinn Technology Services Corp specializing in technology consulting and support for small business. Shinn is also an author and technical editor.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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Escape Rooms fill a need for work and play

By Benjamin Lashar, Photos by Stan Gurka

eople never really grow out of games. Adults might not be reaching for Guess Who like when they were kids, but they still play games, downloading the latest smartphone game, gathering to play poker, and pairing up with couples for game nights. Some entrepreneurs have figured out that games are not only fun, they are also profitable.

Nowhere is this more apparent than escape rooms, where a group is locked in a room and must get out through teamwork, interacting with their environment, and solving puzzles. America went from 22 escape rooms nationwide four years ago to 2,000 today. Hamilton County has developed an escape room 14

presence good enough to challenge any metropolitan area.

The Disney of Escape Rooms Indiana owes its escape room presence to the Escape Room USA chain. Run by two local couples, the Neals and Harbrons, The Escape Room USA has locations in Indianapolis, Fishers, and Columbus, Ohio. They are Indiana’s first escape room company and the highest reviewed escape room chain in America.

adventures while still remaining reasonably priced. They invested in props, electric work, and a floor that allows multi-level rooms.

Puzzles begin upon entry. Customers must answer a riddle to open a secret door that leads to the lobby. The lobby itself is more of a lounge, featuring

Growing to such a level was not easy.

Marjorie Neal and Brendon Harbron note that many escape companies do not invest enough upfront, leading to rooms that are little more than a monotonous string of locked boxes. They instead wanted to create rooms that felt like Stalag 21 Room August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

An employee then takes players to their room, which features immersive attention to detail on a specific theme. For example, the Stalag 21 room features a scenario where players are World War 2 prisoners of war who must break into an SS commander’s office. The dimly lit wooden environments create an appropriately tense tone, and the authentic German uniforms and props (bought from Germany) sell the time period.

Disney of escape rooms” as Brendon Harbron puts it. The Disney comparison might be fitting; Indiana University has announced a partnership with them to create an IU-themed room for the school’s bicentennial.

Going Mobile

Photo provided

comfortable chairs, outdoor seating, a wide selection of local beer and wine, and a few brain teasers to warm up the customers.

Owners Jennie and Rich Case prepare for an employee engagement event outside of a local business with their mobile escape room.

Games might be fun, but many companies are discovTo object is to escape, and players must ering they can be useful as well. At a solve a variety of puzzles that require time when employee engagement is a different kinds of intelligences. Some are hot topic, gamification can energize a logical, some require trial and error, and workforce by encouraging teamwork, some are riddles. Each puzzle rewards promoting a positive cooperate culplayers with anything from the satisfying ture, teaching lessons, and creating the cha-chunk of a padlock opening to the engaged team every boss wants. Escapes reveal of a new room behind a false wall.

On The Run utilizes the escape room The bells and whistles fit into the owners’ format to help develop that kind strategy of combining a large upfront of workforce. investment with patience. Prioritizing As opposed to traditional brick and motor quality first and slow, steady expansion operations, Escapes On The Run is comsecond, the couples hope to become “the pletely mobile. They use a 200 square foot

trailer to bring the room to customers.

Escapes On The Run’s main customers are businesses who wish to use gaming to teach a lesson to employees or reward them with a fun change of pace.

Owner Rich Case says the biggest advantage to being completely mobile is customization. They can add or remove puzzles to make rooms last anywhere from fifteen minutes to a full hour.

Escapes On The Run can even mold a room’s story to fit the client’s needs.

Case notes a factory that hired Escapes On the Run to create a safety-themed

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August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

15

Photo provided

Photo provided

The inside of Escapes On The Run mobile escape unit features a mad scientist theme and puzzles based around teamwork and communication.

Plant employees working through a custom Escapes On The Run table top experience designed around OSHA safety standards.

escape room for its workers. Escapes on The Run made it fun by writing a good story, based on a scenario that the factory purchased an experimental shrink ray to safely store equipment. The shrink ray malfunctions, so the people in the room must use OSHA procedures to save the day. It was a one-time scenario for a single client, but creating such a customized experience was a thrill for Case.

Be it for fun or lessons, Escapes On The Run has yet to offer a negatively

reviewed room. Case does everything he can to create a fun experience.

“The walls are decorated. The ceiling is decorated. There’s electronics.

There’s props. There’s sound effects.

There’s everything you’d expect at a brick and motor location, but it’s right outside your office door,” he says. Escapes on The Run is even creating a “mega escape” that will implement escape room concepts in a game for up to sixty people.

The Titanic Escape Room in Fishers features creative carpentry to simulate a sinking ship.

The Future Escape rooms are fascinating new businesses, but there is still room for development in Hamilton County. Other markets have interesting variations like horror themes. “The more people who try it, the more people will love it,” says Case. “The more people that love it, the more customers we’ll have.” Both The Escape Room USA and Escapes On The Run plan to expand, so we may well see new and interesting themes here in the future. HCBM

Your loan. Your way.

We know that sometimes the best-laid business plans can use a helping hand. Just ask Travis Barnes and Brian Willsey of Hotel Tango Artisan Distillery. When they were ready to expand, they turned to State Bank of Lizton and Andy Pinegar. Andy was quickly able to provide a loan best suited to meet their needs.

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16

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Heartland Church plans a new building on 126th St. east of Olio Road.

Hamilton County Churches seek opportunities to serve our growing population Story and photos by Ann Craig-Cinnamon amilton County is on population growth steroids. You probably know this unless you live in a cave, and if it’s a cave in Hamilton County, it’s probably a nice one. It’s the fastest growing county in Indiana according to recent census statistics, and is projected to be second only to Marion County within a couple of decades. That growth is not only in people and the businesses that serve them but also in churches.

and a total of 40,251 congregants to Zoroastrian with one lonely member who must meet in his own garage since there are zero congregations listed.

A count of “religious bodies” and their number of congregations from the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) finds there are 190 congregations in Hamilton County. This ranges from the Catholic Church with eight congregations

Among them is the non-denominational Heartland Church, which was started in Fishers in 2001 by Pastor Darryn Scheske, and now has four locations, three in Hamilton County, including the original at 96th and Hague Road.

While those churches are all shapes and sizes, many of them are huge. On one short stretch heading east from Highway 37 to just past Olio Road in Fishers there are eight, and at least two of them are building bigger structures or additional campuses.

The Same Team

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Heartland COO Tom Branum says in a business environment we might be at a saturation point, but churches are different. “There are a lot of people who identify as a person of faith but they don’t go to church. Even though there looks to be a lot of seats, there’s still a mass number of people who aren’t there,” he says, adding that Heartland, like other churches, makes room for returning churchgoers and first timers, as well as new people coming to the area.

Branum says there isn’t a competition among churches. “It’s not that people are adding churches and saying ‘well the only place to get people is from other churches’. That wouldn’t make any sense.

We’re all on the same team, so to speak.

Our objective is to see how we can better serve our community.”

17

The fact that Hamilton County has the highest per household income in the state had no bearing on the decision to establish here, Branum says. He notes that there is a lot of need in Hamilton County. “I can only speak for Heartland, but there are lots of churches out there trying to be more than just a set of walls with chairs inside. We work really hard in our community to support the projects and needs that have been identified here and all our members are looking to see how they can make a difference and reach out in the community.

And not with strings attached but with just the wish to be of value and make our community a Grace Church better place.”

Branum says Heartland gives back to the community at least ten percent of its budget every year. “We have a very generous church. Hamilton County I believe is a very generous place. But I don’t think we are naïve people that give

to a church because it’s there. It has to be doing something of value. And I think that is what is happening.”

Mega Churches Grace Church, another non-denominational church, with two of its three campuses in Hamilton County, could be

defined as a “mega church” with weekly attendance of four to six thousand people. Senior Director of Communications Tyler Bender says the church has an active outreach program with the Care Center at the campus on 146th street in

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Noblesville providing about 600 families a week with food, referrals for jobs, and educational programs, to mention just a few services.

He says his church recently did research in the community and found there was still great need. “There is still much work to be done in terms of offering ministry to people who need it, serving the poor (even in Hamilton County!), and helping people understand they were made for more,” he says.

Northview Christian Life Church first held services in 1980 and now has seven campuses around the state, including three in Hamilton County; one of them the imposing hilltop campus at the corner of Hazel Dell Parkway and Main Street in Carmel. Another non-denominational mega church, Northview has average weekly attendance of around 9,000 people. Communications Pastor Lauren

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August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

County for the very same reason, which is that there are a lot of people here.

Mayor Fadness says he thinks having a strong faith community is positive for many reasons. “They can continue to be very helpful on the mental health front and a number of them have stepped forward and been active participants in those initiatives.

But it also helps stability in the sense of communities. People who have connections to their faith community, I think that’s a healthy part of one’s lifestyle and I think it also helps to foster a greater sense of community as a whole,” he says adding, “In general, I’m excited to have a strong and vibrant faith community here in Fishers. HCBM

Northview Church

Wright says it’s not surprising there are so many churches in the county.

“Hamilton County is an area with many families and rapid growth. It makes sense that a lot of churches would want to be in places where there is growth, in a family-oriented community.”

A nother Done DeAl.

Mental Health

NBI Client/Filename:

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness thinks the growth of the religious community is just a natural progression of the population in Fishers and Carmel and all of Hamilton County. “A lot of these churches might have started here back in the ‘90’s and are now reaching such a size from a congregation perspective that they’re needing to expand and grow. We’re seeing a number of those whether it’s Grace, Heartland, iTown; those are all churches that really have grown,” he says adding that others may have been in Marion County and wanted to start branches in Hamilton

6190 Another Done Deal_4.96x7.45

One of the most stunning church buildings in Hamilton County is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Indianapolis Temple which opened in 2012 at 116th and Spring Mill Road in Carmel.

Jeanelle Adamak, the Indiana Area Public Affairs Director, says the temple is not a meetinghouse like a church but, rather, serves congregations in Indiana and Champagne, Illinois. She says many factors played into the decision to build the temple in Hamilton County, including a central location for the 40,000 members who utilize the temple, available acreage and accessibility. There are six Mormon congregations in Hamilton County and Adamak says they have seen growth in recent years. “We have seen great support for our church and members,” she says.

To get the deal done, call 317-267-1696. ©2018 The National Bank of Indianapolis

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

www.nbofi.com

Member FDIC

19

Photos by C. J. Walker

Cover Story

What do you do with a $30 million gift? Carmel’s American Songbook Foundation has that enviable task as it assesses the best use for Asherwood, a 107-acre estate with a fully furnished mansion, guest house, clubhouse, two golf courses and several additional structures. It is the former home of the late businessman Mel Simon and his wife, Bren, who gave it to the foundation in January.

Since then, a committee has been meeting to figure out how the property can best serve the mission of the foundation, says President/CEO Jeffrey McDermott. Early ideas focused on a museum, but McDermott says they are considering many other options as well. There is no shortage of suggestions, he says, as the committee follows a “thoughtful and deliberate” process.

Here is a glimpse of the spaces included in one of Hamilton County’s most impressive estates. HCBM

Guest House living room

Library

20

Great Hall

Formal Dining Room

Master Suite

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Pitch-In

Notes from all over the county Grand Park

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy announced its 2018 graduating class.

Kelly Barton, Community Health; Ryan Berry, Garmong Construction Services; Jesse Billingsley, Church, Church, Hittle + Antrim; Cassandra Bogaards, Elements Financial; Casey Cawthon, City of Fishers; Brad Cozza, Hamilton County Airport Authority; Dan Degnan, Purdue University College of Pharmacy; Ashlie Dew, Elements Financial; Dana Donahue, Lake City Bank; Alex Emerson, Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C.; Aaron Head, City of Noblesville; Bradley Howell, Hamilton East Public Library; Jeremy Hunt, Beck's Superior Hybrids; Katie Jess, ACES Power; Jeff Johnson, Meyer Najem; Julia Lowe, CarDon & Associates; Henry Mestetsky, City of Carmel; Angela Morris, St. Vincent | IU Health; Laura Musall, FC Tucker; Daniel Potash, arcDesign; Patrick Propst, Faith Community Church; Marcus Reed, City of Westfield; Natasha Robinson, Prevail Inc.; Greg Sorvig, Heartland Film; Andrew Swickheimer, Noblesville Schools; Gina Terril, Indiana Members Credit Union; Branden Voegerl, CleanSlate Technology Group; Seth Warren, Riverview Health; Mike Winterhalder, Navient; Julie Wright, Central Indiana Community Foundation; Adriann Young, Noblesville Schools Education Foundation; Shanna Young, The Legacy Fund.

Kimberly Dimond is the new executive director of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, replacing Dr. Alan Davis, who retired after nearly two decades in the position.

Network, a partnership between Hamilton County employers and educators. It will provide state-of-the art workforce training for students entering the workforce and adults seeking a new skill set.

Noblesville City Councilor Wil Hampton was hired

by The ELAM Group and 21ology.com as a Client Development Specialist.

Noblesville resident Amy Thornton Shankland wrote the book Joy to You and Me (at work!), a guide to spreading joy and happiness at work and beyond.

Nickel Plate Express hired Dagny Zupin as communications coordinator.

The Westfield Chamber of Commerce appointed Nick Verhoff as interim President.

First Farmers Financial Corp. will repurchase up to $1 million of its own outstanding common stock to provide capital management opportunities and add value for the Company’s shareholders.

Indiana Department of Workforce Development awarded a $1.46 Million grant to the Hamilton County Workforce Innovation

The Legacy Fund, Hamilton County’s Community Foundation, announced $134,400 in grants to 19 organizations, including: Advocates for Children and Families Inc.-$12,000; Alternatives Inc.-$15,000; Arts for Learning (Young Audiences of Indiana)-$5,000; Best Buddies Indiana-$5,000; Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville-$10,000; Camptown Inc.-$5,000; Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development-$8,500; Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank Inc.-$8,900; Meals on Wheels of Hamilton County-$15,000; Nickel Plate Arts-$13,000; Noblesville Sister Cities International-$6,000; Open Doors of Washington Township-$3,000; Second Helpings-$10,000; Servants at Work-$3,000; LINK YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL GRANTS:B.A.B.E. Store-$2,000; Mama’s Cupboard Inc.-$4,300; The O’Connor House-$3,200; The Recovery High School at Fairbanks (Hope Academy)-$2,500; Trinity Free Clinic Inc.-3,000. HCBM

sparks Great people, relaxed venue, appetizers, and drinks (the fun kind)!

Sparks Talks Are: Arcadia Depot

Indiana Humanities awarded a Quantum Leap grant to the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad to transform the Arcadia Depot into an interactive attraction that will tell the history of northern Hamilton County, the industries that grew as a result of the train and discovery of natural gas, and the people who settled it.

The City of Westfield launched a financial transparency website to give the public access to its financial data through OpenGov.com, a California-based company specializing in financial transparency. The portal is online at https://westfieldin.opengov.com Westfield’s Grand Park was named a “Favorite Outdoor Venue” by the readers of Sports Destination Management, the leading nation-wide publication for sports event planners and tournament directors.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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21

Roundabout

A Summary of Recent Retail Activity

By Samantha Hyde

NORTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY DeLullo’s restaurant at 230 W. Jackson St. in Cicero is building a new deck to expand outdoor seating. The 19 Center at 22210 SR 19 is adding two new buildings for office and warehouse space.

CARMEL Carmel Clay Public Library is planning to open a new branch in early 2019 at 12770 Horseferry Rd. in the Village of West Clay.

Priority Communications has opened its new office at 10401 N. Meridian St. Semler Financial Group, located at 11711 N. Meridian St., is expanding its operations in Carmel.

A 5-story Tru by Hilton hotel, 3-story office building, and parking garage are planned for a 4-acre site at 12166 N. Meridian St. In May, The Donut Refinery opened its doors at 12525 Old Meridian St.

agency ROI Search Group is expanding its headquarters at 10475 Crosspoint Blvd.

AmeriFirst Home Mortgage recently opened at 8610 E. 106th St.

Sun King Distillery

booths operated by La Margarita, Oca, Pi, and Beast.

Juniper on Main is coming to 110 E. Main St. Targeted Career Solutions opened this spring at 718 Adams St. Saltus Gyros recently opened at 820 E. 116th St. Central Indiana is welcoming its first Rosati’s Pizza, a Chicago-based chain moving into the 116th St. Center at 890 E. 116th St. Hamilton County Area Neighborhood Development (HAND) has opened its first property in Carmel, dubbed Home Place Gardens, just east of McPherson St. on 106th St. Matthew’s Auto Repairs is growing its footprint at 725 E. 106th St.

Landmark Recovery of Carmel is remodeling a former plastic surgery clinic at 13590 N. Meridian St. for its new residential drug rehabilitation center. The CiOffice Evolution gar Box is moving into Meridian Village Shared office space Office Evolution Plaza at 13610 N. Meridian St. Take-out restaurant Mom’s Meals in Motion has opened at 550 Congressional Blvd. moved into the former Beavers Cleaners FISHERS location at 13744 N. Meridian St. Home Couture closed its doors at 14511 The owners of J.L. Hupp Jewelers at 7808 E. 96th St. are planning to retire Clay Terrace Blvd. in June. Oliver’s and close shop at the end of August.

Twist is open in the new Baldwin and Chambers building at Carmel City Center. American Family Insurance agency W. Maynard & Associates opened in June at 9754 Lantern Rd. Buckaroos Inc. is moving into 9855 Crosspoint Blvd. Family Counseling Associates is building a new 7,000 SF office at 9961 Crosspoint Blvd. Talent search Rosie's Place Carmel

Rosie’s Place opens its latest location at the end of the summer in The Olivia at 1111 W. Main St. Sun King Brewery’s new tap room and distillery at 351 Monon Trail opened in July with food 22

Sarkine's Total Warrior

Sarkine’s Total Warrior has opened a new north side school at 10990 Allisonville Rd. Kasai Sushi Bar is slated to open in the former Smokin’ BullDog Tavern space at 11009 N. Allisonville Rd. Carmel real estate firm The Hageman Group is constructing a 31,000 SF building at 8939 Technology Way. This fall, BW Development breaks ground on a 45,000 SF office building on Municipal Dr. near the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.

Construction is planned for a new Hyatt Place / Hyatt House hotel at The Yard at Fishers District on 116th St. just east of I-69. The Mark at Fishers District is slated to have multiple hotels, 252 luxury apartments, 100,000 SF of retail space, and a 3-story parking garage.

Netfor, Inc., moved into its new office space at 12115 Visionary Way in the Fishers Technology Park. Bobby Mac is growing at 11774 Technology Dr. with a 20,000 SF addition. VetCheck Pet Urgent Care Center held its grand opening in July at 14069 Mundy Dr. Indoor family fun park High Adventures is moving into the former SPARTA Indy space at 10080 E. 121st St. Nonprofit organization ArtStart has moved to 13657 Seven Oaks Dr. Plans are moving forward for a new iTown Church campus on the southwest corner of 136th St. and Brooks School Rd. The Re/Max Ability Plus Geist Office is now open for business at 11691 Fall Creek Rd. The new Martin Dentistry office is under construction at 12370 Olio Rd.

NOBLESVILLE Community First Bank of Indiana is opening a new branch in Pebble Brook Village Center at 17661 Village Center Dr. The closed Orange Leaf location at 14741 Hazel Dell Crossing is being converted into Giuseppes Italian Market.

MeritPointe Insurance Group has

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

moved into the former Deering Cleaners space at 20811 Hague Rd.

will include office buildings, a hotel, and Hamilton County’s first Big Woods restaurant. Penn Station East Coast Subs is opening a new eatery at 755 E. SR 32.

Nameless Barbecue has opened downtown at 56 S. 9th St. Primeval Brewery is moving into the former Platinum Living Community First Bank of Indiana is Fine Art Gallery space at 960 Logan St. building a new branch at South Junction Crossing & Spring Mill Rd. Copper Trace Skilled Nursing Facility is adding 10,000 SF to its campus at 1250 W. 146th St.

Meyer Food Management

Musical instruction is coming to Cool Creek Commons at 2480 E. 146th St. with the arrival of Bach to Rock.

Bach to Rock

Smoothie King is moving into Cool Creek Village at 2760 E. 146th St. Clayton Family Veterinary Care of Carmel is setting up shop at 14757 Oak Rd. Thai & Go has replaced Gandolfo’s at 2796 E. 146th St. HCBM

Meyer Food Management is remodeling the old Boys & Girls Club at 1448 Conner St. for offices. This summer, Gymnaworld moved three doors down from 1716 to 1708 Pleasant St. A 10,000 SF office and retail complex is slated for construction at 15390 Union Crossing Way. Union Chapel Crossing Self Storage is adding 67,000 SF of storage to its complex at 15429 Union Crossing Way. Kluth Salon Studios is moving into 16000 Prosperity Dr. Queso’s Mexican Grill is coming to 14741 Hazel Dell Rd. Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center is making a number of facility improvements, including new bars, restrooms, and an open-air viewing deck.

WESTFIELD Stone Center of Indiana has opened a new showroom at 19653 Six Points Rd. Planning for the 321-acre Wheeler Landing development northwest of SR 32 & Wheeler Rd. now includes a new 65,000 SF YMCA facility and natatorium for Westfield Washington Schools.

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LiftLab

In May, Indy-based LiftLab opened a second location dubbed LiftLab North at 400 Alpha Dr. A new Grindstone Charlie’s restaurant is under construction at 17470 Wheeler Rd. EdgeRock Development has plans for a 9-acre project dubbed The Landing at Monon Marketplace on the southwest corner of US 31 & SR 32. The development August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

8411 Fishers Centre Drive | Fishers, IN 46038 317-436-7488 whitinger.com 23

Fishers company hopes to end hunger one square foot at a time

By Chris Bavender I love where I live. A charming 1925 brick duplex with arched doorways, hardwood floors and a fenced in yard for the pups to run freely. The only drawback —there isn’t any place for a garden.

able to feed 100 a people all their proteins and veggies etc. for less than $1,000 a year,” Partlow said. “Over time the mission changed and evolved. I think more is possible than I even first thought.”

But, a Fishers company is helping frustrated gardeners like myself grow fresh produce within fingertips reach inside.

From a kitchen countertop to a spare room to a garage, Aggressively Organic can solve your gardening blues.

Now housed in a 40,000 square foot building in Fishers, Aggressively Organic plans to grow 500,000 plants a month —or six million a year—in just 10,000 square feet. The company’s name came from his 15-year-old son’s friend.

“You buy a nine pack and grow what you want in one square foot. The more you harvest, the more you grow,” said Jonathan Partlow, founder and CEO.

“She saw the room where we were growing things and said that’s just not organic, that’s aggressivley organic,” Partlow said.

“I believe most of our brilliant ideas come from kids—you learn more from kids because they see things differently.”

The hydroponic growing systems don’t require dirt or sunlight. Instead, they grow in cardboard flower pot sized containers using water, nutrients and LED lamps. You pick what you want to grow —from squash to tomatoes to lettuce or even strawberries.

The 49-year-old Partlow, a Frankton native, started the company at Launch Fishers in August 2017 with one simple goal in mind—to end food insecurity.

“Really it was how to cut the price and save the planet. How can we provide a sustainable food supply chain that is hyper local and not subject to catastrophic or political forces,” he said. “I wanted to find a better, simpler way to have access to food at all times in the house.”

“For six years I became completely obsessed with my starting goal of being 24

And, when Partlow says the plants can be grown anywhere, he isn’t kidding. His 17-year-old son’s VW van is equipped with solar panels for a mobile farm. A yacht builder is constructing space in his yachts, while a luxury train company wants to grow the plants onboard in order to serve fresh salads. They’ve even been grown under a coffee table, using two-side tape to hang the lights.

“You can do this anywhere in the world —that is whole point. When we went to New Orleans for a produce show for Indiana Grown we put plants in the back of our van with the lights on and they grew while we drove there and while we were there,” Partlow said. “When we left they grew on the way back and we continued to harvest and eat off them for a month.”

Better and Simpler

That thought drove Partlow every day.

He started testing systems, turning down countless job offers along the way (he has a Masters in Informatics and several other degrees). When something didn’t work, he “undid” the last thing and tried again. He got down to minimum water usage and no pumps and, to his surprise, the plants grew faster and healthier than expected.

Global Market

Currently, Aggressively Organic is working with several small restaurants to provide plants and has 42 locations mapped out across the world to have a presence in the next three years. The company is currently in talks with Italy, India, Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland and Brazil.

Kids such as kindergartners at Brooks Elementary School grew plants with the Aggressively Organic system and then donated them to the Hamilton County Harvest Food Bank.

“The food bank brought in kids from other schools to do the harvesting and they harvested off them for nine to 10 weeks,” Partlow said.

Aggressively Organic will also offer a membership service through Aggressively Fresh Farms.

“We will do all the growing for you and you take it home and harvest and when you bring back an empty one we’ll give you a full one with whatever plant you want,” Partlow said. “For every one purchased, we will grow a system for a local food bank. That is giving back to the community as best we can.” HCBM

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

AUGUST

WIN COFFEE & CONNECT Tuesday, August 14 8:30am–9:30am SmithHouse CHAMBER LUNCHEON State of Health Riverview Health CEO Seth Warren presenting Wednesday, August 22 11:00am–1:00pm Harbour Trees Golf Club

SEPTEMBER

BIRDIES & BREWS III GOLF OUTING Thursday, September 13 10:30am–5:00pm Purgatory Golf Club NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION Wednesday, September 19 8:30am–9:30am Chamber Offices YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LUNCH & LEARN Wednesday, September 19 11:30am–1:00pm Pebble Brook Golf Course CHAMBER LUNCHEON State of the City Wednesday, September 26 11:00am–1:00pm Harbour Trees Golf Club NOBLESVILLE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE'S COMMUNITY LEARNING SERIES Thursday, September 27 7:00pm–9:00pm Noblesville First United Methodist Church For more information or to register for these events, visit us at www.noblesvillechamber.com/events or call us at (317) 773-0086

— NEW MEMBERS — Thank you to the following members for joining the Chamber or upgrading their membership!

dropBy® 49 Boone Village, #103 Zionsville, IN 46077 (317) 661-1969 www.dropbysolutions.com Three Two Fun/Bowl 32 845 Westfield Road Noblesville, IN 46062 (317) 773-3381 www.bowl32.com MeritPointe Insurance 20811 Hague Road Noblesville, IN 46062 (317) 695-6063 Harbour Manor & The Lodge 1667 Sheridan Road Noblesville, IN 46060 (317) 770-3434 www.hmanorlodge.com Sarah Glitzer Consulting (317) 529-2310 www.sarahglitzer.com OutHouse Coworking/Jennings Commercial Interiors 540 Westfield Road Noblesville, IN 46060 (317) 696-3434 www.outhouse.work

NOBLESVILLE

— EVENTS —

www.noblesvillechamber.com

UPCOMING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Ruoff Home Mortgage 350 Westfield Road, Suite 210 Noblesville, IN 46060 (317) 523-7695 www.IndyLoanLady.com

Noblesville Chamber P.O. Box 2015 Noblesville, IN 46061 317-773-0086 Follow Us:

— L E G AC Y PA R T N E R S —

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

25

Connect Collaborate Learn Join August & September 2018 Events

Your go-to resource for your business needs.

Wed., August 8: August Luncheon 11:30 am to 1 pm | 502 East Even Centre

One size does not fit all.

B2B. B2C. Large Biz. Your needs are varied and your employees have different roles and demands on time.

Thurs., August 16: Member Orientation 8 to 9 am & 3 to 4 pm | OneZone

• • • • • •

Wed., August 22: YP Leadership Series 12 pm to 1:30 pm | Eddie Merlot’s Thurs., August 23: Business After Hours 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm | The Palladium Wed., September 5: Networking Breakfast 7:30 am to 9 am | Houlihan’s - Hamilton Town Center Wed., September 12: September Luncheon 11:30 am to 1 pm | 502 East Event Centre Tues., September 18: Small Business Toolbox 9 am to 12 pm | The Hagerman Group

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Wed., September 19: Young Professionals Meet Up 5 pm to 7 pm | Bar Louie - Carmel Thurs., September 20: New Member Orientation 8 am to 9 am & 3 pm to 4 pm | OneZone Wed., September 26: Business Expo & Food 4:30 pm to 7 pm | FORUM Conference Center

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We also look to include nonprofits in the program.

Working with the nonprofit to find a day of service and invite our members to join us at their location.

OneZone Leadership Partners

10305 Allisonville Rd., Ste. B | Fishers, IN 46038 | 317.436.4653 | onezonecommerce.com

Welcome New Members Gold Members

Ribbon Cuttings Daniel’s Vineyard

Cellular Sales of Indiana

Encore Sotheby’s

HAND - Prevail

Your Dream Filmworks

Silver Members

EZPC Indy Integra Builders LLC Robert Half

Bronze Members AOI

Carpenter Realtors Christopher Dykes

Dentistry of Fishers Donut Refinery Carpenter Realtors Jennifer Koehler Fitness Together Harvest Investment Services HotWorx Koorsen Fire & Security Paychex Inc. Preservation Associates— Independent Associates for Legal Shield/ ID Shield Prime Med Urgent Care Restoration Academy RQAW Corporation Superior Group Viking Sports LLC Wheeler Coaching Systems, LLC Spavia

HotWorx

Image 360 - Indianapolis NW

The MAX Challenge - Fishers

David Weekley Homes

Donut Refinery

Profile by Sanford

AmeriFirst Home Mortgage

Priority Communications

Basic Members

Carmel Farmers Market Advanced Digital Office Technology DeVry University dropBy Embassy Suites by Hilton Noblesville—Indianapolis Engaging Solutions Go Ask Chris—Chris Miller Hamilton County Television iLoveKickboxing—Carmel JPS Consulting Engineers Mary Kay Cosmetics—Jennifer Kelly

McDonald’s—E. Carmel Drive Meredith Corporation National Life Group/Allegiant Financial Group Netlogx Skulski Consulting Sonitrol of Indianapolis Strategynest The Accent Wall Company The Growth Coach—Lisa Hudson The Little Gym Performance Improvement Colsulting

Ground Breaking - The Yard in Fishers

NORTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY 28

EVENTS & HAPPENINGS 2018

— 2018 MONTHLY LUNCHEONS — AUGUST 9, 2018

11:30am-1:00pm TOPIC: The Blackhawk Winery Story Blackhawk Winery 8153 Ditch Rd. Sheridan, IN 46069

— 2018 NEW MEMBERS —

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

11:30am-1:00pm State of Our Schools Hamilton Heights High School 25802 State Rte 19 Arcadia, IN 46030

— 2018 CHAMPION MEMBERS —

HOPE Family Care Center 270 West Jackson Street Cicero, IN 46034 (317) 984-3444 www.hopefamilycare.org White River Christian Church, Hamilton North location www.wrcc.org (317) 773-2233

Visit the complete Member Directory at www.northernhamiltoncountychamber.com/list

70 Byron Street Cicero, IN 46034 (317) 984-4079 August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

UPCOMING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

AUGUST 2 Westfield Young Professionals 5:30-7:30pm Location TBD

NVS Design, Inc. 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1300 Indianapolis, IN 46062

AUGUST 14 Coffee with the Chamber 8:00-9:00am Prime 47

Big Hoffa’s Smokehouse Barbeque 800 East Main Street Westfield, IN 46074

AUGUST 16 Luncheon with Zionsville Chamber 11:00-1:00pm First Wing Jet Center

Pulte Homes 803 Viking Sunrise Lane Westfield, IN 46074

AUGUST 23 Business after Hours 5:00-7:00pm Huston Electric

Data Mine Marketing 3547 Heathcliff Court Westfield, IN 46074

SEPTEMBER EVENTS SEPTEMBER 6 Westfield Young Professionals 5:30-7:30pm Chiba Indy SEPTEMBER 11 Coffee with the Chamber 8:00-9:00am Prime 47 SEPTEMBER 20 Luncheon State of the Schools 11:00-1:00pm The Bridgewater Club

WESTFIELD

AUGUST EVENTS

dropBy® 49 Boone Village #103 Zionsville, IN 46077

www.westfield-chamber.org

NEW MEMBERS

Want to add your name to this list?

To learn more, contact info@westfield-chamber.org

SEPTEMBER 27 Business After Hours 5:00-7:00pm Berkshire Hathaway Home Services For details and online registration, please visit: www.westfield-chamber.org or call 317.804.3030

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Westfield Chamber of Commerce 116 E. Main St. Westfield, IN 46074 317.804.3030

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

29

Hamilton County History

here is a lot of discussion these days about hydraulic fracturing—“fracking”—in the media.

This is, of course, the process of using water combined with other substances to make a special fluid that can force oil out of the ground. In 1889, a Wayne Township man invented a system to use the pressure from natural gas wells to force water out of the ground, which, while the gas pressure lasted, seemed to be great success.

Kinetic Energy William H. Castor (1834-1912) and Samuel B. Castor (1838-1907) were brothers and the sons of John H. Castor, a pioneer of Hamilton County who moved here in 1834. William was a farmer and one of organizers of the Anderson, Lebanon, and St. Louis Railroad, (known as the Midland Railroad). Samuel was a teacher and a farmer, and laid out the town of Durbin.

David Heighway

level. When the gas was turned on, the pressure would cause suction, drawing the water up the water pipe to the surface. It’s apparent that the idea of mixing the gas and the water didn’t bother anyone in the least.

known for its use of gas. The Ledger for September 9, 1887, said that the house was all piped for heat and light, with a patent gas feed regulator and four lawn burners (large outdoor gaslights). The article said that he was planning to put in hot and cold running water, as well as running gas to the butchering house and the wash house.

Then Samuel came up with an idea to get maximum use from the gas. Powerful wells like the “Wainwright Wonder” had enormous pressure from the When William was on the board of direc- escaping gas—a brick dropped tors of the railroad, it suffered finaninto one would fly back out cial problems and he ended up losing and be thrown very far. Samuel $30,000. He went bankrupt in 1878, just thought that this kinetic energy after the line had reached Noblesville. from the initial pressure could He then left the railroad business and be used as a source of power in worked on rebuilding his fortunes. The and of itself.

Noblesville Ledger of August 26, 1881, The Hamilton County Democrat of June said, “W. H. Castor has made his house 22, 1888, announced, “S. B. Castor is the to correspond with the illustration in the inventor of a pump that will revolutioncounty history. It did not till now and apize the pump business. It will throw pears quite palatial.” In June of 1883, the water from wells, no difference how deep Ledger said that he had they are. Patent applied for. We ordered lumber to build will tell more about the wonderthe largest barn in the ful pump in the near future.” county, which would be 90 feet by 100 feet, and Patented Process 30 feet to the eaves.

In July of 1889, the brothers were The 1887 Gas Boom granted a patent for a pump that brought prosperity back could be used in something small to the family, particulike a cistern. A gas pipe would larly after wells were be run into the well and back up drilled on their land. into the water pipe, with the joint William’s farm became between them below the water 30

The Democrat said on August 2, 1889, “If you want to see how natural gas can be utilized for everything except eating, take a drive out to W. H Castor’s farm—fish ponds, fountains, watering stock, heating, lighting, running saw mills, etc.”

The brothers received a patent for another pump in November of 1890. This version went deep underground drawing on the natural water table. It was an improved model since you would be able to tap off the gas afterwards and use it for fuel. It was actually given a practical application at a local business.

An article in the Ledger on May 29, 1891, said, “Wm. and S. B. Castor began this morning a second water well for the Electric Light company, in White River.

The well will be a few feet in the river and will be sunk to a depth of thirtyfive feet. In the well will be placed one of Castor’s patent natural gas pumps, which will force the water up the hill to the boiler in the dynamo house.”

As I’ve pointed out before [HCBM Feb/ Mar 2017], the gas pressure began to fail within a few years. By 1895, the gas companies were struggling to keep the supply flowing. A pressurized apparatus like this would be useless. The brothers moved on to other things and the Patented Castor Water Pump was relegated to being an industrial curiosity. HCBM David Heighway is the Hamilton County Historian.

August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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www.H7network.com August • September 2018 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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