Hamilton County Business Magazine Dec/Jan 2017 by Mike Corbett

DECEMBER • JANUARY 2016-2017

Trash to Treasure

Dead local trees are raw materials for fine furniture

Plus…

• The Website where Everything’s FREE • Carmel’s Caribbean Cuisine Connection • The Battle of Mudsock

Jud Scott, of Vine and Branch, sits on a rustic bench in Cool Creek Park made from an ash tree killed by the Emerald Ash Borer.

“SPARKLING, FRESH AND LIVELY.” - Los Angeles Times

Trusted Business Advisors

Sikich LLP (formerly Ent:Imler CPA) is a leading professional services firm specializing in accounting, technology and advisory services. Our services include:

� Accounting & Auditing � Business Consulting � Business Valuation

� Employee Benefit Plan Audits � ERP Software Solutions � Tax Planning & Compliance

Accounting | Advisory | Managed Services | Technology 8555 N. River Rd., Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46240 317.842.4466 | www.sikich.com

January 10 - 15 Old National Centre 800.982.2787• Ticketmaster.com

TheSoundOf MusicOnTour.com

FFBT.COM

Keep Your Mortgage

Close to Home

Local Lenders, Local Decision Making, Local Servicing

Lindsey DeWitt

Marion/Elwood/Fairmount

Ashley Howell Kokomo/Greentown

NMLS# 740338 NMLS# 562068 (765) 293-4162 (765) 864-0688 lindseymortgage.net ashleymortgage.net

Dirk Webster Kokomo

Jake Heard Tipton/Sheridan

NMLS# 562084 NMLS# 1564241 (765) 453-9100 (765) 675-7676 dirkmortgage.com jake.heard@ffbt.com

Apply Online at www.FFBT.com Member FDIC

Institution # 478756

December / January 2016-2017

www.hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Black Cherry and glass table salvaged from a local dead tree.

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

Mike Corbett

mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Features

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Dave Bechtel dave@hamiltoncountybusiness.com

Vine and Branch

15 Noblesville Clock 18 Building a Workforce 20 Gladli 22 Retail Roundabout 23 The Pitch-in 24 Dining Out:

Bridget Gurtowsky

bridget@gurtowskygraphics.com

Jamaican Reggae Grill

25 Chamber Pages

Columns 6 8

Editor Management Dr. Charles Waldo

Technology Michael Bauman

History David Heighway

CORRESPONDENTS Christine Bavender crbavender@gmail.com Jennifer A. Beikes jenniferbeikes@gmail.com Rosalyn Demaree ros_demaree@hotmail.com Jane Willis Gardner janegardner33@gmail.com Karen Kennedy Karen@karenkennedywriter.com Shari Held sharih@comcast.net Samantha Hyde samantharhyde@gmail.com Patricia Pickett pickettwrites@gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS Michael Bauman info@thriveculturecoaching.com David Heighway heighwayd@earthlink.net Robby Slaughter rslaughter@accelawork.com Dr. Charles Waldo cnwaldo@comcast.net

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 John Wright of MediaWright 4

December 2016 â&#x20AC;˘ January 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ Hamilton County Business Magazine

The Word is Out...

Now Offering a Full Line of Products & Services For All Your Financial Needs •

Checking • Savings • CD’s • IRA’s • Loans

DOW N L O A D O U R A P P T OD AY

Casey Arnold 317-399-7488

Denise Abshire 317-399-7501

Greg Goff 317-399-7491

5570 Lane Pebble Village 5570 Pebble Village Suite Lane, 400,Noblesville Noblesville 317 • 399 • 7492 317-399-7500 Loan office only, no depostis will be accepted at this location

Janelle Bunnell 317-399-7496

Letter from the Editor December • January 2016-2017 Of all the business stories we tell, one of my favorite themes is the concept of reuse: taking raw materials that others rejected and finding a new way to use them. It requires vision, ingenuity and creativity. That’s why I found this issue’s cover story so appealing. It bothered Jud Scott that thousands of trees that had succumbed to the ravages of the Emerald Ash Borer were being trashed. He figured there must be way to put that valuable hardwood to use. So he started harvesting it and is now turning it into locally sourced furniture. It took similar vision at White River Campground in Cicero, where Hamilton County Parks recently unveiled three new bridges across the White River to Koteewi Park. Well, they’re new to Hamilton County, but two of the bridges were salvaged from Washington and Wayne counties and the third was reconstructed from 100 year old plans.

Mike Corbett Editor and Publisher

These are beautiful examples of turn of the 20th Century engineering technology and serve to remind us of our heritage while providing a useful passage between two parks. INDOT saves these old bridges until enterprising people can find new uses for them. The county parks department did just that, and offers a great example of how some creativity and initiative can enhance the quality of life here.

Grain elevator in mid-demolition

Of course, we sometimes fail to muster the required initiative as well. You may recall the 100+ year old grain elevator in Noblesville that ceased operation a couple of years ago. It’s now an empty lot and all that lumber from our native trees was sold to people in other parts of the world, who saw value in it that we didn’t. It’s a shame we let that go. I know we can’t save everything but it’s disappointing that a structure that played such an important part in Noblesville’s history is now just a memory with no reminder that it was even there. I’m told some of the limestone from the foundation will find its way to the new park downtown.

Event Updates Earlier this year I announced a variation on our Hamilton County Home Show for next year that I thought showed a lot of promise. A friend suggested we add pets to the mix to differentiate ourselves and expand the audience. I’m sorry to report that after several months of trying we were unable to recruit a critical mass of pet vendors to complement our home improvement vendors, so we’re calling off the Home and Pet Show for now. I thank the vendors who stepped up but I think we’re all better off cutting our losses now. We don’t want to present a mediocre show. All who paid will receive full refunds. We’re also retiring Business Spotlight, the monthly networking event at the Fishers Hilton Garden Inn co-sponsored by this magazine. We love to promote local business and the monthly events were going well, but it was a logistical challenge for coordinator Roxanne Leija, who was doing all the heavy lifting. We made some great contacts there so maybe we can revive something new in the future. A final note: Harold Kaiser died in November at 96. Harold was an early subscriber to this magazine and provided encouragement when I needed it most. He was a small-town boy from Cicero who saw incredible change in Hamilton County and left his mark on the real estate industry here. OneZone’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Carmel is named after him and rightly so. See you around the county,

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

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

IMAGINE

taking your business further.

When getting the competitive edge means upgrading your business, Horizon can help make it happen. Whether you need to invest in new technology, expand your facilities or take your business in a whole new direction a Horizon Bank business loan can deliver. Our quick response, local support and flexible lending solutions can help your business go further, faster.

Talk to your local Business Advisor today!

Loan Decisions Next Business Day - Guaranteed* 1216 W. Carmel Dr., Carmel (317) 218-4034 EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE â&#x20AC;˘ SENSIBLE ADVICE ÂŽ Member FDIC

*Applies to Loan Requests of $100,000 or less. See an Advisor for details.

horizonbank.com

Management

Charles Waldo

What Are Your CSFs? Are you measuring what really counts? Years ago, when just out of Saint Louis University’s B-School, I worked for a mid-sized, publicly-traded company in St. Louis. My desk happened to be near the office of the president, an imposing, rather gruff character. He had the habit, when walking through the building, of randomly stopping at an employee’s desk to ask “What was yesterday’s stock price close? Was it up or down from the day before?”

• Performance results can be gathered relatively easily, quickly, and accurately.

I don’t believe anyone ever got fired for not knowing the answers but they did get “the look.” Employees (including me!) were terrified of being asked and not knowing so most everyone kept their eyes focused on these two figures. The president even had bulletin boards all over the building with the two figures updated every morning, so I asked my boss, a division general manager, why the president did that. He said the president felt the most common corporate performance denominator all employees could relate to was the stock’s daily price. He wanted all eyes focused on it all the time. One could argue about the validity of his view but the daily stock price was THE primary Critical Success Factor (CSF) for him and, therefore, for us. At my initial low level entry position I had almost no effect on the stock’s price but, nevertheless, was focused on it. As time passed and promotions came I saw the potential usefulness of CSFs, came up with several for my units, and tried to get all eyes trained on them. They seemed to work.

• While most organizations typically use many performance measurements, CSFs should be limited to a relatively few (3 – 7) so all eyes can be constantly focused on them.

How about you? Do you have Critical Success Factors that you focus on constantly? What are the “make it or break it” results for your organization? For your part in it? What about for your personal life? What spells “success?”

5. Customer suggestions for improving their happiness (they usually see things from a different perspective than management)

Characteristics of a critical success factor • It’s a collective performance factor or result that is extremely important to organization success. Perhaps even a “make it or break it” result. 8

• The CSF is understood and its importance widely recognized by employees. • It does not track or identify individual employee’s performance.

• The organization must be able to affect its CSFs. For example, the organization might be strongly affected by macro-economic trends such as the Gross National Product but probably can’t do anything to alter the GNP. Customer repeat visit frequency or product defect rates would be CSFs the organization can affect.

An example Let’s look at what CSFs might be appropriate for a sit-down restaurant and how they could be measured. I’ve never run a restaurant but have eaten in many. These CSFs seem almost self-evident: 1. Sales volume and trends (easily tracked by receipts) 2. Increase in size of the average bill, especially with high profit, add-on items (servers make bigger tips and the restaurant’s volume and profitability probably rises) 3. Customer repeat visit rate (the lifeblood for most organizations) 4. Customer happiness rating (happy customers are likely to return and tell others)

One way to get the # 3, 4, & 5 CSF’s data Print a half page card which servers hand to customers with their bills, asking them politely to fill it out and leave at the table or turn in to the hostess or cashier. Provide a nice (but inexpensive) pen with the restaurant’s name on it as a thank-you for completing the survey (everyone likes to get something for December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

free). Maybe also give a coupon good for a freebie when they return…. non-alcoholic drinks; desserts; a 10% discount; kids eat free; etc. Ask: Dear guest(s): We appreciate your dining with us today. So we can serve you better, would you please answer the following questions? Leave the card at the table or give it to the hostess. Please keep the pen and gift coupon as our thank-you. Thanks, have a great day, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

For example, assume question 1 showed that, in a two week period, 20% of customers were repeaters. Perhaps set a goal of 30% in three months. Then develop tactics and strategies that might accomplish that target. Measure results. One of the first rules of effective management is prioritizing goals and issues, with the most important ones first. That’s what Critical Success Factors are: Determining then measuring on an on-going basis the relatively few REALLY important factors vital to organization success. All per-

formance factors are not created equal, with the “80-20 Rule” valid in many cases. Now put your numbers and focus improvement efforts where they count the most. Good luck. HCBM

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

(Signed) John Doe, Manager (include phone # and email/text addresses) 1. Have you (or any in your party) dined with us before? Yes__ No__ (measures repeat customers)

What are the “make it or break it” results for your organization? 2. All things considered, using a scale of 10 to 0 where 10 is Very Happy and 0 is Miserably Unhappy, how happy are you with today’s experience with us? ______ (measures customer satisfaction) 3. What suggestions do you have that would have made today’s visit Happier? (Get customers’ ideas) 4. If you will give us your name and email address we will be happy to send you periodic notifications of specials and fun events. (Obviously, the restaurant must have social media marketing capabilities and offer specials.)

Aggregating customer responses It should be fairly quick and easy for the manager or a designated employee to tally up each day’s totals for each question. Use simple charts or numerical listings to share with employees. Nothing fancy. December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Technology Michael Bauman

Stepping into the New Year What to look for in fitness devices As the snow begins to fall and the world wraps itself up in a blanket with some hot chocolate by the crackling fire, thoughts begin to turn to Christmas, carols, and presents. With January, and the lines of people with their signed New Years Resolutions in hand right around the corner, you might have considered looking at some of the fitness devices that are out there as a stocking stuffer or a gift for a friend. But with all the options to choose from, how do you know what will fit their style and preference? Here are some factors to consider.

All day vs training Any tool that can be used for motivation or to help facilitate more movement throughout the day is a “step” in the right direction. But what should you look for in a fitness device? It really depends on what you are using it for and what you want to track. There are two main types of fitness devices: the all day trackers (for general fitness and health) and the training trackers (primarily for training for a specific event or sport). Most fitness devices track steps, stairs, calories, and quality of sleep. The training trackers do all of the above but also typically include your heart rate, and have GPS features to give you data about distance, speed, pace, and your route. They are usually waterproof, and sync with your smartphone to show texts, calls, and emails.

during exercise. Many of my clients would come in with fitness devices on their arms that tracked heart rate and I was always curious to see how accurate they would be at different intensities compared with our measurements. Most of them performed within 3-5 beats per minute while walking or slow jogging. But when it came to the higher intensities the deviations and errors became quite pronounced. A lot of the fitness devices were unable to pick up the heart rate or their tracking would fluctuate from 90bpms to 170bpms as the devices struggled to get a reading. Fitness devices that pick up the heart rate through a chest strap as opposed to the wrist are more accurate, but let’s be honest, who wants to strap a band around their chest while they are exercising?

Pricing and error rates

Our very own Channel 13 WTHR news team came to similar conclusions when they brought a Fitbit Charge HR, a Fitbit Zip, a Jawbone UP3, a Garmin Vivosmart HR, an iFit Vue, and a Misfit Flash to Ball State’s Exercise Physiology lab. After performing a series of tests all of them performed within 2-3% on steps but the distance measurement could be off by 14%, Style and size are also important. What lady wants to be wearthe caloric burn was overestimated by 30-40%, and there was ing a brick around her between a 10-14% error in the heart rate wrist while she could readings. So keep that in mind when you be wearing the sleek, are wanting that extra Christmas sugar stylish, Fitbit Alta and cookie. …when it came to the higher stepping out of a sports Overall, I have found that Garmin prodcar in high heels? You intensities the deviations and ucts like Vivofit ($99) and Vivosmart should also make sure HR+ ($199) are usually more accurate the display is easy to errors became quite pronounced. than Fitbit. But the Fitbit Flex 2 ($99) read, check the battery and Fitbit Charge 2 ($149) also typilife, how often you have cally perform quite well. For style, the to charge it, and always FitBit Alta ($129) definitely takes the cake check the compatibility with your phone. and for screen resolution, quality, and features the Samsung While most fitness devices are quite accurate when tracking Gearfit 2 ($179) is at the top of the list. So decide what you steps, unless the steps are from household chores or other want to track and how you want to look and rock your fitness activities where the movement is not quite as linear, you may style into the new year! HCBM want to take the heart rate and calorie readings with a grain of salt. I have spent years in the health and fitness industry as a personal trainer and Assistant Department Head of a Lifetime Fitness gym facility and have performed hundreds Michael Bauman is CEO of Thrive Culture, a local online habitof heart rate assessments analyzing people’s metabolisms based nutrition coaching company. 10

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Visit one of our convenient Hamilton County locations today! CARMEL

2015

One E. Carmel Drive Suite 100

COMMUNITY COMMITMENT DELIVERS THE GREATEST RETURNS

CICERO

1100 S. Peru St.

FISHERS

11521 Olio Road

FISHERS CROSSING

11991 Fishers Crossing Drive

LOGAN STREET 830 Logan St.

Local Decisions - Local Service - Local Bank With a proud tradition of serving East Central Indiana businesses, the local First Merchants team supports you and your business with local decisions, and local service by bankers who live, work and are invested in this community. We welcome the opportunity to work with you and your business.

Delivering expertise in:

Business Lending Cash Management Private Wealth Advisory

NOBLE CREEK

400 Noble Creek Drive

NORTH MICHIGAN ROAD 10210 N. Michigan Road

RIVER ROAD

651 Westfield Road

WESTFIELD

3333 E. State Road 32

THE STRENGTH OF BIG. THE SERVICE OF SMALL.

800.205. 3464 | FIRSTMERCHANTS.COM Investment Management solutions provided by First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors may not be FDIC insured, are not deposits of First Merchants Bank and may lose value.

BIZBNK-ADPR-HamiltonCoBusMag-0816

Keep more of your money... legally. AS A BUSINESS OWNER, YOU’VE GOT SPECIAL TAX BENEFITS. WE’LL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THEM.

The Padgett team specializes in small business needs: TAX PREPARATION ACCOUNTING TAX COMPLIANCE PAYROLL SERVICES

Call us at 317.663.7767 to schedule your free consultation, or visit us at smallbizpros.com/b_leonardi.

PATTY & BILL LEONARDI OWNERS

WHERE YOUR SUCCESS TAKES ROOT.

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Cover Story

Recycled local wood makes beautiful, functional furniture By Jennifer A. Beikes Photos by John Wright

he death and disposal of area trees led to an unexpected silver-lining for one local business. Vine and Branch, Inc. in Carmel specializing in tree care and arborist services, recently expanded its business to include creating custom, heirloom-quality furniture and rough-hewn benches for nature centers in Hamilton County. The company anticipates further growth as word gets out that trees lost to pests, disease or age can have a purpose beyond death. “I have always been interested in reusing wood, and frankly have felt bad when beautiful wood went into the firewood pile,” said Jud Scott, founder and president of Vine and Branch. A combination of inspiration from a client clearing property and a suggestion from his daughter led Scott to explore the possibilities of creating works of art from the trees typically hauled off and forgotten. “My daughter sent me some pictures of live-edge slab tables and log-end tables, and said ‘Dad, you need to do this!’ About the same time, a couple of Vine and 12

Reclaimed black walnut stump from bottom of a local reservoir.

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Branch employees suggested we get rid of these clunky fiberboard desks and make some desks ourselves,” Scott recalls. “Thus, the idea was born.”

Indestructable The devastation from the Emerald Ash Borer, a pest blamed for the death of millions of ash trees in America in the past decade and a half, results in costly tree removals and sometimes empty property. Owners now have an option to reuse that valuable wood, and some municipalities have put to good use trees felled by pests. “There’s an international effort to reclaim urban wood for products,” Scott said. “It is a great way to memorialize trees that have sentimental value, or to just repurpose a resource that would otherwise be lost.”

Bookmatched black cherry coffee table on sled runners.

Danesa Stolz, chief naturalist for Fishers Parks and Recreation, was approached by Scott to see if the city was interested in incorporating benches made from the ash trees into the landscape at Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve. “Jud and I sought sponsors for the benches. Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve currently has five benches,” Stolz said, noting that the first benches were installed in October 2015. The wood used in the benches, however, came from Hamilton and Marion counties, not the park. “Since Ritchey Woods is a nature preserve, trees that fall naturally or need to be cut due to safety reasons remain on site.”

InDIAnA BusIness BAnk Is noW A PArt of stAte BAnk of LIZton. WELCOME! As we celebrate our 106th year as a bank, we also celebrate and welcome Indiana Business Bank customers to SBL. We have been a steady hand of responsibility and trust for those we humbly serve since 1910… and we are only getting better with age! We welcome new customers who join with us to experience our first-class style of banking. We also celebrate our long standing customers and friends who have helped us grow and been trusted partners. We invite you to join our family of customers and friends as we look forward to another year of growth for us and our valued customers. Bank with us. Count on us.

We Do That!

The rustic beam benches from felled ash trees also dot Cool Creek Nature Center, in Westfield, and can also be found in Strawtown Koteewi Park in Noblesville. The benches were installed through partnerships. continues on next page

#43600 SBL IBBMerger_HC4.96x4.96.indd December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

10/24/16 4:58 PM

“A dream I have is to find donors for wood projects,” Scott said. “A lot of parks departments, a couple of schools and not-for-profits have expressed interest, but in the end, do not have the funds for wood projects.”

“Hamilton County Parks and Recreation joined with IU Health for their annual community improvement initiative, Day of Service,” according to Don Nicholls, Resource Development Specialist with Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. “Through this partnership, IU health donated the benches, which serve as a focal point of the nature play areas.”

Stolz agrees. “More benches would be great. This is a great opportunity for visitors to sponsor a bench.”

Edge Adventures, who operates the Aerial Adventure Treetop Trails course at Strawtown Koteewi Park, installed similar benches. Nicholls hopes this is only the beginning for the benches.

Spalted American beech tiered coffee table

Memorials and sponsorships

public shopping on the company’s online furniture store. Holder Mattress, at the Indiana Design Center in Carmel, carries Vine and Branch-created pieces. End tables, dining tables, lamps and conversation pieces, crafted from various species of wood, sometimes combined with other elements such as glass, offer beautiful, unique options to typical mass-produced home furnishings.

Scott’s customers range from builders, woodworkers, interior designers and the

However, his business vision doesn’t stop there.

“Due to their nearly indestructible make-up, they provide the added benefit of requiring little to no maintenance. Because this department’s mission includes a commitment to nature stewardship, we are pleased that they are repurposed felled ash trees,” Nicholls added.

Likewise, Nicholls hopes for an expansion of this collaboration. “If they (the benches) are introduced in some of our other county parks, we’ll also consider offering them as dedication and memorial opportunities to the public. Truly a win-win-win park amenity.” Scott hopes more property owners will decide to bring back home, in a new incarnation, the tree they’ve had to part with. “We do have a couple of projects brewing that involved removal of trees, that involved some family discussion, and the answer was to remove the tree but make a rustic bench out of it for future generations.” HCBM

The Farmers Bank is committed to building lasting relationships with our clients!

(left to right) Brian Carroll, Dwain Pitzer, Mary Dowling, Brad Cunningham, Alan Oyler

Whether you are starting a new business, or growing an existing business, local commerce, and has served businesses in our communities since 1876. our experienced business lenders are here to help no matter what the size We strive to make it easy and convenient for you to do business with us of your company. The Farmers Bank understands the importance of strong which in turn makes it easier for your customers to do business with you.

Our lending decisions are made locally so a timely response can be given to you. www.thefarmersbank.com

Three Hamilton County Locations: Fishers

7126 East 116th Street (317) 841-5960

Noblesville

16940 Clover Road (317) 773-3100

Sheridan

987 South White Avenue (317) 758-9620

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Profile

Story and photos by Jane Willis Gardner

ime never stands still for Clark, Sharon, and Tony Van Tassel, owners of the nearly 50-year old Clock Company, now located in Noblesville. Take one step inside the stately three-story building at the edge of the city’s Historic District, and you’ll discover a unique retail showroom whose vast array of elegant, unique clocks render it part museum. In keeping with the third-generation, family-owned feel of the place, you might be greeted by one of the Van Tassel’s friendly canines, Layla or Bailey. And as you chat with one of the owners about the history, make, and model of any of the store’s inventory, you might hear a grandfather clock sound the Westminster chime, a cuckoo clock mark the hour, or another timepiece finish the melody of “Love Me Tender.”

Noblesville Clock Company

“This company was an ‘accidental’ outgrowth of my late father’s furniture business, started in Muncie,” says Clark. A few years into the business, his father, Lance, displayed 5 grandfather clocks in the furniture store that began to garner lots of customer attention.

Clark, who’d studied mechanical engineering at Purdue, also took a special liking to the clocks. “My first Christmas season, I convinced Dad to put all 5 grandfather clocks in the entrance as a special gallery. We sold 12 that holiday. The next Christmas, it was 25. And what happened from there, over a number of years and a change of location, is what you see here.” “With the marked increase in clock sales, customers assumed we did clock repair also,” Clark continues. Dedicated to keeping their customers happy, the Van Tassel’s committed themselves to that side of the business. “I started tinkering with the clocks and thought ‘wow,’ this is kind of neat.”

National reputation The clock aficionado and renowned repairman got his start fixing clocks with the help of a few books from a home-study course. His December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

A clock mechanism in the downstairs workshop.

patience and keen mental bent to make a clock tick, chime, or chirp again soon became legendary—with customers from as far away as Maine seeking his expertise. And his acumen for keeping the business alive and well is what prompted him 20 years ago to bring the “furniture-storeturned-clock-business” from Muncie to Noblesville, to its coveted location on the corner of 10th and Conner Street. It’s not just Clark and his wife, Sharon, who have the love of clocks in their blood. Their son, Tony, who began toying with clocks as a teenager has never met a timepiece problem that he couldn’t tackle—nor a clock about which he can’t talk a wonderfully interesting blue streak. Tony recalls the “stubbornness” of one particular grandfather clock whose chimes were all out of kilter. “I worked and worked on it for days” he remembers. Finally, the answer came to him in the middle of the night. “This stuff becomes natural,” he says. A trip to the showroom’s basement repair room makes his comment an understatement. Hundreds of clocks of every make, shape, color and size in various stages of re-assembly claim the walls, aisles, tables, and chairs. “We repair about 1,000 clocks a year,” Tony estimates. He enthusiastically explains just a few of the thousand parts scattered categorically

Tony and Clark Van Tassel

along a double-wide, 15-foot workbench with 12 work stations. There are bushings, cleaning tanks, drill presses, chime hammers, chime rods, cable drives, chain drives, wooden works, metal works, …intricate parts waiting to fit back into just the right spot. Clark and Tony share the responsibility of in-shop and home visit repair calls, now the mainstay of the business.

50 Year anniversary Sharon credits the longevity and success of the family business with the fact that each person has a distinct, but interrelated role. “I keep the books and I work hard to make our customers feel like friends who can come and chat for as long as they like, whether they want a clock or not. We believe in the old-fashioned, hometown way of doing business,” she says. The Van Tassel’s showroom contains clocks from a number of manufacturers: Rhythm, Howard Miller, Hermle, and Hentschel. One private-label grandfather clock made by Indianapolis jewelers, Julius C. Walk & Sons, in 1900, boasts a six-tube tubular bell, something you won’t find anywhere. “We won’t part with it, even though we’ve had many offers,” say the owners. Two other limited edition grandfather clocks of note by Ridgeway include one

Sharon Van Tassel and Bailey

commemorating the Statue of Liberty’s centennial, and another commemorating the Battle of the Victory at Yorktown’s bicentennial. The latter is the only one of 1,981 left for sale anywhere in a retail shop. The Noblesville Clock Company plans to commemorate its own milestone next fall—50 years in business. So whether you want to while away a few hours admiring the place in the near future, or whether you would like to put their anniversary celebration on your to-do list, the Van Tassels are eager to meet you. Despite their often chockful work schedule, they’ve got plenty of “time” on their hands. HCBM

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

LOANS for any

inspiration

production

construction

ambition

If you can dream it, Lake City Bank has a loan for it. Because we take time to understand your business, our experienced bankers can help you make your business grow. After all, Lake City Bank is known for service. Known for stability. And most importantly, known for loans. Call (888) 522-2265.

Drop in.

lakecitybank.com

All loans are subject to credit approval.

Institution ID#431669

THANKS

sparks

OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS IN THE BANKING AND FINANCE SECTOR:

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

Sparks Talks Are: Inspirational

sp ark s

Relevant

sp ark s

SHORT!

sp ark s

On the second Tuesday of each month at Morty’s Comedy Joint 3824 E. 82nd St. Indianapolis Check website for details Register at

www.sparkstalk.com

And thanks to our corporate partners from other business sectors:

Accelerent ADVISA City Securities

Our Speakers Know When To

SHUT UP!

Commercial Office Environments Duke Realty EverEffect

Image Pros MICI-AHEC Office Installation Services Penske Chevrolet Penske Honda Shelton Machinery

AAA Exterminating Aadvanced Limousines American Health & Wellness Group American Wholesale Furniture Baldwin & Lyons Community Management Services Expense Reduction Analysts Hurco

Incrediplex Insurance Management Group Katz Sapper & Miller Miller Pipeline New World Collections Sam’s Club Schmidt Associates Sysco Indianapolis

Learn more at www.childrensbureau.org/corp-partners.

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Building a Workforce Construction industry confronts labor shortage By Patricia J Pickett

“Consider the reality of today’s job market. We have a massive skills gap. Even with record unemployment, millions of skilled jobs are unfilled because no one is trained or willing to do them. Meanwhile unemployment among college graduates is at an all-time high, and the majority of those graduates with jobs are not even working in their field of study. Plus, they owe a trillion dollars in student loans. A trillion! And still, we push a four-year college degree as the best way for the most people to find a successful career?” – Mike Rowe, Host of TLC’s “Dirty Jobs” and founder of mikeroweWORKS, a PR campaign designed to reinvigorate the skilled trades

hile Hamilton County has, for the most part, recovered from the housing crisis of 2008, one industry continues to feel the impact of it every day: the construction industry. When the crisis cloud began to lift, and consumers began to buy homes again, one thing became very clear: the workforce that had once carried rebar and poured foundations was significantly reduced in size. “Those construction workers who were mid- or end-career range either retired or found a new job and did not return,” said Don Chesney, vice president of operations for Arbor Homes. “And the younger generation isn’t showing up asking for a job.” In a county known for its new construction and constant growth, that is a significant issue. Nationally, 80 percent of construction businesses report having issues filling skilled labor positions, and Hamilton County reflects that trend. As a matter of fact, it may be more deeply felt in this county of high affluence coupled 18

with schools that prepare students for four-year college programs and whitecollar jobs. “We definitely feel it with our trade partners,” said Nigel Hoss of Hoss Homes. “There are not enough workers to complete the homes we can sell. We constantly fight to be efficient. We are limited to taking on the work we can handle. ”

away on its own,” said Jason Ells, senior vice president of sales and business development and a board member for the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI). “Clarity comes from action.” And so began BAGI’s quest to find a solution to the issue. “We thought this was a very valuable and necessary initiative for our members to pursue,” said Steve Lains, BAGI’s CEO. “Anytime our membership is experiencing an issue that impacts its ability to meet the demand for new construction, we are going to do everything in our power to find a solution.” “We began talking with schools and colleges about our shortage of workers,” said Ells. “We wanted to work with them in attracting students to explore the skilled trades as a career option.”

Dispelling myths These frustrations with a lagging workforce are a common theme of discussion in the industry, from national trade publications to gatherings of Central Indiana builders. “We began to see a systemic problem, and one that wasn’t just going

That meant dispelling some myths commonly associated with construction work. “It’s no longer a ‘hammers and whistle at girls’ job,” said Chesney. “There are many facets of construction today – from planning and design to structural engineers and electricians.” While many schools were receptive to the concept, Ells said they found a significant partner with Westfield Washington

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Schools. “They weren’t just interested, but willing to put energy behind the initiative. They saw the value in it, not just for their current students, but also for college graduates who weren’t finding jobs,” said Ells.

Seeking talent The result of those discussions that began a year ago is BAGI’s recently introduced initiative, “From the Ground Up: Building a Better Future.” The program aggressively addresses the myths and facts of skilled trades, according to Stephanie Vondersaar, a counselor at Westfield High School who participated in the collaborative effort. “There has been a great misunderstanding about the building trades,” she said. “We see a number of students who haven’t identified a career beyond attending college for four years. This initiative is about educat• A graph of homebuilding career paths ing them beyond the college experience.” showing how a high school student can That education began when “From the effectively move to senior manageGround Up” was unveiled at a Westfield ment over the course of time High School career fair in September. In a Ells is hopeful that BAGI’s “From the school of 2,200 students, that sort of audiGround Up” initiative will change the ence carries significant impact. Collateral tide to re-direct young talent to Central educational materials about the homebuilding industry offer a chronological look Indiana’s building trades. Throughout the course of the next several months, Ells and his fellow BAGI members will be in Nationally, 80 percent of attendance at area school fairs, spreading the construction businesses report career word to youngsters that having issues filling skilled labor there are lucrative careers that they may not have positions, and Hamilton County considered. (The next career fair is set for December 8 at Sheridan High School. reflects that trend. Hosted by the Sheridan Youth Assistance Program, the fair will welcome more than 500 stuat home building through planning, construction and finishing. In addition, it offers dents from Sheridan, Hamilton Heights, Tipton, and Clinton Central.) some tantalizing factoids, including: Said Ells, “I strongly believe that attending a four-year college isn’t the only path to success for our young adults. A career in a skilled trade can be just as rewarding in terms of personal happiness and • A fireplace specialist needs only a high financial reward, but who’s sharing that school diploma or GED, yet starting salfact with our middle school and high ary is around $50,000 annually school students these days? While Mike • A drywall contractor (with a high Rowe is doing a stand-up job, more of us school diploma or GED and apprentice- could be spreading the word and opening ship) can make up to $120,000 annually eyes to the fact that there are more opportunities out there than four-plus years • 80% of new skilled-trade jobs require of college debt and a desk job.” HCBM less than a year of schooling • The average starting salary in skilled trades is $48,110 (compared to education at $33,800 and business at $41,200)

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Gordon Insurance, headquartered here in Hamilton County, is among the nationÕs most prestigious insurance agencies Ñ specializing in designing custom life insurance programs and business strategies utilizing over 20 of the industryÕs most select companies.

Buy-Sell Agreements Key Person Life Worker Compensation

Things to Know About Say It For You and Blogging for Business

1. “Say It For You has been instrumental in dramatically increasing traffic to our website for several years.” 2. “Rhoda’s service of writing blogs for you is like finding a gold mine. Being the best at what you do means you don’t have time (or maybe the skills) to keep up with all of the things that are on the leading edge of marketing and sales.” 3. “When I hired Say It For You, I expected high quality writing that was optimized for search engines. I got that and more!” 4. “Say It For You is our ‘voice’ to our clients, and blog marketing is an important part of our overall strategy.” 5. “Say It For You adds condiments, spices, and flavoring to my work.” 6. “The Say It For You team not only contributes regular blog posts, but is a great contributor to our overall effort.” 7. “We’ve been very happy with the team, the quality of the blog writing, and the search engine results.” 8. “I was so pleased by how quickly our Say It For You ghost blogger was able to gain a deep understanding of our profession and what we wanted to communicate.” 9. “The Say It For You blog has been a big driving factor in referrals as well, driving in about 1/3 of traffic each month.” 10. “So well has she been able to capture the concepts I want to convey to my readers and clients, she has begun to sound like me.” 10 more numbers to know: 317 250 3569 1 more thing to know: www.sayitforyou.net produces e-newsletters and nurturing email campaigns.

Finding the Profit in Web entrepreneur says it can be done By Mike Corbett Consumers continue to flock to the internet to shop, as online retailers drive prices down and selection up. A local entrepreneur is taking that pricing strategy to the limit: driving prices down to…free. The selection may be a bit limited right now but that could change quickly. Meet Trevor Totten, a Purdue grad from Westfield, who thinks he’s hatched the ultimate internet selling machine: free merchandise made available by manufacturers as a sort of sampling website. Think of it as an online business expo, except you only visit the booths you are interested in, you don’t have to endure a lame sales pitch, and you only fill your bag with products you will really use. Don’t expect to find a chip clip here, unless you really need one.

requires a credit card to register, though it “will NEVER be charged.”

Self-taught web designer Totten tells the story of how this idea came to him. He credits three hours of forced thinking time aboard an airplane after forgetting to pick up reading material at the airport. He continued to refine the idea and two years ago started his own company, called Critical Achievement, to develop it. He found and purchased the domain gladli.com, which was previously used to promote an anime character called “Glad Li.” He proceeded to teach himself how to code.

Using his engineering background and rudimentary knowledge of The cooldown programming, Totten started with a Wordpress website and began to cusTotten is betting that manufacturers will tomize it, learning coding languages pay for the opportunity to give away one or along the way. He estimates he now more of their products to potential customhas about 30,000 lines of custom ers in the hope that once the customers Sample Gladli Home Page. Manufacturers indicated code on his site and has applied for a try it, they’ll be more likely to buy more of it. have not actually committed to the site. patent for the business model. He’s run He envisions a marketplace of thousands of the idea by “hundreds of smart people,” and believes it is now consumer items, all provided by manufacturers free of charge, “fully developed” and ready for market. and who are willing to pay him to find new prospects. Totten calls the site “Gladli”, as in “We’ll gladly let you try our product Which isn’t exactly the same as being up and running. The webfor free.” site is currently in pre-launch mode. If you visit the Gladli home But, how to counter the deadly sin of page you have the opportunity to register as a business or a congluttony? As anyone who has ever sumer but marketplace pages aren’t yet available. Totten’s goal is dined at an “all you can eat buffet” to land 20 businesses to launch. Once the site is populated with knows, when something is free, people some merchandise, he will “flip the switch” to post-launch mode inevitably take more than they can use. and welcome the public in to start sampling. Totten has a plan for that, and he calls It’s a leap of faith for the young entrepreneur. After six years it a “cooldown.” Consumers initially are working as an engineer limited to just one free product and project manager, he per week. That way, he says, quit his job last year to “You’re motivated to only select Don’t expect to find a work on Gladli full time. Trevor Totten products you are genuinely inHe’s doing the coding terested in. Otherwise, you are just wasting your precious chip clip here, unless himself to keep costs down selections.” That’s also an advantage for the businesses, he and has a patent pendyou really need one. says, because people who are really interested in a product ing on the software. He’s are more likely to buy it later. had face time with local Identity verification is also an integral part of the sysbusiness leaders and now has “a professional, modern, highly-customized website…that is tem. Totten isn’t sharing details about how he does it, but says ready for market.” The business model, he says, “is new, exciting, verifying a person’s identity is important to prevent fraud, like and most importantly, rock solid.” HCBM opening multiple accounts to receive multiple products. He also 20

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Certified Public Accountants & Consultants • Accounting ServiceS • ASSurAnce ServiceS • Benefit PlAn AuditS • MAnAgeMent AdviSory • forenSic Accounting • StrAtegic PlAnning • corPorAte tAx

• SMAll BuSineSS ServiceS • BuSineSS vAluAtion • not-for-Profit ServiceS • eStAte PlAnning • PAyroll & BookkeePing • inveStMent MAnAgeMent • retireMent PlAnning

Value Beyond the Numbers for More Than 85 Years!

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

Indiana Business Solutions has a document solution for every organization, no matter what size Contact Indiana Business Solutions to ﬁnd out how we can save you money, time, and secure your printing needs on your network! 8227 Northwest Blvd., Ste 200 Indianapolis, In 46278 (317) 471-9735 contact@indybiz.net www.indybiz.net December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Roundabout

A Summary of Recent Retail Activity By Samantha Hyde

NORTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY Good Ole Days Antiques has opened at 24260 SR 37. In Cicero, Spring Valley Storage is expanding at 21335 SR 19. The former Marathon gas station at 1010 S. Peru St. has reopened as a Shell station. A new restaurant and bar, Corner Tap, is moving into 90 W. Jackson St.

FISHERS Fishers Town Center on 116th has lost Pat’s Philly Pretzels but will soon welcome B B Nails and Spa. B’Dazzled Boutique has moved into 8777 E. 116th St. Boutique Lily and Sparrow and salon Makefresh on Maple are relocating from 11720 Maple St. to 8890 E. 116th St. Rhodes Insurance is coming to 11717 Lantern Rd.

First Community Mortgage has a new office at 16095 Prosperity Dr. DentalOne is opening soon at 17535 Terry Lee Crossing. Mooyah Burgers closed on Mercantile Blvd. Verdure Sciences is building a new headquarters in Metro Enterprise Park.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop is coming to 12831 Campus Pkwy. Suburban Home Health is moving its home office to 14297 Bergen Blvd. Fit4Mom and uPaint Pottery Studio are now open at Hamilton CARMEL Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Town Center, while Paradise Bakery & Body Sculpting Med Spa and restaurant Indiana Realty has opened two Hamilton Café recently closed. County offices, at 10765 Lantern Rd. and The Lit Moose have recently opened in in Carmel at 11711 N. Pennsylvania St. the Village of WestClay. A St. Vincent WESTFIELD Medical Group Internal Medicine office Alliance Chiropractic recently opened Chatham Hill, a new golf club with an has opened at 14350 N. Meridian St. 18/8 at 8880 Fitness Ln. 18-hole course, is now open at 20298 Fine Men’s Salon opens at the end of Sparx Athletic Refinery opened in Tomlinson Rd. Grand Junction Brewing November in Clay Terrace. November at 12800 Ford Dr. Superior Company is expanding with plans for a PNC Bank opened a branch inside Market Van is moving into 13095 Parkside Dr. tasting room and production facility at Action Air is coming to 9055 E. 133rd District. La Hacienda restaurant is mov1189 W. 181st St. Pl. Long’s Mattress has a new store at ing across US 31 to 12480 N. Meridian St. Perennials Plus at 4510 W. 166th St. is 13910 Olivia Way. Blanton Hufford & Associates is openundergoing an expansion. ICE Indiaing an office at 645 W. Carmel Dr. Accent’ Simply Dental is under construction at napolis has opened at 17435 Tiller Ct. Bicycles is new to Monon Square. 12240 E. 116th St. NerdyGirl Cupcakes has a new shop at 12660 E. 116th St. A new 9,100 SF retail building and Starbucks are going in at Village at Geist at 116th & Olio.

NOBLESVILLE Cones Creamery Martin Gallery of Fine Art is now open at the Indiana Design Center. Zeke’s Hot Chicken has closed at 1315 S. Range Line Rd, as has Brides of Carmel at Carmel City Center. The first of several planned Cones Creamery locations is now open at 5790 E. Main St. Enterprise Rental Car is building a new office at 4400 E. 96th St. Midwest Bankers is moving to 9745 Randall Dr. The former Macaroni Grill at 2375 E. 116th St. is being converted into Indiana’s first Rodizio Grill. New Anytime Fitness and St. Vincent Urgent Care locations are coming to Hazel Dell south of 126th. Smile Centric and Greenwood-based Raelynn’s Boutique are opening new locations at 14560 River Rd. 22

500 North Boutique is now open at 23 S. 8th St. Orthodynamics is doubling the size of their office at 155 Carey Dr. Town Square Medical Clinic is accepting walk-ins at 509 Sheridan Rd. Anytime Fitness has moved into 158 W. Logan St.

IU Health’s new Noble West Medical Office Building is under construction at 14645 Hazel Dell Rd. Storage Depot is building 129,000 SF of new self-storage space at 5588 E. 146th St. Indy Custom Cabinets has opened at 14660 Herriman Blvd. Spectra Tech is building a new warehouse and headquarters at 15230 Endeavor Dr.

Carter’s Play Place Automatic Pool Covers is adding 40,000 SF to its facility at 17397 Oak Ridge Rd. Carter’s Play Place is now open at 17219 Foundation Pkwy. Kolton Blickenstaff has opened a new State Farm office at 516 E SR 32. Noble Roman’s Craft Pizza & Pub is coming to The Monon Marketplace. Obstetrics & Gynecology of Indiana is opening an office at 380 S. Junction Crossing. The former Collision Cure Body Werks at 17549 Gunther Blvd has reopened as Gerber Collision & Glass. Engineering and construction firm Haley & Aldrich is opening a new office at 14767 Oak Rd. The Don Pablo’s restaurant at 14758 Greyhound Plaza has closed. Carter’s Osh Kosh and Fort Waynebased Louie’s Tux Shop have opened shops in Village Park Plaza. HCBM

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Notes from all over the county Terry Anker, president of Legacy Fund since 2011, announced he will leave his position in March after 5 years at the helm. Jane Hunter retired as Executive DirecKim Compton tor of the Northern Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce, where she served for 16 years. Paul Munoz left for a position in the private sector after serving seven years as Cicero/Jackson Township Plan Director. Toby Stark is retiring as Executive Director of Chaucie’s Place after six years. The American Bankers Association awarded Gene Miles, President and CEO of First Farmers Bank & Trust, with the Bruning Award, its premiere award and designation for agricultural banking. Westfield Premier Physicians is opening in Westfield as one of Indiana’s first “Direct Primary Care” family physician practices. The group will not accept insurance. Instead, patients purchase one of three Care Packages for a fee, which is meant to improve the patient-doctor relationship.

Kim Compton, Cicero, joined The Farmers Bank, as Vice President of Information Technology/ Operations. Jennifer Batley was named senior vice president of Walker Information.

Purgatory Golf Club unveiled an 11-foot tall, signature statue designed local artist Scott Westphal. The aluminum sculpture is positioned behind the first tee and depicts Purgatory’s logo. Purgatory Golf Club

Jennifer Batley

Westfield was named the best small city in America by WalletHub. Analysts compared 1,268 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 30 key indicators of livability like “housing costs,” “school-system quality” and “number of restaurants per capita.” HCBM

Pitch-In More than a Million visitors will attend events at Grand Park next year.

Welcome them to your business with an ad in the

IDE

FAN GU

Grand Park Fan Guide

for the Fun! Game, Stay Come for the nd Park, Westfield, and Beyond Your Guide to

Gra

K.ORG GRANDPAR

Publishing April, 2017 Deadline: March 10, 2017

For rates and more information, Contact Mike Corbett 317.774.7747 or email

mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com Published by the

In association with

WE CAN HELP TELL YOUR STORY BETTER

Build Yours. Ridgestone Bank has become Byline Bank. Networking IT Infrastructure and Support Services Proactive IT services to keep staff focused on poitive outcomes

317-844-0033

www.sbsindiana.com

New name. Same local team. Same commitment to small business. Still a top 10 SBA lender in the country*, with a full suite of comprehensive financial solutions to help your business meet its full potential. To learn more about Byline Bank visit www.bylinebank.com/welcome-ridgestone/

N.GOV

D.I | WESTFIEL

Dining Out

Jamaican Reggae Grill hen Eldon Chuck left the corporate world in 2012 he wasn’t envisioning a future spent playing golf with his buddies. “I was thinking I was still fairly young and not at a point where I wanted full retirement,” Chuck said. “But I knew I didn’t want to go back to work for someone else so the choices were to start another company or do something more hands on and something I enjoyed.” He knew his friends always enjoyed the Jamaican food he cooked up for gatherings at his home so his thoughts turned to opening a small restaurant featuring the food of his childhood in Jamaica. Food he learned to cook helping his grandmother in the kitchen.

By Chris Bavender Photos by John Wright

chip cookies and those (cookies) are my wife’s grandma’s secret recipe – I don’t even know how to make them. We have people come in and ask for them all the time.” Oxtail is another popular item but only served on Friday and Saturday since it’s difficult to come by, Chuck said. “We go through a lot of that in two days,” he said. “I’d like to sell it six days a week if I could.”

Comfort food And while he can’t cook a pig the traditional Jamaican way in a pit with pimento leaves, he has found a way to replicate it using a convection oven.

“The secret is we use bay leaves which are a very close cousin to pimento Reggae Grill staff (l to r) Kim Watson, Jay Ann McPherson, leaves,” he said. “So we can soak bay Eldon Chuck, Matthew Chuck, Maryann Chuck. leaves in water and put on jerk and it So, in April 2015, he and his wife, gives it the same flavor - that smoky Maryann, opened the Jamaican Reggae Grill in the Monon flavor. So, now everyone knows my secret!” Square Shopping Center Chuck calls the menu at Jamaican Reggae Grill “comfort food.” in Carmel. “If you look at the essence of Jamaican food the basis of the “When we first opened we thought our sales would be within a meal is very starchy. In a typical dish you get rice, meat, and 10 to 15 mile radius but we have people coming from Greencabbage with a little mix of carrots and then fried field, Greenwood, South Bend – just all over,” plantain,” he said. “Meat is a very expensive comthe 57-year-old said. “Even to this day we still modity in Jamaica so most households augment get many first time visitors which is amazing.” by adding more starch. So when I say comfort maybe a better word would be bellyful since you Laid back chic feel full because of the starch.” Jamaican Reggae Grill can comfortably seat 30 With business booming, Chuck has contemplated inside and another 36 outside. Planned garden expanding. seating for 2017 will double that number. “People keep saying this is so good but they can The décor is a blend of colors typically found only come here once in a while because they live east or way in Jamaican restaurants – yellow, green and black – mixed in north, ” he said. “So, do we get a food truck to reach more people with earthy colors. A huge mural overlooking the servers’ area in different places instead of settling on a location that might depicts the evolution of reggae music. not be as good maybe as the one we have? A food truck is mo“The vibe we are trying to portray is laid back chic more or less,” bile so if it’s not working in one place we can move it to another.” Chuck said. “A place you can come and relax and eat good food No matter what the future brings Chuck knows one thing for and listen to some good chillin’ reggae music.” sure—his venture into the restaurant business has been a labor All while eating authentic food prepared by Chuck and his wife of love. and their son, Matt. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “The work has been much more than “I would say our best sellers are the curried goat, jerk chicken, I thought it would be but we have so many possibilities because jerk pork and jerk wings,” he said. “The sandwiches are popular we have been so well received. It’s getting very interesting!” HCBM too and the patties. Then there is our rum bread and chocolate

DECEMBER 2016 December 7th 11:30am to 1:00pm CHAMBER HOLIDAY LUNCHEON Purgatory Golf Club December 9th 7:30am to 9:00am ALL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST SERIES State House Legislative Session Preview Connor Prairie

JANUARY 2017 January 13th 7:30am to 9:00am ALL COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST SERIES Connor Prairie January 18th 6:30pm to 8:00pm ART OF BUSINESS – BUSINESS OF ART SERIES Storytelling to build your brand/business Hamilton East Public Library January 25th 11:30am to 1:00pm STATE OF THE COUNTY LUNCHEON Purgatory Golf Club January (TBD) MARKETING SUMMIT Ivy Tech - Noblesville Campus

— F E AT U R E D E V E N T S — Contact us at 317-773-0086 or info@noblesvillechamber.com January 25th 11:30 - 1:00pm STATE OF THE COUNTY LUNCHEON Presented by Steve Dillinger Hamilton County Commissioner Purgatory Golf Club

Join us for a great lunch and the chance to learn about the many priorities and projects underway in Hamilton County. Corporate tables available. Public is welcome with advance registration. Call 317-773-0086

— NEW MEMBERS — KIRKPATRICK MANAGEMENT COMPANY INC. 5702 Kirkpatrick Way Indianapolis, IN 46220 317-558-5335 www.ekirkpatrick.com DELTA THETA TAU SORORITY 1285 Strawtown Noblesville, IN 46060 317-670-3860 REVIVE SALON & SPA STUDIO 16095 Prosperity Drive Noblesville, IN 46060 317-504-0894 www.revivellc.com

NOBLESVILLE

— EVENTS — For more information, or to register for any Chamber event please visit us at: www.noblevillechamber.com or call 317-773-0086. Most events are open to the public with advance registration.

www.noblesvillechamber.com

UPCOMING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

TOWN SQUARE MEDICAL 509 Sheridan Road Noblesville, IN 46060 317-678-6402 www.townsquaremedical.com

MARCH 2, 2017 • 4:00pm-7:30pm HAMILTON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS EXPO HALL 80 Business Showcases • 10 Restaurants 10 Community Organizations All showing off the best Noblesville has to offer NEW in 2017 Made in Noblesville Showcases

THANK YOU! 2016 CORPORATE PARTNERS — Legacy —

— Executive —

— Presenting —

— Tech Tuesday Sponsor —

If you would like information on the 2017 Corporate Partner Program please contact our office at 773-0086.

HOOSIER WAREHOUSES, INC. 17655 Cumberland Road Noblesville, IN 46060 317-946-7682 www.hoosierwarehouses.com ABC’S & 123’S LEARNING CENTER 3100 Westfield Road (location opening in December 2016)

Noblesville, IN 46060 317-399-7551 www.abc123learningcenter.com

KAINRATH INSURANCE AGENCY 17555 Willow View Road, Suite E Noblesville, IN 46062 317-776-0099 www.kainrathinsurance.com HARPER GLOBAL 984 Logan Street, Suite 302 Noblesville, IN 46060 317-594-1500 www.harperglobal.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 —

SLEEP NUMBER BEDS BY SELECT COMFORT 13976 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 800 Noblesville, IN 46060 317-776-6724 www.selectcomfort.com CROSSROADS BANK 11805 N. Pennsylvania Street Carmel, IN 46032 317-706-6774 www.crossroadsbanking.com

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

OneZone, a Hamilton County chamber, serves the Central Indiana business community by reaching across municipal boundaries - just the way business does - to deliver more opportunities and more impact more efficiently. Commerce. Connected.

December Luncheon: Annual Business Excellence Awards Join us to recognize companies and individuals for business excellence and impact.

Wed., Dec. 14

11:30 am to 1 pm Ritz Charles

Awards presented for business of the year, young professional of the year, green, new construction and renovation projects, volunteerism and lifetime achievement.

December 2016 & January 2017 Events December Wed., Dec. 7: Business After Hours 4:30 to 6:30 pm | E.F. Marburger Fine Flooring Thurs., Dec. 8: Young Professionals After Hours 5 to 7 pm | Flix Brewhouse Fri., Dec. 9: Legislative Breakfast: Legislative Preview 7:30 to 9 am | Conner Prairie Interactive History Park Wed., Dec. 14: December Luncheon: Annual Awards 11:30 am to 1 pm | Ritz Charles

OneZone’s largest business event of the year! Taste of the Chamber Business Expo Thursday, January 19, 2017 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. | Ritz Charles Presenting sponsor:    

136 exhibitors. 950 guests. Menu tastings from restaurants, breweries, caterers and more. Tickets online or at the door.

Legislative Breakfast Series Stay informed on local and state issues that impact business.

Fri., Dec. 9 & Fri., Jan. 13

January

7:30 to 9 am | Conner Prairie

Wed., Jan. 11: January Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 pm | Location tba Fri., Jan. 13: Legislative Breakfast 7:30 to 9 am | Conner Prairie Interactive History Park

Series sponsor:

Thurs., Jan. 19: Taste of the Chamber Business Expo 4:30 to 7:30 pm | Ritz Charles Information is subject to change. Visit website for details.

facebook.com/ onezonecommerce

@onezonecommerce

OneZone Leadership Partners

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

New Members Platinum Members

Ribbon Cuttings CalAtlantic Homes

Kroger - Olio Road

PNC at Market District

Cilento Photography

Alliance Chiropractic

Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

I Love Juice Bar

Indy Custom Cabinets

Joe’s Butcher Shop - Joe’s Next Door

Star Financial

Vino Mobile Bar

Rita’s Italian Ice & Custard

Wild Eggs - Fishers

Harrison & Moberly LLP Mediation Roundtable Merchants Bank of Indiana

Bronze Members

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre CalAtlantic Homes Cloud Adrenaline CoasterStone Firebirds Wood Fired Grill Law Office of Mitchell E. Pippin, P.C. Life Time Fitness MEG & Associates Weihe Engineers, Inc.

Basic Members A. Arnold World Class Relocation Action Coach Association Management BLASTmedia Bonfire Training Brockway Public House Cilento Photography CoasterStone Concentra Medical Center Convivio Italian Artisan Cuisine Danny Boy Beer Works Epic Insurance Solutions Dynamic Recruiting Solutions Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Fuzic Media GyanSys Inc. HappyChoice Home Care, LLC I Love Juice Bar - Carmel Indy Custom Cabinets/Indy Custom Stone LocaLynx Indiana MEK Group Nue Hue Company Patriot Engineering & Environmental, Inc. Paycor Price Vision Group Shelliott Creative Solutions Slattery & Holman, P.C. Smile Arts Dental SubZero Ice Cream and Yogurt Thrivent Financial Van Horn Luxury Transportation and Tours Wild Eggs - Fishers Win Home Inspection WKRP Indy Real Estate

Interested in celebrating the opening of your business with a ribbon cutting? Want to see your company’s name on this list?

Let’s talk.

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

NORTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY 28

UPCOMING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER 2016 Thursday, December 15 / 11:30am HOLIDAY CELEBRATION LUNCHEON Sheridan Community Center

JANUARY 2017

Thursday, January 26 / 11:30am CHAMBER LUNCHEON Meet Northern Hamilton County Chamber Executive Board Red Bridge Park, Cicero

NHCCC October Joint Luncheon With Tipton County Chamber At Beck’s Hybrids Bruce Kettler gave us an overview on Beck’s Hybrids telling us that Beck’s Hybrids is the largest family-owned, retail seed company in the United States, serving farmers in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, southern Michigan, western Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, southern Wisconsin and Missouri. Kettler said, “Beck’s understands what farmers need, because we’re farmers, too.” As the largest family-owned seed company, Beck’s has access to the best genetics and trait technologies from suppliers worldwide.

Thursday February 9, 2017 6:00pm Annual Recognition Awards Dinner / Casino Night Palomino Ballroom Reservations are required for all events. Call 317-984-4079 or sign up online. Information is subject to change. Visit our website for details.

NEW MEMBERS Jerry Cremoni Web Smart Concepts, LLC jerry@websmartconcepts.com Dan Strong strongdt@frontier.com

Cicero 70 N. Byron St. Cicero, IN 46034 317-984-4079 www.northernhamiltoncountychamber.com catharine@northernhamiltoncountychamber.com

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

UPCOMING EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

December 2016

Thursday, December 15 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Topic: Holiday Luncheon The Bridgewater Club 3535 E. 161st St., Carmel

January 2017

Thursday, January 19 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Topic: 2016 Year in Review The Bridgewater Club 3535 E. 161st St., Carmel

Breakfast Events December 2016

Friday, December 9 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Legislative Breakfast Speaker, Kevin Brinegar (Indy Chamber) Conner Prairie 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers Tuesday, December 13 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Coffee with the Chamber Topic: TBD The Union 136 N. Union St., Westfield

January 2017

Tuesday, January 10 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Coffee with the Chamber Topic: TBD The Union 136 N. Union St., Westfield Friday, January 13 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Legislative Breakfast Topic/Speaker: TBD Conner Prairie 13400 Allisonville Rd., Fishers Tuesday, January 24 7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Member Orientation Breakfast The Bridgewater Club 3535 E. 161st St., Carmel For details and online registration, please visit: www.westfield-chamber.org or call 317.804.3030 Westfield Works Available jobs! www.westfieldworks.org

Chamber Innovation

We are happy to announce our new program, Chamber Innovation, has begun a partnership with Westfield Schools and Purdue Polytechnic - Kokomo. This program will be a source to create opportunities for students in technology, innovation, engineering, and many more areas. In addition, this program will connect with the business community to initiate internships for high school students allowing for them to find their passion and possible career path. “We are excited that this Chamber program has two amazing partners to further the ability for students to take a passion or idea and turn it into reality,” states Jack Russell, President of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce. All three entities will host seminars and there will be additional opportunities for businesses through this new program as well.

WESTFIELD

Membership Luncheons

The Westfield Chamber of Commerce and the Westfield Washington Public Library have partnered to create a new program called Books & Business. The tag line is “Where Community and Business Connect.” The program will bring businesses to the library to present and discuss topics such as health, finances, and more. Westfield Chamber of Commerce President Jack Russell said, “This partnership gives our businesses a way to give back and present and discuss topics they have knowledge and passion about, while providing a service to citizens in the community.” Westfield Washington Public Library Director Sheryl Sollars said, “I’m very excited about this partnership; this will allow our library to be a place to connect the Westfield community members and the business community.” WWPL is the place where the Westfield community gathers and the WCoC has connections with the businesses and together a service will be provided to the citizens of Westfield that will give them an opportunity to gain from the business community’s knowledge and expertise on a myriad of topics.

www.westfield-chamber.org

Books & Business

Westfield Chamber and Library Partner with New Program

NEW MEMBERS Matt Clark Carmel Eyecare 2792 E. 146th Street Carmel, IN 46033 317.843.2020 Lona Neal Chicago Title Company LLC 5540 Pebble Village Lane Noblesville, IN 46062 317.399.3680 www.chicagotitleindy.com Chris White Site Solutions Group, LLC 15658 Bridgewater Club Boulevard Carmel, IN 46033 317.523.6116 Angi Elhaj Unlimited Motors 17217 Westfield Park Road Westfield, IN 46074 317.896.4488 www.iumotors.com Steve Richardson Wolfie’s Grill – Westfield 137 W. Main Street Westfield, IN 46074 317.399.7826 www.wolfiesgrill.com Ralph Thorpe Club Pilates 2482 E. 146th Street Carmel, IN 46033 317.696.4600 Joe Van Deusen Compensation Systems Inc. 900 E. 96th Street, Suite 325 Indianapolis, IN 46240 317.844.6466 www.compensationsystems.com

December 2016 • January 2017 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Brian Koning FitNow Boot Camp & Fitness Coaching 17408 Tiller Court Westfield, IN 46074 317.696.6734 www.fitnowbootcamp.com Bryan & Kim Kercheval Jan’s Village Pizza 108 S. Union Street Westfield, IN 46074 317.370.5260 www.jansvillagepizzas.com Jeff Griffin Purdue Polytechnic – Kokomo 2300 S. Washington Street Kokomo, IN 46904 765.455.9339 www.polytechnic.purdue.edu/ kokomo Alex King Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 2740 E. 146th Street Carmel, IN 46033 316.871.0305 www.freddysusa.com Mark Manning Randall Dermatology LLC 201 N. Union Street Westfield, IN 46074 317.804.9426 www.randallderm.com

Westfield Chamber of Commerce 130 Penn St. Westfield, IN 46074 317.804.3030

Hamilton County History

David Heighway

The Battle of Mudsock was a national sensation his year is the 135th anniversary of the “Battle of Mudsock.” I mentioned this event a couple of years ago in an article about early Fishers and in a later article about grave robbing in Indiana. However, I’ve done some more research and found that it was even larger than I originally thought. A fistfight between two men in the fall of 1881 snowballed into an explosion of violence that left one person dead, 32 injured, and caused the destruction of two buildings. And it was all because of the new economic growth in the area. Unfortunately, there are no records at the courthouse—the county court records only go back to January of 1882. However, the story was picked up by newspapers all over the country. So, this information is drawn from a great many news accounts which can vary widely. The town got a reputation for violence which started almost immediately after its founding in 1872. At an 1875 shooting competition, James Redwine got into an argument with Milford G. “Dick” Parsley about who had won. Tempers flared and Parsley drew his revolver and fired three shots. Redwine died the next day, leaving a widow and children. That was the peak of violence in Fishers Station for a few years. However, it remained a stopping place for drifters and rowdies.

The battle The two saloons where the brawl occurred were on the south side of the plank road (116th Street), with one on the east side of the tracks and one on the west side of the

tracks. The western saloon was run by the Farrell brothers, Edward and Andrew, who had emigrated from Ireland in 1850 as small children. The eastern saloon was run by Wade Hampton “Hamp” West, a Confederate army deserter who had drifted north after the Civil War. Hamp West’s building was in a low, swampy area of land and was supported by pilings sunk into the muck. It was known as the “saloon on poles.”

Adam Lynn’s blacksmith shop as a stable hand and was a former Marion County deputy sheriff. He had been forced to leave Marion County a few months earlier when he threatened a man for paying too much attention to Fouch’s wife. He was known to be particularly mean when he had a few drinks in him.

George McCoy entered the saloon and insulted Adam, probably in connection with the earlier fight, and was beaten by Fouch and thrown out. Soon after, he came back with The town got a reputation for Hamp West and Bob Dawson. violence almost immediately West allegedly gave a signal to fight. However, Dawson and Mcafter its founding in 1872…. Coy were thrown out and West was savagely beaten by Fouch and The New York Times had an the Lynns using brass knuckles and pool cues. After a time, he was article on page one titled allowed to leave.

“A Fight Among Ruffians”.

The event started around noon on Saturday, November 19 in a low-key manner (for Fishers) when two men got into a fight—Barney Reinier, whose family owned the land north of the plank road and west of the railroad, and “Dutch Joe”, one of the many anonymous drifters. It broke up soon, but not before many people in town picked sides. There were probably a lot of old vendettas involved. At the Farrell saloon a few hours later, about 5 o’clock, Benjamin Fouch was playing billiards with the Lynn brothers, Daniel and Wesley, while their brother Adam Lynn watched. They were all rough characters—Fouch in particular. He worked in

West went back to his saloon by a circuitous route—he crossed the plank road going north, jumped Rienier’s fence and washed in their pond, cut through Mrs. Redwine’s yard, and then down the alley behind W. H. Dixon’s house and William Bolton’s house, and then back across the plank road to his saloon. Dawson had already gotten back. Fouch and the Lynns finished up their billiard game about an hour later and Henry Justus decided to create more trouble by suggesting that they go to West’s for a drink. The group headed down the street twice—once as far as the blacksmith shop and once as far as Tucker’s drugstore. West shut the front door and said the saloon was closed. Then Dawson opened the door and invited them in. West said he was done

with fighting and didn’t want any more trouble. Fouch was wearing his brass knuckles and said he could whip anyone in the house. Dawson drew a knife and slashed Daniel Lynn. A general fight broke out, and the crowd started throwing billiard balls. In the midst of the general melee, West hit Fouch with a brass beer faucet, killing him. Fouch was carried first to Tucker’s drugstore, then to the Redwine boarding house where he died that night. Tragically, the boarding hose was run by the widow of James Redwine, the man who had been killed in the 1875 shooting. Fighting had continued at the Farrell saloon where Elwood Haworth and Thomas Perkins attacked Andy Farrell. However, Farrell had armed himself with a Colt Navy revolver. Shots were exchanged but, fortunately, no one was killed. The Farrell saloon burned down that night, whether by accident or on purpose wasn’t known. West’s was closed and later reported destroyed. The Sheriff arrived by railroad handcar on the 20th and the Coroner’s inquest ran from the 20th to the 23rd. A grand jury was convened and heard testimony on November 29. They handed down eighteen indictments on December 3. Although charged with the murder of Fouch, Hamp West was not indicted. The grand jury felt that he had acted in self-defense.

Profound impact Why did Fishers become the epicenter for this tragedy? The main reason is that it was a brand new railroad stop with very little government organization. A minister later claimed that Salathiel Fisher was going to forbid taverns from being built in the town, but died before he could

implement this. The rest of county was strongly in favor of the Temperance movement, even to the point of having night-riding vigilantes attack saloons. Add to this that there were apparently no law enforcement personnel in Delaware Township, and Fishers ended up being the only place that you could go to drink and raise hell. If you’ve seen the movie “Tombstone” or the TV series “Deadwood”—that was what Fishers was like. The brawl hit the national news. Since the gunfight at the OK Corral had happened only the month before, people were paying attention to violent incidents. The New York Times had an article on page one titled “A Fight Among Ruffians.” There was an editorial in the New Orleans Times-Picayune titled “Mudsock Matinee” that called it a “brilliant battle.” The event had a profound impact on Hamilton County. The people of the area became more vigilant against saloons and other places considered detrimental to the community. In 1882, a group of Westfield women demolished a saloon and set fire to the rubble. In 1883, a brothel in Noblesville was burned to the ground by a mob. Fishers became less of a focus after the Monon Railroad was finished in 1882 and much of the economic activity switched to that side of the county. Then the discovery of natural gas in 1887 caused major changes in the population of the county. There was still some excitement coming out of Fishers—it was the center of a major grave robbing scandal in 1902—but, by the end of the First World War, it had begun to settle into a quiet farming community. HCBM David Heighway is the Hamilton County Historian.

BUSINESS RESOURCE DIRECTORY SIGNS AND BANNERS Logan Street Signs & Banners 1720 South 10th Street Noblesville, IN 317-773-7200 Open M-F 7-5 www.loganstreetsigns.com www.noblesvilletrophies.com www.noblesville.com www.HamiltonCountyTV.com www.HamiltonCountyCalendars.com www.HamiltonCountyRadio.com

Digitally printed signs and banners of any size, vehicle wraps and graphics, T-shirt printing, laser engraving. Great customer service, fast turn-around. Family Owned and Operated. Serving Noblesville and Hamilton County since 1992. Also home of Noblesville Trophies. 773-7391 / Open M-F 9-6 Sat. 10-2

Noblesville, IN Call John Landy at 317-289-7662 landyfortune@gmail.com

65,000 square feet of flexible floor plans. Design and build to your specifications. Time Share space available. Retail space also available from 1,600 square feet up. Easy access and abundant parking! High speed internet. 3 minutes from Riverview Hospital.

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY Sharp Business Systems of Indiana

SERVICE CLUB

COMMERCIAL LEASE SPACE River Edge Professional Center and River Edge Market Place

7330 East 86th Street Indianapolis, IN 46256 317-844-0033 www.sbsindiana.com

Rotary International

Rotary brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Each club meets weekly. For more information on the Noblesville Midday Rotary Club, contact President Dave Carter, 765-639-4415

We are serious about improving our clients businesses by updating office technology, managing office printing and streamlining critical business processes. Sharp Business Systems of Indiana, a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, can increase your company’s bottom line.

NEXT EDITION:

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

MAILS WEEK OF JANUARY 30

DECEMBER 30

While the character of every brand is unique, most successful brands today choose to communicate—subtly or quite directly—their environmental conscientiousness. Utilizing either approach, Priority Press can help your brand communicate this value. This is because Priority Press itself embraces the value of sustainability. We are continually researching, developing and implementing new initiatives within our company to enhance sustainability and decrease environmental impact.

Contact: Jeff Laughlin

317.250.0705

We Recycle We Recycle

SERVING YOU IS OUR TOP PRIORITY™

www.priority-press.com We Recycle

LIVE THE GOOD LIFE Own the Lake Living Lifestyle for Yourself

The Marina Limited Partnership

Enjoy Family Fun on the Lake!

Build your dream home in the sought-after communities of Cambridge, Canal Place, Hampton Cove, Sail Place or Marina Village at Geist Lake; Morse Overlook at Morse Lake; or Lake Clearwater and Lake Killbuck in Anderson.

Live every day like you’re on vacation...

Active Lifestyle

Ideal Entertaining

Escape the Everyday

With great weather right around the corner, it’s time to get back outdoors. Indulge your active lifestyle with easy access to lake activities, right in your own backyard.

Treat friends, family, and out of town guests to luxury life on the lake. Enjoy evening sunsets over the water, boat rides, and outdoor entertaining that will leave them talking for years.

Isn’t it about time your family escaped the drudgery of the everyday? Unwind, and experience the joy of lake life living. Welcome to the good life.

Visit www.MarinaLimitedLand.com for more information.

(317) 845-0270 ext. 24 | Rob@RobBussell.com Call Rob Bussell for lot information, pricing and financing options.