Hamilton County Business Magazine Feb/Mar 2014

Focus: Transportation

FEBRUARY • MARCH 2014

Westfield’s Grand Plan Plus…

• Wild Birds takes off in Carmel

• Farm to Table-The Local

• 5 Website Blunders

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook

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February / March 2014 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

mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com Creative Director

Melanie Malone

imartist58@yahoo.com Correspondents Christine Bavender crbavender@gmail.com

Deb Buehler deb@thesweetestwords.com Stephanie Carlson Curtis steph@stephcurtis.com Jeff Curts jcurts@att.net Rosalyn Demaree ros_demaree@hotmail.com

Wild Birds Unlimited owner Jim Carpenter holds a patented bird feeder he designed.

Features

11

Grand Park

19

Profile-Renner Nixon

20

Focus: Transportation

22

Dining Out-The Local

24

Retail Roundabout

26

The Pitch-in

28

Chamber Pages

35

Business Resource Directory

Samantha Hyde samantharhyde@gmail.com Patricia Griffin Mangan manganpatricia69@gmail.com CoNTRIBUTORs David Heighway heighwayd@earthlink.net

Wild Birds Unlimited

16

Shari Held sharih@comcast.net

Patricia Pickett pat@pickettandassociates.com Robby Slaughter rslaughter@accelawork.com

Columns 8

Management

10

Feedback

11

Ethics

12

Marketing

34

History

Dr. Charles Waldo cnwaldo@comcast.net Joe Weigel joseph.weigel@gmail.com William J. Wilhelm PhD wwilhelm@indstate.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 Copyright 2014 Hamilton County Media Group.

All rights reserved.

Correction: Due to an editing error in our Dec13/Jan14 issue, a sentence in Bill Wilhelm’s column was wrong. The first sentence of the second paragraph on page 10 should have read: “Similarly, laws that enhance the human condition are moral laws and laws that demean or degrade the human condition are immoral laws.” We apologize for the error.

Cover photo by Mark Lee

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February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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Letter from the Editor February • March 2014 With this edition we part company with Emmett Dulaney, who has contributed a column on entrepreneurship for every issue since our first. He simply feels tapped out and that can happen after five years. We thank him for his consistency and insightful writing. I will miss his email in my inbox (always BEFORE deadline). I always looked forward to seeing what was on his mind.

Entrepreneurship is an important and interesting topic, so I would like to continue running regular or even occasional columns addressing it. If you or someone you know is interested, please write and let’s talk: mcorbett@hamiltoncountybusiness.com.

Hamilton County Reporter Last January, Jeff Jellison (son of longtime Hamilton County journalist Don Jellison) announced at a Sheridan Chamber luncheon meeting that he was launching a new newspaper. He felt the existing players weren’t getting the job done and wanted to offer a different style of journalism. That’s not the kind of announcement you hear every day so I was intrigued. We put an item about it in the Pitch-In section of this magazine and kept an eye on Jeff and his new paper.

Mike Corbett Editor and Publisher

Well, the Sheridan Reporter found an audience and some advertisers, so Jeff expanded to Arcadia, Atlanta and Cicero, changing the name to Hamilton North Reporter. Last summer, Don (the dad) stopped in my office to let me know he had quit his job at the Noblesville Times and was going to help Jeff launch the Noblesville Reporter, a further expansion of Jeff’s paper.

Don told me he was looking forward to building the paper but didn’t feel comfortable as an ad salesperson, and asked if I was interested in selling ads. Now, I admire anyone who’s willing to chuck it all for the sake of dream and I’m a huge newspaper fan but I also have my own business to run, so I said I would help but I couldn’t do it full time. In the next edition, I was listed as the ad director.

It’s a title I’m proud to hold even though I put in a fraction of the time that Don, Jeff and their only employee, Richie Hall, do. In November they changed the name to the Hamilton County Reporter, thinking it better reflected the market they were serving, and in January they launched an online edition that is emailed daily (except Mondays), making it a daily newspaper (weekly in print, daily by email).

That’s right, three people are putting out a daily newspaper, which is an amazing feat. But they are committed and ambitious enough to make it happen, so I am delighted to be playing a small part in their success. It’s a classic case of seeing an opportunity, coming up with a solution, and working hard to make it happen. It is what makes the free enterprise system so great and it’s the kind of story we love to tell in these pages. Keep an eye on these guys.

If you are interested in subscribing to the Reporter, go to hamiltoncountyreporter. com. If you are interested in advertising, contact the ad director. That would be me.

Best wishes to my friend and Noblesville Chamber President Sharon McMahon, who is retiring.

See you around the county,

Editor and Publisher 6

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

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Management

Charles Waldo, Ph.D.

Anyone Can be a Change Agent You don’t have to be in charge to change things For a number of years before I retired last year from Anderson University’s Falls School of Business, I led a section of the “Managing Change” course in the MBA program. The students, all working adults, especially enjoyed hearing from speakers, usually company presidents, who graciously came to class to share their “secrets of achieving change.” In the post-presentation sessions held with just the students, I regularly heard comments like: “Well, it’s easy for him to bring about change. He’s the president. Everyone has to do what he says. But I’m a long way from the top. I don’t have that kind of clout.”

I asked Chuck Dowd, former president of Masco Corporation’s Delta Faucet Company and then a Masco Group President, to address this feeling. He told the students: “Don’t be so naïve to think that just because I give an order it is going to get carried out…

If employees don’t want something bad enough, it is not going to happen.

I spend lots of time getting them in-

erable influence in his piece of the organization. And being an effective change agent (aka “leader”) at a low level can help bring advancement to the next level. Here are ten things you can start doing right now to be a more effective change agent right where you are: 1. Be really good at the technical aspects of your job.

No one is going to listen to your suggestions for change if you don’t do very well what you are primarily paid to do. Also, be dependable and reliable.

2. Be a team player, not a lone wolf.

Cooperate and collaborate with your colleagues. Departmental change doesn’t happen solo; you’ve got to work with others towards a common goal.

3. Be able to clearly demonstrate the benefits of the change for others versus retaining the status quo.

WIIFM? (“What’s In It For Me?”) is a logical and legitimate question peo-

5. Get input from others before trying to sell your idea too hard.

Float it around. What do others think? Can they add improvements so they, too, have ownership in the project? Someone once said, “Wonderful things can happen when no one worries about who gets the credit.”

6. Know and understand the likes and “hot buttons” of those who must buy-in, especially your boss.

How do they like to hear about new ideas? In writing, orally, informally?

Do they like to reflect on suggestions for a while before going ahead? Do they want to get others’ input before proceeding? Do they have to get other’s input or approval?

7. Be persistent.

Changes, whose logic or benefits seem so apparent to you, are almost always initially questioned, if not outright resisted. If you don’t succeed at first (and you probably won’t), try and try again. Keep pushing and perhaps try different tactics.

“If you aren’t a risker you won’t be much of a changer” volved and getting their buy-in. I have less clout than you might think.” Then the surprise: “And you have more clout than you might think.”

ple ask (either out loud or to themselves) when a change is suggested.

Self-interest is a significant motivator pro or con.

It is true that a president has a lot more formal power than a front-liner or “middler.” However, that doesn’t mean a front-liner can’t have consid-

4. Be willing to accept and implement changes suggested by others.

Build up your “change bank account” with them.

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8. Don’t try to revolutionize the whole organization from the bottom or middle.

The French Revolution may have started in the streets but it’s not likely to happen in the typical large corporation. Stick to your piece of the pie.

If you are effective, the “slices” will get bigger.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

9. Small, incremental (“kaizen”) type changes are a lot easier to achieve than transformational (major) change.

Go for small wins, building a track record as an effective change agent.

Many small changes are usually far less costly and traumatic to implement, yet can add up to significant total benefits.

10. Finally, recognize that to be a change agent is inherently risky.

Louis Lahr, former CEO of the 3M Company which is one of the most prolific new product developers in the world, said that “Behind every major new product 3M ever developed lay a champion, someone who often did the initial development work on his own time in his own home lab and literally put his career on the line to get the product accepted.” Even the fabulously successful Post-It Notes took more than ten years to push through in-house

hurdles. If you are not a risker, you won’t be much of a changer. And you must be enthusiastic about your idea. If you aren’t, why should anyone else be?

Some organizations, most notably Japanese companies such as Toyota and Honda, have developed a living culture and mentality of constant change. I once consulted with a U.S. based Toyota supplier helping them build their Kaizen system, getting their front-line employees up to implementing an average of twelve suggestions per year per employee.

That totaled over 5,000 suggestions per year and, while most were very small, they added up to significant, overall “hard” and “soft” benefits.

Occasionally, a tiny Kaizen would blossom into a huge winner.

Virtually all executives understand the competitive necessity for change.

But the truth is, in most organiza-

tions significant change usually comes hard and slow, if at all. The bigger the change and the more people involved, the tougher it is.

Most major change initiatives either fail totally or don’t reach their goals.

It’s a risky business, especially if your company or department is the first to try a new venture. But change we must to remain competitive; it’s just a fact of life. I hope these ideas help you become a better change agent even if you’re not on top. And, if you are “on top,” I hope you strive for an environment that is open to the creativity and suggestions of all employees, as well as customers and suppliers. If not, you are leaving a lot of potential benefits on the table.

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

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Feedback

Sharon Rose Hampton

Hold Experts Accountable for their “Facts” Reader responds to Bill Wilhelm’s column on Defense of Marriage Amendment Editors note: Bill Wilhelm’s original column is accessible at www.hamiltoncountybusiness.com/ First, HCBM is a standout amid the many publications that fill my mailbox.

The talent and efforts, along with professional image Hamilton County businesses present, is an asset to the area and solid articles can be found within the marketing aspect of the publication.

But, after reading Dr. Wilhelm’s article on the Defense of Marriage legislation in the Dec-Jan 2014 issue, I felt compelled to respond. I am concerned that his credentials might unduly influence readers.

Although I respect his right to his opinion, I don’t think his credentials insure that all of his opinions rise to the level of “fact”. Opinions are based upon a foundation of information. If this base of information is flawed then the opinion will be flawed.

The basis for his opinion is stated in the 11th paragraph of page 10, of the Dec-Jan 2014 issue. [Some legislators lay claim to morality as articulated in religious scripture.] After the shock of that statement subsided, along with the implied superiority of his view over those of state legislators, the reader was treated to an even more insightful view.

[But is our government founded upon religious beliefs and interpretations of religious scripture? Of course not!]

This denial by Dr. Wilhelm does not make it so. Although he is entitled to his opinion, it appears he may intend for us to consider it an “expert opinion”, based upon his credentials in Ethics.

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As a Certified Document Examiner, I know experts can be wrong. Experts, who hold “expert opinions”, must look to the foundation of their information to support those expert opinions. It is a high standard and requires the opinion to be tested for accuracy and rated for certainty.

Expert opinions can often be proven to be accurate with 100 percent certainty.

In the case of a cut and pasted signature, if a “questioned signature” is an exact duplicate, then it is regarded as a non-genuine signature. When, a document’s “cut” signature shows up “pasted” on another document for the purpose of deception, the evidence can be viewed, proven, and support, a claim of 100 percent certainty.

If, Dr. Wilhelm had proof of his assertion our government is not founded upon religious beliefs and interpretations of religious scripture, the reader might be able to consider it as fact. But in the absence of proof, and Supreme Court rulings dating to 1789 in support of the belief of a Spiritual being, I must respectfully disagree based upon my foundation of information.

Try to apply his opinion to the actual historical facts of our nation. Would we find America was founded as a godless country? Wouldn’t the sheer mentioning of religious freedom, support the idea of God. If we are not a godless country, then we must look to The Bible as a resource. Accepted by the ages as a historical record, the bible contains scripture. Scripture formed men’s thoughts and their thoughts formed our nation of laws. This is just my non-expert opinion.

Many people can pile on an idea.

That proves nothing. HCBM Sharon Rose Hampton is the Ethics Chair for the Scientific Association of Forensic Examiners (SAFE). Reach her at s-hampton@sbcglobal.net

Bill Wilhelm response to Sharon Rose Hampton’s column I thank Ms. Hampton for offering a response in critique form to a statement I made in my last column. The statement to which I refer was: “But is our government founded upon religious beliefs and interpretations of religious scripture? Of course not!”

Ms. Hampton challenged the factual basis upon which I based my statement.

Because of space limitations that I am asked to adhere to in my columns, I did not expand upon the statement with supporting details. I assumed that the principle of the separation of church and state as delineated in the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment Establishment Clause was common knowledge.

This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion. This interpretation led me to make my statement that our government is not founded upon religious scripture. I stand by that assertion.

Neither my statement, as Ms. Hampton implies, nor the First Amendment Establishment Clause logically lead to a conclusion that we are a “godless country.”

The First Amendment’s express purpose is to deny efforts to allow any specific religion to be the guiding principles of our democracy. To that end, if Ms. Hampton’s statement that “If we are not a godless country, then we must look to The Bible as a resource,” were formalized into governmental policy it would be a direct violation of the First Amendment.

-Bill Wilhelm

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Ethics

William Wilhelm

A Time for Self-Assessment The Mirror Test is a quick check on unethical behavior

Peter Drucker, the renowned management consultant, educator, and author, referred to the mirror test; a simple activity in which you look in the mirror in the morning as you are getting ready for work and ask yourself “What kind of person do I want to see in the mirror?” Drucker expanded upon this management philosophy in his book, The Ecological Vision: Reflections on the American Condition (Transaction Publishers, Rutgers University, 1993, paperback 2000) in which he described the “mirror test” in detail as “The Ethics of Prudence.”

Separate Ethics for Business Drucker also warned about what he felt was a mistaken concept of “business ethics.” He argued that there should be one code of individual behavior in which the same rules apply to everyone alike. Drucker feared that to construe ethics as a distinct concept of “business

In the morning when you are peering at yourself in the bathroom mirror, ask yourself, “What kind of person do I want to be today?” ethics” might give managers license to launch their own brand of “ethics.” For instance, they might reason that they were meeting their social responsibilities in the context of business by framing their justifications for questionable decisions as “protecting jobs” or “generating wealth” for shareholders. “Ethics

The Ethics of Prudence, Drucker wrote, “does not spell out what ‘right’ behavior is. They assume that what is wrong behavior is clear enough – and if there is any doubt, it is ‘questionable’ and to be avoided. Prudence makes it an ethical duty for the leader to exemplify the precepts of ethics in his own behavior.”

Drucker contends that the manager must avoid the behavior or act that would make one the kind of person one does not want to be and does not respect. He uses a rather colorful but accurate example for explanation. “If you don’t want to see a pimp when you February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

for them is a cost-benefit calculation,” he writes. We know from the classic ethical failure by Ford Motor Company executives in the decision not to recall the exploding Pinto automobiles that cost-benefit analysis can easily fail the ethical test requiring the protection of human rights.

While the mirror test is not as thorough as is in-depth ethical analysis for more complex decisions, it does hold promise for stopping unethical behavior before it happens. It is an intrinsic check that we can easily employ on a daily basis to put ourselves in a frame of mind to be a better person and thereby enrich the lives of others whom we affect – both in our workaday lives and in our personal lives. So, maybe in 2014 just try this one simple resolution for the New Year. In the morning when you are peering at yourself in the bathroom mirror, ask yourself, “What kind of person do I want to be today?”

Austin Mace

The Ethics of Prudence

look in the shaving mirror in the morning, don’t hire call girls the night before to entertain congressmen, customers, or salesmen.”

Happy New Year, everyone! HCBM Dr. William J. Wilhelm teaches business ethics and social responsibility management at the Scott College of Business at Indiana State University. Reach him at wwilhelm@indstate.edu

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Austin Mace

As we enter 2014 many of us resolve to change certain less-than-desirable personal behaviors in the New Year by making resolutions. Many of us don’t make New Year’s resolutions perhaps because we have not succeeded with them in the past. Others may believe they don’t need to make any major changes in their behavior. Still others may just think it’s silly. Be that as it may, there is one simple activity that we can resolve to do that is really quite easy to accomplish. It involves using a tool that we already use probably every working day of our lives: the mirror.

Marketing

Pat Pickett

Is Your Website Working For You? Avoid these five blunders There’s little doubt that a website has become an integral tool of doing business in the 21st Century. It’s estimated that 80 percent or more of all buying decisions — including finding service providers — begin with an Internet search.

Thinking about a new company website in 2014? If you expect 21st Century results – like potential customers and clients finding your company on the Internet – avoid these five big blunders that will sabotage your website.

1. You spent too much You’ve spent $15,000 on a website, which seems quite reasonable compared to the $25,000 you probably spent a decade ago. And after that kind of cash outlay, you’re going to lay low on your marketing spend because you can’t afford anything else.

Unless you are a large corporation with multiple locations, have the need for exceedingly secure purchasing transactions or more money to spend than what you know what to do with, the need for a $15,000 or even $10,000 website is questionable. A website professional who is familiar with one of many content management platforms (WordPress or Joomla are both good ones) can create something both amazing and functional for a fraction of that cost.

Building a beautiful website and not doing anything with it (like a marketing strategy that includes backlinks from your social media site, other industry partners, blogs, etc.) is like buying a luxury car and leaving it in the garage – you really don’t reap the rewards and no one knows you have it. You must budget for a marketing effort that will drive folks to the site. Yes, if built properly, as detailed below, you will receive organic searches through Google and other search engines. But businesses 12

need to be cognizant of driving traffic to that site through measurable marketing programs.

2. You didn’t spend enough (aka, “Your nephew developed your website during his spring break.”)

Not that there’s anything wrong with your nephew or his technological prowess. However, it’s highly unlikely he’s creating a website that is in line with your measurable objectives of success for your business. There’s a big gap between, “This is cool” and “I generated 50 percent of my business from my website.” While a student is capable of building a website, it’s doubtful that it will be cost effective in the long run.

3. What is SEO again?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the way in which websites are detected by search engines (like Google, Bing and YouTube) and placed “in order.” So if someone is searching for “widget maker Carmel Indiana,” they are provided a list of closest results. Typically, those companies landing closest to the top have the best chance of attracting potential customers.

The best way to achieve this goal is to 1) do keyword research before creating your website 2) create specific website titles and meta descriptions and 3) (really important!) regularly update the content of your website with blogs and social media interaction.

Laymen’s translation: When you look at your “about” page on your website, the URL at the top shouldn’t say, www. widget.com/about … It should say something that describes your company (that the search engines can find) like, www.widget.com/custom-widgetproduction-carmel. Likewise with your meta descriptions – these should be filled in with unique, page specific info.

Confused? Theoretically, this is why you are going to hire a professional to do this; but if your professional tells you it’s not needed, get a new professional.

And don’t fall prey to randomsolicitations of companies promising a frontpage ranking!

4. Mobile, shmobile … really, who uses their phone to look at my website?

According to a Pew 2012 survey, 31 percent of mobile Internet users mostly go online using cell phones; and mobile traffic is estimated to increase by 3.5 percent per month. The good news: You don’t have to have a whole separate mobile site built! Using a platform like WordPress or Joomla, a mobile plug in is as easy as a flip of a little (free) button.

5. You’re an Internet Tease You don’t want a lot of information on your site — you want potential customers to contact you. Just tease them with some superficial information, make them download even more superficial white papers to get the information they seek, and then put their contact information in a database so you can send them incessant emails until they unsubscribe.

You know better than this, right? This just isn’t the way folks want to engage with companies any more. They are looking for valid content and information — and so, by the way, are the search engines.

Regularly updated informational content — including case studies, white papers, blogs and videos — are the way to attract customers. And remember, the content needs to be informational, not just pushing your products! HCBM Patricia Pickett owns Pickett & Associates, a Hamilton County based public relations and marketing firm. Reach her at pat@pickettandassociates.com.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

A Fine Feathered Franchise

Carmel businessman grows his love of birds into a national brand

By Deb Buehler Store photos by Mark Lee Bird photos courtesy Wild Birds Unlimited

W

inter birds gather in the cold sunlight to feast on black oiled sunflower seeds. From titmice to juncos to nuthatches and black-capped chickadees, attracting and watching backyard birds has become a lifetime hobby for many local Hoosiers.

Downy Woodpecker

For more than 30 years, bird enthusiasts have sought out seeds, feeders, bird baths and more from Carmel-based Wild Birds Unlimited. The retail resource launched by CEO and founder Jim Carpenter offers more than seeds – franchise owners and employees alike are knowledgeable about attracting and feeding native bird species across the country.

Enthusiasm turned business venture

Jim Carpenter

After working for a couple of years in a garden center, Carpenter decided to turn his love of watching and feeding

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

birds into a business. The first Wild Birds Unlimited stored opened in the Broad Ripple area in 1981.

“About a year later, a relative of an employee stopped by to visit and asked me how to do what I was doing,” Carpenter said. “I told him to come back in 6 months and I’d sell him a franchise.”

Along with wife Nancy and a local business partner, Carpenter developed the franchise model, selling the first one to the interested relative who opened a location in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For the next six years, Wild Birds Unlimited grew steadily, opening about 5 stores a year. By 1989, the

“…fifty to sixty million people feed birds in their back yards” –Jim Carpenter

Carpenters were able to buy out the business partner and became the sole owners of the corporation. In the years that followed the company grew by twenty to thirty stores a year, becoming the largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores. Now more than 300 Wild Birds Unlimited stores can be found across the U.S. and Canada.

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offer bird enthusiasts.

She explained that every season produces different birds, keeping the hobby interesting. By changing seed offerings, bird watchers can attract both year-round residents and migratory birds.

“Right now, birds need foods that are higher in fats to stay warm.

Feeders can be filled with seeds and suet to attract winter birds,” Williams explained.

Education and Expertise Kathy and Dave Williams purchased their first franchise in 2001, opening a Wild Birds Unlimited store on Michigan Road and then opening a second location in Westfield in 2003.

“We’ve had a great franchise experience,” Kathy Williams said. “Jim Carpenter is down to earth and hard working – he and his staff are regular folks who are passionate about nature and birds. They are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas which are why Wild Birds Unlimited is a leader in the industry.”

Williams said Hamilton County has a lot to

Education is an important part of offerings available at Wild Birds Unlimited.

Williams said that her staff is comprised of knowledgeable experts available to answer questions and troubleshoot challenges backyard birders encounter. Because the hobby attracts people of all ages, Williams and her staff work with beginning birders to experienced backyard feeders. She often invites people to bring in a picture of their yard from the window where they will be bird watching. This is a great way to consider what type of bird resources will help them attract a diverse collection birds. When clients come in wondering what bird they are seeing, Williams said they get bird books out and help identify them. Williams said she’s always learning – that’s her favorite part of store ownership.

Retail Innovations As the November 2012 franchisee convention approached, Carpenter and his staff decided it would be a good time to rebrand the Wild Birds Unlimited look and feel. Together with a staff team, Carpenter set the goal of improving every facet that impacts the customer experience.

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“We think our brand is what makes us different from other specialty retailers,” Carpenter said. “The staff team began to explore what we could do to create an appealing environment in the stores interior. We want people to have a great time, learn a lot about birds and the hobby of bird feeding and watching.”

The new branding inspires customers through the five senses, plus what Wild Birds Unlimited calls the sixth sense: energy and the emotional impact of the in-store experience.

Carpenter explained that after many meetings, the design team identified best practices for Wild Birds Unlimited stores in support of a great customer experience. The team chose an approach that is helping store owners integrate what they already have with cost effective upgrades for a new look.

“We put it all together,” Carpenter said.

“A color pallet, flooring selections and digital marketing assets.” A new warm color scheme includes grey, brown and blue, bringing the feeling of the outdoors into the store with a pallet that works well in every region of North America.

The new store design was unveiled at the Wild Birds Unlimited location at 4040 E. 82nd Street in Indianapolis.

Highlights of the rebranding include new signage in the seed department enabling customers to select the best blend based on the birds they wish to attract. The cash wrap area shares Wild Birds Unlimited patented bird feeder history and expertise in bird feeding.

Customers are also finding ways to access and share information about the hobby in the form of videos, hobby information and streaming live web cams. The community board has been enhanced to communicate more local

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

information while giving customers a place to post photos of birds they’ve seen in their own backyards.

“Today fifty to sixty million people feed birds in their back yards,” Carpenter said of the hobby. “The hobby is enjoyable to all ages and backgrounds.

All someone needs is a small yard or wild area nearby – from apartments and condos with small decks to new subdivisions where farmland has been transformed for neighborhoods; birds can be attracted with no mess at all.”

Carpenter said that now he knows customers who have been coming to the story for 30 years. He considers it gratifying to know that these customers have inspired their friends and children to get involved in the hobby too.

Attracting birds to a backyard feeder can be a fun family activity. Keep track of your bird feeder sightings and watch for new arrivals as milder weather returns this spring. A bird book can come in handy for birds you’ve never seen before.

Here are some birds typical to Indiana in the winter months:

House Finch

White-breasted Nuthatch

“It is our mission to bring people and nature together and we do it with excellence,” Carpenter concluded.

“We do it through bird feeders and by challenging ourselves to improve our ability to serve our customers.” HCBM

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Tufted Titmouse

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Visit http://www.wbu.com/chipperwoods/CWBO_ Bird_Checklist_0109.pdf to download an Indiana Bird Checklist and to learn more about birds you might see while exploring in Indiana or watching your backyard feeder.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

15

Cover Story

The Family

Sports Capital

Grand Park is Westfield’s national stage

By Shari Held

W

ith 26 baseball diamonds and 31 multi-use fields, West field’s 400-acre Grand Park Sports Campus will take the City of Westfield one giant leap forward to making good on its claim to be the Family Sports Capital of America. It will be virtually booked for 2014 (approximately 7,000 matches) when it opens in March, beginning with two soccer tournaments slated for its debut month.

More than 5000 baseball games are already scheduled for this year.

While the opening of the facility is an accomplishment in itself, the big home run will be Grand Park’s impact on the city’s economic development.

The city provided the $45 million to construct Grand Park, but the two primary tenants, the Indiana Soccer Association and the Indiana Bulls baseball club, collect the revenue and use it to maintain and operate the self-sustaining facility.

Capitalizing on Hoosier hospitality

Cook is banking on the million-plus sports enthusiasts who will trek to the sports park each year to create a new industry the city can rally behind.

“Grand Park will create an appropriate environment for our industry to expand,” Cook says. “And that industry is hospitality—hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment.”

Existing businesses need to be prepared to embrace the hoards of tourists as well as the onslaught of chains and other businesses Grand Park is anticipated to attract. And the entire community needs to adopt a culture of hospitality if Westfield is to create an experience guaranteed to incite visitors to keep coming back.

When it opens Grand Park will be the largest sports campus in the United States. “But largest doesn’t mean a thing if folks don’t have a good experience,” Cook says. “Our work will just be beginning.”

Grand Park was initially proposed as a facility for expanding local youth and recreational sports. But Westfield Mayor Andy Cook and other city leaders saw the potential to enter into the business of travel team family sports, a $6.5 billion industry nationwide.

16

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Fortunately, Westfield’s got a lot going for it. For one thing, it’s within a day’s drive for two-thirds of the U.S. population. In addition, the upgrade of U.S. 31 to freeway status through Westfield will make access to and from I-465 a matter of minutes. “It’s going to be a challenge for a couple of years, but what a gift that is,” Cook says.

Perhaps most importantly, Westfield residents are onboard and ready to make the most of the opportunity.

“They’re not only excited about the sports park, they’re excited about the

success, the City of Westfield created an Office of Hospitality, and expects to have a hospitality coordinator in place this month. “The hospitality coordinator will be the one who makes sure the visitors to Grand Park are getting served the way they should be served,” says Erin Verplank, director of communications for the City of Westfield. That includes developing and promoting other activities to keep tourists happily occupied at Grand Park and elsewhere in the area.

Providing easy access to information about the city’s other amenities and nearby attractions such as the Palla-

recognition Westfield will receive nationwide,” Cook says.

Westfield is also leveraging several resources to achieve its goal. Allison Melangton, who headed the successful Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, is sharing her expertise, as is Visit Indy, which runs Super Service, a hospitality training program geared to organizations such as the Indiana State Fair. The Hamilton County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has been a key player since Grand Park’s inception.

Hospitality is so integral to the project’s

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17

dium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Conner Prairie, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NCAA Hall of Champions and Lucas Oil Stadium is a boon for visitors.

“We want to offer people more to do than they can possibly handle in one visit,” Cook says. “It’s all about creating that great experience, but ultimately it’s to create an industry of tourism in the City of Westfield.”

Fostering the hospitality industry Creating an instant hospitality industry is a tall order for a city of 32,000 that currently has only one hotel and a handful of restaurants.

cause of Grand Park, but once it opens in spring, many people are going to realize they’re already late. Restaurants and hotels should already be open.”

Cook says the city has a commitment from six hotels to build, and he’s optimistic several will break ground this year.

Meanwhile a few fast-food chains are gearing up to feed the influx of tourists. McDonalds is relocating to the area around S.R. 32 and Wheeler Rd. and a new Dairy Queen, Subway and liquor store are in the works. Taco Bell relocated there last fall. This spring construction will start in Grand Park Village, home base for much of the hos-

City isn’t offering tax abatements to these people,” he says. “We aren’t talking about assistance with infrastructure on their properties. We’re not investing in their business, which is the way a lot of economic development is conducted.”

The payoff for nurturing a profitable environment for the tourism industry is a more diversified tax base that will eventually translate into lower taxes for Westfield residents.

On deck!

Looking ahead, Cook predicts Grand Park will be influential in bringing additional industries to Westfield such as sports medicine, sports research and other sports-oriented businesses.

Mayor Andy Cook says the city has a commitment from six hotels to build, and he’s optimistic several will break ground this year.

The fact that everything’s ready to go— the land’s zoned, utilities are in place and infrastructure is in progress—is a plus.

“I’ve seen a number of people coming in on weekends and the draw that Grand Park will have already,” says area broker Craig Kaiser, who’s been fielding calls from hotels and restaurants expressing interest in the properties he has listed.

“We haven’t yet had any direct sales be18

pitality industry. First up is a two-story, 34,000-square-foot, multi-user retail building on the boardwalk overlooking a 15-acre pond.

Projections indicate that development of the 1400 acres in and surrounding Grand Park will create about 10,000 jobs.

Cook is pleased the private sector sees the potential of this development. “The

In fact, Wellbrooke of Westfield, a center for health and wellness, opened last June at 186th Street and Wheeler Rd. in anticipation of capitalizing from its location near Grand Park. “They are there because we created a unique environment for them to market,” Cook says. HCBM

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Profile

Faith, Family, Friends and Fender Benders Renner Nixon Body Works Story and photo by Patricia Griffin Steve Renner jokes that he doesn’t want repeat business. His customers only come to him when they have an accident, he reasons, and when they come back it’s because they’ve had another one. Like the time a lady picked up her car after a $7,000 repair and returned 25 minutes later with $4,000 damage to the same vehicle from another accident at the exact same intersection as the first.

Fortunately, those repeat stories are rare for this third generation body shop man. Renner learned about cars as a kid hanging out with his dad at his grandfather’s shop in Indianapolis.

He knew his life would be working with automobiles.

Learning the Ropes A 1963 graduate of Noblesville High School, Renner served in the Navy and the reserves before returning to Noblesville, working with his father in the body shop of Newby Buick and Pontiac, where he polished his talent. Stints at Foxworthy Ford in Sheridan and Jack Tidler’s body shop in Elwood led him to open his own business in 1992 on 146th St. in Noblesville, just west of Allisonville Road.

When he acquired the property it was uninhabitable and unsuitable for occupancy. He reconditioned both the exterior and interior with the same care he uses on cars, and he’s grateful for the time and effort donated by his friends and a few paid licensed contractors. The location is still not without peril as it’s located in a flood zone. When the White River overflows its banks, he occasionally has to move vehicles, tools and equipment out of harm’s way.

Steve’s life was enriched when he married Linda Renner 25 years ago. “She transformed my personal life,” stated Renner.

She worked at the First National Bank in Noblesville, where Steve was a customer.

Linda noticed that this guy liked to kid and laugh with the staff, and that appealed to her. They later met officially at a party and they just clicked. They have four kids and four grandkids.

Looking to the Future Last year, Renner took on Jim Nixon, a ten year employee, as a partner and renamed the business Renner Nixon Body Works. They knew each other for ten years prior as Renner used to take cars to Nixon for wheel alignments, steering and suspension repairs. Nixon and his wife have two grown children and the fit has been perfect. “Steve is a great person with a huge heart who taught me about life and business,” says Nixon.

When Renner wants to retire, Nixon will take over the shop.

Renner, Nixon and all their technicians enjoy Saturday afternoons after the shop closes. Sometimes even Renner’s pals join the group as they gather to watch TV, exchange stories and talk of old memories. “It is reminiscent of a time in small town Indiana which had the general store and potbelly stoves in which to gather” said Renner.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

He values his family, friends and employees and believes in “giving back to the community” by purchasing advertisements, fundraising for the Boys and Girls Club, grammar school sports and Guerin High School. He is a 20 year member of the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce and a long time member of the Elks 576 Chapter. He is a member of the Friends Church in Noblesville.

Faith is a part of his life that has paid big dividends.

About 25 years ago, Renner was returning a customer’s car in Noblesville when a drunk driver slammed into the car and threw him out of it. Both cars were totaled and Renner and the other driver ended up in the hospital. Fortunately neither one was critically hurt but Steve recalls that moment of flying out of the car as a second chance as it well could have been fatal. And, despite his own misfortune in that incident, he marvels at the generosity of others: the people whose car he was driving came to the hospital and paid him for the work he did on the car he had just fixed and was now totaled. Now that’s loyalty. HCBM

19

Focus: Transportation

Giving Commuters Another Option HC’s proposed Rapid Transit promoted as economic development tool Story and photo by Stephanie Carlson Curtis

A

s the population of Hamilton County flourishes, the concept of public mass transit is promoted as a viable way to meet the needs of a growing community. Proponents say the transit plan is a catalyst to economic development and an efficient method of getting people to work.

“Public Transportation, both regional and local, is a fundamental ingredient of the most successful cities… largely missing from the Indy-Carmel region,” said Mike Hollibaugh, Director of Community Service for the City of Carmel.

Getting to Work

Commuters alight from the Indy Express Bus in Carmel

Currently, Hamilton County has few commuter options beside the automobile. The Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority operates Indy Express Bus, which serves Carmel and Fishers from park and ride locations. CIRTA released the RED rapid transit line executive summary report in December, which found that there is a need to enhance service for those who currently use the bus system, and to attract new riders, making transit more competitive with personal cars.

“On a typical Monday, over 77,000 people come to work in Hamilton County, but live elsewhere…over 87,000 people live in Hamilton County, but work elsewhere,” said Jeff Kingsbury, managing principal of Greenstreet Ltd., an Indianapolis based strategic planning and real estate practice. According to the American Community Survey, of a total 146,398 workers in Hamilton County, 85% drive alone and 7% carpool. The remainder work from home, walk, bike or take public transit.

The Red Line route

20

“Compared to auto trips, which are only about 20% for work,” says Kingsbury, “about 60% of transit

trips are for work, so a good transit system is focused on connecting employment centers in order to move tens of thousands of workers to jobs.”

Christine Altman, Hamilton County Commissioner, president of CIRTA and a proponent of local mass transit, believes it is irresponsible not to explore ways to accommodate growth and explore what is going to be necessary in the future.

“Public transit gives employees a choice as to how they get to work and where they can work while businesses realize the benefit gained when their employees have a way to get to their jobs in a reliable fashion.”

The RED Line The proposed RED bus line would be 25 miles long and run from Carmel through Downtown Indianapolis, to Greenwood south of the city. It would connect to key destinations, including Broad Ripple, Butler University, the Children’s Museum, the IU Health Hospital Complex, Eli Lilly, and the University of Indianapolis.

The corridor connects some of the fastest growing population and employment centers in the region and serves one of the key commuting corridors.

Carmel’s City Center is one of the slated stops on the RED line. Business owner

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

nations, even though the price per barrel of oil is the same world-wide is because they choose to tack on an additional tax and utilize that to subsidize transit. The return on the investment is in the economic development potential of having transit.”

Kevin Rider operates Divvy Restaurant at City Center and contends the run schedule will determine how transit affects his business. “If the Red Line service times run late enough, it will give employees a new and convenient option of transportation,” said Rider. “It will need to show a high quality of service with consistent and regular service times to make it convenient for diners to use.”

“There is not a one-size-fits-all funding strategy,” said Jeff Kingsbury. “The primary source of funding comes from user fees…and the rest comes from a combination of federal, state and local sources. In the United States, the most common form of taxation for transit is the sales tax, where statewide or county sales tax provide a significant amount of transit funding

In addition to the Red Line, Indy Connect is studying recommendations for a Green Line that would follow the former Nickel Plate rail line running from Noblesville through Fishers to downtown via bus transit or light rail service.

Paying For It

According to State Senator Luke Kenley, potential funding may include an income tax increase that would pay for 65 percent of the upgraded bus transit system combined with bus fares that would cover 25% of operating expenses, as well as financial contributions from businesses.

The most recent transportation study recommends local funding, which is not currently available, to build and operate the Red Line. Senator Pat Miller is writing a bill to be presented during this year’s General Assembly that focuses on funding needs and options, and may authorize a referendum where voters choose whether or not to move forward with the proposed transit plan.

The Carmel Chamber of Commerce supports legislation that allows residents to vote on the transit proposal. “No transit system currently in place in the country is self-sustaining through fares. They are all supported in some way,” said Mo Merhoff, president of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce. “The reason gasoline costs are so much higher in many other

“In addition to costs, we have to look at benefits, both community-wide and to the individual. In addition to connecting people to jobs, there’s reducing congestion, improving air quality, optimizing land use and economic development,” said Kingsbury. “For a typical Hamilton County household, transit-served neighborhoods can shift about $8,500 in annual transportation expense to more discretionary spending. For most households, transportation is the second largest expense after housing. A twocar family in Central Indiana earning the median household income of about $53,000 can save thousands every year if they can get to one car with an option to take transit, walk or bike.” HCBM

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Dining Out

Developing a Local Food Culture The Local

By Chris Bavender Photos by Mark Lee If it’s true what they say about opposites attracting, Derek Means and Craig Baker are a match made in restaurant heaven.

“He’s very business oriented and I’m the more creative, artistic one – he says he’s the wall and I throw stuff against it and he sees what will stick,” Baker said with a laugh. “There are times I get a crazy idea and he looks at me and says ‘That’s not going to work,’ and we talk about it. Or I may have an idea and think it’s not so great but he puts a spin on it and it works.”

“He’s very creative – one of those types who doesn’t sleep but instead rests his

mind by dreaming up more stuff,” Means explained. “He’ll text me at 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning with ideas.”

Farm to Table

The business partners met through another venture several years ago.

“We wrote the business plan but when that (the restaurant) didn’t happen we got spun,” Baker said. “We kept plugging away and looking for a space and saw a niche we could develop and went from there.”

That niche – The Local, opened in 2011. Centrally located, the restaurant is on 146th in Westfield, with Noblesville across the street and Carmel on the corner.

Derek Means

ally a place to do that. That was kind of the catalyst for the restaurant and how we developed the menu and format.”

Sense of Adventure

With its concrete floors, calming blue tones and featured local art – most of which is for sale - The Local can seat 173 inside and 224 when the patio is open. Every two weeks 30 to 35 percent of the menu changes.

“We do things most wouldn’t try but our customers trust us enough to go ahead and give it a shot.”

Lamb Burger

Goat Cheese Panini

Baker is no stranger to the restaurant business. He owned a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, which he sold in 2005 to move to Indianapolis with his wife, Jennifer and their two children.

Means, married with four children, was in real estate but had put himself through Purdue bartending, and worked as a general manager of a restaurant for a short time.

-Derek Means

“We have some sandwiches and burgers that stay on at all times and have been there since we opened,” Baker said. “If we try to take them off I hear about it.”

The one thing that will never come off the menu – the ever popular Mac n’

“We’d kind of started developing the idea of doing farm to table,” Baker said. “Three years ago the only farm to table in the area was fine dining. If you have kids with you and want to have some interesting food – something besides a hamburger – there wasn’t reBlack Bean Quinoa Veggie Burger

22

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Cheese – a best seller even when it’s 90 degrees out, according to Means.

“It’s very rich with a lot of depth of flavor,” he said. “It’s comfort food at its best.”

At The Local it’s all about finding unique ways to use local produce.

“We might be a farmer’s last stop with what they didn’t sell at the farmer’s market so they’ll stop by the back door and say ‘I have a 100 pounds of beets, what can you do with it?’” Means said.

“Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew because of quick spoilage.

Once we had too many tomatoes so we made tomato bacon jam.”

“It pushes us in the kitchen to find ways to utilize products,” Baker said. “Derek is my base palate. I will say ‘Try this’ and if it makes it to the table it’s usually because he was okay with it.”

Unique offerings have included blood sausage and sweetbreads.

“It’s about being creative and using everything they’re willing to bring us,”

Means said.

“We do things most wouldn’t try but our customers trust us enough to go ahead and give it a shot.”

It’s that sense of adventure and knowing where their products come from - that make The Local work.

“We get to know the people producing food for us and that’s incredibly important because we know we have quality ingredients,” Means said. “That, and having someone with amazing talent like Craig who can take those quality ingredients and make great dishes so our menu always evolves.”

As does the business partnership. Plans for the future include a production brewery in South Broad Ripple and a

family HAMILTON COUNTY

downtown Indianapolis restaurant set to open in late February still featuring the food to table concept but on a smaller scale and with a heavier focus on seafood and pasta. HCBM

The Local 14655 N Gray Rd., Westfield 317.218.3786 www.localeateryandpub.com.

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February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

23

Retail Roundabout

A Summary of Recent Retail Activity

By Samantha Hyde

Northern Hamilton County

Woody’s Restaurant is moving from its 103 W. 3rd Street location in Sheridan to a new building at 3810 W SR 47. Stuart’s Steakhouse is under new management and is changing its name to MiIlwood and Friends. Anthony Padgett Gallery opened at 110 W. Jackson St. in Cicero.

Arcadia Developmental Center at 303 Franklin Avenue was closed by the State of Indiana and all residents were transferred to other assisted care facilities in the area. Arcadia Wine and Spirits on Main St. has closed.

Carmel

Plans are moving forward for a new Dunkin Donuts, gas station and Dairy Queen to be built on property at 9800 N. Michigan Road. Gateway Shops, a new multi-tenant retail center, is planned for 10725 N. Michigan Road.

Equus Capital Partners has purchased the 3-building Meridian Corporate Plaza office complex just north of I-465 between Meridian Street and College Avenue with plans to add a conference facility and fitness center.

Zeller Realty Group bought the 3-building Meridian Plaza office park north of Meridian and 103rd streets and plans to renovate and lease vacant office space in the property.

Pittsburgh-based grocery chain Giant Eagle chose Carmel for the first of several planned Indiana stores. The new grocery store will be in The Bridges development on 116th Street between Spring Mill Road and Illinois Street.

Vitality Clinic has moved into its new office at 1200 W. Carmel Drive. Horizon Bank has plans to build a new branch at the northeast corner of Old Meridian Street and Carmel Drive. The owners of the Meijer at 1424 W. Carmel Drive are erecting a retail building along Pennsylvania Street for a future tenant.

In early 2014 Theta Chi Fraternity is moving its headquarters from College Park in Indy to 865 W. Carmel Drive.

Eye Level Learning Center is moving into 12545 Old Meridian Street. Whiskey & Honey Salon at Sola Salon Studios 24

opened in September at 726 Adams Street.

In mid-January Integrated Planning and Wealth Management moved from 160 W. Carmel Drive into a bigger office

Convenience Store is slated to be built at 7729 E. 146th Street, west of River Rd. The Mattress World at 2438 E. 146th Street has been rebranded as PureSleep.

Bridgewater Corporate Village is adding another 3,600 SF office building at 4661 Lisborn Drive.

Fishers

Future Centier Bank

at 650 E. Carmel Drive. Centier Bank is opening a new branch at 568 E. Carmel Drive. Midwest Academy has moved into the new facility that they built at 1420 Chase Court. Jersey Mike’s Subs is coming to Merchants Pointe at 116th Street and Keystone Avenue.

Kolache Factory is coming to the 116th Street Centre at 890 E. 116th Street.

Shopping center Elliott’s Mohawk Place, on Rangeline Road north of 126th Street, has been renamed Monon Square.

Burger bar and craft beer purveyor The Pint Room is moving into Sophia Square at 110 W. Main Street. Carmel Utilities has moved from 760 Third Avenue SW to 30 W. Main Street above Evan Lurie Arts Gallery. 28 Star Studio at 25 W. Main Street has closed. Architectural firm Edmonds International, USA is moving its North American headquarters to 2 W Main Street, on the NW corner of Main and Range Line.

Carmel Winter Farmers Market has moved from Carmel City Center to the underground parking garage in the Indiana Design Center for its 3rd season.

Park Lane Apartments & Townhomes at 221 E. Main Street was purchased by St. Louis-based SMFG. J. Hamman Prime steakhouses (formerly Mo’s A Place For Steaks), at Clay Terrace and in downtown Indy, changed its name for second time in 2013 to become Prime 47. Clay Terrace is welcoming new tenant Hot Mama in March.

TGI Friday’s at 146th Street and US 31 has closed. A Ricker’s Gas Station &

Madame Royale Salon and Spa is moving into the space at 8970 E. 96th Street that was formerly Natural Nails.

Endodontic Specialists is opening at 10078 Lantern Road. BlueBridge Digital graduated from Launch Fishers and has opened its own office next to BlastMedia in the Forum Credit Union headquarters on USA Parkway.

Construction company Meyer Najem Corp plans to build a new office downtown on Maple Street adjacent to the library, with plans to relocate from its current leased location at SR 37 and 131st Street in late 2014. Verizon Wireless is joining Pizza Hut at the new multi-tenant building at 11722 Allisonville Road.

Roosters/Jewelry Gallery

Jewelry Gallery moved down the street from the corner of Allisonville Rd. and 116th to Fishers Town Center. Right next door, Rooster’s Men’s Grooming Center is open. Owned by Darrell and Annette Cousert, it’s the first Roosters in Indiana.

The Regis-owned franchise has 70 locations nation-wide.

SimplySkin MedSpa is moving to a different building at Cumberland Center at 9879 E 116th Street. Health Spot Vitamins is opening soon next to Fresh Market at 9777 E. 116th Street. Andy Mohr GMC underwent a major renovation at 131st Street & SR37.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Construction has begun on a new 60-acre city park at 101st & Cyntheanne Road with plans to open in the fall. Construction is also underway on the Fishers High School Senior Academy expansion at 13000 Promise Road. A new Culver’s is being built at 13691 Olio Road just off I-69’s Exit 210.

Noblesville

RZ Automation is planning to move from 15223 Herriman Boulevard to new building in Noblesville Business Park at 146th Street and Cumberland Road. Jump N Play opened in October at 1710 Pleasant Street. Mattress World at 17015 Mercantile Boulevard has been rebranded at PureSleep.

The Black Plum Cafe opened at 303 E. Main Street.

The Black Plum Café

displaced by construction on US 31 will be rebuilt on Tournament Trail near the southern entrance of the new Grand Park.

Other businesses planned for the area include a Subway and a new liquor store.

Downtown salon hg Studios, located at 930 Logan Street, is expanding its services and refurbishing its upstairs space for skin care, waxing and massage. Noblesville Family Chiropractic is now open at 953 Maple Avenue. Jiana Gifts & Tea has moved into downtown at 853 Conner Street. Indiana American Water is moving its Noblesville offices from downtown to Herriman Blvd. Downtown women’s clothing store J’Ann & Co. is moving to Zionsville. Martha Janes is closed and Blue Angel Antiques is closing.

Chain restaurant Wings Etc. is opening in the former Mancino’s Pizza & Grinders location at 135 Sheridan Road. Pulliens City Cafeteria is opening at the other Mancino’s location at 17901 River Avenue.

Pullien’s

A new State Farm agency is moving into 5540 Pebble Village Lane. Rio Grande Fresh Mexican Restaurant recently opened at 20805 Hague Road. Hip women’s clothing chain Charlotte Russe is coming to Hamilton Town Center. Computer Corner opened on Clover Road.

Westfield

SkinFix Spa in downtown Westfield at 116 N. Union Street has closed. The McDonald’s and Dairy Queen that were February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Westfield Yamaha Suzuki is expanding its facility at 18128 Market Court. Tractor Supply Store is planning to move later this year from its current location at 18160 US 31 N to the new development Springmill Pointe at SR 32 east of Spring Mill Road. Shoe Carnival is moving into 2001 E 151st Street. HCBM

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The Pitch-In

Notes from all over the county A state tourism study reveals that tourism is the third largest industry by employment in Hamilton County, attracting more than 4 million visitors annually, who spent $375 million here and accounting for more than 10,000 local jobs.

Forbes Magazine ranks the Indianapolis-Carmel area as the 9th fastestgrowing area when it comes to the creation of jobs in the technology sector.

Allegion PLC, which manufactures and markets locks under the Schlage and Von Duprin brands among others,

What is just as important as the quality of professional services you utilize for your business?

located its North American headquarters in Carmel, creating up to 100 jobs this year. The company was spun off from Ingersoll-Rand and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

The Carmel Allstate Insurance Agency awarded five $1000 grants from the Allstate Foundation to local beneficiaries in 2013. They included Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, Hamilton County Meals on Wheels, Carmel Rotary Club (Rotary Foundation), Carmel Clay Library Foundation and Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors Foundation.

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26

Grand Park Sports Campus received 90 trees on behalf of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of the NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program.

The Anderson University School of Theology received a grant of $248,772 from the Lilly Endowment to address economic issues facing future ministers.

Ram North America, featured in the Oct/Nov 2012 edition of HCBM, has completed the exterior of the Big 10 headquarters in suburban Chicago.

RAM, based in Arcadia, specializes in custom terra cotta cladding.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Purdue University is partnering with the Gallup organization to find out how well a college degree leads to a better life and job. The Purdue-Gallup Index will measure five key dimensions of well-being: purpose, social, physical, financial, and community by sampling its own graduates. Other schools are encouraged to participate.

Kurt Meyer, President of Baseline, Inc., a commercial real estate company, is the Chairman of the Fishers Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2014.

Corrie Meyer, a Certified Urban Planner, was appointed to the Carmel Redevelopment Commission , which oversees the City’s redevelopment projects.

NextGear Capital & Salsbery Brothers Landscaping were named Carmel Chamber Businesses of the Year.

Joshua Carr, Northwestern Mutual, was presented the Young Professional of the Year award. The Harold Kaiser Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to John Schuler. Ranjit Puthran of Allstate Insurance Carmel Agency is the Chamber’s Most Valuable Volunteer. Look awards for renovation went to Wedgewood Building Company for the renovation at 32 First St. Northeast and for new construction to Kite Realty Group for the Range Line Crossing Project at 116th and Range Line. Carmel City Utilities won the Green Award for their city-wide trash and recycling program.

In Noblesville, IDI Composites International is Business of the Year and T&T Sales and Promotions is Small Business of the Year. Noblesville Schools won Best New Construction for their new administrative offices, Darren Peterson of Peterson Architecture is Businessperson of the Year and

Alaina Shonkwiler is Young Professional of the Year.

The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $20,000 to the Fishers Youth Assistance Program, which works to keep students in school and out of the juvenile court system, and $10,500 to Janus Developmental Services in Noblesville, to help workers with disabilities develop their job and social interaction skills.

Jan Jamison is the new Artistic Director for Carmel Community Players.

HCBM

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February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

www.mcgcad.com 27

Business News February & March Events

New Members

February Feb. 5: Arrows Young Professionals Lunch & Learn | Eddie Merlot’s | 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 6 : All-county Network Breakfast | Bridgewater Club | 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Feb. 12: February Luncheon - Chamber Update | The Fountains | 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Feb. 14: Legislative Breakfast | Mansion at Oak Hill | 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Feb. 19: Arrows Young Professionals After-hours Network | tba | 5 to 7 p.m.

Feb 27: Member Orientation | tba | 8 to 9 a.m.

March Mar. 6: Business After Hours | Lake City Bank | 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 12: March Luncheon | Mansion at Oak Hill | 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Mar. 14: Legislative Breakfast | Mansion at Oak Hill | 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Mar. 27: Arrows Young Professionals After-hours Network | tba | 5 to 7 p.m.

Ribbon Cuttings A Formal Affair

Midwest Academy

635 Hanover Pl.

1420 Chase Ct.

The Carmel Chamber • • •

Advocates on behalf of business.

Collaborates to maximize impact.

Communicates issues and positions.

Grows the voice of business through membership.

Chamber Facts • • •

Advanced Professional Counseling Ballare Ballroom Bolduc Golf Academy European Wax Center Outback Steakhouse

A Formal Affair The Applied Behavior Center for Autism Brain Balance Center of Indianapolis Brown & Brown of Indiana BuildSmart Construction Choose Your Time Appliance Repair Compass Commercial Construction Group do-tique Hamilton County Chiropractic Indianapolis Roofing and Sheet Metal Corporation Keith Pemberton Agency - American Family Insurance Linda Tanella Fitness - Health and Wellness Coach National Association of Certified Non-Smoking Employers PERL Mortgage, Inc. - Duffy Mullen Pizzology Craft Pizza & Pub Total Hearing Solutions, a division of Northside ENT

About the Carmel Chamber

•

GreenLawn by Design Wellbrooke of Westfield

Serves 750 members located primarily in Hamilton, Marion and Boone counties.

Represents diversity of business from corporate headquarters to sole proprietorships.

Has been working for businesses for 43 years.

Stay Connected @CarmelChamber1

Advocacy & Business Issues On behalf of our members, we are committed to advocating for a business-friendly environment on issues that impact business locally, regionally and statewide.

Find out more To learn more about the Carmel Chamber or the Hamilton County Business Issues collaborative efforts, contact us.

Facebook.com/CarmelChamber Linkedin.com/groups/CarmelChamber-Carmel-IN

carmelchamber.com

carmelchamber.com  317.846.1049  21 S. Range Line Rd., #300A  Carmel 28

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

UPCOMING EVENTS FEBRUARY

MARCH

$15 Pre-Paid Members $20 Pre-Paid Guests The Bridgewater Club 3535 E 161st Street, Carmel 46033 Reservations Required

$5 at the door FORUM Conference Center 11313 USA Parkway

6th – Thursday 7:30am-9:00am All County Networking Breakfast

14th – Friday 7:30am – 9:00am Legislative Breakfast

$15 Members $20 Guests The Mansion at Oak Hill 5801 E. 116th Street, Carmel, 46032 Reservations Required

19th – Wednesday 11:30am – 1:00pm Chamber Luncheon

“State of the Town” FORUM Conference Center $20 Pre-Paid Members $25 Pre-Paid Non-Members Reservations Required

20th – Thursday 12:00pm – 1:00pm (New Time) Navigating the Chamber

(no fee; please RSVP) Informational Session for New Members, New & Current Contacts Fishers Train Station

26th – Wednesday 4:30pm – 6:30pm Business After Hours

(No Fee) Community Health Network Location: TBD

RIBBON CUTTINGS

6th – Thursday 4:30pm – 7:00pm Health, Wellness & Fitness Expo

14th – Friday 7:30am – 9:00am Legislative Breakfast

BizCard Xpress 7268 Fishers Crossing Drive Fishers, IN 46038

Caliber Home Loans 10022 Lantern Road, Suite 600 Fishers, IN 46037

The Fresh Market 9774 E. 116th Street Fishers, IN 46037

Pat’s Philly Pretzels 8395 E. 116th Street Fishers, IN 46038

$15 Members $20 Guests The Mansion at Oak Hill 5801 E. 116th Street, Carmel, 46032 Reservations Required

19th – Wednesday 11:30am – 1:00pm Chamber Luncheon

“Mayoral Candidates” FORUM Conference Center $20 Pre-Paid Members $25 Pre-Paid Non-Members Reservations Required

20th – Thursday 12:00pm – 1:00pm (New Time) Navigating the Chamber (no fee; please RSVP) Informational Session for New Members, New & Current Contacts Fishers Train Station

26th – Wednesday 4:30pm – 6:30pm Business After Hours (No Fee) Location: TBD

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Vom Fass 13185 Harrell Parkway, Suite 150 Noblesville, IN 46060

FRESH FACES Speedway- Four locations in Fishers Impressions for You Photography Bricks 4 Kidz Castle Mortgage Corporation Dawson &Michael Realty, Inc Dream Weaver Salon and Day Spa ESI Technology Advisors Seniors Helping Seniors 7e Fit Spa Source Insurance Group and Financial Services Hyland Leadership Solutions Harley-Davidson of Indianapolis RealAmerica Development and Management 29

www.hamiltonnorthchamber.com

HAMILTON NORTH

Upcoming Events & HAPPENINGS NOVEMBER LUNCHEON

UPCOMING EVENTS

FEBRUARY 2014

4th – Tuesday, 11:30am HNCC LUNCHEON Red Bridge Park Community Building

6th – Thursday, 7:30am ALL-COUNTY NETWORKING BREAKFAST Red Bridge Park Community Building 14th – Friday, 7:30am

Kay Hartley, Hartley Funeral Homes, asked Chamber members “What’s Your Exit Strategy?”

LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST

The Mansion at Oak Hill

DECEMBER LUNCHEON

MARCH 2014 4th – Tuesday, 11:30am HNCC LUNCHEON Red Bridge Park Community Building

14th – Friday, 7:30am HNCC LUNCHEON The Mansion at Oak Hill

Hamilton Heights High School Choir entertained at the December Holiday Celebration

Taste of the Holidays at 10 West

New members

10 West

Brett Morrow 10 West Jackson St. Cicero, IN 46034 (317) 606-8542

Lehman & Company, PC Donna Lehman 1907 Conner Street Noblesville, IN 46060 (317) 776-9212

Hamilton North Chamber 70 N. Byron St. Cicero, IN 46034 317-984-4079

30

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS! Noblesville Businesses Recognized at 10th Annual Enterprise Awards Luncheon on November 14th

FEBRUARY 2014

6th – Thursday – 7:30a.m. to 9:00a.m.

ALL-COUNTY NETWORKING BREAKFAST The Bridgewater Club 3535 E. 161st Street, Carmel, IN $15/Members, $20/Non-Members

14th – Friday – 7:30a.m. to 9:00a.m.

HAMILTON COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST The Mansion at Oak Hill 5801 E. 116th Street, Carmel, IN $15/Members, $20/Non-Members

19th – Wednesday – 4:30p.m. to 6:30p.m.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT CAMBRIA HOTEL & SUITES Cambria Hotel & Suites

Presented by the City of Noblesville and the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce

13500 Tegler Drive, Noblesville, IN (Across from Hamilton Town Center) FREE to all Chamber members and guests

(From left to right) Alaina Shonkwiler, City of Noblesville

- Young Professional of the Year; Jeff Bragg, Noblesville Schools - Best New Construction or Renovation; Jay Merrell of IDI Composites International - Business of the Year; Darren Peterson, Peterson Architecture Business Person of the Year; Laurie Dyer of T&T Sales and Promotions - Best Small Business of the Year

26th – Wednesday – 11:30a.m. to 1:00p.m.

MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON

State of the Schools (featuring Noblesville Schools Superintendent, Dr. Libbie Conner) Harbour Trees Golf Club 333 Regents Park Lane, Noblesville, IN $18/Members, $22/Non-Members

This year’s event was sponsored by

MARCH 2014

14th – Friday – 7:30a.m. to 9:00a.m.

HAMILTON COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST

NOBLESVILLE

ENTERPRISE AWARD WINNERS

www.noblesvillechamber.com

Upcoming Events & HAPPENINGS

Featuring Hamilton County Legislators The Mansion at Oak Hill 5801 E. 116th Street, Carmel, IN $15/Members, $20/Non-Members

25th – Tuesday – 4:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.

A TASTE OF BUSINESS IN NOBLESVILLE

Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds Mark your calendars! Applications to participate will be available soon. Keep watching the Chamber’s website www.noblesvillechamber.com or call the office at 317-773-0086 to be sure you are on the distribution list.

Open to the public. Tickets $5 at the door.

26th – Wednesday – 11:30a.m. to 1:00p.m.

MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON

State of the Hospital Sponsored by Chamber Legacy Partner Riverview Hospital Harbour Trees Golf Club 333 Regents Park Lane Noblesville, IN $18/Members, $22/Non-Members

Mr. G’s Liquor 2209 E. Conner Street Noblesville, IN 46060

NEW MEMBERS Laurie Dyer

Lori Koppold

Joshua Timmerman, Financial Advisor

T&T Sales and Promotions 15330 Herriman Blvd Noblesville, IN 46060 317-774-7106 www.tntsalespromo.com

Pictures and Posters 6039 Catlin Ln Noblesville, IN 46062 317-491-5746 www.picturesandposters.biz

Edward Jones Investments 14660 Herriman Blvd, Ste 500 Noblesville, IN 46060 317-774-8236 www.edwardjones.com

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Noblesville Chamber 601 E. Conner St. Noblesville, IN 46060 317-773-0086

31

www.sheridanchamber.org

SHERIDAN

Upcoming Events & HAPPENINGS CHAMBER EVENTS The Sheridan Chamber of Commerce holds monthly luncheons on the fourth Thursday of each month

FEBRUARY 2014

6th - Thursday 7:30am-9:00am

All-County Networking Breakfast

The Bridgewater Club, Westfield Structured networking event with members from all six Hamilton County Chambers. $15 members/$20 for potential members 14th - Friday 7:30am-9:00am

LEGISLATIVE Breakfast

The Mansion at Oak Hill, Carmel $15 members/$20 for potential members

SPREAD THE WORD Are there others in your business who would like to know what’s happening at the Chamber?

Add them to our distribution list by sending their contact information to chambermail@ sheridanchamber. org or calling the office at 758-1311.

27th - Thursday 11:30am-1:00pm

Monthly Luncheon

Sheridan Public Library

MARCH 2014

14th - Friday 7:30am-9:00am

LEGISLATIVE Breakfast

The Mansion at Oak Hill, Carmel $15 members/$20 for potential members 27th - Thursday 11:30am-1:00pm

Monthly Luncheon

Sheridan Public Library Sheridan Chamber 101 E. Second St. PO Box 202 Sheridan, IN 46069 317-758-1311

From the Desk of the Executive Director As I write this amidst the deepest snow central Indiana has seen in decades my thoughts are focused on more spring-like concepts – rebirth and growth.

The Sheridan Chamber is excited to have entered 2014 in the current climate, not the below 0 temperatures but the focus on re-development and planning for a prosperous future.

Obviously there are many challenges ahead.

Funds are limited and needs are great but that is a situation faced by many municipalities. Sheridan has a number of assets and a bright future with many opportunities for success.

We have a thriving downtown Main Street.

Although Sheridan is a small community, our downtown is busy all day. Storefronts are full and traffic is bustling.

We lie at the intersection of two state highways that bring a steady flow of traffic to the town’s front door.

With the development of Grand Park, Westfield’s new sports complex, and the families traveling to the area for a variety of sporting events, this traffic is expected to increase.

We have a rich history of community support and thriving businesses that consistently demonstrate their commitment to the prosperity of the community.

We sit in one of the most successful and prosperous counties in the country with a reputation for great schools, good quality of life and access to metropolitan amenities.

And we have an excitement and enthusiasm for what is on the horizon.

The Sheridan Chamber looks forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our members and the community.

– Kimberly Coveney

Be sure to visit www.sheridanchamber.org for information on all upcoming events!

Join us on Facebook and Twitter: Sheridan, Indiana Chamber of Commerce @sheridaninchamb

32

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

MARCH 2014

NETWORKING BREAKFAST

2014 LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST SERIES • February 14 • March 14 • April 18

Looking for a unique opportunity to multiply your networking power?

Register for this fast-paced joint networking event and connect with members of six Hamilton County Chambers - Carmel, Fishers, Hamilton North, Noblesville, Sheridan and Westfield.

There’s time for informal networking while you enjoy a delicious hot breakfast buffet then, rotating from table to table, you’ll have the chance to give a two-minute presentation about your business. Bring plenty of business cards and brochures to distribute.

Reservations are required by February 3 at noon.

Reserve online at www.westfield-chamber,org or call 317.804.3030 All-county Chamber events are presented through the collaborative efforts of the six Hamilton County Chambers of Commerce to acknowledge common business goals and recognize the value of expanded markets and networks across municipal lines.

Join us for discussions with our legislators about the Hamilton County Business Issues Committee agenda and issues that are important to the business community.

Find out what’s going on at the Statehouse during the current legislative session.

Reservations are required and can be made online at www.westfield-chamber.org or by calling 317.804.3030.

All Chamber members and non-members are invited to attend. $15/member of any Chamber in Hamilton County; $20/ non-member The Legislative Breakfast series is presented by the Hamilton County Business Issues Committee, which includes representatives from the six Hamilton County Chambers and advocates on issues of importance to local businesses and the community. The events provide an opportunity to share business concerns with elected officials, influence the direction of business-friendly legislation and connect businesses throughout the county.

MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON 20th – Thursday 11:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

The Bridgewater Club 3535 E 161st Street – Westfield, 46033 Program This luncheon offers you the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with fellow Westfield Chamber members. We will conduct rounds of networking to allow our members to meet others while sharing their business information. This luncheon is a popular event that helps to bring our members together to form professional relationships early in the year.

Agenda Doors open at 10:45a.m. for early registration, networking, time to visit showcase tables. Registration officially begins at 11:00 a.m. Lunch and program begin at 11:30 Registration $15 for members with reservations $25 for all others and those invoiced Pre-paid reservations are required by 4 p.m. on Monday, February 17.

Register online at www.westfield-chamber.org Questions?

Call the Westfield Chamber office at 317.804.3030

Legislative Breakfast Series Sponsor:

WESTFIELD

FEBRUARY 2013

www.westfield-chamber.org

Upcoming Events & HAPPENINGS

20th – Thursday 11:00a.m. to 1:00p.m.

MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON

The Bridgewater Club 3535 East 161st Street Westfield, IN 46033 Program Please check www.westfield-chamber.org for details Agenda Doors open at 10:45a.m. for early registration, networking, time to visit showcase tables Registration officially begins at 11:00 a.m.

Lunch and program begin at 11:30 Registration $15 for members with reservations $25 for all others and those invoiced Pre-paid reservations are required by 4 p.m. on Monday, March 17. Register online at www.westfield-chamber.org Questions?

Call the Westfield Chamber office at 317.804.3030

NEW MEMBERS Westfield Family Karate David Olsen 3114 SR 32 East Westfield, IN 46074 317-896-3530 www.westfieldkarate.com WestPoint Financial Group Chad Stevens Long Term Care Specialist 900 East 96th Street, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46240 317 208 6340 www.financialguide.com/Chad Stevens

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

Krause Dental Dentist Dr. Kenneth Krause 3247 East State Road 32 Westfield, IN 46074 Phone: 317 399 9329 www.kenkrausedental.com Christian Brothers Automotive Automotive Repair Russ Miller 14807 N Gray Rd Westfield, IN 46062 317 848 5511 www.cbac.com

Westfield Chamber of Commerce 130 Penn St. Westfield, IN 46074 317-804-3030

33

Hamilton County History

David Heighway

Stephen Roberts – another sort of stockbroker Stephen “Steve” Roberts was born in Roberts’ Settlement to Stephen and Mary Roberts.

Roberts’ Settlement was a Hamilton County community located in Jackson Township west of Arcadia. It was settled in the 1830’s by a group of free African Americans from North Carolina. They had left the slave holding area of the south for the free state of Indiana hoping to find a more amenable environment. Hansel Roberts and his brothers and their families were the first purchasers and settlers in the community.

The era just after the Civil War was an excellent period for race relations in Hamilton County.

Although segregation still existed – there was a separate “Colored” school in Noblesville – the returning veterans and area abolitionists supported African American advancement. In 1871, the Sheriff deputized members of the Roberts Settlement to help catch some criminals in Adams Township, and in 1880, blacks were appointed to the county Petit Jury and elected City Constable of Noblesville. They were deeply involved in local politics and, also in 1880, Eli Roberts would run for County Recorder. (However, he did not win as there were still issues of prejudice in the county.

Things would change radically for the worse after the turn of the century and no African Americans would be elected to office until the late 1960’s) .

Stephen’s business materials would be donated to the Library of Congress after his death and the collection gives an idea of how his busi-

This Drover’s Pass allowed Roberts to accompany a cattle shipment to Pittsburgh (courtesy Library of Congress, Roberts Family Papers)

Steve’s grandfather Willis was one of the Roberts brothers who helped establish the settlement.

Sources differ on Steve’s birthdate, but the 1900 census says that he was born in March of 1848.

He was one of several children – his older brother Junius served in the Civil War - and he was only outlived by three of his sisters: Martha, Jennie, and Anna.

Going into Business

He started out in life as a farmer like his father, but soon after the Civil War, he began working with white businessmen like Samuel Craig, Marion Aldred and others as a livestock buyer and shipper. Samuel Craig was a farmer and stock dealer while Marion Aldred eventually became a banker. Neither had problems working with an African American since Craig’s father was an abolitionist minister and Aldred had been a soldier in the Union army.

34

The Indianapolis Belt Railroad and Stockyard Company

company a shipment of livestock on the railroad to Pittsburgh.

Personal Life

Stephen had moved to Noblesville by 1880 and married Nancy Eliot that year. She was born sometime around 1852 and was the first African American child born in Noblesville. They had two children – James, who died young, and Leroy or Roy. Roberts was described in one newspaper

“…while he had a fine friendly disposition, he was also “a man among men.” ness was conducted. Among the materials are receipts for the “new” Exchange Stockyards and Manufacturing Company built in 1875 on south Kentucky Avenue in Indianapolis.

This company eventually became the Union Stockyards and was one of the key businesses on the Belt Railroad that went around the city.

(Today the site is part of the Lilly campus.)

The animals would be purchased from the farmers, put on the Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago Railroad, (which was the only railroad in Hamilton County in the 1870’s), sent to Indianapolis and then to points east. His job gave him the opportunity to travel. Among the items in the collection is a drover’s pass to ac-

article as a big man with a powerful physique and while he had a fine friendly disposition, he was also “a man among men”. This is illustrated by

Robert’s son Roy (back row, second from right) played on an 1890’s Noblesville baseball team

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

BUSINESS RESOURCE DIRECTORY a newspaper story from 1882 which said that after a drunk had insulted Nancy, Stephen Nancy Roberts gave him what in the 1930’s the paper called a “sound trouncing”. His wife continued to work outside the home after the marriage, and did what we would now refer to as catering.

She organized and cooked food for the finest weddings in the area in the 1880’s and 1890’s, put on by the community’s wealthiest citizens.

She eventually became known as “Aunt Nan” and was as well respected by the people of Noblesville as her husband was respected by the farmers in the county.

Their son Leroy held a variety of jobs, played on the town baseball team in 1890’s, and was nicknamed “Frosty” by his friends. He was married in 1897 and had one daughter.

However, he had a run of poor luck.

In 1902, he lost part of his foot when he slipped under the wheels while he was trying to board a train. Later he contracted some sort of throat trouble which led to his death in 1924.

Stephen died in 1915 and was buried at Crownland Cemetery. However, his wife lived on for many years with the town putting on celebrations for her 90th and 99th birthdays.

She died two weeks after her 100th birthday in 1952 and was buried alongside her husband and son.

Business Technology Sharp Business Systems of Indiana 7330 East 86th St. Indianapolis, IN 46256 317-844-0033 www.sbsindiana.com

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Signs and Banners Logan Street Signs & Banners

River Edge Professional Center and River Edge Market Place Noblesville, IN Call John Landy at 317-289-7662 landyfortune@gmail.com

1720 South 10th St. Noblesville, IN 317-773-7200 Open M-F 7-5 www.loganstreetsigns.com www.noblesvilletrophies.com www.noblesville.com www.HamiltonCountyTV.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.

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

Rotary International

THE PROFESSIONAL BARBERS 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.

Call Mike Corbett at 774-7747

Next Edition: Health/Employee Wellness

Dave Snider - Owner - Master Barber

Classic Barber Shop

317-843-2500

2462 East 116th Street, Carmel, IN 46032 Mon, Tues & Fri 9-6 Wed & Thurs 9-7 Sat 7-4 www.barberclassic.com

Walk-in no waiting

YOUR

LOCAL AGENT JONI CORBETT, REALTOR ® DIRECT: 317.985.6443 EMAIL: jonicorbett@talktotucker.com

David Heighway is the Hamilton County Historian

Advertising Deadline: February 28 Mails: March 31

F.C. Tucker Company, Inc.

Complimentary

home staging consultation with every listing.

February • March 2014 • Hamilton County Business Magazine

35

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