Maximum Business Feb/Mar 2015 by Palladium-Item Media Group

business MAXIMUM

The Voice of Business in the Whitewater Valley

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015 Issue posted at Pal-Item.com

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN

Voluteers cultivate rosy future for Richmond Rose Garden, Page 3

GET READY FOR SPRING! Fairy doors and gardens, home renovations, lawn maintenance provide entrepreneurship opportunities. Page 4

www.pal-item.com § Maximum Business §Palladium-Item Media Group, FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015 .

During this winter of strong winds and bitterly cold temperatures, the idea that spring is coming helps us get through the gray days. Now that carefree warm days are approaching, it’s time for some businesses to gear up for busy seasons. Lawn care and landscaping, home renovations and garden centers are just some of the opportunities for local entrepreneurs. It’s not new for Richmond residents to make a living in those areas. Look inside to see how 10 manufacturers made Richmond the “lawn mower capital of the world” a few decades ago. However, we feature several examples of current entrepreneurs making an impact in various fields. Be inspired by Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce’s award recipients, and check out the local opportunities to network or grow professionally at events listed in our calendar.

INDEX Page 3..... Richmond garden’s president rose to power Page 4..... Fairy gardens gain popularity Page 7..... Lawn care businesses try to be a cut above competition Page 8..... Richmond was ‘lawn mower capital of the world’ Page 10..... Remodeling projects make staying home more appealing Page 12..... Chamber celebrates success, strength of local business community Page 16..... 3 businesses pledge $5,000 each in support of chamber’s mission Page 17..... Local employees’ accomplishments noted Page 20..... 2 companies merge Page 21.... Calendar features upcoming local, regional events for networking, play Page 23..... Depot District businesses help charities On the cover: Fairy garden photo by Jana Angelucci

MARKETING IDEAS

SUPPLIED BY B&B LAWNCARE

Signs help spread the word about completed projects and attract new customers, including this project in downtown Richmond.

3 tips can help draw customers April showers might bring out the May flowers, but they also bring out a slew of seasonal businesses looking to make the majority of their annual salaries in a short period of time. Potential customers frequently ask their friends for referrals for a handy man, lawn care company, tree trimmer, or concrete company. These companies must do something to set themselves apart JASON from every other perWHITNEY son with a sign on the side of their truck. The following are just a few easy marketing tips that seasonal small business owners can do to try and capture their share of the market. » Start a customer referral program: Your existing customers are the best possible form of advertising and people get enthused about small rewards.

Put a small reminder of the program in their bill each time you perform a service at their home to make sure they don’t forget about your offer. Common rewards are a small restaurant gift card, a discount on future services, or a free service for several referrals. » Call people back: Whatever service you provide, it is a guarantee that there are 30 other people in town who will do the same service for the same price or cheaper. Even if you are working and unable to answer the phone when a potential customer calls, make sure to call them back at the end of your day. Be prepared to give the potential customer a brief, to-the-point, description of what you can do for them.

» Stay in touch with customers: Although Facebook is an important part of marketing efforts and it is a great way to stay in touch with them, don’t solely rely on that method. You should be capturing email addresses where you can send out customer surveys, let people know about special deals/customer referral programs, and show them pictures of recent projects you have completed. Although it feels as though taking the time to send emails and post on Facebook is time spent not generating revenue, in reality it is setting the groundwork for retaining current customers and securing new ones. For additional marketing ideas, please attend an upcoming Richmond Social Media breakfast or another educational session at the Richmond Innovation Center. For more information, please call (765) 962-8151. Jason Whitney is executive director of Center City Development Corp. in Richmond.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN

Garden president rose to leadership post By Pam Tharp

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Raising hundreds of roses was not in Beth Van Der Burgtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans when she agreed to be a Richmond Rose Garden volunteer. Being president of the group wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t on her radar either, but four years later, Van Der Burgt has succeeded in keeping the organization together, strengthening its membership and fundraising to keep the garden in the green. How did you become involved with the Richmond Rose Garden? I was recruited by a friend. I said I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any idea what to do with roses, but in the spring, I met her at the garden and worked where I was told. When I joined the group, they were talking of disbanding. Some were in their late 80s. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work involved in keeping this garden in shape. I kept going to meetings and they asked me to finish out a board memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s term. I was vice president for four months and then became president. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve recruited a lot of volunteers and now we have a diverse group of people. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what you need to be successful. What do RRG members do? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everything from trimming and deadheading roses to recruiting volunteers to working on fundraising. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting ready for our third annual â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bloom and Glowâ&#x20AC;? event, which is a fundraiser. The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is hot air balloons. We have to do fundraisers because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not free to raise roses. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part of the job. The garden was once a test garden for All-American Roses and they supplied the garden 50 to 55 roses for

SUPPLIED

Beth Van Der Burgt and her husband, Marty, relax before the Richmond Rose Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1st Bloom and Glow fundraiser featuring hot air balloons, live music and catered food. Beth is president of the rose garden board. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundraiser is set for June 3.

free each year. The rose garden was cut from their schedule, so we had to find another way to keep up the gardens. We replace some roses every year, buying about 70 plants a year. The garden has several hundred different varieties of roses and about 1,200

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plants in all. Richmond was once known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rose Cityâ&#x20AC;? due to the acres of roses grown here in greenhouses. How did the rose garden at Glen Miller Park begin? It started by volunteers in 1987, after the downtown explosion. Some

felt there was a need to do something positive and it was modeled after gardens in Germany. The founders made several trips there and had a sort of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sister cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationship. They had some German roses in the See GARDEN, Page 15

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SPRING PLANS

AREA HAS

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Fairy good reasons

TO VISIT TRAIL, SPRUCE UP GARDENS

By Ron Greeson

he interest in fairies is not just for kids anymore. A growing trend of incorporating a “fairy” theme into outdoor gardening and landscaping is evident here and across our region. And the entire country, it appears. This interest ties together families and generations of those families, businesspeople report, and involves not only current local businesses and customers, plus some from the area who are living in other parts of the United States. One such person is Jana Angelucci, a Richmond native who currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. “A fairy garden is a miniature garden complete with fairy structures and actual living plants,” Angelucci said. “It’s really just a tiny space created and tended with love. The design and components are purely up to the individual’s imagination.” A teacher by occupation, Angelucci began making fairy doors for the school where she teaches a SUPPLIED BY JANA ANGELUCCI few years ago. Former Richmond resident Jana Angelucci made this fairy door for the Richmond Rose “I teach second grade and we have had fairy doors in our school Garden as part of the Wayne County Enchanted Fairy Door Trail. SUPPLIED BY for the last few years.” she said. WARM GLOW “Little doors that just ‘appear’ in CANDLE various places around the school COMPANY and in the gardens. The kids love The Watering them, write letters and stories Can at Warm about the fairies, etc.” Glow Candle What began as an extra part of Outlet in her teaching job became someCenterville, thing more. Ind., offers “I began selling the fairy doors fairy garden in Atlanta,” Angelucci explained. supplies. “I am good friends with Mary Walker at the (Wayne County)

Tourism Bureau. She contacted me about helping them get started with the Wayne County Enchanted Fairy Door Trail.” The local organization has a large path of attractions with “fairy” elements, spread out across the entire area. The trail consists of various businesses around the county that have a tiny fairy door. The doors are placed on the map and kids go around and find them. It’s free to see the doors. Angelucci calls her company J&J Fairy Door Company, and she plans to return to her area roots this summer. In conjunction with a local business, she will offer in-person learning opportunities for people to learn about fairy gardens. Posted on Facebook recently was the following information. “Coming this summer, J&J Fairy Door Company will partner with Jack Daggy Flowers to present fairy garden workshops on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. Check back for further details. Fairy doors are available at Jack Daggy Flowers also.” Angelucci cited locations in the area that already have her fairy door creations, such as Mercurio’s Pizza, Roscoe’s Coffee Bar & Tap Room and the Richmond Rose Garden. She described the progress in her business this way: “As the doors became more popular, I started branching out and selling fairy gardens in clay pots or making doors and fairy houses for people to put in their own gardens.” The varied interests of people in the concept has influenced two See FAIRY, Page 5

SPRING PLANS

Fairy Continued from Page 4

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SUPPLIED BY WARM GLOW CANDLE COMPANY

Becki Miller, store manager of The Watering Can, says interest is growing in fairy gardens and fairy doors.

local businesses, among others, to pay special attention with staff people to work in this area. Two of those are The Watering Can at the Warm Glow Candle Outlet in Centerville, and Pleasant View Nursery in Richmond. Becki Miller is the store manager of The Watering Can, and has been for more than two years. Overall, she has been in the Warm Glow organization for eight years. “There is a growing interest in fairy gardens, fairy doors and the like, and it has became an intergenerational thing, with mothers and grandmothers sharing this interest with daughters and granddaughters,” Miller said. “It is something for different members of a family to do together, somewhat nostalgic, and you could liken it to an adult dollhouse for some people,” she said. The Watering Can is a garden center, with decorations, plants and

SUPPLIED BY JANA ANGELUCCI

Jana Angelucci is partnering with Jack Daggy Flowers to present fairy garden workshops this summer. She is also selling her fairy doors at the floral shop, 455 S. Ninth St.

other items for the outdoors. The “There are a full range of items actual fairy items are usually small for a farm garden, landscaping, even and often produced out of galvanized See FAIRY, Page 6 tin, Miller said.

more than an art museum Cork & Canvas

Young Artist Camp

June 15 - June 19 • Full & Half Day Classes Available Ages 5 to 8th Grade - $150

Fri. 3-27; Fri. 4-24 6-9pm • 912 E. Main St. Limited Space. Register Early! Instructor Taught. All Supplies Included - $35 Per Class

Ceramics Wheelwork

Art Classes - 16 & under

Thursday 3-19, 4-23 • 5-8pm

Limited Space: Register Early! Course for potters Interested in honing Fundamentals for Successful Wheel - Throwing. Interactive and Fun Class - $150

Bruce Neville Watercolor Work Shop

The Richmond Art Museum is excited to announce that beginning in February 2015, RAM will offer FREE art instruction to school-age students under the age of 16! The Classes will be held every Thursday through the end of May at RAM from 5:30-6:30pm. Basic instruction will be provided in both drawing and painting. Sessions will also take place on the first Saturday of each month from 11-12pm. Materials will be supplied, but students who attend regularly will be encouraged to bring their own materials as they develop as artists. Due to the overwhelming response, admission to RAM’s tuition -free Thursday and First Saturday art classes for children and youth ages 5-16 will be by blind draw only. We believe this method provides families to all applicants. By entering the drawing you are acknowledging your child(ren) may be chosen for any class dates indicated.

THE RICHMOND GROUP ARTISTS Shaun Thomas Dingworth

Saturday, March 21, 10-4pm

Join us for an enriching workshop filled with information in developing your own style in painting watercolor. Focuses will include approaching the subject; illustrating design, color mixing, capturing of light, mood and some techniques in vale sketches, geared to guide your creation of a successful watercolor. $

- 85

PI-0000175588

TIME CLASS DISCOUNT

Save 25% OFF

(applies to any new medium - not instructor) Valid until 1/1/2016

Join us as RAM hosts young artist in an art camp that will include working with many different types of media to create artwork! Students will engage in drawing, painting and sculpture and learn helpful techniques and projects that will give them a better understanding of how to create art! Lunch is included in the cost of the camp for both full and half day campers!

T H E R IC H MON D GROU P A RT I STS

This is the untold story of a group of artists whose interest in fostering art in their community made an authentic contribution to the history of art in America. Richmond, became an important center for art in the Midwest, a place that nourished and inspired the artists whose work this book celebrates.

Shaun Thomas Dingwerth

www.richmondartmuseum.org

Book Sale

350 Hub Etchison Parkway • Richmond, IN • 765.966.0256

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. • Closed Sunday, Monday and Holidays For over 100 years the purpose of the Richmond Art Museum has been to promote art culture and encourage art appreciation, and it carries out this mission by offering an array of exhibits and programs that appeal to all ages. It is the only independent art museum to be housed within a public school.

Supporting Regional Artists

SPRING PLANS

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LOCATIONS ON THE WAYNE COUNTY ENCHANTED FAIRY TRAIL

SUPPLIED

Richmond native Jana Angelucci began making fairy doors a few years ago for the Georgia school where she teaches second grade. The school has a fairy garden area as well. She says the kids love the fairy doors and write letters and stories about the fairies.

Fairy Continued from Page 5

items composed of concrete,” she added. “We have travelers on I-70 who stop and browse for various items and interests.” Miller said Warm Glow and The Watering Can will stage its annual Spring Open House on the first weekend of May. Steve Foust of Pleasant View Nursery has worked in his business for more than half a century, and the interest in fairy doors and fairy gardens is welcome. “I think it’s a really neat thing, an interest that brings mothers and daughters together and fosters greater interest in gardening in general,” Foust said recently. This new area interest prompted Foust to have employee Laura Karnes offer classes on fairy gar-

SUPPLIED

Fairy door at Mercurio’s Pizza.

SUPPLIED

Richmond’s school district fairy door.

dens, doors, etc., and the related items are available for sale in the business’s store at its nursery location on New Paris Pike. “We see continuing interest in this, and as the weather warms, I will be available to talk to customers and help them learn more about it, and maybe have more classes,”

SUPPLIED

This door says “I Believe in Fairies.”

SUPPLIED

This door says “Fairy Crossing.”

Karnes said. Angelucci says there’s a customer-driven process of adding these items. “Typically, I will get contacted by the parents of a small child that want a door or fairy house to appear in their home or garden,” she explained. “However, I also have sold many doors and designed gar-

Provided by the Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau East Richmond Old National Road Welcome Center Liberty Bell Flea Market Opti Vision Richmond Rose Garden Girls Night Inn Downtown Richmond Palladium-Item office Wayne County Historical Museum Opti Vision Davis Jenkins Jewelers John’s Custom Framing Ontko Property Tin Lizzie Cafe Grassroots Action Resource Center Veach’s Toy Station Morrisson-Reeves Library Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce Mercurio’s Pizza Historic Depot District Cardinal Greenway Depot District Community Garden Little Sheba’s Restaurant Country Classic Roscoe’s Coffee Bar & Tap Room Two Sisters Books & More Paint the Towne Richmond Furniture Gallery CoCo’s Richmond’s north side Olde North Chapel Townsend Center Pleasant View Nursery Sylvan Nook Church Community Garden Get Fired Pottery Deer Ridge Campground Richmond’s west side Richmond Art Museum RCS Administration Building Joseph Moore Museum Noah’s Ark McBride Stadium Centerville Cope Environmental Center Centerville Library The Watering Can

den areas for ‘big’ girls too ... I don’t actually plant the garden. I see what the spot looks like and then suggest plants that are fairy size and then create a clay or wooden door, along with fairy pond, paths, bridges, etc., whatever the client wants.” There are many places to help you bring fairy magic to your home and garden, or place of business.

SPRING PLANS

Lawn care businesses aim to be a cut above the rest By Ron Greeson

SUPPLIED

A crew from B&B Lawncare adds mulch to a customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play area.

al, and we have three or four employees during our slower times, up to around 13 people when we are busiest,â&#x20AC;? Glisson added. Rinehartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lawn Care has been in

Schedule your Spring painting projects today!

business for more than 20 years, and many family members still work in the business. Services are provided around the area, including from Centerville on

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So you need your lawn mowed once spring finally arrives. Not to worry, there are many companies, large and small, that can take care of that for you. And do much more besides. Among the lawn-care providers are Richmond businesses such as Rinehartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lawn Care and B & B Lawncare. Each is growing its services. At Rinehartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lawn Care on New Paris Pike, Jerica Glisson is training to become office manager. Lawn mowing is just the start of what the company founded by Chad Rinehart can provide, Glisson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do both commercial and residential lawn mowing, and can contract with clients for a flat fee per mowing, or agree to a certain number of grass mowings during a mowing season,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the winter, we do snow remov-

the west side to Eaton, Ohio, on the east side. The company does other kinds of work as well, from landscape maintenance, to planting flowers, cutting bushes and trimming trees. Glisson said Rinehartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is doing more concrete work as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back a couple of years ago, we did a lot of work on Richmondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tenth Street Park project,â&#x20AC;? she said. A newer local provider of lawn mowing services is B&B Lawncare, founded by Larry Bennett in 2008. He and brother Shayne work for B&B, with a split of mowing services at about 60 percent commercial and 40 percent residential. About six people work for B&B at peak times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have seen a number of recent advancements in lawn care in recent years,â&#x20AC;? Larry Bennett said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grass seed has been improved. It now grows faster. And fertilizers are better as well.â&#x20AC;? See LAWN, Page 11

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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

FILE PHOTO

A group of men give a choreographed demonstration of Elwood McGuire's Dille-McGuire lawn mower in 1893 during the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

10 manufacturers made Richmond the

‘LAWN MOWER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’ By Rachel E. Sheeley

rsheeley@pal-item.com

or many years, nearly every yard in the country was cut with a connection to Richmond. The city was once known as “the lawn mower capital of the world” because 10 companies — Dille-McGuire, Henley, F and N, American, G.W. Davis, Richmond, Champion, Dille and Anderson, Great States and Moto-Mower — made reel push mowers, supplying two-thirds of the mowers worldwide. Lawn mower innovations were developed by Richmond inventors and entrepreneurs during the last quarter of the 19th century and when

the market for lawn mowers erupted in the first half of the 20th century, the best and the majority of lawn mowers sold came from Richmond. The first producer of lawn mowers in Indiana was Dille-McGuire of Richmond. After repairing one of the few lawn mowers known to exist, the company improved the design and obtained a patent in 1875. In the 1870s, Harry Dille and Elwood McGuire Jr. operated a Fort Wayne Avenue business where they worked on steam engines and other items. A man brought in a fodder cutter made in England, inspiring McGuire to improve upon its cutting effort and to make a better mower than those previously developed in England.

“He came up with the concept of a 40-pound mower pushed by hand,” Jim Harlan, executive director of the Wayne County Historical Museum, said in a previous Palladium-Item article. The museum has a DilleMcGuire exhibit that features the first mower McGuire developed and the last one manufactured by the company. McGuire wasn’t just talented mechanically — making continual improvements to the machine — he also was a born marketer. He would take his mowers to courthouses, government buildings and schools where grass had previously been kept clipped by a hand-wielded scythe or by grass-eating goats and sheep, Harlan said.

He would begin mowing the yard and soon everyone would stop to see this brand new machine in action. Each time, he would sell some of his mowers to the government, school or business and to groups or individuals. A 12-inch mower sold for $12 and an 18-inch mower sold for $18. McGuire wanted to further expand his business and he thought globally. By 1890, he had hired a man who spoke six languages and sent him around the world with the mowers. By the time the man returned two years later, Dille-McGuire had mower contracts on many continents, Harlan said. By 1893, Elwood McGuire’s See CAPITAL, Page 9

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE

Capital Continued from Page 8

Suburbs and acre lots also made power mowers and whirling blades more appealing. The buildings that once housed F and N remain, but the company is gone. The last of the equipment was auctioned off in 1959 after the business was sold in 1957. Dille-McGuire sold its plants in 1964 to the Huffman Manufacturing company of Dayton, Ohio. Huffman made the staple reel mowers and FILE PHOTO added power equipment such as lawn Moto-Mower opened a new, tractors, riding mowers, edgers and state-of-the-art factory on Industries Road tillers to its Richmond line. Eventuin 1963 for the manufacture of lawn ally, Richmond workers also made mowers. The building was later home to Huffy bicycles, mini-bikes and woodanother lawn mower company, Huffman en skateboards. Manufacturing, or Huffy, which was The company expanded from its formerly known as Dille-McGuire. North 13th and F street location to the former Moto-Mower plant in the 1000 block of Industries Road in the made mowers in the museum’s perearly 1970s. However, the company manent collection, most of them in ceased operations in Richmond in storage, he said. 1975, calling a halt to its power maMany of the lawn mower compachine division to focus on bicyclenies persevered into the 1960s, but making at an Ohio plant. Packaging injury lawsuits and legal fees made it of bicycle replacement wheels conhard for the small companies to retinued with a handful of employees main in business and they sold out to at the original North 13th Street localarger businesses. tion until 1979.

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product was the “official mower” of the Columbian Exposition, or World’s Fair, in Chicago, where a choreographed group of men put on a grasscutting demonstration in front of the agricultural building. The Dille-McGuire manufacturing facility was headquartered at 553 N. 13th St. The Dille-McGuire story is paralleled by that of the F and N Lawn Mower Company of Richmond. In 1888, Richmond’s William Farmer patented a ratchet system for the rotary mower and went into business with Finley Newlin. F and N Lawn Mower Co. was just beginning to take off when the Crash of 1896 hit. F and N salesmen weren’t able to collect for the mowers they sold, and another Richmond resident, John Lontz, stepped in to rescue the small factory from bankruptcy. Lontz used his business experience to build and expand the company.

Within a decade or two, F and N Lawn Mower was turning out “a lawn mower a minute,” selling them all over the world. Fire slowed the meteoric rise of F and N when a blaze leveled part of the plant in 1909. The manufacturing facility eventually grew to cover a city block at North Eighth Street and Bridge Avenue. Longtime Williamsburg resident Jack Phelps worked for the F&N mower company when he was a junior and senior in high school. In a past Palladium-Item article, he recalled how he and other boys helped assemble the mowers and painted a colored strip along the blade’s edge so it could be better seen. Phelps remembers that the company built an early motorized mower with the engine on top and the brakes on the handle. Other area businessmen saw how the lawn mower business flourished and they followed the example of Dille-McGuire and F and N, developing competing companies. “That’s how we ended up with 10 lawn mower companies,” Harlan said. There are more than 50 locally

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EQUAL HOUSING

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SPRING PLANS

Renovations build local homeowners’ enjoyment

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By Ron Greeson

Some area residents remodel their homes to stay there longer. That seems to be a growing approach for area homeowners, at least according to a couple of local businesses that do much work with that goal in mind. Harvey Brothers Construction and Hopkins Home Improvement are family-run businesses and both report some similarities — and some differences — from home remodeling and renovating shows aired on television networks devoted to this subject. Jim Harvey, president of Harvey Brothers Construction since 2007, says kitchen and bathroom remodeling jobs are good investments in a home’s value. But he says that most of the jobs his company does are not for resale of a home, much as you might see on television, but to just update a house so residents want to stay. “We have a lot of people here who just want a redesign of their existing home. They don’t want to move from where they are,” Harvey said. He operates his business with brother Fred A. Harvey, and he explained a financial formula used in his business to evaluate home remodeling/renovation projects. “We evaluate those expenses by what we call a cost-to-value ratio, or value-to-cost ratio, whichever way you want to describe it,” Harvey said. “This is what homeowners spend relative to the increased value of the home as a result of the work performed.” He estimates that kitchen and bathroom projects produce a cost-tovalue ratio of 80 to 85 percent generally, meaning that this is the percentage of increase of value as compared to the dollar cost of the work. Harvey said most homeowners in this market seem to undertake such projects for their own use and enjoyment, not for selling or “flipping” a house, preferring the redesign to moving. And what are some of the common upgrades chosen by area homeowners? “We have the addition of granite counter tops, an upgrade in appliances, kitchen cabinetry improvement, and often rearranging the

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY HARVEY BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION

Jim Harvey, president of Harvey Brothers Construction since 2007, says kitchen and bathroom remodeling jobs are good investments in a home’s value. SUPPLIED BY HARVEY BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION

Outdoor projects also add to residents’ enjoyment of their homes. Some local homeowners just want to upgrade their current home instead of moving.

location of a sink,” Harvey said. “But the motivation of these changes is most often for living in the house, not selling it, at least in this area.” But for those who are looking to sell, Harvey reports a different

approach commonly used for house and property upgrades. “I would say improving the exterior of a home and property to be the biggest focal point here, landscaping and lawn work, painting and/or siding, those seem to be pri-

orities,” he said. Darrell Hopkins of Hopkins Home Improvement confirms this perception that exterior work seems often to be the most effective use of dollars in upgrading to sell. “I see roof improvements, painting, gutters, any of those things that improve the ‘curb appeal’ to be wise choices,” Hopkins said. As for homeowners staying put, Hopkins reports some different remodeling and renovating interests in his business. “With the aging of many baby boomers, I am seeing changes for safety and convenience, like walk-in showers for bathrooms, more storage and roll-out drawers in kitchens, modern updates with cabinets and just providing more room for moving around in the rooms,” Hopkins said. On the outside, he is seeing See RENOVATIONS, Page 11

SPRING PLANS

Renovations

Lawn

Continued from Page 10

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SUPPLIED BY HARVEY BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION

Changes are being made for safety and convenience, such as walk-in showers.

So some things you see on those television shows might be unique to the areas where those shows are filmed, and not this area in these times.

Bennett thinks the mowers are better, too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Engines on mowers have improved. They are more powerful, yet run more efficiently, using less gasoline,â&#x20AC;? he said. B&B also offers snow removal services, and added turf management a couple of years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our company helped with hydroseeding related to the Cardinal Greenway, and we were happy to be involved with that effort,â&#x20AC;? Bennett said. B&B operates in about a 20mile area, Bennett says, within Wayne County, then across the Ohio state line near New Paris and New Madison. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We work with mowing season contracts, and have enjoyed very high renewal rates, even with the bidding process on commercial accounts,â&#x20AC;? he added.

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quality improvements requested such as leaf protection for roofs and gutters, and siding upgrades now with insulated siding available. That insulation keeps homes warmer and saves on energy costs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am also doing a lot of kitchens and bathrooms in our business,â&#x20AC;? he said. Harvey also mentioned a couple of other area housing and remodeling options. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do much new home construction in Richmond now, not like in the past, but we do have four standard designs for anyone interested in that,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A new area of increased interest is in exterior living, a new development we have seen over the past five years or so,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a lifestyle interest, a permanent roofed area exposed to the outside, but open and not a patio. We are seeing more interest in that.â&#x20AC;?

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B&B has added new dump trailers to its equipment force, as well as a snow-plow truck. Bennett said the company also will work on cleaning gutters. Send story ideas for Maximum Business to mmartin@pal-item.com.

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CHAMBER HONORS

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

This year’s Bob Rosa Buy Local Award was given to the Depot District Group for the collaboration and success that has been fostered in that business community. The Historic Richmond Depot District Association has been meeting monthly for nearly the past10 years. These meetings include time to celebrate successes and talk with one another.

Chamber celebrates success, strength of local business community The annual dinner of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce is a time for the business community to come together and recognize the success and hard work of the previous year. This year’s dinner on Jan. 23 gathered more than 500 people to celebrate the positive momentum of the chamber and local business success. The most promiTREVOR nent award given by OAKERSON the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce is the Art Vivian Distinguished Community Leader Award. This recognition, always given to a prominent member of the business community, is given based on demonstrated leadership, success in promoting the development of the community, overall involvement and contributions to the community, participation in professional activities and a respected reputation among the community’s leadership. This year’s Art Vivian Distin-

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This year, the Corporation of the Year was presented to the Secret Ingredient, Inc. for its 35 years of business in Wayne County and its innovative community development.

guished Community Leader Award was presented to John McBride, the recently retired president and chief executive officer of West End Bank.

Throughout his time at West End Bank, McBride has been involved with many organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of Wayne

County, the Starr-Gennett Foundation, the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, the Wayne County Foundation, the Reid Hospital Governing Board, the Reid Hospital Foundation Board, and the Ivy Tech Community College Executive Leadership Council. Also among his many accomplishments, McBride has served as board chair of the chamber in 2007. Rich Ahaus, of Ahaus Tool and Engineering, said, “When we hired John, we were sure he was a good banker, but what we didn’t know was that he was going to be a great asset to our entire community. He became involved in every aspect of what it means to be a valued contributor to Wayne County.” Another very competitive award given out by the chamber is the Bob Rosa Buy Local Award. This recognition is given to a person, business or group that has demonstrated a high level of professional integrity and worked to promote and enhance the business community in Wayne See CHAMBER, Page 13

CHAMBER HONORS

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

Farm Bureau Foundation’s Ann Smith won Outstanding Service to Agriculture award.

Dave Stidham is one of the Chamber volunteers of the year.

Tim Frame was recognized as immediate past chair of Chamber ACE’s Committee.

Chamber

contributions are best summed up by Mary Jo Clark of Contemporary Consulting. Clark said, “It always amazes me when I read in the paper each spring the list of teachers the top academic students nominate as being a major influence in their lives. Most amazing is how often that name is Kendra Beisner, their kindergarten teacher. Kendra is the one that touched their lives and influenced their education the most.” The Partnership in Education award is presented to a business or organizations that has established a partnership that exemplifies service to the community through effective programming and cooperation between business and education institutions. This year’s Partnership in Education award was presented to First Bank Richmond for its financial support of area youth serving organizations as well as the dedication First Bank Richmond employees have shown to Third Grade Academy.

The mission of the Third Grade Reading Academy Fund is to confront the deficit of Third Grade students who failed the reading portion of the ISTEP test, which in recent years, has been pretty consistently 30 percent of the class total in Richmond Community Schools. Leslie West, a fourth-grade teacher at Vaile, lead teacher for the First Bank site for the past two years, said, “The students quickly bond with the First Bank volunteers and the kids love the attention from the adults.” The Corporation of the Year award is the highest recognition that the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce presents to a corporation. Award recipients must exemplify good corporate citizenship and a commitment to the Wayne County community. This year, the Corporation of the Year was presented to the Secret Ingredient, Inc. for its 35 years of business in Wayne County and the innovative community development demonstrated by

owner Jeanne Rush. Shaun Dingwerth, Richmond Art Museum, said, “For 35 years, Jeanne Rush has shared her creative talents and retail expertise with the Wayne County Community. Through imaginative initiatives such as the Butterfly Release and Art Inspired Runway, her philanthropic and civic minded spirit has benefited various nonprofits. A true artist, Jeanne continues to bring bold visions to our community through art, fashion and humanitarian efforts.” The Achievement of Excellence awards for large and small businesses, and non-profits are presented to organizations that have impacted the Wayne County community positively through superior and unique accomplishments. This award recipients were Veach’s Toy Station (small), Wolverine Worldwide (large), and the Richmond Family YMCA (non-profit). Veach’s Toy Station was

Continued from Page 12

County. This year’s Bob Rosa Buy Local Award was given to the Depot District Group for the collaboration and success that has been fostered in that business community. The Historic Richmond Depot District Association has been meeting monthly for nearly the past 10 years. These meetings include time to celebrate successes and talk with one another about what is happening at each business. The Educator of the Year, sponsored by the Palladium-Item, is given to an educator distinguished for exceptional accomplishments within the educational and community environments. This year’s Educator of the Year was presented to Kendra Beisner of Charles Elementary School. Beisner received several nominations for this award and her

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Kendra Beisner of Charles Elementary School won Educator of the Year.

See CHAMBER, Page 14

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CHAMBER HONORS

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Derric Watson was named one of the Chamber volunteers of the year.

Chamber

community. Valerie Shaffer, Economic Development Corporation of Wayne CounContinued from Page 13 ty, said, “It was such a fantastic experience to work with their team presented with the Achievement of to make their expansion opportunity Excellence award for the historical a reality. This was truly a collabconnection to the community as well orative effort with the company, the as the visionary leadership of the City of Richmond and the EDC. The owners. dedication and productivity of our Jason Whitney, Center City Delocal workforce played a large role. velopment Corporation, said, “John The hard work and enthusiasm that and Shari have done a tremendous Wolverine’s employees demonstrate job of providing meaningful family in the workplace is an irreplaceable oriented activities for the communi- asset to both the company and this ty since taking over the operations community.” in 2014. They are helping families The Richmond Family YMCA was create lifelong memories, but are presented with the Achievement of also giving other merchants a focal Excellence award for the impressive point to build their businesses along growth in membership and proMain Street.” gramming that the organization has Wolverine Worldwide was preput forth. sented with the Achievement of Dave Stidham, board president of Excellence award for the growth the YMCA, said, “The YMCA transiand success of its business as well as tioned to a new remodeled location their positive contributions to the in 2014 and experienced impressive

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY .

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

This Chamber Volunteer of the Year award was earned by Rinda Kieffer of Dot Foods.

John and Shari Veach get the small business Achievement of Excellence award.

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

John McBride was named the Art Vivian Distinguished Community Leader.

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

Richmond Family YMCA won the non-profit Achievement of Excellence.

Tracy Upchurch received the Distinguished Service to the Chamber award.

growth in memberships and youth programs. The Chamber award gives wonderful recognition to the Y management and staff for their effort in expanding the Y's presence in our community.” The Outstanding Service to Agriculture award is given to an individual or organization who has positively impacted the Wayne County agricultural community. This year’s award recipient is Ann Smith of the Farm Bureau Foundation. Smith received the recognition for her contributions to an outreach program to educate students about various agricultural topics. Two outgoing Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce board members were also recognized for their service. Dr. Allen Bourff received the Chamber Public Service award for his commitment to Richmond Community Schools. Tracy Upchurch received the Distinguished Service

to the Chamber award for her contributions to the business community and chamber over the past nine years. Chamber Volunteers of the Year were Tracy Grimme of Wayne Bank (ACE’s Committee), Rinda Kieffer of Dot Foods (Business-Education Committee), Derric Watson of Center City Development Corporation (Buy Local Committee) and Dave Stidham (Issues and Advocacy Committee). Special recognition for the success of the annual dinner is given to the Awards, Celebrations and Events (ACE’s) Committee, immediate past chair Tim Frame of West End Bank, board chair Natalie Richert-Sumner of Richmond Furniture Gallery, chamber staff Amy Holthouse, Denise Lanman and Trevor Oakerson, keynote speaker Sarah Fisher, and Indy Car Director of Communications and Richmond native Michael Kitchell.

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

Wolverine Worldwide gets the large business Achievement of Excellence award.

SUPPLIED BY BJ RUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

Tracy Grimme of Wayne Bank is a Chamber Volunteer of the Year.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN

Garden Continued from Page 3

SPONSORS, DONATIONS, VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT Local businesses and individuals are needed to help sponsor the 1st Bloom and Glow fundraiser on June 3 at Richmond Rose Garden. For more information about sponsorships or tickets, call (765) 962-8914 or email aherrman@frontier.com.

SUPPLIED

Pat Jarvis was named the rose gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volunteer of the year for 2014.

mother taught me to sew. My parents also had a vegetable garden. I grew Rose of Sharon with my grandfather and my parents grew a lot of tomatoes. I brought their knowledge with me when we moved to Richmond.

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Beth Van Der Burgt and Monica Rice volunteer at a table for the rose garden at the Alternative Gift Fair, which helped raise money and spread the word about the garden.

SUPPLIED

Mike Devine, Beth Van Der Burgt and Mary Bogue are a few of the gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedicated helpers.

Those interested in volunteering at the garden are asked to contact the Wayne County Foundation (765) 962-1638 and leave a message for Pat Jarvis. Donations of any amount may be sent in care of the foundation to the Rose Garden Fund, 33 S. Seventh St., Richmond, IN 47374. Inscribed bricks may be purchased for $100.

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garden. Pat Jarvis was named the Richmond Rose Gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Volunteer of the Yearâ&#x20AC;? for 2014. How was she selected? Pat, who is also a member of Petal and Stem Garden Club, does so much for the rose garden and she is so delightful. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a huge advocate for the Richmond Rose Garden and she puts in a lot of hours. Pat organizes the annual party and recruits volunteers. She asked me to work one hour a week in the garden, just one hour. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how she recruits and you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say no to Pat. When it came time to pick the Volunteer of the Year, Pat was mad because she thought she should have input into the decision. She was really surprised when the announcement was made. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a huge voice for the Richmond Rose Garden. You are a pharmacist, working two days a week at Phillips Drugs. How did you learn about growing plants and flowers? I grew up gardening with my grandfather in Cincinnati. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents and I learned a lot from them. My grand-

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3 businesses pledge $5,000 each in support of chamber’s mission

By Rachel E. Sheeley rsheeley@pal-item.com

Three Richmond businesses have made extra donations to support the work of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce. First Bank Richmond, Richmond Baking Company and West End Bank went above and beyond their membership dues and partnership fees by pledging an additional $5,000 each. Chamber president and CEO Amy HolthAmy ouse said the pledges Holthouse came as a surprise. “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to First Bank Richmond, Richmond Baking Company and West End Bank,” Holthouse said in a press release. “We are fortunate to have such supportive partners as we continue our work in Wayne County.” The Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce staff and volunteer work hard to offer quality programs and to advocate for the chamber’s members, Holthouse said. “We are always adjusting to the needs of our membership and this will give us some flexibility to grow our programing in new ways,” she said. John McBride John McBride, who recently retired as the president of West End Bank, said in a press release, “Due to the fact that the chamber is the only effective voice for business in Wayne County, West End Bank believes it to be a program worthy of substantial support. There was no hesitation when it came to increasing our commitment to the chamber.” Richmond Baking Company president Bill Quigg said in a press release, “Our company feels, personally and professionally, that the

JOSHUA SMITH/PALLADIUM-ITEM

Garry Kleer of First Bank Richmond speaks during the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce’s “School is Cool” senior perfect attendance celebration and car/scholarship giveaway in 2012 at Wetzel Hyundai.

Chamber is the single biggest advocate for business in our area. We are proud to support the Chamber above and beyond as an avenue for growth Bill Quigg in Richmond and Wayne County. We support the direction that the Chamber is moving in and are excited to be a part of the momentum.” First Bank Richmond president Garry Kleer said it was an easy decision to make the pledge to the chamber. “The Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce has been a vital resource in our community for a long time,” Kleer said in a press release. “We are excited to continue as one of the leadership sponsors of

the ‘School is Cool’ program. These are the types of programming that make a difference in our community.” The chamber’s Garry Kleer “School is Cool” program encourages students in kindergarten through grade 12 to achieve perfect attendance. There are rewards for all students to successfully complete perfect attendance. High school seniors with perfect attendance are entered into a drawing to win a new car or a cash equivalent scholarship. Natalie New chamber Richert-Sumner board chair Natalie

Richert-Sumner said in a press release, “There is no better way to be connected to the community than through the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce, and we host a wide variety of activities that offer something for everyone. We invite our members, their associates and those who would like to learn more about the chamber to attend our informative programs, networking opportunities and firstclass events this year. Come and join us: You will be glad you did.”

BUSINESS PEOPLE

Local workers, student honored for performance to loan officer; Cindy Mendenhall to consumer loan processing manager; and Rhett Schroeder to accountant analyst. Schroeder, who recently reCindy ceived his bachelor’s Mendenhall degree in accounting from Indiana University East, has been with West End Bank since 2008 serving as a teller, loan adjustor and item processing coordinator. » The West End Rhett Bank Charitable FounSchroeder dation has granted $2,500 to Circle U Help Center to support its meal program. Each month, the organization serves more than 1,600 hot meals to community members in need. The mission of the West End Bank Charitable Foundation is to provide financial support to charitable and community service organizations in the communities in which West End Bank operates. The foundation has identified four areas that it will emphasize in supporting: education, health and human services, youth programs and quality of life initiatives. The foundation began in 2013, and grants are awarded semi-annually in June and December. » Employees of West End Bank raise awareness and collect donations for area charitable organizations each month. In December, they donated $320 to the Salvation Army in Richmond and $300 each to the Hagerstown and Liberty Lions Clubs. In January, they donated $247 to

Traci Trotter

Ted Black

Angie Crone

Beth Isaacs

Carol McCurdy

Girls Inc. of Wayne County. » Five employees of First Bank Richmond recently completed years of service milestones. They include Traci Trotter, administrative assistant for human resources, with 20 years of service; Ted Black, property management officer, with 15 years; Angie Crone, document exceptions clerk, with 10 years; Beth Isaacs, assistant branch manager at Cambridge City, with 10 years; and Carol McCurdy, assistant branch manager at Centerville, with 15 years. » Rita Keller, a former New Paris, Ohio, resident who worked for the Brady Ware accounting firm in Richmond for many years, has been named to the 2014 list of Most Powerful Women In Accounting. She is now president and CEO of Keller Advisors LLC in Beavercreek, Ohio. The awards were announced by CPA Practice Advisor, an accounting profession

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supported to make a difference within their local organizations or com» Maxine Garcia recently was munities. honored, for the second time, as the » Timothy R. Frame is now presiBoys & Girls Clubs of Wayne Coundent and chief executive officer of ty’s 2014 Employee of the Year. West End Bank, S.B, and West End Garcia began workIndiana Bancshares ing at the club in 2009, Inc. taking on the role of Frame has been serving snacks to hunwith West End Bank dreds of children evsince 2003, holding ery day. previous positions of “She has grown to executive vice presibe a vital part of our dent, chief operating Maxine Timothy organization. She has officer and chief lendGarcia Frame transformed her role ing officer. He has from serving simple more than 29 years of snacks to overseeing a governmentbanking experience specializing in sponsored healthy eating program commercial, consumer and mortgage for four separate Boys & Girls Clubs, lending in addition to retail banking serving over 500 children per day,” services. said David Woolpy, associate execA Richmond native, Frame is a utive director. graduate of Indiana University and “Every organization has a ‘momABA Stonier Graduate School of like’ person, or should have. Well, Banking. He is the Maxine is our mom,” Woolpy said. 2014 Wayne County Garcia is the first Boys & Girls Area Chamber of ComClubs of Wayne County staff member merce chairman, vice to receive the Employee of the Year president of the City Award twice. She previously reof Richmond Revolvceived the honor in 2012. ing Loan Fund and Garcia and her husband, Alberto, finance director and have been married 13 years and their board member for the Emilee Keiser Circle U Help Center. daughter, Victoria, is a member of the club. Frame succeeds » Darrell Gordon, CEO of Wernle John McBride, who Youth and Family Treatment Center retired as president in Richmond, is among and CEO. McBride 29 executives from remains chairman of Indiana youth serving the boards of directors organizations who of both the company have been selected for and the bank. Jonathan the 2015 Executive West End Bank also Meade Journey Fellowship. has made several proThe Executive Jourmotions including Darrell ney Fellowship proEmilee Keiser to senGordon vides Indiana’s youth ior vice president/ workers greater opcredit manager and portunities to bring more meaning to coordinator of the their lives and make stronger commortgage and commitments to the field of youth work mercial teams; Jonawith ongoing professional and perthan Meade to senior Jim sonal renewal opportunities. The vice president/chief Backmeyer Jr. information officer, fellowship was created in 2002 and funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. physical security and Gordon and other participants will information security attend a series of residential retreats officer; and Jim Backdesigned to create new ways of meyer Jr. to vice presithinking about and practicing youth dent/mortgage manwork within existing systems and ager and coordinator youth programs. Fellowship particiof the loan officers pants will be awarded individual and underwriters. Patrice Bolin renewal scholarships and will be Also Patrice Bolin Palladium-Item

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Continued from Page 17

publication that has recognized each of the women for their significant contributions to the accounting profession. Keller is an advisor to CPA firm management and is known nationally as a CPA firm management consultant, speaker and author. She has more than 30 years of Rita Keller experience in management, marketing, technology and administration. She also has had many articles published in publications and writes a daily blog. She has been named repeatedly to Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. » Kris Bergan has been promoted to director of warehousing at the Dot Foods’ Indiana distribution center in Cambridge City. “Kris was the perfect person to take over leadership of our warehouse,” said Indiana general manager Randy Templin. “He brings a lot of experience to the position, and our team will benefit from his knowledge of our operations.” Bergan came to Dot Foods, a food industry distributor, from UPS in 2010 as a night shift supervisor in the Indiana warehouse. In 2011, he moved into a day shift supervisor role, before being promoted to assistant director of warehousing in 2013. Bergan took over as director of warehousing in November 2014 where he oversees hiring and manages production. He also is spearheading an effort to improve communication and enhance the relationship between the operations and transportation facets of the business in Indiana. “I look forward to this opportunity to help drive change in Indiana and be more involved in every aspect of the business,” Bergan said. “I really enjoy that my new role allows me to work with the entire warehouse and develop more relationships with this talented team.” Bergan earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Ball State University with an emphasis in supply chain logistics. He and his wife, Kathy Bergan, live in Eldorado, Ohio, with their three sons.

» Christopher Janney of Eaton, Ohio, was a finalist in the annual University of Dayton Business Plan Competition, a challenge for students and community members to compete for cash prizes for their business skills and ideas. The first round of the competition included the elevator pitch, where one member of each team recited a pitch to a panel of judges. Janney’s team, Non-Procrustean Modular Spinal Backboard, Ann tied for ninth in the Franzen-Roha elevator pitch competition. Video of this pitch can be seen online at http://youtu.be/ INiTD3pkNBw. The second round of the Business Plan Competition included a more in-depth presChristine entation of each Seger team's business plan. Janney and his team’s entry was judged to have merit, but the entry was not a winner. In the history of the Business Plan CompeLinda tition, Janney is the Przybysz first Preble County, Ohio, student to place in the first round and advance to the final round. » Ivy Tech Community College Richmond is making several staff changes in its Stephanie Hill admissions office to Alexander accommodate the retirement of financial aid director Ann Franzen-Roha. Christine Seger, admissions director, will take FranzenRoha’s place as financial aid director. Darryl Decker Linda Przybysz will move to admissions director from assistant director. The admissions team also includes assistant directors Stephanie Hill Alexander, Darryl Decker Jennifer Haler and Jennifer Haler, who work with school

districts and residents in the fivecounty region. » Renee Kaufmann has joined the faculty of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indiana University East. Kaufmann, assistant professor of communication studies, received her Ph.D. in communication studies, Renee her master of arts Kaufmann in communication studies and a graduate certificate in distance learning development and implementation from the University of Kentucky. She earned her bachelor of arts in middle childhood education from Ohio University. Kaufmann previously was an instructional designer in the Office of eLearning at the University of Kentucky. She also had other positions at the University of Kentucky and worked at two middle schools. » The Irving Materials Inc. (IMI) Cambridge City Quarry, at 14413 U.S. 40 W., received one of 19 Gold “Excellence in Mining” Awards from the Indiana Mineral Aggregate Association during the IMAA winter workshop meetings in Indianapolis. Randy Huxhold received the award, which was announced by committee chair Jeff Fee. “We are very proud of the work our Cambridge City crew has put in to win this award. This award is a testament to the way we strive to do business at all of our locations and their hard work,” said Bob Haldrup, president of IMI North. » Milestone Contractors LP of Richmond won two 2014 Quality In Construction awards from the National Asphalt Pavement Association. The awards recognize the company’s excellence in the construction of asphalt pavement. The two projects that garnered honors were the construction of Lafayette Street from Creago Avenue to Industrial Parkway in Portland, Ind., and for work on Indiana 32 in Union City, Ind. » Contract Industrial Tooling (CIT) therapy table department employees John Abrams, Neenah Blaylock, Jammie Clark, Jason

Cones, Charles Craycraft, Carey Dalbey, Jesse Johnson, Richard Reed, Ryan White, Karla Williams, William Willett and Steven Wooley have been recognized for zero defects in 2014. » Wayne County Clerk Debbie Berry, Wayne County Treasurer Cathy Williams and Wayne County Commissioner Ken Paust attended the recent Association of Indiana Counties’ two-day Legislative Conference in Indianapolis. Participants learned about the effect of upcoming Indiana legislation on counties. They also heard from Indiana Supreme Court Justice Loretta Rush, a Richmond High School graduate. » Jenny Bowman is the Reid Hospital & Health Care Services’ January Ambassador. Bowman, who Jenny came to Reid with 10 Bowman years of experience in restaurant kitchen and management work, has worked in the food and nutrition department as a line cook for six years. She makes soups and other hot foods and helps prepare special dishes when Reid caters events such as weddings and community galas. She was nominated for her positive attitude and her ability to get things done. One comment said, “Frequently, if we have a staff shortage and are scrambling to figure out how to cover duties, we find that Jenny has already prioritized what needs to be done and has started taking care of things. She is a prime example of everything we want in a Reid team member.” Bowman lives in New Madison, Ohio, with her husband, Samson, and their four children. » Marilyn Alberson has been hired as executive director of the Randolph Nursing Home at 701 S. Oak St. in Winchester, Ind. Alberson previously served as the executive director at The Woodlands in Muncie, Ind. From 2000 to 2003, she worked at Randolph Nursing Home in the medical records department, before obtaining her administrator’s license. Randolph Nursing Home was See HONORED, Page 19

PERSONAL FINANCE

Honored Continued from Page 18

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established in 1971 and is managed by Exceptional Living Centers of Lexington, Ky. » The Arbor Trace Employee of the Ava Warren Month Award, the Heart of CarDon Award, was presented to Ava Warren for December 2014. She has worked for Arbor Trace since September 2013. The Heart of CarDon Award, was presented to Sheila Ball Sheila Ball for January 2015. She has worked for Arbor Trace since September 2014. » Koons Home Center has added a new sales team member, Dave Fisher. Fisher has 15 years of home appliance sales experience, specializing in total home appliance needs, including extreme ultimate appliances such as Wolfe, SubZero, Bosch, Miele and Dacor. Koons Home Center, Dave Fisher 211 S.W. 18th St. in Richmond, is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. MondayThursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. » Brent Woodruff, whose parents Bill and Nancy Woodruff live in Greens Fork, has been promoted to president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Pilgram Bank in Texas. Woodruff, a resident of Pittsburg, Texas, also was elected to the board of directors for Pilgrim Bank and Pilgrim Bancorporation. Pilgrim Bank, chartered in 1911 in PittsBrent burg, Texas, has 16 Woodruff locations in the state. He joined Pilgrim Bank in 2004 and serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He has 18 years of banking experience, previously working at other banks in Texas and New Mexico.

Batting a thousand during tax season Spring training for major league baseball teams begins in March. As you prepare to meet the April 15 deadline to file your taxes, here are some Social Security tax tips to help you knock the ball out of the park! Batter up! FIRST BASE If you changed your name due to marriage or divorce, or made another legal name change, make sure you change your name on your Social Security records and with your employer. Changing your name on all of your records will avoid a “mismatch” with our records (which could delay your tax return) and improper recording of your earnings. To learn more about your Social Security number and changing your name, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. SECOND BASE You will need Social Security numbers for your children if you want to claim them as dependents on your tax return. In most cases, parents request a Social Security number for their newborn child at the hospital when applying for a

birth certificate. If you didn’t apply for a number for your child then, you can apply at your local Social Security office or by mail. Claiming your deTERESA pendents will maxiBRACK mize your tax refund or minimize any amount you owe. To learn more, read our online publication, Social Security Numbers For Children, at socialsecurity.gov/pubs. THIRD BASE (Bases loaded) If you receive Social Security benefits, you need to pay federal taxes on some of your benefits if your total income, including Social Security and all of your other taxable income, is $25,000 or more, and you file federal taxes as an individual. Married couples filing joint returns need to pay federal taxes on income of $32,000 or more. To learn more about taxes and your Social Security benefits, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/ planners/taxes.htm.

CLEANUP HITTER: Now that you’re working hard and earning Social Security credits, you can check your Social Security Statement online. Doing so will ensure that you have all your bases covered for the years you’ve worked. You can open or access your personal my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity. gov/myaccount. A GRAND SLAM: If you own a small business, Social Security has a free electronic filing option that allows you to prepare and submit W-2s for your employees at www.socialsecurity.gov/employer. Registering online gives you freedom from paper forms and it’s free, fast, and secure. Follow these tips, and cover all your bases. To learn more about Social Security, visit www.socialsecurity.gov. Teresa Brack is Social Security manager in Richmond.

BUSINESS UPDATES

Local real estate companies merge

West End helps groups

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By Rachel E. Sheeley

As homebuyers start looking for property this spring, they might realize another change has taken place in the local real estate market. Prime Property Realty has merged with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group. The combined company now has about 70 sales associates, making it the largest brokerage in Richmond and eastern Indiana. Mark Brunton Jr., managing broker of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group, said the merger occurred within a short time after his company approached Prime Property Realty with the idea. Tracie Upchurch, broker/owner of the eight-year-old Prime Property Realty, said the merger benefits sellers and Prime Realtors by providing access to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate’s national franchise and technology. “I think it will bring better exposure to our sellers,” she said. “I also think it will benefit our Realtors because they will have more resources at their fingertips.” Brunton said the Better Homes and Gardens franchise is recognized by many of the top online real estate sites, giving the Richmond company a level of service unique in the area marketplace. More than 80 percent of all home buyers and sellers start online, according to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. The industry is becoming more dependent on computers, cell phones and the Internet than on bricks and mortar, and the national company has been developing new technology for buyers and sellers. “Now we have the ideal blend of next-generation tools and awardwinning strategies, not to mention a beloved brand name that is respected across many products and services,” Upchurch said. Another advantage for brokers, Brunton said, is that Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group LLC is a sister company to

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Mark Brunton Jr., managing broker of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group, left, and Tracie Upchurch, broker/owner of Prime Property Realty, right, recently announced Prime Property Realty is merging with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Big Hill. Big Hill, which is headquartered in Centerville, Ohio, has multiple Ohio offices, including locations in Eaton and Greenville. “We have a close relationship with the Eaton office. It makes it nice for brokers to be able to do business in both states,” Brunton said. “Our culture creates an atmosphere that is really conducive to a team environment,” Brunton said. “We’re a family, a team, rather than competitors ... and that is really important to what makes us unique and makes it fun, too.” Prime Property Realty’s 21 Realtors and one staff member have left its offices at 100 S. Fifth St. to join Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group in its three buildings on South A Street. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate First Realty Group was founded in 2002, when its sister company, Big Hill, acquired the local RE/MAX office. Big Hill added the Capital and F.C. Tucker firms before merging with First Richmond in February 2014 and taking on the current Richmond company name.

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Girls Inc. received $247 in January from West End Bank. Those pictured include Patti Peterson, Katie McConnell, Beth Harrick (all of Girls Inc.), Gale Ramsey (West End) and young members of the organization.

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Cindy Harper of Hagerstown Lions Club, right, accepts $300 from Carole Kramer. Employees also gave $320 to Salvation Army in Richmond.

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Carl Sharp of Liberty Lions Club accepts $300 from Judy Stang of West End Bank in December.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Upcoming local events for business professionals

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Here are some local business training, recognition, networking, health and recreation events: » Preble County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 26, Preble County YMCA, 450 Washington-Jackson Road, Eaton, Ohio. Information: (937) 456-4949. » “Artful Harmony” weeklong fundraiser, starting Feb. 28. Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Art Museum and The New Richmond Art Group have collaborated to offer a unique art opportunity. The Art Group is sharing their artworks focused on the symphony and its musicians to be auctioned during an eight-day silent auction. Proceeds will be divided between RSO, RAM and the artists. The silent auction features more than a dozen works by 10 artists using different mediums and subjects including the musicians in concert. The pieces will be shown in three different venues over the eight days of silent bidding. The pieces will be displayed first at a reception from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 28 at IU East’s Room 912 gallery at 912 E. Main St. in Richmond, when the silent auction begins. The pieces will move to Richmond Art Museum at Richmond High School, 350 Hub Etchison Parkway, for display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 3 through Saturday, March 7. Final silent bidding will occur in the Civic Hall Lobby before the March 7 RSO concert at RHS. Bids may be made in person or by phone at (765) 966-0256. » Winter Farmers’ Market, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Feb. 28, March 14 and 28, Elizabeth Starr Academy, 301 N. 19th St., Richmond. Vegetables, fresh breads, meat, eggs, honey, jams, jellies, pickles, soap, home decorations, arts, crafts, and more. » Convocation: Andrea Seabrook, 1-2:15 p.m., March 4, Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall, Earham College, 801 National Road W., Richmond. As a longtime Congressional correspondent for NPR, Andrea Seabrook, a 1996 Earlham graduate, is revered for her work on All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, and Talk of the Nation. After leaving NPR in 2012, Seabrook founded DecodeDC; a Scripps News broadcast aiming “to help Americans understand how crucial political issues affect everyday life (by being) a

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Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Art Museum and The New Richmond Art Group have collaborated to offer a unique art opportunity. Art featuring music-related subjects will be sold at the end of an eight-day silent auction at the March 7 RSO concert.

reliable, honest and entertaining source of insight and explanation of Washington, D.C.’s people, culture, policies and politics.” Free. » Wellness Fair, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., March 5, Earlham College Athletics & Wellness Center, 801 National Road W., Richmond. Free and open to the public. Supporting Earlham’s wellness model of “Mind, Body, Spirit and Community,” exhibitors from Richmond and Wayne County offer their services. Services include free health screening for bone density, blood pressure, fasting and no-fasting blood glucose, cholesterol and testing flexibility and grip strength. Experts provide health and wellness information, chair massages and door prizes. » Power Lunch Series for Next Generation Leaders on Work-Life Integration , 12:10 p.m.-12:50 p.m., March 6, Room 912, 912 E. Main St., Richmond. Offered by Indiana University East. Free 40-minute sessions. For more information or to reserve a spot, contact http:// www.iue.edu/business/leadership/

programs/work-life-series.php » Richmond Symphony Orchestra’s “Exploring the Orchestra: Images in Nature” 7:30 p.m., March 7, Civic Hall Performing Arts Center, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond. Evoking scenes of nature as imagined in music, the RSO performs works by Vaughan Williams, Glazunov, Respighi, Ravel, and Debussy, notably his impressionistic tone poem, “La Mer" (The Sea). Even the ski slopes get a nod as the Orchestra performs Carter Pann’s exciting “Slalom.” Adults, $15 (box seats $20); students in grades K-12 admitted free. (765) 966-5181 or http://richmondsymphony.org » InCONCERT fundraising events schedule: March 14: Louis Armstrong tribute show, with Frank DeVito and Crossroads; April 11, Puttin’ on the Glitz; April 18: Howard and the White Boys, a Chicago blues band; May 16: hypnotist; July 3: Blast at the Overpass (headline entertainer to be announced), plus Crossroads and Jay Jesse Johnson; Sept. 25: Casino Night;

weekend of Oct. 24: Fright Night with a Kids Halloween Party; Nov. 11: Comedy show; Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve party. All of the ticket price goes to local charities. Learn more at (765) 966-5654 or inconcertrichmond.com. » Genesis benefit concert and entertainment, 7:30-9:30 p.m., March 7, Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall, Earham College, 801 National Road W., Richmond. Earlham’s Women’s Chorus presents an evening of entertainment to help Genesis, which assists victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and homelessness. You might see juggling, acro-yoga or modern dance. A family-friendly event. Suggested donation: $5 at the door. » Women of Ireland, 7:30 p.m., March 14, Civic Hall Performing Arts Center, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond. Experience the talents of some of Ireland’s finest musicians and dancers. $28 for adults, $20 for students. Call the Civic Hall Box .

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EVENTS CALENDAR

Calendar

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Continued from Page 21

Office for tickets at (765) 973-3350. Info: www.civichall.com. » “Launching Your Own Business” workshop, 6-9 p.m. March 17, Innovation Center in Richmond. Presented by the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center. For new business owners and those interested in starting a business. Tom Steiner and Scott Underwood, business advisors with the East Central ISBDC, will lead the workshops. Each participant will learn how to identify personal objectives, describe a business idea, develop a sales forecast and estimate an operating budget. $25 fee helps to cover the cost of a workbook that each attendee will be able to take home. Qualifying businesses can receive no-cost follow-up advisory sessions with Steiner or Underwood. Register online at www.isbdc.org under the “Workshops and Events” link or call (765) 282-9950. » Junior Achievement of Eastern Indiana Business Hall of Fame induction dinner, March 19, Forest Hills Country Club, Richmond. Schedule: 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner and 8:15 p.m. induction ceremony. This year’s inductees include Garry Kleer of First Bank Richmond, John Meredith of System Savers and Wayne Stidham of Second National Bank. Cost: $100 each. For reservations and more information, call (765) 962-0503. » E-Waste Recycling Program, 9 a.m.-noon, March 21, Rosa’s Office Plus, 20 S. 11th St., Richmond. Every third Saturday of the month, Cope Environmental Center and Rosa’s Office Plus will partner with Asset Recovery & Recycling and Shred Monkey to offer monthly e-waste recycling. Bring your e-waste (full list of old electronics available from Cope Environmental Center), used toner cartridges, old cell phones, and documents to shred and recycle them at Rosa’s. Free, except for document shredding, which costs $5 per box. » Watercolor Workshop, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., March 21, Richmond Art Museum, 350 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond. Award-winning artist Bruce Allan Neville has taught at the Baker-Hunt Art and Cultural Center for 15 years, held workshops at The Dillmans of Wisconsin, the South

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Roger and Theresa Richert laugh while Roger tells a story during the Junior Achievement Eastern Indiana Business Hall of Fame Laureate Induction Ceremony.

Bend Art Museum and the Cincinnati Art Club and in various sites in Kentucky. $85 general enrollment, $75 RAM members. (765) 966-0256 or www.richmondartmuseum.org » Whitewater Valley Ballroom Dance Club, 7-9:30 p.m., March 21, Richmond Senior Community Center, 1600 S. Second St., Richmond. Offered on the third Saturday each month. New location. Cost: $5 per person. Please bring finger food or soft drink to share. Open to teens and adults of all ages. Casual dressy attire. Questions: Contact Rex Godfrey (765) 962-8649 or Erica Pearson (765) 935-7370. » “QuinTango”, 7:30-9:30 p.m., March 27, Lingle Recital Hall, Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, Earlham College, Richmond. QuinTango, a chamber quintet (two violins, bass, cello and piano) invites patrons to the music of Tango by engaging audiences in their sizzling, fusion of traditional South American Tango repertoire and classical chamber music style. Passionately directed by Joan Singer, a 1964 Earlham graduate, QuinTango aims to have audiences discover a newly found love for Tango and understand the heart and history of the art form. $10/adults, $5/children under 18 and seniors. (765) 983-1474 » Not-So-Young Adult Book Discussions, 5-7:30 p.m., April 1, Two Sisters Bookstore, 193 Ft. Wayne Avenue, Richmond. The Not So Young Book Discussions are designed for adults who love to read

teen and young adult novels. Here’s a list of upcoming dates and books: April 1, “The Age of Miracles” by K. T. Walker; May 13, “Paper Towns” by J. Green. (765) 966-4151 » William Shakespeare’s: “Twelfth Night,” 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. April 3, 4, 10 and 11, Wilkinson Theatre in Runyan Center at Earlham College, 801 National Road W., Richmond. Presented by Earlham Theatre Arts Department. Tickets: $8/ adults, $5/children under 18 and seniors. (765) 983-1474 or www. earlham.edu/events » Gospel Fest 2015, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m., April 5, Goddard Auditorium, Carpenter Hall, Earham College, 801 National Road West, Richmond. Join Earlham’s largest and most multicultural group at their end-of-the-semester concert. » Preble County Business Expo, 3-8 p.m. April 10 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 11, Expo Center, Preble County Fairgrounds, Eaton, Ohio. Sponsorships and booth space available. (937) 456-4949. Register at www. preblecountyohio.com/pages/ BusinessEXPO. » Richmond Symphony Orchestra: Great Baroque Masters, 7:30 p.m., April 11, Civic Hall Performing Arts Center, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond. Concert includes music by Corelli, Purcell, Telemann, and Vivaldi including two concertos featuring the RSO’s principal flutist, Evelien Woolard, and piccolo player Jennifer King. Adults, $15 (box seats $20); students in grades K-12 ad-

mitted free. (765) 966-5181 or http://richmondsymphony.org » Boogie Woogie Ball, 6 p.m. April 25, Richmond Municipal Airport. Fundraiser for Richmond Symphony Orchestra. $100 per person. Entertainment by the RSO, the Tom Daugherty Orchestra, Carol Lou Woodward and Patriot Pin-Up Inc. of Dayton. Sponsorship opportunities still available. (765) 966-5181 or www.rsoboogiewoogieball.com/ » Pro’s Players Fore Parkinson’s, April 25-26, Elks Country Club. Fundraiser planned by Doug Kuntz and Reid Hospital & Health Care. » Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing, May 8, with rain date May 15. (765) 962-1511 » J.M. Hutton Golf Classic, May 15, Elks, 2100 U.S. 27 S., Richmond. Benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County. mfisher@bgcrichmond.org » The Texas Tenors, 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. May 16, Civic Hall Performing Arts Center, 380 Hub Etchison Parkway, Richmond. They appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” A unique blend of country, gospel, classical and Broadway songs. $32 for adults, $24 for students. (765) 973-3350

Ongoing events

» Running Wayne County, free group runs at 7:30 a.m. every Saturday at various locations. There are 4, 6, and 10 mile options. Email runningwaynecounty@gmail.com for or check its Facebook page for route. » Free computer classes, Morrisson-Reeves Library, 80 N. Sixth St., Richmond. Classes offered on introduction to computers, Internet usage, Microsoft software, electronic books and other topics. Schedule varies. Call (765) 966-8291 or go to www.mrlinfo.org for reservations. » Free herb workshops, 6:30 p.m., third Thursday each month, Preble County Historical Society, 7693 Swartsel Road, Eaton, Ohio. Call 937-787-4256 or email preblecounty historicalsociety@frontier.com with reservations and/or questions. » Free adult and teen painting sessions, 2-6 p.m. most Saturdays, Hagerstown Museum, 96 1⁄2 E. Main St., Hagerstown. Materials and classes provided for first three sessions. New participants encouraged to come at 1:30 p.m. (765) 489-4005 » Live music, 7:30 p.m.-11 p.m., Taffy’s 123 E. Main St., Eaton, Ohio. Usually offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. (937) 456-1381

CHARITABLE GIVING

Depot District events help non-profits By Rachel E. Sheeley and Millicent Martin Emery

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Lion Dudley Fetzer, right, accepts an InCONCERT check from Brett Roland.

Club of Richmond: $4,870.80; Hub Etchison Youth Football League: $2,253.37; Townsend Community Center: $2,471.96; Richmond Music Boosters: $2,038.91; Senior Opportunities Services: $1,541.72; Sunrise Therapeutic Riding Center: $1,331.63; Red Cross: $838.26. HELP the Animals has joined in 2015 and Boys & Girls Clubs and Red Cross

Alliance on Mental Illness),$250; Townsend Community Center, $250; Richmond High School band, $200; Eaton, Ohio, Community Band, $200; and Historic National Road, $100. Donations were made early to six organizations, so they could take advantage of the Wayne County Foundation’s Challenge Match program. Those recipients included Starr-Gennett Foundation, $500; Model T Ford Museum, $500; Girls Inc. of Wayne County, $250; Birth-toFive, $250; Youth as Resources, $200; and K-Ready, $100. The major sponsors for the 2014 festival were Ashley Furniture, Wetzel Family Auto Cruise, Urban Enterprise Association, Wayne Bank and Trust Company, and West End Bank. To learn more about the Historic Depot District, visit its Facebook page or its website at www.richmonddepotdistrict.com.

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» Local nonprofit groups participating in the InCONCERT series enjoy the benefits of the fundraiser. Sponsors cover the cost of entertainers performing almost monthly events at the 4th Floor Blues Club, which donates the venue rental. Programs range from concerts to comedians and a casino night. Groups receive all of the price of the tickets they sell. Money from tickets sold online or at shops and restaurants is divided by the groups. Then, at the end of the year, organizations receive a share of the kitty, based on their percentage of ticket sales and sponsorships. The 2014 InCONCERT fundraising totals are: Richmond Lions Club: $10,178.65; Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County: $5,144.54; Richmond Family YMCA; $4,372.15; Kiwanis

are not participating this year. Learn more about the program, find the events schedule and buy tickets at http://inconcert richmond.com/ » The Depot District Association gave more than $10,750 in donations from the Old Fashioned Christmas Festival to about two dozen organizations earlier this year. The event set records in attendance and donations for charities. The recipients include Boys and Girls Clubs of Wayne County, $2,500; Shriner’s Burn Center, $1,200; Richmond Area Railroaders, $750; Lemonade Day, $500; Indiana Historic Landmarks, $500; Ante for Autism, $500; Circle U Help Center, $500; Richmond High School cheerleaders, $250; Salvation Army, $250; Wernle Youth and Family Treatment Center, $250; Richmond Avenue of Flags, $250; Sunrise Therapeutic Riding Center, $250; NAMI (National

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