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SPRING 2016
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SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 1
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2 The Business Connection Spring 2016
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 3
Contents Features
Raft to Rafters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Bishopp’s Appliances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The disappearing lumberjack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Matching workers and jobs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Destinations travel agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Yats restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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On the cover
Matthew Miller, owner of Raft to Rafters. photo by April Knox
In every issue
10
Mark McNulty column. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Morton Marcus column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 On the Move. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Around the Water Cooler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Business Leads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Business Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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Comments should be sent to Doug Showalter, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201 or call 812-379-5625 or dshowalter@therepublic.com. Advertising information: Call 812-379-5652. ©2016 by AIM Media Indiana. All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited. Stock images provided by © iStock.
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SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 5
Submitted photo
jumping into the
deepend Raft to Rafters’ owner has done more swimming than sinking as he builds on grandfather’s legacy
By Jennifer Willhite
F
or Columbus business owner Matthew Miller the family business isn’t just a company, it’s a legacy. “It is so much more than a business to me,” 29-year-old Miller says. “It is something my grandpa and grandma poured their hearts and souls into.” The genesis of Raft to Rafters Pool & Spa dates to the late 1960s and began with his grandfather, Lorin Johnson. It was a time when having a pool at one’s house was still a fairly new concept, Miller says.
6 The Business Connection Spring 2016
As a father of five children, Johnson knew his family needed a bigger home. To get his wife, Janet, to agree to move from town and build a new home in the then undeveloped area near Otter Creek Golf Course east of Columbus, Johnson said he would also build the family a pool. She agreed. When most companies would sell only multiple pools wholesale style, Johnson found New York -based Imperial Pools, which agreed to sell him a single pool. That one purchase established a business
see Raft to Rafters on page 8
oto submitted ph Knox Photo by April Knox Photo by April
relationship that has lasted to this day as Imperial Pools serves as one of Raft to Rafters’ main pool and spa suppliers, Miller says. Johnson completed the home’s construction, including the pool, and was soon approached by neighbors asking if he would build pools for them, too. He saw a potentially lucrative business blossoming. The former bread deliveryman for Continental Baking Co. then decided to take the plunge and become self-employed in the early 1970s. Customer service associate Mae Pack recalls a phone call she received from Johnson more than 30 years ago. “I worked with him at Continental Baking Company,” she says. “When he went into business he called and asked if I would come to work for him. I told him, ‘I don’t know anything about pools.’ He said, ‘Well, I don’t either. We will all learn together.’” Johnson launched Raft to Rafters with $50 and based the business out of the three-car detached garage that he’d built behind his house. In 1974, it became incorporated. For the next three decades, Johnson worked to make Raft to Rafters Columbus’ go-to pool company by offering personalized customer service. Miller says that although the business is well-known to longtime residents, the origins of its name aren’t. “The way the name came about was a raft that floats in a pool and a rafter in a house,” Miller says. “So in the winter he would build and remodel houses and do anything he could do to stay busy as
Top Right: Raft to Rafters was begun by Lorin Johnson in the 1960s and incorporated in 1974. Middle Right: Matt Miller, Johnson’s grandson, purchased the business in 2012. Bottom Right: Mae Pack has worked at Raft to Rafters since 1982.
Photo by April Knox
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 7
Raft to Rafters continued from page 7 far as home construction goes. Then in the summer he would build swimming pools.” Johnson built the company and its reputation to become a staple of the Columbus business community. Pack describes the late owner as “all business,” but a “wonderful” person. She says she sees many shades of him in Miller and says Johnson would definitely be proud of his grandson. “When I first came in, we wrote all the tickets the old-fashioned way,” 84-year-old Pack says. “Matt has improved it a lot. We are all computerized now, which I wasn’t used to. I think Matt will do well. I can see that.” Until he became ill, Johnson ran the company with the help of his son, Randy. When Miller returned to Columbus in 2009, after receiving a degree in aviation from Purdue University and having worked as a pilot for the previous three years, he joined the Bartholomew County Sheriff ’s Department. During that time, Johnson’s health continued to decline. Miller recalls talking with his grandfather about buying the business and says he was initially hesitant to do so, but finally did in January 2012. And with his buyout, Miller added Pool & Spa to the company name. “My grandpa was my best friend,” Miller says. “I told him, ‘I don’t want to kick you out,’ and he said, ‘Long as I’m alive I’m going to be telling you what to
Submitted photo 8 The Business Connection Spring 2016
Miller has added hot tubs, outdoor fireplaces and grills to the showroom. | photo by April Knox
do.’ And he did.” Johnson died in October 2012. Today, Raft to Rafters Pool & Spa continues to not only specialize in all things to do with pools and spas – from installation to upkeep – but has grown to include patio furniture and gas and wood fireplaces. One thing that sets the business apart from others in the industry is its ability to keep full-time employees year-round. Miller has carried on his late grandfather’s approach by remodeling houses during the off season as not only a way to generate income, but to further train employees as well.
Miller says it was always his dream to own a business. Currently working as an instructor for the industry organization Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, he says Raft to Rafters is one of only a few companies in the Midwest that is APSP certified. What makes Raft to Rafters even rarer is it’s a thirdgeneration business. When he took over, the business already had outstanding employees. However, many were looking to retire. So for the past few years, Miller has been recruiting new talent. “The challenge is finding employees to continue the business,” he says. “That’s probably the biggest challenge for me coming in and looking to the future.”
Photo by April Knox
Although he describes his grandfather as a wonderful businessman, Miller admits Johnson wasn’t entirely focused on the business’s interior aesthetics. “He didn’t care a whole lot about keeping the inside of the store up,” Miller says. “So what I’ve done so far is redo the inside of the store and get it where we need it to be before we start
looking at other locations.” Miller describes the importance of his grandfather’s guidance as “beyond words.” “I view Raft to Rafters as an opportunity for me to carry on what he started with $50,” he says. “It is such an exciting thing for me to carry on something he worked so hard to start.”
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 9
I
n 2017, Bishopp’s Appliances will celebrate a special anniversary. For nearly 70 years it has been a staple of the business community in Shelbyville and later, Columbus. Anne Bishopp, manager of the Columbus location, says she hopes to carry on tradition and help the family business thrive for years to come. Bishopp’s has specialized in the sale and service of major appliances for the home, including washers, dryers and dishwashers, and most recently smaller items, including water softeners and dehumidifiers. Today, Anne and her family, including her 79-year-old father, Richard, and 75-year-old mother, Becky, work hard each day to offer the personalized customer service that has become the trademark of Bishopp’s Appliances for three generations. Anne’s grandfather, Richard Bishopp, started the family business in 1947 in Shelbyville, selling Westinghouse parts in a small appliance store off to the side of the family’s hardware store. When the elder Bishopp’s son, Richard, returned home from Bloomington after receiving a degree from the Indiana University School of Business, he too began working for the family business. Growing up, Anne recalls being paid a nickel for every shelf she dusted. “You worked your way up to making keys and that kind of thing,” she says. “I appreciated the store for the experiences it afforded me.” In 1992, the Bishopp family opened its Columbus location in Eastbrook Plaza off 25th Street, which was managed by Anne’s aunt, Nancy. On Friday the 13th in May 1993, tragedy struck the Bishopps when fire destroyed the original Shelbyville location that had been a part of the family for nearly 50 years. Oddly enough, the timing of the fire may have been a blessing, Anne says. Describing her late grandfather as a “very hard worker,” she says she doubts he would have survived the devastation of the fire’s aftermath. see Bishopp’s Appliances on page 12
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“We don’t have the same kind of protection as a big box store. You feel responsible for those around you and their families. You are responsible for making things happen and carry more on your shoulders.” — Anne Bishopp
Dick and Anne Bishopp of Bishopp’s Appliances. By Jennifer Willhite n photos by April Knox
Bishopp’s Appliances relies on decades of experience in customer service SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 11
Bishopp’s Appliances continued from page 10 “My grandfather passed away a year before the fire,” the 38-year-old Northeastern University alumna says. “I think that was good because it would have killed him. Even talking about the fire makes me cry.” Anne recalls she and her sister sifting through the charred remains of the building looking for tickets and anything that had information that could be salvaged. And since the computers were destroyed, she said they relied heavily on the honesty and cooperation of longtime customers and community members to try to piece parts of the business back together. Looking back, Anne describes the fire as a tragic event, but one that brought her family and the
community closer. She recalls people reaching out to help and offering kind gestures, like bringing food by the house. Shortly after the fire, Bishopp’s moved its Eastbrook location just down the road to what has become known as Bishopp Plaza just south of 17th Street on National Road. Experiencing such a family tragedy is something that has made Anne all the more empathetic to the misfortune of others. “When our store burnt, you feel like, what are you going to do?” she says. “It was all you worked for and how are you going to get it back? The same feelings followed the flood of 2008 here. There were a lot of people who came into our lives during that time, and they really helped me, and I feel like we
Bishopp explains the inner workings of a washing machine to a customer. 12 The Business Connection Spring 2016
really helped them. And some of them are really good friends now.” It is that sense of connection and commitment that inspires her to give the same level of individualized customer service Bishopp’s is known to offer. As a simple, everyday reminder, Anne says she keeps a picture of her grandfather and grandmother, NolaBess, on her desk. She admits managing the family business didn’t really fall in line with her degrees in organizational communications and sociology, but she knew her sister, Amy, was happy and established in her teaching career. Anne says much of how she approaches her managerial role is firmly rooted in the lessons her grandfather instilled in her. “If my sister and I were running around with money wadded up in our hand and we would put it in our pocket, he would take it from us and say, ‘You obviously don’t respect this,’” she says. “He would say, ‘It doesn’t matter what you are doing in life, you better do it well because you are signing your name to it and that means something,’ and that has always rung true with me.” Lessons such as those helped lay the foundation of longevity for Bishopp’s Appliances, Anne says. “It means a lot that we are serving our community in the best way possible.” Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, says Columbus is built on local business going back more than 100 years. She says they are essential to the vitality of the community, and Bishopp’s is just one of many included in the group that date back generations. “It is the lifeblood of every community to have businesses where decisions are made locally,” Frey says. “They have a vested interest in the success of the community and employ people locally. Keeping dollars in the community is critical.” Anne admits the greatest lesson she’s learned as a business owner is there is no such thing as 9 to 5. When issues or problems come up, it is up to her to make sure things get resolved promptly and correctly. “We don’t have the same kind of protection as a big box store,” she says. “You feel responsible for those around you and their families. You are responsible for making things happen and carry more on your shoulders.” Looking ahead, she hopes to pass on the family business to her 7-year-old son, Gavin, someday. “I think it is important to us to carry the business on,” she says. “I think that if he wants to carry on, I would love for him to, and I would support that. But if he wants to do something different, I support that as well.” SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 13
waving goodbye to a piece of Americana —
the lumberjack By WILSON RING n Associated Press
GREENSBORO, Vt. — In the snowy woods of northern New England and other forested parts of the country, the lumberjack is an endangered species. As high-tech machinery replaces chain saws, which themselves replaced the ax, a generationsold way of life is disappearing, one that historically saw fathers pass on to their sons their love and knowledge of the woods and the independence that came from working for oneself. Ken Davis feels this keenly as he reaches retirement age after a half-century career with no one to pass the torch to. 14 The Business Connection Spring 2016
Davis once employed 19 people full time to cut the wood, haul it and then truck it, sometimes to his log yard, other times directly to the nowdisappearing mills across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and upstate New York that would turn it into lumber or process it into paper. He now employs seven and has no sons. His daughter and son-in-law tried it for a while, but they didn’t keep at it. “I’ve got the sawdust in my veins, and they don’t make a dialysis machine to get it out, so I’m still here,” Davis said at his log yard in the town of Hardwick, in an especially rural region Vermonters
Logs destined for a mill are unloaded at a satellite wood yard in Hardwick, Vt. At top: Aaron Martin, left, and Ken Davis pose at a log landing in Greensboro, Vt. Davis, the business owner, said he isn’t sure what he’ll do with his business when he retires because none of his employees, including Martin, want to take it over. | AP photos
call the Northeast Kingdom. None of Davis’ employees are showing interest in taking over his business. It’s the same story across the region, said Michael Snyder, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation. “It’s dangerous, it’s hard to make a living and everybody hates you,” Snyder said of logging. “Who’s signing up for that?” The arguments for not becoming a logger are solid. For one, there’s just not as much demand for paper and other wood products because of low
commodity prices and international competition, making it less secure than it once was. It’s physically and — yes — intellectually demanding work that increasingly requires special skills to run hugely expensive, high-tech machinery. And because of that machinery, capital investments needed to get started can be prohibitive. The renaissance that farming has undergone in recent years, with an emphasis on food systems and sustainable agriculture, hasn’t brought the same energy to logging. In many quarters, loggers are still seen as despoilers of the land. But Snyder noted that while forests can do just fine on their own, logging can support their health by weeding out infestations and invasive species. Logging entails a number of jobs, including fallers, who cut down trees by hand — essentially, lumberjacks; operators of machinery used to fell trees; and graders and scalers, who check the amount and quality of the wood. The number of all logging workers is expected to fall only 4 percent from 2014 to 2024, from 53,700 to 51,700, according to Bureau of Labor projections. Nationwide, the number of fallers is projected to decline 17 percent over the same period, from 8,200 in 2014 to 6,800 in 2024. With the industry becoming more mechanized, the number of equipment operators is expected to stay about the same, with graders and scalers declining 2 percent and all other logging workers falling 7 percent. “We need forest operations technicians; we don’t need loggers anymore,” said Dana Doran, executive director of the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine. “Today you are running a half-million, $600,000 machine, and not only do you need to operate it, you’ve got to read GPS and computer-based technology equipment, you’ve got to be able to service and maintain that equipment, you have to know forestry, environmental law, best management practices, tree identification,” Doran said. One of Davis’ workers, 31-year-old Aaron Martin, said he likes the freedom of working outside in different places. He has been logging for 10 years, but few of his friends have been drawn to the life, he said: “They don’t like being out in the cold.” But as much as he likes his work, he has no interest in being the boss. “With that comes its own headaches,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to work for somebody else and not deal with all the stress that comes with paying all the bills and everything that goes with it, finding the next job.” SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 15
Jamie Roark checks the operation panel while cushion and pneumatic forklifts drive by at Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing. | photos by April Knox
Skilled training = jobs filled Educators and employers take initiative to help students move seamlessly into workplace By Barney Quick
T
he basic facts about how people and jobs match up in the Columbus area are that if a person wants a job, he can get one, and businesses can fill positions. That said, a job-seeker wishing to chart a course leading to really good pay and rewarding work will need to acquire a more sophisticated skill set than previous generations needed. Conversely, businesses needing those skill sets will have to engage in long-range efforts to cultivate interest in particular fields.
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As of December, the unemployment rate for Bartholomew County was 3.3 percent, down from 4.2 percent a year earlier. The December Indiana rate was 4.6 percent, and the national rate was 4.8. “Still, there are 1,500 unemployed persons in the county,” says Jason Hester, executive director of the Columbus Economic Development Board. “This untapped labor pool includes such groups as trailing spouses who moved here with someone who got hired, and people accustomed to working part time.”
About 37 percent of the area’s workforce is tied to manufacturing. Hester points out that this “puts our county in the top 2 percent of U.S. counties for manufacturing involvement.” Of course, a favorable employment picture has a multiplier effect. As manufacturing job opportunities increase, other sectors see an uptick as well. Still, manufacturing wages top those elsewhere by 25 percent. What companies need and what is going to enhance an individual’s opportunity for career advancement are particular types of knowledge. A consortium of local manufacturers and educators, led by the Community Education Coalition, identified 16 skilled-trades jobs that constituted the sector’s most pressing needs. Some of the jobs identified were hydraulics/pneumatic technician, CNC and conventional machinist, applications engineer, electronic technician and repairer. Stephanie Weber, community outreach coordinator for the coalition, says the process of identifying the 16 jobs was rigorous. “We surveyed these manufacturers to death,” she notes. “I’ve never seen anything like their level of engagement.” To fill the void in a meaningful way, she says
Roark performs a diagnostic check.
the coalition and its partners have had to “go into younger levels of the recruitment pool. We looked at C4 [Columbus Area Career Connection, a high school-level program offered in Bartholomew and surrounding counties] and identified specific courses that, if a student took one to two years of them, would get them hired by local companies.” An indication of manufacturers’ level of commitment is that they attend eighth-grade see training on page 18
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 17
training continued from page 17 open houses around the city, where students and parents learn about the high schools the students will be attending the following year. Once these students are freshmen, the manufacturers come into the classrooms of the mandatory college and career exploration course and give presentations. A month after the presentations, tours of area plants are arranged. The consortium developed a concept called Seamless Pathways, in which students and their parents can see the courses that will be required throughout high school to prepare for given technical fields. While students participating in Seamless Pathways have their goals, so do the educators and manufacturers. They want to meet targets for enrollment and filling of positions, respectively. These targets have been established for the next several years. Since the 16 jobs have been identified, the consortium has also determined that another area was going to need to be addressed. To that end, according to Weber, “in a matter of six months, the manufacturers and educators wrote a curriculum for a new course called Automation and Robotics Technology. The Indiana Department of Education
Roark checks voltage with a multimeter.
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approved the curriculum in short order, and the first 19 people enrolled in the fall of 2015. A C4 student who takes the new course is three-fourths of the way done with an Ivy Tech automation and robotics associate degree.” The coalition is now exploring ways to implement student internships at area companies, including writing a grant to Indiana Workforce Development. The coalition hopes to secure funding for 55 internships for the summers of 2016 and 2017, as well as stipends for teachers in appropriate disciplines. “For manufacturers, it would be a ‘try before you buy’ model,” says Weber. “If the company likes the intern, it can bring that person back again.” NTN Driveshaft has already embarked on an internship initiative, paying for three people to take a one-semester introductory course at Ivy Tech and then intern at the company. “We’ve hired one of them full time. The others are still in school,” says Barry Parkhurst, vice president of administration. “We ask for a two-year commitment. If enrollment volume can support it, we’d like to hire three each year.” Harold Wilson, Cummins Inc.’s learning and development leader for southern Indiana, says his company has had a school-to-work initiative for eight years. It takes two forms: an apprenticeship program and internships. The age and experience range of participants is considerable. “We have over 100 students in our program,” he says. “They come from Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Ivy Tech and most area high schools. We start at 17 years of age and go up to people with master’s degrees. I’d say 70 percent are in technical positions.” He says interns work 15 to 19 hours a week. “We start off relatively slowly. As they mature in their positions, we give them more challenging projects that involve real value-added work. About 25 percent become full-time employees.” With regard to his work with the coalition’s consortium, he says the undeniable competition among area companies for hires takes a back seat to talking about opportunities in general when making presentations at schools. Weber says the group is constantly on the lookout for more areas that need to be addressed. One project in the works is development of a systematic approach to identifying students who drop out of the IUPUC mechanical engineering program or Purdue’s mechanical engineering technician training. “We want to reach out to them with some kind of pull system so they don’t give up,” she says. “We’re always looking at projects that can close gaps we find.” SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 19
coach’s corner
Mark McNulty
When will you be done? When I started working with small to mediumsized enterprises, or SMEs, I was taught a valuable definition of what a successful business looked like. The definition shared with me by ActionCoach founder Brad Sugars was simply “A commercial, profitable enterprise that works without me.” More recently I have been challenging business owners throughout the Midwest with this question: “When will you be done building your business?” It’s the same concept, just viewed a slightly different way, as too many business owners were stuck thinking that they had to exit their business to be “done,” when they really didn’t want to. In reality, being “done” building your business means getting it to the point where it runs profitably whether you are there or not. Then you have options for how you spend your time, whether at the office, or on a beach, golf course or tropical island. Many years ago, Steven Covey told us to “Start with the end in mind,” and many people took that to heart on a small scale, setting goals, defining their desired project outcomes, etc. What many business owners missed is that the best way to start a business is to imagine what the finished business looks like. That way every decision has both the normal short-term component to it and also the long-term end-game component as well. Too many decisions are currently made with too short a time frame in mind. Just imagine the possibilities if you could make decisions and assign actions based on where you are going to be in three to five years. Our “Finish Your Business” workshop asks owners questions in the six fundamental areas of business, plus one additional question. The six areas are sales, marketing, operations, products/services, team and finance. I’ll tell you the additional question later. When it comes to sales, the questions are simple and are often what you ask yourself about shorter frames. What will our sales totals be? What will my sales team look like? What are my sales indicators? For marketing, it is similarly simple as 20 The Business Connection Spring 2016
well, just applying the end in mind principle. Where will my new leads/customers come from? How many leads/new customers will I be generating? What demographics will be the most favorable at that time? The operations questions are even simpler: how many locations, how many square feet and how will I be utilizing technology to streamline my production? What quality level of service will be required at that time? How will I measure my operations (so I can watch them from the beach house)? For products/services, how many product lines will I have? Which products will be tailored to each demographic? Basically, what will I be selling to whom? The last two are often the most difficult to answer. What will my team look like when I am done? Who will be my leaders, and how will the roles, responsibilities and accountability be divided among them? How will I pay them, incentivize them to stay and run my company for me? What will the final organizational chart look like? Whom will I trust to carry on my legacy? Last, yet certainly not least, is finance. How much debt will the business still carry when it is done? How much profit will there be for me to live my lifestyle, while retaining enough to keep the company well positioned for further growth. How will I monitor the financial health so I can sleep well regardless of where in the universe I am at the time. When you have gone through this exercise and defined what you want it to look like, you have one more question to answer: What is your last day of work? Set a date, create your plan backward from that date and get started. Once you define it and decide to do it, it is easier than you might think. Mark McNulty is a business coach with ActionCoach Business Coaching. He can be reached at 812-3504903 or mark@coachmark.biz.
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HOW WE COMPARE Just weeks ago, a neighboring chamber of commerce president called to ask how the Columbus Chamber manages to have such a high number of returning members, year after year. His question was timely. We had just completed a benchmarking study through our national association. It revealed that our 91 percent renewal rate is among the best for chambers of our size. Even our renewal rate for first-year members is well above average at 88 percent. When he asked why this Chamber had such committed members, I shared my theory. First, we have a community that cares. The business community’s pride in its chamber is an outgrowth of the pride it feels for this city and county. Second, the staff of the chamber works to maintain a very close relationship with our members. The result is outstanding customer service and programming that is relevant to our members. Here’s another noteworthy statistic. In this county, nearly one-third of all businesses belong to this Chamber. Again, that market penetration rate puts us in the top 25 percent of chambers who completed the study. For nearly half of our Chamber’s members, the first quarter of the year marks the time to renew your membership. Together, we’ve built a business association with a 125-year history of excellence. On behalf of the board and the staff, I’d like to thank you for your continued commitment to this organization.
CINDY FREY
By the
NUMBERS 91%
Membership Renewal Overall
88%
New Member Retention
(Members retained after first year of membership)
32% Market
Penetration
(Chamber members as percentage of total businesses in Bartholomew County)
President
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 21
Destinations travel agency has been in business since 1986. From left are Nan Russell, owner; Joyce Shutters, travel consultant; and Lori Smith, manager. | photos by April Knox
Where in the
world …?
Destinations agency remains valuable resource for travelers By Barney Quick
I
n its 30-year history, Destinations, a Columbus-based travel agency, has seen a number of changes in the travel industry. They’re apparent in the realms of technology, client preferences and the effects of world events. Destinations serves both the corporate and leisure markets. “It’s a pretty good mix,” says office manager Lori Smith. “We may have a few more leisure than corporate accounts.” That said, corporate clients are in such far-flung locations as Pennsylvania, Montana and Rochester, New York. “Some companies are spinoffs of others. Some are firms with offices in a number of places,” she says. Smith, who has been with the agency for 23 years, says that operations are much more streamlined now. “When I started, we thought fax machines were really advanced. Confirmations and contracts are handled much more efficiently now. Electronic ticketing has simplified the process. It’s eliminated
22 The Business Connection Spring 2016
any worry about losing your ticket.” There is a lot of industry-specific software. “All your travel agencies have airline-based computer systems. All your basic carriers, as well as car rental companies and providers of lodging, are in them.” The advent of the Internet has given consumers more options, including being able to arrange a trip entirely on one’s own. However, in some cases they’re rediscovering reasons to seek professional assistance. “People coming back to agencies is an industrywide trend,” says co-owner Nan Russell. “When you’re working through the Internet, there are a lot of unforeseen details you have to take care of yourself.” Smith adds, “It’s nice to have someone to call.” She says there’s a generational aspect to the return to agencies. “One of our biggest markets is millennials. They’re busy people, very focused on careers, education and social life. They want
“People coming back to agencies is an industry-wide trend. When you’re working through the Internet, there are a lot of unforeseen details you have to take care of yourself.” — Nan Russell
someone else to plan their travel. People in their 50s are comfortable taking care of their own travel. Then we see people in their 60s and 70s coming back to agencies.” To stay abreast of industry trends, as well as get real-time updates on weather, world events and travel advisories, Destinations belongs to several organizations, including the American Society of Travel Agents, Cruise Lines International, the Airlines Reporting Corp. and the International Association of Travel Agents Network. “If I’m not familiar with a place a client is inquiring about, I’ll research it,” says Smith. “There are lots of sources of great information. Especially for cruises or international travel, in the case of firsttimers, we want to find the kind of travel that fits their comfort level. Some want to explore a place on their own; some want a guide.” One aspect of travel that a consumer must take care of on his own is registration with the embassy in the country he is traveling to. The program for this, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, along with programs such as pre-checking, can be accessed at TSA.gov. Even so, Destinations can be a source of guidance and information. “Part of our service is to steer them in the right direction,” Smith says. She and Russell say that the events of Sept. 11 did, indeed, have a major impact on the industry. “A lot of agencies closed,” says Smith. “Any agency that survived came out stronger.” Since then, however, events such as terrorist attacks or political upheavals really haven’t affected people’s interest in traveling pretty much anywhere. For instance, in spite of last year’s attacks in Paris, it remains as popular a destination as ever. “Travelers became much more savvy after 2001,” Smith observes. “They stay informed and, when they go someplace, are attentive to their surroundings.” It’s still possible to find vacation spots that aren’t yet well-known, at least among Americans. “Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic is just now catching
on with U.S. travelers,” says Smith. “It has wide, white-sand beaches. A code is in place there dictating that no buildings can be taller than the palm trees. Europeans have been going there for some time, so it has a somewhat cosmopolitan environment.” Truly well-kept secrets include Bonaire (a Caribbean island) and Honduras. “Both offer activities ranging from jungle hiking to snorkeling and diving,” she says. Regarding perennial favorites, she says Hawaii and Italy always rank high. She notes that “there is something different to do on every island” in Hawaii. Italy offers a range of appealing qualities, including art, history, food, the coastline and mountains. Smith says that Italians are noted for friendliness. Destinations was founded in 1986 by Russell, her husband, Bill, and some other investors. It’s proven resilient over the years. Along with Sept. 11, other challenges the agency has faced include the 2008 flood, in which it lost all office equipment, and this January’s East Coast snowstorm. “After the flood, we had so many wonderful clients support us in all kinds of ways to reopen,” says Russell. When this year’s snowstorm hit, Smith came in on a Saturday to reconfigure clients’ plans. Says Russell: “That kind of personalized service means a lot to people.”
SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 23
Charlie and Liz Kays. | photo by April Knox
Gumbo,
with a side of
music
Kays family has a lot on its plate at Yats
By Barney Quick
W
hile there are several Yats locations all offering the same readily identifiable Louisiana cuisine, the unit in downtown Columbus has the feel of a local establishment. Groups of regulars gather at the bar, and the small bandstand hosts frequent informal combinations of local musicians who are familiar with each other from traveling in the same circles and who each bring their followers, creating an unpretentious synergy. This atmosphere is fostered by owner/manager Charlie Kays, who comes from a family steeped in both musical and culinary experience. Charlie’s father, Alan, often hosts the musical get-togethers,
24 The Business Connection Spring 2016
and his mother, Liz, who has worked with area restaurants and caterers for over 20 years, is generally on hand. Yats is an Indianapolis-based chain with 13 locations. The founder, Joe Vuskovich, is from Louisiana, and his concept has been to offer recipes from his family and restaurant experience. The Columbus store opened in July 2013. Charlie, who had started his career in the food industry at Papa’s Deli and had been with the Yats organization for about five years, was pleased to bring the Yats cuisine to Columbus, but had some ideas for making the new store distinct.
photo by April Knox
The marketing effort had a leg up. “The Yats name was big enough that Columbus people knew about it,” he says. “We still had to build on that, though.” “Once downtown people started stopping in, word-of-mouth really took off,” adds Liz. On weekdays, the downtown community comprises the bulk of the business. The eatery is located on the ground floor of the building that houses The Commons at one end and the fourstory Cummins Inc. office complex at the other. A doorway from the Cummins facility opens onto the Yats dining room, allowing workers to avoid going outside to access it. Special occasions, such as Neighborfest, are good for business. The busiest night of the year is Fat Tuesday, on which Yats partners with the Autism Research Center of Bartholomew County for a fundraiser. The Fat Tuesday fundraiser features a special menu, giveaways and a program of matching dollar-for-dollar contributions with Lagunitas beer. Local businesses donate prizes. In 2015, the event raised over $800. In the evenings and on weekends, one finds the regulars who congregate at the bar. “We’ve tried to cultivate groups of people who know each other,” says Charlie. “It’s almost like a ‘Cheers’ situation.” The beer selection is Charlie’s call. Many of the offerings come from area microbreweries. In November, the store got a three-way license. It was the first Yats unit to have one. “That business is building,” reports Charlie. When the overall corporation began, food for all the units came from one central kitchen in the Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis. Now the basic
supplier is a factory in Louisville. “The fish is flash frozen,” says Charlie. “It’s extraordinarily fresh when we get it.” He decides on the daily food offerings as well. He does have six staples that one will find every day, supplemented by rotating items. “We try to keep a good mix of gluten-free items, vegetarian items and our good sellers,” he says. The signature dish is chili cheese crawfish étouffée. The biggest seller on the menu is drunken chicken, which involves a garlic-and-rosemary olive oilbased sauce and a little beer. In describing the gumbo, Charlie says, “We use a smoked roux, which is an African style. It includes chicken, sausage, okra and tomatoes.” The music program was a feature of the Columbus location from the beginning. “I’d tried to get music going at a franchise I worked at in see yats on page 26
Charlie Kays packages an order at Yats. photo by April Knox SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 25
yats continued from page 25 Indianapolis, and I wanted to get it going right away here,” says Charlie. “Live music goes well with beer.” Bassist Robert Hay-Smith has played in various configurations at Yats and finds it a fun environment. “It’s very loose,” he says. “You get the feeling that you’re part of the crowd while you’re playing. You’re so close to the audience that neither the conversation nor the music have to have their volume increased.” Alan’s roles as associate musical coordinator and financial backer coincide with his day job at Columbus Regional Health. Charlie’s wife, Laura, likewise has a job at Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., but she helps occasionally at Yats. Charlie says there’s a definite sense of community among owners and managers of downtown restaurants. “I frequently talk to the proprietors of the other places along the Fourth Street corridor. It benefits us all if we all do well.” Liz observes that “it would be good to have more retail activity downtown. Right now, it’s rather heavy on professional offices. People wandering in and out of stores would be inclined to get the spur-of-themoment notion to have a bite to eat.” Charlie has a goal for the store regarding its place in the community. “The store where I worked in Indianapolis beat St. Elmo’s Steak House five years in a row in the best-restaurant poll in NUVO [a weekly paper serving the Indianapolis area]. I’d like to see this store have that kind of influence here.” Charlie and Liz cite cyclical slowdowns and
photo by April Knox 26 The Business Connection Spring 2016
Alan Kays also performs at the family’s restaurant. photo by Carla Clark
Cummins shutdowns as the biggest challenges they face. Liz also mentions finding the right balance between purely family time and work. Regarding the main satisfaction of owning and operating the downtown Columbus Yats, Charlie says, “It’s really great to see people who come in here five days a week and leave an empty plate every time.”
Eye on the pie
Morton Marcus
Introducing you to your hometown Many of my friends and relatives are obsessed with Texas. Some believe Texas has got it right, leading America where it needs to be. Others see Texas as spreading a virus that will destroy civic virtue in this country. The fact that Texas is a large and fast-growing state only intensifies the hopes and fears of these two groups. Therefore, I was delighted to find something of real worth in Frisco (just north of Dallas) that could be copied all across Indiana. “City Hall 101” is a 15-session introduction to local government that seems free of ideology, indoctrination or partisanship. Before we get into the details of this program, let’s take a step back. Several persistent problems have plagued Indiana for many years. First, Hoosiers have limited understanding of or interest in local government. Most county governments are ossified, and hostility to urban areas is evident statewide. Often the central city, the economic driver of the county, is seen as the enemy of suburban and rural areas. Second, counties, townships, cities and towns continue to exist when some consolidation would make good sense. Can we justify Beech Grove, Lawrence, Speedway and Southport in Marion County? Why are Elkhart and Goshen separate cities? What advantage is there to 11 cities and towns in Lake County? South Bend and Mishawaka — really? Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel and Westfield — get real. Third, we have a steady decrease in the ability of local governments to set their own paths to the future. Since the early ’70s, the General Assembly has stripped or limited the powers of
local governments. Schools are now wards of the state. Property tax caps, frozen levies and other measures have made local governments prisoners of the state legislature. Fourth, citizens expect quality services from local governments, but are unwilling to pay the taxes and fees necessary to support them. Potholes bring forth protests, but ignorance reigns about the immense complexity of modern local government responsibilities and capabilities. The Frisco “City Hall 101” programs offer citizens excellent opportunities to learn about local government. The weekly, free sessions in 2016 will run from January to April. Virtually every city activity is covered, with sessions starting with the mayor, the city council and the city manager. Then specific activities are explored in detail with sessions devoted to the fire department, the police department, the school district, parks and recreation, the library and public works. Those are the basics, but what makes this program so valuable are the breadth and depth of the topics. There are sessions on convention and visitors activities, economic and community development, information technology, engineering and capital projects, financial services and human resources. Perhaps I’m not well-informed, but I don’t know a single locality in Indiana that offers anything like the Frisco program. If I’m missing something, please let me know. Perhaps it’s time for Hoosier cities and towns to follow the model of a Texas community. Morton Marcus is an economist, writer and speaker who may be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo.com. SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 27
on the move
Anita Sipes of Columbus, team manager of corporate communications for Honda, has been appointed to a threeyear term on the regional board of trustees for Ivy Tech Community College Columbus. She is a graduate of Ball State University, with a bachelor’s degree in Anita Sipes journalism/public relations and a master’s degree in public relations. Before joining Honda in 2009, she was a director with a public relations agency and worked with nonprofit agencies in central Indiana. Columbus-based Taylor Bros. Construction recently received the Indiana Construction Association’s Gold Summit Award for Safety in the Building Contractor Under 300,000 Hours category. ICA awards recognize commitment to the highest standards of quality, integrity and safety in five categories based on contractor size and type of construction they perform. Taylor Bros. won for integrating various forms of electronic data collection and communication at all levels of its construction management processes and implementing a positive recognition program for exemplary safety performance.
Dr. E. Doug Poplin
Dr. E. Doug Poplin has joined the staff of Franciscan Physician Network Columbus Primary & Specialty Care, 123 Second St. A boardcertified family physician, he most recently was medical
28 The Business Connection Spring 2016
director and staff physician at Franciscan WorkingWell occupational services and serves as medical director of St. Thomas More Free Clinic medical outreach program for the underserved in Mooresville. Poplin is a graduate of Centre College of Kentucky in Danville and earned a medical degree with academic honors from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He completed a family medicine residency at Franciscan St. Francis Health and later earned a Master of Science degree in occupational medicine from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Columbus Area Visitors Center has been named 2015 Sports Commission of the Year by Independent Sports Association in recognition of support and services provided for the ISA Senior Softball World Series, which was conducted in Columbus last summer for the fourth consecutive year. The tournament featured 41 teams from seven states in men’s 50-plus through 70-plus age divisions and had a direct spending impact of $366,640. Columbus was selected for the award from among the cities that host between 400 and 500 events operated annually by the ISA in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Oncology nurse Joni Candler has been named director of oncology at Columbus Regional Health Cancer Center, a new position within the cancer care line. She has been an oncology nurse for more than five years and now leads the daily operations associated with patient care activities and clinical education, development of staff and recruitment of providers to expand current services provided to cancer patients.
The cancer center is undergoing an expansion and renovation that includes expanded waiting areas and more chemotherapy treatment bays as well as private treatment rooms. The project is expected to be completed in February. Columbus native Joe Nierman, a financial planner with WestPoint Financial Group, has been elected to the board of directors of Indiana Youth Institute. He is a 2004 graduate of Marian University, with a degree in marketing, and earned a master’s degree in business administration at Marian University. Doug Foster of Burt’s Termite & Pest Control recently participated in the first Food Protection Rodent Academy, a three-day study of rodents and their impact on the food industry, sponsored by Dow AgroSciences for researchers, account managers Doug Foster and pest controllers. Burt’s was one of just two pest control companies nationwide to attend. Michael King recently joined LHP Engineering Solutions as head of the company’s new data analytics solutions division, providing self-service business intelligence, advanced analytics and custom reporting solutions and analytics training as well Michael King as managed services, cloud and data center implementation and business process consulting. King worked in executive leadership at Cummins Inc. for seven years and for more than 17 years in leadership roles at Boeing. Susan Wynn, director of respiratory and sleep services at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, has been elected to the Indiana Society for Respiratory Care board of directors for Chapter 7, which represents 15 counties, including Bartholomew and Susan Wynn Jennings counties. She has been with Schneck Medical Center since 1981 and became a respiratory therapist in 1983.
She also has worked at IU-Riley and St. Vincent Jennings hospitals and as a clinical instructor for Independence University. Eric Bennett is one of seven new directors at Blue & Co. LLC. He has been with the company since 2008 and helps lead the tax department of the southern Indiana offices in Seymour, Bloomington and Columbus. He is a graduate of Indiana State University and Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a master’s degree in professional accountancy. Dr. Nick Aumage is now the lead optometrist at OssipVanArsdall Family Optometry in Columbus. A native of Nashville, he graduated from the Indiana University School of Optometry in 2014. He came to the former VanArsdall Family Optometry practice shortly after his Dr. Nick Aumage graduation and worked alongside its former owner, Dr. Ken VanArsdall, for a year. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the Indiana Optometric Association. Aumage will continue to provide eye care to patients who were treated at VanArsdall’s practice, which has served Columbus residents for 70 years.
Kevin Johnson
Kevin Johnson of Ruoff Home Mortgage has been named a top loan originator for the Columbus office for December. The top spot in each branch office is based on the number of closed loans during the month. Johnson joined Ruoff in late November as vice president and branch manager.
Columbus Regional Health’s PromptMed recently received the Certified Urgent Care designation from the Urgent Care Association of America, distinguishing the facility as a true urgent care center providing patients with walk-in, extended-hour medical attention with licensed providers for a wide scope of medical conditions and offering both X-ray and laboratory services. see on the move on page 30 SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 29
on the move continued from page 29 Sandra Miles, director of student affairs and ombudsman at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus, has been accepted to participate in the 2016 NASPA Alice Manicur Symposium for Women Aspiring to be New Vice Presidents for Student Affairs. Sandra Miles The symposium is held every two years and is designed for women at the middle management level considering a move to become vice presidents of student affairs. Miles is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, with a degree in political science and a master’s degree in student personnel administration, and also earned a doctorate in educational leadership at Florida State University. Dana Carson, broker at ReMax Real Estate Professionals, achieved the ReMax Platinum Club Award for sales in 2015. At the annual ReMax Real Estate Professionals banquet, she was presented certificates of Top Honors in recognition for having the 2nd Highest Dana Carson Closed Transactions, 2nd Highest Closed Volume, 2nd Highest Number of New Listings, and 2nd Largest Individual Contribution to Children’s Miracle Network. She joined ReMax in 2003 and has actively been a real estate agent for 25 years. She specializes in residential sales, relocation and new construction. She is a certified residential specialist and the local representative of Homes For Heroes. Connie Burrell, lab technician at Columbus Physicians Associates, has met all criteria for laboratory accreditation by COLA, a national health care accreditation organization. Responsible for maintaining rigid standards in the day-to-day operations of the lab, Burrell must pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey every two years to earn accreditation for the lab. COLA is a nonprofit, physician-directed organization that promotes quality and excellence in medicine and patient care through programs of voluntary education, achievement and accreditation.
30 The Business Connection Spring 2016
Kathryn Armstrong has joined Columbus Museum of Art & Design as independent curator and consultant. Within this role, she will engage artists and designers to showcase their work in CMAD’s exhibition spaces at Hotel Indigo, WellConnect and The Commons. She Kathryn Armstrong will assist the CMAD board with strategic planning and fundraising, as well as represent the organization on the Arts District Coalition. Armstrong comes to CMAD with 11 years of experience working as an art professional. She has been a faculty member at the Herron School of Art and Design since 2010. She has served as the director of the Basile Center for Art, Design and Public Life, Herron’s center for civic engagement. Since 2012, she has been an active board member of the Contemporary Art Society at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, where she currently serves as vice president. In her own creative work, she has exhibited nationally and internationally along with recent project-based residencies at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. Greg S. Morin has joined the law firm of Montgomery, Elsner & Pardieck. He is a native of North Vernon, a 2008 graduate of Hanover College and a 2011 graduate of Indiana University McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. He will practice in the firm’s Seymour and Madison offices, focusing on Social Security disability, civil litigation, family law and criminal law. Century 21 Breeden Realtors has been recognized by the worldwide Century 21 organization with the Double Centurion Award, President’s Office Award, Quality Service Pinnacle Award and the Per Person Productivity Award. Jan Brinkman has been recognized as the No. 1 Agent and Scott Taskey as the No. 2 Agent in the Century 21 in Indiana and Ohio Region. Jan Brinkman They have been recognized in past years as No. 1 in Indiana and Ohio, but this is a first for Century 21 Breeden to have both the No. 1 and No. 2 agent positions for this two-state region.
The Double Centurion Producer Award was presented to Jan Brinkman and Scott Taskey. He also received the President’s Producer and Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Awards. Brinkman was awarded the Quality Service Producer Award. The John Wischmeier Scott Taskey Group was recognized with the Centurion Team Award, and Karen Dugan and Tracie Hawes were honored with the Centurion Producer Award; Dugan was also awarded the President’s Producer Award. Several agents were recognized for receiving the Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award: Karen Abel, Joan Baker, Kathy Boyce, Holly Downey, Karen Dugan, Paul Furber, Vicki Gardner, Candi Hester, Jane Kennedy, Linda
Mackey, Jane Mellinger, Nora Noblitt and Cindy Patchett. Receiving the Quality Service Producer Award were Debbie Barrett, Jan Brinkman, Tracie Hawes, Brigette Nolting, Kassie Reynolds and Grant Watson. Karen Abel, Jane Kennedy and Brigette Nolting were honored to receive the Masters Diamond Producer Award. Those agents receiving the Master Ruby Producer Award are Holly Downey, Ella Elwood, Vicki Gardner, Candi Hester, Linda Mackey and Cindy Patchett. Dan and Laura Davis and Bev and Dave Roberts received the Quality Service Pinnacle Team Award while the John Wischmeier Group received the Quality Service Team Award. Those agents recognized for their Personal Best in 2015 are Paul Furber, Tracie Hawes, Jane Kennedy, Brigette Nolting, Cindy Patchett, Grant Watson, Bev and Dave Roberts, and the Wischmeier Group. — Staff Reports
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Around the WATER COOLER CRH recognized
The Joint & Spine Center at Columbus Regional Hospital has been named a Blue Distinction Plus Center for knee and hip replacement by Blue Cross Blue Shield in recognition of excellent clinical quality and efficiency in delivering specialty care. To receive the designation, a facility must demonstrate experience in offering comprehensive services resulting in better outcomes for patients in a highly efficient manner. Blue Cross Blue Shield offers the designation to provide members of their insurance networks and physicians a credible, easily identifiable means of selecting hospitals for health care services.
Batesville newest public use airport
Batesville Airport and Batesville Aviation Services have transitioned from a private use airport to a public use airport. Shorty Whittington and his son, John, owners of Batesville Aviation Services, have spent the past four years working with the Federal Aviation Association and the state of Indiana to obtain its public status (certification). The Batesville Airport is between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, just off Interstate 74, and provides a variety of aircraft, pilot and traveler services. Aircraft services include heated hangars, 24-hour emergency service and a valet fueling station providing Shell Branded Aviation fuels. Also, the facility will serve as a location to transfer patients with complex health issues via medical emergency aircraft. Pilots and travelers will have access to Fixed Based Operation amenities, 32 The Business Connection Spring 2016
weather briefing room, pilot and passenger lounges, local catering for in-flight needs, ground transportation, Enterprise car rental and assistance with local overnight accommodations.
Bill Ketron and Brandon Foreman, Milestone Contractors LP, accepted the Quality Pavement Award on behalf of the company.
Milestone receives award
Milestone Contractors LP of Columbus was recently recognized by the Asphalt Pavement Association of Indiana for superior asphalt pavement construction in the reconstruction-county category. Projects submitted by paving contractors were visited and rated by a licensed professional engineer using several criteria, including degree of difficulty, use of green technologies and workmanship in matching existing asphalt around the new surface, uniformity of texture and smoothness.
Marsh to upgrade stores
Fishers-based Marsh Supermarkets, which has been shrinking for years as grocery competition
intensified, said it plans this year to “remodel and update” 30 of its 73 stores. The company did not immediately provide details on which stores it would remodel or how much it would spend. The renovation plans were contained in a press release announcing the closing of its West Third Street store in Bloomington. The grocery chain said the store was underperforming and its lease was expiring. Marsh has retrenched repeatedly since Florida-based Sun Capital Partners acquired it in 2006, reducing its store count from 116 to 73. Meanwhile, Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. has bulked up its market share with a spending blitz. Kroger fired its latest salvo last April, announcing it plans to spend $465 million to expand and upgrade its Indianapolis store base—an unprecedented investment that is to include construction of 11 new stores and expansion or remodeling of 22 others. Beyond Kroger, Marsh is facing competition from a dizzying array of new-to-the-market natural and organic food retailers, from Earth Fare to Fresh Thyme.
GM investing in Indiana casting plant
total assets and 160 banking centers as of Sept. 30, including five in Columbus. Under terms of the agreement, Anchor shareholders may elect to receive either 3.5505 shares of Old National common stock or $48.50 in cash for each share of Anchor they hold. Based on Old National’s 10-day average closing share price through Jan. 8 of $13.34, this represents a transaction value of about $461 million. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of Old National and Anchor, but remains subject to regulatory approval and a vote of Anchor shareholders. The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of this year.
84 Lumber bringing new facility to Franklin
84 Lumber Co., the nation’s leading privately held building materials supplier based on sales, announced plans to locate an 84 Components manufacturing facility in Franklin, creating up to 100 new jobs by 2019. see water cooler on page 34
General Motors is investing $127.4 million to upgrade its Bedford casting plant for production of parts for new aluminum engine blocks. The projects will create 127 new jobs, the company said in a release. There are now about 700 workers on three shifts at the plant. They make transmission casings, converter housings, cylinder heads and smaller engine blocks for use in a variety of GM vehicles. Including this most recent investment, GM has invested more than $426 million in the Bedford plant since 2010.
Old National announces acquisition
Evansville-based Old National Bancorp is acquiring Anchor BanCorp Wisconsin Inc. through a stock and cash merger. Anchor, a savings and loan holding company with AnchorBank, operates 46 banking centers, including 32 in the Madison, Milwaukee and Fox Valley area in Wisconsin. The company has $2.2 billion in total assets, $1.5 billion in total loans, $1.8 billion in deposits and $360 million in common shareholders’ equity as of Sept. 30. Founded in Evansville in 1834, Old National Bancorp, the parent company of Old National Bank, is the largest financial services holding company headquartered in Indiana. It has $11.9 billion in
The Perfect Beer For an Active Lifestyle. SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 33
water cooler continued from page 33 The certified women’s business enterprise, which is named for its founding city of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, will invest $5.59 million to purchase, renovate and equip the former Trussway facility in Franklin. In the facility, which has been vacant since 2009, the company will manufacture wood roof trusses, floor trusses and wall panels. Renovations on the 84,000-square-foot facility began in January, with installation of the latest software, computerized saws, specialized jigging equipment and precision wall panel systems. The company, which currently employs more than 4,600 in the United States, planned to begin hiring in February for plant management and production associate positions.
Hillenbrand buying valve-maker
Hillenbrand Inc., one of Indiana’s largest public companies, is bulking up its industrial division by buying Pennsylvania-based valve-maker Red Valve for $132 million. Batesville-based Hillenbrand is best known as a maker of products for the death care industry,
34 The Business Connection Spring 2016
including caskets. But the industrial division — known as the Process Equipment Group — actually is the company’s largest segment, generating nearly $1 billion of the company’s $1.6 billion in revenue in the latest fiscal year. The Process Equipment Group designs and manufactures highly engineered industrial equipment. Red Valve, which has annual revenue of $38 million, makes specialized valves and flow-control products for water and wastewater industries. The Process Equipment Group has been aggressively expanding through acquisition. In September, the division completed the purchase of Germany-based ABEL Pumps LP for about $103 million. The company makes piston pumps for the wastewater and power-generation industries.
Expert predicts drop in Indiana farmland values
An agricultural economist at Purdue University says the value of Indiana farmland likely will be driven down in 2016 due to high interest rates and low crop prices. Agricultural economist Craig
Dobbins says any losses should be moderate and values should fall slowly because there’s a limited supply of farmland on the market. He estimates that farmland values will drop 5 to 12 percent throughout the state after nearly tripling in value from 2003 to 2014. The 2015 Purdue Land Value and Cash Rent Survey determined that prices for the state’s topquality farmland declined by just over 5 percent, while farmland considered to be average quality fell by almost 4 percent, and prices for low-quality land fell by nearly 5 percent.
Solar farm planned at Crane
Duke Energy plans to build a 145-acre solar energy farm at southwestern Indiana’s Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center. The plans call for 76,000 solar panels. Groundbreaking is set for this spring, and Duke Energy expects the panels to generate power by the end of 2016. The company is seeking approvals from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. If granted, Duke Energy would own and operate the facility on land leased from the Navy. Energy generated by the
facility would be available to Indiana customers and to the Crane base. The facility would be Duke Energy’s second solar energy project with the Navy. A solar facility was announced at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in 2015 and is now operating. Israel-based company coming to Richmond An Israel-based manufacturer of aluminum parts for the automotive industry has announced plans to open its first North American production facility in eastern Indiana. Omen USA, a subsidiary of Omen Casting Group, says it plans to begin operations in Richmond by the end of this year and to create up to 100 jobs by 2019. The company announced plans to initially invest $16 million to renovate and equip a 76,000-square-foot facility and to invest an additional $7 million by 2021. The die-casting company will manufacture aluminum parts for drivelines, steering components and oil pumps at the facility. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered Omen USA up to $400,000 in conditional tax credits and up to $150,000 in training grants. — Staff and Wire Reports
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36 The Business Connection Spring 2016
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER - JANUARY
4410 E 200 S COMMERCIAL ADDITION $12,000 AT&T, OWNER OVERLAND CONTRACTING INC, CONTRACTOR CELL TOWER ADDN 3920 25TH ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $60,000 SKYLINE PROPERTY GROUP, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR REM/ADULT CHILD SERVICE OFFICE 7660 S INTERNATIONAL DR COMMERCIAL REMODEL $160,000 CUMMINS INC, OWNER FORCE CONSTRUCTION CO INC, CONTRACTOR CUMMINS REMODEL 780 SF 1910 PARKSIDE DR COMMERCIAL REMODEL $75,000 INDIANA PODIATRY GROUP, OWNER DRIFTWOOD BUILDERS, CONTRACTOR CON REMODEL INDIANA PODIATRY 500 FRANKLIN ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $38,000 COLUMBUS ECONOMIC DEV BOARD, OWNER FORCE CONSTRUCTION CO INC, CONTRACTOR COM REMODEL COL ECON DEV BOARD 315 SF
1045 S GLADSTONE COMMERCIAL REMODEL $216,000 C E SYSTEMS, OWNER DRIFTWOOD BUILDERS, CONTRACTOR 6080 SF STOR BLDG 9327 MAIN ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $150,000 GERMAN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE, OWNER BUILDING CONCEPTS OF IN, CONTRACTOR REMODEL GERMAN TWP TRUSTEE OFFICE 2400 E 17TH ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $37,300 OPEN COLUMBUS REGIONAL HOSPITAL, OWNER ROYALTY COMPANIES, CONTRACTOR ROOF/CRS HOSPITAL 2475 COTTAGE AVE COMMERCIAL REMODEL $43,000 OLIVER, CHARLE/COL OPTICAL, OWNER M & S CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACTOR BUILDUP OF NEW ROOF SYSTEM/BUILD FACADE 421 S MAPLETON ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $128,000 COLUMBUS TOWNSHIP, OWNER ANDERS DANNY, CONTRACTOR COM REMODEL COL TWP HOMELESS SHELTER
1504 CENTRAL AVE COMMERCIAL REMODEL $32,000 ORINOCO PROPERTIES, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR COM REMODEL 2200 SF
7945 S INTERNATIONAL DR COMMERCIAL ADDITION $2,500,000 RIGHTWAY FASTENERS, OWNER REPP & MUNDT INC, CONTRACTOR RIGHTWAY FASTNERS ADDN 80238 SF
1520 CENTRAL AVE COMMERCIAL REMODEL $25,000 ORINOCO PROPERTIES, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR COM REMODEL 1800 SF
5555 INWOOD DR COMMERCIAL REMODEL $368,707 T.I.E.M., OWNER FORCE CONSTRUCTION CO INC, CONTRACTOR TIEM/REM
1540 CENTRAL AVE COMMERCIAL REMODEL $40,000 ORINOCO PROPERTIES, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR COM REMODEL 3600 SF
1585 N NATIONAL RD COMMERCIAL REMODEL $122,000 RAFT, HARRY, OWNER/CONTRACTOR STARBUCK REMODEL 1741 SF
11622 N E EXECUTIVE DR COMMERCIAL TENANT UP FIT $150,000 TALBOTS INC, OWNER MANAGEMENT RESOURCE SYS, CONTRACTOR TALBOTS REMODEL 1972 STATE ST COMMERCIAL REMODEL $20,000 RENNER, BARRY, OWNER/CONTRACTOR MERCANTILE STORE/REM 1320 W 200 S COMMERCIAL REMODEL $1,500,000 BARTHOLOMEW SCHOOL CORP, OWNER JC RIPBERGER, CONTRACTOR SOUTHISIDE SCHOOL REMODEL 11950 SF 148 LINDSEY ST COMMERCIAL ADDITION $50,000 MORAVEC REALTY, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR COMMERCIAL DECK 3350 JONATHAN MOORE PK NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING $400,000 CONVENIENC STORE, OWNER SINGH CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACTOR CONVENIENCE STORE/GAS STATION NEW 2760 25TH ST DEMOLITION $0 MP INVESTMENTS XIII LLC, OWNER EVERSMAN, BRIAN L., CONTRACTOR DEMO FOR 2 BUILDINGS ON SITE 4415 E 200 S NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING $38,000 BARTH CO HUMANE SOCIETY, OWNER JIM WRIGHT CONSTRUCTION, CONTRACTOR POLE BLDG FOR HUMANE SOCIETY 864 SF 2051 E 550 S NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING $7,000 BARTH CO PARK BOARD, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR POLE BLDG 432 SF E BASE RD COMMERCIAL REMODEL $79,097 REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, OWNER
HEARTLAND RESTORATION, CONTRACTOR CHURCH REMODEL 2660 EASTWOOD DR COMMERCIAL ADDITION $100,000 VERIZON WIRELESS, OWNER RAELEE WIRELESS, CONTRACTOR CELL TOWER ADDITION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS 4660 CLAIRMONT DR SINGLE FAM RES $85,000 BEACON BUILDERS LLC, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
2090 ONEIDA CT NEW 4842 SF RES/BMT/GAR $350,000 THOMPSON CONSTRUCTION, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 9568 W 300 S CABIN 720 SF $45,000 BACHMANN, CHRIS, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 12617 W YOUTH CAMP RD SINGLE FAM RES/NEW $35,000 OWNER RUSSELL, ANDREW S, GEORGE, FRANK, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
2171 CREEK BANK DR NEW 3765 SF RES/GAR $204,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
4706 WESTCHESTER DR SINGLE FAM RES $95,000 BEACON BUILDERS LLC, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
2729 DAISY CT NEW 4649 SF RES/BMT/GAR $300,000 JOLI DEVELOPMENT, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
4668 WILLOWBROOK DR SINGLE FAM RES $90,000 BEACON BUILDERS LLC, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
15650 E LAKESHORE DR NEW 3510 SF RES/GAR $212,309 HALLMARK HOMES, CONTRACTOR MIZE, BRET, OWNER
4721 CLAIRMONT DR SINGLE FAM DWELLING $95,000 BEACON BUILDERS LLC, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
3172 GRAY HAWK DR NEW 5050 SF RES/BMT/GAR $324,000 DREES HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
2146 CREEK BANK DR NEW 2898 RES/GAR $163,300 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
907 WESTCREEK DR NEW 5854 SF RES/BMT/GAR $450,000 SKAGGS BUILDERS INC, CONTRACTOR KINCAID, BUD, OWNER 2665 WILD ORCHID WAY SING FAM RES $300,000 JOLI DEVELOPMENT, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 8698 WISTERIA LN NEW 3918 SF RES/GAR $290,000 DONICA CONSTRUCTION, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 2956 DAYLILY CT SINGLE FAM RES $313,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
4303 E WINDSOR LN NEW 3034 SF RES/GAR $150,000 MILLER, C L, OWNER/CONTRACTOR 1935 LAKECREST DR NEW 3557 SF RES/GAR $175,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR 3254 ROLLING HILL DR NEW 3796 SF RES/GAR $189,900 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR 3264 ROLLING HILL DR NEW 3614 SF RES/GAR $191,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR 3279 ROLLING HILL DR NEW 3796 SF RES/GAR $190,900 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
see BUSINESS LEADS on page 38 SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 37
BUSINESS LEADS continued from page 37 7040 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAM RESIDENTIAL $394,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
2538 SHADOW BEND DR NEW 2331 SF RES/GAR $136,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR 2583 SHADOW BEND DR NEW 2549 SF RES/GAR $155,700 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
7050 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAM RES/NEW $386,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
2102 SHADOW CREEK BLVD NEW 1716 SF RES/GAR $121,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
7055 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAM RES NEW $343,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
8701 WISTERIA LN SINGLE FAM RES NEW $300,000 DEAN, ANDREW, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
7060 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAMILY NEW $402,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 7065 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAM RESIDENTIAL $426,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR 7070 SCARBOROUGH CT SINGLE FAM RES/NEW $409,000 M/I HOMES OF INDIANA, OWNER/ CONTRACTOR
LUTHER JOHNSON DBA TUESDAY NIGHT MEN’S BOWLING LEAGUE, 4729 GRAY FOX COURT, COLUMBUS KIM BOWLES DBA VISION RENTALS, 235 19TH ST., COLUMBUS BRADLEY GODDARD DBA WELD TECH CO. (WELDING), 1924 CHANDLER LANE, COLUMBUS ERIC BURTON DBA X-TREME DESIGN (MEDIA), 3525 FRANKLIN ST., COLUMBUS (AMENDS 2015-10991)
CERTIFICATES TO DO BUSINESS UNDER ASSUMED NAME
CRAIG T. BUCK DBA BUCK’S MOWING AND LANDSCAPING, LLC, 5798 S 550E, FRANKLIN
KENNETH JOHNSTON DBA DRIFTSIDE VENTURE, LLC, DBA DRIFTSIDE MOBILE HOME PARK, 13540 N US 31, EDINBURGH
PHILLIP DOUP DBA DOUP PROPERTIES (PROPERTY MANAGEMENT), 914 SYCAMORE ST., COLUMBUS
KENNETH JOHNSTON DBA DRIFTSIDE VENTURE, LLC, DBA DRIFTSIDE MANUFACTURED HOUSING COMMUNITY, 13540 N U.S. 31, EDINBURGH
FRANK WADSWORTH DBA INDIANA FRANCHISE RESEARCH CENTER (CONSULTING), 2000 CHARWOOD DRIVE, COLUMBUS
KENNETH JOHNSTON DBA DRIFTSIDE VENTURE, LLC, DBA DRIFTSIDE MANUFACTURED HOUSING SALES, 13540 N U.S .31, EDINBURGH
2528 SHADOW BEND DR NEW 2549 SF RES/GAR $150,000 BEAZER HOMES, OWNER/CONTRACTOR
RUDY MARSHALL DBA ELITE MOBILE SERVICES (BUSINESS SERVICES), 914 LAFAYETTE AVE. 4, COLUMBUS
KENNETH JOHNSTON DBA DRIFTSIDE VENTURE, LLC, DBA DRIFTSIDE SELF STORAGE, 13540 N U.S. 31, EDINBURGH
ANTHONY R. BAKER DBA ARB SERVICES (JANITORIAL), 501 HOPE AVE., COLUMBUS DEBORAH K. WHEELER DBA MP WHEELIE INC. (MULTI-TASKING), 635 N. NATIONAL ROAD, COLUMBUS
Business Indicators for Bartholomew County
Sep 2015 Oct 2015
Nov 2015
Dec 2015
Labor Force % Chg from Year Ago
43,989 44,379 44,855 44,886 2.79% 2.39% 2.96% 3.42%
Employed % Chg from Year Ago
42,688 42,997 43,356 43,422 3.93% 3.52% 4.12% 4.44%
Unemployed % Chg from Year Ago
1,301 1,382 1,499 1,464 -24.45% -23.52% -22.25% -19.74%
Unemployment Rate 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.3 Chg from Year Ago -1.0 -1.1 -1.1 -0.9
— Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University
38 The Business Connection Spring 2016
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SPRING 2016 The Business Connection 39
We Believe You Can... … build on your success … get the equipment you need … move to a larger location Columbus Downtown 655 Third Street Columbus, Indiana 47201 812-418-5203
“I’m here to help you.”
Eric Baird
Community President
Columbus Rocky Ford 3501 Central Avenue Columbus, Indiana 47203 812-418-5220 Edinburgh 100 W. Main Cross Street Edinburgh, Indiana 46124 812-418-5230
40 The Business Connection Spring 2016