Business Lexington March 2014 by Smiley Pete Publishing

INSIDE

BizList: MBA Degrees Kentucky Institutions Ranked by MBA Program Enrollment PAGE 19 SMILEY PETE

GrammarGourmet

PUBLISHING

BusinessLexington

MARCH 2014 VOL. 10 ISSUE 3

www.businesslexington.com

Setting the course for UK

50 years of a sweet enterprise

University of Kentucky Provost Christine Riordan spurs campus conversation on how UK can meet the challenges facing higher education.

Old Kentucky Chocolates hits the half-century mark and keeps learning with experience.

PAGE 16

PAGE 11

BREAKING UP “SOUL MATE” HARD TO DO PAGE 4

BookReview NOT READY TO BOW OUT OF THE JOB MARKET? CONSIDER AN ENCORE PAGE 6

FaceToFace BCTC’S MARK MANUEL ON TRAINING THE 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE PAGE 8

Independent Business HOW DID YOU NAME YOUR BUSINESS?

New-Age Arena

PAGE 18

$310 million Rupp redesign relocates and expands convention center, but questions of financing still loom

PAGE 20

BusinessLeads AN INDEX OF RECENT BUILDING PERMITS, REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS, LOANS, BIDS AND NEW BUSINESS LICENSES

Who’sWho

The re-imagined Rupp Arena, as shown in this rendering of a view from Triangle Park, features a new steel-and-glass skin for the building and plaza space leading to the facility. PHOTO FURNISHED BY NBBJ + EOP

EMPLOYMENT NEWS AND AWARDS FROM AROUND THE BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY PAGE 22

O R N E

W O N LL

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MARCH 2014

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Business Lexington

BestoftheWeb

Chuck Creacy

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED AT BIZLEX.COM

PUBLISHER

chuck@bizlex.com Chris Eddie PUBLISHER

chris@bizlex.com Erik A. Carlson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

erik@bizlex.com Susan Baniak FEATURES EDITOR

susan@bizlex.com Drew Purcell ART DIRECTOR

Code for America fellows get to work on Lexington issues Three fellows from Code for America who have been assigned to spend the next 10 months helping Lexington better use data and technology are getting a feel for the needs of the area.

drew@bizlex.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Amy Eddie amy@bizlex.com Linda Hinchcliffe linda@bizlex.com Steve O’Bryan steve@bizlex.com

The group will spend some time in Lexington and the rest of the time together at Code for America’s headquarters in San Francisco, where they can collaborate with the other fellows to best utilize the skill sets they each possess.

Ann Staton ann@bizlex.com Carmen Hemesath carmen@bizlex.com EVENTS/SPONSORSHIPS

Robbie Morgan

EVENT COORDINATOR

rmorgan@bizlex.com

434 Old Vine Street or P.O. Box 22731 Lexington, KY 40522-2731 Phone (859) 266-6537 Fax (859) 255-0672 www.smileypete.com

Japan-based Funai Electric to open R&D subsidiary in Lexington, bringing 50 jobs Japan-based global electronics firm Funai Electric Co., Ltd., will open a subsidiary, Funai Lexington Technology Corporation, on Lexington’s Lexmark International campus in April, bringing up to 50 jobs to the area with an average annual salary of $100,000. Funai acquired Lexmark’s inkjet technology assets in April 2013, including 1,000 patents and a manufacturing facility in the Philippines.

The company has been a design and contract manufacturer for Lexmark International since 1997.

West Sixth installs new brewing line that nearly triples capacity West Sixth Brewing have announced the addition of a third canned beer to the market, and major expansion that will nearly triple the company’s brewing capacity. According to co-owner Ben Self, the four co-owners of the north side brewery and taproom began discussing expansion plans over the summer. “We didn’t really want to have people working, brewing all night; we didn’t really want to have people brewing over the weekends either. We got to a point to where we couldn’t brew anymore in the time constraints that we wanted to do it in, so this new system will allow us to brew in the same amount of time we could do one 15 barrel batch now we can do 40 barrels,” Self said. Cans of the new beer, Lemongrass American Wheat, should be available in March. BL

Lansdowne Shoppes 3373 Tates Creek Rd. bluegrasshospitality.com

Organizations In This Issue AccessHERize! Ag Development Board American Farmland Trust Bluegrass Community and Technical College Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement Cengage Publishing Central Bank Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurant Clark County Fiscal Court Clark County Public Schools eCampus.com EOP Architects Fayette County Public Schools Future Farmers of America Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy Graze Market and Café Kentucky Department of Agriculture Kentucky High School Athletic Association Lava Security Solutions

18 9 10 7, 8 8 14 11 14 7 7 14 12, 13 15 10 9 18 9, 10 13 18

Magee’s Bakery NBBJ Old Kentucky Chocolates Omega Services Rally’s Hamburgers Rupp Arena Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers Smiley Pete Publishing The Blinds Man The Lansdowne Shoppes The Lexington Center

16 12, 13 16, 17 18 14 12, 13 18 18 18 16 12, 13, 16, 18 Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky 8 University of Denver 11 University of Kentucky 9, 11, 13, 14 University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment 9 VisitLex 12, 13

18 12 4 12, 13 10 9 18 18 17 18 18 18 10, 12, 13 16, 17 16 10 10 7 18

Kozanecki, Tami Leedy, Ed Leedy, Kelly Mankin, Robert Manley, Bruce Manuel, Mark McElwaine, Andrew Montgomery, Matt Rice, Brent Riordan, Christine Shelton, Tom Silberman, Stu Soult, Allison Springsteen, Bruce Stofer, Cooper Thomas, Dave Torrealba, Laurentia Wilkinson, Gov. Wallace Woodrum, Kim Wright, Mary

People In This Issue Bayes, Shelia Bell, Larry Beshear, Gov. Steve Browder, Jim Comer, Commissioner James Cox, Nancy Creacy, Chuck De Villiers, Craig Dinstuhl, Gary Eddie, Chris Ferrito, Mark Forbes, George Gray, Mayor Jim Hurt, Don Hurt, Pam Jones, Libby Jones, Gov. Brereton Kindred, Mike Kozanecki, Larry

People and organizations included on the Who’s Who and BizList pages do not appear in these indices.

Jennifer Burchett Private Dining Director (859) 335-6500 jenniferb@bhglex.com

18 18 18 12 7 8 10 14 12, 13 9, 11 15 14 14 13 18 14 18 14 14 15

MARCH 2014

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GrammarGourmet

2013 a record year for state exports By Staff

Breaking Up ‘Soul Mate’ Hard to Do By Neil Chethik

money woes and parenting problems and illnesses in the family. They outlive tragedy. They go seasons without sex. Some even fall out of love for awhile.

Words matter, not only in literature but in love. That’s why, as we move toward the wedding season, I am calling for a divorce — or at least a trial separation — between the words “soul” and “mate.”

The smartest thing I ever heard about relationships came from a woman who had lasted 30 years with her quirky husband. She recalled that on the eve of her wedding, she decided to make a list of 10 of her fiancé’s faults that, for the sake of their marriage, she would always overlook. She had decided that forgiveness was the most important dynamic between soul mates.

Who hasn't heard an excited person say, after several weeks of dating: “I’ve found my soul mate.” The person really means to say: “I am utterly infatuated with this stranger.” But too often, infatuated people believe they have found the one person in the world who they were meant to be with, and they apply the phrase soul mate to this inspired connection. Reality check: According to all available evidence, a soul-mate relationship is not something you find in a moment, or even develop over a few months. Quick marriages usually end quickly. A soul mate is something you gain over years, even decades, of being in a not-always-soulstirring relationship. Yes, soul mates share chemistry and eye contact. But they also persist through

When the woman was asked which of her husband’s faults she had listed, she replied, “You know, I never did get around to listing them. Instead, every time he does something that makes me mad, I simply say to myself, ‘Lucky for him, that's one of the 10.’” BL Neil Chethik, aka the Grammar Gourmet, is executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning (www.carnegiecenterlex.org). Contact Chethik at neil@carnegiecenterlex.org or (859) 254-4175.

Are you talking to, not at, your customers?

For the third straight year, Kentucky’s exports set a new all-time annual record. 2013 set the mark of $25.3 billion in sales of Kentucky-made products and services, according to Gov. Steve Beshear’s office. The record represents a more than 14 percent growth in exports since 2012, the second highest increase in the country. By comparison, the average export growth rate nationwide was about 2 percent. In 2012, Kentucky’s exports totaled $22.1 billion. “The fact that we’ve shattered records three years in a row shows our export initiatives are working,” Beshear said in a release from his office. “Expanding markets by selling domestically and internationally is important to our business community, to our economy and to all Kentuckians. As a result of our hard work, demand for Kentucky products is growing at a rapid pace.” Leading Kentucky’s export growth is aerospace products [$5.6 billion], followed by motor vehicles and parts [$5.5 billion] and synthetic rubber and resin [$1.4 billion]. Among the state’s major industries, the export that accounted for the highest percentage increase in 2013 was glass, up nearly 71 percent from the previous year. Other industries to witness signiﬁcant gains include communications equipment, and audio and visual equipment.

In 2013, the commonwealth exported to 198 nations. Kentucky’s top trading partner once again is Canada, with $7.7 billion in products and services. Mexico [$1.9 billion], United Kingdom [$1.8 billion], China [$1.3 billion] and Brazil [$1.1 billion] round out the top ﬁve. Kentucky’s exports to Saudi Arabia jumped 381 percent. Nationally, Kentucky had the largest increase in exports to Saudi Arabia and is now that country’s 11th largest trade partner. The increase in exports to Saudi Arabia is attributable to motor vehicles [up from $38 million in 2012 to $610 million in 2013]. To further expand trade opportunities, Gov. Beshear will lead a Kentucky Export Initiative (KEI) trade mission to the United Kingdom in May. Exports with the United Kingdom were up more than 20 percent in 2013 with bilateral trade between Kentucky and the UK topping $3 billion. The trip will give Kentucky businesses the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings, build relationships to increase sales and explore one of Europe’s most established markets. KEI was created in late 2010 to better facilitate international trade opportunities for Kentucky businesses. Since the KEI’s establishment, Kentucky exports have grown by 25 percent. BL

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EconomicAnalysis A monthly look at economic indicators complied by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky. For more on CBER, visit www.cber.uky.edu.

PVAStatistics The latest statistics on local residential and commercial property compiled by the office of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator. The data reflects the most up-to-date information available at the time of printing for this publication, but monthly figures may be revised as additional public records of property transactions are submitted and become available.

Most Recent Data as of Feb.

1 mo. chg.

1 yr. chg.

RESIDENTIAL HOME SALES

Payroll employment MSA Manufacturing payroll employment MSA Unemployment Rate MSA

265,000 Dec. (p) 28,900 Dec. (p) 5.8% Dec. (p)

0.6% -0.3% -0.5

1.9% -1.4% -0.3

Residential home sales remained relatively stable in January, as compared to similar sales figures from January 2013.

Payroll employment US Manufacturing payroll employment US Unemployment Rate US

137,499,000.00 Jan. (p) 12,075,000.00 Jan. (p) 6.6% Jan.

0.08% 0.17% -0.1

1.65% 0.78% -1.3

Consumer Price Index, Southern Region Consumer Price Index, US Producer Price Index, US

227.08 Dec. 234.58 Dec. 198.20 Dec. (p)

0.12% 0.30% 0.41%

1.78% 1.49% 1.23%

NOVEMBER

99.4 Dec. (p) 101.8 Dec. (p)

0.1% 0.3%

N/A 3.7%

3-month treasury yield*** 10-year treasury yield***

0.04% Jan. 0.63% Jan.

-0.03 -0.11

-0.03 0.02

2nd qtr. 2013

1 qtr. chg.

1 yr. chg.

15,965.60

0.80%

2.74%

Real GDP (billion $)

MSA: Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area (p): Preliminary * Source: http://www.conference-board.org ** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release - http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/ *** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release - http://www.federalreserve.gov/Releases/H15/data.htm Note: In some cases 1 mo. and 1 yr. changes are based on revised data from previous mo./yr.

JANUARY

DECEMBER

400

300

200

(Includes single family, duplex and condo units)

100

2012 2013 2014

337

8.3% Index of Leading Indicators** Fed’s Index of Industrial Production**

323

306

59.7%

FROM JAN 2013

36.8%

FROM JAN 2013

3.3%

31.1%

FROM DEC 2013

229

280

FROM JAN 2013

56.7%

224

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS January 2014: 63 December 2013: 21 January 2013: 30

FROM DEC 2013

200% MEDIAN SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SALE PRICE

RESIDENTIAL FORECLOSURES

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

January 2014: $152,750 December 2013: $158,000 January 2013: $166,575

January 2014: 31 December 2013: 45 January 2013: 77

January 2014: 84 December 2013: 194 January 2013: 133

FROM DEC 2013

110% FROM JAN 2013

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Paul Sanders has been reviewing business-related books for BizLex since 2006. If you would like to recommend a book for possible review, please contact Paul Sanders at psanders@bestfoot forwardconsultations.com.

BookReview

Not ready to bow out of the job market? Consider an encore By Paul Sanders COLUMNIST: BUSINESS BOOK REVIEWS

t a concert, an encore is the additional music played at the conclusion of the performance in response to the demand by an audience. It’s time to applaud for a similar follow-up to traditional careers, says author and New York Times columnist Marci Alboher. And we should applaud loudly, she argues. In the workplace, the encore may well surpass the achievements of the original performance. The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life, suggests there is a new development — the encore years — between midlife and traditional retirement. With this change, concepts of retirement have been abandoned, supplanted by a second or third career. This encore career movement is reshaping the workforce, the author says. Rather than the drudgery of working longer in unlikeable positions, it has the potential to reshape our lives and build a better society. It can help people find meaning and purpose in their work during the second half of their lives. Alboher’s book is a primer on how to structure this new career. It is equal parts inspiration and practical “how to.” Along with the story of her own encore, she shares the experiences of dozens of people who have moved to encore careers in a variety of fields.

The result is a superb reference that is personal as well as practical. The author begins with a list of realitychecking questions. The first is the most asked: “Can I really make a living doing something I love?” That depends on what you love doing. If you love playing the ukulele and want to make a living at it, this could be more of a challenge than if you love fund-raising for a cause. “Bonus years don’t come with a prepaid gift card,” the author states. The current recession and the decline of pensions are among the motivation for developing an encore career that provides a continued income in later years. Other realities include factors such as age discrimination. Of the latter, the author is blunt: “Age discrimination is real. Many employers just don’t consider older people.” To counter this, she suggests making sure skills are up to par, particularly those dealing with technology. Also, creating a resume that emphasizes strengths as an adviser and mentor can be helpful. There is actually evidence showing that we are hardwired for big accomplishments as we get older. Neuroscience research shows that abilities such as empathy, connecting disparate ideas and solving complex problems improve with age. Going back to school or education in some form may be a necessity for an encore career.

The author suggests talking to people in the field about the skills needed for specific roles. Often, taking classes may be the way to discover what focus an individual wants to take. There is now a preponderance of highquality, often free, online courses, often referred to as open education or open source. Organizations, community colleges and universities offer such courses. Recently, MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) have been in the news. Top universities often offer these free online courses. The book includes an “Encore Hot List” of in-demand jobs for those looking for an encore career. It includes a description of jobs that include health care, education, social services and nonprofits, as well as average incomes for each. For those wanting to start a business, the section on encore entrepreneurs is particularly helpful. Social entrepreneurship, the use of entrepreneur techniques to achieve social change, is appealing to many — and big business. According to statistics, U.S. consumers are estimated to spend more than $220 billion on “goods and services related to health, the environment, social justice and sustainable living.” Encore entrepreneurs often have a different sense of risk as well as urgency. “When you’re young, you think about risks in terms of health, safety or financial aspects,” says David

Bornstein, a writer on social innovation. “As you age, you realize that the biggest risk is dying without having really expressed who you are.” That risk is one of the major factors driving the encore career movement. The encore career is living your legacy, rather than leaving one, Alboher says. More and more individuals are thinking in terms of an encore career that will help improve society or the world in some way. Whatever the reason, The Encore Career Handbook provides an excellent guide to start the journey. BL

The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life By Marci Alboher Workman Publishing Company, 2012

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BCTC partners with Clark County industry, education for associate’s degree program

By Rachel Gilliam

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

usiness and industry leaders in Clark County are working with educators to better prepare students for future careers and to ensure a skilled workforce and support the Winchester Industrial Park. The 1+1 Program is a partnership among Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Clark County Public Schools, Clark County Fiscal Court and local businesses to create an associate’s degree program in integrated engineering. Winchester BCTC Campus Director Bruce Manley said he met with executives from companies located in the Industrial Park — also home to BCTC’s Winchester campus — in November 2012 to see how the college could support them. From those meetings, Manley said, industry leaders expressed concern over finding employees skilled at industrial maintenance. Winchester-Clark County Industrial Development Authority Director Todd Denham said it is a common complaint throughout the region, and leaders were pleased to see BCTC taking a proactive approach to the problem. “They were trying to see how they could support industry. Obviously, education is always the biggest piece of that,” Denham said. The first group of 1+1 students will begin classes in August. Students begin as juniors or seniors at Clark County’s George Rogers Clark High School, taking dual credit classes at the local Area Technology Center. Students are charged a $50 administrative fee for the class, paid to the college, and there are spots for up to 32 students. ATC Principal Mike Kindred said only about 16 students are expected in the first year. The second year, students will begin taking classes at BCTC’s Winchester and Leestown campuses. The Bluegrass Workforce Investment Board is providing scholarships for seniors who have successfully completed the firstyear curriculum to finish their associate’s degrees. “It’s a group effort. We’re all pitching in,” Manley said. A total of $180,000 has been raised to fund the program by the Clark County Fiscal Court, BCTC, and through a gala fundraiser. The Clark County Board of Education is picking up the tab on the instructor for the program’s inaugural year. The initial investment will be primarily used to purchase equipment for the ATC.

“It’s something we’re always going to be able to offer, expand and grow. These students are coming out debt-free with a high-wage skill that’s in high demand.”

After the equipment is installed, Kindred said he hopes to use it to expand course offerings there beyond the 1+1 curriculum. Courses include circuitry, computer-aided drafting, blueprint reading, calculus and algebra. During the second year, students also will be given an internship at a local industrial business, a stepping-stone toward future employment. “It’s something we’re always going to be able to offer, expand and grow,” Kindred said.

“These students are coming out debt-free with a high-wage skill that’s in high demand.” Eventually, Manley said BCTC hopes to open the program to non-traditional students and existing employees. “One of the big messages this sends [is] if you let us know your needs, we’ll work together to get them met,” Manley said. The next goal is to share program information with students and their parents. “We need to get parents on board, to talk

See the world in a new way. Why settle for local when you can go global? The Cabinet for Economic Development, along with its Kentucky Export Initiative partners, wants to

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help your company achieve its full potential in the international marketplace. That’s why we’re now accepting applications for grants made possible

Exporting has already proven its value in helping Kentucky companies grow their capacity, increase productivity and diversify their customer

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out more about the STEP program under the “assistance” section at www.kyexports.com.

For more information visit ThinkKentucky.com or call 800-626-2930. Facebook.com/ThinkKentucky

MIKE KINDRED AREA TECHNOLOGY CENTER PRINCIPAL

to their kids about this option as a career,” Manley said. After completing the associate’s degree, students have the option of completing a bachelor’s degree at Eastern Kentucky University or Morehead State University, which offers an online program. “They’re looking at six-figure incomes possibly,” Manley said. “The possibilities are there. ... It shows we’re trying to be there for our industry.” BL

Twitter.com/ThinkKentucky

Cabinet for Economic Development

MARCH 2014

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FaceToFace Training the21st century workforce By Erik A. Carlson BUSINESS LEXINGTON

fter multiple budget cycles looking to get a planned advanced manufacturing training center in Georgetown funded, Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) officials applauded Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposed allotment of $24 million to build the facility. But that doesn’t mean they are considering it a done deal. “Until the 11th hour, nobody knows what’s going to come out of the budget,” said Mark Manuel, BCTC’s vice president of workforce and institutional development, about the facility, which has been requested previously. The push for the center has been bolstered by the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement (BEAM). The Georgetown facility would serve to train future employees of existing and hopedfor manufacturers in the area that BEAM — led by Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer — has identified as a key aspect of a 21st century economy in the commonwealth. “The Georgetown building is wonderful, because that’s an economic driver around BEAM and manufacturing, which is still the largest segment around Kentucky,” Manuel said. If built, the building would serve as a direct pipeline for high-demand workers.

Workforce Training

While those in programs at the facility, which has been operating on a small scale on the campus of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, would eventually be hired by companies like Toyota, their suppliers and other manufacturers, Manuel said the skills being taught are not a substitute for the specific training an employer would do. “We’re doing baseline skills that they could take anywhere, not just to Toyota,” he said. “In fact, [in] the program we have there now, which will be moved into that new facility if it’s funded, we’ve got 12 different manufacturers working there, and they’re all sponsoring students or giving them internships.” The program, like many others within BCTC, is meant as much to give a lift to the current workforce as it is to educate the future one.

Economic Bellwether Enrollment at the school can be viewed as a bellwether for the economy at large, Manuel said. “If you’re going to bet on the economy, you ought to watch what our enrollments are,” Manuel said. “Our best year was probably the worst year of the economy, because people

About Mark Manuel Age: 49 Hometown: Martinsburg, WVa. Education: bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from West Virginia University and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. Title: vice president of workforce and institutional development at BCTC Previous Title: director, community and economic development at BCTC

aren’t finding jobs [and need a boost in their skills], or Mom and Dad [can’t afford] a fouryear [college] this year. Then when the economy gets better — and this has happened across the country, it isn’t just us — community college enrollment tends to go down,” he said. One aspect that has remained constant is a shrinking budget allocation for operations at the college.

“We’re doing baseline skills that they could take anywhere, not just to Toyota.” Getting past being everything to everyone “Higher ed has not taken the cuts that everybody else has. There are agencies that have taken really bad cuts, and we haven’t been cut nearly as bad,” he said. “Part of that’s healthy, because we have to look at ourselves and say, ‘Maybe we shouldn’t be doing some of the things we’re doing,’ because a community college tends to want to be everything to everybody.” In addition, while the governor has proposed allocating money to build the new facility in Georgetown, no money has been proposed to operate it, as has been the case with capital projects around the state in recent years. “Getting that building with nothing to run it on and getting the 2.5 percent budget cut means we have to look around and say, ‘What don’t we do to make that work?’” Manuel said. But Manuel admits that might not be the worst thing for the school to do. “It means we have to move resources around to do that, and it probably means another community will not have that [type of program], and we’ll have to centralize things. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just something you’ve got to do to make it work,” he said. “What’s the old saying: Necessity is the mother of all invention. So we’ll figure a way of doing it.” BL

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New UK dean looks to capitalize on agriculture’s opportunities for economic development By Tim Thornberry CONTRIBUTING WRITER

fter leading the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment through one of the most transitional periods in recent agriculture history, Scott Smith announced late last year that he would be leaving his post as dean of the college at the end of 2013. As one might expect, replacing a dean like Smith is not the easiest of tasks, but UK was prepared in a way, having one of the most respected figures in agriculture education already on staff. The announcement came from UK Provost Christine Riordan in November that Nancy Cox, the associate dean of research in the college, would take over, starting Jan. 1, while Smith continued at the university as a faculty member. Cox had served as associate dean since 2001, when she came to UK from Mississippi State University. While there, she was a regular faculty member with experience in research and some extension until about the mid ’90s, when she started into the administrative path. “That opened a world, for me, of an appreciation of ag research and all the things we do for the states we live in when we are a land grant university,” said Cox. “Also a great appreciation for the extension part of our house that is so committed to every community. It’s part of, really, the brain trust of leadership in every county in Kentucky.” With all the information and services the extension service offers, Cox said she often hears it is the best well-kept secret about the university. “All College of Agriculture people tend to [think], ‘Let’s get it done and let’s not talk about ourselves,’ but we’re trying to do a better job of getting our message out about the relevancy of what we do,” she said. “Extension does do so much more than ag production. It does economic development. It partners with health care. It is getting a prominent role in the local food movement that may also have the effect of building the ag economy even further, as we capitalize on that.” From a research standpoint, UK has taken great strides in its efforts to climb the ladder among the top research universities in the country. Cox said the College of Agriculture has certainly played a part in that. “When you think about the College of Ag research program, we do a lot that you see and is applied research, such as irrigation on corn and soybeans, but we do a lot that you don’t see, [like] research, maybe on basic molecular processes of a plant or animal,” she said. “But we have researchers who do the more benchtype lab research who are very prominent in their field.” In that research vein, Cox noted that external funding has been tripled in the past several years.

“We are credible in the national and international science worlds, and I think that was one of the big components when we started talking about being a top-20 research institution,” she said. “Ag is usually about second in terms of grant awards at the university — second to medicine.” In terms of the overall health of the agriculture industry in Kentucky, Cox said it has been an amazing transformation to watch and be a part of over the past 10 or 12 years. “There are so many factors that have aided in the diversification of the ag economy. The university is one, and we have certainly tried to discover new ways for row crops and new crops to grow, but you also have an amazing group of agriculture partners in the state,” she said. “The Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy and the Ag Development Board have had untold effect on this diversification of the economy. The Farm Bureau has supported us, so we are very fortunate in Kentucky that all of our ag leadership pulls together. It’s a good situation for us.” Cox added that the administration of the university has been instrumental in keeping the college on the forefront of agriculture leadership, but the extension agents across the state that are on the ground, delivering programs, and the scientists who are discovering new technologies and testing them first are most important. “Couple that with the kind of students we produce, who are the workforce for agriculture, and we have a total commitment to Kentucky,” she said. Cox noted how important it is to continue research on the state’s many crops, including the traditional ones, such as tobacco, corn and soybeans, and the not-so-traditional, such as switchgrass, chia and miscanthus. She also emphasized the importance of animal agriculture in the state, noting that she has spent her career as an animal scientist and Kentucky is a great animal agriculture state. And no conversation with Cox would be complete without the mention of Kentucky’s storied horse industry. She said that while the Thoroughbred industry is at the heart and soul of the state’s identity as the “Horse Capital of the World,” the show- and sport-horse industry is a big part of the entire equine picture as well. She also called Kentucky the “Horse Health Capital of the World,” because of the great facilities at the university and the outstanding vet clinics in the state. While the state has enjoyed an agriculture industry that has remained strong, bringing in $5 billion in ag cash receipts for the year, Cox said she thinks it can grow more, especially as more and more consumers turn to local foods. “It [agriculture] is not traditionally thought of as economic development in a manufacturing sense, but we think of it as economic development in a very fundamental sense,” she said. BL

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PHOTO BY AMY EDDIE

Nancy Cox, dean of the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

MARCH 2014

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Keeping American farms growing New national conference on farm practices, land use and food policy to be held in Lexington in October By Tim Thornberry CONTRIBUTING WRITER

first-ever national conference focused on farming, land use and food policy is coming to Kentucky in the fall. Agriculture Commissioner James Comer gathered with former Gov. and first lady Brereton and Libby Jones, officials of American Farmland Trust [AFT] and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray in the Capitol in early February to make the announcement about the Farmland, Food and Livable Community Conference, coming to Lexington on Oct. 20-22. “One of the challenges that we have in agriculture is the average age of the farmer continues to increase, so we try to inspire a new generation of farmers in Kentucky through our work with 4-H, FFA and our schools that have agriculture programs, both high school and postsecondary education,” Comer said during the announcement. “We also are trying to fight hunger in this state, so we are working very closely with the food banks and different associations to provide surplus farm commodities to those in need who suffer from hunger. We are also trying to preserve and protect farmland for the next generation.” This new conference will focus on these issues. Comer noted that an acre of farmland is lost to development every minute, a con-

cern that the former first couple has worked on since their days at the Capitol. Brereton Jones said people are coming together now to focus on this problem. “This became quite obvious some years ago, and there’s nothing more important than to be able to have the food that is prepared, grown and is available, that we all need,” he said. “To be a part of this is very special.” Libby Jones, an AFT board member, said the conference combines discussions about agriculture at the ground level and land-use policy with innovative strategies for growers and farmers and regard for the importance of

“We need every inch of our good, protected farmland in America to be producing for Americans and the world. This gives Kentucky a chance to have an even greater leadership role in discussions of agriculture.” LIBBY JONES AMERICAN FARM TRUST BOARD MEMBER

American security and a self-sustaining national food supply. “We need every inch of our good, protected farmland in America to be producing for Americans and the world,” she said. “This gives Kentucky a chance to have an even greater leadership role in discussions of agriculture.” Libby Jones also said that the AFT began its relationship with state government in Kentucky during the Jones administration. “They provided excellent technical assistance and valuable support, which led to the establishment of several public and private farmland protection entities,” she said. “Since then, these groups have permanently protected more than 70,000 acres across the commonwealth.” Mayor Jim Gray said the news of the conference being held in Lexington is extraordinary and the involvement in protecting, preserving and having an insight for the future of the farm economy is something that has really grown in Fayette County. He added that today, roughly two-thirds of the county is still rural because of its history of land preservation. Andrew McElwaine, president and CEO of AFT, made the official announcement and told the gathering his organization was created 33 years ago to help protect farmland, to promote best practices in conservation in the agriculture community and to help keep farmers on the land. “We face great challenges in doing that,” he said. “United States farmland and Ken-

tucky farmland are among the most productive on earth — in fact, the most productive. For every acre we lose, according to the USDA, it takes a minimum of an acre and a half to two acres elsewhere on earth to replace that productivity.” McElwaine added that most of that land would come out of rainforests and highly erodible soils in very fragile places, creating significant environmental damage. “Keeping American farmers on the land and keeping them productive are in the best interest of all of the world. This summit will begin to address that,” he said. “This is the first time a national conference will bring together these diverse interests to comprehensively address the 21st-century challenges of agriculture. The conference will encourage greater understanding and collaboration to support agricultural viability and vibrant community food systems.” According to information from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the conference programs will address four principal themes: ensuring high quality farmland is available and affordable for agriculture; supporting agricultural viability and a fair and just food system; creating opportunities for the next generation of farmers; and addressing emerging issues for women in agriculture. The conference will also include a number of workshops, farm tours, a banquet featuring local foods and a Kentucky Proud reception, which will open the conference. For more information on the conference, visit: www.farmland.org. BL

New lighting. Lower energy use. $16,000 rebate. Game. Set. Match. Joanne Wallen, Club Manager, Lexington Tennis Club

It takes a lot to illuminate the Lexington Tennis Club. In order to maximize efficiency and reduce energy usage, they redesigned their lighting system and switched to energy-efficient fixtures. After all the improvements, the Club received a $16,000 rebate from KU’s Commercial Rebate Program, and has saved as much as $2,000 in one month on their energy bill. To see how your small business can apply for up to $50,000 in rebates per facility per year, visit lge-ku.com/rebate.

MARCH 2014

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Provost Riordan engages campus and community to set the six-year course for UK

PHOTOS BY SARAH JANE SANDERS

University of Kentucky Provost Christine Riordan has spent her first seven months in Lexington focusing on the university's strategy for the future.

By Susan Baniak BUSINESS LEXINGTON

hen University of Kentucky provost Christine Riordan sets open office hours to discuss where UK should be headed, it doesn’t take long for the time slots to fill up. There’s been no shortage of interest in the topic of the university’s strategic direction, Riordan said, and she has spent much of her first seven months on campus encouraging that kind of community dialogue. After taking over as provost in July, Riordan’s first order of business has been the development of the university’s six-year strategic plan, intended to guide UK through the year 2020. With shrinking public funding, increasing competition and rising cost pressures, the challenges for the higher education industry are mounting, she said, and she hopes to involve as many voices as possible in setting the best course for Kentucky’s flagship university. “We are facing unprecedented times in higher education,” Riordan said. “I always feel lucky to have smart people sitting around the table to help problem solve and think about what we need to be doing going forward.” As provost, Riordan is charged with balancing the expansive needs of UK’s academic operations for its 16 colleges and 29,000 fulland part-time students, including the library system, graduate education, enrollment management, information technology, student support services and institutional effectiveness. She previously served as dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver in Colorado, which rose in its rankings among top business schools under her leadership. She and her team at Daniels were also credited with initiating a fund-raising system that raised more than $14 million annually in corporate and private donations and increased the college’s endowment from $70 million in 2008 to more than $110 million in 2013. Riordan’s leadership ability and her strong communication skills were cited in her being selected for the provost position last spring, and both skill sets have come into play quickly in the current strategic planning process, which the university has dubbed “see tomorrow.” Information on the initiative can be found on the website www/uky.edu/ strategic-plan/. In December, after completing a fall “lis-

tening tour” to gather input and answer the questions of faculty, staff and students across the campus, Riordan formed 11 workteams to address separate aspects of the developing plan. As their first assignment, the teams were asked to analyze current trends in the field of higher education and identify the 10 most significant to the University of Kentucky’s future. Their reports are expected to be released to the public in February. “The next piece is really where we start crafting our shared vision and determining what our opportunities are as we write this next chapter for the University of Kentucky,” Riordan said. With that shared vision completed, the teams will then turn to the development of action plans that the university can execute starting in July, along with metrics and scorecards that can be used to measure progress along the way. Riordan said the plan is targeted for completion in April, after which the community will have the opportunity to offer further feedback to help in consolidating and refining the final draft before it is presented to UK’s board in June. “It’s a very aggressive timeline,”Riordan said. “I like to tell people it’s a six-year plan, so we don’t have to solve every problem in year one.” At the same time, the university is currently introducing a new financial model that will allow the colleges to be more aware and involved in the university’s budget process, Riordan said. The new model will tie funding for the university’s colleges more closely to their income and improve overall transparency in how the university’s finances are handled, Riordan said. “This year has really been an educational year and a bridge year [in terms of the new budget model],” Riordan said. “We won’t turn the financial model live until next July [2015].” Educating faculty and staff on the university’s budget process has become increasingly important as states like Kentucky have been forced to tighten their pursestrings over the last decade. “One of the trends that we have had nationally is the retraction of state funding for higher education, and it’s impacting us as well,” Riordan said. In past years, the business model for higher education didn’t receive as much attention beyond university administration, because of the substantial support received from

state government. That isn’t the case anymore, Riordan said. She pointed out that Kentucky’s state appropriations of $284 million for higher education in 2013 is the same dollar amount that was allocated in 2003. “If we just adjust that for inflation, then it’s a 24 percent reduction in terms of the actual state support, because a dollar today doesn’t buy what it did back in 2003,” Riordan said. And with an additional 2.5 percent cut for the state’s university system proposed in Gov. Beshear’s budget for next year, Riordan said, universities like UK have to focus more on their business operations and look to more creative solutions, such as UK’s partnership with developer EdR in the construction of new residence halls. At the same time, Riordan said, the governor’s allocation of funding to the state’s Bucks for Brains program would provide a welcome boost to UK’s continuing research mission. Riordan noted that as of 2013, the university had 219 endowed professorships and chairs from the Bucks for Brains programs, and 45 additional endowed chairs funded through private donations. Also under Beshear’s proposed budget, UK is looking to gain approval to issue roughly $385 million in agency bonds, to be

repaid by the university, for multiple building projects, including $160 million for an expansion of the Student Center, Riordan said. UK received board approval at the end of January to move into the design phase on the Student Center project. While Riordan has met with some community leaders since arriving in Lexington and is currently serving on the advisory board for Central Bank, she said her responsibilities on campus have kept her from getting out into the community as much as she would like, but she hopes to change that in the coming months. Riordan has assigned a strategic plan workgroup to examine UK’s impact on the community, including UK’s relationship with the corporate community. She has also initiated conversations with UK’s Institute for Workplace Innovation (iWin) on the development of focus groups to help the university engage more effectively with the local and regional corporate community. “When we move forward, it’s all about partnerships — with the state, with companies, with the community,” Riordan said. “UK is all about community, in many cases, and people always like to be a part of writing the next chapter. The more we can facilitate that, the better off we are.” BL

MARCH 2014

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The proposed redesign of Rupp Arena would create extra concourse space inside the nearly 40-year-old building. A second concourse would be added to service those sitting in the upper bowl. PHOTO FURNISHED BY NBBJ + EOP

PHOTO FURNISHED BY NBBJ + EOP

Moving the Lexington Center's convention facilities to the rear of the arena would allow for a new plaza space to be created adjacent to Triangle Park, to include retail, dining options, an LED screen and direct entry into the arena.

New-Age Arena $310 million Rupp redesign relocates and expands convention center, but questions of financing still loom

By Erik A. Carlson

BUSINESS LEXINGTON

he month of March will see Lexington proponents fighting in Frankfort to retain — if not gain on — the $65 million Gov. Steve Beshear allotted in his proposed budget to “reinvent” Rupp Arena and the adjacent convention center, the Lexington Center. Currently akin to a corrugated steel box, plans for the redesigned Rupp Arena would encase the existing bowl — the stands and court — with a new glass and steel structure, while moving convention spaces to the rear of the building. A new plaza would be created between the Hyatt Regency and the arena in space that is currently wide corridors for entry to the arena and convention space, in an effort to, as Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said, “free Rupp.” The design calls for an increase in convention space that currently sits on the north and east sides of the arena and would be reconstructed on the west and northwest walls of the structure, including a transparent view to the concourses of the arena.

“The bones of Rupp Arena are very good,” said architect Robert Mankin, a partner with the firm NBBJ. “The bowl has this incredible space and this incredible presence about it, and we’ve wanted to keep that as we’ve developed the design. But we’ve also wanted to introduce modern amenities that you find in arenas today.” In addition to what the mayor’s administration says are much-needed updates to the arena, the $310 million project will birth a new convention experience for the city, adding 44 percent more space. Currently the Lexington Center’s exhibition space is 66,000 square feet, according to Mankin, the face of the architects working on the Rupp project. The new exhibition space, which will be 100,000 square feet, will be built onto the back of Rupp Arena between High and Main streets toward Jefferson. Meanwhile, a new ballroom and meeting spaces totaling 53,000 square feet will be placed along Main Street to replace their 40,000-squarefoot predecessors, currently in use. The plan to both add space and open

Rupp to the street would require divorcing the convention space from adjacent hotels. The Hyatt Regency is the most closely connected hotel, as the lobby leads directly to the Lexington Center’s High Street entryway. Across Broadway, the Hilton currently connects through two different pedways: one that leads to the Hyatt via the Central Bank building and another that connects through the former Festival Market Building and the Square [the recently rebranded Victorian Square]. “It’s all images. They’re interesting and exciting, and let’s see what’s behind all of those images,” said Larry Bell, general manager of the 366-guestroom Hyatt, when asked about the recently unveiled design. Bell, who also served in the same role across the street at what was then a Radisson-branded hotel, said he was looking forward to learning more about the project before commenting. The effect that the extra distance and the construction itself would have on the Hyatt Regency and 367-room Hilton Lexington/Downtown across Broadway is something Jim Browder of VisitLex, the city’s

convention and visitors bureau, said remains to be seen. “I know there is an intent in the design on their part to ensure connectivity and adjacency to the hotels, but I haven’t seen all the details yet,” Browder said of the designs from NBBJ in collaboration with local firm EOP Architects. “We haven’t gotten any feedback yet from the hotel-side as far as any potential cancellations or anything like that,” he said. “I think a lot of them are waiting for this [unveiling] to talk directly with the convention center, because obviously the hotels aren’t going anywhere — it’s the convention center space. I think we need timelines, but now, since we’re at this place, they can work on timelines with us.” But dealing with construction, Browder said, is nothing new to hotel professionals. Both the Hyatt and Hilton have undergone major renovations in the past few years, and dealing with work near them is something he is confident they can overcome. “When you work for a hotel or a convention center, there are going to be disruptions,

so it’s just a matter of figuring out how we can work around them and move forward,” he said. At the very least, Browder said it is good Lexington has gotten to a point where the idea of a new convention center and a renovated Rupp Arena has gone from the abstract to the concrete. “Now we can make some progress on seeing what we have to do,” he said. “There were just too many loose ends that they had to work around for us to be able to give any direction to this point.” Gray, too, said he was glad to get to the point where years of discussion — dating back to a plan that his predecessor Jim Newberry rolled out to build a new arena in the Lexington Center’s High Street parking lot — has gone from concept to actionable design. “We’ve taken the themes that emerged in the master plan and taken those themes and now put them into this very real and tangible and achievable design,” Gray told Business Lexington. “This is more than just concept. This has been worked through the programming and

the planning details, the operational issues. That’s why it’s encouraging to be at this place,” Gray said about the plan, which included all the intricacies that a major event space would need, such as loading docks for both the arena and exhibition space. Lexington Center board chairman Brent Rice, who also chaired the Rupp Arena Arts and Entertainment District Task Force, said this new design would help attract more events and major concerts to Rupp Arena. While explaining the importance of the annual Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s March Madness event to the arena, Rice joked KHSAA “sells this out five times a year; Bruce Springsteen can’t do that.” That same day, Springsteen announced a 15-stop tour that included Cincinnati, Nashville and Columbus, a city Gray and Rice have cited as an ideal example for Lexington in terms of a successful district being borne from an arena. When asked about the redone Rupp’s ability to attract the type of concerts it used to when it opened in the late ’70s, Rice said, “There’s no question. One of our strategic fi-

nancial partners is Live Nation, the biggest concert promoters in the world; they own Ticketmaster. Very early on, they told us ‘Here’s your problem,’” he said, in reference to the fan experience to those who would attend major concerts at Rupp. “Elton John doesn’t come here anymore — name them all. The reason they don’t come here anymore is we don’t have modern amenities. We don’t have chairs for the upper-arena seats,” Rice said. All of this can be completed in time for the 2017 season of UK basketball, Gray and Rice said, if the $65 million proposed by Gov. Beshear is maintained in the final budget to be passed by the legislature before they adjourn on or before April 15. If that occurs, construction could begin during the first quarter of 2015. How the final $245 million of the proposed project would be paid for remains to be seen. “We have not been sitting idle at all, dealing with this financing plan,” Rice said. “We’ve had conversations with our legislature, we’ve had many conversations with [KHSAA], the

University of Kentucky, as well as the convention and visitors bureau and members of Urban County Council … We will continue to do that. We have been working on a long-term lease with the University of Kentucky. “That lease, it will define UK’s contribution of this project,” Rice said. After it is complete, Rice promised a “specific” financial plan. Some items that would be figured into that plan include tax increment financing and “naming rights, more concerts, events, more conventions, meetings and the development of 20 acres that is a tremendous asset that the city has on High Street,” Rice said. “Although we have not made a decision yet about naming opportunities,” Rice said, “it’s the last thing we want to do. And we know ‘Rupp’ will always be part of this name.” But now that the design is complete, an accurate figure can be determined. “What we have today is a bona fide plan, and we know what it’s going to cost,” Gray said. “We’re within striking distance of this project materializing.” BL

MARCH 2014

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eCampus.com approaches 15th anniversary

Despite dot-com bust and alleged early corruption, online textbook company shows resolve and success By Dan Dickson CONTRIBUTING WRITER

n 1999, his 90 brick-and-mortar college bookstores were a financial success, but Wallace Wilkinson envisioned a system of online textbook sales to college students as a way to make even more profits. So Wilkinson launched eCampus.com. Unfortunately, the endeavor didn’t turn out exactly the way Wilkinson wanted it to. Kentucky governor from 1987 to 1991, Wilkinson had rounded up a band of dot-com investors, among them Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, and James Patterson, founder of Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurants and Rally’s Hamburgers. “Wallace started it with outside investors of $91 million. He controlled the company,” said Matt Montgomery, current president and CEO of eCampus.com, in a recent interview. “It was a great idea to sell textbooks online. There were some other people hinting about doing it then, but eCampus was the first to sell used books online.” And then, said Montgomery, “Wallace ran off with our money.” In 2001, a group of Wilkinson’s creditors sued him. In federal court, Wilkinson was accused of running a Ponzi scheme, allegedly collecting millions of dollars from investors in

a variety of his ventures so he could attempt to re-pay his many creditors. A little more than a year later, Wilkinson died. Montgomery had joined eCampus.com at its inception. He had previously been vice president of operations for Cengage Publishing, the nation’s second largest textbook publisher. “The truth is, when I found out that the ex-governor and Dave Thomas were starting this business, I thought I was going to get ‘dot-com rich’ and dropped everything and moved down here [from Indiana],” Montgomery said. In the midst of Wilkinson’s financial troubles, eCampus.com entered bankruptcy to sort out its affairs. Yet Montgomery hung on, firmly believing in the online textbookselling model. Not long after, eCampus.com emerged from bankruptcy. “We really had to do that to clear out the old ownership,” said Montgomery. “The website never went down. We never stopped shipping to customers. It was really the best thing that could have happened. We then became extremely profitable over the years.” This summer marks the 15th anniversary of eCampus.com, the online textbook business that endured such a rough initiation. If you were a college student in 1999,

there was usually only one place to buy textbooks and that was your college bookstore. “So eCampus.com really gave students the first alternative to shopping around for textbooks,” said Montgomery. “Selling textbooks on college campuses was a monopoly. Students were paying full list price. We were the first alternative out there for college students.” Operated somewhat like Amazon.com, eCampus has a centrally located textbook distribution center on Palumbo Drive in Lexington. Montgomery calls it one of the most automated dot-com distribution centers in the country. While eCampus sells new and used textbooks nationwide, most of its sales are in New York, California, Texas and Florida. “We can send textbooks to 75 percent of the U.S. population in two days and the rest of the country within three days, all by UPS ground,” he said. Students around Lexington can also walk into the distribution center to obtain books in person, if they prefer. For example, a student hunting for Communication in Our Lives, a textbook offered by publisher Cengage Learning, has several options. He or she can buy the book new or used, rent it or download it as an etextbook. “We have a full digital e-textbook library at eCampus with all major textbooks,” said Montgomery, who adds that the most expensive option for students is buying a book

new; the cheapest is renting it. With annual sales of $60 million, eCampus has about 150 employees. Half are technicians like programmers, hardware engineers and Web administrators. The rest are a combination of full- and part-time workers who get the books out. The company hires temps during rush times; many return every year, and a lot of them are college students. In addition, eCampus employs virtual “bookstore managers” who handle accounts for schools that list the textbooks needed for their courses with eCampus. “You shut your physical bookstore down and send your students to us because they’re already going to the Internet,” Montgomery said. “It’s hard for bookstores to make money now. The problem with college bookstores is the books.” Montgomery said college bookstores make great gift shops and coffee shops but aren’t an efficient way to get books into the hands of students. “Most students visit campus bookstores for one week in August and one week in January, and the rest of the time the stores aren’t busy,” he said. Montgomery said the textbook market and the Internet have changed dramatically. “It’s a testimony to the people of eCampus.com, who are innovative and nimble,” Montgomery said. “Our in-house programmers are troopers and go wherever the market is going. Our motto is ‘Adapt or Die.’” BL

UK chemistry class draws 7,500 students, shows draw of massive change By Dan Dickson CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he class is Advanced Chemistry. It’s not an “in seat” class, but one offered online through the University of Kentucky and an education company called Coursera. There’s nothing new with that; colleges and universities offer thousands of classes online. But the difference with this class is that it has more than 7,500 students around the state, the nation and, possibly, the world. The free 10-week massive online open course, or MOOC, started Jan. 27. The course is designed to prepare students for the rigors of college chemistry, whether they’re in high school or already in college and anticipating taking chemistry. The course presents such areas of chemistry as kinetics, equilibrium, thermodynamics and more. Students should have had some background in chemistry before taking the class, which is considered the equivalent of a high school Advanced Placement course. So who is participating? “We’re not certain yet. When they signed up, they didn’t have to give us any information about themselves,” said Kim Woodrum, senior lecturer in chemistry at UK, who along with fellow lecturer Allison Soult, teaches the class. “But we’ve done a survey of 350 of them, and most indicated they’re high school students.” Woodrum hopes most of the students are from the United States, with a good sprinkling of Kentuckians in the mix. This MOOC is not a live course, but prerecorded. “Students watch it at any time and at whatever pace they want,” Woodrum said.

After passing a final exam, students may receive a certificate of completion. There is no college credit awarded. Most MOOCs offered by Coursera do not cater to high school students or college students prepping to take more difficult subjects. UK’s course fills a niche identified by Coursera. Other MOOCs offered through Coursera come from such prominent universities as Yale, Princeton, Duke, Stanford, Columbia and some foreign schools such as the University of London and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. MOOCs have a fan in Stu Silberman, executive director of the Prichard Committee, the nonprofit group that works to improve education in Kentucky. Silberman is former superintendent of Fayette County and Daviess County school systems and, ironically, taught high school chemistry himself. “Look at the learner today and how they learn. If they have a question about anything, they go online and research it from the comfort of their own home. MOOCs are one way to fill that niche,” said Silberman. “It’s the way of the future, and it’s now. It needs to be taken down to the high school level. I’ve been an advocate of them taking online courses before they graduate. It’s the way some of our kids learn best. So having this option in Kentucky is the way to go.” Silberman also advocates students gathering credits from a variety of colleges and universities, not just the one or two they may attend in person. “The technology is available,” he said. “We haven’t even seen all the models that will eventually appear.” Some envision the day when a student may take individual courses from dozens of

universities worldwide and cobble together credits for a bachelor’s or master’s degree. They could take the courses from the best institutions available rather than just the few to which they could travel. Silberman said Kentucky must also improve its broadband access to help rural citizens gain access to educational opportunities. “I hope the MOOCs will be a big springboard to ensuring that all Kentuckians have good access to broadband,” he added. MOOCs are not perfect. A former Stanford University professor and inventor kicked off the MOOC rush with an online artificial intelligence course with 160,000-plus students. Now he has expressed a few reservations, acknowledging complaints that the human element, beyond the streamed lectures, is missing from most courses. The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education did a survey of millions of MOOC users last year and discovered that, on average, only about half of those signed up for a class ever watched a lecture. Only about 4 percent finished their classes. San Jose State University was dismayed at the poll results. The chair of the philosophy department commented: “The people who do well in these kinds of courses are people who are already studious.” Woodrum said

MOOCs won’t mark the end of higher education as we know it. She added that she may be prejudiced because of her age but doesn’t think “technology is the be-all and end-all of everything.” “I think it’s a resource,” she said. “Personally, I prefer to be in the presence of the learner, and watch the light bulb go on.” BL

MARCH 2014

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FCPS construction a boon for more than construction jobs By Dan Dickson CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ayette County Public Schools began an ambitious program of renovating and constructing new elementary, middle and high schools right when other industries were scaling back due to a sagging economy, near the end of the last decade. Since 2008, 15 new construction or renovation projects have been completed at various elementary, middle and high schools. Another eight will be completed in either 2014 or 2015. The latest construction boom will include the school districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sixth traditional high school, to be located at 1970 Winchester Road between Patchen Wilkes Drive and Sir Barton Way on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s east side. In addition to the groundbreaking for the new high school in 2015, the district will also begin construction of two new elementary schools: one at Passage Mound Way, east of I75, and the other in the Georgetown Roadâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spurr Road area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very excited to design and bring a new high school onboard, something that we know has been needed for a long time,â&#x20AC;? said Mary Wright, chief operating officer for Fayette County Public Schools. One of Wrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibilities is to oversee facility design and construction in the district. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been making a positive impact on the economy in Lexington,â&#x20AC;? Wright said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but think that the activity we had [during the recession] provided lots of opportunities for people to work in the construction industry. This has come since the community

allowed us to collect an extra nickel [per $100 of assessed property valuation] for construction and renovation at our facilities.â&#x20AC;? The yet-unnamed new high school will have the greatest economic impact. The construction phase is expected to begin in the early summer of 2015. The district anticipates 24 months of building that will end in the summer of 2017, in time to open for the start of the 2017-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18 school year. The total construction cost for the high school will be about $55 million, according to Wright. Add to that such things as land acquisition, surveying, design fees and outfitting the new building and athletic facilities and grounds, and the total bill reaches $75 million. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the total high school project worth that much, it is good economically,â&#x20AC;? said Tom Shelton, superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools. In addition to the two years of construction work, home values near the new high

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been making a positive impact on the economy in Lexington. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but think that the activity we had [during the recession] provided lots of opportunities for people to work in the construction industry.â&#x20AC;? MARY WRIGHT CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR FAYETTE COUNTY SCHOOLS

school are expected to rise. More new home construction could follow, as could additional commercial development. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know [the high school] will promote growth around it, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting because we believe education and economic development are one and the same,â&#x20AC;? Shelton said. In addition to its busy schedule of renovations and new construction, Fayette County Public Schools is the second largest employer in the county, after the University of Kentucky. FCPS has not yet closed on the proposed high school property, which is about the same size (49 acres) as the Dunbar High School campus, the latest entirely new traditional high school added by FCPS. Planners did an overlay of the campuses of Paul Laurence Dunbar and also Bryan Station High School [which itself opened a newly constructed building in 2007] over the planned new site to make certain there would be enough space for athletic fields and a stadium, as well as the required square footage for the new building. Selecting the site was tricky, Wright said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are not a lot of 50-acre tracts of land available within the Urban Services Boundary,â&#x20AC;? she said. Wright said efforts will be made to lower the carbon footprint of the new high school, but it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a LEED-certified [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] building. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will certainly incorporate the sustainable features we feel we can get our money back on,â&#x20AC;? Wright said. As for why this particular site was chosen, school officials took into consideration where student enrollment growth was hap-

pening and looked at the present schools and their capacities. Henry Clay High School is the most overcrowded, Wright said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know we will have to realign our student assignments. It will be a countywide redistricting. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll shift kids around in every school,â&#x20AC;? Wright explained. The district is planning for up to 2,000 students in the new high school, but it is hoped that enrollment will start out at 1,600 to 1,800 students, with room to grow. FCPS has a total of 10,358 students enrolled in its current five high schools. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very excited that the new high school is finally becoming a reality,â&#x20AC;? Shelton said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has been especially needed because of student growth in the district. Each incoming high school class has been larger than the exiting senior class, so some high schools are over capacity.â&#x20AC;? With the school district having to wait three-plus years for the new high school to open, how it will cope will be important. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Between our technical schools expanding, our new program at Locust Trace [agriscience farm] and our existing high schools, we should be able to manage during that time,â&#x20AC;? Shelton said. Next, Fayette County Schools will be looking for property to buy for its STEAM Academy. STEAM is the acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and math. It is a blended high school, which means it serves students from across the district, and works in partnership with the University of Kentucky. The program is temporarily housed in the former Johnson Elementary School on East Sixth Street. BL

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MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

PHOTOS BY SARAH JANE SANDERS

Pam and Don Hurt pose in the Southland Drive location and factory of Old Kentucky Chocolates. Don Hurt started in the baking business 50 years ago and eventually sold the Frankfort and Lexington McGee's Bakery locations to focus on confections.

Old Kentucky Chocolates celebrates 50 years of sweet enterprise By Luke E. Saladin CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he month of February is always a busy time for Don Hurt, owner of Lexington-based Old Kentucky Chocolates. After a short respite following the company’s busiest season — the Christmas holiday — February brings the single busiest day of the year, Valentine’s Day, as well as frantic preparations for yet another chocolate-laden holiday, Easter. But this year the normal February frenzy was tempered by a celebratory milestone, as Hurt and Old Kentucky Chocolates celebrated its 50th anniversary on Feb. 17. “I was 27 years old when I started the business. It’s hard to believe it has been that long,” said Hurt, who employs a staff of about 33 people at his factory and candy store on Southland Drive. Hurt said today Old Kentucky Chocolates makes about 200 tons of chocolate each year. He also sells candies at two additional stores: one downtown at the Lexington Center and another at the Lansdowne Shoppes on Tates Creek Road. Select items can also be

purchased through the company’s website, oldkycandy.com. Hurt came to the candy business by accident, beginning with his service in the Army Reserve in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Hurt was initially assigned duties as a cook and eventually specialized in baking for large groups in the military. When he was discharged, he decided he wanted to open a bakery and purchased Magee’s Bakery in Frankfort, Ky. He began operating the bakery on Feb. 17, 1964, making his first candies in the back of the bakery in order to provide a less ephemeral type of inventory. “The problem with running a bakery is that you really need to immediately sell everything you make, because good bakery items don’t have a very long shelf life,” Hurt said. “With candy, you could store it a little bit longer, which made it very appealing. You could make things a month ahead of time, and it still tasted good when people purchased it.” Hurt started out making a variety of candies, including “a lot of peanut brittle,” but he didn’t begin making chocolates until a few years later, when he received word that a

candy-making operation in Evansville, Ind., had gone out of business. He purchased the company’s chocolate-making machinery at a discount. Soon after, Hurt bought the Magee’s Bakery location in Lexington and moved his candy operations there. In the years that followed, the candy division of the business grew and required more of Hurt’s time. “In the late 1970s, I decided to sell my portion of the bakery business and just concentrate on the candy,” Hurt said. “That is what we’ve been doing ever since.” The business moved several times before arriving at its current location at 450 Southland Drive. Old Kentucky Chocolates makes about 20 different kinds of candies, including assorted chocolates, bourbon candies, fruit cakes and pulled creams, which are made with a formula he purchased from Col. Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame. The fruitcakes and bourbon candies sold at Old Kentucky Chocolates are all made with Jim Beam bourbon. The stores also sell non-chocolate candies made by other companies, as well as gift

Chocolate-covered strawberries were in such demand that the company ran continuous 24hour shifts for two days leading up to Valentine's Day to ensure a plentiful and fresh supply.

sets and other products. In addition, Old Kentucky sells fundraising candy bars to schools and various civic groups. Hurt estimates they’ve sold roughly 2 million fundraising candy bars since they started making them. About 10 years ago, Hurt had the idea of selling potato chips covered in chocolate, but the product didn’t sell that well. Then a few years ago, he added some sea salt to give the candy a sweet and salty contrast. Today, it is one of the company’s top sellers. “Probably the hardest thing to do in this business is to come up with new ideas,” Hurt said. “It’s amazing that just a little change like that can make all the difference in the world.” Gary Dinstuhl, a confectionery consultant with Old Kentucky Chocolates, said that like many thriving small businesses, Old Kentucky Chocolates found success by providing a niche that larger competitors are either unable or unwilling to provide. Along with the chocolate-covered potato chip, the two most popular items at Old Kentucky Chocolates — other than the fundraising candy bars — are the chocolate-covered strawberries and grapes, due in large part to the high quality and freshness of the fruits that were used. Both items are sold immediately after they are made, and the boxes in which they are sold recommend eating them within 24 hours. The chocolate-covered strawberries are such a popular Valentine’s Day gift that the company ran continuous 24-hour shifts two days before the holiday to ensure an adequate supply, Dinstuhl said. “There is an old saying here that you never meet the giant nose to nose, and I can tell you, we aren’t going to go head to head with Godiva or one of the other big chocolate makers,” Dinstuhl said. “But with us you know that when you buy a box of chocolate-cov-

MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Gary Dinstuhl, confectionery consultant, ran his own morethan-a-centuryold family chocolate company near Memphis, Tenn., until he sold it a few years ago and teamed up with Old Kentucky Chocolates. By offering a fresher product made in Lexington with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, candy businesses like Old Kentucky fill a niche that larger competitors can't, Dinstuhl said.

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PHOTOS BY SARAH JANE SANDERS

7 to 11 PM—Friday, February 28, 2014 Red Mile Clubhouse:

200 Red Mile Road, Lexington

Guest Band: Mercy Men Cajun Food by Bayou Bluegrass Catering $100 per Ticket | $175 Per Couple

For Ɵckets and informaƟon: 859.246.4313 | www.lexingtoncasa.com

eredgrapes or strawberries, they will never be more than 48 hours old and they were made right here in Lexington. We strive for quality over volume.” Dinstuhl said that, whenever possible, Old Kentucky’s ingredients are purchased from local suppliers and farms, including the strawberries. Dinstuhl estimates that the chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes and potato chips account for about 30 percent of all sales at Old Kentucky Chocolates. Dinstuhl, himself a fourth-generation confectioner, came to Old Kentucky Chocolates a few years ago after selling a similarsized chocolate and candy operation outside of Memphis. The business had been in his family since 1902, but since none of his children expressed an interest in taking over, he decided to sell the business and work as a consultant for a large chocolate company, which required a lot of travel. “This operation is very similar to the way my family business operated,” Dinstuhl said. “We have a small group of people who work really well together and enjoy what they are doing. It was great to have the opportunity to come to a place like Lexington and work at a place like this again.” Dinstuhl said he hopes to stick around another 10 years or so he can help Hurt groom an eventual successor to run the business. Hurt and his wife don’t have any children, but he does have several nieces and nephews whom he hopes may be interested in running the business someday. In the meantime, Hurt said he is more than happy to continue running the business a bit longer. “Go out in our store and you’re going to see a lot of smiling faces,” he said. “To know you were able to do that, to make somebody feel happy, is about the best feeling in the world.” BL

Upcoming Sessions March 13, 2014 Music from Small Batch and Summer Smoke; food from Fork in the Road.

April 10, 2014 Music from Emily Hagihara (solo) and Palisades; food from Pi Pizza Company.

May 8, 2014 Music from Coralee and the Townies and Switchmen; food from Fork in the Road.

All lounges sesssions are FREE and for all ages 6-9 p.m. Smiley Pete Publishing 434 Old Vine St. Lexington, Ky www.tadoo.com For more information on how your business can get involved with the tadoo lounge, please contact Robbie Morgan at rmorgan@smileypete.com.

SPONSORED BY Find something tadoo.

MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

The Keeneland Library IndependentBusiness Duplicate Book Sale How did you name at the keeneland your business? entertainment center By Kathie Stamps

march 6-8

COLUMNIST: INDEPENDENT BUSINESS

oming up with the name for a company is one of the easiest aspects of business ownership — or is it? Sure, there are plenty of people who go with the tried-and-true tactic of using the founders’ surnames — Disney, Lipton, Gillette and Anheuser-Busch come to mind — but sometimes entrepreneurs want to be a little more creative. Take the owners of Business Lexington’s parent company, for example. Chuck Creacy and Chris Eddie named Smiley Pete Publishing after a nomadic Lexington dog of the 1940s named Smiley Pete. Here are four other stories of how Central Kentucky business names came to be.

AccessHERize! www.AccessherizeMe.com

Discover duplicate books, journals and memorabilia from the Keeneland Library’s collection, including:

Located on New Circle Road in the Woodhill Shopping Center between Stein Mart and HomeGoods, AccessHERize! is an independent store owned by Ed and Kelly Leedy. They opened the 1,600-square-foot shop in May 2012 to sell classic and trendy fashion accessories, apparel, jewelry and handbags. “I wanted a name that would convey immediately what we sell and also who our customer is: women,” said Kelly Leedy. “And so I just came up with a little play on words. I deliberately put the exclamation mark at the end, as I really want women to enjoy the power of accessorizing, to create fabulous looks and have fun with it.”

s 0OPULAR TITLES FROM MANY GENRES s 2ARE BOOKS FROM TH TH AND TH CENTURIES s ,ARGE SETS SUCH AS THE !MERICAN 3TUD "OOKS s )NTERNATIONAL STALLION REGISTERS AND STUD BOOKS s VOLUMES AND SINGLE MAGAZINE ISSUES

The Blinds Man www.TheBlindsMan.net Owned by Tami and Larry Kozanecki, the Blinds Man on Southland Drive provides measurement, fabrication and installation for blinds, shutters and shades, as well as window treatment repair and interior design consultation. Tami Kozanecki has been working with

All purchases must be made in-person at the sale. No pre-sales available.

At the Keeneland Entertainment Center March 6, FROM 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 7-8, FROM 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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“We get a lot of jokes made about blinds man versus blind man, but no real problems. We also have a lot of customers who come in and ask for the blind man, as we more often than not only have women in the showroom.” LARRY KOZANECKI OWNER, THE BLINDS MAN

fabrics for about 30 years. Her husband, Larry, was an installation manager for Lowe’s before the couple purchased Omega Services from George Forbes in March 2004. They renamed the business soon after, when one day Larry Kozanecki went to install blinds in a home, and a little boy answered the door. “He yelled back to his mom, ‘The blinds man is here,’ and the name was born,” Larry Kozanecki said. “We get a lot of jokes made about blinds man versus blind man, but no real problems. We also have a lot of customers who come in and ask for the blind man, as we more often than not only have women in the showroom.” “We think the name helps us more than hurts, though,” Tami Kozanecki said, “because when someone asks who they should call about their blinds, someone will more than likely say ‘Call the blinds man,’ so they search for ‘the blinds man,’ and we come up first in the Google searches.”

Graze Market and Café www.GrazeLex.com Founded in October 2013 by Laurentia Torrealba and chef Craig De Villiers, Graze Market and Cafe is in Winchester, Ky., right on the Fayette/Clark county line. The restaurant is known for “farm to fork” cuisine served as lunch specials and dinner entrées, including local bison burgers, lamb curries, lamb chops and Brookview beef rib-eye with pepper cream sauce. “Graze encompasses everything we stand for: fresh and natural,” Torrealba said. “We are local, and so is everything we do. We have a huge focus on local Kentucky Proud products. We focus on working with local farmers to showcase the best Kentucky has to offer. All of our meats are sourced within the county. Since most of our meats are all from grass-fed, pastured livestock production systems, ‘Graze’ was a natural fit.”

Lava Security Solutions www.lava-security.com Shelia Bayes, owner of the 20-year-old Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers in the Shops at Lexington Center, donned a second entrepreneurial hat when she joined forces with Cooper Stofer and Mark Ferrito in February 2013 to create Lava Security Solutions. Stofer and Ferrito also own Lava Systems, formerly known as Lexington Audio Video Advantage, or LAVA. Geared toward the smart home, Lava Security offers high-tech commercial and residential security, with apps for smartphones and text messages when alarms are activated. The company even has an appliance security plug for clients who need to turn off a curling iron remotely. “It's another set of eyes at your house when you're not there,” Bayes said. “I loved the acronym,” she said of the company name. “When I got involved, people said, ‘You're like hot lava; you take everything out of your path.’ It definitely gets people’s attention.” BL

MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

BizList

For questions regarding the BizList, please contact: Sharon Lee Metz at sharon@bizlex.com

MBA Programs Kentucky Institutions Ranked by MBA Program Enrollment Current Rank

Institution Name Address Phone Website

Enrollment

Application Deadline

Evening Classes

Weekend Classes

Online Classes

Sullivan University Louisville Campus 3101 Bardstown Rd. Louisville, KY 40205 502-456-6505 www.sullivan.edu

302

Applications accepted continuously

•

Murray State University Arthur J. Bauernfeind MBA Program 109 Business Building Murray, KY 42071 270-809-3011 www.murraystate.edu

270

Applications accepted continuously

•

University of Louisville College of Business Graduate Programs Office Louisville, KY 40292 502-852-6440 www.uoflmba.com

259

Entrepreneurship MBA - May 1 (priority) & July 1 ( final deadline); Full-time MBA - April 1 (priority) & June 1 ) final deadline); Professional MBA - July 1; Weekend MBA - December 1

•

University of Kentucky Gatton MBA Programs 145 Gatton College of Business & Economics Lexington, KY 40506-0034 859-257-1306 www.gattonmba.uky.edu

233

1-year program; domestic students, May 11; 1-year international students, Jan. 15; Evening program: KY domestic students, July 1; international students, March. 15

•

Bellarmine University Rubel School of Business 2001 Newburg Rd. Louisville, KY 40205 502-272-7200 www.bellarmine.edu/

185

Applications accepted continuously

•

Morehead State University Combs Building, Ste. 214 150 University Blvd. Morehead, KY 40351 606-783-2183 www.moreheadstate.edu/mba

172

Fall semester: Aug. 1, spring semester: Dec. 1, summer semester: April 15

Midway College 512 E. Stephens St. Midway, KY 40347 859-846-4421 www.midway.edu

118

Applications accepted continuously

Western Kentucky University Gordon Ford College of Business 1906 College Heights Blvd., Ste. 11056 Bowling Green, KY 42101 877-958-1622 www.wku.edu/mba

111

Applications accepted continuously

Northern Kentucky University Nunn Dr., BC 363 Highland Heights, KY 41099 859-572-5100 www.nku.edu • http://mba.nku.edu

Fall semester: June 1

Sullivan University Lexington Campus 2355 Harrodsburg Rd. Lexington, KY 40304 859-276-4357 www.sullivan.edu

University of the Cumberlands Hutton College of Business 7984 College Station Dr. Williamsburg, KY 40769 606-539-4293 www.ucumberlands.edu

13 14 15

•

Accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business*

Dr. Jay Marr (CEO)

•

Gerry Nkombo Muuka (Professor of Management & Associate Dean)

•

Carolyn Callahan (Dean of the College of Business)

•

Harvie Wilkinson (MBA Program Director); David Blackwell (Dean of Gatton College Business & Economics)

•

Daniel L. Bauer (Dean/MBA Director)

•

Keith Moore (Assistant Dean & MBA Program Director)

•

Dean/ Director

Jerry Wellman (MBA Adviser)

•

April Schleig (MBA Director & Adviser)

Hybrid *

•

Ned Jackson (MBA Program Director and faculty)

Appications accepted continuously

•

David Keene (Director)

Fall semester: Aug. 15

•

Campbellsville University 1 University Dr. Campbellsville, KY 42718 270-789-5553 www.campbellsville.edu/mba

Applications accepted continuously

Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Ave. Richmond, KY 40475 859-622-1775 www.mba.eku.edu

Fall semester: Aug. 5; spring semester: Dec. 15; summer semester: April 25

Indiana Wesleyan University Lexington Campus 2530 Sir Barton Way, Ste. 250 Lexington, KY 40509 859-519-3000 www.iwusuccess.edu

Continuous

Kentucky State University 400 East Main St. Frankfort, KY 40601 502-597-6000 www.kysu.edu

Fall semester: July 1; spring semester: Nov 15

Source: Business Lexington MBA Questionnaire; individual institutions representatives and websites. Footnote: * Hybrid: M.B.A. programs that mix online instruction with limited on-campus time

•

Vonda Moore (Director of MBA Programs)

•

Pat Cowherd (Dean) Rick Corum (Director)

•

Nikki Kowalski (MBA Director)

•

Carson Castlemen (Dean) Amanda Serafin (Director of Enrollment)

•

Tsehai Alemayehu (Dean, College of Business & Computer Science )

MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

BusinessLeads Bids For more bids, RFPs and quotes that did not fit the time window at presstime, visit http://lfucg.economicengine.com. LFUCG is seeking Bids for Green Acres/Hallow Creek Sanitary Replacement and Stream Rehabilitation. Contact 859-258-3320. Request No. 27-2014, deadline 3/6/14. LFUCG has issued a Request For Proposals for Detention Center Emery Performance Contracting Services. Contact 859-2583320. Request No. RFP1-2014, deadline 3/4/14. LFUCG has issued a Request For Proposals for LPA On-Street and Off-Street Parking Program. Contact 859-258-3320. Request No. RFP4-2014, deadline 3/7/14.

Conventions March 4-7 Kentucky School Counselors Association, 2014 Annual Conference at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa. 585 people expected.

March 6-9 82nd Airborne Division Association, 2014 Kentucky All-Airborne Days at the Campbell House. 100 people expected.

March 10-13 Vegetation Management Association of Kentucky, 2014 Annual Conference at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa. 375 people expected.

March 10-18 Road to the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park, 11,000 people expected.

March 11-17 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, IEEE SoutheastCon 2014 at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa. 900 people expected.

March 12-16 Institute of Biological Engineering, 2014 Annual Conference at the Hilton Lexington/Downtown. 400 people expected.

March 21-23 Barbershop Harmony Society, Cardinal District Spring 2014 Convention at the Campbell House. 800 people expected.

when available Auto Service Garage | 351 East Seventh Street, $350,000. Car Wash – Automatic | 1448 Leesown Road, $420,000. 3335 sq.ft., $126 per foot. Community Shopping Center | 3090 Helmsdale Place, $6,850,000. 32,960 sq.ft., $208 per foot. Greenhouse/Florist | 3913 Winchester Road, $405,000. Health Spa | 3001 Blake James Drive, $10,144,878. 39,260 sq.ft., $258 per foot. Health Spa | 1028 Wellington Way, $8,765,963. 46,567 sq.ft., $188 per foot. Neighborhood Shopping Center | 1501 Russell Cave Road, $1,000,000. 22,860 sq.ft., $44 per foot. Office Condo | 274 Southland Drive, Units A2 and C2. $122,000. Office Condo | 2387 Professional Heights Drive, Units 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 160, 180 and 190. $1,150,000. Office Condo | 2577 Regnecy Road, Unit 2. $340,000. 3,800 sq.ft., $89 per foot. Office Building | 181 West Lowry Lane, $527,500. 5,861 sq.ft., $90 per foot. Veterinary Clinic | 1230 Armstrong Mill Road, $500,000. 4,057 sq.ft., $123 per foot. Warehouse | 2269 Danforth Drive, 1,086,334. 29,740 sq.ft., $37 per foot.

Commercial Building Permits Brett Construction Co, remodel general business office, 395 Elaine Drive, Suite 120 (Hanger Inc), $51,800. Brett Construction Co, remodel restaurant, 1920 Pleasant Ridge Drive (Malone’s), $101,000. BC Wood Construction LLC, remodel restaurant, 1315 Winchester Road, Suite 325 (Dickey’s Barbecue Pit), $50,000. Watermark Restoration Inc, fire loss commercial, 4390 Clearwater Way, Building 8 (Grand Reserve Apartments), $125,000. Casey Creek Construction Inc, remodel general business office, 220 Lexington Green Circle, Suite 300 (Viamedia), $14,000. SC Contracting Inc, general business office, 3101 Richmond Road, Suite 311-B (Whitebox), $28,900.

March 27-31 Southeast Tourism Society, 2014 Spring Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Lexington. 500 people expected.Southeast Tourism Society, 2014 Spring Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Lexington. 500 people expected.

March 27-31 Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon at the Keeneland Racecourse, 6,000 people expected.

Commercial Real Estate Transfers Square footage and price per foot given

New Business Licenses Apprenticeship Training | Associated Builders, owned by John R Baylor, 1591 Winchester Rd., Ste. 125, 317-596-4950. Arborist | Certified Tree Care, LLC, owned by Sean Adams, 110 Tahoma Rd., 859-6846981. Attorney | Owned by David M Stout, 110 N Upper Street, 859-421-0599. Auto Repair & Service | Owned by Corey Ritter, 100 Mercer Ct., Suite 120, 859-252-2496. Auto Repair Service | Stuttgart Auto Service Inc, owned by Stephen A Waddle, 1305 W Main Street, 859-255-7424. Automotive Garage | Honest Johns LLC, owned by John B Foley Jr, 1011 Contract St., Ste. 30, 859-288-0308.

Automotive Service | Owned by Stephen Stoll, 419 South Mill St.,., 40508, 859-2543858. Barber Shop | Cuts On Lime Barbershop, owned by Foua D Froukh, 533 S Limestone Street. Barber Shop | Prince LLC, owned by Amir Shalash, 2573 Richmond Road, Suite 250, 859-299-2887. Buy/Sell Homes | Kentucky Property, owned by Pauline B Roaden, 1674 Bethlehem Rd., 859-429-0444. Car Dealership | Meriden Motors LLC, owned by Omar Meriden, 271 Gold Rush Road, 859494-1950. Child & Family Services | Brooklawn, Inc, owned by Mary-Kate Oleary, 1815 Nicholasville Road, 502-515-0409. Church | Jarez Missionary Baptist, owned by David Peoples, 3201 Toll Gate Rd., 740-5502793. Cleaning | Ultimate Cleaning, owned by Vivian Davis, 859-533-6565. Cleaning | Owned by Wilhoit, Sandra G, 232 Embassy Dr. Cleaning Service | Owned by Yvette M Newby, PO Box 11115, 859-270-4041. Cleaning Service | Lexington Cleaning, owned by Reyna Villaraus, 102 Daniel Dr, 859-492-6434. Clothing & Apparel | Bluegrass Apparel Inc, owned by Manan Bhatt, 548 Wellington Gardens Dr., 859-420-8558. Coffee Wholesaler | Shuffle Bean LLC, owned by James H Booth, Po Box 3274, 606-4320808. Communications-Site Modification | Pinnacle Wireless USA, owned by Rocco Romanella, 1777 Sentry Parkway West, 267-464-1700. Consultant | Bankruptcy Analytics, owned by Bradford L Cowgill, 209 E High Street, 859533-3732. Contractor | R&S Home Improvement LLC, owned by Rickey E Fields, 261 Rebel Rd., 859-270-4867. Contractor | Owned by David Shely, 333 Preston Ave. Contractors | Koble Contracting, Inc, owned by Doug Koble, 28 S Weston Rd., 937-4401717. Counseling | Owned by Phillip Vukovich, 4030 Tates Creek Rd., Apt. 1107, 843-3451174. Court Reporting/Captioning, | Sansom Reporting LLC, owned by Rhonda S Sansom, 3365 Blackford Parkway, 859-619-3624. CPA Firm | Young & Wadlington Pllc, owned by Gwendolyn B Young, 444 Lewis Hargett Circle, 859-475-1010. Demolition | Evans Landscaping Inc, owned by Doug Evans, 513-271-3119. Dental Assisting School | Dental Careers Institute, owned by Eric Hurtte, 3141 Beaumont Center Circle, Ste. 300, 636-487-8276. Design & Manufacturing | Microfluidic Mems, owned by Yimin Guan, 2201 Chesapeake Court, 859-223-7165. Drywall | Superior Drywall LLC, owned by James Townsend, 1468 Stamping Ground Rd., 859-368-1182. E Commerce Retail | Lila Ruby LLC, owned by Emily F Jenkins, 859-388-4346. Electrical | Owned by Kevin Goetz, 200 Shady Brook Drive, 606-669-0254. Electrical Contractor | Caskey Electric Co LLC, owned by Chris Caskey, 1200 S Broad-

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way, #201, 859-254-0048. Electrical Contractor | Owned by Terrence W Zwicker Sr, 5509 Hasbrook Drive, 502-4196294. Electrical Services | Bookman Electrical, owned by Robert Bookman, 3341 Lansdowne Drive, 859-576-4858. Electronic Cigarettes | Big Blue Vapor Ship LLC, owned by Ann Rodes Gautier, 1030 S Broadway, #1, 859-887-5379. Electronic Retail Distributor | Effiall, owned by Chi-Shau Justin Yang, 401 Redding Rd., #17, 859-904-9610. Excavating | Hager Excavating LLC, owned by Ed & Pat Hager, 713 N Main St., Suite 4, 859881-0200. Excavation-Heavy Construction | Foothills Contracting, owned by Anthony Frederick, 2485 Hwy. 460E, 606-743-4490. Farming | Owned by R Herman Playforth, 6105 Sulphur Well Road, 859-264-7704. Farrier Service | Owned by Douglas A Persons, 242 Clay Ave., 859-983-1783. Fast Food | Asian Cafe, owned by Xinhua Huang, 3120 Pimlico Pkwy., #184, Lexington, Ky., 859-271-1288. Fast Food | Heavenly Subs LLC, owned by Michael Schalk, 1423 A Leestown Rd., Lexington, Ky., 859-233-9592. Fence Supplier/Installer | Interstate Fence Supply, owned by Pam Reynolds, 2098 Indian Mound Drive, 859-498-3757. Finance & Banking | Citibank NA, 860-2914116. Food Sales Representative | Michaels And Associates, owned by Larry Brown, 5470 Executive Parkway SE, 616-803-7010. Fundraising | Myn LLC, owned by Laurel Rundlell, 333 W Vine Street, Ste. 1510, 859221-5440. Funeral Service | Superior Mortuary, 805 Contract Street, 812-256-2424. Gas Station | Nanak LLC, owned by Surjit Soundh, 790 E New Circle Rd. General Contractor | Owned by Douglas J Marshall, 502 Davistown Rd., 859-321-9305. General Contractor | EJH Construction, Inc, owned by Earl John Hale, Jr., 2716 Old Rose-

bud, Suite 201A, 248-478-1400. General Contractor | Hammering Nails, owned by James Mcclain, 3499 Ormond Circle, 859-329-1564. General Contractor | Koller And Warner, owned by Dewayne J Koller, 711 E Loudon Ave, 859-263-1500. General Contractor | Owned by Ryan Willis, 3339 Wood Valley Court, 504-906-7411. Golf Course Advertising | Golftek LLC, owned by Clint McKinley, 1256 Manchester St., 859759-4510. Hair Salon | Owned by Lisa R Benson, 366 Waller Ave., Suite 109, 859-967-3986. Handyman | Owned by Christopher Jones, 859-396-8110. Health And Wellness | Bodyyou LLC, owned by Lori Wood, 320 N Ashland Ave., 859-4553384. Health Care HMO | University Health Care, owned by David A Stanley, 5100 Commerce Crossings Dr., 502-585-8220. Health Insurance | Aetna Medicaid Administration, owned by Valerie Sideris, 860-2731383. Holding Company | One 23 Brands Management, owned by Tammar Racing II LLC, 1056 Wellington Way, Ste. 190, 859-977-3132. Holdings | Four Square Management LLC, owned by James White, 1608 Eastwood Ln., 859-269-5564. Home Repairs-Mortgage Field | Workman Home Repairs Inc, owned by Margaret Workman, 4504 Thornbridge Lane. Hotel | Leestown Hotel Association LLC, owned by Jamielynn Jackson, 125 Louie Place, 231-627-4873. HVAC | Air-Tech Mechanical, owned by Timothy Wilk, 7010 Ripple Road, 513-467-1444. HVAC | Climate Craft, owned by Calvin M Clark, 3399 Burkland Blvd., 502-955-5551. HVAC | Keltner Contracting, owned by Terry Keltner, 270-403-5444. Import/Export Food | Owned by Paulius Kazemekaitis, 120 E Main Street, 859-5369976. In Home Health Care | Independence Assistance, owned by Don Gash, 343 Waller Av-

enue, Ste. 309, 859-548-2260. Insurance Premium Tax | Willis Of Massachusetts, owned by Kirk Metcalf, Three Copley Place, 615-872-3000. Investment Holdings | Act Baldwin Limited, owned by T Stephens, 116 Suburban Ct. IT Int & Business Professional Services | Cgi Federal Inc, 11325 Random Hills Road, 703227-6000. IT Staffing | Compugain Holding, owned by Debasish Hota, 13241 Woodland Park Rd., 703-956-7500. Land | New Circle II LLC, owned by Prakash Maggan, 2240 Executive Drive, Ste. 201, 859368-0087. Lanscape Design/Installation | Owned by Isaac Marwil, 1201 Cooper Dr. #2, 859-5392665. Lawn Care | Mike Osbourn Lawn Care, owned by Mike Osbourn, 206 Bells Mill Road, 502-277-1020. Legal Service | Beiting Law Office LLC, owned by Kevin Beiting, 333 W Vine St., Ste. 300, 859-233-7516. Legal Service | Owned by Heather A Hadi, 1795 Alysheba Way, Ste. 3201, 859-6852194. Library/Archive | Carriage Museum, owned by Melinda Groff, 4089 Iron Works Pike, 859797-9364. Liquidation | Gold Mine, owned by Ajay Pahouja, 614-378-8308. Logistics | Hd Logistics, owned by William Holton IV, 859-552-4944. Magician | Owned by Terry Daley, 859-4206565. Manufacturing | Axalta Coating Sys LLC, owned by John Roesser, 215-255-4337. Manufacturing | Seventh District, owned by Mohammed Hamza, 801 Nandino Boulevard, 859-255-0714. Manufacturing Concrete | Irving Materials, Inc, owned by Michael Harmon, 8032 8032 North State Road, 502-456-6930. Massage Therapy | Owned by Debra J Dunbar, 2121 Richmond Rd., Ste. 225. Medical Laboratory | P&C Labs LLC, owned by Pathology & Cytology, 290 Big Run Road,

Jennifer Mossotti REALTOR®, CCIM

859.312.7683

jmossotti@demovellan.com

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MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

859-278-9513. Metal Recycling | Myder Metals Inc, owned by Charles J Snider, 3830 Thornwell Rd. Manufacturing/Distribution/Sales of Hand Power Tools | Stanley Industrial, owned by Joanna Sohovich, 1000 Stanley Drive, 860438-3344. Marketing/Sales | CDW LLC, owned by, 745 Sunny Slope Trace, 847-465-3817. Management/Financial Advising | Fink Management Svcs LLC, owned by Joseph L Fink 111, 2417 Regency Rd., Suite B, 859-2601820. Moving Services & Taxi Driver | Gentle Movers & Services, owned by Justin Woodward, 460 Hawkins Ave., 859-539-5896. Novelty Sex Toys | Treasure Of Pleasure, owned by Michael W Hadley, 617 High Street, Apt. #2, 859-539-7401. Online Apparel Retail/Wholesale | Cheata LLC, owned by Mary Helen Shashy, 4144 Tradition Way, 859-692-1214. Online Estate/Personal Property | Ebth.Com LLC, owned by Andrew Nielsen, 193 Kentucky Ave, 513-242-3284. Online Retail-Lamps | Launch Lamps LLC, owned by Todd E Stockwell, 861 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200, Lexington, Ky., 859-223-3400. Optical Store | Williams Roche Optician Corporation, owned by Delbert E Salyers, 153 Patchen Dr., Suite 1, 859-269-1866. Parking Facility | Big Blue Parking LLC, owned by New World Opportunity, 250 W Main Street, Ste. 3000, 859-253-0000. Patent Info | Entrepreneurial, owned by Monte Shaffer, 910 Beasley #210, 509-5927592. Pest Prevention & Food Safety | The Steritech Group Inc, owned by Rich Ennis, 7600 The Little Ave., 704-971-2431. Pet Sitting | Beaumont Pet Sitting, owned by Kristen Fowler, 2229 Carolina Lane, 859-5130162. Pizza Restaurant | Trophy Pizza 4 LLC, owned by Brad Redmon, 101 Sand Lake Dr., Ste. 110, 859-887-2945. Political Campaign | Matt Bevin For Senate, 10902 Brinley Ave., #201, 502-396-0989. Professional Employment Organization | Paychex Peo IV Inc, owned by Kevin H Hill, 727-556-2812. Promotional Products | Sky Blue Promotions, owned by Kathy Fagot, 1701 Headley Green, 651-206-0884.

Property Management | South Bay Property, owned by, 7911 Brewerton Road, 315-6986832. Property Preservation | Wilderness Trace, owned by John J Reynierson, 451 Bob O Link Dr, 859-421-0080. R&D And Consulting | Sciencetomorrow LLC, owned by Jyoti Agrawal, 145 Graham Ave., #A217, ASTECC, 877-203-7673. Real Estate Investment | Bluegrass Investment Property, owned by Ronald C Shepherd, 3070 Lakecrest Cir., Ste. 400-1, 859-321-6618. Real Estate/Property Management | Assurance Realty/Property Management, owned by Sandra Ann Wesley, 3320 Clays Mill Rd., Ste. 208, 859-229-6358. Real Estate | Buds Two Rivers LLC, owned by Joseph B Murphy Jr, 301 E Main St., Suite 800, 859-296-2300. Real Estate | Solar Eclipse LLC, owned by Butch Schroyer, 3600 Palomar Center Dr., 859-223-8866. Real Estate Broker | Crystal Towe Realty, LLC, owned by Crystal K Towe, 1101 Beaumont Centre Lane, #2710, 859-492-8861. Real Estate Development | Three Thousand LLC, owned by Ronnie W Turner, 2464 Fortune Drive, Ste. 100, 859-977-0820. Real Estate Investing | 1481 Anniston LLC, owned by Michael Rogers, 3705 Lady Di Lane, 859-552-6135. Real Estate Investing | 554 Jefferson Street LLC, owned by Michael C Rogers, 3705 Lady Di Lane, 859-552-6135. Realtor | Owned by Diana C Brooker, 604 S Broadway, 402-316-5233. Remodeling | CGW Remodeling, owned by Charles Gilmore Warren Sr, 859-227-9145. Rental Real Estate | She Properties LLC, owned by Virginia A Sullivan, 227 E High Street, 859-252-8436. Reptile Expo | Kentucky Reptile Expo, owned by Derrick J Burnett, 513-910-0900. Resale Retail | Owned by Joseph Rabchenuk, 79 Southport Drive, 859-806-7617. Restaurant | Invictus LLC, owned by Chad Colony, 2468 Nicholasville Rd., 859-9053993. Restaurant | Palomar Eggs, owned by Jay Hall, 3735 Palomar Center Drive, 859-4338153. Retail | Owned by Gretchen Gruenberg, 838 E High Street, Ste. 176, 502-553-5672.

Tailored Banking

Retail | Petra Designs LLC, owned by William T Mursterties, 4700 Boca Lane, 859-2216382. Retail Sales | Noble Rider LLC, owned by Dan Costa, 4335 N Star Way, 209-566-7816. Retail Sales | Buds Tn LLC, owned by Joseph B Murphy Jr, 301 E Main St., Suite 800, 859296-2300. Roofing | Madsky Roofing, owned by Christopher J Nussbeck, 421 West Main Street, 720-400-1948. Roofing Contractor | D Riney Roofing, owned by Darren Riney, 2203 Stannye Dr., 502-544-6202. Sales | Owned by Ronald Lee Morris II, 3873 Joshua Circle, 859-317-1280. Software Consulting | Owned by Michael Phelps, 669 Cindy Blair Way. Software Development | Givenhansco, Inc, owned by Michael Sanders, 848 Morrison Rd., 614-310-0060. Specialty Construction-Concrete | Dreamland Skateparks LLC, owned by Mark Scott, 503-577-9277. Staffing | Astrix Software Technology, owned by Richard Albert, 1721 Nicholasville Rd., Lexington, 631-807-8223. Steel Fabrication | Socor Enterprises Of Kentucky, owned by Edward M Salisbury, 859621-6269. Tax Service | Owned by Kenneth R Kring, 135 E New Circle Road, Ste. 120, 502-235-3256. Tax Service | Lex Tax LLC, owned by Charles Stamper, 3120 Pimlico Pkwy., #134, 859585-7653. Taxi Driver | Owned by Turner Ates, 2920 Argyle Dr. Taxi Driver | Owned by Hassan Hekmat Mistareehi, 4115 Victoria Way, 859-6080656. Taxi Driver | Owned by Mustafa Rawiothm Mohammad, 3338 Cove Lake Dr. Taxi Driver | Owned by Daniel Raymond Selbe Jr, 2500 Alumni Drive, #2206. Teacher | Arizona State University, owned by Jo Anne Wamsley, 480-965-0811. Telecommunications | Raelee Wireless, owned by Anthony Nichols, 4653 Astor Rd., 502-409-5727. Television Broadcasting | Sinclair Communications, owned by Sinclair Television Group, 836 Euclid Ave., Chevy Chase, 410-5681768. Throughbred Breeding/Racing | Calumet

American Founders Bank announces

Charlie Fox AVP, Community Relationship Officer

has moved to a new location. He will continue to deliver outstanding lending service to help AFB provide Tailored Banking solutions your business deserves.

Charlie Fox 859.367.3724 cfox@afbusa.com Lexington Main Financial Center 318 E. Main Street Lexington, KY 40507

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Farm LLC, owned by Chalybeate Trust, 3301 Versailles Road, 615-224-3099. Towing | City Towing Service, Inc, owned by Johnny Winchester, 573 Seattle Dr, 859-2789999. Tracy Otterness | Redi Insulation, LLC, owned by Tracy Otterness, 6194 S 300 West, 801266-4617. Travel Related Services | GBT US LLC, owned by Dylan Haverty-Stacke, 5749 Briar Rd., Bldg. 3, 602-537-5606. Used Auto Sales | Auto Masters Auto Sales, owned by Matt Powers, 400 E New Circle Road, 859-303-6441. Video Production | Advanced Video Services, owned by Mark S Casciu, 1110 N Broadway, Lexington, Ky., 859-255-1975. Wholesale Trade | PVH Wholesale, owned by Emanuel Chirico, 908-695-0050. Wood Building | Custom Wood LLC, owned by Mike Seaman, 1683 Cynthiana Rd., 859987-7267.

Commercial Loans Northwest Bldr Inc from Whitaker Bank Inc for $22,000. Waterwild Farm LLC from Farm Cr Mid America Pca for $30,596. Sjm Homes LLC from Bank Of Lex for $43,200. Garry Milton Real Est Inc from First Sec Bank Inc for $50,000. Kirk Lex Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $50,000. Geary Prop LLC from Peoples Exchange Bank for $52,700. 160 Moore LLC from Branch Banking & Tr Co for $53,750. Triton Holdings LLC from Mischner, S James for $54,000. Phillips LLC from Community Tr Bank Inc for $54,417. Claymont Inv LLC from Central Bank & Tr Co for $55,000. 2248 Dinsmore LLC from Town Square Bank Inc for $55,200. R & D Inv Prop LLC from Farmers Bank for $57,100. Garry Milton Real Est Inc from First Sec Bank Inc for $60,000.

Littrell Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $68,109. Littrell Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $68,303. Fayette Co Local Dev Corp from Community Tr Bank Inc for $69,000. Williams Ins & Fin LLC from Community Ventures Corp for $70,929. Hbh Enterprises LLC from South Central Bank Inc for $80,000. Providence Montessori School Inc from Fifth Third Bank for $87,500. 216 Inv LLC from Bank Of The Bluegrass for $95,000. Keys Inv LLC from First Sec Bank for $96,000. Leasing Solutions LLC from Bank Of Lex for $99,000. 166 Pasadena LLC from Branch Banking & Tr Co for $100,000. 2323 LLC from Branch Banking & Tr Co for $100,000. Katk Enterprises LLC from Commercial Bank for $100,000. First Down Prop LLC from Bank Of The Bluegrass for $106,335. Your Home Solutions LLC from Hm Home Solutions LLC for $109,000. Briggs Prop LLC from Bank Of Lex for $111,350. 2248 Dinsmore LLC from Town Square Bank Inc for $112,000. Barlow Homes LLC from Bank Of Ky Inc for $116,250. Atkins Homes LLC from Traditional Bank for $118,979. Will 4 LLC from Ohio Valley Fin Group for $122,000. Gdp Homes LLC from Peoples Exchange Bank for $124,666. P Anderson Prop LLC from United Bank & Tr Co for $125,819. Littrell Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $125,897. 554 Jefferson St., LLC from Traditional Bank for $135,200. Bluegrass Cottages Inc from Farmers Bank & Capital Tr Co for $135,500. Dgw Inv LLC from Community Ventures Corp for $136,895. Rehistoric Prop LLC from Your Comm Bank for $138,750. Bluegrass Cottages Inc from Farmers Bank & Capital Tr Co for $155,933. Shelby J Henley Tr from Bank Of The Bluegrass for $157,000.

Lexington Best Studios LLC from Community Tr Bank Inc for $160,000. Br Prop LLC from Russell, Betsy C for $170,000. Katk Enterprises LLC from Commercial Bank for $175,000. Gri 1 Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $182,500. Eirecon LLC from Bank Of Lex for $185,600. Falls Creek Bldg Co LLC from Central Bank & Tr Co for $199,900. Keeling Classic Homes LLC from Bank Of Lex for $205,600. Webb Beatty Homes LLC from Whitaker Bank Inc for $212,000. Van Meter Holdings LLC from Pnc Bank Na for $213,000. Dmc Prop LLC from Traditional Bank for $216,000. Anderson Homes for Rent LLC from Traditional Bank for $216,179. Ed Sarfo LLC from Peoples Exchange Bank for $217,600. Grifftown LLC from Traditional Bank for $217,623. Cundiff Real Est Inv LLC from Bank Of Lex for $224,000. Dgw Inv LLC from Traditional Bank for $225,000. M & M Prop Mgt LLC from Central Bank & Tr Co for $232,000. Fayette Co Local Dev Corp from Community Tr Bank Inc for $234,000. Blue Sky Parkway LLC from Central Bank & Tr Co for $235,000. Evergreen Prop Inc from Central Bank & Tr Co for $235,000. Savannah Lane Homes LLC from Traditional Bank for $250,000. Centenary United Methodist Ch Inc from Republic Bank & Tr Co for $250,000. Sjm Homes LLC from Bank Of Lex for $251,600. Van Meter Holdings LLC from Pnc Bank Na for $266,250. Alvin Haynes Trucking Co from Jpmorgan Chase Bank Na for $275,000. Haynes Real Est LLC from Jpmorgan Chase Bank Na for $275,000. fortune Business Ctr LLC from Nationwide Life Ins Co for $300,000. Flying Dutchman Prop LLC from Nichol, Bill for $300,000. Jrn Inc from Citizens First Bank for $300,000. BL

MARCH 2014

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Who’sWho

New Hires & Promotions

Anne Cockerham, PhD, CNM, WHNP-BC, has been named as the associate dean of midwifery and women’s health at Frontier Nursing University (FNU). Cockerham has served as course coordinator and FNU faculty member for four years, and she will also continue to serve in her recently appointed position as professor of history, where she devotes a portion of her time to preserving, recording and disseminating the university’s history. Lisa Chappell, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, has been named as the associate dean of family nursing at FNU. Chappell has served as an FNU course faculty, course coordinator and clinical bound team leader for five years. Julie Marfell has been named as FNU’s dean of nursing.

Will Craycraft has joined Enderle & Company as the firm’s newest CPA.

Blue & Co., LLC has announced that Nancy Hehr has joined the firm’s Lexington office as an accounting specialist. In the firm’s Louisville office, Scott Owens has been named as senior manager and Ryan Wells will serve as staff accountant.

Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP has announced that Alex L. Scutchfield has been named a partner in the Lexington office. He is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Service team.

Mountjoy Chilton Medley LLP has promoted Debbie Smith to partner in the MCM Lexington office.

Messer Construction Co. has announced the following new hires in Lexington: Brian Bowling as environmental health and safety manager; Rory Wysong as environmental health and safety en-

EMPLOYMENT NEWS AND AWARDS IN OUR COMMUNITY

gineer; Shane Derringer as staff accountant; Tyler Steigerwald as project engineer; and William Perkins as building systems engineer. Cecilia Shelton has been named branch manager for U.S. Bank's Lane Allen office. She was previously with U.S. Bank Home Mortgage. Alaina Stokes has joined Block + Lot as communications and marketing director. She previously served as research director for Commerce Lexington Economic Development. The Hamilton-Ryker Company has announced the addition of Ydaisa Gomez to its Lexington branch office as bi-lingual staffing coordinator. Tina Carbajal has joined the company’s Versailles, Ky., branch office as staffing coordinator. Central Bank has announced that Michael Williams has been promoted to assistant vice president, loan review. Ranee Leland has been promoted to vice president, corporate secretary, and Don Yaden has been promoted to vice president, Central Insurance Services. Donna Haney and Mark Hanks have each been promoted to vice president, and LeeAnn Layne has also been promoted to assistant vice president, loan review. Gray Construction has announced two promotions. Phil Seale has been named executive vice president, manufacturing/ food & beverage markets, and Brian Jones has been named vice president, Southeast regional office.

Board Announcements Louis Prichard, chief executive officer and president of Kentucky Bank, has been elected as

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treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Bankers Association for 2014. Being elected to this officer position places Prichard in rotation to assume the chairman’s seat in two years. The Kentucky Nonprofit Network, Inc., the state’s association of nonprofits, has announced the 2014 officers for the KNN Board of Directors. They include: Stu Silberman, executive director, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, as chair; Marian Guinn, CEO, God’s Pantry Food Bank,

RAINES

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as vice chair; Eileen O’Brien, attorney, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, as secretary; Steve Jennings, partner, Crowe Horwath LLP, as treasurer. Also joining the KNN Board of Directors this year is Russell Harper, senior director of State Government Affairs, Coventry Cares of Kentucky, a product of Aetna. Hospice of the Bluegrass has announced the following board officers for 2014: Chair Mark Nabity, Grayhawk, LLC; Vice Chair Eric Frankl, Blue Grass Airport; Treasurer Jen Shah, Dean Dorton Allen Ford, PLLC; and

Secretary Shannon Arvin, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC. New board members for 2014 include: David Brennen, University of Kentucky College of Law; Jenna Canning; and Jeff Raines, Raines, Buechel, Conley & Dusing, PLLC.

Committee Appointments Mark Burton, partner-in-charge of the Lexington office of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP has been named chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee. BL

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• Complimentary Rounds of Golf & Hotel Rooms

• And More

Contact Barbara Grosso, Sales Manager | 502.641.3810 | Barbara.Grosso@belterracasino.com