Business Lexington December 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

DECEMBER 2023 | VOL. 19 ISSUE 12

Top-Shelf Security: Lexington-based security company GuardLogic lands on the Inc. 5000 list PAGE 8

Accelerating Change: Venture capital firm Hunsicker fosters new companies that serve a greater good PAGE 12

Sweet Success Timeless recipes and a family-like atmosphere helped Sharp’s Candies thrive for a half-century PAGE 6

Sharp’s Candies owners Rob and Lisa Sharp, and Rob’s parents (and original shop owners) Becky and Bob Sharp. PHOTO BY EMILY GIANCARLO

Q&A with Jim Host: The hall-of-fame communicator on his game-changing career and civic involvement PAGE 18

BizLists Advertising Agencies PAGE 14 | Staffing Agencies PAGE 15

www.bizlex.com

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DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

BusinessLexington Chuck Creacy PUBLISHER

chuck@bizlex.com Chris Eddie PUBLISHER

CONTENTS PVAStatistics

The latest statistics on local residential properties PAGE 4

chris@bizlex.com Tom Wilmes EDITOR

donna@bizlex.com Drew Purcell

PAGE 5

Donna Hodsdon ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

ART DIRECTOR

Top-Shelf Security: Lexington-based security company GuardLogic lands on the Inc. 5000 list PAGE 8

EconomicAnalysis

A monthly look at economic indicators compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky

tomw@bizlex.com

IndependentBusiness

COPY EDITOR

Tanzi Merritt BIZLISTS EDITOR

bizlists@smileypete.com

Easterseals Broadens its Reach: Easterseals Bluegrass expands services with a newly renovated facility and cooperative partnerships PAGE 10

Accelerating Change: Venture capital firm Hunsicker fosters new companies that serve a greater good PAGE 12

drew@bizlex.com Nikole Christensen

3

WriteStuff

Compelling copywriting: Effectively communicating your marketing message PAGE 5

Emily Marks SALES MANAGER

emily@smileypete.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Amy Eddie

amy@bizlex.com Ann Staton

CraveWorthy

Sweet success: Timeless recipes and a family-like atmosphere helped Sharp’s Candies thrive for a half-century PAGE 6

ann@bizlex.com

QuickBites

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Say Cheese food truck brings smiles to faces, Grounded All Day Café serves a variety of local favorites

(859) 266-6537 www.smileypete.com advertise@smileypete.com info@smileypete.com

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PAGE 7 JIM HOST | PHOTO BY BILL STRAUS

BizLists

Advertising agencies PAGE 14 Staffing agencies PAGE 15

Who’sWho

Employment updates and notable achievements from around the Bluegrass PAGE 16

PHOTO FURNISHED

Q&A with Jim Host: The hall-of-fame communicator on his game-changing career and civic involvement PAGE 18

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4

DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

PVAStatistics

Creating a Culture of Impact Frontier Nursing University is one of the largest not-for-profit universities in the United States for advanced nursing and midwifery education.

These statistics on local residential and commercial property are compiled by the office of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator. The data reflect the most up-todate 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.

Top Commercial Transactions for October 2023 DATE

ADDRESS

PRICE

ENTITY

10/24/23 108 W. Vine St.

$5,100,000* 106 W. Vine LLC

10/24/23 106 W. Vine St

$5,100,000* 106 W. Vine LLC

10/20/23 216 Fountain Court, Ste. 150

$1,250,000

Jenkins & Morrow Properties LLC

10/23/23 216 Fountain Court, Ste. 110

$1,250,000

HCHL LLC

10/4/23

2459 Nicholasville Road

$992,650

Arnold Family Properties LLC

10/4/23

448 Lewis Hargett Circle, #240 $434,754

Dalton Development Co. LLC

10/2/23

1648 Alexandria Drive

1648 Alexandria LLC

$424,900

10/12/23 4982-4988 Old Versailles Road $300,000*

73% of 8,000+

our students live in rural or underserved areas

alumni

82

years of experience

Davis Renovations LLC

10/12/23 4976 Old Versailles Road

$300,000*

Davis Renovations LLC

10/16/23 1031 Wellington Way, #115

$220,000

RBTCE Group LLC

2,500 current students in all 50 states

A leader in distance education since 1989.

Learn more at Frontier.edu

TOP SELLING COMMERCIAL PROPERTY: 108 W. VINE ST. $5,100,000

Stay current with the most important business news in central Kentucky.

*Sale Price Based on a Multiple-Parcel Transaction ** Parcel includes multiple improvements, see property record for details

Residential Sales Data for October 2023 The chart below shows the monthly residential sales activity in Fayette County for the previous 24 months. The data for the most recent month reflect a projected estimate from the office of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator and are subject to change.

2023 RESIDENTIAL SALES

2022 RESIDENTIAL SALES

2021 RESIDENTIAL SALES

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

BusinessLexingtonWeeklyWire “IN THIS ISSUE” UPDATES • BREAKING NEWS UPDATES WHO’S WHO NEW HIRES & PROMOTIONS

SIGN UP TODAY AT WWW.BIZLEX.COM

BLX_Dec23_20.indd 4

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

-36%

-31%

-19%

-39%

-28%

-22%

-19%

-20%

-19%

-22%

-38%

-43%

MONTHLY PERCENTAGE CHANGE OVER PREVIOUS YEAR For more local residential and commercial real estate information, visit the website of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator at www.fayettepva.com.

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

Recent Data Oct. 2023

1-Month Change

1-Year Change

Payroll emp. MSA**** Manufacturing Employment Durable Goods (KY) **** Manufacturing: Lexington-Fayette MSA Total Employees**** Unemployment Rate MSA****

298,000 Sept.

170,700 Sept.

0.6% -0.6%

3.8% 3.4%

31,775 Sept.

3.50% Sept.

0.0% -2.8%

0.1% 20.7%

Payroll Employment, US Manufacturing Payroll Employment US Unemployment Rate, US

156,923,000 Oct. 12,960,000 Oct. 3.90% Oct.

0.1% -0.4% 2.6%

1.9% 0.0% 5.4%

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

299.66 Sept.

307.48 Sept.

259.745 Sept.

0.2% 0.4% 0.2%

4.2% 3.7% 2.5%

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

104.6 Sept.

103.6 Sept.

-0.8% 0.3%

-10.0% 0.2%

3-Month Treasury Yield*** 10-Year Treasury Yield***

5.60% Oct. 4.80% Oct. 1st Qtr. 2023 20,386,467.00

0.7% 9.6% 1-Month Change 0.5%

263.6% 32.8% 1-Year Change NA

Real GDP (millions $)

What could your business do with an extra $ 1,800?*

Note: In some cases 1 mo. And 1 yr. changes are based on revised data from previous mo./yr/ * Source: The Conference Board Research Group; http://www.conference-board.org/ ** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release, http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/G17/ *** Source: Federal Reserve Statistical Release; https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/ **** Source: St. Louis Federal Reserve; https://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/ ***** GDP is reported as Real Gross Domestic Product, Chained Dollars [Millions of chained (2012) dollars] Seasonally adjusted at annual rates (Updated numbers as of Jan. 27, 2023); https://apps.bea.gov/histdata/histChildLevels.cfm?HMI=7

WriteStuff

By Natasha Collier

Compelling Copywriting: Effectively Communicating Your Marketing Message Copywriting is the art and science of creating written content to attract an audience and influence them to interact with your product or service. This is a skill that is as important in the digital age as it was with printed media. When you are able to understand who your target audience is, how they think, and what sets you apart from your competition, you’ll be able to retain current customers and attract the attention of potential customers.

The first step to creating messaging that will speak to your audience is to identify who you are and the problem that you want to solve. Standing out from your competitors is incredibly important, especially in saturated markets. Highlight the uniqueness of your product and how your audience would benefit from its use. What is a selling point that can help drive your point across? When crafting your messaging, showcase your value proposition — a clear explanation of how your product meets the needs of the consumer. This should be concise and specific and should identify the problem that you wish to solve for your target audience.

To create effective copywriting, it is important to understand the target audience for your product. Having a thorough understanding of who is buying your product allows you to tailor your messaging to their needs. In the digital age, social media analytics and other data can assist with identifying who is engaging with your brand. Customer surveys can help you gather feedback to understand

BLX_Dec23_20.indd 5

their preferences and needs. Also, look at who is engaging with your competitors.

Study their messaging to identify gaps and find a unique way to differentiate yourself from the competition. Additionally, staying updated with industry trends can help you to stay relevant in a changing market.

Now that you have identified your audience and the problem that you want your product to solve, it is time to draft your content. An attention-grabbing headline will draw your reader in and increase the chance of engaging your audience. Writing persuasive body copy is a crucial step in this process. Use strong verbs and create a vivid description of your product or service to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Do not just list features of your product, rather, explain how those features can enhance the reader’s life. Including a strong call to action will encourage readers to take the desired next step.

Copywriting remains an important part of marketing your product or service to customers new and old. By employing an effective strategy, copywriters can strengthen their messaging and produce more compelling and persuasive content. Ultimately, this will allow your business to attract more customers and make more sales. BL Natasha Collier is a development associate with the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning.

The Carnegie Center is a nonprofit educational center offering seasonal writing, publishing, language classes, and community programming. For more, visit carnegiecenterlex.org.

BBR Introducing Bluegrass Business Rewards™: the

patent-pending, proprietary cash-back debit card

checking account, designed exclusively for small businesses. Only available at Bank of the Bluegrass.

CALL/VISIT **: (859) 233- 4500 | bankofthebluegrass.com/BBR * Restrictions and qualifications may apply. ** Cellular phone carrier and internet provider charges may apply for internet access and text messaging. Contact your providers for information regarding those charges.

11/7/23 4:01 PM

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DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

CraveWorthy Sharp’s Candies owners Bob and Becky Sharp, left, founded Sharp’s Candies in 1973 in the Old Rosemont Garden shopping center. Now based on Regency Road and owned by Lisa and Rob Sharp, right, the family business is this year celebrating its 50th anniversary.

PHOTO

BY EMILY GIANCARLO

Sweet Success Timeless recipes and a family-like atmosphere helped Sharp’s Candies thrive for a half-century

BY SHANNON CLINTON

L

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

isa Sharp said that after three decades in the candy business, people often ask her, “Are you sick of eating it? You probably don’t eat it anymore, do you?”

She admits that she eats plenty of candy, every day. It’s that good.

“Oh my God, yes,” she said. “I’ve loved candy my whole life!”

Sharp and her husband, Rob, co-own Sharp’s Candies. Rob’s parents, Bob and Becky, now retired, founded the business 50 years ago at a location in the Old Rosemont Garden shopping center.

The company has been based at its current Regency Road location, which resembles a gingerbread house, for more than 30 years, Lisa said.

“We know when everything was made because we make it.

We box it. We do everything.”

LISA SHARP, CO-OWNER, SHARP’S CANDIES

BLX_Dec23_20.indd 6

Lisa said she knows how lucky she is, marrying into a candy-making family, where a team of six employees makes mouthwatering confections — more than 100 varieties, all from family recipes.

Currently, Rob and Lisa are the only family members working there, she said, but she considers it a family atmosphere all the same.

In the candy business, things don’t need to be high-tech — including the website, which appears stark and simple by today’s standards.

And not the equipment, which still works well while whipping up large batches of fudge, divinities, caramel apples, toffees, caramels, and “saddles,” named by Becky Sharp years ago as a nod to being located in horse country. They’re clusters of caramel, pecans, and chocolate.

“When you’re very small, those [technologies] just become more laborious,” Lisa said.

They wouldn’t dream of outsourcing the work, as most everything is made in-house, which is key to quality control.

“We know when everything was made because we make it,” she said. “We box it. We do everything.”

Sharp’s Candies also partners with Woodford Reserve, a company that also believes in time-tested methods and quality, in making bourbon balls, bourbon creams, bourbon cherries, and bourbon truffles.

PHOTO BY EMILY GIANCARLO

Lisa Sharp displays a tray of caramel apples.

Sharp’s Candies makes nearly everything in-house based on family recipes.

Another valuable trait for all team members has been flexibility, Lisa said.

She said everyone involved knows they must pitch in to do whatever task is needed at the time to get the candies made and into customers’ hands, whether that’s a candy-

making task, sweeping the floor, unloading a truck, or answering the phone.

There’s little need to pad the lineup that customers return to year after year with flashy new products, though in recent years Lisa said the company has introduced a few new fruity confections — a key lime truffle and a mango cream.

Lexington’s not really that big of a market, she said, and there aren’t thousands of people walking past their storefront wanting to pop in and try something new, so it’s not really necessary or wise to offer niche candies with narrow appeal.

These approaches continue to serve the company well, as Rob reports the company sells about 34,000 pounds of chocolates between Thanksgiving and Christmas alone.

They’re not immune to challenges that face other small businesses, Lisa said, including staffing. Though there are some long-term employees, it can be tricky to add enough seasonal workers to meet the demands of the busy holiday season, their peak time of year.

Candy-centric holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter provide business boosts, but then summers are slow, she said, and that time is spent making candy and preparing for the holiday whirlwind that’s to come.

“It’s a hard pace to go from zero to 60!” she said.

To commemorate its milestone 50th anniversary this year, Sharp’s Candies, which roasts its own nuts in-house, extended its popular cashew sale throughout November.

Lisa doesn’t hesitate when asked the best part of the job.

“Eating the candy!” she said. BL

11/7/23 4:01 PM

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INSIDE CRAVE and LEXINGTON BURGER WEEK GUIDES

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TWO FRIENDS WITH AN EYE FOR STYLE HAVE TEAMED UP TO LAUNCH MAVEN, A NEW DESIGN & EVENTS BUSINESS

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LORD JOHN VINTAGE RETRO FASHION AND DECOR

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INSIDE:

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PART SUMMER CAMP, PART WELLNESS RETREAT — INTRODUCTING KENTUCKY’S FIRST ALL-INCLUSIVE SUMMER CAMP FOR ADULTS

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THE LEXINGTON WRITER PREPARES TO ENTER HER SECOND TERM AS UNITED STATES POET LAUREATE

FALL ARTS GUIDE:

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EXHIBITS, FESTIVALS PERFORMANCES AND MORE

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HENRY FAULKNER: AN ARTFUL EXISTENCE

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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:

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TALKING SHOP WITH THE ARTIST, ENTREPRENEUR AND NEWLY MINTED HAT MAKER BEHIND T. HIGDON STUDIO

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How this Lexington hip hop artist fuses his passions for poetry and music with social justice and youth empowerment

GETTING TO THE KNOW THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT BEHIND POHL ROSA POHL, AS HIS FIRM CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF BUSINESS

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O’ HOLLY DAY

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Clive Pohl

Meg Carroll

PLUS: PARANORMAL PERCEPTIONS BAKING WITH STELLA PARKS AND MORE!

The Junior League of Lexington’s Holly Day Market celebrates 10 years

OCT 17

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Lexington’s “original business suburb” continues to thrive

THE LOCAL JEWELRY ARTIST CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF HER STUDIO, MEG C JEWELRY GALLERY, WITH GROWTH, EXPANSION AND A NEW LOCATION

GETTING TO THE KNOW THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT BEHIND ROSA POHL, MAY POHL ‘22 AS HIS FIRM CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF BUSINESS

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CREATIVE TYPES

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A FAMILY AFFAIR: THE UNIQUE MURALS OF SISTER DUO STUDIO MEL

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SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL BUSINESS: KENWICK TABLE

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Arts and entertainment, local people and businesses, cocktails and recipes, real estate and more in every issue! readers see your ad when you advertise in Chevy Chaser and Southsider Magazines.

in Chevy Chaser and Southsider Magazines.

ARCHITECTURAL BLACKSMITHS MAYNARD

O’ HOLLY DAY

A NEW NEST ON NANTUCKET: LANSDOWNE HOME BECOMES MODERN RETIREMENT DESTINATION

T ERE OE H

Arts and entertainment, local people and businesses, cocktails and recipes, real estate and more in every issue!

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Something to Grounded All Day Cafe has opened in Meadowthorpe at 106 Burke Rd. Celebrate

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Clive Pohl

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Something to Celebrate

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TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND CREATIVE PARTNERS KREMENA TODOROVA AND KURT GOHDE CONCOCT A STYLISH SEND-OFF FOR THEIR MULTI-FACETED “UNLEARN FEAR + HATE” PROJECT

AT

How this Lexington hip hop artist fuses his passions for poetry and music with social justice and youth empowerment

Woodland Triangle

ER H

CREATIVE TYPES:

THE LOCAL JEWELRY ARTIST CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF HER STUDIO, MEG C JEWELRY GALLERY, WITH GROWTH, magazine EXPANSION AND A NEW LOCATION

Lexington’s “original business suburb” continues to thrive

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AT

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DISTINCT DISTRICTS

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SPIRITED GLASS: THE MAGICAL WORLD OF GLASSBLOWING AT TRIFECTA DESIGN STUDIO

WITH A SWATH OF NEW SMALL BUSINESSES OPENING IN RECENT MONTHS, HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WINCHESTER ENJOYS A REVITALIZATION

A LONGTIME PERFORMER AND SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS, OCTOGENARIAN LINDA CAREY WILL EXHIBIT HER ABSTRACT PAINTINGS – A FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION SHE ADOPTED MUCH LATER IN LIFE – AT THE WILLS GALLERY THIS MONTH

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MONTHS, HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WINCHESTER ENJOYS A REVITALIZATION

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C’MON, GET YAPPY: NEW CHEVY CHASE DOG SPA YAPPY WITH A SWATH OF NEW SMALL PLACE BUSINESSES OPENING IN RECENT

ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR LIZ SWANSON

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CREATIVE TYPES

C’MON, GET YAPPY: NEW CHEVY CHASE DOG SPA YAPPY PLACE

A LONGTIME PERFORMER AND SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS, OCTOGENARIAN LINDA CAREY WILL EXHIBIT HER ABSTRACT PAINTINGS CREATIVE – A FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION SHE ADOPTED TYPES: MUCH LATER IN LIFE – AT THE WILLS GALLERY ARTIST AND THIS MONTH

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LORD JOHN VINTAGE RETRO FASHION AND DECOR

A NEW NEST ON NANTUCKET: LANSDOWNE HOME BECOMES MODERN RETIREMENT DESTINATION

ARCHITECTURAL BLACKSMITHS MAYNARD

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ON OUR TABLE: HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES

TAKING A CREATIVE STUDIOS APPROACH TO HELPING ARTS ENTREPRENEURS THRIVE

The Junior League of Lexington’s Holly Day Market celebrates 10 years

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O’ HOLLY DAY

Something to Celebrate

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ARTIST AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR LIZ SWANSON

CREATIVE CREATIVE TYPES TYPES: LEXINGTON ARCHITECT CLIVE POHL

LORD JOHN VINTAGE RETRO FASHION AND DECOR

ON OUR TABLE: HOLIDAY COOKIE RECIPES

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ARCHITECTURAL BLACKSMITHS MAYNARD STUDIOS

Woodland Triangle

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A CONVERSATION WITH THE LOCAL MUSICIAN, RADIO DJ magazine AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER

LEXINGTON ARCHITECT CLIVE POHL

CREATIVE TYPES:

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CREATIVE TYPES:

ARTIST AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR LIZ SWANSON

ARTIST AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR LIZ SWANSON

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Southsider

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CREATIVE TYPES

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TWO FRIENDS WITH AN EYE FOR STYLE HAVE TEAMED UP TO LAUNCH MAVEN, A NEW DESIGN & EVENTS BUSINESS

JAN. 2023

STUDIO MEL, A NEW DESIGN BUSINESS LAUNCHED BY IDENTICAL TWIN SISTERS, BRIGHTENS THE WALLS OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACES WITH UNIQUE MURALS

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WILD STYLE chevy chaser Southsider THE MAGICAL WORLD OF GLASSBLOWING AT TRIFECTA DESIGN STUDIO

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DISTINCT DISTRICTS

Lexington’s “original business suburb” continues to thrive

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TWO FRIENDS WITH AN EYE FOR STYLE HAVE TEAMED UP TO LAUNCH MAVEN, A NEW DESIGN & EVENTS BUSINESS

A FAMILY AFFAIR:

THE UNIQUE MURALS OF SISTER DUO STUDIO MEL

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THE MAGICAL WORLD OF GLASSBLOWING AT TRIFECTA DESIGN STUDIO

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THE LEXINGTON ARTIST AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR PREPARES FOR HER FIRST SOLO EXHIBIT, OPENING THIS MONTH AT THE LOUDOUN HOUSE

IN WITH THE OLD: SPOTLIGHT ON LORD JOHN SMALL BUSINESS: VINTAGE KENWICK TABLE

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A FAMILY A NEW NEST AFFAIR: ON NANTUCKET: LANSDOWNE HOME BECOMES MODERN RETIREMENT DESTINATION

THE UNIQUE MURALS OF SISTER DUO STUDIO MEL

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Cheese.

Spirited The food truck, based in Versailles but Light traveling all over Central Kentucky, is operLiz Swanson ated by couple Dakotah and Nick Frank.

“Nick has always loved toSpirited cook for Light people, and I have served and bartended z Swanson for years,” she said. “We thought combining those passions and starting something of our own would be fun.”

Her favorite menu item is the Fully Loaded grilled cheese, which is “like a loaded baked potato in sandwich form.”

Other varieties include the “Say Plain Jane” with cheddar and Colby jack cheese on potato bread, and at the other end of the A FAMILY Mark Lenn AFFAIR spectrum, the “Say Here Piggy” with potato Johnson bread, smoked gouda, and pulled pork BBQ. The truck will set up at offices, events and other destinations.

FAMILY Mark Lenn FAIR In other local food news: Grounded All Day CafeJohnson has opened in Meadowthorpe at 106 Burke Rd. Recent offerings include a lavender caramel iced coffee and food items like hand-rubbed spiced smoked salmon and honey, lemon, and chives in the cream Kenwick cheese spread for its featured bagels from

How this Lexington hip hop artist fuses his passions for poetry and music with social justice and youth empowerment

PLUS: PARANORMAL PERCEPTIONS BAKING WITH STELLA PARKS AND MORE!

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Southsider

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THE LEXINGTON ARTIST AND ARCHITECTURE PROFESSOR PREPARES FOR HER FIRST SOLO EXHIBIT, OPENING THIS MONTH AT THE LOUDOUN HOUSE

A CONVERSATION WITH THE LOCAL MUSICIAN, RADIO DJ AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER

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LORD JOHN VINTAGE RETRO FASHION AND DECOR

INSIDE CRAVE and LEXINGTON BURGER WEEK GUIDES

all smiles with the launch of a new chevy chaser chevy chasert’sgourmet Southsider grilled cheese food truck, Say SPOTLIGHT ON SMALL BUSINESS: KENWICK TABLE

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theme, Nate’s Coffee and Sav’s ice cream are served here, too.

El Charro Tacos & Tequila Bar has opened at The Lex on S. Broadway, with barbacoa tacos, specialty drinks, and more.

Mercantile Coffee & Feed as of press time was coming soon to downtown DeBRAUN Nicholasville as a coffee shop with breakfast THOMAS items, bakery treats, and lunch bites, and a retail boutique space.

Bubba Grub in Nicholasville has been DeBRAUN whimsically painted inside and out and THOMAS looked to be nearly completed in late October. The eatery at 1001 Elizabeth St. will feature burgers, wings, fish, and milkshakes.

Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ’s expanded second-floor dining room has opened on Liberty Road.

Golden Flame Hot Wings was set to Winchester open in November on RojayRebirth Drive near In the Abstract Fayette Mall. With the tagline “serving the nation’s best wings and fries since 1994,” the franchise is based in Aurora, Colorado, and Winchester has sauce varieties including lemon pepper Rebirth In the Abstract and mountain berry as well as fries, wraps, sandwiches, and more.

Panchitos Ice Cream’s Nicholasville Road location has closed. BL

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A NEW NEST ON NANTUCKET: LANSDOWNE HOME BECOMES MODERN RETIREMENT DESTINATION

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THE LOCAL JEWELRY ARTIST CELEBRATES FIVE YEARS OF HER STUDIO, MEG C JEWELRY GALLERY, WITH GROWTH, EXPANSION AND A NEW LOCATION

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TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS AND CREATIVE PARTNERS KREMENA TODOROVA AND KURT GOHDE CONCOCT A STYLISH SEND-OFF FOR THEIR MULTI-FACETED “UNLEARN FEAR + HATE” PROJECT

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Say Cheese food truck brings smiles to faces, Grounded All Day Café serves a variety of local favorites Southsider chevy BY chaser chevy SHANNON CLINTON Southsider Southlandchaser Bagels. Continuing the local

COMMUNAL CREATIVITY: A HISTORIC NORTH LEXINGTON SPACE GETS NEW LIFE AS A GALLERY, STUDIO AND EVENT SPACE

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GuardLogic, a Lexington-based security company, has grown more than 300% over the past three years, landing it a spot on the Inc. 5000 list.

Top-Shelf Security Lexington-based security company GuardLogic lands on the Inc. 5000 list

BY DAN DICKSON

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CONTRIBUTING WRITER

an Truex remembers the first contract he and partner Marcus Sell secured in 2017 for their fledgling unarmed physical security company.

It was modest — four hours of security at an event — but it was a start, and the Lexingtonbased company was happy to have it. One hour before the event started, the contractor they had hired called to say he would not make it.

What to do? Sell cancelled a dinner date with his wife and covered the event himself.

“That was the culture and the DNA we developed from the start for our new company, which has taken us from just the two of us to more than 250 employees in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia,” said Truex, the CEO of that start-up that evolved into a company called GuardLogic.

Now GuardLogic is celebrating national recognition. The physical security company has been named one of the fastest-growing private companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 list. The magazine’s list has been produced every year since 1982 and uses data to rank

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businesses. GuardLogic was ranked 1,826 after reporting 307% growth over the past three years.

In praising companies that made the list, Inc.’s editor-in-chief said that running a business today is much harder since the end of the pandemic and that those on the list had rapid growth despite dealing with inflationary pressures and higher costs of labor and materials. “We have an amazing team that works tirelessly to change the reputation of security,” Truex said.

The CEO admits that the public does not have a positive impression of security officers. He says the field is getting crowded, and he is fine with that, but believes it is also populated with companies that do a poor job of staffing and training. “We decided to provide high-quality security officers with good training and a high level of responsiveness to clients,” he said.

Truex is a lieutenant with the Lexington Police Department and a 26-year veteran of the National Guard, where he has been a company commander. “Police and military know security well. They know the training and the fundamentals of security. That’s important if

we are going to build a quality of service that will change the image of security.”

Typically, the security work involves patrols, either by vehicle or on foot. That’s base level. There is also a team of area directors who constantly monitor the officers onsite and stay in close contact with clients. “Clients have told us they have seen us more in two weeks than they saw a previous security provider in six months,” Truex said. “If you don’t build a relationship and understand a client’s needs, and what your officers’ needs are, you can’t provide a quality product.”

GuardLogic specializes in security work for companies involved in manufacturing and healthcare, as well as corporate headquarters. The company’s work generally covers three main types of security. The first is provided by unarmed security officers who use technology to share information about when, where, and what was patrolled and inspected at a customer’s site.

The next is the use of off-duty local law enforcement personnel to fill security jobs. Only sworn peace officers are hired for this duty. These highly trained professionals also enforce local laws.

The third category of security offered is event monitoring. This can include every kind of large gathering, from sports events to festivals, horse races, and even auctions.

Certain traits are necessary for a security officer to be effective. According to GuardLogic, the fundamentals of security are to deter, detect, delay, and document. The first one is most important. “We want officers to deter anything negative from ever happening. You do that by being alert, present, and professional. It is best for our clients if nothing ever happens.”

GuardLogic cofounder and CEO Dan Truex is a lieutenant with the Lexington Police Department and a 26-year veteran of the National Guard.

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But problems do happen, no matter how tight security is. If that occurs, and it is especially serious, it is vital to delay the outcome as best as possible, says Truex. That means reducing or mitigating an incident while officers onsite assess things and get additional responders, such as the police, fire department, or EMS, whether the emergency is a fire or an active shooter.

Another issue is the increase in law breaking and violence. “Yes, we have seen that trend,” Truex said. “It has ramped up over the last decade so there is a need for security and for integrating technology to solve problems.”

Asked why he believes GuardLogic is different than other unarmed physical security companies, Truex points to analytics, which he believes helps the company gather insights and meaningful data that officers in the field might not detect. This helps the company make informed decisions, increase its roster of clients, cut costs, and make other business improvements. “We are big on reports and analytics. We need data to adjust security and see what we learned from the incident.”

For example, heat mapping is used by GuardLogic. The company creates a map or footprint of the client’s property and technicians plot what incidents occurred when and where. These are called “hotspots.” The question becomes, what resources or techniques should be applied to solve those problems?

Truex is proud that the company employs no salesperson or sales team. “We have grown by referral and word-of-mouth advertising,” he said. “That will have to change as we grow, but we hope the public is saying ‘Wow. This is something different!’” BL

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GuardLogic offers several levels of site monitoring and unarmed security services for facilities and events.

“We want officers to deter anything negative from ever happening. You do that by being alert, present, and professional. It is best for our clients if nothing ever happens.”

DAN TRUEX, GUARDLOGIC CEO

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Easterseals Broadens its Reach Easterseals Bluegrass expands services with a newly renovated facility and cooperative partnerships

BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

J

ust over 100 years ago, the organization that would become Easterseals Bluegrass started in Lexington. Now, in a new building, the organization is ready to impact the lives of children and adults in Central Kentucky for years to come.

In March, Easterseals moved into its new facility at 1900 Richmond Road, the former longtime location of Shriners Hospitals for Children. The facility, renovated and redesigned with its clients in mind, covers about 170,000 square feet on more than 28 acres of property.

Easterseals takes up about 75,000 square feet, Jamie Ellis, Easterseals Bluegrass executive director, said. The new facility provides the organization with the space and equipment to offer more services to the Central Kentucky ELLIS community.

“This started with the idea of us being able to go to a place that was accessible for children, not only in Lexington but in other counties as well,” Ellis said.

“Here, we’re close off the interstate, and we have a space where we can grow services and really have accessible space for the people that we serve.”

On September 27, 1923, the Kentucky Society for Crippled Children (KSCC) started

in Lexington, modeled and inspired by the National Society for Crippled Children started by Edgar Allen of Elyria, Ohio. Allen had lost his son after a streetcar accident in 1907. The lack of adequate medical services to save his son prompted the businessman to build a hospital.

Once it was complete, he was surprised to learn that children with disabilities not only lacked adequate medical help but were often hidden from view. The revelation spurred the founding of his society.

In the 1940s, a polio epidemic prompted many concerned citizens in Central Kentucky to build a hospital to help polio victims, especially children. With the help of several other organizations, the KSCC was able to raise the funds and build a hospital that opened in 1950.

That hospital, the Convalescent Home for Crippled Children, eventually became Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital. A name change came for KCSS as well. Aligning itself with the overwhelming public support for a long-running Easter “seals” campaign, which raised funds for the organization, the KCSS became the Kentucky Easter Seals Society.

For 65 years, KESS operated the inpatient rehabilitation hospital at Cardinal Hill while adding other inpatient programs and services as needed. Typical of services available at other Easterseals affiliates across the country, Kentucky Easter Seals Society provided services that closed the gaps in medical and rehabilitation services its clients typically weren’t able to cover.

However, in 2015, changes in the healthcare system saw KESS transferring the hospital to a larger inpatient hospital provider and turned its attention to services for children and adults with needs outside of a hospital setting. Originally, the organization continued to operate at the Cardinal Hill location, but it became apparent, Ellis said, that a larger facility was needed.

KESS became Easterseals Bluegrass and purchased the Richmond Road building in 2020, Ellis said. The new building gave it more space to provide services, including a day

health program for adults with disabilities and/or significant health issues, outpatient pediatric therapy services, adaptive recreation, and a specialized summer program for children with special healthcare needs. Renovation began in 2021 and was completed this spring, with a ribbon-cutting held this March.

Purchasing the building and renovating it gave the organization the ability to ensure it met the needs of its clients, Ellis said.

“We would literally stand in a room and think about certain clients that we had and say, ‘OK, I’m John. How am I going to be able to get to the bathroom from here?’” Ellis said. “We took our time with making sure we picked the right thing for the people that we serve… Our board was extremely supportive of saying, ‘If it’s good for the people we serve, then that’s what we do.’”

Easterseals board member Richard Sturgill said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony that this was part of the organization’s mission.

“Today, we celebrate not only a new beginning but also a remarkable milestone in our organization’s history,” Sturgill said. “It is our mission to champion people of all ages, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability or life challenge, has the opportunity to live, learn, work, and play in our community.”

Now, Ellis said, the program operates its Creative Beginnings Child Development Center, pediatric outpatient therapy, adaptive recreation, and adult day health, but there are

“We went from a really small space to having accessible space for their families to be in during the day… And they have access to a beautiful outdoor space that they and their families can enjoy.”

JAMIE ELLIS, BLUEGRASS EASTERSEALS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

plans to incorporate more programs. Soon, the facility will offer a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care program that provides five-day-a-week child care for children with complex healthcare needs, she said.

“This program is set up with nursing oversight so that the child can go to a day program like any other 3-year-old could go to a daycare,” she said. “They can go to this program and still participate in educational activities but have that nurse oversight to make sure that the child stays safe and is cared for properly so that the parent can keep working.”

The larger facility also provided Easterseals with the ability to partner with University of Kentucky Healthcare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital. UK leases a portion of the space from Easterseals, Ellis said, and provides services for children who require complex medical and developmental care as part of their Children’s Hospital Complex Care Clinic, Developmental Pediatrics Clinic, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Graduate Clinic.

“The cool thing is we often serve the same children, so a lot of the children who are going to their clinics also come to our outpatient therapy clinic,” Ellis said. “Now these families have one location to get services instead of having to navigate through different parking lots and different places throughout Lexington.”

So far, she said, clients have loved the new facility.

“They’re excited, especially the adult day health family,” she said. “We went from a really small space to having accessible space for their families to be in during the day…

And they have access to a beautiful outdoor space that they and their families can enjoy.

We have a brand-new wheelchair-accessible playground that our child care can use, and now they can do activities on that beautiful green space. It’s just gorgeous out there. Every program got more space and new equipment. We’ve had nothing but great responses from family.” BL

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Easterseals Bluegrass’ newly renovated facility at 1900 Richmond Road provides a convenient location for families to access services as well as expanded and accessible spaces inside and out.

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Accelerating Change Venture capital firm Hunsicker fosters new companies that serve a greater good

BY DAN DICKSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

K

entucky is no Silicon Valley, but to its credit, it did launch 46,000 new businesses in 2022, according to the United States Census Bureau. Checking Employer Identification Number (EIN) applications, Jefferson County was the busiest place for start-ups with 12,082. Fayette County was second in the state with 4,412. Forming a new business reflects an entrepreneurial spirit and economic confidence among those starting up these companies.

A Lexington “studio,” as it likes to be called, is launching a start-up company that actually builds start-up companies. Hunsicker is run by founder Wes Murry, who is CEO, and co-founder Becca Self, who is president. The unusual company name comes from the street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Murry’s much-admired and business-savvy grandfather and father lived many years ago.

Before planting the seeds that became Hunsicker, Murry co-founded Castle & Key Distillery, a spirits company and hospitality destination located in Frankfort. But he wanted to push into new areas. Self had 15 years of experience in the nonprofit world having run FoodChain, a nutritional food nonprofit, and Nourish Lexington, a program that prepared and distributed made-fromscratch meals for the needy. Last year, the two friends began discussing their business futures and what might lie ahead. Both decided it had to be about founding and funding purpose-driven start-ups.

Both liked starting from scratch. “It’s the experience of building something from zero,” said Murry, who recently joined Self for an interview. “All the trials and tribulations that come with not knowing how it’s going to go or always knowing what to do next. It is sort of like feeling your way in the dark at times.

That’s what building a start-up is like.”

Murry believes that process requires an extra level of preparation and thinking because in addition to growing their own company and supporting their team members, they must firmly back the companies they will launch in the coming months.

Hunsicker has several areas of expertise, although it is always open to new ideas. Going with their strengths, they will focus on food, education, housing, finance, jobs, and health and wellness.

Speaking of why new purpose-driven companies are needed, Self wants to make a difference. “There is a certain layer of problems and challenges that many people face in this country,” she said. “This is not a shade against the latest photo-sharing app or dogwalking platform. We are honed in on things that hopefully will uplift people’s lives. That’s in addition to providing profitable returns for investors.”

Self has spent her career studying the beneficiaries of the programs she has provided. “It has given me insights into how those services can be utilized to really benefit the lives of the users. We think that is a value prop for people who will find our work enticing.”

Murry was asked for comparisons between starting Castle & Key and co-founding

“This is not a shade against the latest photo-sharing app or dog-walking platform. We are honed in on things that hopefully will uplift people’s lives.

That’s in addition to providing profitable returns for investors.”

SELF

BECCA SELF, HUNSICKER CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Hunsicker. There are similarities and differences. “There’s a definite shift between starting your own company and starting a company that starts other companies. In starting Castle & Key, we had the advantage of buying a bourbon distillery, albeit completely run down, but understanding that we would get it open again. The end point was known. But in building Hunsicker, it is a mind shift. As much as I want to get in there and turn all the levers and gears, that’s not where I provide the most value. Our team must help somebody else do that and give them awareness to avoid pitfalls.”

Hunsicker expects to launch its first start-up in the next month or so. Murry wouldn’t divulge the name but hinted it would be in the healthcare field and involve caregiving. There is a secondary company being primed, and it could kick off in the first quarter of 2024. “We are still a young company. The clock really started this year,” Murry said. “There are many components — from building our team, our incubation, [writing] a playbook, and raising sufficient capital in order to launch these companies.”

That playbook is really an entire venture creation process. The table of contents includes several key strategies. They include discovery of opportunities, matching founders with concepts, capitalizing for success, and de-risking and building. “Each one on the checklist is an umbrella over a whole set of finer-grain activities, deliverables, and tasks which we can directly support,” Self explained. “Part of the model for a venture studio is knowing what pieces are more efficiently done by the studio team so you can free up the co-founders, the CEO, and president, to hone in on specifics of their project.”

Murry agrees.

One size does not fit all. “Hunsicker provides a much higher ‘touch’ than the usual venture capital firm that

is allocating money and doing monthly or quarterly check-ins,” he said. “We work right alongside our team daily. They are as much in our conversations as we are in theirs.”

Kentucky and even Lexington have been chided about not being innovative, the co-founders say. But they believe there are many assets ripe for development and that people live up to or live down to expectations. “We are working on the shoulders of many entrepreneurs who have come before and are still grinding as we throw our hats into the ring and launch companies,” Self said. “It doesn’t just come down to one passionate founder, one fabulous idea, or one insightful investor. It involves a lot of collaboration and orchestration.” BL

“Hunsicker provides a much higher ‘touch’ than the usual venture capital firm,” said co-founder and CEO Wes Murry. “We work right alongside our team daily. They are as much in our conversations as we are in theirs.”

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CraveWorthy: Have waffles, will travel: Friends and health care professionals launch food truck venture

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CraveWorthy: Two friends parlay a mutual affection for fermented foods into culture-changing business

APRIL 2021 | VOL. 17 ISSUE 4

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BizIQ: Jason Falls, Cornett’s chief influence strategist, with five ways your business can benefit from influencers PAGE 7

Independent Business: New boutique hotel is designed to fit in by standing out PAGE 10

BizLexQ&A

Toa Green

Crank & Boom’s founder on community, service and how ice cream can change the world PAGE 21

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Independent Business: From rentals and sales to guided trips and glamping, Canoe Kentucky helps clients enjoy time on the water PAGE 10

BizLexQ&A

Mary J.. Davis

Rooted in Exploration: Red Oaks Forest School expands on its nature-based curriculum, wins statewide recognition PAGE 12

Kentucky’s new poet laureate on a life in letters and the BizLists Health Care Law Firms PAGE 17 | Hospitals PAGE 18 | Nursing Facilities PAGE 20 business of books

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Resilient Under Pressure: Plight of Lexington-based manufacturer illustrates disproportionate impact

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DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Advertising and Creative Agencies Ranked by total number of local employees Nov. 2023

Rank

Agency Name Address, Phone Website

Number of Local Employees

Active Clients

For questions regarding the BizLists email bizlists@smileypete.com

Notable Clients

Key Services

Creative Director

Top Local Official

Year Founded Locally

1

Cornett 249 E. Main St., Ste. 400 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 281-5104 www.teamcornett.com

52

13

A&W Restaurants, Busch Light, Keeneland, Tempur Sealy International, University of Kentucky, UK HealthCare, VisitLEX

Full-service: strategy, creative, media (paid, earned, shared, owned) and brand management

Whit Hiler (Executive Creative Director)

Christy Hiler (President & Owner), Kip Cornett (Chairman Emeritus)

1984

2

Right Place Media 437 Lewis Hargert Circle, Ste. 130 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 685-3800 www.rightplacemedia.com

17

28

Fazoli’s, Lexington Clinic, Taco John’s, Tri-Star Energy, University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union, Urgent Team

Digital/traditional media strategy, planning and buying

N/A

Joel Rapp (CEO/President)

2001

3

Bullhorn Creative 109 E. Loudon Ave. Lexington KY 40505 (859) 258-2244 www.bullhorncreative.com

14

40

God’s Pantry Food Bank, First 5 Lex, Fooji, Sensiba, TalkAbroad, Stockton Mortgage

Branding, naming, language, design, and websites

Adam Kuhn and Chris Jackson

Brad Flowers (Managing Partner)

2008

4

Mediocre Creative 714 N. Limestone Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 242-1006 www.mediocrecreative.com

13

25

Activate, Breakout, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, Kentucky Distillers’ Association, Heller Built, Bike Walk Kentucky, Seedleaf, Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen

Brand/Identity, Messaging/ Strategy, Logo/Wordmarks, Web/Screen, Print/Packaging

Stevie Morrison

Shawn Saylor (Principal), Sarah Brown (Partner)

2015

5

Brand Advertising Group 128 E. Reynolds Road, Ste. 250 Lexington, KY 40517 (859) 293-5760 www.baglex.com

11

35

Rocky Top Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Rocky Top Ford, McKeever RV & Marine, Halloween Express

Digital marketing, social media marketing, traditional marketing, branding, creative services, video production, digital consulting, event management

Susie Merida

Susie Merida (President/Owner), Anna Hartje (Partner)

2003

6

Kismet Marketing, LLC 5087 W. Second St., Ste. 120 Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 910-5125 www.kismet-marketing.com

7

35

Prefer not to disclose

Traditional/digital media strategy, planning and buying

Lindsey Cheatham, CPSM

Lindsey Cheatham (Partner), Jess Haney (Partner), Emily Whitley (Partner)

2018

7

Trifecta!

721 W. Main St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 303-4663 www.trifectaky.com

6

120

Traditional Bank, Georgetown College, New Vista, Highbridge Springs

Digital design and marketing

Kevin O’Dea

Jonathan Moore (Partner), Kevin O’Dea (Partner)

2009

8

The Williams McBride Group P.O. Box 910433 Lexington, KY 40591 (859) 253-9319 www.williamsmcbride.com

4

11

University of Kentucky College of Nursing, University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, Norton Healthcare

Brand strategy, content strategy, graphic, publication design and management, event and tradeshow branding, content development, web design and development

Melissa Weber

Tim Smith (President)

1988

9

Cre8tive Group 304 E. Main St. Wilmore, KY 40390 (859) 858-9054 www.cre8tivegroup.com

3

8

All Star Purchasing, Armag Corporation, Berea College, Bluegrass Allergy Care, Bluegrass Community Bankers Association, BrookeUSA, Solarity, Strategic Assurance Consulting

Marketing consulting, reporting, and communications; creative design and production

David Merrell

Chad Crouch (President)

1995

9

Hall Media, Inc. 710 E. Main St., Ste. 175 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 629-6101 www.hallmediainc.com

3*

16*

NA

Brand strategy, media planning, creative production and design, traditional and digital marketing services

Debbie Gilligan

Larry Hall (President)

1997

9

Big Echo Creative 185 Pasadena Drive, Ste. 240 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 309-5454 www.bigechocreative.com

3

40

The Moonshine Trail, Back Construction, Paul Miller, Association Management Services, Ray Jones, Bluegrass Moving Concierge, Elle Skin and Beauty Co., Fayette Plumbing HVAC, LCA, Sherwin-Williams, Farmers National Bank

Brand development, production/video editing, creative development, graphic design, media planning, art direction

Emily Conley

Emily Conley (Co-owner), Kevin Wathen (Co-owner)

2014

9

Stablemate Creative LLC 465 E. High St., Ste. 105 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 277-0715 www.stablematecreative.com

3

27

AAEP, Blue Grass Airport, Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, Kentucky Travel Industry Association, Kentucky 811, The Lexington Cemetery, Lexington History Museum, Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau, Preservation Kentucky, Wickliffe Pharmacy

Advertising strategy, media placement, creative services and graphic design, custom publishing, branding and corporate identity, website design and development

Kelly M. Johns

W. Grady Walter II (Member/Partner), Kelly M. Johns (Member/Partner)

2011

Balance Creative 535. W. Second St., Ste. 204 Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 381-9510 www.balancecreative.net

NA

15

Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, American Health Management, Danville-Boyle County Tourism Commission, Frontier Nursing University, Winchester-Clark County Tourism Commission

Brand development, social media & digital media strategy, advertising, design, marketing

NA

David Caldwell (Principal & Owner)

2012

TIE

TIE

TIE

TIE

Source: Business Lexington questionnaire, representatives and websites of named agencies. Other agencies were qualified but did not response by stated deadlines. Key: NA=Not Available, *=Not updated information

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WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Staffing Agencies Ranked by number of placements Nov. 2023

Rank

Agency Name Address Phone Website

Number of Placements (Full-Time & Part-Time) in 2022

For questions regarding the BizLists email bizlists@smileypete.com

Disciplines, Skills Placed

Specific Services Provided

Locally Owned/ Franchised

Top Local Executive/ Headquarters/ Year Established

1

Kelly Services 2358 Nicholasville Road, Ste. 165 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 373-0422 www.kellyservices.com

7,700 (USA)*

Office, professional, call center, finance, light industrial, warehouse, manufacturing, customer service, forklift, material handling, production

Direct hire, temp-to-hire, temporary, seasonal, project-based direct hire, payroll services, RPO, BPO, medical, industrial, seasonal, etc.

No/No

Wes Bradley (Market Director)/ Troy, MI/ 1959

2

Alliance Medical & Home Care 3716 Willow Ridge Road Lexington, KY 40514 (859) 296-9525 www.alliancelexington.com

5,181

NP, PA, CNA, KMA, LPN and RN

Medical staffing

Yes/No

Jackie Howard (CEO & Owner)/ Lexington, KY/ 2007

3

Remedy Intelligent Staffing 1030 Monarch St., Ste. 300 Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 224-4455 www.remedystaff.com

3,000

Clerical, warehouse, industrial, professional

Yes/Yes

Lynn and Tom Braker (Owner)/ Atlanta, GA/ 1994

4

Precision Staffing, Inc. 2350 Sterlington Road Lexington, KY 40517 (859) 272-2030 www.precisionstaffing.net

2,305*

Light industrial including manufacturing, warhouse, administrative office staff, skilled industrial, IT, professional

Direct hire placement, temp-to-hire, temporary, seasonal, payrioll services, pre-employment services, strategic workforce analysis, remote work

Yes/No

Kathy O’Daniel/ Lexington, KY/ 1981

5

Staffmark 1510 Newtown Pike, Ste. 134 Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 254-4011 www.staffmark.com

2,000+

Light industrial, manufacturing, skilled labor, administrative, professional placement, direct hire placement, drivers

Short-term, long-term, part-time, seasonal, direct hire

No/No

Jaime Shutt, CSP (Regional Vice President)/ Cincinnati, OH/ 1995

6

Vaco 201 E. Main St., Suite 720 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 296-4021 www.vaco.com

1,000+

Accounting, finance, supply chain, HR and operations, manufacturing, media and entertainment, education, healthcare and life sciences, transportation and logistics, retail, energy and utilities, and general administration, technology and digital solutions

Direct hire, contract

No/No

Brandi Fister (Managing Director)/ Brentwood, TN/ 2013

7

People Plus, Inc. 2551 Richmond Road, Ste. 8 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 246-1400 www.peopleplusinc.com

600

Administrative, financial, light industrial (manufacturing/ warehouse)

Direct hire, temp-to-hire, temporary

Yes/No

Amanda Huddleston, SHRM-CP, CSP (President)/ Madisonville, KY/ 2004

8

Express Employment Professionals 154 Patchen Dr., Ste. 89 Lexington, KY 40517 (859) 971-1011 www.expresspros.com/lexingtonky

280

Light industrial, office, skilled trades, professional

Temporary placement, evaluation hire, direct hire

Yes/Yes

Laura Mobley (Owner)/ Oklahoma City, OK/ 2003

Manpower of Central Kentucky 162 Old Todds Road, Ste. 280 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 268-1331 www.manpowerlexington.com

NA*

Manufacturing, picking/packing, call center, forklift, warehouse

Seasonal, industrial, office

No/Yes

Lynn Rothermund (Branch Manager), Tom Maher (President)/ Dayton, OH/ 1975

Metro Staffing Services 851 Corporate Drive, Ste. 122 Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 296-0181

NA*

Skilled, semi-skilled, management, engineers

Manufacturing services, temp-to-hire, direct placement

No/No

Gregory S. Pierson (Manager)/ Atlanta, GA/ 2013

Snelling Staffing Services 1025 Dove Run Road, Ste. 310 Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 233-0583 www.snelling.com

NA*

Administrative, warehouse, production

Industrial and professional

Yes/Yes

Leela Von Behren (President)/ Dallas, TX/ 1964

TEKsystems – Lexington 1792 Alysheba Way, Ste. 370 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 519-2300 www.TEKsystems.com

NA*

Information technology jobs, Applications: application architects and developers, business intelligence analysts, reporting analysts, data architects, ERO analysts and developers, project managers, business analysts, QA testers, etc. Network: cloud engineers, virtualization engineers, cabling technicians, network architects, network engineers and administrators, system/server engineers and administrators, network and security monitors, storage administrators, etc. IT support: desktop and helpdesk support, IT technician, asset inventory specialists, IT trainers, technical writers, etc.

IT staffing, managed/co-managed services and complete outsourced solutions across all industries, including state/local government, health care, financial services, higher education, retail, technology

Locally Operated

Morgan Newton, Lexington, KY; Travis Rickards, Louisville, KY/ Baltimore, MD/ 2013

Accounting, administrative, warehouse, forklift, assembly, machine operation, maintenance, engineering, management, information technology

Source: Business Lexington questionnaire, representatives and websites of named agencies. Other agencies were qualified but did not response by stated deadlines. Key: NA=Not Available, *=Not updated information

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DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Who’sWho

EMPLOYMENT NEWS AND AWARDS IN OUR COMMUNITY

GUSTAVSON

GHAELIAN

SHEPARD

YOUNG

STOKES

SHAHOUB

KREBS

MATHEWS

HOOTEN

STEWART

NORTON

WALLI

FISHER

BRONER

WAINWRIGHT

HELTON

L. SMITH

HENTHORNE

ALLEN

STUMBO

COENDERS

HAILEY

BARBER

BLANTON

DOLLINS

MILOSZEWSKI

MUHAMMAD

NEAL

NICHOLSON

D. SMITH

NASH

BELL

BEHNKE

New Hires & Promotions Keeneland has named Spendthrift Farm owner Eric Gustavson to its board of directors.

Lockaby PLLC has welcomed labor and employment attorney, John Ghaelian, to its growing practice.

McBrayer PLLC has expanded the litigation department in its Lexington office with the addition of attorney Emily Shepard.

Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., announced the appointment of Mike Young as its new executive vice president.

Sean Stokes, MD, has joined the Baptist Health Network as a surgical oncologist with Lexington Surgical Specialists, formerly Lexington Surgeons.

CHI Saint Joseph Medical Group announced the addition of Ibrahim Shahoub, MD, to its Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine Team in Lexington.

Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs has welcomed Glen W. Krebs to the firm’s labor and employment service team; and Will Mathews to its real estate and lending group.

Shannelle Hooten has joined the local commercial real estate management firm NAI Isaac as an operations administrative assistant.

Traditional Bank announced the addition of community loan officer, Hunter Stewart to its Lexington lending team.

Paladin, a leading commissioning, engineering, and sustainability consulting firm in Lexington and

BLX_Dec23_20.indd 16

Louisville, is pleased to announce five new team members, including Rachel Norton, commissioning engineer; Morgan Walli, commissioning engineer; Levi Fisher, BIM coordinator for Paladin DTS; Nicole Broner, sustainability consultant; and Mikenna Wainwright, sustainability intern.

Bob Helton has been named executive director of Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp, a new organization that is cultivating an innovation ecosystem for Bluegrass AgTech entrepreneurs and startups in the agricultural sector.

Alltech announced several new appointments within its global marketing team. Joining Alltech’s creative team are: Lisa Smith, director of creative operations and marketing development; Alan Henthorne, creative director; and Jennifer Allen, global art director.

Joining Alltech’s data and insights team are: Amanda Stumbo, director of business insights; and Roel Coenders, associate director of data.

Lorie Hailey also joined Alltech’s communicatons team as director of communications.

The following individuals have been put forward by the nominating committee for election to the 2024 Commerce Lexington board of directors in new three-year term positions: Wallace Barber, owner, Wallace Barber State Farm Insurance; Carla Blanton, owner, Carla Blanton Consulting; Billie Dollins executive vice president and central region president, Community Trust Bank; Jennifer Miloszewski, director-in-charge, Lexington office, Blue & Co., LLC; Abdul Muhammad, central Kentucky market president, WesBanco

Bank; Caitlin Neal, vice president of sales, Office Resources, Inc.; Nick Nicholson, member, Stoll Keenon Ogden, PLLC; and Debbie Smith, director, Cherry Bekaert LLP. The Kentucky Chamber announced that the following individuals were recently elected to serve on its board of directors: Kathryn Nash, president of Kentucky American Water; Stephanie Bell, Windstream vice president of government affairs; Stephen J. Behnke, MD, MBA, CEO of Lexington Clinic; and Steven Lee, president of CRH Kentucky Companies.

The Louisville-based company Byrne Insurance Group has selected business advisor Steve Potter to lead the group’s extension of services into the Lexington market.

Kudos Carter G. Woodson Academy agriculture teacher Jacob Ball was recently presented the prestigious $25,000 Milken Educator Award.

The award honors exceptional educators across the country for their innovation and excellence.

TIME Magazine has honored the Louisville-based company CRG Automation with its Best Inventions award for helping the Army destroy its remaining chemical weapons stored at Richmond’s Blue Grass Army Depot, as well as in Colorado.

VisitLEX was named silver winner as “Best Convention and Visitors Bureau” in the Midwest category by the international Stella Awards.

With a record number of more than 900 nominations in 16 categories and six regions worldwide, VisitLEX is one of three convention and visitors bureaus in the Midwest region to receive that honor.

Caroline Francis, Director of University of Kentucky Alumni Career Services was recently awarded the Catalyst Award from the Retirement Coaches Association during their national conference.

Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. This is FNU’s sixth consecutive year receiving the HEED honor.

University of Kentucky students, Grace Hamilton and Luis Ettedgui, both equine science and management majors, achieved a remarkable milestone by securing spots in the world-renowned Irish National Stud program.

Dermatology Associates of Kentucky (DAK) and Lexington Clinic are pleased to announce a partnership to become a leading dermatology group practice organization in Central Kentucky. The newly combined DAK and Lexington Clinic Dermatology group now includes 10 board-certified dermatologists and 10 providers who practice in five locations across the Bluegrass, mainly Lexington, Frankfort, Mount Sterling, and Somerset.

Dickinson Wright is pleased to announce it received 26 national rankings and ten rankings in Lexington in the 2024 Best Law Firms® report

by Best Lawyers. The firm received 110 first-tier rankings overall.

The 2024 edition of Benchmark Litigation named 11 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys as “Litigation Stars” and three as “Future Stars” in Kentucky. The following Lexington attorneys were honored as “Litigation Stars”: Daniel Danford, William Gorton III, Gregory Parsons, and Ashley Ward. Attorney Cassidy Rosenthal was named a 2024 “Future Star.”

Susan Douglas, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road, was recently honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award by The Office of Alumni Relations at Georgetown College, Georgetown, Kentucky.

The award recognizes alumni who have excelled in their professional careers and demonstrated outstanding service to the college and the broader community.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has received the 2023 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED)

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has named four Lexingtonians as Healthy Kentucky Champions for their dedication to improving the health and well-being of the communities they serve, at the local and/or state level. Mark Birdwhistell, senior vice president and chief administrative officer for UK HealthCare; Donald Frazier, Ph.D., founder of the University of Kentucky Science Outreach Center; Ellen J. Hahn, Ph.D., director of the Kentucky Center for Smokefree Policy; and Karl Lange, DMD, founder of Mission Health Lexington’s free dental clinic, were among the 2023 honorees.

Kentucky REALTORS® has named Mike Inman of Coldwell Banker McMahan as its REALTOR® of the Year for 2023.

Republic Bank & Trust Company has been named to Newsweek’s Best Online Lenders in America 2024 list in multiple categories. The rankings, a collaboration between Newsweek and Lending Tree,

11/7/23 4:31 PM

17

DECEMBER 2023

WWW.BUSINESSLEXINGTON.COM

Who’sWho LEE

POTTER

BALL

EMPLOYMENT NEWS AND AWARDS IN OUR COMMUNITY

FRANCIS

HAMILTON

ETTEDGUI

DANFORD

GORTON

PARSONS

ROSENTHAL

WARD

WHO’S WHO WHO’S WHO FOR YOU? FOR YOU? BIRDWHISTELL

DOUGLAS

FRAZIER

HAHN

named Republic in five different loan types across two categories.

Kentucky, was recognized with a Merit Award.

Omni Architects received two of six design awards bestowed by AIA Kentucky during the institution’s 2023 awards season. The Jefferson Community and Technical College Advanced Manufacturing and Information Technology Center in Louisville received an Honor Award, and the Bullitt County Central Library in Shepherdsville,

Bardstown Bourbon Co. was recently named 2023 Worldwide Whiskey Producer of the Year. The distillery took home top honors at the International Wine and Spirits Competition.

McDonald’s announced that Tom Burrell, a distinguished owneroperator with restaurants located

INMAN

BURRELL

throughout Central Kentucky has been honored with the esteemed Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award, the pinnacle of recognition within the McDonald’s system, illuminating the exemplary achievements and outstanding service of its recipients.

American Trust Wealth announced the rollout of its new mobile app and client portal to provide clients with unprecedented market intelligence and portfolio insight. BL

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Email a press release and photo to info@bizlex.com.

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Boutique Week

•LE

L E X I N GTO N , K Y

XINGTON•

WEEK

F O R A D V E R T I S I N G O R E V E N T S P O N S O R S H I P I N F O R M AT I O N , E M A I L A D V E R T I S E @ S M I L E Y P E T E . C O M O R P H O N E 8 5 9 . 2 6 6 . 6 5 3 7.

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BizLexQ&A

Jim Host

The hall-of-fame communicator on his game-changing career and civic involvement came back [to Lexington] and took my insurance and real estate tests, becoming a licensed real estate broker and insurance agent.

So, I’ve had a wide variety of experience in sales and marketing. The way to crystallize it best is, if you do not believe in yourself, how can anybody believe in you? And second, if you don’t understand what you’re trying to sell, how can you communicate it? And third, if you do not develop personal relationships with the people you’re trying to sell to, you’ll never be successful.

BY CAMPBELL WOOD

J

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

im Host’s vision and salesmanship transformed college sports marketing.

His company, Host Communications, started with radio marketing for University of Kentucky football and basketball, then grew to handle all media rights for athletics at UK and other universities.

Working with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Host came to handle exclusive media rights (except television) for collegiate sports marketing. He played foundational roles in creating Rupp Arena, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the KFC Yum Sports Center. He was also an influential voice in the establishment of Kentucky Educational Television.

In 1967, at 29, he served as commissioner of the department of public information for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In 2003, at age 65, he returned to state government as secretary of commerce.

Host was a stellar baseball pitcher in high school. The Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team offered to sign him when he graduated from Ashland High School in Ashland, Kentucky. Instead, he accepted a full baseball scholarship to UK. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in radio arts, he signed with the Chicago White Sox, but his career was cut short by an arm injury.

He joined WVLK radio station in Lexington as a sports broadcaster and DJ. He later got involved in politics. A failed run for lieutenant governor left him with, he said, “$107 in my pocket.” He had more than $76,000 in debt from the campaign, two car payments, house payments, and no income. “I had to figure out pretty quickly what I was going to do to put food on the table for a wife and two young children.”

In 1971, he founded Host and Associates (soon renamed Host Communications). “I wanted it to sound like I had a big company, but it was just me,” he said. Host became the first executive director of the Lexington Tourism Commission and in 1972 became the first executive director of the newly formed Lexington Center Corporation board.

Host stepped down as CEO of Host Communication in 2001. IMG acquired the company in 2007.

Host has been inducted into 14 regional and national halls of fame, including the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (the first inductee who was not a player or coach), the University of Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, and Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. He has received three honorary doctorates. In late October, he received the Lexington Urban League’s 2023 Community Service Award in recognition of his support to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Lexington community.

Host and his wife, Patricia, have seven grandchildren and reside in Lexington. Busi-

BLX_Dec23_20.indd 18

Did your experience as an athlete give you an edge in the business world?

There’s no question that having been in athletics dramatically helped my business career, primarily because the competition of athletics teaches you great discipline, teaches you how to prepare, and teaches you, more than anything else, how to win.

And as a business leader, you often took on the role of coach. When I played ball in high school and college, and then when I played professionally, at each level, there was someone who was a coach and did his best to get the best out of me.

There were times that I didn’t like it.

There were times when people in business didn’t like it. But the thing that I found in athletics and business, is that if you treat people fairly, if you’re upfront with them, if you tell them what your demands are, and if you strive for excellence and you don’t let anybody get by with not doing their best, you can succeed. That’s what I learned in athletics, and that’s what I strove for in business.

I’ve always been talked about as being a coach. I’ve worked with young people consistently. Just this past week, I met with a young person from the university. Today, I met with a young person who has a job in sports. I’ve been mentoring him in terms of things he needs to do to improve himself.

I continue to do it because I love to help people get better.

PHOTO BY BILL STRAUS

“The thing that I found in athletics and business, is that if you treat people fairly, if you’re upfront with them, if you tell them what your demands are, and if you strive for excellence and you don’t let anybody get by with not doing their best, you can succeed.”

JIM HOST

ness Lexington spoke with Host about his work and life in sports and business.

A crucial ingredient of your success has been salesmanship. How did you develop that skill? I learned how to market

and sell through a three-year commitment I made with Procter and Gamble — probably the best-managed sales marketing company in the United States, headquartered in Cincinnati. I was selling radio for WVLK and then went to work for Procter and Gamble. I

Are there any projects you’re currently engaged with? I’m working with some individuals who have a nonprofit for building the largest tourism project in southeastern Kentucky, called Boone’s Ridge, in Bell County. It has required a lot of government involvement, as well as private businesses and private foundations.

I have been working on the University of Kentucky’s Communication School, putting a new communications facility on the first floor of what was the retail space in Rupp Arena.

Since 2004, I’ve been deeply involved in helping bring broadband across the state.

I’m actively involved in developing strategies with several individuals at the state and private levels to bring high-speed broadband that will forever change the landscape, especially in Eastern Kentucky. BL

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WEST SIXTH + BGCF = IMPACTFUL. ORGANIZED. GIVING. From its beginning, West Sixth Brewing started with two goals: to make the best beer in Kentucky and make a positive impact on the communities it’s a part of.

Blue Grass Community Foundation has been there every step of the way.

West Sixth launched the West Sixth For A Cause Foundation, in partnership with BGCF, to expand its outreach and bring together all of its other charitable programs under one, big, community umbrella. In just 10 years, West Sixth has contributed more than $1 million to charitable and community projects.

We’re here to help your business organize its giving and enhance its impact. Call us today at 859.225.3343.

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