A ready-made reference tool for the Bluegrass business community— the Book of Lists combines a year’s worth of Business Lexington’s most statistically informative feature into one glossy-cover publication, which will be seen by thousands of corporate and community decision makers across the state. This resource o ers a wealth of information reaching a very high percentage of Lexington’s business community, and its year-long shelf life makes it a powerful way to get your message across to potential customers.
The latest statistics on local residential properties PAGE 4
EconomicAnalysis
A monthly look at economic indicators compiled by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) at the University of Kentucky PAGE 5
WriteStu Cut through the clutter and connect through storytelling PAGE 5
QuickBites
Big Kahuna rides wave of success, will open second location PAGE 7
IndependentBusiness
Sip, Shop and Gather: Longtime Lexington-based company Pomegranate opens its first storefront PAGE 8
BizLists
Accounting Firms PAGE 12
Advertising and Creative Agencies PAGE 14
Wealth Management Firms PAGE 16
Who’s Who Employment updates and notable achievements from around the Bluegrass PAGE 18
School Lunch Made Easy: Start-up company Packed delivers nutritious, ready-to-eat lunches to local schools PAGE 9
A New Role for Pence Hall: A $2.5 million donation will help advance education and the state’s film industry as UK’s College of Communication & Information moves into updated facilities PAGE 10
Timeless Portraits:
Photographer Mark Cornelison creates indelible images using 19th-century technology PAGE 11
BizLex Q&A with Lori Flees: The CEO of Valvoline on franchise growth, developing talent and tech-led innovation PAGE 17
in-store or online, select e-gift card for instant delivery. Restrictions for bonus cards apply. Visit bluegrasshospitality.com for details.
PHOTO FURNISHED
PVAStatistics
These statistics on local residential and commercial property are 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.
Top Commercial Transactions for November 2024
DATE ADDRESS PRICE ENTITY
10/29/24 2300 Sir Barton Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 1988 Pavilion Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 1937 Vendor Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 1937 Star Shoot Parkway $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 1970 Pavilion Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 2130 Sir Barton Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 2130 Sir Barton Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 2160 Sir Barton Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
10/29/24 2160 Sir Barton Way $135,000,000* FHH Hamburg LLC
11/1/24 3630 Boston Road $24,810,000* Ragland Millpond LLC
11/1/24 3636 Boston Road $24,810,000* Ragland Millpond LLC
11/1/24 3650 Boston Road $24,810,000* Ragland Millpond LLC
11/1/24 3610 Boston Road $24,810,000* Ragland Millpond LLC
11/19/24 5522 Athens $5,220,000 Caseys Marketing Company Boonesboro Road
11/19/24 4538 Georgetown Road $4,145,000 Caseys Marketing Company
11/13/24 1845 Georgetown Road $1,570,000 Jayan, Elle LLC
11/13/24 4456 Old Nicholasville Road $1,200,000 Guiseppes Land Lease LLC
11/7/24 128 Dennis Drive $570,000 J&B Investment Properties LLC
*Sale Price Based on a Multiple-Parcel Transaction ** Parcel includes multiple improvements, see property record for details
Residential Sales Data for November 2024
The chart below shows the monthly residential sales activity in Fayette County for the previous 24 months. The data for the most recent month reflects a projected estimate from the office of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator and is subject to change.
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 Dec. 2024
Payroll emp. MSA****
Manufacturing Employment Durable Goods (KY) ****
Manufacturing: Lexington-Fayette MSA Total Employees**** Unemployment Rate MSA****
Payroll Employment, US
Manufacturing Payroll Employment US Unemployment Rate, US
Consumer Price Index, Southern Region
Consumer Price Index, US Producer Price Index, US
Index of Leading Indicators**
Fed’s Index of Industrial Production**
3-Month Treasury Yield***
10-Year Treasury Yield***
Real GDP (millions $)
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 JC McPherson
Cut Through the Clutter and Connect Through Storytelling
In a world overflowing with information and competing messages, businesses often struggle to stand out and connect with their audiences. Many times facts and figures alone fail to engage or inspire action. Storytelling offers a solution by transforming complex ideas into relatable, compelling narratives that capture attention and leave a lasting impression.
At its core, storytelling taps into a fundamental aspect of human nature: our innate love for narratives. When businesses embrace storytelling, they align themselves with this tradition, transforming otherwise dry information into engaging, memorable experiences. Incorporating storytelling into business writing requires intentionality and a clear understanding of your audience. Here are practical steps to infuse storytelling into your business communication:
Know Your Audience: Understand your audience’s pain points, aspirations, and values to craft a story that resonates with their experiences.
Start with a Hook: Begin with an engaging anecdote, surprising fact, or relatable scenario to draw readers in.
Structure with Purpose: Follow a narrative structure with a beginning, middle, and end. Introduce a relatable scenario, describe the challenge, and conclude with a resolution tied to your message.
Use Concrete Details: Vivid descriptions and specific examples make your story more relatable and memorable. Avoid abstract language.
Tie Back to Your Message: Ensure your narrative connects seamlessly to your business goal, whether promoting a product, explaining a concept, or inspiring action.
Leverage Emotional Appeal: Stories that evoke emotions like empathy, hope, or excitement leave a lasting impact.
Keep it Authentic: Authenticity builds trust and makes your message credible.
Storytelling is more than a communication tool; it is a bridge that connects businesses to their audiences on a personal level. Success in business often begins with leaving a lasting impression, and a well-crafted story has the power to do just that. By weaving narratives into your business writing, you can ensure your message is not only heard but also remembered. BL
JC McPherson is an associate with the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative, creative writing instructor, and arts administrator. The Carnegie Center, 251 W. Second St., is a nonprofit educational center offering seasonal writing, publishing and language classes, among other community programming. For more information, visit CarnegieCenterLex.org.
CraveWorthy
No Queues, No Cart, All Service
Rupp Arena debuts Kentucky’s first AI-driven concessions stand
BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Afuturistic concessions stand has opened at Rupp Arena, allowing customers to pick up the snacks they want and simply walk out — no lines, cashiers, or self-checkout kiosks required.
Wildcat Walk Thru, as the shop is known, is located on the upper concourse of Rupp Arena on Level 2 near Section 13. It is the first of its kind in Kentucky, according to Lauren Layman, marketing director with Oak View Group.
Oak View Group, a Denver-based firm, offers venue development, management, and hospitality services for Rupp Arena and other venues and music festivals worldwide.
Since the store’s late 2024 opening, official Rupp caterer Hardwood & Oak, along with hospitality partner Levy, has stocked the store with a variety of popular food and beverage options.
“There’s something for everyone,” Layman said. “There’s candy, chips, hot handhelds like Hunt Brothers Pizza, and popcorn. There are also alcoholic beverages like seltzers and beers, as well as sodas and water.”
When entering at a turnstile, guests tap their credit or debit card at a terminal. Once inside, about 40 cameras track their movements, including the items they pick up, Layman explained.
As customers leave, AI-based technology, sensors, computer vision, and RFID
(radio frequency identification) powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology detect the items they are carrying and charge their card accordingly.
Amazon Just Walk Out’s webpage lists Seattle’s Lumen Field as another user of this technology. In addition to event venues, Just Walk Out can be used in convenience stores, healthcare, education, business and industry settings.
This format “speeds up the process tremendously,” Layman said, adding that people come to the arena for an enjoyable experience, not to stand in lines.
“We noticed that a lot of other venues in the U.S. were utilizing this technology, and we are always looking for new ways to enhance the customer experience. We thought this could be the perfect technology to use because of the number of events that happen here,” she said.
The technology is intended to enhance convenience and efficiency.
“Our guests’ experience is our top priority, and we’re dedicated to making each visit fast, convenient, and seamless,” General Manager Brian Sipe said in a press release detailing the new venue. “Customers can now pick up their favorite items and go, cutting down wait times and offering a seamless, hassle-free shopping experience.”
Wildcat Walk Thru is part of an ongoing effort to enhance guests’ food and beverage experiences at Rupp Arena, Layman said.
“One of the things Rupp Arena is known for is Taylor Belle Ice Cream, so we now have six or seven stations offering softserve and hand-dipped ice cream,” she said.
These enhancements also extend to the new “Rupp Club”, Layman said, which is available as an upgraded experience for select events. This package includes tickets with premium lower-arena seats, club-level parking with a private entry, and complimentary chef-driven snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. BL
PHOTO FURNISHED
Wildcat Walk Thru, a technology-driven grab-and-go concessions stand, recently made its debut at Rupp Arena.
Big Kahuna rides wave of success, will open second location
BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Apopular local Hawaiian restaurant known for its spam musubi, kalua pork, macaroni salad, and kitschy murals is launching a sister location in early February.
Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ, which opened its flagship location on Liberty Road in 2021, is opening a second location in Clays Mill Road’s Stonewall Center, ideally in February, owner Harry Ginsberg said. Ginsberg said the location was chosen to further the restaurant’s reach.
“There was a demand to bring the concept to the south side of Lexington,” he said, adding that the menu will be very similar, with a couple possible additions.
The new location will seat about 60 inside and about the same outside, Ginsberg said.
“We had been considering a second location for about a year, just waiting for the right location,” he said. “We are incredibly grateful for the support from our community.”
In other local food and beverage news:
Chef Jonathan Lundy’s new concept, 3TEN, was set for a Dec. 10 opening date, with a seasonally rotating menu of small plates and shareables with Mediterranean, pan-Asian and Latin American influences; wines, cocktails and spirit-free beverages by sommelier T.J. Cox; and more.
Rock House Brewing, a staple of the NoLi neighborhood on Luigart Court, has announced on social media it’s moving to a new location, with details to be revealed soon. The business’s former location closed Nov. 30.
Scouted Cafe coffee shop has coffees, pastries and space for “local collaboration” in support of small businesses at its new location, 373 Virginia Ave. Recent posts showcased offerings of cake pops, cookies, muffins and pies.
CRU Food & Wine Bar, one of the original restaurants to open at The Summit at Fritz Farm, announced it was closing in November.
Two partners in AP Suggins restaurant, Brad Scott and Bryce Steel, along with Blake Scott, are working on a new restaurant concept set to open this spring at 4750 Hartland Parkway, Ste. 128, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports, adding that the concept will be family friendly with other details released later.
From January through early March, the Lexington Farmers’ Market will assume a new winter home at Greyline Station on the corner of Loudon and North Limestone. The Tandy Park location was set to close at the end of 2024 and reopen March 22.
JJ Burgers and Fries is open now at 6421 Athens Boonesboro Rd., with buildyour-own burger options and more than 20 toppings. Street tacos, salads, fries and hot dogs are also on the menu.
Thai House Lexington recently opened at 911 Winchester Road, in the former location of Jasmine Rice Thai Restaurant, which closed at the end of August. The new restaurant is owned by a former employee of Jasmine Rice.
Koi Express at 3029 Richmond Road has closed after opening in early 2024.
In early December, AZUR Restaurant & Patio, the Beaumont-area fine dining restaurant with chef Jeremy Ashby at the helm, announced it would serve its final meal on New Year’s Eve, exactly 20 years after opening on New Year’s Eve in 2004. For the past two decades, the restaurant was a leader in Lexington’s culinary community, known for its European ambiance and creative, high quality cuisine. BL
Have a food and beverage-related update to share with readers?
Bulgogi sliders, made with marinated slices of beef, cheddar, kimchi, scallions and spicy mayo, at Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ. The restaurant will open a second location, in Stonewall Center on Clays Mill Road, in February.
PHOTO FURNISHED
IndependentBusiness
Sip, Shop and Gather
Longtime Lexington-based company Pomegranate opens its first storefront (with wine!)
BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Pomegranate Inc. owner Angela Beck wants her new retail space to feel like stepping into an inviting and immersive display of her beloved lifestyle brand’s breezy aesthetic, as well as a gathering space for the local community.
Long known in Lexington for its biannual warehouse sales, Pomegranate started as a wholesale textiles company nearly 30 years ago. During the pandemic, the company shifted to primarily online sales. Now, Beck says, the time is right to open a retail store.
“This is what we’re most excited about — showing all the things that we’ve worked so hard to put on display,” Beck said. “We want it to be an experience and a fun gathering place.”
Located at 700 East Main Street near the Clay Avenue retail corridor, the newly renovated boutique will offer customers an opportunity to immerse themselves in Beck’s curated collections of hand block-printed apparel, linens, textiles and accessories, as well as unique home décor and antiques sourced by Beck during her travels.
The space also includes an area for customers to enjoy light bites and wines, called Penny’s at Pomegranate, presented in partnership with chef Ouita Michel. Michel’s mother, Penny, used to live on Clay Avenue, Beck said.
The wine, from Angela Vineyards in Oregon (named after Beck), will be available via “Pour Pass,” a self-serve system where customers can swipe a preloaded card and pour a wine from a specialized dispensing machine.
“We want people to stay and hang out for a while,” Beck said. “The idea is that we can help you set your table and we can help you find a great gift, and we also want you to experience the whole levity and refreshing colors of Pomegranate.”
While the company is still working out the details, Beck anticipates a slow rollout of the food component and fine-tuning the process to provide customers with what they want.
“Later this spring, hopefully, we will be renting the space out as an event space,” she said. “We’ll be catering those events, so in the evening, if you want it for your book club or your weekly mah-jongg league, you can take over the entire space.”
Beck launched Pomegranate after a trip to India, where she fell in love with the country and the block-printing technique used to decorate textiles. She started designing her own patterns after moving to Lexington with her husband, horseman and entrepreneur Antony Beck. Soon after, she set up her first trade show booth, and Pomegranate was born. The company’s products feature exclusive designs that are hand-stamped onto textiles by artisans in India using traditional techniques.
In 2020, the pandemic forced Beck to shift everything to online sales. Most of her sales, she said, come from outside of Lexington.
“Our top four states are California, New York, Texas and Florida,” she said. “We also have a huge mailing list because of our wholesale showroom in Atlanta.
“In the past, we’ve also set up in the New York gift shows, in Dallas, and in Las Vegas, but we find that staying closer to home and
Founder Angela Beck launched Pomegranate after a trip to India, where she fell in love with the block-printing technique. After operating as a wholesale company for nearly 30 years, the store has opened its first storefront.
Beck, left, intends for Pomegranate’s first retail store, located at 700 East Main Street, to be a great place to shop as well as a fun gathering space.
having a permanent wholesale facility in Atlanta allows us to draw the right traffic and to get buyers from all over the country.”
Beck will continue to sell Pomegranate’s wares online and through retail partners nationwide. She also plans to release exclusive prints that will be available only at the Lexington location.
“I’m very excited,” she said. “It’s a beautiful space. It is really beyond my imagination how well it turned out.”
School Lunch Made Easy
Start-up company
Packed delivers nutritious, ready-to-eat lunches to local schools
BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For working parents, packing a school lunch can be a push-pull experience every morning.
You want your kid to be happy and have a healthy lunch, but finding the time during the morning hustle can be difficult.
That need is what drove Becca Self and Liza Green to create Packed. Focused on providing fresh, wholesome, and tasty school lunch options, the company creates and delivers pre-packed lunches to schools across the city.
An offshoot of Hunsicker, a Lexingtonbased venture studio that funds “purposedriven startups,” Packed emerged from the realization that the current school lunch system isn’t working, Self said. According to their research, nearly 52 million kids across the country — about 40% of school-aged children — opt to bring lunch from home.
“In some cases, that’s because they attend a school where a lunch isn’t provided,” Self said. “In other cases, they are bypassing the cafeteria and going to all the extra trouble to bring a lunch from home… In some cases, they’re opting out of a free lunch. That’s an interesting data point in the school lunch market.”
Self is no stranger to packing lunches. Previously, she founded and ran FoodChain, a nutritional nonprofit, and Nourish Lexington, a program that prepared and distributed over 500,000 scratch-made meals. She’s also the mom of 10-year-old twins.
“Making school lunches is a lot of extra work,” she said. “You have to gather groceries, keep track of lunch boxes, and harp on your kids to bring it back. And 40 percent of the school lunch market is not trivial.”
This realization sparked an opportunity
for Hunsicker to meet the needs of parents seeking wholesome, tasty, and convenient school lunch options for their kids.
From this, she said, Packed was born. The company provides fully prepared, ready-toeat meals delivered to schools. These are no basic peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches either.
Packed offers a variety of options, from saucy noodles to burrito bowls and superfood salads. Each entrée includes two sides, such as fresh veggies, fruit, pita chips, or hummus.
“Kids love them,” she said. “And I have my own in-house tasters.”
The program debuted this past spring at Providence Montessori, where Self’s children are enrolled. The school only offers pizza on Fridays, leaving the rest of the week for parents to provide lunches. The eight-week pilot program proved so popular that more than half of the parents participated.
Hunsicker used the data collected during the trial to refine the concept. They interviewed kids, parents, and school staff to transform the idea into a full-fledged business.
The company then brought in Liza Green as Packed’s CEO. Green, an experienced small-business founder, previously launched and grew a popular café and marketing concept in Sun Valley, Idaho, and managed operations for early-stage businesses at Amazon. For Green, the opportunity to impact children’s lives was a motivating force.
“When I first learned about Packed, I
was immediately drawn to the compelling mission and opportunity to have a significant impact on kids and families everywhere,” Green said. “Serving students wholesome, tasty meals that are incredibly convenient for parents and easy for schools to manage feels like a win-win-win situation. The traction we have seen in our early days is really exciting, and I love that we are working towards delivering quality, fresh food to students at scale.”
The company operates out of a commercial kitchen at Greyline Station, preparing around 350 lunches a week. Meals are made onsite, packed, and delivered to schools before lunchtime. Lunches are priced at about $8 each.
The variety in entrées and sides ensures kids don’t get bored, said Kate Kopytek, a Hunsicker associate who works with Packed.
“When parents order their lunches, they have the opportunity to sit down with their kid, almost like they’re at a restaurant, and have their kid look through them and you pick an entree and then pick their two sides to build their own lunch,” she said. “If you are ordering Packed multiple days for multiple days a week for your student, your student can have different lunches on every single one of those days. You can really switch it up. And we have a lot of different combinations available.”
These personalized options also accommodate vegetarian, gluten-free, and other
dietary restrictions, Kopytek added. Once the meals are prepared, they’re packed into a larger box for delivery to the school. Containers are collected the next day by delivery drivers, eliminating waste and the need for parents to track down missing Tupperware, water bottles, or lunch boxes.
Currently, Packed offers delivery to three schools — Providence Montessori, Redwood Cooperative School, and Lexington Christian Academy — but the business is expanding, Self said.
She anticipates that more schools will come online, and that the service will be available for delivery directly to homes later this year. While the logistics of home delivery are still being finalized, Self expects 2025 will bring the same variety of lunches to parents’ doorsteps
Beyond that, Green said, the response to the product seems to indicate it will continue to grow.
“Our early traction tells us that people are really excited about what we are doing,” Green said. “We are still testing how we can best serve customers and will continue to adjust as needed to accomplish this mission. As we look to the new year, we will be piloting home delivery of lunches. We are really excited to provide this option to families. Not only will it allow us to serve more customers, but it will also be insightful as we look for clarity on how best to move forward and serve people in Lexington and beyond.” BL
PHOTOS FURNISHED
Packed is a start-up business that offers an array of packaged, ready-to-eat lunches delivered to schools at a cost of about $8 a meal.
A New Role for Pence Hall
A $2.5 million donation will help advance education and the state’s film industry as UK’s College of Communication & Information moves into updated facilities
BY CAMPBELL WOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When Pence Hall reopens for classes on the University of Kentucky’s campus this fall, it will be the new home and hub for the College of Communication & Information (CCI).
The project has received significant support from Misdee Wrigley Miller and her husband, James Miller, who in December donated $2.5 million to the renovation project and to expand CCI programs.
“It’s the largest gift we have ever received in the history of the college, and we have many generous donors,” said Jennifer Greer, dean of the college. In recognition of the donation, a new auditorium and the administrative floor at Pence Hall will be named after the Millers.
The renovation of Pence Hall, originally built in 1909, is an asset preservation project (without the constraints of historical preservation), funded by $32 million from the
Kentucky Legislature, including matched funding from the university. Pence Hall originally housed the Physics and Civil Engineering department, and was later home to the architecture department and College of Design for nearly 50 years, until those departments moved to the newly renovated Gray Design Building (formerly known as the Reynolds Building).
“It’s a positive challenge to update a 100-plus-year-old building with modern mechanical and electrical systems,” said Carole Yocum, a principal at K. Norman Berry Associate Architects and lead architect on the project.
Yocum recalls experiencing stifling heat in the building on hot days during her undergraduate days at UK. The renovation will include central air conditioning, and the building will also be made ADA-compliant with a new glass-encased main entryway and elevators. The renovated building will include five classrooms, a large auditorium, a seminar room, two computer labs, a whitebox studio, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.
The donation also underscores the deepening collaboration of CCI with Wrigley Media Group and LEX Studios, Lexington-based film and video enterprises founded by Miller.
“There is a burgeoning film industry led by the efforts of Misdee Wrigley Miller and others in that space to attract commercial production and filmmaking to the commonwealth,” Greer said.
Miller’s connection to Lexington began with her love of horses. Growing up on a horse farm in the west, she felt right at home settling into a horse farm in the Bluegrass. An accomplished equestrian, she was the first woman to win a gold medal in Saddlebred competition.
Her background also includes extensive experience in media and journalism.
While a student at Arizona State University, Miller worked on a weekly news show produced by PBS and later became a reporter for a CBS affiliate in Phoenix. She was then offered the opportunity to join CBS News in New York City.
“CBS News in New York was far and away the No. 1 news station,” Miller said. “That was the epicenter. If I took that step, I’d be married to the news. Forget your horses, forget everything else, except the news.”
Wrigley instead chose to leave New York and return to Arizona to pursue her passion for equestrian sports.
Once settled in the Lexington area, Miller eventually found herself drawn back into video and film. Her reentry into the industry began with voicing historic horsewoman Josephine Clay for a Post Time Productions documentary.
She later partnered with founder Wood Simpson to run Post Time, which eventually evolved into Wrigley Media Group, expanding to a national market.
Miller describes Kentucky’s film industry tax incentives as “the best and most robust in the country.”
“We get calls at least weekly from people relocating to Kentucky, especially Lexington, mostly from Los Angeles and other parts of
“I believe in giving students a real-life experience, putting theory into practical experience. Nothing can replace working with industry professionals and making real life decisions on productions.”
MISDEE WRIGLEY MILLER
the country,” she said. This growing network in Lexington is often referred to as “LAX to LEX.” Many of these individuals have family ties or are returning to their home state.
Greer said Miller first started working with CCI and its students through internships soon after starting her work with Wrigley Media Group.
“I believe in giving students a real-life experience, putting theory into practical experience,” Miller said. “Nothing can replace working with industry professionals and making real life decisions on productions.”
Wrigley Media Group, an award-winning video production company, operates a studio off Newtown Road on Lexington’s north end. The facility boasts industry-leading equipment and features, including a 60-by-40foot cyclorama, green rooms, and advanced post-production capabilities. LEX Studios, Kentucky’s largest film production facility, occupies the former Woodhill multiplex cinemas in Lexington.
Initially, Miller’s team started with a few interns from CCI, but this number grew when production began on Relative Justice, a syndicated court show that recorded over 300 episodes at LEX Studios. Though the show was poised for a third season, Miller opted to stop production to focus on expanding the studio facilities.
“Instead of just having one sound stage, we now have three sound stages with complete production support areas. It’s turned into a 52,000 square-foot living set,” she said. “Productions that have come in have also used the hallways and the break rooms — everything around here can be a set.”
She said five movie productions have used LEX Studios’ facilities over the past year. Some of the interns have already found employment in the industry. One intern became a full time employee with LEX Studios. Others have found positions elsewhere in the industry, one even becoming an associate producer on the Emmy-winning show Judge Judy.
Miller and Greer are exploring ways to expand student opportunities beyond internships to include special projects at LEX Studios. Professionals with Wrigley and LEX Studios will also continue to visit CCI classrooms to talk about their work and opportunities in the film industry. BL
MILLER
Timeless Portraits
Photographer Mark Cornelison creates indelible images using 19th-century technology
BY MATT WICKSTROM
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
You may not want to party like it’s 1851, but thanks to one Lexington photographer, you can now have your picture taken just as people did back then.
Mark Cornelison, the University of Kentucky’s current chief photographer and a longtime former staff member at the Lexington Herald-Leader, recently opened a wet plate collodion, or tintype, photography studio.
Initially operating out of his garage, Cornelison moved to a small studio space at 522 W. Short St. in November. Since 2022, Cornelison Tintypes has produced more than 300 photographs in this vintage style. After covering 25 Kentucky Derbys, 15 Final Fours, and nine Super Bowls during more than 30 years as a professional photographer, Cornelison views his tintype work as a return to the fundamentals of the passion that has defined his life.
“When I was with the paper, we had the best of everything,” recalls Cornelison. “It got to the point where I missed having to know how to do it all myself. Nowadays so much of digital photography is automated to the point that anyone can be a great photographer, which can be good but also is less than ideal
when you’re thrust into a problem-solving situation.”
On that note, there’s no more handson approach to photography than tintype.
(And with toxic chemicals like mercury now removed from the process, it’s far less dangerous, too.)
Each metal plate must sit in silver nitrate before being put into a cartridge under red light, and getting loaded into the camera, steps that Cornelison refers to as “a dance.”
After he clicks the shutter, the plate goes back under the red light, where it is sprayed with a developing chemical and water.
The resulting images depict every minute detail, from the number of eyelashes to the prominence of freckles, magnified in what Cornelison describes as “the most honest picture you’ll ever take.”
“Back then, when a photographer came to town, everything stopped because that was most people’s one and only chance to get photographed in their lives,” Cornelison says of the mid-nineteenth century technology that tintype photography originates from.
“That’s why everyone was gussied up in those pictures and took them so seriously. They didn’t know if they’d get the chance again and wanted to look their best.”
With each plated photo lasting more than 175 years, Cornelison hopes his work will
help descendants connect to their ancestors and understand the people they come from.
For that reason, he etches the back of each plate with the subject’s name, date, location, and slide number so that anyone, no matter how far removed, can identify the person.
“I have this vision of kids rummaging through their grandma’s trunk one day, finding a plate inside and seeing their great-great grandpa on it for the first time,” Cornelison said. “My mom died recently and left us boxes of pictures and I don’t know who half of [the people] are, so having something like this to connect those dots is special.”
Capturing these photos in Cornelison’s studio are two century-old cameras: a Century View No. 2 and a Deardorff folding view camera, both acquired through serendipitous circumstances.
The Century No. 2 was found collecting dust in a basement locally after being used inside Lexington’s famed LaFayette Studios decades earlier. It had a few missing parts, so Cornelison bought two similar cameras on eBay for replacements.
The Deardorff came from a friend Cornelison used to shoot the Kentucky Derby with. The friend’s late brother-in-law, an avid photographer, had owned the camera. Initially unable to find a buyer, the friend planned to put it out on the curb — until he noticed Cornelison’s work on Instagram. He reached out, and Cornelison drove to Chicago to pick it up.
Whether photographing stars like Rajon Rondo, Tubby Smith, Lee Keifer, and John Mellencamp, documenting a Kentucky Derby, or capturing tintypes in his downtown studio, Cornelison emphasizes that his work isn’t about having the most up-to-date equipment. Instead, it’s about building relationships with the people he photographs — no matter how brief the interaction — and capturing what happens during that time.
“Years ago [longtime National Geographic staffer and UK grad] Sam Abell told me that I was good at ‘the melt,’ meaning that you can cut through a subject’s awkwardness and nervousness to get a good picture. When you’re trying to get into somebody’s life for 60 seconds like that, you have to excel at quickly putting them at ease. Throughout my career I’ve always strived to be known as the guy you’d most want to take your picture, and that’s no different with tintype.” BL
PHOTO FURNISHED
Mark Cornelison in his studio at 522 W. Short St. His newly opened photography business specializes in wet plate collodion, also known as tintype, portraits.
PHOTO BY MARK CORNELISON
A tintype portrait of UK baseball catcher Devin Burkes captures minute details in a timeless fashion.
Thomas Hager (President); Bill Howell (Senior VP/Lexington Market Director)
Kevin Avent, CFP, AIF (Managing Director)
Megan Williams (COO)
Donald E. Bentley (Financial Advisor/ Owner); Jeff Sheppard (Financial Advisor/Owner); Brian K. Staples (COO/CFO)
Jeremy Wallace (Founder/CIO); Andrew Hart (Founder/Chief Planning Officer)
Barry W. Norfleet, JD, MBA (Senior VP/ Senior Trust Officer); Thomas E. Hatton (VP/Senior Trust Officer)
R. Tracy Osborne (Founder/CEO); John C. Cheshire (Founder/CIO); Ryan M. Gray (Founder/Senior Wealth Strategist); Erin Hershey Serrate (Founder/Senior Wealth Strategist)
Firm Name Address, Phone Website Rank
Ballast
360 E. Vine St., Ste. 400 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 226-0625 ballastplan.com
Dean Dorton Wealth Management
250 W. Main St., Ste. 1110 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 425-7780 deandortonwealth.com
Joule Financial 1216 S. Broadway Lexington, KY 40504 (859) 881-0777 joulefinancial.com
University of Kentucky
Federal Credit Union 1730 Alysheba Way Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 264-4200 ukfcu.org
Alpha Financial Partners 710 E. Main St., Ste. 110 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 785-2660 alphaky.com
Central Bank & Trust
300 W. Vine St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-6423 centralbank.com/ personal-wealth-management
E.S. Barr & Company 1999 Richmond Road, Ste. 18 Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 266-1300 esbarr.com
Dupree Financial Group 237 E. Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 233-0400 dupreefinancial.com
Kelly Capital Group 80 Codell Dr., Ste. 240 Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 273-0200 kellycapitalgroup.com
Russell Capital Management 476 E. High St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 254-5225 russcap.com
UBS Global Wealth Management 307 S. Ashland Ave. Lexington, KY 40502 (859) 335-8107 local.ubs.com/lexington-ky
VFG Wealth Management and Benefit Solutions 131 Prosperous Place Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 312-1216 vfginvest.com
Cumberland Valley National Bank 1721 Nicholasville Road Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 268-1189 cvinvestments.net
John V. Boardman, III, CFP, CPWA (Founder/CEO); Andy Reynolds, CFP, CEPA, MBA (Partner/COO); Brian Burton, CFP, CIMA (Partner/Chief Investment Officer); Cameron Hamilton, CFP, CPWA, MBA (Partner/Director of Financial Planning)
Diego Vallota (Managing Director)
Quint Tatro (Managing Director/CIO); Daniel Czulno (Managing Director/ COO)
Joel Aran, VP of Retail Branches & Financial Advising
Marc Cobane (Co-Founder/Partner) Greg Turcotte (Co-Founder/CCO) Aaron Ammerman (Co-Founder/ Partner)
Barry Hickey (EVP); Kathy Wilson Gibson (Senior VP); Tim Fyffe (Senior VP); Shelia Parks (VP)
Edward S. Barr (President)
Tom Dupree (President and Founder)
Patrick J. Kelly, CFP
Jack Russell (CEO)
Ryan McLaughlin (Executive Director/ Market Executive)
Adam Legate (Principal); Kevin Kitchen (Partner); Jason Young (Partner)
Bill Hall (Financial Advisor); Kezia Ramsey (Financial Advisor)
BizLexQ&A
Lori Flees
The CEO of Valvoline on franchise growth, developing talent and tech-led innovation
BY CAMPBELL WOOD CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In 2023, Lori Flees was named CEO of Valvoline, a Lexington-based leader in the automotive services industry. Valvoline introduced the world’s first branded motor oil in 1866.
Today, she oversees 2,010 Valvolinebranded oil change locations across the U.S. (Valvoline Instant Oil Change), Canada (Great Canadian Oil Change), and Express Care, which helps independent auto service centers incorporate Valvoline’s quick-oilchange model. While Express Care has mainly operated in North America, it has expanded internationally with locations in several countries.
Valvoline is on track to add 250 new stores annually by 2027, aiming to grow its network to 3,500 locations.
Flees’ career began at Kettering University, formerly known as General Motors Institute. Kettering’s educational program is based on the co-op model, which structures periods of paid work experience alternating with academic course studies. She worked for GM’s GMC Truck Division, gaining experience in 16 different departments over five years.
“They were big projects,” said Flees. “I might be subbing for someone who was on maternity leave or be given a project or join a team and work on something.” During her enrollment at Kettering, she worked on projects in the U.S., England and Paris. “It was an amazing experience,” she said.
Flees earned a Bachelor of Science in Management Systems, which combined elements of industrial engineering, physics, coding, economics, and marketing. “It taught me systems thinking — how economics, accounting, marketing, and technology all work together in a company.”
After graduation, she spent two years at Intel as a senior business analyst, deepening her understanding of technology and its role in consumer products. Lori then took a twoyear break to earn her MBA from Harvard.
She went on to spend 17 years at Bain & Company, a leading global consulting firm, where she worked across industries like aerospace, oil and gas, consumer products, and healthcare. “The pace of learning was incredible,” she said. “A lot of innovation comes when you take an idea that’s done in a different space and you apply it to your own.”
In 2014, she joined Walmart as senior vice president in corporate strategy. She then moved over to Walmart’s Sam’s Club as senior vice president of Sam’s Club Health and Wellness, to oversee the rollout of a healthcare solutions plan to a chain of six hundred pharmacy, optical, and audiology service locations. Later, she oversaw Walmart’s broader health and wellness business across 4,800 locations.
vide a service for consumers, predominantly oil changes, although that’s expanded. In 2023 the board and management team decided to separate the two businesses. We sold the product side to Aramco, which now supplies the materials used to make Valvoline products. Today, Valvoline is fully focused on its retail services.
I’ve inherited these things, and I’ve delivered its 18th year of system-wide same-store sales growth across our franchisees and company. We had more than $3 billion in sales for our fiscal year 2024. We’re driving profit growth, and we’re completing 28 million services for our customers in a year. And the thing that really makes us stand out is tied to our proposition: quick, easy, trusted.
What’s important for companies to focus on when motivating and retaining employees? Attracting talent starts with having a strong brand and offering competitive compensation. But retaining employees requires more. First, you have to give people the training and tools they need to succeed. Second, you need to foster a supportive, team-oriented environment.
We’ve created a lot of fun ways to build that culture, like our annual “Oilympics” competition, where teams from different stores compete. (In 2024, it was hosted in Lexington, and a Lexington-based team won the speed category.)
The third piece is growth opportunities. With our pace of expansion, there’s always room for career advancement. All of our store managers start in the stores. We don’t hire managers from other retailers to manage our stores. We hire them, they learn the job, and they learn the culture, and then they get promoted.
If you look all the way through our leadership team, my two store vice president operations leads have more than 30 years with our company. It’s really an apprenticeship business where we take care of our people.
Business Lexington spoke with Flees about her work and the challenges of running a corporation.
What shaped your ambition and career path? I grew up outside of Flint [Michigan], in a very small town called Lapeer. My mom was in college the entire time I was growing up. She worked full-time, helping her husband raise a family of five. My mom graduated with her master’s degree that same year I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. That instilled in me an ethic to work very hard — continuing to strive to learn and improve.
Tell us a bit about Valvoline. In the 1860s, Valvoline created one of the first motor oils or lubricants. In the early 1900s it was the recommended oil for the Ford Model T. Fast forward to 2016, when we separated from Ashland Oil and became our own public company, Valvoline, Inc.
We were still made up of two businesses. Part of the company made the lubricants and fluids and sold them for retail — like Walmart and Advanced Auto Parts and others. The other part of the business was the service business, which used those products to pro-
Another big impact on me was the Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation, an organization that inspires young kids to think bigger than their small communities. I was the first member of my family to go to college full time.
You’re known for using technology to drive transformation. Can you share an example? One example is the COVID vaccination program I led at Walmart. The federal government wanted every state to decide the priorities for their state and who would get the vaccine first. Every state had different requirements and that had to be managed by immunization providers. I led a team with product designers, technical leads, and engineering software programmers, and we repurposed the online grocery scheduling app, basically taking the guts of that to create [a way] for people to get immunizations scheduled for every state. The right technology can help create a better experience for the patient or customer and a better experience for your employees, while making it more efficient. It’s the kind of technology we’re deploying at Valvoline. BL
PHOTOS FURNISHED
Lori Flees was named CEO of Valvoline Inc. in 2023, overseeing a network of more than 2,000 branded oil-change locations.
Who’sWho
New Hires & Board Selections
Stites & Harbison, PLLC announced the additions of attorneys Harper B. Anderson, Holly A. Couch and Robert H. Dean to their Lexington o ce.
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP recently welcomed attorneys Riley Ward and Autumn Clark to its Lexington o ce.
Joe Harvey has joined the team at Shield Environmental Associates, Inc. as an environmental technician.
City National Bank announced the promotions of Brian Cook to branch manager of the Lexington main o ce; and Jennifer Keller to branch manager of the Mt. Sterling branch.
Fairfield Bain, a distinguished equine internal medicine specialist, has joined Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital’s team of veterinarians.
Central Bank announced the naming of Lucy Weaver as vice president, private banking o cer III.
Ken Lewis has been elected chair of The Kentucky Distillers’ Association, a 144-year-old nonprofit trade group that unites, promotes, and protects the signature Kentucky bourbon and distilled spirits industry.
Shaker Village recently named H.P. Lovelace as its farm manager. Lovelace has an extensive background in education and agriculture and most recently served as Seedleaf’s farm manager and seed ambassador in Lexington.
The Kentucky Cannabis Industry Alliance announced the appointment of state representative Rachel Roberts as its new executive director.
Court of Appeals Judge J. Christopher McNeill has been named new deputy chief judge of the Court of Appeals. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Larry E. Thompson appointed Judge McNeill, who will begin serving in the role Jan. 1, 2025. The deputy chief judge provides administrative oversight to the Court of Appeals in the chief judge’s absence.
Kudos
VisitLEX has made a significant impact on the travel industry, earning top honors at the Kentucky Travel Industry Association’s Traverse Awards. The organization, representing more than 900 members across the commonwealth, recognized VisitLEX with an Award of Distinction, for a total of 12 medals for its innovative marketing and public relations campaigns.
Screen Door Press, dedicated to discovering unique, exceptional, and varied voices within Black literary traditions, recently named authors Avery Irons and Toni Ann Johnsons as its two inaugural winners. The authors are awarded $5,000 and their submissions will be published in the 2026 imprint of Screen Door Press published by University Press of Kentucky.
Kentucky State University named Tanya Berry as its 2024 Small Farmer of the Year at the 2024 Kentucky Small, Limited-Resource, Minority Farmers Conference. Tanya and her husband, John, own Berry Farms, a greenhouse and produce store in Monticello, KY.
The American Bar Association Health Law Section has ranked Stites & Harbison, PLLC in its 12th Annual Regional Top 10 Law Firm Recognition List. The firm ranked 5th on the South Top 10 list for 2024. Stites & Harbison has been honored 11 consecutive times on the South list.
Lexington Rescue Mission has been awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to help boost local workforce participation and drive economic empowerment through job training, placement and mentoring.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival recently earned recognition from a top industry organization, receiving IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards for Best Video Promotion, Best Sponsor Gift, Best Giveaway Item and Best Overall Media Relations Campaign.
CLARK Material Handling Company has been honored with the 2024 Kentucky Employers’
Mutual Insurance Destiny Award, recognizing organizations who demonstrate a top-down commitment to safety and a proactive approach to risk management. This marks the eighth year that CLARK has received this distinguished accolade, further solidifying its commitment to workplace safety and employee well-being.
More students across Kentucky can easily transfer to the University of Louisville (UofL) and earn their degree with help from an expanded agreement with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Through the new agreement, UofL – who already partners with Je erson Community and Technical College and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College – is working with all 16 KCTCS schools across the commonwealth to help students complete their general education requirements before they transfer. The university is also o ering scholarships and providing additional financial aid and advising programming to help transfer students hit the ground running when they get to UofL.
Baptist Health Lexington will benefit from the health system’s overall $100 million “Onward as One” fundraising campaign designed to enhance patient access and experience and to spur innovation. Baptist Health Foundation Lexington raised $21.2 million toward expanding facilities and resources during the campaign.
God’s Pantry Food Bank announced the relocation of its Lexington warehouse and administrative o ces to a new facility at 2201 Innovation Drive in Lexington.
RD Property Group based in Lexington, has announced the developing of a 34-acre retail and professional site on Newtown Pike near the I-74/ I-65 interchange. The development will feature a 122,000-square foot Kroger Marketplace that will include a pharmacy in addition to their wine and spirits shop and fuel station. Kroger Marketplace marks a $42 million dollar investment in the area that has long been identified as a food desert. BL
DEAN HARVEY
COUCH ANDERSON
BAIN WEAVER
KELLER COOK
ROBERTS MCNEILL LOVELACE LEWIS
JOHNSON IRONS
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RESOLVE TO GET INVOLVED WITH BGCF365.
This new year, make a resolution that matters. Join BGCF365 and help drive meaningful change in Fayette County.
Here’s how it works: You give $365—a dollar a day—to strengthen our community. Your contribution is pooled with others, creating a powerful fund. Members decide together how to award $30,000 to support local causes and nonprofits.
BGCF365 is more than a giving circle—it’s a community of neighbors investing in a stronger Lexington. It’s your chance to connect, give back, and help Lexington thrive.
Make 2025 your year of impact. Join us today! bgcf.org/bgcf365
