Business Lexington June 2024

Shining

Lyndon House B&B Launches New Restaurant: Chez Lyndon features seasonal Kentucky cuisine in

SMILEY

BizLex

JOSEPH HILLENMEYER | PHOTO FURNISHED

PVAStatistics

These statistics on local residential and commercial property are compiled by the o ce of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator. The data reflect 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 April 2024

4/2/24 3200 Todds Road $47,300,000 Reserve at Hamburg AMF LLC

4/30/24 2197 Nicholasville Road $1,450,000 Goodwill Industries of Kentucky Inc.

4/1/24 319 Cedar Street $1,290,000 Alpha Enterprises LLC

4/19/24 2245 Gulfstream Drive $1,220,000 West Street Capital Partners LLC

4/19/24 140 Prosperous Place $1,220,000 West Street Capital Partners LLC

4/19/24 3501 Beaver Place Road $810,000 West Street Capital Partners LLC

4/30/24 132 Southland Drive $700,000 Southland Drive LLC

4/12/24 251 Lexington Avenue $675,000 CSA NY Investments LLC

4/12/24 2817 Snow Road $600,000 OC Property Company LLC

4/12/24 4004 Expo Court $600,000 OC Property Company LLC

4/18/24 440 E New Circle Road $600,000 Green Mile Properties Llc

4/23/24 140 S Forbes Road $525,000 Chavez, Valentin and Ana

4/19/24 2905 Winter Garden $430,000 Bash Brothers LLC

4/25/24 109 Withers Avenue $345,000 Field Street LLC

4/15/24 435 Race Street $275,000 Gardner, Paul C. and Cheryl L.

4/1/24 1009 Eastland Drive $230,000 Logic Investments LLC

4/30/24 3306 Clays Mill Road Ste. 201 $165,000 Diamond Design & Construction LLC

4/30/24 513 Darby Creek Road #56 $117,000 Kentucky Rental Homes LLC

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

Residential Sales Data for April 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 reflect a projected estimate from the o ce of the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator and are subject to change.

CraveWorthy

Lyndon House B&B Launches New Restaurant

Chez Lyndon features seasonal Kentucky cuisine in a historic setting

BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anton Giovanetto, innkeeper at the Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast, has detected a pattern over the past 24 years: guests often return from a busy day of sightseeing feeling too tired to go out in search of a good meal. Many have expressed that if a good dinner were offered onsite, they would happily stay and dine there.

“When guests travel, the last thing they really want to do is hunt down a nice restaurant,” Giovanetto said. “And if they’re on a property that offers fine dining, it’s a no-brainer.”

After hosting occasional pop-up meals for the public over the past year and a half, Giovanetto decided that 2024 was the year to make a real go of it. He introduced Chez Lyndon, a restaurant that serves as an expansion of the bed and breakfast. The Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast is located on North Broadway in a circa 1883 building.

Chef Samantha Woodruff is at the helm of this venture, which officially debuted with an Easter brunch.

“When guests travel, the last thing they want to do is hunt down a nice restaurant, and if they’re on a property that offers fine dining, it’s a no-brainer.”

The restaurant will be open for dinner service from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, offering a three-course, prix fixe meal with optional wine pairings. Pop-up events will also remain part of the plan, featuring different holiday and food and beverage themes, including Mother’s Day, a high tea event, a “farm to feast” three-course meal in early June in partnership with local farmers’ markets and a guest chef, and a Father’s Day weekend partnership with Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. to present a food, beer, and Town Branch Bourbon pairing event.

Giovanetto said as a full-service restaurant, Chez Lyndon includes a full-service bar, The Lyndon Pub, for all to enjoy. It can also be a gathering spot for business lunches, celebrations, retreats, and more.

Breakfast will also be served here from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

While the menu will vary seasonally, Giovanetto can attest to Woodruff’s talents in the kitchen and described a few of his favorites, including a sausage biscuit gravy made with Italian sausage. She also makes a bourbon cream French toast with fresh berries that’s an early morning hit, and on the dinner side, recent offerings include shrimp and scallops in lemon beurre blanc sauce and lemon pepper chicken breast with roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed rice.

For dessert, Woodruff has been known to whip up bread pudding with salted caramel bourbon cream.

“She’s trying to include as much Kentucky cuisine as possible, but she’s also trained as a continental chef,” Giovanetto said.

Giovanetto emphasized the B&B’s commitment to using as many local products in their dishes and beverages as they can, including serving Nate’s Coffee, Weisenberger Mill grits, and Boone Creek Creamery cheeses.

“One of the best ways to support the local economy is supporting local products,” he said. BL

GIOVANETTO

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Chez Lyndon, a new restaurant at Lyndon House Bed & Breakfast on North Broadway, is open for breakfast from 8-11 a.m. and a three-course, prix-fixe dinner service from 6:308:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

ANTON GIOVANETTO INKEEPER AT LYNDON HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST

QuickBites

Fizzy Fox features customizable sodas, Mazunte Bodega debuts

BY SHANNON CLINTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Capitalizing on the craze for customized carbonated drinks, a new “dirty soda” truck, Fizzy Fox has begun quenching customers’ thirst for drinks with a twist.

The business is owned by Daniel Osborne and Lee Ware, who say the vehicle is about as unique as its beverages: It’s a retired ambulance that served as a Chinese food truck before Fizzy Fox took the reins.

Osbourne said the inspiration for the name Fizzy Fox came about through a brainstorming session with his son, Yasuo, who manages the daily truck operations.

“I love alliterations, and we wanted to brand in a way appealing to a growing demographic of young people who are interested in Asian pop culture themes such as Anime, K-Pop, Manga, video games, and kids card games,” Osborne said.

The truck will set up from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. most days on Southland Drive, either in front of Marikka’s or across the street in front of Southland Bagel. Customers can select a soda base — either plain club soda or a variety of name brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper — and up to four add-ins from a large list of syrups, purees, half-andhalf, whipped cream and popping boba.

“The possible combinations are nearly endless,” he said.

In other local food and beverage industry news:

The Cincinnati restaurant group Mazunte has opened its first Lexington location, Mazunte Bodega, at 903 Manchester St. Ste. 150., serving a wide variety of tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and more.

Shake n Crave is now open at 535 S. Upper St., Ste. 175, Lexington, with crepes, wa es, pancakes and more.

The Winchester-based soda company Ale-8-One has issued a limited release of Blackberry Ale-8-One, on the heels of the recent return of Peach Ale-8-One. Both

flavors are available at select locations this summer, until they sell out.

Country Boy Brewing kicked o a partnership on Cinco de Mayo with Georgetown-based Tienda San Juan Taqueria, which will be o ering authentic Mexican fare at the brewery’s Georgetown taproom kitchen. In celebration, a new margarita flavored beer, Coug-a-Rita, was launched.

We’re bidding a fond foodie farewell to a few locations this issue, including Hi View Meats of Georgetown, which is shuttering as of May 31 after 41 years in business; Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen’s Townley Center location, which is closing after 10 years; and the final location of Saul Good near Fayette Mall, which had been open since 2008. BL

Have a food- or beverage-related update to share? Please email info@smileypete.com.

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Mazunte Bodega, recently opened at 903 Manchester St., serves a variety of tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and more.

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Shake n Crave, 535 S. Upper St., serves milkshakes, smoothies, crepes, wa es, and more.

IndependentBusiness

Shining Brightly

A

spark of inspiration has grown into flourishing home-based business for Somerset entrepreneur

BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

It’s been five years since Courtney Ikerd launched Somerset Candle Co., and business is on fire. The luxury candle company, started in Ikerd’s basement in Somerset, Kentucky, is poised to expand beyond central Kentucky. Having recently moved into a warehouse to accommodate increasing orders and inventory, the company has transitioned from a side hustle into a full-fledged business. Now that Ikerd has delegated responsibilities at her other businesses, she is ready to take Somerset Candle Co. to the next level. It all started with a dream, she said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, having never made a candle before, Ikerd woke up one night with an idea.

“It literally just came out of the blue in my sleep in the middle of the night,” she said. “I woke up, and it was ‘Somerset Candle

Company.’ I knew the aesthetic. I could see the logo. I got up at 4:30 that morning and started designing. By 9:30 that morning, I had my logo created.”

Within a few months, Ikerd had researched candles, candle making, materials, and scents to create her own line of luxury items. With scents like Cumberland Bourbon Trail—with notes of honey, orange marmalade, bourbon, brown sugar, and tobacco reminiscent of Lake Cumberland—and 606, with notes of saffron, tobacco, vanilla, and tonka bean, Somerset Candle Company stands out with uniquely Kentucky fragrances.

“I try to focus on a more luxury line of candle,” she said. “We have the crackling wooden wick, the coconut soy wax, and the luxury fragrance oils, along with the black and white aesthetic. It’s not a candle that you could just go and purchase anywhere. I wanted a clean, modern aesthetic that would match anyone’s décor.

“There really weren’t souvenirs for the Lake Cumberland area… so the thought behind Somerset Candle was to create a unique gift that people could take back home to remember their time here.”

Ikerd handcrafts the candles and develops their scents herself. Each scent takes months to perfect, ensuring that the product meets her high standards of craftsmanship and is neither too overpowering nor too weak.

Having helped her husband at his business and run her own Airbnb business — as well as taught business education at Som-

Kentucky locales and specific sense memories inspire Somerset Candle Co. scents like “Cumberland Bourbon Trail” and “Waitsboro Winter.”

erset High School — Ikerd was familiar with entrepreneurship. However, she had never made a candle, created a product, or dealt with materials and inventory before.

“I think growth and inventory management go hand-in-hand, and they’re both something I’d never dealt with before,” she said. “Keeping a handle on inventory and systems and processes that are constantly changing and evolving as you grow has been a challenge.”

Available in Somerset-area businesses and in the Market Grove in Fayette Mall, Ikerd said her 606 area-code candle is her most popular item. What drives sales, she said, is her presence.

“I am the founder and the face of Somerset Candle,” she said. “I found through doing different events that people are more drawn to sales when I’m present. I’ve had my intern work a market in Somerset while I worked a market in Lexington, and there are more sales when I’m present.”

Still, she said, building the business over the last five years has not been easy.

“The growth is going in the direction where I’m going to need to hire more people. I’m not going to be able to manage this on my own,” Ikerd said. “Figuring those things out while still trying to stay in control and handle the other businesses has definitely been a balancing act.”

But taking the company through the next five years, she said, looks like it might pay off.

“Somerset Candle is on the verge of becoming something bigger if I put my time and dedication into it. It’s a big leap of faith,” she said. “I took a leap of faith in 2020, and I feel like I’m taking this leap of faith again. Is it able to provide for my family right now? No, because I’m continually reinvesting back into the business. But I feel like putting this time and investment in is what’s going to pay off.” BL

Courtney Ikerd founded Somerset Candle Co. from her home near Lake Cumberland.

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL

Baptist Health Hamburg Opens

New $253M facility expands accessible outpatient and emergency care in a growing part of the city

BY DAN DICKSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When Lexington’s Central Baptist Hospital opened its doors in 1954, some people worried that the Nicholasville Road campus was too far out from the downtown core to draw enough patients. Lexington’s population then was about 59,000. Today, the city’s head count is 322,000, and the hospital, now known as Baptist Health Lexington, is practically considered part of downtown.

But after decades at the site, which saw a major expansion just a decade ago, Baptist Health Lexington needed to grow again. However, its 32-acre site was out of room. “We are landlocked,” explained Chris Roty, president of Baptist Health Lexington.

Nearly 70 years to the day after the Nicholasville Road hospital opened, a new 344,000-square-foot outpatient medical center called Baptist Health Hamburg began operations in late April. It sits on a portion of a 129-acre site off Polo Club Boulevard and alongside the interstate in east Lexington.

“Access,” Roty emphasized. “We are located near the intersection of I-75 and I-64, and they provide easy access for people in our area and beyond, especially for folks in Eastern Kentucky,” he said.

Getting the word out is job one. “We will soon begin marketing in the outlying counties,” said Ruth Ann Childers, a director of marketing and public relations for the

health system. “Even though you can see our hospital signs from the interstate and from Winchester Road, some people may not know that we are now open.”

The $253 million Hamburg hospital is designed to focus on convenient patient care and getting patients back home the same day, according to officials. It has a multidisciplinary outpatient cancer care center, an emergency department with its own ambulances, cardiology and urology services and breast imaging and other diagnostic and imaging services. The new hospital also features orthopedics and physical therapy, sleep medicine, a laboratory, outpatient and retail pharmacies, and a café.

What the new hospital will not have are floors of patient rooms, because the emphasis is on outpatient medical care. “That does not mean we will not have patient rooms here one day,” Childers said. Meanwhile, the main hospital on Nicholasville Road maintains 434 beds. Hospital officials stress that modern healthcare is rewriting the rules of patient care. In addition to treating illnesses, more attention is paid to treating the mind, spirit and family in a personal way.

Looking at the new hospital’s departments, the cancer center is expected to receive much attention. Kentucky ranks No. 1 in the U.S. for cancer incidence and mortality rates, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The Appalachian region of the state has the highest cancer burden, in part due to poor health practices like smok-

ing and because of lower rates for cancer screenings.

The new Hamburg cancer center will offer varied treatment options. The latest cancer-fighting technology, outpatient surgical procedures and expert clinical staff. Patients will also be supported in their journey by personalized navigators, therapists and dietitians.

“We will offer here what we offer at our main campus, which is infusion cancer therapy with chemotherapy and radiation therapy,” Roty said. “The surgery center is all out-patient, all elective. We will not be doing emergency surgeries.”

Although it is primarily an outpatient medical center, Baptist Health Hamburg maintains a fully functional emergency room. “If someone walks into our ER with chest pains, we will stabilize them and get them over to our main campus. The same with strokes,” Childers said.

Childers shared a story about a recent emergency case. A mother-to-be in labor was being driven from Madison County to the main Baptist Health hospital on Nicholasville Road. “The mother kept saying to her husband: ‘Stop.’ He said, ‘No, I can make it,’” Childers said. “They passed the new Baptist Health Hamburg hospital and also St. Joseph East Hospital on the way.”

Childers happened to spot the couple’s vehicle fighting through traffic on Nicholasville Road with flashers on. The baby ended up arriving safely in the vehicle in the hospital parking lot. “We could have delivered that baby for her at the Hamburg hospital,” Childers said. “We don’t do obstetrics here, technically, and we don’t have a nursery or a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). But she would have been fine if she stopped in that emergency room. Then we would have

stabilized her and later transferred her to the main campus.”

The employee count at Baptist Health Hamburg is about 260, said Roty, but that could grow to 600 to 700 employees in the coming years, depending on patient volume.

A shortage of registered nurses in Kentucky and nationwide is a challenge. Baptist Health, like others, uses some agency nurses who offer their services short or long term as needed. But it is costly. “We also don’t want to gut the Nicholasville Road hospital of nurses to move them to Hamburg and then create another shortage back there,” Roty said.

Roty says the recruiting message to nurse job candidates is straightforward. “We have a great culture. A culture of ‘nice.’ We offer similar services to what our competitors offer.” Another recruiting advantage is that Baptist Health Lexington is designated a magnet hospital for nursing. Magnet status is the highest institutional honor awarded for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC). “Most nurses strive to work at a magnet hospital,” he said. “It’s just a different culture here.”

The economic impact of the project is apparent to Lexington mayor Linda Gorton, who spoke at the hospital’s ribbon cutting. “This development not only brings new jobs to our community, but new revenue that will continue to build our quality of life and maintain our low cost of living,” she said.

Roty said the plan for the yet-to-be developed portion of the Hamburg property is to fill it out with healthcare-related facilities, such as another medical office building. “We could use some conference space,” he added. “A hotel next door would be nice for those who want to stay close by on the night before their outpatient surgery. Some healthy food restaurants would also be welcomed.” BL

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Baptist Health Hamburg opened in April to serve a growing need for outpatient care in a convenient location amid a growing neighborhood.

Discover Unmatched Hospitality In the Heart of the Bluegrass!

Conveniently located in the heart of the Bluegrass, right off I-75 and the AthensBoonesboro exit, Hotel LEX Boutique Hotel and Conference Center is a locally owned establishment catering to diverse clientele: families, sports enthusiasts, business executives, and bourbon connoisseurs.

Founded by a group of Kentucky investors, Hotel LEX aims to offer more than just accommodations; it provides a welcoming environment with exceptional hospitality.

Stepping into the hotel, guests are immediately enveloped in a contemporary, sophisticated ambiance in the open-plan lobby, flooded with natural light and plush seating.

To the right of the lobby is Barrel 53 Restaurant & Grill, where guests enjoy great food, drinks, and live music. The seasonal menu ensures a variety of delightful options. Large groups can reserve tables to dine and celebrate together.

The indoor pool area is well-lit and offers a pool, arcade, and concessions. It caters to children and adults and is available to local groups and hotel patrons.

Hotel LEX also provides a 3,500-square-foot conference space for business professionals equipped with the latest technology and designed for versatility; it is ideal for corporate meetings, workshops, and seminars.

The hotel’s courtyard features comfortable outdoor seating, tables, and a firepit, offering guests a tranquil spot to relax and unwind.

Grand Opening Celebration & Ribbon Cutting

Thursday, June 13 | 9am to 1pm

Kentucky Sports Radio Live

Ribbon Cutting & Complimentary Lunch

Giveaways | Tours | Register to Win a FREE Weekend Learn more at hotellexky.com

Rooted in Design

As his landcape design business evolves, Joseph Hillenmeyer expands his roster and adds complementary services to support growth

BY LIZ CAREY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Joseph Hillenmeyer says that while his family legacy got him started in landscaping, it has been his passion for garden design that has made his business successful.

Hillenmeyer’s family is well-known in the area for all things garden related. His father, Louis, was one of the Hillenmeyer brothers who owned Hillenmeyer Nursery, a 175-yearold landscaping and plant nursery business. In 2001, brothers Chris and Stephen bought Louis out and transitioned the company from a retail and growing operation to a landscape design and maintenance service.

As Louis Hillenmeyer continued to explore his passion for cultivating plants, Joseph developed his own love for landscape design. After a year working in a private garden in New Zealand and another in a private arboretum in Turkey, Joseph planned to move to England to work in gardens there. But his father encouraged him to run the family’s seasonal garden center in Lexington.

Joseph never made it to England. Instead, he started designing gardens for clients, partially to utilize what was on the floor of the garden center and encourage sales. That busi-

ness has evolved into the present-day Joseph Hillenmeyer Garden Design.

Recently, he’s brought on new designers, including Bill Henkel, former owner of the noted landscape design firm Henkel Denmark, which was acquired by Landscape Workshop in 2018. Henkel began his career at Hillenmeyer Nursery after graduating from the University of Kentucky. Henkel said he’s excited to be able to do what he loves and to join Hillenmeyer at the firm.

“I thought this is what I know how to do; what I love doing. I feel like I’m too young and too interested and energetic to retire… I don’t think that’s good for anybody to just shut down something that they’ve nurtured for 40 or 50 years,” Henkel said.

His focus, as it is with the rest of the company, is to bring together a client’s ideas and vision with plants.

“Those projects are all about site analysis, and program development,” Henkel said. “I need to know what you’re looking for, what are your ideas? What do you need to do with the space? Then I figure out what of that we can plug into this program to make it fit the space. It’s got to have not only function to be aesthetically pleasing, but provide some other function like privacy, or shade or seasonal beauty.”

As Joseph Hillenmeyer Garden Design has grown, and to satisfy a need for skilled subcontractors, Hillenmeyer launched Hortus Gardens to support landscape design, installation, and maintenance.

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Henkel said it’s not about following trends, but about finding what gives the client the most value for their dollar.

“We’re putting together landscapes and environments that should last for 50 years and get better every year if they’re properly managed, and trees that should live for over 100 years,” Henkel said. “The most important thing, when I get right down to it is, are we delivering real value to them? Is this something that this client is willing to invest in, and feels good about making that investment, and then when we’re finished with it.”

Henkel’s experience will add to the company by taking them back to the family roots, Hillenmeyer said.

“Bill had the great fortune of working with my grandfather, my great uncle, my dad, and my uncles — he had a history with the family business that I never had the opportunity to have,” Hillenmeyer said. “There’s a full-circle

reality of us getting to work together. Now, to be able to have him here to mentor me and to work with our team, it’s been a lot of fun and, I think, an interesting turn of events that a lot of people would never have predicted.”

With clients in 13 states, the company’s landscape designs grace gardens from Lexington to Pittsburgh and from Utah to Florida, Hillenmeyer said. As the business has grown, though, his role has changed.

“At a certain point, I realized that I had no business running the day-to-day operations of crews and trucks, so that evolved into a design firm managing the projects,” he said.

That also led to starting Hortus Gardens, a complementary business focused on landscape design, installation, and maintenance.

“We could not find the right people to install our gardens or we were subcontracting masonry to install pools or to do irrigation and tree work. They were all great, but finding

people that were passionate about properly installing these gardens, they were hard to find, so we started a separate company to handle that,” he said.

Above all, Hillenmeyer said, is his passion for landscape design.

“The culture that we’re building within our companies is about a passion for what we do,” he said. “We’re in business, so we have to be profitable. But that is not our drive. Our drive is to make money so that we can build the business and the culture that we want, not build a business so that we can make money.”

With the business’s focus and growth managed, Hillenmeyer said the company is now looking to the future. One of the bigger projects they are working on, he said, is landscaping at Lane’s End Farm.

“We’ve been there for the last year and continue to have a good bit of work to do there,” Hillenmeyer said. “That was a really

big honor to be asked to do that by Mrs. Farish … the work that they have done has withstood the first 40 years of the farm’s history, and she tasked us with getting the farm ready for the next 40 years.”

Hillenmeyer said his company will be landscaping around the main house, respecting what has been done, and taking the landscape back to show off the architecture of the home, as well as handling the landscaping around the stallion complex.

His next focus, he said, will be to move into commercial landscaping.

“Right now we are 90 percent focused on high-end residential work, but I’m really interested in pushing into some hospitality work. I feel like that’s a sector where our higher-end residential skill set applies on a commercial level,” he said. “We want to find clients that want to engage their workforce or their clients with more engaging landscapes.” BL

Joseph Hillenmeyer Garden Design plans and installs landscaping for clients throughout Kentucky and in at least a dozen other states.

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Chambers of Commerce

Regional organizations ranked by numbers of members May 2024 Credit

Commerce Lexington

330 E. Main St., Ste. 100 Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 254-4447 commercelexington.com

Georgetown/Scott County Chamber of Commerce

160 E. Main St. Georgetown, KY 40324 (502) 863-5424 gtown.org

Richmond Chamber of Commerce*

201 E. Main St. Richmond, KY 40475 859) 623-1720 richmondchamber.com

Shelby County Chamber of Commerce

316 Main St., Ste. 2 Shelbyville, KY 40065 (502) 633-1636 shelbycountykychamber.com

Mercer County Chamber of Commerce

101 S. Main St., Ste. 1 Harrodsburg, KY 40330 (859) 734-2365 mercerchamber.com

Mt. Sterling - Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

124 N. Maysville St. Mt. Sterling, KY 40353 (859) 498-5345 mtsterlingchamber.com

Winchester-Clark County Chamber of Commerce

61 S. Main St. Winchester, KY 40391 (859) 744-6420 winchesterkychamber.com

Woodford County Chamber of Commerce

126 S. Main St. Versailles, KY 40383 (859) 873-5122 woodfordcountyinfo.com

Jessamine Chamber of Commerce* 116 S. Main St. Nicholasville, KY 40356 (859) 877-4351 jessaminechamber.org

Lawrenceburg - Anderson County Chamber of Commerce 1388 Bypass North Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 (502) 839-5564 andersonchamberky.org

Paris-Bourbon County Chamber of Commerce

806 Main St. Paris, KY 40361 (859) 987-3205 parisbourbonchamber.com

Cynthiana-Harrison County Chamber of Commerce* 141 E. Pike St., Ste. 3 Cynthiana, KY 41031 (859) 234-5236 cynthianakychamber.com

Berea Chamber of Commerce*

424-B Chestnut St. Berea, KY 40403 (859) 986-9760 bereachamber.com

Chamber services and programs available to member businesses within an eight-county region (Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and Woodford counties); Economic Development division works within a nine-county area (eight counties listed plus Montgomery)

Scott County and surrounding counties of Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Madison, and Jessamine

Madison County (Richmond and Berea)

Shelby County and all surrouding counties

Mercer County and surrounding region

Montgomery County and surrounding counties of Fayette, Clark, Bath, Bourbon, Menifee, Nicholas, and Powell

Clark County

Woodford County (Versailles and Midway) and surrounding counties of Franklin, Fayette, Anderson, and Scott

Jessamine County

Anderson County and surrounding counties of Fayette, Franklin, Mercer, and Shelby

Bourbon County (Paris, Millersburg, North Middleton)

105th Annual Awards Gala 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Danville - Boyle County Chamber of Commerce* 105 E. Walnut St. Danville, KY 40422 (859) 236-2361, ext. 120 danvilleboylechamber.com

Harrison County

Madison County (Richmond and Berea)

2022: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Award from the Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter Education Foundation of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; 2021: Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development (Site Selection Magazine) and more.

Annual Awards Celebration, Annual Golf Outing

Taste of Richmond, Pops at the Park, City Fest at EKU, Richmond Restaurant Week, Annual Business on the Greens Golf Tournament

Networking Roundtable, Showcase on Mani, Member Luncheon, Annual Golf Scramble, Gluhwein Networking Event, Annual Awards and Luncheon, Mardi Gras Masquerade Night

Pioneer Days Festival, Kentucky Heritage Jazz Festival, Small Business Saturday, Farm City Celebration, Earth Day Clean-Up; Received more than 17 state recognitions for communications and events.

Annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, Golf Scramble, Membership Breakfast and Luncheons, First Responders Appreciation Cookout, Keeneland Outing, Christmas Parade

Beer Cheese Food Week, Leadership Winchester-Clark County, Annual Chamber Member Awards Banquet, Golf Scramble

Chamber Golf Scramble, Twilight Festival, Red Tie Gala, Santa Shuffle 5K, Woodford Night Market, Women’s Conference

Awards Dinner, KY Wine & Vine Festival, Golf Scramble, Taste of Jessamine

Annual Golf Classic, Longest Day of Play, Annual Gala, Elevate, Annual Sip & Stroll; Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executive Award: Excellence in Membership Growth 2020; Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executive Award: Excellence in Social Media 2020

Golf Scramble, Best of Bourbon County Chamber Gala and Awards Dinner, Bluegrass Hearing Clinic Festival on Fifth Summer Concert Series, local elected officials breakfast, legislative update from state officials, Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade; KCCE Pivot Award, KCCE Young Professionals of the Year

Director named in 40 Under 40 in the Chamber Industry by AACE

Spring and Fall Golf Scrambles, Spoonbread Festival, Geocaching Weekend, Spring and Fall Rook Tournament, Christmas Parade, Spring and Fall 5K

Boyle County

Robert L. Quick, IOM, CCE

John A. Conner

Colleen Spencer (President & CEO)

Ray Leathers

Jill S. Cutler, M.Ed, KyACE

Jason S. Rainey

Cindy Banks, IOM, MHA

Emily Downey

Ronda May

Jerri Lynn Carmickel

Lauren Biddle

Tomi Jean Clifford

Devin Todd Ramsey (Board President)

Jeff Jewel

Hotels

Ranked by total number of guest rooms May 2024

Owner/ Management Company/ General Manager

Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa* 1800 Newtown Pike Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 231-5100 marriott.com/lexky

Hilton Lexington Downtown 369 W. Vine St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 231-9000 hiltonlexington.com

Hyatt Regency Lexington* 401 W. High St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-1234 lexington.regency.hyatt.com

Clarion Hotel Lexington* 1950 Newtown Pike Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 233-0512 clarionhotellex.com

The Campbell House, Curio Collection by Hilton 1375 S. Broadway Lexington, KY 40504 (859) 255-4281 thecampbellhouse.com

Embassy Suites Lexington UK/Coldstream* 1801 Newtown Pike Lexington, KY 40511 (859) 455-5000 hilton.com/en/hotels/lexesesembassy-suites-lexington-ukcoldstream/

Lexington Marriott City Center* 121 W. Vine St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-1000 lexingtonmarriottcitycenter.com

Embassy Suites by Hilton Lexington Green* 245 Lexington Green Circle Lexington, KY 40503 (859) 271-4000 hilton.com/en/hotels/lexlgesembassy-suites-lexington-green/ Doubletree Suites* 2601 Richmond Road Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 268-0060 lexingtonsuites.doubletree.com

Hyatt Place Lexington* 2001 Bryant Road Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 296-0091 hyatt.com/hotel/kentucky/ hyatt-place-lexington/lexzl

Doubles: 187 Kings: 173 Suites: 6

Singles: 109 Doubles 171 Suites: 6

Singles: 85 Doubles: 144 Suites: 12

Doubles: 69 Kings: 161 Suites: All Singles: 148 Doubles: 65 Suites: 5

Suites: All Suites: All

86 Doubles: 41 Suites: All

Marriott International/ Mike Skaggs

Madison Capital/ Alex Lugo

TPG Hotels and Reorts/ Ron Van Naaren

Bluegrass Hotels/ Worthie McGuire

Rockbridge Capital Management Company: Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG)/ James Marino

Atrium Hospitality/ David Smith

City Center Hotels/ Richard Byrd

Quorum Hotels/ Marty Rothchild

Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG)/ Mike Curd

Rainmaker Hospitality/ Leah Smallwood

The Manchester* 941 Manchester St. Lexington, KY 40508 (859) 785-3900 themanchesterky.com

Origin Hotel Lexington 4174 Rowan Lexington, KY 40517 (859) 245-0400 originhotel.com/hotesl/lexington

Residence Inn Lexington City Center* 150 W. Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 253-3000 marriott.com/lexrd

Springhill Suites by Marriott* 863 S. Broadway Lexington, KY 40504 (859) 225-1500 marriott.com/lexsh

Residence Inn Lexington Keeneland/Airport* 3110 Wall St. Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 296-0460 marriott.com/lexke

Courtyard by Marriott Lexington Keeneland/Airport* 3100 Wall St. Lexington, KY 40513 (859) 224-0460 marriott.com/lexkn

Hilton Garden Inn Lexington 1973 Plaudit Place Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 543-8300 lexington.hgi.com

TownePlace Suites Lexington South/Hamburg Place* 1790 Vendor Way Lexington, KY 40509 (859) 263-0018 marriott.com/lexts

21c Museum Hotel Lexington 167 W. Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 899-6800 21clexington.com

Elwood Hotel and Suites* 444 Parkway Drive Lexington, KY 40504 (859) 423-1001 theelwoodhotel.com

Who’sWho

New Hires & Promotions

Kentucky State University announced the appointment of Grant Stepp as the new athletic director.

Fayette County Public Schools has named Eric Thornsbury as the next principal of Winburn Middle School.

The University of Kentucky James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits has named its first head distiller – Glenna Joyce. As head distiller, she will oversee all aspects of spirit production at the Institute.

Community Action Kentucky has named Rick Baker as its new executive director.

Shannon Barlow was promoted to senior property manager for commercial real estate management company NAI Isaac.

Raymond Daniels has joined Transylvania University as special assistant to the president for strategic partnerships and community relations.

Jason Ayers has joined Asio Capital LLC as wealth strategist.

Bank of the Bluegrass & Trust Co. announced the addition of Dan Pauley to the Southland Financial Center, located on Southland Drive.

Commonwealth Credit Union has welcomed Kathy Begley to its team as new vice president of consumer lending

Georgetown College has named current head football coach Chris Oliver as the new vice president for athletics.

McBrayer announced the addition of attorneys Katherine Moore Donnelly and Valerie Michael as associate in its Lexington office.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) welcomed four new members of its board of directors: Elaine Bolle, MB, BA; Michael Steinmetz, CPM, CMA, CSCA; Kate Corbett, FNP; and Bridget Ehrhart-Bennett, FNP, PMHNP. FNU also announced that Nancy Pesta Walsh, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP- BC, was named new clinical director for the department of fam-

ily nursing; and Susan Piper, DNP, APRN, PMHNP- BC, as new clinical director for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Program.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System announced that Todd Brand will serve as interim president of Big Sandy Community and Technical College, and Patsy Jackson will serve as interim president of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Berry Popp recently joined the team at Commonwealth Credit Union.

Energy Insurance Agency announced the promotion of Holly Haga to director, client services and retention.

Lexington Clinic has welcomed Sarah H. Min to its Rheumatology team.

Valvoline Inc. has welcomed the following new leaders: Yale Silverman, senior director, central operations; Gretchen Oldt, senior director, store enablement; Angela Davied,

director, corporate communications; and Kris Nunn, director, leadership and organizational development.

Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomed attorney Jessie A. Smith to the construction service group in the firm’s Lexington office.

Brendan O’Bryan has been named senior planning engineer at Kentucky American Water.

Nancy Cox, long-time dean of the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky and its firstever vice president for land-grant Engagement, announced plans to retire in late summer.

Commerce Lexington Inc. has welcomed Tyra Harbut as its new director of leadership development.

Kudos

The Bill Gatton Foundation recently

a transformational

made

gift to Town Branch Park, the

BEGLEY OLIVER

JACKSON POPP

PIPER DONNELLY

H. HAGA

STEPP THORNSBURY PAULEY

NUNN

SILVERMAN OLDT MIN

DAVIED

MICHAEL

JOYCE BAKER DANIELS BARLOW AYERS

BRAND

M. FORCHT DONAHUE

J. SMITH O’BRYAN

T. FORCHT

COX HARBUT BUSCH W. HAGA CHEN

FARRAN THOMPSON

ELERY KENNEDY

WHITE ERB SHAKHASHIRO HOUP

WILLIAMS BRAMMELL

LY. WOLFE DOUGOOD FRANCIS MITCHELL

THOMAS REED LE. WOLFE

TOLLIVER PETERS HARLOW

H. SMITH

WALSH

Who’sWho

new 10-acre park being built in the parking lot behind Rupp Arena. The park will now be named “Gatton Park on the Town Branch.”

Wade Haga, CCIM, Advisor at SVN | Stone Commercial Real Estate in Lexington, was awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute, one of the leading commercial real estate associations in the world.

Haley Busch, PharmD, BCPS, quality manager, Opioid Stewardship Program coordinator at CHI Saint Joseph Health, has been selected as a member of the 2024 Class of Tomorrow’s Leaders by the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

Commonwealth Credit Union has been honored with a National Award for Financial Literacy Education from the Institute for Financial Literacy. They were also recently awarded the prestigious Governor’s Service Award in the business service category, celebrating exceptional volunteerism and service contributions that positively impact the community.

Lexington Clinic congratulated An-Yu Chen, MD, upon his appointment to Team Kentucky’s board of physicians and advisors as part of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Terry and Marion Forcht have been named the 2024 winners of the Award of Excellence for Private Individuals by the East Kentucky Leadership Foundation.

CHI Saint Joseph Health’s Critical Care Paramedic Program, offered through the Emergency Medicine Center of Excellence, has been named an official “Recognized Program” by the International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC), the sole agent to become board-certified in Critical Care Paramedicine.

CHI Saint Joseph Health also recently recognized outstanding medical staff and leaders with awards. Those awarded at Saint Joseph East included: Physician of the Year – Kevin Donahue, MD, Lexington; APP of the Year – Heather Smith, Lexington; Employee of the Year – Kathy Williams, Lexington; and Leader of the Year – Jason (Jay) Elery, Lexington. Awarded at Saint Joseph Hospital were: Physician of the Year – Korey Brammell, DO, Huntington, W.Va.; APP of the Year – Michael Farran, PA-C, Lexington; Employee of the Year – Dee Thompson, patient care assistant, Lexington; and Leader of the Year – Rachel Kennedy, market director, patient flow, Frankfort. Awarded at Continuing Care Hospital were: Physician of the Year – Ghassan Shakhashiro, MD, Lexington; Employee of the Year – Emily White, RN, clinical care coordinator, Winchester; Leader of the Year – Dawn Erb, RN, nursing supervisor, Lexington. Those awarded at Saint Joseph Jessamine included: Employee of the Year – Erica Houp, CT tech, Nicholasville; and Leader of the Year – Patsy Harlow, lab services supervisor, Versailles.

The Patent Lawyer Magazine has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC to the 2024 Top 10 Patent Firms and IP Practices in North America – South list. This is the firm’s third year being honored.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System announced the winners of the 2024 Pathfinder of the Year Award recipients. The educator of the year program

EMPLOYMENT NEWS AND AWARDS IN OUR COMMUNITY

recognizes a teacher or guidance counselor for exemplary efforts in assisting students with their college-going and career plans. Those honored were: Anita Lewis, Ashland Community and Technical College; Taylor Slone, Big Sandy Community and Technical College; Pam Bates, Bluegrass Community and Technical College; Jennifer McMillen, Gateway Community and Technical College; Sarah Trent, Hazard Community and Technical College; Natalie Riggs, Hopkinsville Community College; Marc Monroe, Jefferson Community and Technical College; Tracy Warner, Madisonville Community College; Kendrick Applegate, Maysville Community and Technical College; Kelly Spaw, Owensboro Community and Technical College; Nathan Britt, Somerset Community College; Julie Waddell, Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College; Richie Rogers, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College; and Chris Jones, West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been named the private college and university recipient of the 2023 Inclusive Excellence, Belonging, and Sustainability in Nursing Education Award, presented annually by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

City National Bank has been named the top bank in the country on the Forbes list of America’s Best Banks 2024. The bank was also honored by J.D. Power with customer satisfaction award for fifth time in seven years.

Heaven Hill Brands has been selected as a 2024 US Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and the Wall Street Journal.

NetGain Technologies VP of Growth, Megan Reed, was recently included on the elite 2024 Women of the Channel Power 100 Solution Provider List for going above and beyond in her commitment to the IT channel community.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and partners a $1 million grant to advance additive manufacturing practices, also known as 3D printing, throughout Kentucky and surrounding regions. KCTCS also announced a new transfer partnership with Alice Lloyd College in order to bolster education and workforce development.

Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation has announced its 2024 Preservation Awards. The 12 recipients announced for 10 different awards included: Preservation Craftsman Award – Josh Lowry, MasterCraft Woodworks, Inc.; Community Preservation Award – Lewis and Lynne Wolfe; Barbara Hulette Award – Midway Museum; Lucy Graves Advocacy Award – The James Harrod Trust; Public Service to Preservation Award – Kitty Dougoud; Clyde Carpenter Adaptive Reuse Award – Craig Rushing; Clay Lancaster Heritage Education Award – Footprint Traces of Black History in Richmond, KY by Sharyn Mitchell, Wesley Francis; Landscape Preservation Award – Terry Thomas; Yvonne Giles Award – Thomas Tolliver; Lifetime Service to Preservation Award –Maureen Peters

For their years of service to the 4-H program, The Fayette County 4-H Council has inducted John and Mary Johns, and Bill and Fredda Moody as the first lifetime members to the council. BL

BizLexQ&A

Combatting the Impacts of Inflation

Lexington financial advisors John Boardman and James Fereday share budgeting and investing advice for households and business owners

BY CAMPBELL WOOD BUSINESS LEXINGTON

Inflation continues to be the leading concern of many small businesses, says the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), an association representing about 300,000 small businesses in the U.S. and giving small businesses a voice in government policy making.

Inflation has fallen from its recent high of 9 percent in 2022, a spike driven by the pandemic and the supply chain disruption. The most recent NFIB quarterly economic trend survey reported that inflation had dropped to 3 percent, then rose to 3.5 percent. The study found the compensation gains along with “supply shocks and sales growth” are driving price increases. Small business owners “remain historically very pessimistic, with optimism at low levels and expectations for economic performance in the second half of the year depressed,” the report concluded.

Boardman: Inflation is a huge topic of conversation among all clients, particularly business owners.  Although inflation may have slowed, there are no signs of prices coming back down to where they were a few years ago.  Sound, accurate and realistic budgeting based on current (or even higher prices) is something we should all do on at least an annual basis. For business owners, this should be done as often as monthly or quarterly so that they can accurately modify pricing and expenses, if necessary.

With inflation as the leading challenge facing small business, Business Lexington reached out to several local financial advisors for their views on how to best contend with inflation. Below are the responses from John Boardman, founder and CEO of Ballast wealth management, and James Fereday, chief investment o cer with WealthSouth.

Have your clients expressed concerns about inflation? What advice have you given to help mitigate its impact?

Fereday: Because of rising prices, margins and profits have been negatively a ected, forcing business — particularly small business — to adjust business models. Many input costs ranging from commodities to labor have increased double digits in a relatively short span of time. We recommend businesses pay particular attention to operational e ciency and cost management.

This is a good time to review your suppliers, the diversity of those suppliers, and attempt to negotiate pricing as much as possible. This can be di cult for smaller businesses that don’t have the pricing power compared to their larger brethren but is still worth investigating options. As part of the efficiency equation, we also recommend businesses review technology that can potentially streamline their processes and hopefully reduce long-term costs.

What kinds of strategies do you recommend for your clients to better deal with inflation while still funding investments and retirement accounts?

Fereday: For many investors, the current environment we find ourselves in is completely foreign, with interest rates at generational highs and bond valuations looking attractive for the first time in years. Subsequently, there are strategies on the margin that make more sense right now. However, basic principles of maximizing 401(k)/re-

tirement contributions, taking advantage of company matches and profit sharing, and lowering current taxes is always good practice no matter the inflationary environment.

From a pure investment perspective, we encourage clients to review objectives for short, medium, and long-term needs, aligning appropriate types of investments. Stocks have historically been the best place to be to outrun inflation however they have increased volatility, so exposure may not be appropriate for all investment needs.

Certainly, if you have more than 10 years until retirement or a longer-term investment need we recommend tilting your investments towards equities and like-kind risk assets. Within risk assets, exposure to natural resources, real estate, infrastructure and inflation-protected bonds are excellent ways we protect clients from inflation eroding their assets. In general, real assets have lower correlation to stocks, protect purchasing power, and often provide good cash flows.

Boardman: For the first time in decades, inflation has been a real challenge for consumers and businesses.  This is a great opportunity to review and optimize your

“Although inflation may have slowed, there are no signs of prices coming back down to where they were a few years ago.  Sound, accurate and realistic budgeting based on current (or even higher prices) is something we should all do on at least an annual basis. ”

budget.  We all pick up new ongoing expenses over time and this is a wonderful opportunity to look for ways to save on expenses that are not as important to you.

What general recommendations can you make for our readers to better cope with inflation?

Boardman: Update your budget to be realistic with today’s prices and costs. For individuals, we look at our ongoing expenses and look to prioritize the most important items — i.e. mortgage, retirement savings and college savings — and consider removing or at least reducing those expenses that are more discretionary in nature, such as dining out, travel, clothing, etc. For businesses that are facing growing costs, budget optimization is a must.  Determine exactly what is needed to run the business and build out any necessary additional expenses from there.

Fereday: From a banking standpoint, we encourage businesses and individuals to establish lines of credit prior to economic downturns, ensuring they have flexibility in cash flow to endure through any di cult periods. Maximizing cash yields is a layup in the current high interest environment, often paying north of 5%.

We recommend reviewing all your cash holdings in savings, investment and brokerage accounts to ensure you are being paid a competitive rate. Just like businesses, families and individuals should also take the time to revisit the expense side of their ledger, minimizing unnecessary costs.

Another good general investment practice is to review your overall asset allocation, rebalance assets to align with objectives and avoid becoming overweight in sectors where valuations are extended. Unfortunately, there is not a silver investment bullet to combat inflation that fits all situations. A tailored approach, which leans on several strategies, can help to alleviate some of the pressures. BL

The Chevy Chase Street Fair

Lexington’s vibrant, colorful downtown rainbow crosswalks serve as a symbol of our city’s inclusivity, but they require ongoing maintenance to keep them looking their best.

That’s where the Rainbow Fund at Blue Grass Community Foundation comes in, making it easy for businesses, individuals and allies to offer charitable support and keep the rainbow crosswalks of downtown Lexington shining bright!

Do you need support organizing your personal, business or community giving? BGCF can help! Call us today at 859.225.3343.

2021 re-dedication of the rainbow crosswalk