Fourth Quarter Business Magazine

Business

greater owensboro

Fourth Quarter 2012

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Welding industry strong in Owensboro

From the Chamber of Commerce

In This Issue

Business

greater owensboro

Fourth Quarter 2012 Vol. 9 • Number 4

Getting creative

4

VE Creative comes to Owensboro

Expanding Amy Jackson

President Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce

6

Castlen Welding and Manufacturing adds new distribution center

80 Years

10

Modern Welding celebrates 80 years as a

Our members say it best … the Greater Owensboro region is a place to build a business and raise a family, now and in the future. In my first three months with the Chamber, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to members, whether at their business, at our Chamber events, or while attending activities throughout Owensboro. I continue to be inspired by what I learn from our members and this community.

Owensboro is a place of collaboration. I’ve seen the joint effort between schools and businesses to create a work-ready community.

We’ve begun to enjoy the results of the collaboration of city and county officials, businesses and private investors for our downtown revitalization.

As your Chamber, we hope to facilitate even more collaboration to keep Owensboro moving forward.

Owensboro is a place of creativity. We are a community blessed with the arts, such as the East Bridge Arts Festival that was partnered with Bridge Day this September or the RiverPark Center Broadway series.

The creative process in business is an art and a science, and we continue to see our Chamber member’s creativity daily. We see it in our feature of Castlen Manufacturing and Welding, whose creativity has grown their business to new levels.

Owensboro is a place of innovation. Business requires innovation – we’ve seen early adapters to technology for efficiency, like Eat @ Bills.

We’ve seen businesses built on how to help others leverage technology – that’s what VE Creative is for. And, we’ve seen long-standing companies, like Modern Welding, apply innovation to their ever-expanding marketplace.

Our members say it best … Owensboro is the place to be.

I’m so honored to be here, serving our nearly 1,000 members as we collaborate, communicate, innovate and create opportunities and strategies for the Greater Owensboro area.

family business

Tasty Technology

16

Bills Restaurant goes high-tech

Sloan Award

20

Riney Hancock CPAs PSC receives honor

Connected

23

Chamber Young Professionals provide wi-fi at Smothers Park.

Young Professional

24

Brandon Gentry and Laura Armstrong discuss being a young professional in Owensboro

Member Referrals

28

Missy Gant elaborates on the Chamber’s member referral program

On the Move

29

Local business leaders on the move

Amy Jackson President and CEO Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce

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Greater Owensboro Business

in their industry and in the community

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A Special Publication of the

Messenger-Inquirer Jacqueline Jordan, Special Publications Editor 270.691.7233, jjordan@messenger-inquirer.com

Jenny Sevcik, Photography Editor 270.691.7294, jsevcik@messenger-inquirer.com John Shelton, Graphic Designer

Here’s how! It’s free!

Staff Writer Joy Campbell

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John Dunham Gary Emord-Netzley Contributors Kristi McCabe Tina Forrest

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Fourth Quarter 2012

Greater Owensboro Business

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Getting creative : VE Creative comes to Owensboro

Nick Knapp and Nathan Cruse

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Greater Owensboro Business

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E

ntrepreneur Nathan Cruse, owner of VE Creative Online Agency, has selected Owensboro for the company’s second location. Cruse, 27, decided on Owensboro after visiting the city several times and was continually welcomed by of ficials at the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, churches and others in the community.

“I’ve been involved with several chambers and yet to see one as united as Owensboro’s,” Cruse said. “VE Creative wants to set trends in interactive media and we see no better place than Owensboro to do it.”

VE Creative specializes in mobile app development, strategic social media marketing and custom website design. The company is now operating in downtown Owensboro at 100 W. 3rd St., suite 304.

“The city is entrepreneur friendly and is getting new business downtown,” he said. “That’s why we chose an of fice suite downtown.”

Bir thed in Champaign, Ill., the company is now in its fifth year of providing online media ser vices to more than 70 clients in multiple states and Canada. Business has doubled for VE Creative each year for the last two years, Cruse said. He expects it to double again in the next 12 months and is making plans to accommodate the growth.

VE Creative employs a staf f of six that includes account managers, graphic designers, project managers and web app developers. The company is seeking

to add its seventh position—a full time web app developer. That person will work with account manager Nick Knapp, 24, who Cruse selected to lead the Owensboro’s of fice.

“Nick has done a great job obtaining new clients in Owensboro, and leading up their interactive marketing,” Cruse said. “He has fresh ideas and has a great mind for social media marketing. His passion and drive for VE has contributed greatly to our success.”

At its current rate of growth, VE Creative has the potential to employ a staf f of ten at its Owensboro office in the next five years. Jobs at the company pay well in excess of $50,000 annually.

“The demand for online ser vices is booming and will only continue to grow and change,” Cruse said.

“We feel like we’re on the edge of what the web and mobile technology of fers and want to tailor it to what Owensboro businesses want.”

Cruse has enlisted interior designer Laura Ruth Edge to renovate VE Creative’s of fice with a Google look and feel: Bright and modern open spaces with bold colors. He wants the suite to represent the company’s vision to grow and specialize in the latest interactive marketing solutions for its customers.

“I have talked with several interior designers and they’ve all said there’s nothing that comes close to what we’re planning for our space,” Cruse said. “We want to of fer Owensboro the same type of fun, innovative organization found in Silicon Valley.”

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Locally Owned & Operated 5

Matt and Laura Castlen, owners of Castlen Welding.

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Greater Owensboro Business

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Expanding :

Castlen Welding and Manufacturing adding new warehouse, distribution center

By Joy Campbell

M

att Castlen knew as he was growing up on his family’s farm in the Thruston area that he wanted to own his own business one day.

So, he prepared for that.

And at age 19, Castlen started his own company, Castlen Welding and Manufacturing.

Today, at age 26, he and his wife, Laura, have grown their Maceo business to include three divisions with 14 employees.

The growth also includes a new office and warehousing facility nearing completion on U.S. 60 and Iceland Road across from the Kinder-Morgan river terminal.

That building -- about a $1 million investment -- will serve as a warehouse and distribution center for the three divisions.

As a high school student, Castlen took night and summer classes at Owensboro Community & Technical College. When he graduated from high school, he also received certifications in welding and blueprinting from OCTC. “I always had a desire to design and build things,” Castlen said. “The way we got our start was that at age 19, I designed a grapple for a front-end loader and implemented the idea. We sold them all over the country including to the military.”

Castlen has continued to nurture that ingenuity he learned early in his life.

“We’re a company that never says no,” he said. “If someone needs something, we’ll try to build it for them.”

The company continues to provide serFourth Quarter 2012

vice welding and has added two new divisions -- mechanical erection to service the commercial agriculture industry within a 150 to 200-mile radius -- and manufacturing of material handling equipment for fertilizer and grain handling.

Examples of Castlen Welding and Manufacturing’s offerings are grain systems, agriculture buildings, crane ser vices, mechanical contracting, re-

pairs and sandblasting.

“Our niche is customer ser vice,” Castlen said. “We love what we do and take pride in what we do, and we work 70 hours a week to please our customers. We get people up and going.”

Farming also is still in Castlen’s blood, he said. He farms about 450 acres of row crops -- corn and soybeans.

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Matt Castlen and an employee examine soffit.

Matt and Laura Castlen walk inside their business.

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Greater Owensboro Business

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Employees assess the building.

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Greater Owensboro Business

9

80 years:

Modern Welding celebrates 80 years as a family business 10

Greater Owensboro Business

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A Modern Welding employee removes cables.

W

By Kristi McCabe

hen John G. “Pete” Barnard and his wife returned to the Owensboro area in 1932, they were looking for a way to make a living. Since “Mr. Pete” had previously worked as a general superintendent at a steel mill in Indiana, he decided to go with a business he knew, and set up a small welding job shop in Owensboro. That company, now known as Modern Welding, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, and his family is as dedicated as ever to carrying on his dream.

Tony Honey, Modern Welding’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said the company’s success can be traced to one simple fact: Employee loyalty.

“Mr. Barnard wanted his company to feel like a family,” noted Honey, who has been with the company for 31 years in varying capacities. “We have a special quality that creates longevity in our employees; they want to stay with us. That all revolves around creating a family-like atmosphere.”

Modern Welding began when Barnard built steel tanks for oil fields, at a time when there was a lot of oil drilling taking Fourth Quarter 2012

place in the Owensboro area.

“The business began to grow when the demand for tanks became greater,” said Honey. “Growth has continued in a steady fashion, and Modern Welding is now the largest steel tank manufacturer in the country.”

With its corporate office based in Owensboro, Modern Welding has eleven manufacturing plants in varying locations across the U.S. The company has nine steel tank and vessel fabrication subsidiaries, as well as five welding supply stores. Its products include ASME pressure vessels, fuel dispensing systems, and above-ground horizontal tanks.

Modern Welding has continued to diversify its products and services over the years, and plans to continue that trend in the future.

Although Modern Welding has faced many changes over the years—including the acquisitions of several other companies—one thing has not changed: It is still a family-run business.

Barnard’s grandson, Jim Jones, currently serves as President/CEO of Modern Welding, and says the company is his family’s heritage.

“It’s the only thing we’ve ever known,” remarked Jones.

Greater Owensboro Business

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A Modern Welding employee works in the shop.

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Greater Owensboro Business

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The Modern Welding plant is shown from above.

“My mother was involved with the business, and so were my brothers and I. I grew up working in the plant and at Modern Supply and am proud to still be a part of my grandfather’s legacy.”

Looking to the future, Modern Welding will continue to evolve to meet the demands of a tough economy.

“We always try to take advantage of innovative techniques and products, and diversify when we can,” said Tony Honey. “We will continue to foster longevity by maintaining a quality product, and just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Fourth Quarter 2012

One innovation Modern Welding has undertaken is supplying AV (aviation) gas tanks at the Owensboro airport. This allows pilots to fly in and fill their tanks using a credit card, like a gas station.

“A lot of small airports are doing that,” Jones noted.

Jones said the company is also considering expanding the business to the ser vice sector, by forming a division to deal with tank maintenance.

This is important at this time due to the changes in gasoline and diesel fuel formulation. The new fuels reGreater Owensboro Business

quire that a tank be properly maintained.

As Modern Welding celebrates 80 years of doing business, one thing remains clear: its success hinges on the dedication of its employees.

“My grandfather’s vision was to run a company that operates like a family, and I think we have been successful in doing that,” said Jim Jones.

“We have employees who have been here for 30 or 40 years, and that says a lot about their loyalty. Our employees make us who we are, and we look forward to another 80 years in business.”

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A Modern Welding employee operates a lift.

“My mother was involved with the business, and so were my brothers and I. I grew up working in the plant and at Modern Supply and am proud to still be a part of my grandfather’s legacy.”

A Modern Welding employee moves a piece of metal.

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Greater Owensboro Business

Jim Johnson

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A Modern Welding employee spot welds.

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Greater Owensboro Business

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Bill’s Restaurant server, Krissy Curtis of Owensboro, checks her order for Bill Collins of Owensboro, center, and DeAnna Adamson of Sumner, Ill. Greater Owensboro Business

Fourth Quarter 2012

Tasty tech:

Bill’s Restaurant uses high-tech tools in everyday business

By Tina Forrest

W

alking into a local restaurant, you wouldn’t expect to see a ser ver holding an iPad would you? That’s what you will find now in Owensboro.

Bill Hughes, owner of Bill’s Restaurant, described his establishment as a place that ser ves handcrafted food from the best possible ingredients.

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The restaurant is located in Owensboro’s historic downtown area and offers a unique dining experience in a warm atmosphere.

Bill’s Restaurant, located at 420 Frederica Street, boasts a wine list of over 30 different red and white wines with daily lunch and dinner specials.

One of Bill’s Restaurant’s most unique qualities is how they process food orders. Ser vers use a technology that allows them to take your food order as well as pay your bill using an iPad.

Greater Owensboro Business

“It keeps that particular table open until they close it out,” said Hughes.

Done with your meal but decide last minute you want dessert? Just reopen your ticket. When you’re done, simply cash out. You can either swipe your card on the iPad or use cash.

Bill Hughes grew up in Leitchfield, and is a 1985 Centre College graduate. He also has a culinar y arts degree from Johnson & Wales located in Charleston, South Carolina. While in South Carolina, Hughes acquired a wealth of food knowledge

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Taylor Niles holds the iPad shes uses to take food orders at Bill’s Restaurant in Owensboro. The device allows the kitchen to have instantaneous access to orders for food.

by working with an organization known as the Symposium of American Cuisine. Hughes later moved to Owensboro and worked as a general manager and chef at the Campbell Club. He switched gears and worked as a financial advisor for Edward Jones for 14 years before going back to into the food industr y.

Hughes bought the Callas Building in June, 2011 which would later become the home of his own restaurant. He renovated the building and opened Bill’s Restaurant on December 13, 2011.

Working closely with Information technician, Casey Clark of Clark Restaurant Ser vice/CRS One Source, Hughes looked at several different programs to figure out which one would work best for his restaurant.

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The program used at the restaurant allows the ser ver to take your order using an iPad, which is a line of tablet computers designed and marketed

by Apple Inc. The order then prints in one of two kitchens in the establishment. The cook gets your order and prepares your meal. The ser ver brings it out to you and — voila! — dinner is ser ved.

“Most people think it’s really interesting,” said Hughes. “Most people really like it.” But not all are hip to the technology. “The only complaint we have is when people don’t know how to use it [iPad],” said Hughes.

“Some people also perceive that the ser ver is “hovering” over them to see how much of a tip they are getting, when in reality the ser vers are just there to make sure you’re using it Greater Owensboro Business

properly,” he added. Typically when it’s a patron’s first time at Bill’s Restaurant, the ser vers are standing by to help you get through the bill pay process. Hughes said he has a tremendous amount of repeat customers. “We also have people that eat here four to five times a week,” said Hughes.

But he is always seeing new people walking in.

For the future, Hughes hopes to continue to evolve with the market. And now that the riverfront has reopened with great success, Hughes has high hopes for his restaurant.

“I want to continue to grow organically with our new facility.”

Reser vations are accepted for lunch and dinner and are encouraged for parties of five or more, but walkins are also welcome.

Fourth Quarter 2012

Taylor Niles, left, a server at Bill's Restaurant, shares a laugh Thursday with Mark Starnes of Owensboro and his mother, Marsha Starnes of Lexington, after taking the pair's order using and iPad. "It's pretty easy. It's accurate and you can add notes to each order," said Niles, who owns her own iPad.

Bill Hughes, owner/chef at Bill’s Restaurant, 420 Frederica St., left and server Krissy Curtis share a light moment Tuesday while looking over one of the iPads used to take orders.

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Riney Hancock employees Scott Clay, Edna Barnes, Joe Hancock, Terry Walker, Greg Moore and Steve Mudd.

Sloan Award:

Riney Hancock CPAs recognized for exemplary workplace practices Riney Hancock CPAs PSC has been honored with the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility for its use of flexibility as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success. This is the second time that the firm has re20

ceived this award.

This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, recognizes employers of all sizes and types in the Kentucky and across the Greater Owensboro Business

countr y.

“It’s an honor to receive this award.

We are proud of the firm that we have built and the family atmosphere that we have created here,” says Joseph A. Hancock, president and managing shareholder of Riney Hancock CPAs. “Our team members are what Fourth Quarter 2012

Greg Moore, Edna Barnes, Pam Hagan at a networking event.

Joe Hancock participates in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K.

Greg Moore, John Perkins and Michele Perkins participate in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k.

truly make our firm the success it is.

Flexibility in the workplace enables our team members to have a balanced life, in turn; our firm has been rewarded with loyal and dedicated team members that have made us a successful firm for over 39 years.”

Workplace flexibility — such as flextime, part-time work and compressed work weeks — has been demonstrated to help businesses remain competitive while also benefiting employees.

“Our research consistently finds that employees in effective and flexible workplaces have greater engagement on the job and greater desire to stay with their organization. In addition, they report lower stress levels and better overall health,” said Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute.

The Sloan Awards are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers’ flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee sur vey. All applicants are measured against national norms from the National Study of Employers.

“As a recipient of the 2012 Sloan Award, Riney Hancock CPAs ranks in the top 20% of employers nationally in terms of its programs, policies and culture for creating an effective and flexible workplace,” Galinsky said. “In addition, what makes this honor so special is that their employees have corroborated this, affirming that it is indeed an effective and flexible workplace.”

When Work Works is a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace flexibility by sharing research and promising practices, and conducting the annual Sloan Awards. It is an ongoing initiative of the Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.

For more information about the When Work Works project and the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, visit www.whenworkworks.org

About Riney Hancock CPAS PSC

Riney Hancock CPAs has been successfully ser ving the financial needs

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Greater Owensboro Business

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Stan Syra, John David Sandefur and Terry Butler participate in the Dash for Cash 5k.

Adam and Daile Hancock participated in the BBQ Festival 5k.

of the tri-state area since 1973, and takes great pride in helping individual and business clients succeed. With offices in Owensboro, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana, Riney Hancock CPAs offers more than just traditional accounting ser vices; they also provide financial advisor y ser vices for businesses, wealth and investment management ser vices, personal financial planning, comprehensive tax planning and consulting, litigation support and valuations, and medical/ dental practice management consulting.

Riney Hancock CPAs is also a member of PKF North America, a membership association comprised of independent accounting and consulting firms in North America that are dedicated to ser ving small to middle-market businesses and individual clients. Through membership with PKF North America, Riney Hancock CPAs can provide clients with national resources while maintaining a home-town, local firm identity.

About When Work Works When Work Works is a national initiative, led by the partnership of Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), to help businesses of all sizes and types become more successful by transforming the way they view and adopt effective and flexible workplaces. When Work Works is one of the foremost providers of resources, rigorous research and best practices on workplace effectiveness and flexibility in the nation. The initiative administers the prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility annually, which recognize exemplar y employers for using flexibility as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success. Visit www.whenworkworks. org and follow them on Twitter @ FWINews and @SHRMPress.

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Greater Owensboro Business

Fourth Quarter 2012

Laptops and smart phone in hand, Allen Street neighbors, Jody Bratcher, left, and Pam Oldham, retreat to the shade of one of the covered pavillions in Smothers Park on Tuesday to surf the net using the free wifi service now available all over the park. "It's a whole lot easier to see in the shade. It would be nice to have some plugs under here," Bratcher said.

Connected:

Chamber Young Professionals provide Wi-Fi Internet at park Free public Wi-Fi internet is now available throughout Smothers Park, courtesy of the Greater Owensboro Chamber Young Professionals. The free Wi-Fi is accessible from the RiverPark Center to the west end of Smother’s Park.

“It is a great time to be a young professional in Owensboro, and the Chamber Young Professionals are excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the downtown experience,” said Laura Alexander, past-chair of CYP and Director of Sales for the Owensboro Convention Center. “It was our goal to get the free Wi-Fi installed prior to this weekend’s grand Fourth Quarter 2012

opening. We are grateful to our partners in this project to get it complete in time for the celebration.”

The fundraising for this community ser vice project, and other philanthropic efforts by the Chamber Young Professionals (CYP), is done at their annual event, Lady in Red. The annual event was held August 25 at the RiverPark Center’s newly renovated Woodward’s Plaza.

“Lady in Red is the Chamber Young Professional’s biggest event of the year, we raise money to fund all our philanthropic projects, and ever yone has a great time. This year, we are so excited to be involved in the opening Greater Owensboro Business

of Smothers Park, and it’s a perfect fit with our effort to provide free WiFi throughout the year in the park,” said Robynn Clark, chair of the Lady in Red planning committee and Financial Center Leader at BB&T. CYP, organized by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, provides networking opportunities for professionals ages 40 and under.

Through community ser vice projects, social events, corporate tours and educational programs, CYP members develop strong ties in the Owensboro community. For more information on how to join CYP, or the Chamber of Commerce, call 926-1860.

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Young Professional Brandon Gentry Age: 30

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Banking Center Manager, Republic Bank & Trust Greater Owensboro Business

Fourth Quarter 2012

Hometown

construction and city planning is revitalizing downtown, and constant private economic development is expanding job opportunities. In short these new developments are creating an atmosphere that is buzzing with excitement for our generation.

Owensboro, KY

Civic or Volunteer Activities

What are other young professionals saying about the Owensboro area?

Chamber of Young Professionals, Social Chair Friday After 5, 2012 Chairman Hospice of Western KY, Board Member

How long have you served in your current position?

A lot of young professionals are excited about what’s going on in Owensboro. Young professionals have a lot to look for ward to due to the changes making our city better without renouncing our “small town” demeanor. We as young professionals are always looking to better ourselves, to have exciting opportunities, and to have a wide variety of entertainment within our community. Now we can say that Owensboro is on the leading edge of progress in our region.

I have been in my current position for 2 ½ years

What does your position entail?

I manage the day to day activities inside my banking center. My goals include facilitating the growth of our core customers, and conjointly directing the banking center staff.

I strive to sell and promote our great commercial, residential, and consumer loans as well as deposit products. I make outside calls and solicit existing customers. Another great aspect of my position revolves around community involvement. Republic Bank encourages and supports participation in our community.

What’s the best part about your position?

The best part of my position is the reward of assisting the personal and professional achievements of others. I work hard with my clients whether it’s their first home purchase, or it’s a small business loan that helps their business get off the ground. Having a hands-on approach transforms these first time clients into lifelong relationships.

Why do you choose to live and work in the greater Owensboro area?

“The best part of my position is the reward of assisting the personal and professional achievements of others. I work hard with my clients whether it’s their first home purchase, or it’s a small business loan that helps their business get off the ground. Having a hands-on approach transforms these first time clients into lifelong relationships.”

I choose to live in Owensboro because of the opportunity for young professionals. For years local leaders have pushed for progress in Owensboro to create better standards of education and sustain more desirable jobs. Now it appears that these goals are starting to come to fruition.

WKU-O, Brescia University, KWC, and Owensboro Community College are providing top notch education, recent

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Greater Owensboro Business

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Young Professional

Laura Alexander Age: 31

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Director of Sales, Owensboro Convention Center Greater Owensboro Business Fourth Quarter 2012

Hometown

to grow as an individual and much easier to get involved in the community.

Owensboro, KY

Civic or Volunteer Activities Immediate Past Chair, CYP GO Chamber Board of Directors We The People Town Meeting, participant and volunteer

How long have you served in your current position?

What are other young professionals saying about the Owensboro area?

Most of the young professionals agree that downtown is a great place to work. I see many young professionals walking around to business meetings or grabbing lunch at one of the local restaurants. It provides a great “big city” atmosphere without the hassles of living in a big city. I have also seen a big push for young professionals who grew up in Owensboro and are currently living someone else to return to Owensboro. I think that says a lot.

Since this past March. Other than the GM, I was the first person hired to work at the convention center.

What does your position entail?

As Director of Sales, I am responsible for managing, super vising and assisting the sales staff in coordinating all bookings and functions for the facility. Basically, I am in charge of making sure that the convention center stays busy from the time they open the doors. Currently, I am working on getting information out to various groups across the nation about our opening date and sending proposals/bids to those groups for their events beginning in December 2013.

What’s the best part about your position?

Working with ever yone in the community as well as visitors and selling Owensboro as a destination. It is also ver y exciting to be a part of the downtown revitalization.

“Basically, I am in charge of making sure that the convention center stays busy from the time they open the doors. Currently, I am working on getting information out to various groups across the nation about our opening date and sending proposals/bids to those groups for their events beginning in December 2013.”

Why do you choose to live and work in the greater Owensboro area?

I grew up in Owensboro and never really appreciated it until I came back from college. Owensboro is a great place for many reasons. It is a great place to start your career and grow within that organization as well as a great place to raise a family. Sometimes, I think people take the smalltown-feeling for granted, but it provides a much better place

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Chamber offers Member Referral Program

By Missy Gant

Your Chamber of Commerce draws its strength from the member to member relationships that make up our organization. In an effort to build stronger connections among the members in the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, we are introducing an exciting program designed to showcase and give back to our members that are actively working towards this common goal.

New for 2012 is the Member Referral Program. Any current member who recruits a business to invest in a new Chamber membership will be awarded $100.00 off their membership dues for the next year. The new business that

joins and the current member who ser ves as the recruiter will both receive the opportunity to showcase their products and ser vices at an exclusive business expo.

This expo, the Members Choice Awards, will take place November 8th at the Hines Center in Philpot.

If you know a business that you would like to refer to take advantage of the new program or if you have any questions, please call me at the Chamber office at 926-1860. I would love the opportunity to share with you how your business can take advantage of all the programs we offer at your Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.

Owensboro’s Leading Limousine Company Since 1998 28

Greater Owensboro Business

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On the

Move

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Jay Knight, an Owensboro native, has joined Bass, Berry & Sims PLC’s Nashville office as an associate in the firm’s corporate and securities practice. He will counsel clients in matters related to securities, mergers and acquisitions, real estate capital markets and structured finance.

Knight was formerly an attorney in the Division of Corporation Finance at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In that post, he served as special counsel in the Of fice of Structured Finance, where he led a team of attorneys, economists, and accountants charged with implementing an inter-agency joint rulemaking project under the Dodd-Frank Act. He also served in the Office of Rulemaking, where he was a member of the Dodd-Frank Implementation Team, and as an attorney-adviser in Disclosure Operations.

Knight is a Daviess County High School graduate and earned his law degree from the Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Rick D. Thompson has been promoted to President of Ken-tron Mfg., Inc. Thompson joined the company in 1987 as quality control manager. He has held various management positions within the company with his latest being executive vice president.

Bob Hudson is the company’s owner and chairman of the board.

Lee Bruner has been hired as customer service support manager at Custom Audio-Video.

Bruner has worked in the technical field since 1996 providing end-user computer technical support.

Jacob Reid, vice president, market development with Independence Bank, graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.

The graduate banking school is a three-year program held each summer on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. The community banking school includes a 25-month program providing senior management and leadership training for the next generation of community banking professionals.

Reid completed six weeks of classroom training focusing on four key areas of general management: lending, leadership, human resource management and financial management. Requirements also included comprehensive examinations, intersession research projects and participation in a bank management simulation course designed to provide the banker/ 30

student with experience in managing a bank. Reid won one of only four distinguished performance awards leading his community bank in the bank simulation project as CEO to a record performance, surpassing his peer group in nearly every category, said Chris Reid, president and CEO of Independence Bank.

Reid was among 119 graduates of the 62nd annual school session July 15- 27.

Curtis A. Hamilton, a financial advisor in the Wells Fargo Advisors’ Owensboro office, has been named associate vice president (investments).

Wells Fargo Advisors is a national brokerage firm based in St. Louis.

Hamilton, a graduate of Brescia University, has been a financial advisor for 11 years. He joined Wells Fargo Advisors in 2001.

Glenn Taylor, president of Glenn Funeral Home and Cremator y in Owensboro, was one of three funeral directors selected to serve as a mentor for the National Funeral Director Association’s (NFDA) Meet the Mentors program, an event supported by the Funeral Service Foundation.

Meet the Mentors, which took place March 26-27 at Emory University in Atlanta, brought 50 young funeral professionals together to learn from three leading funeral directors and to network with likeminded peers.

During the program, each mentor gave a presentation in which they shared lessons about how to build a successful and fulfilling career in funeral service.

During his presentation, Taylor discussed goal setting and cultivation, the development of “To Be Lists,” and the importance of a balanced career.

Following the presentations and a panel discussion, the young professionals broke into groups to personally interact with each mentor.

Taylor also is secretary-treasurer of Owensboro Memorial Gardens, president of Owensboro PreArrangement Center, past president of Selected Independent Funeral Homes and the International Order of the Golden Rule, and former chair of The Funeral Directors Symposium.

More information about the Meet the Mentors program can be found on the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/mentors.

For more information about NFDA, visit www.nfda.org.

Ryan M. Howard, CPA, has joined the accounting firm of Ebelhar Whitehead, PLLC, CPAs & Advisors as audit Greater Owensboro Business

supervisor.

He has more than five years of experience supervising internal and external audits, attestation engagements and leading consulting projects to review compliance with laws and regulations.

Howard, a Brescia University graduate with a bachelor of science degree in accounting, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts and the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accounts.

Shannon Raines recently completed the Risk Management Program, a threemonth program on family wealth planning of fered through J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons.

John Obermeier, store manager of Obermeier Do it Best Hardware and Rental in Rockport, Ind., has been named a 2012 national Young Retailer of the Year by the North American Retail Hardware Association.

Obermeier was one of eight selected by the national recognition program that honors the outstanding achievement of home improvement retailers age 35 or younger in the U.S. and Canada.

The 28-year-old Obermeier serves as manager of the store that’s been in his family since 1959, handling both daily operations and long-term strategy.

Since taking over as store manager in June 2009, he’s grown sales while increasing merchandise selection at the store.

In recognizing Obermeier, the NRHA highlighted several of his accomplishments and initiatives, including improving the store’s merchandising standards and inventory management, increasing staff and store productivity through more efficient operating processes, expanding the store’s rental center and growing the store’s e-commerce online presence.

Obermeier uses the store’s partnership with Do it Best Corp. — an international hardware, home center and lumberyard co-op — to leverage numerous learning and development opportunities.

Obermeier also has a record of community involvement, including serving on the board of a grassroots community development organization. Other areas judges considered in making the award were career advancement, professional accomplishments, education and goals for the future.

Obermeier will be honored at a special event at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas during the first week of May. The North American Retail Hardware Association is a 109-year-old not-for-profit trade association.

Fourth Quarter 2012

Neel Ford, commercial lines insurance producer at E.M. Ford & Co., recently received his AFIS designation by passing the final portion of the three-part program. This certifies him as an Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist (AFIS).

The designation is a professional credential that deals with unique issues in the farm and agribusiness industries.

Along with the AFIS designation, Ford holds AU, Associate Underwriter and CPIA, Certified Professional Insurance Agent, designations.

Ford is part of E.M. Ford & Company’s expanding agribusiness unit.

The company has been appointed by ProAg, a national crop insurance provider, as its only local representative.

Ford has been certified to sell their federal crop insurance policies as well as their other agricultural insurance products.

Robert A. Edge was honored by Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company as the Agent of the Year for the company’s District One. Gavin C. Roberts also was honored as Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company’s Agency Manager of the Year for District One. Edge and Roberts work from the insurance company’s Frederica Street office.

Agent of the Year and Manager of the Year selections are based on overall performance.

Consideration is given to new business, life insurance and property and casualty insurance production, loss ratio, retention of business, attitude and cooperation with claims and underwriting.

Edge is in his fourth year, and Roberts is serving his 11th year with Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

The awards were presented on April 26 in Hopkinsville.

Carol Bordes of Owensboro has joined Mark Schmidt Remodeling Inc as office manager for the company.

She has more than 20 years of bookkeeping and accounting experience and will be responsible for the day to day of fice operations for Mark Schmidt Remodeling.

Roy Roberts, formerly of Owensboro and currently a member of Brescia University’s Board of Trustees, was selected as the 2012 Triangle Business Leader of the Year by Business Leader magazine on Wednesday evening.

Roberts was chosen because of his business’ significant number of performance awards, support of the business community, and significant involvement in the community’s social needs, according to the news release.

He was chosen as the 2009 Triangle Business Leader of the Year as well.

Roberts, of North Carolina, is president, CEO and owner of Alliance of Professionals & Consultants Inc. (APC) headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. The company, with more than 850 employees, provides business and technical profes

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Don Stroud was elected chairman of the board for Audubon Federal Credit Union at its 56th membership annual meeting on April 24.

Other board members elected were: Robert Kirk, vice-chairman; Edward C. Ricke, Jr., secretary; Tim Goff, treasurer; Susie Imel, Dora Hulsey, Eddy McFarland, members.

Ar thur Schwar tz was appointed chairman of the Supervisory Committee.

Member Tim Goff also was appointed to the committee.

Beverly Knott is the CEO. Fourth Quarter 2012

Greater Owensboro Business

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Greater Owensboro Business

Fourth Quarter 2012