Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly - Dec. 6, 2013

Business Weekly GREATER

FORT WAYNE

DECEMBER 6-13, 2013

Daily updates at www.fwbusiness.com

New rules would spur businesses to make sites more accessible

LOCAL NEWS

On the right track Data suggest region is improving

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ALL THE WORLD’S A MARKET

The ADA is increasingly being applied to the Internet; many companies may not be ready

Fort Wayne MSA exports increased to $1.35B in 2012

BY LINDA LIPP llipp@kpcmedia.com

A new set of standards that soon will extend accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act to the online world may surprise many businesses, despite the fact they have been years in the making.

Exactly when the new guidelines will kick in is still not quite certain. Rules affecting state and local governments were due to be released by the U.S. Department of Justice in November but had yet to appear as of Dec. 3; and rules affecting private businesses were, at last word, expected in March. n

See ADA on PAGE 20

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Albion-based Whiteshire Hamroc has exported pigs and genetic material for hogs to Asia for nearly two decades, which has resulted in a joint venture and overseas investment in the company.

BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

The marketing of northeast Indiana does not stop at our nation’s borders, and the most recent data available for the Fort Wayne metropolitan statistical area shows three years of successive exporting gains.

The latest data available from the International Trade Administration showed merchandise shipments to foreign destinations from Fort Wayne’s MSA fell 19.8 percent to $916.8 million for 2009, from

Linda Scribner uses a screen reader for work but finds computer use too frustrating otherwise.

LINDA LIPP

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INSIDE

Vol. 9 Issue 49

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“Simply put, exporting has made us a better all-around manufacturer.”

Amanda Walsh Caliente

the previous year, but then rose 48 percent during the next three years to $1.35 billion in 2012.

The MSA includes Allen, Wells and Whitley counties. Fort Wayne ranked sixth among Indiana metro areas for exports. The Fort Wayne

area’s merchandise shipments to foreign destinations increased 5 percent in 2012 from $1.28 billion the previous year.

“Even though Indiana ranks first in the nation for manufacturing employment as a proportion of total jobs, it ranks 13th in exports,” said Ellen Cutter, director of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Community Research Institute.

“Thirteenth is a strong position to be in; it just means a good proportion of our manufacturing base serves the n

See MARKET on PAGE 22

Local news .................... 3-7

LOCAL NEWS

PERSONAL BUSINESS

BizView .............................. 8

License to grow

A real draw

Acquisition by Brazilian company expected to help ScreenCheck

For decades, comic book fans have flocked to store

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Banking & Finance... 10-11 Personal Business ... 12-13 Top List ............................ 17 BizLeads..................... 18-19

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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City Council to hear request for passenger train study funding

BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Local support for an environmental impact study could help get a passenger rail route that would run trains through Fort Wayne at up to 110 mph priority status on a Federal Railroad Administration list of regional corridor projects.

A request for $200,000 in funding is expected to go before the Fort Wayne City Council at its Dec. 10 meeting. The request will be made by Geoff Paddock, the councilman who represents the 5th District, which includes the downtown area where trains would stop at the renovated Baker Street Station to pick up and drop off passengers. Paddock also sits on the board of the Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail GREATER FORT WAYNE

260-432-4500

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6222 Ellison Road, Fort Wayne • www.thelandmarkcentre.com

December 6-12, 2013

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The route would run between Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, with eight stops of between two to three minutes at eight cities along the way. The environmental impact study would cost $2 million, an expense that would be borne by cities and states the route would serve.

“Similar routes are under construction now between Chicago and St. Louis and Chicago and Detroit, and routes are in the planning stages between Chicago and Milwaukee and Chicago and the Quad Cities, and we would like the next route in the planning process to be Chicago to Columbus,” Paddock said.

The city, Allen County and the Commun

See TRAIN on PAGE 7

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December 6-12, 2013

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State of the region? It’s getting better Partnership presents ‘dashboard,’ manufacturing reports at event

BY BARRY ROCHFORD

Making the grade The Fort Wayne region is one of 20 communities that will receive grants of $200,000 each from the Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation to fund efforts to improve post-secondary educational attainment.

The only other Indiana area on the list is the Columbus region.

The northeast Indiana funding will be used for the Big Goal Collaborative, an initiative of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership that aims to increase the percentage of area residents with high-quality degrees or credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

There are very few restrictions on the use of the funds, other than they can’t be used for political or lobbying purposes or scholarships, said Haley Glover, strategy director at Lumina Foundation, on a Dec. 4 conference call following the award announcement.

brochford@kpcmedia.com

Efforts to bolster the northeast Indiana economy are being backed up by data that suggest the region is making strides compared to other parts of Cutter the country. But the hard work is far from over.

The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership held a “State of the Region” event Dec. 3 at The Summit in Fort Wayne, where representatives of the partnership and the Community Research Institute at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne discussed the findings of two reports that track a decade’s worth of economic data.

One report, which the partnership has taken to calling a “dashboard,” compares the 10-county region to 14 roughly similar areas in the Midwest, South and Great Plains, and gauges how it’s faring compared to them. The other report focused solely on northeast Indiana’s largest industry sector:

TO LEARN MORE Q The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s “dashboard” and manufacturing reports can be downloaded at FWBusiness.com or at NEIndiana. com/vision.

manufacturing.

Coincidentally, in the days leading up to the event, data released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that per-capita personal income in northeast Indiana rose 5 percent in 2012, which was faster than the nation’s 3.4-percent growth rate. That’s significant because per-capita income has been singled out as an economic bellwether for the region by those charged to aid in its development.

“That’s what the whole shebang is about,” said Katy Silliman, vice president of regional initiatives at the partnership, at the “State of the Region” event.

In 2009, per-capita income in northeast Indiana was 79 percent of the national average. With the gain in 2012, the disparity

lessened; per-capita income in the region was 81.2 percent of the national average.

“We’re not done until we’re at 100 percent or surpassing it,” Silliman said.

Maintaining that Stafford rate of growth will be important in the years ahead, said Ellen Cutter, director of the CRI. “This is what needs to happen repeatedly in order for us to close the gap over time,” she said.

The “dashboard” report is part of an ongoing initiative launched last year by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and the CRI to measure the area’s progress — to compare “the perception of what we’re doing to the reality,” Cutter said.

Through endeavors like Vision 2020, the partnership, along with other economic-development organizations and business and community leaders across the region, n

See REGION on PAGE 7

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December 6-12, 2013

Allen County residential, commercial permit values gain The value of building permits issued in Allen County through the end of November was up more than 14 percent from the same period in 2012, with gains in the residential sector slightly stronger than in the commercial sector.

The value of commercial permits rose 13.6 percent, from $259.2 million last year to $294.5 million this year, according to data from the Allen County Building Department. The value of residential permits issued grew 15 percent, from $213.2 million in 2012 to $245 million this year.

SPERRY VAN NESS PARKE GROUP Diana Parent represented the lessor, Wayne Partnership LLP, and Whitney

Peterson represented the lessee, Steve Foster, in the lease of office space at 110

W. Berry St., Suite 2407.

Parent represented both the lessor, Group Investments LLC, and the lessee, Hallmark Home Mortgage LLC, in the lease of 4,000 square feet of office space at 7401 Coldwater Road.

Brandon Downey represented both the lessor, Barry Knoll LLC, and the lessee, Grandview Healthcare Inc., in the lease of 2,400 square feet of flex space at 6032 Highview Drive, Suite C. Downey represented the same lessor and the lessee, Interior Outfitters Inc., in the lease of flex space at 6014 Huguenard Road, Suite A. Bill Beard represented both the seller, Mary Jo Knight, and the buyers, Jonathon and Amber Recker, in the purchase of

retail space at 4007-4009 S. Wayne St. Neal Bowman represented both the lessors, Robert and Nancy Dunfee, and the lessee, Carl Draper, in the lease of office space at 6113 Cross Creek Blvd.

HOME SALE NUMBERS, PRICES UP THROUGH YEAR The number of existing single-family homes sold in Indiana in October was up 3.7 percent from a year ago, and the median sale price of those homes rose 3 percent, to $121,000, according to the Indiana Association of Realtors.

Year-to-date through October, sales were up 15.9 percent from the first 10 months of 2012; and the median sale price rose to $122,800, a 4.1 percent increase.

In the n 12-county northeast Indiana area served by Business Weekly, closed sales for the year to date were up everywhere except DeKalb and Noble counties.

Median sale prices for the year through October were up in eight counties — Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Huntington, Kosciusko, Noble and Wells; and down in four — LaGrange, Steuben, Wabash and Whitley.

Reporter’s

NOTEBOOK

REAL ESTATE & RETAIL Linda Lipp

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Quality Dining Inc., which operates 17 northeast Indiana Burger King Restaurants, has reopened its restaurant at 618 Fairview, Kendallville.

The rebuilt Kendallville restaurant features the latest in Burger King design, including cafe-style seating, a lounge area with a high-definition TV and a bold contemporary look. The restaurant also features the Coca-Cola Freestyle fountain drink system that allows drive-through and dining-room guests to choose from more than 100 regular and low-calorie choices, including many varieties of waters, sports drinks, lemonades and sparkling beverages that were not previously available in the U.S. The restaurant employs 45 full- and parttime workers.

If you have items for the real-estate and retail column, please contact Linda Lipp by e-mail at llipp@kpcmedia.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 307, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

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December 6-12, 2013

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General Motors invests in co-generation equipment General Motors Co.

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Reporter’s

plans to NOTEBOOK quadruple the productive use of landfill gas and lower the power bill at its Fort Wayne Assembly Plant through an $11-million investment in electrical generation equipment.

Doug LeDuc The plant has been heating a couple of boilers with methane from a nearby landfill for more than 10 years. With the 6.4-megawatt power generation capacity of the new equipment, it will be able to get 40 percent of its energy from the landfill.

The measures will prevent about 39,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year and will save the plant about $3.5 million annually in energy costs.

The facility became U.S. EPA Energy Star certified earlier this year in recognition of its energy management practices The plant near the intersection of U.S. 24 and Interstate 69 employs about 4,400 workers making full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Its hourly workers are represented by United Auto Workers Local 2209.

GM also is installing co-generation equipment at its Lake Orion Assembly Plant at Orion, Mich., which builds Chevrolet Sonic and Buick Verano cars, as part of a two-plant investment of $24 million.

GM expects the project to prevent more than 89,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere at the plants each year, which an announcement said was “the equivalent of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 18,542 passenger vehicles.”

“This project converts landfill gas into our own electric energy for manufacturing,” Dave Shenefield, site utilities manager for the Fort Wayne Assembly Plant, said in the announcement.

“This makes good business sense, because it helps us save on energy costs, and it makes good environmental sense as it limits the amount of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere.”

High-voltage electrical switchgear and

TECHNOLOGY

large-scale generation equipment will be required for the project, and the Fort Wayne Assembly Plant has worked closely on it with power supplier United REMC. “We understand how important GM is to the regional economy, so we wanted to do what we could to make this project a reality,” Rob Pearson, United REMC chief executive officer, said in the announcement.

“We worked closely with GM to provide the proper infrastructure and rates to help GM help the environment, save money and move forward with new technology.”

Construction has started on structures, which will house the equipment in a way that contributes to its safe, efficient operation, and the company expects to complete the project by next May.

LOCAL RAYTHEON OPERATIONS WIN $97.9-MILLION CONTRACT Taking full advantage of the electromagnetic spectrum is an important part of modern military operations, and the Army has awarded Raytheon Co.’s Fort Wayne facilities a $97.9-million contract to design and build a tool that will help officers direct its electronic warfare.

The five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) also covers testing, delivery and integration of the software system by Dec. 1, 2018.

An announcement on the contract released early this month by the Army Contracting Command in Aberdeen, Md., said work on the system will be completed in six phases.

The system will have 22 different functions and will allow electronic warfare officers to plan, coordinate and synchronize electronic warfare operations at the battalion level on up.

“Currently the Army does not have a planning tool specifically for electronic warfare operations,” said Col. Jim Ekvall, the Army’s Electronic Warfare Division chief at the Pentagon.

“EWOs currently rely on programs that are not specifically designed to communicate and integrate EW management or plan EW operations in support of the maneuver commander,” he said.

“EWPMT is an innovative approach which will align EW operations throughout units and will be a software system for the future of war-fighting.” n

See TECHNOLOGY on PAGE 6

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Acquisition could help drive growth in ScreenCheck’s license business

BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Fort Wayne-based ScreenCheck North America plans to use what it is learning about working with the motor-vehicle division in Guam’s Department of Revenue and Taxation to compete for driver’s-license business in other U.S. territories and states.

And it will have more resources to bring to that effort — including high-volume card manufacturing and driver’s-license production expertise — through an ownership change that took place this summer.

The former business of Polaroid Corp.’s Commercial ID Division was bought in 2009 by its management team and ScreenCheck International, a Netherlands-based supplier to the business, which valued Polaroid’s distribution reach. The purchase spared the division from liquidation during Polaroid’s bankruptcy, saving a dozen jobs in the process.

ScreenCheck sold the business this summer to Lisle, Ill.-based Valid U.S.A., which is owned by Valid, a company with a headquarters in Rio de Janeiro that produces

a majority of the South American country’s driver’s licenses.

The business that was sold has kept its 17 employees as well as its Fort Wayne headquarters and will continue to do business for a while under the ScreenCheck North America name, said its president, Michael Fox. Customers have not noticed any significant changes related to the acquisition, and what they notice in the future will be favorable, he said. Fox will work for Valid U.S.A. as a vice president when it eventually does business under that name.

“The expectation is that long term, our customers will see it as a good thing,” Fox said. “Short term, there have not been any negative effects and we’re expecting that will be the case. We will be providing customers access to more products and capabilities than in the past.”

For example, ScreenCheck North America has not been making its own plastic cards but personalizes base cards obtained through a supplier and sells equipment and software to organizations who use it to make n

See LICENSE on PAGE 6

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TECHNOLOGY: Sales up at WaterFurnace

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WATERFURNACE EARNINGS INCREASE 51 PERCENT Successful expense reduction efforts and a 3-percent sales boost contributed to a 51-percent increase in third quarter earnings for WaterFurnace Renewable Energy.

The Fort Wayne-based geothermal heating and cooling equipment company saw its third-quarter earnings rise to $4.3 million from $2.9 million for the same

period last year. Its sales grew to $30.3 million from $29.5 million.

Third-quarter operating expenses at WaterFurnace fell 9 percent to $5.4 million from $6 million for the prior-year quarter.

If you have items for the technology column, please contact Doug LeDuc by e-mail at dougl@fwbusiness.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 309, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

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December 6-12, 2013

PHP touts ability to help understand ACA Fort Wayne- n based Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana has

started an advertising campaign that highlights its ability to help customers understand the sometimes confusing requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. A s h e r A g e n c y

Reporter’s

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a statement. “We’re here to help make health coverage uncomplicated. Asher’s ‘PHP: Easy’ campaign captures that message perfectly.”

KOHL’S DONATES TO PARKVIEW CHILD SAFETY PROGRAM

HEALTH CARE Barry Rochford

produced the “PHP:Easy” television and print campaign for the insurance provider, which offers group and individual insurance in northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio. A TV spot humorously features an actor speaking in German to a company’s bewildered employees — the same kind of confusion that businesses can run into when it comes to the ACA. “The Affordable Care Act is forcing employers and individuals to take a hard look at their coverage options. This demanded PHP become more visible and highlight our ability to make sense of the confusing regulations,”

n

Rick Cochran, president and CEO, said in

Kohl’s Department Stores donated $45,630 to the Parkview Foundation in late November to continue the Kohl’s Kids 4 Safety program that educates families about child car seat safety and other ways to protect children while traveling.

The program is an ongoing partnership between the foundation and Kohl’s. Since 2001, Kohl’s has donated more than $971,000 to the foundation for child programming.

The most recent grant will be used to support safety seat inspections, community events and information and quizzes offered online at Parkview.com/KohlsKids.

“Safety in vehicles and children being properly restrained can be a life-or-death matter that parents need to better understand and embrace,” Roxi Noll, Kohl’s 4 Kids safety coordinator at Parkview Women’s and Children’s Hospital, said in a statement.

If you have items for the health-care column, please contact Barry Rochford by email at brochford@kpcmedia.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 311, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

LICENSE: Owner has ‘cradle-to-grave’ capability

Continued from PAGE 5

their own identification badges.

The ID card personalization it does in Fort Wayne is lower-volume work requiring more individual attention, and the operation at 2621 Corrinado Court in Centennial Industrial Park typically has personalized half a million to a million cards annually.

“Valid has total capabilities, from taking a piece of base material and manufacturing the base card to … doing the personalization in volume,” Fox said. “The facilities Valid has in Chicago and New Jersey can produce 3 million cards and provide personalization for 1 million cards a day.

“With some of the acquisitions they’ve made, they have kind of cradle-to-grave capability for producing the card itself, including the security features on or in the card, as well as the software capabilities to do some of the enrollment of the people before they get the card,” he said.

“It gives us the capability of providing the total solution.”

Much of ScreenCheck North America’s business has been with education and law-en-

forcement organizations, which have used ID badges for years, and it was less directly related to large government programs, although it did support that kind of business through its dealer channel, he said.

Valid “is a Brazilian company that within the last year has invested heavily in its U.S. presence and growing in the U.S. market. It owns 80 percent of the driver’s license market in Brazil and through the ScreenCheck North America acquisition is actively pursuing driver’s license growth in the U.S.,” Fox said.

“ScreenCheck has a (driver’s-license) contract with the territory of Guam, and it was one of the contracts that was interesting to Valid,” he said. As a U.S. territory, “Guam has many of the requirements a state has for producing driver’s licenses.”

“We expect Valid to get into a market in the U.S. that is government- and ID-related; that is where they are expected to grow and use the ScreenCheck operation to do that,” Fox said. “I think of the acquisition as being strong and advantageous for both parties.

It builds on the strengths of both parties to create a very strong entity.”

December 6-12, 2013

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REGION: Manufacturing employs 71,000

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is attempting to reverse a three-decade-old economic slide. Vision 2020 focuses development efforts on five central “pillars”: developing a 21st-century work force; improving the business climate; fostering entrepreneurship; building infrastructure; and enhancing quality of life.

With so much discussion about, and so much time and effort devoted to, Vision 2020 and other projects, the “dashboard” provides an indication whether all that work is beginning to pay off, showing where the region is making advances and where it continues to lag.

The CRI, which developed the “dashboard,” compares northeast Indiana to nine peer areas: Kalamazoo, Mich.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Dayton, Ohio; Knoxville, Tenn.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Rockford, Ill.; Toledo, Ohio; South Bend; and Evansville. It also gauges the region against five “star” areas that have a track record of high economic performance: Davenport, Iowa; Roanoke, Va.; Des Moines; Peoria, Ill.; and Wichita, Kan. The “dashboard” looked at five key growth measures and found: • Employment grew by 1.5 percent in northeast Indiana in 2012, the latest year available, and by 3.8 percent from 20092012. The four-year increase was more than that experienced by the peers (3.5 percent) and stars (2 percent).

• Per-capita income rose from 2008 to 2011 by 2.5 percent, which was less than the peers (3.8 percent) but more than the stars (2 percent).

• Gross regional product advanced by 1.7 percent in 2011 and by 2.3 percent from 2008 to 2011. For the four-year period, the peers saw a gain of 1 percent, while the stars saw a 2.4-percent increase.

• Productivity declined in the region by 0.1 percent in 2011, but advanced by 5.9 percent from 2008 to 2011 — outpacing the peers (3.5 percent) and stars (5.2 percent).

• The region saw a 0.8-percent increase in its younger adult population — those ages 25 to 44 — in 2011, but an overall decline of 1.9 percent from 2008 to 2011. The peers also posted a decline of 2.6 percent during the four-year period, while the stars had an

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APP OFFERS RECYCLING HELP The city of Fort Wayne launched a new app to help residents get easy access to information on its One Cart recycling program.

The free app, RecycleFW, is available for download from the Apple Store and Google

increase of 0.8 percent.

The CRI also took 40 other economic measures, organized them according to Vision 2020’s five pillars and created overall indexes that ranked the region, peers and stars. The top performers in each index earned a score of 100, while the worst scored a zero.

For 21st-century talent, northeast Indiana scored 23.5 in 2013. The nine peer areas together scored 23.7, while the five star areas combined scored 58.5. The region did better in the other indexes: • Business climate: northeast Indiana, 81.5; peers, 58.4; and stars, 63.4; • Entrepreneurship: northeast Indiana, 59.4; peers, 24.6; and stars, 59.5; • Infrastructure: northeast Indiana, 61.6; peers, 41.7; stars, 84.1; and • Quality of life: northeast Indiana, 50.8; peers, 28.1; and stars, 45.1.

John Stafford, who retired as director of the CRI earlier this year, presented highlights from a study that focused on manufacturing in the region. Companies involved in various types of manufacturing represent nearly 20 percent of the total employment opportunities in the region, he said, and have more than 71,000 workers.

“Why are we so concerned about manufacturing?” Stafford asked. “It’s a great wealth creator for us.”

Unlike past recessions, the manufacturing sector led the region out of the Great Recession and has continued fueling it during the recovery. It also lost fewer jobs during the recession than what economists would normally predict.

By the end of the recession, the sector was outgaining all other sectors combined in employment growth rate. In 2009-2010, manufacturing employment grew by 5.6 percent; in 2010-2011 it advanced 4.9 percent, and the following year rose 2.6 percent.

“That really points to the strength of a lot of manufacturing that’s here today in northeast Indiana,” Stafford said.

The report also looks at clusters involved in advanced manufacturing, identifies careers critical to the growth of those clusters and examines how manufacturing suppliers are meeting the needs of area producers.

Play. It will help residents set a reminder notice about their recycling day, gather information about what can be recycled and where to take items that can’t be placed in the cart.

The app also has a link to current information about holiday schedules, leaf collection and advice on how to handle everything from spring and summer yard waste to holiday wrapping paper.

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TRAIN: 300-mile route would cost $1.1B

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nity Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne provided the majority of funding for a study last year to establish that a good business case could be made for the route.

The study had been requested by the state’s previous governor, Mitch Daniels.

A Tier I environmental impact study would be one of the most important steps yet to take before 80 percent federal funding could be sought for a more expensive Tier II preliminary engineering study the project would require.

A similar federal funding match would be available for new track, overpasses and signals that the project would require, provided the Federal Railroad Administration moved forward on it.

The Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association previously hired Transportation Economics and Management Systems for the business case study, which last year projected the route could be profitable within three years of its launch, running 10 trains daily charging 34 cents per mile for business-class tickets.

The 300-mile project would cost $1.1 billion, or $3.7 million per mile, and the study projected all of that spending, in addition to operation of the route, would create 26,800 jobs and add $7.1 billion in household income over 30 years.

“From a city perspective, we’re very supportive of the effort looking at rail between Chicago and Columbus, and the efforts of NIPRA …,” said John Urbahns, the city’s community development director.

“We’ve been assisting them with coordination, trying to work with all the Indiana communities and communities in Ohio, specifically Columbus. And all of the communities along the way between Columbus and Chicago have been supporting that effort.”

Columbus is the largest city in the country without passenger rail service, and it wants a passenger rail route to Chicago.

In addition to Fort Wayne, Indiana cities involved in discussions about the project have included Gary, Valparaiso, Plymouth, Warsaw and New Haven.

“We talked to the state (officials) and they said they would be willing to participate. They kind of gave us that tentative approval if we showed the other cities had skin in the game. We’ve had verbal commitments from all of them,” said Pam Holocher, Fort Wayne’s deputy director for planning and policy.

Fred Lanahan, NIPRA president, said most of the project’s state and city funding would come from Indiana and Ohio, and cities along the route.

“We’re looking at 1 million on this side

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“We talked to the state (officials) and they said they would be willing to participate. They kind of gave us that tentative approval if we showed the other cities had skin in the game.

We’ve had verbal commitments from all of them.”

Pam Holocher City of Fort Wayne

of the border,” he said. “The Fort Wayne piece is very important.”

Amtrak has said rail congestion in Indiana south of Lake Michigan forced it discontinue service from Chicago to Fort Wayne in 1990, and since then, the closest Amtrak connection to the Summit City and its population of 254,000 has been 30 miles to the north in Waterloo.

The Indiana Department of Transportation planned to have that northwest Indiana rail congestion fixed last year with $71.4 million it received in 2010 in federal Recovery Act funds.

As a Citilink board member, Lanahan was happy to see the bus service open its new Central Station in September 2012 at the corner of Calhoun and Banker streets, across from Baker Street Station.

The Central Station location would make it relatively easy for many Fort Wayne residents to ride a bus in to the passenger rail service. Residents of communities with transportation infrastructure of this type have found it convenient and “the intermodality of the transit options is very, very positive,” he said.

“It’s something we’re seeking.”

The business case study estimated downtown development, particularly around Baker Street Station, would create 500 jobs within five years of passenger rail service returning to Fort Wayne.

Gov. Mike Pence has appointed Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry to a blueribbon panel to discuss transportation options including the proposed passenger rail route between Chicago and Columbus.

And Paddock has asked the city controller to help identify a potential source of city funding for the $200,000 he plans to request for the environmental impact study.

Paddock said he will spell out the benefits of bringing passenger rail service back to Fort Wayne for members of the city council with a short PowerPoint presentation, and “I’m hoping and very optimistic that we will receive the necessary votes to move this forward.”

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n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

December 6-12, 2013

Devil is in the denominator

Terry Housholder thousholder@kpcmedia.com Publisher

Barry Rochford brochford@kpcmedia.com Editor

Linda Lipp llipp@kpcmedia.com Associate Editor/Reporter

Joel Elliott jelliott@kpcmedia.com Reporter

Doug LeDuc dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Cutting it too thinly?

Reporter

Claudia Johnson cjohnson@kpcmedia.com Marketing Manager

Mary Schmitz mschmitz@kpcmedia.com Creative Supervisor

Ashley LeTourneau aletourneau@kpcmedia.com Researcher

MARKETING CONSULTANTS

William Hanley Kelly Bransteter

George O. Witwer Publisher Emeritus

Terry Housholder President, CEO

Terry Ward Chief Operating Officer

S. Rick Mitchell Chief Financial Officer

Lynette Donley Advertising Director

Kelly Lynch Digital Media Director

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is a publication of KPC Media Group Inc.

©2013 All rights reserved

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 3306 Independence Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Published weekly, the annual subscription rate is $49.

Republicans hold such a strong majority in state government they basically can do what they want in the 2014 session of the Legislature.

But they’re having a hard time deciding what to do about adding a major tax break for business in Indiana.

Republicans in the Indiana House of Representatives have said eliminating or reducing the business personal property tax would be one of their top priorities this winter. Businesses pay the tax on machinery, computers, furniture and other equipment.

House Speaker Brian Bosma called on House members to create a fair business tax policy to match other Midwestern states.

Putting pressure on us, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois already have eliminated their personal property taxes.

Indiana Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Brinegar has said that leaves Indiana at competitive disadvantage for luring new business to the state.

Wait just a minute, said Senate President David Long, R-Fort Wayne.

Long pointed out that the personal property tax brings in $1 billion per year for local government and schools.

He wanted to know how Indiana is going to replace that money.

“We should not be afraid to look at this, but … if we don’t do it right, it could have a negative impact, a serious

n

EDITORIAL

negative impact on the revenues for local governments,” Long said.

The Association of Indiana Counties has come out against eliminating the tax, saying it would force local governments to cut services. The association warned that the burden of replacing the business personal property tax could fall on homeowners.

Indiana Republican leaders are proud of their steps to reduce property taxes on homeowners in recent years.

Those tax cuts forced local governments to learn how to operate on less money. Local leaders might be able to make even more cutbacks, but eventually they could reach their limit.

Tax cuts sound good until they cause a tax increase on someone else, threaten public safety or reduce our quality of life.

As they try to keep Indiana taxes competitive for business, Indiana legislators should be careful not to put other taxpayers or good local government at risk.

We don’t want Indiana to become a state where everyone wants to do business, but nobody wants to live.

This editorial originally was published

by Business Weekly owner KPC Media Group Inc.

WHAT’S YOUR VIEW? Want to share your thoughts on something you’ve read? Business Weekly welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. E-mail them to news@fwbusiness. com, fax them to (260) 426-2503 or mail them to Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808. Business Weekly reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length.

While most folks have heard of the Terminator, many have forgotten the denominator. That’s the number below the line in a fraction.

Fractions seem to have scared lots of folks even though they are all around us. Miles per gallon is certainly well-known: miles driven divided by gallons of fuel used. The more miles your drive on a given amount of gas, the higher your MPG. The more gas you use for a given number of miles, the lower your MPG. Why then is another fraction such a mystery? Per-capita personal income (PCPI) is simply total personal income (PI) divided by population (POP). The higher the PI for a given POP, the greater the per-capita figure. The more people (POP) you have for a given PI, the lower your PCPI. Local and state economic-development folks n like good news, even if it is the result of negative news. When the PCPI figures for 2012 were released the week before Thanksgiving, Indiana as a state was in the envious position of having the third highest growth rate in the nation.

How did this happen? Our personal income growth was a stunning fifth fastest in the country for the year. That was teamed with a 0.3-percent population growth, 37th among the states, and less than half as fast as the United States. The slower the growth in population, the faster the growth in PCPI. How did this play out on the county level?

Well, a press release from Wabash County was Morton J. ecstatic with the news the county’s PCPI grew Marcus 6.6 percent, faster than the nation (3.4 percent) and faster than the state (4.9 percent).

Neglected in the Wabash chest pounding was the population of the county declined by 0.6 percent. If your POP declines, your PCPI is boosted. A total of 54 of Indiana’s 92 counties saw POP decreases in 2012 according to the Census Bureau’s input to the PCPI numbers issued by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

PCPI has been recognized by our political leadership as an important, if not vital, measure of economic well-being. However, population decline is hardly the route to a more vital community.

LaGrange County demonstrates healthy growth. In 2012, this northern county, which depends heavily on manufacturing jobs in Elkhart County, ranked second in both PCPI and PI growth, with slow POP growth. Jennings County ranked first among the state’s counties in both PCPI and PI growth, but saw its POP drop during the year.

Fast POP growth has a depressing effect on a PCPI increase.

Johnson County, for example, had its 6-percent growth in PI become 4.7-percent growth in PCPI because of its 1.2-percent POP growth.

Ideally, a community wants to see its PCPI grow because its personal income is growing faster than its population. Indiana’s favorable PCPI growth must be evaluated recognizing that 60 percent of our counties are losing population and that growth of personal income, like the growth of population, is becoming more and more concentrated.

EYE ON THE PIE

MORTON J. MARCUS is an independent economist, writer and speaker formerly with Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He can be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo.com.

December 6-12, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 9

For companies, there can be a lot of benefit to giving back One sure sign n of the holidays is the appearance of bell ringers for the Salvation Army, as well as the toy collections, coat collections and other efforts that get under way to help the needy.

Individually and as families, we begin to contemplate what we can give and to whom. CompaBarry LaBov nies do the same, determining what charities to support or items to collect. At LaBov, we’ve collected everything from food to toys to clothing and more. Corporate giving can have many advantages for all involved.

Any corporate giving program is made better by employee involvement. Get employees involved in some way with the process and you’re more likely to receive their buy-in and participation in whatever cause or causes you choose to support. A company’s charitable giving is a source of pride for employees, so they should have a large role in it.

Donating to a charity isn’t always about just writing a check or going out and buying something. Supporting a worthy cause or organization can include donating your time or services. As part of the Give Beyond initiative at LaBov this year, we’re giving our time and talent to a nonprofit organization. We’re dedicating our entire staff and resources for 12 consecutive hours, helping them with their marketing needs and creating anything from brochures to websites, donation strategies and more.

Supporting a charity can involve leveraging your company’s strengths and relationships. Do you work with vendors who would be willing to assist your charitable cause? Opening that door and making the right introductions can also go a long way in helping the organization or cause you’re supporting.

Donating to a charity should not be a company’s best-kept secret. Involve the public, post your charitable activities on social media and your website. You just might inspire others to contribute to the same cause or take up their own charitable efforts. We’ve taken this a step further with our Give Beyond initiative by inviting the public to vote on which charitable cause we donate to each year (Labov.com/give-

CONFESSIONS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

beyond). Involving a wider group of people with your charitable efforts helps spread the word about worthy causes.

Going beyond traditional holiday giving, many companies are getting creative with their corporate philanthropy activities. Entertainment giant Warner Bros. has several innovative policies that involve employees and encourage giving all year long. When a Warner Bros. employee volunteers at a nonprofit for more than 30 hours, the company donates $500 to that organization. Warner Bros. also asks employees to nominate nonprofit organizations every two years. The list is then narrowed down and employees are asked to vote on their top 12, which the company then includes in its charitable efforts. It’s another great way to involve the employees in corporate giving.

While the bell ringers remind us that it’s

the season of giving, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the only season of giving. Even if you have one main collection drive or charitable cause that you support during the holiday season, you could do a preliminary collection in the summer to jump-start your efforts when the holidays come around again.

Charitable giving can be a morale booster within a company. It creates a positive culture of caring and looking beyond the four walls in which employees work every day. It provides motivation and a sense of fulfillment when employees can look back on the work they did, the items they collected or the money they raised, which made a difference in the lives of others.

Charitable giving can also help people in different departments who don’t normally work together become closer as they work toward a particular charitable goal.

Corporate giving can not only make employees happier and more engaged with their companies, but it can increase customer loyalty. In fact, 85 percent of Americans say they have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about. Additionally, 79 percent of consumers said they would switch brands or retailers based on associations with a good cause, when price and quality are equal.

Another positive of corporate giving is the charitable action you take as a company may inspire other companies to follow suit, making your impact measurably larger than the particular charitable initiatives you’ve undertaken. Our Give Beyond program last year inspired another company to make a n

See LABOV on PAGE 16

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Banking & Finance n PAGE 10

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InFocus

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

December 6-12, 2013

Blue-ribbon panels stumble on trimming red ink (AP) — Since the end of World War II, more than a dozen high-profile bipartisan panels have been convened to tackle the nation’s thorniest fiscal problems. Seldom have their recommendations spurred congressional action.

Their ambitious, high-octane reports and recommendations are mostly gathering dust on government shelves.

Right now, congressional negotiators are struggling with a way to head off another looming government shutdown and debt ceiling crisis that could strike early next year.

A 29-member bipartisan panel faces a Dec. 13 deadline and daunting odds.

History is not on its side.

A bipartisan “supercommittee” tasked with finding ways to cut the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years crashed, burned and expired in November 2011.

“We end this process united in our belief that the nation’s fiscal crisis must be addressed and that we cannot leave it for the next generation to solve,” its leaders, Rep. Jeb Hensarling,

n

“They never really accomplish anything because they’re substitutes for action. They give presidents and Congresses a way of appearing to be doing something substantive about a problem without actually doing anything.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In this Dec. 1, 2010, file photo, Debt Commission co-chairmen Erskine Bowles, left, and former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson speak to the media after a meeting of the commission on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

R-Texas, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a joint statement of frustration.

A 2010-11 deficit-reduction panel led by former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and Democrat Erskine Bowles, a former chief of

Bruce Bartlett Former economic adviser

staff to President Bill Clinton, produced a comprehensive deficit-cutting plan that was widely praised but mostly ignored, even by President Barack Obama, who created the group.

Simpson called the plan “the only one that irritates everybody” and therefore “the only one that will work.”

Proposing a batch of highly detailed

government spending cuts and tax increases, the recommendations won many bipartisan plaudits, but little support from either party.

It failed, Simpson later suggested, because Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike “all worship the god of re-election.”

The Grace Commission was created in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan to go after waste and inefficiency in the federal government. Headed by businessman J. Peter Grace, the commission produced hefty recommendations it claimed would save the government $424 billion over three years. Reagan and Congress largely ignored its report.

One of the few special panels generally hailed as a success is the 1981-83 Social Security commission chaired by Republican economist Alan Greenspan, who later served for 19 years as Federal Reserve chairman under four different presidents. His panel is credited widely with rescuing the old-age benefit program from insolvency. n

See RED INK on PAGE 11

CEOs talk shareholder value, but their actions can undermine it Many have heard the famous quote by John Maynard Keynes: “Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally.” Few may realize, however, that Keynes was speaking specifically about the world of finance (though the quote is broadly applicable). Ben Graham once wrote, “There are two requirements for success in Wall Street. One, you have to think correctly; and secondly, you have to think independently.” Unfortunately, conventionality is the typical modus operandi, even when common sense may dictate otherwise.

Consider the executive suite. There is no doubt

that the majority, if not all, of the men and women that reach the level of chief executive are talented, intelligent and driven. However, the kind of behavior that produces superior long-term results for shareholders turns out to be disappointingly rare across corporate America. One could chalk this up to unfamiliar challenges faced by CEOs, who have likely risen to the top due to skills in sales, manufacturing, design or management as opposed to capital allocation, which becomes perhaps the most important part of their new job.

A less generous explanation is that CEOs, faced with a different set of interests than their shareholders, simply fail to elevate their shareholders’

best interests above their own. Consider two examples: stock repurchases and annual letters.

It is somewhat sobering to study the track records of most public companies’ stock repurchase programs. Financial theory is clear: Management teams add value when they use cash generated by the business to repurchase shares during periods when shares trade at a material discount to intrinsic value. However, executives too often do the opposite, announcing big share repurchase programs when their stock price is near all-time highs, or choosing to spend money and even use potentially n

See BENEDICT on PAGE 11

n

JACOB D. BENEDICT

December 6-12, 2013

n

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

BENEDICT: CEOs should hold more stock

Continued from PAGE 10

underpriced shares as a currency in the ultra-competitive world of acquisitions.

Look back to late 2008 through 2010, when stocks were exceedingly cheap, and you will find few management teams willing to step up to the plate. Yes, it was a scary time, but that’s why decision makers get paid the big bucks. Warren Buffett has gone so far as to suggest that he only buys companies with managers willing to repurchase stock opportunistically: “A manager who consistently turns his back on repurchases, when these clearly are in the interests of owners, reveals more than he knows of his motivations. No matter how often or how eloquently he mouths some public relations-inspired phrase such as ‘maximizing shareholder wealth’ (this season’s favorite), the market correctly discounts assets lodged with him.”

Annual letters, sent to shareholders each year to update them on the performance of the business, are equally disappointing.

Buffett, who writes an outstanding letter to his shareholders each year, has said that he pretends he is writing to his sisters, who hold an ownership stake in the business, and his “goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed.”

Unfortunately, few CEOs write with the purpose of truly informing their stockholders. Instead, the annual letter turns into a rah-rah document with little useful information. While it is understood that managers cannot release confidential competitive information, they should strive to help explain to the business’ ultimate owners the underlying strengths and challenges of the industry, the markets the business competes in, mistakes made by management alongside lessons learned and plans for spending shareholders’ money in

n

future years.

Such candor is even more critical in a post Sarbanes-Oxley/Dodd-Frank world, where annual filings often include 200-300 pages of legalese and financial footnotes.

Why do such conventions rule the day?

First, too few shareholders hold management teams’ collective feet to the fire.

Consider that 50 years ago, the average stockholder held his stock for six to eight years versus just six to 12 months today.

Investors, encouraged by Wall Street (which makes money from activity), don’t buy stocks thinking about partnership. Activist investors have stepped up to fill the void, but they often have the short term on their minds as well.

Second, too many management teams fail to sufficiently align their interests with those of their shareholders. Consider insider ownership. I recently heard a CEO support the view that it is too risky to have a material amount of his net worth invested in the stock of the company while also working there. This is standard dogma from financial advisers, and it makes sense for the average employee. But I don’t believe it holds for the chief executive. Over the last 35 years, CEO-to-worker compensation has risen from 20 times to 270 times. Regardless of whether you view this increase as fair or unfair, I believe that great reward should come with great risk.

In order to view the company from the shoes of the shareholder, the CEO should own company stock worth many multiples of his annual total compensation. Only by a resurgence in partnership-minded investors and a focus on alignment of interests between management and stockholders will behavior radically change for the better.

JACOB D. BENEDICT, CFA, is director of research at AMI Investment Management Inc. in Kendallville.

RED INK: Parties can’t overcome disagreements

Continued from PAGE 10

It recommended an increase in the Social Security payroll tax, trimming some benefits, especially for younger retirees, and gradually raising the retirement age for full benefits. For once, Congress went along. But it was hardly a smooth ride. The panel quickly deadlocked, with Democrats opposing benefit cuts and Republicans opposing higher Social Security taxes. It came up with its big fix only after the direct, heavy intervention by Reagan and House Speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, D-Mass.

Why the otherwise poor record for such major bipartisan panels?

“They never really accomplish anything because they’re substitutes for action,” said

Bruce Bartlett, a former economic adviser to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

“They give presidents and Congresses a way of appearing to be doing something substantive about a problem without actually doing anything.”

Bartlett isn’t optimistic about the current effort by congressional negotiators.

“They just cannot overcome fundamental disagreements. Neither side really has any incentive to compromise with the other because they’re so far apart. The Democrats are not going to agree to a grand bargain that doesn’t include new tax revenues and the Republicans are not going to agree to a grand bargain that does include revenues,” Bartlett said.

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PAGE 11

n PAGE 12

fwbusiness.com

PersonalBusiness

n December 6-12, 2013

“The impact comic culture has had on the rest of the world is far greater than the impact the rest of the world has had on us”

For Tracy Scott, owner of Books, Comics & Things, the best part of his job is the interaction with customers.

How would you describe Books, Comics & Things?

Books Comics & Things is a family-owned and -operated store specializing in comic books and games. The comics we sell are new releases and collector’s items.

We have about a quarter of a million comics

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

5 tips for careful business bookkeeping

the power of partnership

strategies for maintaining proper records to protect and grow your business

Efficient bookkeeping is important for entrepreneurs of any business, especially those who may be working with small profit margins and a tight budget that can be easily derailed by minor miscalculations or unexpected costs. Keeping all your business’s financial details in writing and up-to-date will allow you to accurately gauge its financial health and help you plan for the future — how much you can afford to spend, how much you have saved and what is in place to cover emergencies.

1.

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

Set Goals for Major Expenses. If you plan ahead to set aside money to cover major expenses, such as purchasing new computers, you won’t have to scramble to find funds or take out a loan when you can no longer put off the purchase. Furthermore, if you have money saved, you won’t miss out on business opportunities if a good investment comes your way.

The absolute ideal is to plan large purchases three to five years in advance, but it’s a good start if you

2.

3.

4.

can manage at least a year. When you set your savings plan, make sure to consider the recurring slow and strong seasons that your business faces.

Let a Credit Card Track Your Expenses.

One easy way to track expenses is to use a business credit card instead of cash for small purchases that can be numerous and, therefore, hard to keep track of.

Have A Proper Business Checking Account. Checking accounts are the ultimate paper trail. Not only does the user receive a monthly statement of checking account activity, checks can also be documented in one’s check register (checkbook) and via a carbon copy for those using duplicate checks.

EverythingFinanceBlog.com notes, “Having this proof is important for tax purposes and whenever you are paying a person or company by mail.”

Save Your Records. Once you’ve gathered the proper records for your taxes, make sure to securely save them so you won’t have to do all that work again. Tax expert and IRS enrolled agent

5.

Bonnie Lee cautions that business owners must save previous years’ payroll files, including timecards, payroll registers, copies of W2s and payroll tax returns. She also reminds business owners to “bear in mind that the IRS requires that you hold on to these files for seven years.”

Pay Attention to Invoices. Cash flow maintenance is crucial for business owners who are typically working under a tight budget. Unpaid bills can harm your cash flow and compromise your ability to conduct other business and pay your own bills. Assign someone in your organization to track your billing. It’s a good idea to have specific penalties in place for payments that are 30, 60 and 90 days late.

These guidelines are a great start toward maintaining tight records for your business.

Proper records enable you to see how your business is growing, where you need to cut back, and ensure that you have no issues when it comes to paying taxes*.

Information provided by iAB Financial Bank. *Be sure to consult your tax advisor.

5217 Merchandise Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 | p: 260.iAB.BANK | t: 855.422.2264 | Visit us at iabfinancial.com today.

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in stock at our two locations.

We have r e g u l a r customers from as far away as New Zealand who shop with us. The games we carry are board games, card games, miniature games and role-playing games — games with human interaction, not computer games.

We also provide space for various game groups to play.

We have regular Pokémon and Yu - G i - O h leagues as well as miniature game leagues.

CAREER PATH

Name: Tracy Scott Age: 54 Company: Books, Comics & Things Title: owner Locations: 2219 Maplecrest Road; 5808 W. Jefferson Blvd.

Employs: seven Founded: 1982 Website: www. bctcomics.com Education: earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University

What led you to start this kind of specialty retailing business and how have you developed it?

When we first opened in 1982, we were a new and used book store. I had always read comics and along with the initial stock we bought we got some comics. The customers who were looking for comics were the most fun customers, always pleasant and always looking for more.

We expanded that area of the business not just because of the business side of things but because we all enjoyed the interaction with the comic customers the most.

Looking to diversify, we added games and then a few years ago opened up space for in-store games.

What impact has the business seen n

See SCOTT on PAGE 13

December 6-12, 2013

n

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

PAGE 13

SCOTT: Fans and TV stations camped out when Superman was killed off in the comics

Continued from PAGE 12

conversation.

from all these movies that have come out based on comic books and fantasy fiction that lends itself to role-playing games?

What moments there stand out the most so far?

The impact comic culture has had on the rest of the world is far greater than the impact the rest of the world has had on us.

The movies and TV shows haven’t increased sales of “Avengers” or “Superman” or “Batman” comics very much, although it has helped with movie-related non-comic merchandise such as statues and action figures.

The exception is “The Walking Dead.”

The comic the TV show is based upon has been around for 10 years. The show drives customers to our store better than any other mass-media phenomenon we’ve experienced.

Those customers want the trade paperbacks of “The Walking Dead.” There are 19 trades available right now, which translates to about 19 TV seasons of story lines.

What is ahead for Books, Comics & Things?

More of the same, but different. The transition to electronic media hasn’t overly affected us yet, but it will.

Most of my customers want actual possession of something rather than an electronic license to use. What will happen as the generational shift progresses is something we have to anticipate as best we can with an expansion online.

What do you like about the work?

We enjoy customer interaction the most.

Many of our customers have been with us for decades and stop in weekly to discuss the comics they’ve read.

The group discussion dynamic with comics is far better than any I’ve experienced with books or TV shows. We can be talking comics and a new customer walks in and will frequently just jump into the

Q

fwbusiness.com

BRIEFLY

W H IT L E Y C O U N T Y

NEW ORTHO BUSINESS COMING TO COLUMBIA CITY Blue M Medical LLC, a custom medical-device manufacturer, will locate its new operations in Columbia City.

The company plans to renovate a former medical office building to house administrative, design, engineering, quality and marketing and sales functions, creating up to 25 jobs by 2016.

The biggest day we’ve had was back in the ’80s when the world got wind that Superman was going to be killed off in the comics. That day we had a line of customers stretching out the door and winding around the parking lot, a line that seemed to constantly replenish itself.

We had three TV station news crews there to watch us unpack the comic.

(Superman stayed dead for about a year, then he got better.)

We’ve had guest creators in the store — the artist on “Batman” most recently.

When something really special happens, we will run a special event such as a midnight release.

DC Comics, the publisher of “Superman,”

“Batman” and “Wonder Woman,” has occasional “Crisis” comics. These are major events in the DC universe, the most famous of which was “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

We’ve had “Crisis” counseling parties at the store and invited customers to come in for sneak peaks at upcoming story lines when these major events happen.

Every first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day. Since 2009 we’ve been combining that day with a Red Cross blood drive at our store. FCBD is one of our best days each year. This year we added Halloween comic fest, a costume contest comic give away event.

What have you learned from the work?

Everything changes. Always be ready to adapt. On the surface my business looks the same to an outsider but everything is different now.

There has been a demographic shift from when I opened my store to now. My largest demographic group used to be male and under 20. Now it is male, although not so predominantly, and over 25. The type of comics I carry have had to change with that change in readership.

Pay attention to what customers say.

Comic stores buy product on a non returnable basis, and this means we have to be on top of what people will want a couple of months from now. I order two to three months ahead of publication.

Also, most of my product can only be ordered once, and if we underestimate sales on a particular item, we will alienate those customers who didn’t get it. If we overestimate, we won’t make any money.

By Doug LeDuc. To suggest an idea for “Career Path,” email news@fwbusiness.com.

PAGE 14

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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December 6-12, 2013

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n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

Old-school one-legged sales don’t have a leg to stand on I get a ton of emails n from people seeking insight or asking me to solve their sales dilemmas. Here are a few that may relate to your job, your life and (most importantly) your sales thought process right now.

JEFFREY GITOMER

Jeffrey, a company that installs gutter guards recently lost my business. I was solicited by their sales team twice. The second time I was in the market to buy. But their technique is different. They require both the husband and wife be home during their estimate. I do understand why they want both to be there (so they can eliminate any obstacles). However, my wife doesn’t care, nor does she want any involvement in these type of decisions. I told them if they require this, I will take my business elsewhere. They simply stated, “Thank you,” and hung up. They lost the sale, but I now have new gutter guards that were installed by another company. What is your take on this? — Mike Old-world salespeople are gonna die. In sales, it’s called a one-legged sale when only one of the two deciders is in the room. Companies don’t want to “waste their time” on someone who “can’t decide without talking to their spouse” because the objection they use is, “I’m going to talk this over with my …” The bottom line is that company is rude stupid, and will lose people (just like they lost you).

First of all, men don’t decide anything anyway. Only women decide. The woman will approve all decisions in any household.

Don’t take my word for it, ask any husband.

Here’s the secret: If you’re in the business of sales, you’re also in the service business, you’re also in the people business and you’re also in the friendly business. Anyone who says, “I’m not going to give my sales presentation unless both decision makers are in the room,” doesn’t fully understand that concept.

But that’s the bad news for them. The good news is you can call their competition and coach them on what to do correctly. Somebody obviously did.

Jeffrey, my company delivers mobile dictation and transcription service to field workers in IT and health care, saving these people time in reporting. Lately I have been promoting the service to sales professionals.

I have written several 30-second commercials for this but keep running into all sorts of objections. Salespeople are difficult prospects and I’m constantly trying to find the right pitch. How would you approach the market of sales professionals and sales management? Do I need two different approaches? — Gerhard No. You need one approach. Every salesperson who has a CRM is required to put stuff into their computer on an everyday basis for every sales call they make, and there’s one universal truth about it: They all can’t stand it.

But if you could get them to record something on their laptop immediately, like a two-minute “this goes here, this goes here,” and you could actually do their CRM entering for them … oh baby! Their bosses would buy it, they would buy it, their CEOs would buy it and their spouses would buy it.

Everybody would buy it and they would pay double.

The problem is you’re trying to sell your service instead of giving them an answer that they’re looking for. Big mistake. Don’t tell me what you’ve got. Sell me what I perceive that I need and then I will buy.

Jeffrey, I’m an independent commercial real-estate lender and commercial real-estate mortgage broker. I’m trying to link up with referral sources such as CPAs, commercial Realtors, financial planners, etc. Do you have suggestions for a thought-provoking question or line of conversation to help me connect with these folks and open the door to more meaningful dialogue? — Dennis Dude, you’re providing them with money.

You’re helping them get deals done. Why don’t you ask them questions like, “What do you think about when your deal doesn’t go through? Do you think that there’s another alternative way?” and then follow with, “My name’s Dennis, and I would love to be your secondary source for the deals that don’t make it. If I can prove myself on a couple of them, maybe I can earn my way to becoming your primary source. Fair enough?”

All the people you’re talking to in the real-estate business only want to get a deal done. That is their primary objective.

Jeffrey, my boss and I have drafted emails to different types of industries specifying how they can make money and profit from our service. The plan is to send out these brief descriptions through email and see who gets back to us. After reading almost all of your n

See GITOMER on PAGE 16

PAGE 15

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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LABOV: It’s a win-win all the way around

Continued from PAGE 9

donation to the organization that came in second place in the public voting on the Give Beyond site. It was thrilling to see the effect of the campaign spread beyond its initial intentions.

Corporate giving makes a positive impact in so many ways. From the communities and organizations who benefit, to the employees who feel a greater sense of fulfillment, to the customers who feel greater loyalty and a connection to a company or brand. It’s a win-win all the way around. Happy holidays to all.

My entrepreneurial confession: I’m

n

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO Meet Joan Haverstick. Joan has health issues that cause her to need dialysis treatment three times per week. United Way of Allen County’s agency partner, Community Transportation Network (CTN), is there for her when she needs to coordinate her trips for treatment. Two years ago, when all this began, she was overwhelmed by necessary lifestyle changes. But now, she has adjusted to those changes and sees CTN as an integral part of her routine.

If you look closely at this snapshot of Joan, you’ll see that there is more to it than meets the eye. It’s a photo built from a mosaic of hundreds of photos contributed to us by people invested in the work of United Way. Like the photo, the work of CTN is made possible with the help of a generous community — a community that gives to United Way of Allen County.

United Way of Allen County focuses on education, income, health and basic needs — the building blocks for a good quality of life. Your gift to United Way is an investment in a healthy community. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.

ARE YOU PART OF THE PICTURE? United Way of Allen County

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER www.unitedwayallencounty.org

December 6-12, 2013

thrilled to see my employees take ownership of the company’s corporate giving and initiate new and innovative ways to make an impact. Their excitement takes our giving to a whole new level and the difference they make provides a real sense of pride.

BARRY LABOV, a two-time Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year and inductee into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, is founder, president and CEO of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training in Fort Wayne and co-owner and president of Sycamore Hills Golf Club. He has written or co-authored more than a dozen business books, and he blogs at www.barrylabov.blogspot.com.

GITOMER: Self-serving messages stink

Continued from PAGE 15

material, I know you don’t believe in cold calling, but in this case is it better to email the companies or call them on the phone?

— Ryan The answer is neither. What you need to be doing is blogging information about these companies that they would consider valuable. You have an email magazine. You post something on Twitter. And with their

search-for keywords about their own stuff, they will find you. If you only send out information about yourself — “We have this great service and it’s the greatest thing in the whole wide world” — delete, delete, delete!

But if you put value messages out that they might be able to find, it will be delight, delight, delight!

JEFFREY GITOMER, a syndicated columnist, can be reached at salesman@gitomer.com.

n

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Top List

December 6-12, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

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n PAGE 18

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NEW BUSINESSES L&S Putt Three LLC 207 Hoosier Drive, Suite 1 Angola, IN 46703 Richard L. Helwig Steuben Property One LLC 220 Lane 150A Jimmerson Lake Angola, IN 46703 Ryan Estes Angola Pilots Club Inc. 1169 S. 750 West Angola, IN 46703 Sam Adams Fremont Community Scholarship Foundation Inc. 40 Lane 230 Jimmerson Lake Angola, IN 46703 Christine Seiler Univertical Holdings Inc. 203 Weatherhead St. Angola, IN 46703 Jun Kitagaki Growth Parkway Holdings LLC 319 Pokagon Trail, Suite. B Angola, IN 46703 Ken W. Wilson Alwood Tactical Innovations Inc. 108 W. Maumee St. Angola, IN 46703 Kelly A. Alwood GT & JE Services LLC 430 N. Wayne St., Suite 1A Angola, IN 46703 Jonathan O. Cress Hilltop Acres LLC 1013 S. 750 West Angola, IN 46703 Claudia Merkler Alter Experiences LLC 1175 E. 300 North Angola, IN 46703 Teresa Greiner Elite Martial Arts LLC 540 N. Grandstaff Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Marvin Foster Interdisciplinary Community Autism Network Inc. 2599 C.R. 72 Auburn, IN 46706 Marla Souder Life Stages Therapy Center Inc. 2599 C.R. 72 Auburn, IN 46706 Marla Souder Laura Cobbs Real Estate LLC 823 Hazell St. Auburn, IN 46706 Laura K. Cobbs

BizLeads

n

AB Swartz Restorations LLC 7110 U.S. 27 Berne, IN 46711 Marvin Swartz

FORT WAYNE WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

South Adams Gold Wrestling Club Inc. 462 E. Franklin St. Berne, IN 46711 Ron Dull

NEW HAVEN

New Businesses lists firms that were recently incorporated in the state of Indiana. Information is gathered from the Indiana Secretary of State.

Addresses listed may not be the actual address of the business.

1120 D I Drive LLC 1203 S. Division St. Bristol, IN 46507 Timothy Dugle

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP

Building Permits are issued by the Allen County Building Department during the specified period of time.

2009 Middlebury St. LLC 1203 S. Division St. Bristol, IN 46507 Timothy Dugle

ALLEN COUNTY ABOITE TOWNSHIP

READER’S GUIDE BizLeads is a collection of information gathered from northeast Indiana courthouses, state government offices and informational Web sites.

These listings are intended to help companies find new customers as well as stay on top of happenings with current customers, vendors and competitors.

Real Estate is a list of agricultural, commercial, industrial, and residential real estate sales recorded by the state of Indiana.

Bankruptcies are from the United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana.

For complete data involving a particular filing please access the The PACER Service Center, the Federal Judiciary’s centralized registration, billing, and technical support center for electronic access to U.S. District, Bankruptcy, and Appellate court records. Its Web site URL is http://pacer. psc.uscourts.gov.

Patents include the following: Patent number, local inventor and assignee, brief description, filed date and approved date. Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Listings may vary due to information availability and space constraints.

Classic City Golf Carts LLC 1815 S. Wayne St. Auburn, IN 46706 Ritch Conrad

Double D Lawn & Garden LLC 4090 Carolyn Lane Auburn, IN 46706 Don Dohner

Heron Development LLC 5419 C.R. 427, Suite. C Auburn, IN 46706 Duane Brown

Simply Hearing LLC 650 N. Grandstaff Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Alyssa K. Rex

Carlos Hernandez Diaz LLC 1222 Rohm Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Carlos H. Diaz

Triangle Lot LLC 7807 Garman Road Auburn, IN 46706 Susan K. Jones

RSD3 LLC 5419 CR 427, Suite. C Auburn, IN 46706 Stephen D. Brown Greenhurst Park LLC 1401 S. Grandstaff Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Jeffrey L. Turner

SWP 120W7 LLC 304 Hunters Ridge Auburn, IN 46706 Scott Pflughoeft Markson’s Tavern LLC 304 Hunters Ridge Auburn, IN 46706 Scott Pflughoeft

Team Tritanium Inc. 3115 C.R. 72 Auburn, IN 46706 Diana Showe

Inside & Out Home Inspections LLC 663 S. Harrison St. Berne, IN 46711 Paul M. Watson

Lily Pad LLC 609 N. Main St. Auburn, IN 46706 Robert Wacker

Bluffton Diner Inc. 1005 U.S. 27 South Berne, IN 46711 Mahi Veselji

C&S Credit Repair Inc. 17448 State Road 120 Bristol, IN 46507 James R. Clayborn

Windsor, Inc. 7906 Canonero Lane $139,755

Delagrange Homes LLC 1672 Sunpointe Cove $144,950

Old Dutch Homes 8515 Shordon Road $239,900

Timberlin Homes LLC 13711 Whisky Creek Drive $455,000 Sistevaris Builders 15012 Remington Place $530,000

Parsons Property Management LLC 51008 State Road 15 Bristol, IN 46507 Kyra Parsons

Foster and Park Homes 2807 Treviso Way $220,000

1701 Conant St. LLC 1203 S. Division St. Bristol, IN 46507 Timothy Dugle

Maggos Builder 6914 Pintail Drake Court $359,900

Enterprise Holdings LLC 406 Kesco Drive Bristol, IN 46507 Frank D. Massa R Riverview Farms LLC 4224 C.R. 71 Butler, IN 46721 Lynn Reinhart E&L Paradise Holdings-Indiana LLC 7476 C.R. 40 Butler, IN 46721 Richard Teets Handy Jim Inc. 12114 Johnson Road Churubusco, IN 46723 James Yoder CD Monroe Corp. Inc. 9745 E. State Road 205-57 Churubusco, IN 46723 Carlton D. Monroe

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS FORT WAYNE ABOITE TOWNSHIP J&K Contractors 6035 Tangle Creek Court $250,000

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

REAL-ESTATE TRANSACTIONS 46807 3213 Lajolla Court From Charles B. and Pamula J. Chesney to Fernando M. and Kingwood Zapari $18,000 2514 Webster St. From Susan L. Markey to Rita Polivick $47,000 331 W. Oakdale Drive From Freddie Mac to David P. Donnelly $26,000 3803 S. Wayne Ave. From Lesley A. Miller to Elizabeth Boren $68,000 5704 S. Harrison St. From secretary of veterans affairs to John M. Hamilton $14,125

CEDAR CREEK TOWNSHIP

LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP 701 Sol Morris Ave.White Pigeon LLC 1203 S. Division St. Bristol, IN 46507 Timothy Dugle

PAGES 18-19

Homeowner Aaron Platt 15977 Aboite Road $50,000

510 W. Maplegrove Ave. From Timothy R. Atwood to Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. $50,150 4606 Fairfield Ave. From Otho & Brough LLC to Christina L. Mixtaj $98,000

MARION TOWNSHIP Quality Crafted Homes Inc. 6682 Flatrock Road $321,460

PERRY TOWNSHIP Timberlin Homes LLC 513 Twin Eagles Blvd. $415,000 Foster and Park Homes 12513 Tocchi Cove $220,000 Foster and Park Homes 12646 Pentolina Cove $230,000 Maggos Builders 572 Camaiore Drive $359,900 Lancia Homes 1434 Tara Bella Lane $188,475 KAM Construction Inc. 353 Vin Santo Run $195,000

332 W. Taber St. From Madison Chase Holdings LLC to Lexco Management LLC $26,100 402 Arcadia Court From HUD to Jesus P. Ruiz $30,000

46808 1312 Ralph Ave. From the estate of Helen Irene Angel to Logan Detwiler $70,000 4724 Anglers Lane From Charles E. and Tamara J. Parent to Matthew R. and Jessica V. Childs $133,000 647 W. Fourth St. From Allen County sheriff to 1st Source Bank $460,300 1111 Huffman St. From Donald D. and Beverly J. Ellis to Frontside Properties LLC $24,500 4922 Pocono Crossing From the Allen County sheriff to FJB Properties, LLC $106,000

December 6-12, 2013

2423 Grand Canyon From Equity Land Corp. to Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. $26,200

1719 Versailles Village Place From Darlene S. Ford to Shavon Fitts $82,900

4836 Redwall Rim Passageway From Equity Land Corp. to Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. $26,200

614 Archer Ave. From Corina K. Billman to Virginia S. Allen $85,500

4913 Redwall Rim Passageway From Equity Land Corp. to Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. $26,200 1610 Cherokee Road From Eric S. and Natalie M. Wagoner to Jose A. Hernandez $77,900 4835 Pocono Crossing From Wells Fargo Bank N.A. to HUD $92,300 634 Russell Ave. From Benjamin J. and Elizabeth A. Martin to Benjamin Jacob Martin $20,000 1727 Third St. From HUD to Andres Q. Sanchez $18,300 1324 Elm St. From Fannie Mae to Victor M. Valle $8,100 1508 Strand Road From Gary L. Pilling and Stacey E. Mesecher to Trevor W. Allen and Coti M. Ehinger $67,900 1715 Rosemont Drive From Vann A. Weeks to Nancy L. and Mary W. Johnson $50,000 3936 Irene Court From Jonathan E. Pelz to Jeffrey L. Bonar $76,000 1405 Margaret Ave. From Brett K. Shuler to Timothy J. Obrien $72,000 1637 St. Marys From Wells Fargo Bank N.A. to Go America LLC $14,250 5207 Salt Trail Canyon Pass From Brent L. Schlegel and Theresa Schenkel to Deborah A. Brown $133,000

1719 St. Marys From Midfirst Bank to the secretary of veterens affairs $14,101 1704 Grafton Place From Shannon S. and Michael C. Miller to Ford W. Lee $128,500 1928 Steup Ave. From John M. Boron and Jennifer L. Schrader to Kevin Ehinger and Amy J. Mehinger $23,000

46809 3511 Dalevue Drive From Stephen R. and Valeria S. Petrisko to the city of Fort Wayne $73,000 3512 Dalevue Drive From Ben V. and Machelle M. McHaney to the city of Fort Wayne $90,500 11414 Branstrator Road From Anthony and Donna Lobrillo to Debra D. Bryson and Debra A. Ruth $420,000 8828 Winters Road From Janet F. Kernstein to Steven T. Crowl $16,500 2508 Cle Elum Drive From the Allen County sheriff to Midfirst Bank $73,051 8811 Ernst Road From Richard W. Eversole to Jessica N. Biggs $73,900 11127 Azbury Blvd.

From Equity Land Corp. to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $43,912 11116 Arronmore Cove From Equity Land Corp. to Star Homes by Delagrange and Richhart $42,415 5851 Ardmore Ave. From the Allen County sheriff to US Bank N.A. $80,750 7220 Kumfer Ave. From Zheng Huihong to Wei Chen and Yun Tan $62,500

December 6-12, 2013 46814 13619 Ruffner Road From KAM Construction Inc. to Austin D. and Mary B. Halter $269,900 14908 Jasmine Key Court From Bart L. and Christy D. Burkhart to Gina McBride $230,000 14723 Buckthorn Court From George M. and Sheena L. Leugers to Brian J. Christophel and Jacqueline N. Monroe $159,000 13419 Liberty Mills Road From Jonee E. Beal to Jason N. and Tassica L. Yambor $155,000 2230 Tuscon Trail From Keith R. and Amanda I. Damer to Amy M. Archbold $293,900 130 Royal Crest Drive From Richard J. and Jill L. Brady to John C. and Deborah A. Rock $469,000 14120 Pendleton Mills Court From Jeffrey D. and Stacey A. Hudson to Michael R. and Jessica A. O’Donnell $354,900 11626 Indigo Drive From Fatemeh Esfandiarpour to Joy L. Bean $171,100 11430 Welsford Court From Wells Fargo Bank to Olio St. Partners LLC $128,000 10821 Summerhill Place From William and Sheryl A. Seelig to Lois A. and Frank L. Kaibel $167,500 7302 Tayside Trail From Dustin and Amanda Falk to Joseph Marana and Danica Drergsten $112,900 1417 Copper Beech Run From Joan M. Walsh to the Kathleen Verona Ozier Buszek living trust $224,000 12102 Hawkins Way From Britt G. and Denise C. Sather to Todd C. and Melyssa M. Stock $572,300 12136 Redding Drive From Paul E. and Rebecca J. Felten to Nathan C. and Julie M. Reusser $176,000

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

838 Beal Brook Pass From Illinois Development LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $28,950

1588 White Coral Court From Oakmont Development Co. LLC to Buescher Construction Co. Inc. $69,000

13032 Coco Plum Court From Mike R. and Jessica A. O’Donnell to the revocable living trust of Judith L. Arkebauer $145,000

10418 Indian Ridge Drive From Norman D. Finch Jr. and Kimberly K. Finch to Suresha P. and Dominic Abeysekera $399,000

634 Union Station Drive From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. to Mechelle C. Bryant $132,532

2825 Grey Oaks Blvd.

From Scott E. Crandall to Lakhwinder and Sonia Chauhan $417,500

14915 Sandstone Drive From Windsor Inc. to Eleonora P. Hartung $43,500

11710 Hemingway Bay From KAM Construction Inc. to Thomas R. Smith $288,900

5225 Sandy River Cove From Steven T. and Margaret K. McDonald to Jeffery W. and Karen K. Gard $275,000 3115 Greythorne Court From Stephen D. and Heather Regan to Dana and Eric Frappier $93,500 14723 Sandstone Drive From Oakmont Development Co. LLC to Buescher Construction Co. Inc. $50,400 14769 Sandstone Drive From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Murail M.R. Krishna and Neeraja Y. Krishna $52,900 2207 Cerreia Way From Michael J. and Christine R. Szachta to Nicholas A. and Jennifer M. Yack $272,000 723 Victoria Station Way From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. to Wendy M. Hoot $141,700 14411 Smugglers Notch From Andreana L. Hodgini and Dennis C. Uhrhammer to Chris and Pamela Fountain $910,000 1517 White Coral Court From Oakmont Development Co. LLC to Sharon R. Howard $64,400 15014 Blue Reef Drive From JL Seven LLC to Windsor Inc. $43,900 14630 Indian Creek Road From Verna C. Gerber to Shane and Margaret Replogle $447,000

46815 4921 Lake Ave. From HUD to Justin T. Boss $105,000 3924 Walden Run From Chris Huston to Tonya and Simmie Upchurch $115,000 8629 Maravilla Drive From Robert D. and Jeanna K. Wistelrath to John L. and Brenda S. Walter $190,000 6916 Forest Glen Court From Carla L. Kirchgassner and Jeanette E. Zinn to Jack A. and Traci L. McKee $99,700 5424 Vance Ave. From Patrick J. and Katherine E. Wing to Scott and Sara Romines $124,000 3426 Merrimack Place From Allen County sheriff to Two Elk Properties LLC $69,000 4817 Eastwick Drive From Gary W. and Sharon J. Sampson to Lois E. Weber-Henschen $91,000 5012 Desoto Drive From Brian R. and Connie L. Sebastian to Mistyna A. Reiter $104,900 3806 Willshire Estates Drive From Andrew M. David to Samuel Steele $64,500 6808 Winnebago Drive From the Allen County sheriff to U.S. Bank N.A. $123,161

fwbusiness.com

BANKRUPTCIES ADAMS COUNTY Charles A. and Sandra S. Thorn 1239 Master Drive Decatur, IN 46733 Assets: $85,800 Liabilities: $148,889 Connie S. Teeple 1065 W. U.S. 224 Decatur, IN 46733 Assets: $1,475 Liabilities: $47,022

ALLEN COUNTY Cherlyn R. Verhest 1212 Polk St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $5,650 Liabilities: $18,663 Krista Denison 7312 Wrangler Trail Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $102,850 Liabilities: $116,771 Kenneth R. and Dawn E. Lawson 6024 Becker Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $61,725 Liabilities: $76,416 Vanessa R. McCarty 7404 Meriwood Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $2,000 Liabilities: $17,865 Paul D. and Debra M. Stonebraker 7435 Country View Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $6,050 Liabilities: $36,759 Chad C.G. Geiger 9616 Buxton Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $905 Liabilities: $29,951 Antonio L. McLendon 6236 Old Brook Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $7,560 Liabilities: $155,545 Benjamin W. and Jennifer L. Byers 10218 Consta Verde Commons Leo, IN 46765 Assets: $184,550 Liabilities: $253,922 Barbara D. Pearson 1617 E. Washington Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Assets: $62,200 Liabilities: $110,356 Natasha K. Threatt 5405 Myanna Lane Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $21,300 Liabilities: $95,245 Leslie R. Murphy 2124 Cheri Court Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Assets: $14,500 Liabilities: $82,033

PAGE 19

Next year could see launch of cultural district projects

BY JOEL ELLIOTT jelliott@kpcmedia.com

Local leaders pointed to signs of progress in their plans to revitalize Fort Wayne’s downtown area as a series of projects connected with the Fort Wayne Cultural District moved closer to launching, some as soon as this spring.

Earlier this summer, city officials, business owners and other leaders conducted surveys to explore the potential of various projects that each would center on art in some way. The initiatives include public art projects, a culinary institute, creative storefront development, a public market and a creative business incubator.

Dan Ross, director of community development for Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, said in addition to new projects, a goal of the endeavor is to find ways to connect people with pockets of art, dining or other entertainment that already exist throughout Fort Wayne.

“We need to get people to see and do, and part of that has been looking at more spaces in downtown, creative storefront development, more studios and galleries … that help draw people into downtown, and help hold them downtown,” Ross said.

“We want to create this vibrant downtown community where people truly do love to live, work and play.”

The cultural district includes the 91 blocks comprising the city’s Downtown Improvement District, and is managed by Arts United, the city, Visit Fort Wayne and the DID. One initiative that has gained momentum is a partnership between The Culinary Institute Inc., a new nonprofit cooking school and restaurant that will partner with Ivy Tech Community College Northeast and Arts United to hire and teach 12 to 15 of Ivy Tech’s top culinary-arts students how to run a restaurant.

Not only will the institute pay the student employees’ wages, but Ivy Tech also will give them academic credit for their work and training, Executive Director and Club Soda co-owner Jason Smith said.

“At Club Soda, for years we’ve been hiring Ivy Tech kids into our kitchen, and we love it,” Smith said. “They know how to braise the hell out of a lamb shank, but they don’t necessarily know why or how much it should cost. What the Culinary Institute is designed to do is to put them in a working restaurant situation and let them learn the business as well as the art.”

To help pay for the venture, Smith said

n

“We need to get people to see and do, and part of that has been looking at more spaces in downtown, creative storefront development, more studios and galleries …”

Dan Ross Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne

he hopes to obtain up to $500,000 from a portion of the city’s Legacy Fort Wayne fund earmarked for higher education. He expects that the operation will turn a profit, which he plans to return to the students in grants.

At this point, Smith tentatively plans on locating the Culinary Institute in a building on Barr Street and Washington Boulevard that formerly was occupied by Catholic Charities. The facility will have a 130-seat capacity and should open around the first of the year in 2015.

Another initiative, the Arts Incubator, headed by Artlink Executive Director Deb Washler, aims to help entrepreneurs looking to start art-related businesses get them off the ground through a nine-week course and workshop. The course will focus on creating a business model and identifying the customer base for a given product.

Washler said the program, which should go online in the spring, will have courses focusing on best practices, the business of art and how to start limited liability corporations.

Also aiming to launch a downtown project in 2014 is Angie Quinn, developer of the Fort Wayne’s future year-around public market.

“I’ve got a really awesome group of people who are on the advisory committee.

We’re moving forward pretty well; they’re waiting for me to complete the business plan at the moment,” Quinn said. “I’m frustrated with myself because I’m about a month behind where I want to be at the moment, but it’s coming along pretty well.”

The market would provide a venue for buying and selling goods that were grown or produced locally, Ross said.

“You’ll be able to buy fresh produce but also locally prepared goods,” he said. “So you could have stalls in the market where someone who isn’t in a position to open a whole restaurant, but they could sell goods, unique cuisines hopefully, fresh foods, arts and crafts as well.”

PAGE 20

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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December 6-12, 2013

ADA: Web consortium has come up with international standards for accessible design

Continued from PAGE 1

TO LEARN MORE

“There’s been a need for this for a long time, but we haven’t had a consistent set of rules,” said David Nelson, president and CEO of the League for the Blind and Disabled in Fort Wayne.

People with a variety of disabilities stand to benefit from the extension of ADA rules to the Internet, but those who are visually impaired may benefit the most, he said.

For example, screen readers can be used now by the visually impaired to write on the computer — by repeating back each letter and word typed — and by reading aloud a piece of text the user can’t see. But they’re only good for text. They can’t describe a picture or a graphic or read a document in a PDF format, which is also a type of image.

Among other things, the new standards are expected to require that text be embedded in photos and other images so screen readers can interpret them. There also are likely to be rules on navigation, transaction/interaction speeds, captioning for the deaf and even limits on flicker rates that might cause seizures in susceptible individuals.

That doesn’t mean business websites will be expected to be in compliance the day the guidelines come out, however. As with the ADA rules that have applied to the removal

Q For information about the World Wide Web Consortium’s accessibility standards, go to W3.org/standards/ webdesign/accessibility.

of physical barriers, “there’s likely to be, as in the past, some transition rule,” said Jon Bomberger, a real-estate attorney with Faegre Baker Daniels in Fort Wayne and the firm’s ADA expert.

The application of accessibility standards to the online world is a story that has been 20 years in the making, Bomberger noted. It goes back to 1990, when the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed by President George H.W. Bush.

The act had three main sections: Title I applied to employment situations; Title II to state and local governments and their provision of services; and Title III covered commercial facilities, both those not generally open to the public and so-called “public accommodations,” defined as private businesses where the public is invited or expected to attend.

“At the beginning, all of the focus with regards to the things that commonly come to mind has been the removal of architectural

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“There’s resources out there right now to help do this. Instead of being afraid, take a look. This is a process … we’re not going to get there tomorrow.

It’s just part of the evolution of websites and webpages.”

David Nelson League for the Blind and Disabled

barriers, making the physical world accessible to the disabled,” Bomberger said.

That included fairly easy things like changing the hardware on doors and adjusting the height of water fountains to more involved projects such removing steps, installing ramps, making restrooms accessible and creating obstruction-free paths for wheelchairs.

Businesses had some leeway to make the changes when it was reasonable to do so, and that has worked out fairly well.

“I think that, in many regards, the ADA has been woven into our fabric,” Bomberger said. “A lot of existing facilities have been adapted … and now all new facilities are being built with accessibility incorporated into the building code.”

There was no thought given to the online world for the simple reason that the Internet did not exist when the ADA was passed. As the Web grew, however, and the provision of programs, products and services online exploded, the expectations began to change.

“We’ve done such a good job of moving so many things online, so we don’t have to go wait in line somewhere. Put yourself in a wheelchair, or with some other disability, not to mention all our veterans returning from foreign wars. We have an obligation, really, to think about that,” Bomberger said.

“Under Title II (which applies to state and local governments), it’s pretty darn clear than when you provide programs and services over the Internet, under the ADA you have an obligation to provide those programs and services in a manner that is accessible on the Internet and on websites,” Bomberger continued. “The DOJ has construed that and the courts have gone along with it all along. All they’re doing here is clarifying.”

With Title III, on the other hand, “There’s been quite a bit of dispute,” he said.

Initially, the courts took the position that when Title III addressed public accommodations, those were considered under statute to be physical places. That remained the case even 10 years ago.

But then, in a lawsuit filed against retail giant Target, a judge decided that the marketplace in its physical store and on its website

were essentially the same. As long as there was a relationship to a physical store, the court decided, the ADA should also apply to the Web operation, Bomberber said.

That opinion prevailed until someone else sued Netflix, which has no physical stores, and the court decided the ADA rules should be extended to all Internet commerce. The problem was, there were no rules to dictate how that should be done, so the implementation by those who tried has been haphazard.

The federal government, and programs funded by the federal government, have been required since 1998 under Section 508, an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to make electronic services accessible to the disabled, Bomberger noted. There are guidelines for making Web services accessible, but the rules only apply to the federal government.

Separately, an international organization, the World Wide Web Consortium, established standards for accessible Web design, sort of like an international treaty, “whereby everybody gets together and agrees on something so that a person in Iceland can access an American website or a Russian website with the same screen reader,” Bomberger said.

In 2010, the DOJ issued what is known as an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, announcing its plan to extend accessibility requirements to the Web and inviting public comment. As might be expected, those comments ranged from the conservative position, “that this is complete craziness,” Bomberger noted, to the other end of the spectrum, organizations and individuals that felt the rules were long overdue.

The rules initially were to have been issued within two years, but were delayed until 2013 for state and local governments and 2014 for private businesses.

The problem that some people foresee with the Internet rules is the same one that cropped up with the provisions for physical facilities. “The ADA is prone to abuse,” Bomberger acknowledged.

The law contains what is known as a private right of action; in other words, individuals who find accessibility issues can sue to force compliance. “So you have these situations where a law firm hires a disabled person as a plaintiff and visits 300 public accommodations and usually can find some shortcoming somewhere,” Bomberger said.

“Just by finding that shortcoming, they are entitled to attorney fees in any litigation they bring.”

Those suits have come to be known as “drive-by” complaints.

“Come with me into the future, and you can see where the same thing would happen n

See ADA on PAGE 21

December 6-12, 2013

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n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

ADA: Business will have time to comply

Continued from PAGE 20

(with the Internet rules), only we would call those ‘surf-by’ lawsuits,” Bomberger said.

What is expected is that the DOJ will adopt the 2.0 version of the World Wide Web Consortium standards, and businesses then will have some time to assess their situations and develop a plan for compliance.

“There may be something like what they did in 1990, (allowing them) to remove barriers on the Internet when they are readily achievable,” Bomberger said.

“That certainly would be consistent with the way the ADA has sort of developed over the years. It also would eliminate the immediate surf-by by lawsuits … and that would be very beneficial to the business community if it came out that way.”

Although the changes could be expensive and cumbersome, depending on where the business is starting from, there are potential benefits, Nelson noted.

The limitations of screen readers, for

example, have kept Linda Scribner, a senior blind services coordinator at the League for the Blind and Disabled, from using a computer except for email and when it’s absolutely necessary for work.

Online shopping? Forget about it. “I just don’t need the frustration,” she explained.

The disabled in the United States, according to various estimates, have $200 billion or more in disposable income each year that companies could tap into by being compliant.

“If you don’t want the business, that’s one thing. If you do … there is a lot of potential there,” Nelson said.

“There’s resources out there right now to help do this. Instead of being afraid, take a look,” Nelson suggested. “This is a process … we’re not going to get there tomorrow.

It’s just part of the evolution of websites and webpages. Companies change their websites on a regular basis, so why not change them as you go along?”

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 21

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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December 6-12, 2013

MARKET: Foreign trade zone was expanded to eight counties

Continued from PAGE 1

domestic market,” she said.

The country’s top five exporting states are Texas, California, New York, Florida and Washington.

The top exporting sectors of the Fort Wayne area are tied to manufacturing — specifically transportation equipment and machinery manufacturing — and to primary metals and to electrical equipment.

Examples of Fort Wayne-area exporters in those categories include: General Motors Co. and Dana Corp. for transportation equipment; Parker Hannifin Corp. and Deister Machine Co. for machinery manufacturing; Steel Dynamics Inc. for primary metals; and BAE Systems, Caliente, Exelis and Ultra Electronics-USSI for electrical equipment.

Caliente received a small business exporter of the year award at a Fort Wayne International Trade Conference in 2008.

At the time, 25 percent of the company’s sales were overseas to the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Israel, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

From 2006 to 2007, it increased its export sales by 35 percent.

“Today, export sales have continued to grow along with our domestic business,

even with the changing labor, energy and currency concerns,” said Amanda Walsh, marketing administrator.

“We made it a critical point from our startup that we would support international customers, so exporting is part of our DNA. It has helped broaden our horizons in terms of benchmarking best practices among our customers, vendors and competitors.

Simply put, exporting has made us a better all-around manufacturer.”

Cutter said an area’s economic growth benefits from exporting in the same way that it benefits any time something it produces is sold beyond its borders.

“In economic development we classify sectors as basic and non-basic,” she said.

“Growing jobs and business opportunities in basic sectors helps grow a region’s overall economy because instead of just circulating dollars within a community, as is the case with non-basic sectors, basic sectors are pulling money in from the outside.”

A step taken in 2011 that could contribute to a more favorable environment for some types of exporting operations and international trade in general was the expansion of Foreign-Trade Zone No. 182, which grew from about 485 acres in Allen and Huntington counties to a much larger

footprint including all of Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties.

The foreign-trade zone is administered by the city of Fort Wayne. Elissa McGauley, who is in the city’s international trade office, said she is working with economic-development groups in northeast Indiana to promote it.

Companies that have their operations approved — or “activated” — within a foreign-trade zone are divided into two different categories: those located within a “general-purpose zone” and those within a “subzone.” Determining which category the business falls into is based on its operations.

Receiving general-purpose zone activation used to take a year to 18 months.

A general-purpose zone can be used for repackaging, labeling or just storage, and as long as imported merchandise is there, the owner doesn’t have to pay import duty on it.

If the merchandise isn’t sold in the United States, but is instead re-exported, a duty payment isn’t required.

A manufacturer interested in assembling products in a foreign trade zone to defer n

See MARKET on PAGE 23

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MARKET: Attracting investment equally important

Continued from PAGE 22

or avoid paying duty on imported components must apply to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board for a subzone. The board officially consists of the U.S. commerce secretary and treasury secretary, who typically oversee specialists who handle its responsibilities.

There is an application fee for a subzone, and the process of obtaining approval for it is longer than for a general-purpose zone, but the cost and time to activate a subzone would be lower and shorter than it’s been in the past.

“We try to keep up our website about the foreign trade zone, which Fort Wayne is the grantee for,” McGauley said.

When she receives calls inquiring about resources to assist with export development, she refers them to the Small Business Administration center in Fort Wayne and to the U.S. Department of Commerce Export Assistance Center in Carmel directed by Mark Cooper.

An example of a northeast Indiana company outside of the Fort Wayne metro area that has seen success exporting to China is Whiteshire Hamroc in Albion.

The company has been exporting its genetic material for high-value hogs for 15 to 20 years, and “it is always a market that runs hot and cold with a lot of barriers outside of our control in terms of trade policies,” said Rebecca Schroeder, president.

Whiteshire’s chief executive officer, Mike Lemmon, is a doctor of veterinary medicine who made a lot of contacts within the industry doing quarterly inspections of pork production operations for a pathogen-free certification program.

Lemmon became involved in educational programs organized by soybean promoters and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to take management technology and management practices to Asian producers.

Panelists at the educational seminars met Asian pork producers interested in what they were teaching, “and that led to folks becoming interested in our genetics and building systems, and our (Airworks) patented building and ventilation system designed for swine farms,” Schroeder said.

That led to the start of a joint venture with the Chinese pork producer, Tang Ren Shen group, then to its direct foreign investment in Whiteshire’s U.S. operations.

“We provided them with an investment in the genetics and they put up Airworks buildings, and we provided them with production services such as our genetic improvement procedures our production procedures and helped them manage those farms like our genetic farms here in the U.S.,” Schroeder said.

“They put up their second joint-venture farm that was populated in October and are the partner here in the expansion in the U.S. We’re going to be building a 1,200sow genetic technology center. We have 1,500 head in production right now, and this will almost double that.”

Whiteshire has not finalized site selection for the project but would like to do it in Indiana sometime next year.

An example of recent direct foreign investment in the Fort Wayne area could be BAE Systems. The British-based company learned in mid-November it could expect economic-development incentive commitments of at least $4.5 million for a project that would relocate its local operations to a new plant near the Fort Wayne International Airport.

The project would involve a $39-million investment to buy land at the northwest corner of Ardmore Avenue and Airport Expressway and build a 355,000-squarefoot facility, as well as $3.2 million to equip the plant.

Construction on the project would start early next year, and BAE could expect to see it completed in mid-2015. The company is working to close a deal with the Indianapolis office of Scannell Properties to develop the new manufacturing facility.

With a work force of about 1,100 at 2000 Taylor St. — including fewer than 100 contract workers — BAE is among Fort Wayne’s largest employers. BAE’s Fort Wayne work force has seen gradual expansion since the relocation of 200 production positions from Irving, Texas, bumped its employment up close to 1,000.

Creating the kind of business climate and skilled work force that could support that kind of job growth and long-term commitment “has been our strategic objective since we started down the path of the Talent Initiative and the Big Goal,” John Sampson, president and CEO of Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, said of its work-force development initiatives.

“We represent an important part of doing work in the global marketplace, and some companies are going to want to be located in the midst of that climate and work-force capability,” he said.

When officials with the partnership promote northeast Indiana on trips overseas as a good place for direct foreign investment, they keep their eyes out for foreign companies looking for opportunities to import from the region, Sampson said.

“When it comes to economic development, it doesn’t matter whether we’re bringing a new company here or expanding the export capabilities of a company located here.”

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