Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly - Dec. 27, 2013

Business Weekly GREATER

FORT WAYNE

DECEMBER 27, 2013-JANUARY 2, 2014

Daily updates at www.fwbusiness.com

dleduc@kpcmedia.com

n

INSIDE

Vol. 9 Issue 52

PAGE 3

State’s levy on business personal property raised $962 million in 2012

BY DOUG LEDUC

See DRIVING on PAGE 20

A lot of big things happened in 2013

Mayors worry tax proposal cuts too deep

Trucking industry grapples with a serious shortage of workers willing to get behind the wheel

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Year in review

$1.00

DRIVING DEMAND

When thoughts turn to fourth-quarter hiring trends, the first thing that comes to mind for many is the annual surge in demand for retail sales Gatman staff to help handle the holiday shopping season.

But the employees in greatest demand have not been working behind the counter; they have been behind the wheel, driving the trucks that keep American goods moving.

Data from Northeast Indiana Works in partnership with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development show there were 333 online job postings for retail salespersons in the 11-county area in November.

But that month, there was 75 percent greater demand for nurses and close to three times as much demand for truck drivers. A database used by Northeast Indiana Works called Wanted Technologies showed 584 online job postings in the region for registered nurses and 926 for truck drivers.

The Wanted Technologies numbers

LOCAL NEWS

BY JOEL ELLIOTT jelliott@kpcmedia.com

DOUG LEDUC

Triple Crown Services has had success keeping drivers because many of them haul goods within a 75-mile radius of the company’s terminals.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s plan to eliminate the business personal property tax would severely impair the ability of local city governments to deliver basic services, area mayors and policy Hickman analysts said.

If the General Assembly approves cutting the business personal property tax — which is levied on businesses’ equipment and other tangible property, but not real estate — communities will see personnel cuts to schools, police and fire departments, according to John Ketzenberger, president of the Indiana Fiscal Handshoe Policy Institute. In 2012, the tax generated $962 million in revenue throughout the state, constituting between 15 percent and 20 percent, on average, of municipal budgets, Ketzenberger said. n

See CUTS on PAGE 23

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

LOCAL NEWS

PERSONAL BUSINESS

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

Serve it up

Equals out

Beer enthusiasts will open their own brewpub in Fort Wayne

At Trine, DeAgostino is both educator, engineer

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PAGE 17

Law .............................. 11-12 Top List............................ 14 Personal Business ......... 17 BizLeads..................... 18-19

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

Region saw big changes in 2013

BY LINDA LIPP llipp@kpcmedia.com

Business made big news in the greater Fort Wayne area in 2013, and most of the news was good.

Big employers like General Motors Co. and BAE Systems made or pledged substantial investments, and a smaller one, Ash Brokerage Corp., proposed a project that will change the landscape of downtown Fort Wayne. Housing made a comeback, and the recreational-vehicle industry rode the winds of change. Vera Bradley Inc. made some changes at the top, and Tower Financial Corp. decided to sell itself to a bigger bank.

Here then, in no particular order, are summaries of some of those big stories:

VA VA VA VROOOM! General Motors launched the next generation of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC

Sierra pickups in September with a plant tour, drive-off and briefing for dealers, and a weekend homecoming celebration for truck owners and fans.

GM had announced two years earlier it would invest about $275 million in the Fort Wayne Assembly Plant to prepare it for the new pickup production, and United Auto Workers Local 2209 members were involved with management in developing and honing the production processes.

The plant also hired 400 more workers, bringing the size of the work force to 4,400 over three shifts. At full production, it builds about 1,480 trucks per day.

MOVING DOWNTOWN Ash Brokerage and Hanning & Bean Enterprises unveiled a plan in September to build a $71-million multiuse development n

See 2013 on PAGE 7

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

Have a great 2014! from your Commercial Real Estate Team

Streak of monthly home sales increases ends in Indiana Indiana ended n a 28-month streak of year-over-year increases in the number of homes sold with a dip of 1.6 percent in November compared to the same month in 2012.

The median sale price increased 0.4 percent, however, and the percent of original list price received increased 1.9 percent to 92 percent, an analysis by the

Reporter’s

NOTEBOOK

REAL ESTATE & RETAIL

Indiana Association of Realtors

naihd.com

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

Linda Lipp

reported.

Through November, the number of existing single-family homes sold statewide increased 14.3 percent from the same period of 2012. The median sale price of those 70,351 homes was $122,500, a 3.8-percent increase from the first 11 months of last year.

“Housing markets across the state appear to be making some expected seasonal adjustments with severe weather preventing showings and making consumers think twice about moving,” said Kevin Kirkpatrick, the association’s president. “Markets have also been impacted by a lack of inventory, rising interest rates and mortgage qualification difficulties. The fact remains that 2013 has been remarkable for residential real estate.”

MKM MKM Architecture + Design has been hired as the architect and planner for Jay County Hospital’s 9,500-square-foot hospital surgery department.

Special consideration will be given to inpatient and outpatient areas and efficiency in the existing space, as well as storage optimization and electronic medical information integration. The 25-bed critical access hospital is located in Portland.

ZACHER CO./ CORFAC INTERNATIONAL Braveheart Investments LLC has purchased the Hotel Fort Wayne at 305 E. Washington Center Road. Brian Bean represented the buyer in the purchase of the hotel, which was a Marriott for most of its existence.

Graphic Packaging International has leased 59,000 square feet of industrial space 230 S. Progress Drive, Kendallville.

The landlord is Harbor Investments III. Fletcher Moppert represented the tenant in the transaction.

Moppert represented the landlord, REL Buildings LLC, in the lease of 6,250 square feet of industrial space at 5320 Distribution Drive to Dish Network Service LLC.

NAI HARDING DAHM Kienan O’Rourke represented the landlord, Steve Swanger, and John Caffray represented the tenant, Just Energy Indiana Corp., in the lease of a 2,540-square-foot n

See REAL ESTATE on PAGE 7

Oh, it’s great. No, really Disappointed with a holiday gift? One in five people responding to a poll by Consumer Reports admitted feeling that way last year.

More than a quarter (26 percent) choked back their dismay and found ways to use the gifts anyway. Another 22 percent regifted the items (shades of “Seinfeld”!), 21 percent donated them and 19 percent stashed them in the basement or somewhere else where they would be out of view, the poll discovered.

Surprisingly perhaps, only 15 percent GREATER FORT WAYNE

Business Weekly (USPS 024-494) Periodicals postage paid at Fort Wayne, IN 46802

returned the gifts and/or exchanged them for something else. Eight percent just threw them out.

Only 1 percent had the nerve to just return a gift to the giver.

3306 Independence Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46808 (260) 426-2640 Fax: (260) 426-2503 www.fwbusiness.com

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

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

Stutzman warns ‘Volcker Rule’ will hurt community banks U.S.

Rep. n

Marlin Stutzman,

Reporter’s

R-3rd, and six NOTEBOOK other members of Congress representing Indiana districts have asked federal regulators to change a rule affecting the treatment of trust-preferred securities, which they said would hurt community banks in the state.

The group Doug LeDuc led by Stutzman said unless the provision of the “Volcker Rule” relating to trust-preferred securities is changed, it could have an immediate, devastating impact on consumer lending and on the health of financial institutions in Indiana.

The group wrote a letter on the issue for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and other regulators they believed could help. Stutzman is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services.

“Unless Washington’s bureaucracy reverses its course before the end of the year, Hoosier lending institutions could face nearly $60 million in losses,” Stutzman said in a prepared statement.

The trust-preferred securities provision of the rule has been opposed strongly by the Independent Community Bankers of America and by the American Bankers Association. The ABA threatened a court challenge to the “Volcker Rule” if it is not changed.

The groups said the trust-preferred securities provision of the rule, issued in mid-December, would require banks to divest themselves by July 2015 of collateralized debt obligations backed by the securities and recognize the impairment immediately, to comply with accounting standards.

BANKING & FINANCE

DATA BREACH AT TARGET LEADS TO BANK PRECAUTIONS First Federal Bank of the Midwest and Tower Bank and Trust Co. were among the

banks based in the region taking precautions to protect their customers following a huge Target Corp. data breach.

A pop-up announcement at the website

for the banking subsidiary of Defiance, Ohio-based First Defiance Financial Corp. said its precautions would apply to debit-card holders who shopped at Target stores from Nov. 27 through Dec. 15, when the data breach occurred.

Those bank customers will only be able to use the cards for debit transactions using personal identification numbers and not for credit-card transactions requiring a signature.

“You will receive additional information by mail if your card was affected,” the announcement said. “We ask you to review your transactions carefully through OnLine Banking and notify us of suspicious activity.”

First Federal said its customers could call its customer care center at (877) 367-8178 for more information on the matter and how it could affect their bank accounts.

At the website for the banking subsidiary of Fort Wayne-based Tower Financial Corp., an announcement said: “Customers whose Tower Debit cards are at risk by the Target breach may experience temporary limits on cash and purchases until we can replace their cards.

Both banks recommended customers watch for indications of fraud or identity theft by reviewing account activity and report anything suspicious. Tower said the toll-free number to its customer care center was (877) 427-7220.

FARMERS & MERCHANTS ACQUIRES CUSTAR BRANCH The Farmers & Merchants State Bank

has completed its acquisition of Croghan Colonial Bank’s office in Custar, Ohio.

Farmers & Merchants is based in Archbold, Ohio. Croghan Colonial is based in Fremont, Ohio. Both banks have been growing and they said when they announced the transaction in August that it fit in with their strategic plans.

“We are delighted to welcome the customers and employees of the Custar office to F&M and are committed to providing the highest level of financial services to its customers,” said Paul Siebenmorgen, president and chief executive officer for Farmers & Merchants.

If you have items for the banking and finance 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.

fwbusiness.com

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Home brewers decide to open their own pub

BY JOEL ELLIOTT jelliott@kpcmedia.com

Fort Wayne microbrew fans just got another reason to look forward to spring, as two local entrepreneurs aim to open a new brewpub, Summit City Brewerks, in March.

The owners, Will Long and David Tomaszewski, have known each other most of their lives, playing baseball together in their hometown of Auburn in their younger days, and trying different beers together more recently.

“We just always have chosen better beers,” Tomaszewski said on a recent tour of their facility at 1501 E. Berry St. “We went on a tasting expedition to see what was out there and what tastes good. Three years later, here we are.”

At some point in their extensive beertasting research project they realized they were running out of new, interesting brews to try, so they started home brewing. Joining Fort Wayne MASH Homebrew Club opened their eyes to a new realm of brewing possibilities.

“This stuff was good — really good,” Long wrote on their Web site. “We quickly realized we had a lot to learn.

We tasted the first few beers and looked at each other knowing what the other was thinking, ‘How did we not know about this a long time ago?’”

They continued brewing more beer from home, but started thinking about operating on a larger scale.

Financing the startup of a brewpub proved to be a challenge. The crowdfunding site Kickstarter rejected their initial bid but accepted their second one. However, they fell far short of the $25,000 in funding they had hoped

JOEL ELLIOTT

David Tomaszewski, shown here, and his partner Will Long will open Summit City Brewerks in March at 1501 E. Berry St.

to raise. Their next plan was to find a wealthy benefactor to invest in their plan, but that search proved fruitless. A bank turned them down when they applied for a business loan.

Finally, they were able to obtain a loan through the Community Development Corp. of Northeast Indiana. They moved into the 4,000-square-foot space in June and began tearing out walls and piecing together a brewing setup.

After several setbacks, they’ve announced a grand opening that will be held over three days, March 22, 29 and 30. Tickets can be purchased in advance via their Web site, SummitCityBrewerks. com.

“Last year, it got to the point of no return,” Long said, speaking of the decision to launch the business. “It’s gotten past nervousness; it’s now more like a grind and the stress of trying to get everything ready to open. It will be a relief to get it open.”

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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NewsChannel 15 touts November ratings Fort Wayne’s n CBS affiliate, WA N E -T V , had the highest-rated newscasts in several time slots during the November sweeps period, the station announced.

NewsChannel 15 (Channel 15.1) had the No. 1 noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m. 11 p.m. and weekend morning newscasts during the month, the station said, citing information from

Reporter’s

NOTEBOOK

MEDIA & MARKETING Barry Rochford

Nielsen Media Research. WANE is the only television

station in the market that subscribes to Nielsen ratings, which aren’t available to the public.

Citing information from comScore, WANE said it’s website and mobile site also reached the largest audience.

“I am very happy to see another great November performance on all of our screens in the Fort Wayne marketplace,” WANE President and General Manager Alan Riebe said in a statement. “Consumers have unprecedented choices on where they look for local news, and our team is very gratified that the majority of area viewers turn to the WANE brands and ‘coverage you can count on.’ We will continue to work diligently everyday to earn your trust whether on-air, online or via our mobile devices.”

WANE is owned by Providence, R.I.based Lin Media LLC.

DEEL JOINS FERGUSON Brandon Deel was hired as an art director at Ferguson Advertising in Fort Wayne.

He has more than six years of experience in art direction, graphic design, Web/ digital design and print production. He most recently was a Web/user interface/ user experience designer for a Web design and development agency in Fort Wayne.

He graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Indiana University-Purdue Wayne.

University

Fort

Christmas Tree Recycling December 26 - January 10

LABOV NAMES ‘GIVE BEYOND’ CAMPAIGN WINNER Kate’s Kart, a Fort Wayne nonprofit that

provides free, new books to hospitalized children, is the winner of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training’s 2013 “Go Beyond Give Beyond” campaign.

Kate’s Kart will receive 12 hours of LaBov service such as the creation of brochures and websites, to videos to marketing strategies.

This is the second year for LaBov’s “Go Beyond Give Beyond” campaign. The public was asked to vote for a nonprofit organization. After the 12 hours of service are redeemed, material that was created for Kate’s Kart will be featured at LaBov.com/ GiveBeyond.

“All the organizations included on the ‘Go Beyond Give Beyond’ site this year were exemplary and have done a great deal for our community,” Barry LaBov, president and CEO, said in an announcement.

“We’re excited to work with Kate’s Kart and see what we can create for them when we put our creative and strategic minds together.”

If you have items for the media and marketing 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.

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BAUER NAMED TO BOARD Brian Bauer, CEO of Lutheran Health Network and Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, was named to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the organization announced Dec. 19.

The appointment was effective immediately. He will serve a three-year term through 2016.

Bauer, who recently was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash, joins a board that has more than 190 members who are presidents, CEOs and other high-level executives at companies throughout the state.

The board directs the Indiana chamber’s advocacy efforts.

“Each year we welcome new board members who offer fresh ideas from a variety of industries and life experiences,” chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar said in the announcement. “We appreciate Brian’s dedication and look forward to his input as we all work to promote economic prosperity and job growth in Indiana.”

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

Walters to get ‘Legend’ award Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly announced Dec. 20 it will present its 2014 Legend of Leadership Award to Irene Walters. The prestigious award is given annually, recognizing long-term leadership in northeast Indiana.

Walters serves as executive director of university relations at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and has been highly active in the community for more than four decades. Mastodons on Parade, Kids Crossing playground, Francine’s Friends, Women United, and RiverFest are only a few of the successful projects that were either a result of her vision or benefited from her tireless efforts.

Walters will be honored at a breakfast event on Feb. 27, at the Landmark Conference & Reception Centre in Fort Wayne. Area leaders will highlight her contributions to the community in business, education, social services and civic pride. Ben Eisbart of Steel Dynamics Inc., will serve as the master of ceremonies and will be joined by: Marilyn MoranTownsend, CVC Communications; Larry Lee, Leepoxy Plastics; Cheri Becker, Leadership Fort Wayne; Sharon Eisbart, Sharon Eisbart Corporate Art; and Mike Cahill, Tower Financial Corp., to highlight Walters’ many accomplishments.

“Irene Walters is exactly the kind of leader this award was meant to honor,” said Terry Ward, COO of Business Weekly publisher KPC Media Group Inc. “A leader who uses her skills and connections to socially influence many in order to achieve a common goal. She’s in impressive company. She will share this distinction with the two past winners of the award, Ian Rolland and Keith Busse, and we are proud to honor her for all she has done for this community.”

Tickets for the event are $25 each or tables of eight are available for $150.

To purchase tickets, visit FWBusiness. com or call (260) 426-2640. Event sponsorships are also available by contacting Maryann Ulmer, (260) 426-2640, ext. 324, or mulmer@kpcmedia.com.

Business Weekly is a publication of KPC Media Group, which has editorial and business offices in Kendallville, Auburn, Angola and Fort Wayne. Along with Business Weekly, it publishes three daily newspapers, the Times Community Publications, Family magazine and the Smart Shopper, along with phone books and real-estate guides in northeast Indiana. The company also has commercial printing and direct-mail divisions, and offers expanded digital services through Keyflow Creative.

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

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n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

2013: Tower announces merger; Thor goes on buying spree

Continued from PAGE 3

at Wayne and Harrison streets that includes office and retail space, apartments, condominiums, townhouses and a parking garage.

Lake City Bank will provide about $20 million in financing to Ash and will open a bank branch in the retail portion of the project.

The new Ash Brokerage headquarters building will have 95,000 square feet of space. The company initially will have 230 employees at the new headquarters and could add 115 more by 2018.

Hanning & Bean will build a $32-million, 13-story residential development on top of a $19.5-million, four-story parking garage constructed by the city of Fort Wayne.

BANK ON IT Old National Bancorp and Tower Financial announced in September that Tower would be acquired by the much larger Evansville-based bank company.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, which was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies, Tower shareholders will receive 1.2 shares of Old National common stock and $6.75 in cash for each Tower share. The transaction, most recently valued at about $113 million, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014.

Tower shareholders will vote on the proposal Feb. 7.

Tower has $581.6 million in deposits and $438.6 million in loans. Founded in Evansville in 1834, Old National has $9.6 billion in assets and 176 branches.

Tower Financial was founded in Fort Wayne in 1998 and the bank opened in February 1999. Its brand name will disappear after the companies merge.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, PART 1 BAE Systems will get an estimated $4.5 million in incentives to keep its plant in Allen County.

The defense contractor plans to relocate from space rented from General Electric Co. to a new site at the corner of Ardmore Avenue and Airport Expressway. The project will involve a $39-million investment to buy land and build a 355,000-square-foot facility, along with $3.2 million to equip the plant.

Construction will start early in 2014 and is expected to be completed by mid-2015.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME, PART 2 The housing market in Fort Wayne and the surrounding area showed some real signs of life in 2013, both in sales of existing homes and the construction of new ones.

For the year-to-date through November, closed sales were up 11.1 percent and the median sales price was up 2.4 percent from the same period in 2012, according to the Upstate Association of Realtors. Sellers were receiving an average of 92.7 percent of their original asking price, an increase of 0.7 percent from 2012.

Home builders in Allen County obtained 789 new home permits through the first 11 months of the year compared with 644 in the same period of 2012, according to the Home Builders Association of Fort Wayne. The average value was up slightly, to $227,100 this year from $226,184 last year.

The housing market is usually considered a key indicator of the strength of the local economy, and has a significant impact on retail and other development.

SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP Speaking of retail, 2013 saw the opening of some major stores in Fort Wayne.

At the top of the food chain, Costco built a new warehouse store on Lima Road near Interstate 69. The 130,000-square-foot store that opened in October expects to draw shoppers from a 40-mile radius; in the Fort Wayne area, that’s 750,000 potential customers. It employs 160.

The new Carson’s department store at Glenbrook Square Mall opened in September.

Bon Ton Stores is the parent of the department store chain, which did extensive renovations to the long-vacant former Marshall Field’s space. Carson’s employs 200.

Glenbrook Commons went from mostly vacant to mostly occupied in 2013, adding new anchors Burlington Coat Factory and Dunham’s Sports. Hancock Fabrics left but was quickly replaced by discounter Ollie’s, and Goodwill relocated a store from Coliseum Boulevard to the Fashion Bug space after that store chain folded. The 254,000-square-foot shopping center got a new owner and management team, Bon Aviv Investments LLC and Zamias Services, at the beginning of the year.

BAGGING IT Michael Ray, the man who oversaw Vera Bradley’s transition from a privately held business to a billion-dollar public corporation, left his position as CEO of the handbag and accessories manufacturer.

Ray announced plans to retire in June, and his successor, former Saks Off Fifth executive Robert Wallstrom, was named as his replacement in November.

There were other executive changes as well. Vera Bradley’s chief financial officer, Jeffery Blade, resigned in January, and Kevin Sierks, Vera Bradley’s vice president-controller and chief accounting officer, was named interim CFO. Matthew Wojew-

uczki, executive vice president of global operations, left in October to become the CEO of Shindigz, a family-owned party supply company in South Whitley.

WHEELS AND DEALS As the RV industry continued its climb out of the abyss of the Great Recession, prominent companies with operations in northeast Indiana did a lot of wheeling and dealing with each other.

Thor Industries, which relocated its headquarters from Ohio to Elkhart in March, and Allied Specialty Vehicles Inc., the Orlando, Fla. company that owns Fleetwood RV in Decatur, were involved in a lot of the transactions.

In particular, Thor: • Sold its bus business in October to ASV, giving that company seven of the industry’s most prominent brands — Champion Bus, General Coach America, Goshen Coach, El Dorado National California, El Dorado National Kansas, Krystal Coach and Federal Coach.; • Sold the assets of ambulance business SJC Industries to Wheeled Coach Industries Inc., a subsidiary of ASV, in May. SJV closed its Elkhart plant and laid off 165 workers; • Bought Navistar International Corp.’s Monaco RV production facility in Wakarusa in June. Navistar had sold the Monaco RV business and other RV assets to ASV in May, and production subsequently moved to Decatur; • Bought the assets of Wakarusa RV maker Livin’ Lite in August; and • Bought Navistar’s Milford-based Bison Coach horse trailer manufacturing business in October.

If that weren’t enough, Thor also had some leadership changes at the top. Bob Martin was named CEO, effective Aug. 1, succeeding Peter Orthwein, who will continue to serve as Thor’s chairman.

Colleen Zuhl became chief financial officer in October.

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REAL ESTATE

Continued from PAGE 4

office at 3525 Lake Ave., suites 1 and 2.

Stan Phillips represented the landlord, Capstone Group, and Russ Jehl represented the tenant, Great Clips, in the lease of 1,105 square feet of retail space in Meadowbrook Shopping Center, 942 Lincoln Highway, New Haven.

Jehl represented both the landlord, Parnell Avenue LLC, and the tenant, Games On! Games LLC, in the lease of 3,120 square feet of retail space at 4722 Parnell Ave. Dan Dickey and Al Stovall represented the tenant, Jack Laurie Floors LLC, in the lease of 7,800 square feet of retail space at 430 W. Coliseum Blvd.

Steve Chen represented the landlord, Olympia Investments II, and O’Rourke represented the tenant, Booth & Co. Inc., in the lease of 2,100 square feet of office space at 3240 Mallard Cove Lane, units A and B.

CBRE/STURGES Carolyn Spake-Leeper and Karen Spake represented both the landlord, Gilprop LLC, and the tenant, American Eagle Mortgage, in the renewal of a

lease of 1,815 square feet of office space at 10319 Dawson’s Creek Blvd., Suite F. Spake-Leeper and Spake represented the landlord of Watersong Office Park and the tenants in two office lease renewals: Deanna Tate, Suite 9A at 12820 Coldwater Road; and Simply Speaking Preschool, Suite 9A at 12912 Coldwater Road.

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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GREATER FORT WAYNE

Business Weekly 3306 Independence Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46808 (260) 426-2640 Fax: (260) 426-2503 www.fwbusiness.com

PAGE 8

fwbusiness.com

BizView

Publisher

Barry Rochford brochford@kpcmedia.com Editor

Linda Lipp llipp@kpcmedia.com Associate Editor/Reporter

Joel Elliott jelliott@kpcmedia.com Reporter

Doug LeDuc 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.

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

Wishing doesn’t change the facts

Terry Housholder thousholder@kpcmedia.com

dleduc@kpcmedia.com

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School grades raise questions The Dec. 20 release of quality grades for Indiana schools shines even more light on the disarray in the state’s education system.

A large share of local school superintendents don’t trust the grades. That’s especially true this year, when computer problems disrupted testing for many students locally and statewide.

But even without the computer foul-ups, education leaders lack confidence in the accuracy of school grades.

A glance at some local grades makes it easy to see why.

“The wide fluctuation from one year to the next makes it very difficult for us to put a whole lot of value into those particular grades,” said Randy Zimmerly, superintendent of Westview schools.

Garrett Middle School provides this year’s prime example of fluctuation.

Its grades spell “D-A-D” over the past three years. It’s hard to understand how the quality of a school could change so much from one year to the next.

“It is interesting to note that the formula’s design enables a few students to impact a school’s letter grade dramatically,” said Tonya Weaver, an administrator at Garrett-Keyser-Butler schools.

Even though some administrators brush off school grades, their accuracy matters immensely. We suspect some area principals have been fired in the

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EDITORIAL

past due to low grades. Parents may decide where to buy a home or transfer their children because of the grades.

State education officials say they’re hard at work revising the grading system, which sounds like an admission that this year’s grades come from a flawed process.

This year’s grades also cast doubt on the wisdom of state leaders’ infatuation with the charter-school movement.

Seventy charter schools across the state received grades this year. The results show 24 “F’s”, 17 “D’s” and only 15 “A’s”. State leaders should be asking some hard questions about what charter schools are doing with our tax dollars.

How should parents react to the grades for their children’s schools?

We like the advice of Westview’s Zimmerly: “If you really want to know what’s going on in your child’s school, get in there, find out, see what’s going on,” he said. “Don’t allow this external measure to sway your opinion nearly as much as your own personal knowledge and experience with your kid’s school.”

A version of 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.

“Again, why?” William Nillie asked.

“It’s quarterly information that came out just last week. It’s comprehensive and from a very good source,” I answered.

“Nobody’s interested,” Willie insisted, “and at the holiday season, no less.”

“State quarterly personal income is important,” I said, equally insistent.

“It is vital information about the dollars Hoosiers have for spending. It’s based on reality, not press releases. And it is generally ignored by the media.”

“OK,” he said reluctantly. “Good or bad news n this time?”

“Consistent news,” I said, reluctant to pour water on his Yule log. “Our Hoosier economy is progressing, but without the vigor shown by the national economy.”

“I cannot believe it,” Willie said. “All I hear about are the gains we are making in employment.

The news tells us how slowly the nation is recovering, but how well Indiana is doing in employment gains.”

“Here are the facts,” I said softly so he would not lose faith in our state leaders and their academic apologists. “Indiana’s revenues are not keeping pace with the forecasts.”

“I know that,” Willie interrupted. “The forecasts Morton J. were wrong.”

“That’s a different topic,” I protested. “Indiana Marcus outperformed the nation in 2012, which often happens in the early stages of recovery. But in 2013, the nation came on with more growth and our state ranked 48th among the 50 states, from the third quarter of 2012 to the same quarter this year.”

“That’s not possible,” Willie said.

“Those are the data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,” I said.

“Think about it,” I continued. “Indiana expanded employment. Good news. People who were unemployed get jobs and go off unemployment compensation. Also they may not qualify for Medicaid because they are now earning ‘too much.’

“Our state unemployment compensation to those looking for work fell 37 percent over the past four quarters; the nation saw a decrease of only 21 percent. Indiana’s Medicaid payments fell by 15 percent as the nation increased Medicaid by 6 percent.

“Yes, earnings of workers rose in Indiana by 3.4 percent over the same period, yet the nation saw a 4.1 percent increase. That suggests to me,” I said, “Hoosier job gains may have been impressive, but new and existing employees probably were not doing as well as workers in other states.”

“Don’t you get tired of reporting how Indiana is lagging the nation?”

Willie asked.

“Yes, I do,” I answered. “I get more tired, however, of state leaders, in and out of government, who refuse to recognize the facts. They neglect reality and refuse to admit that we have been on the wrong path for more than a generation.”

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 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

The power of precision In the midst of the n nation’s struggles with health-care reform, Ortho Northeast CEO Ray Kusisto points to one solution offered up by a Harvard Business School professor.

“The Innovator’s Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care” (McGraw-Hill), written by Clayton Christensen and Rick Farrant several colleagues, challenges the healthcare system to achieve efficiency by more readily moving from intuitive medicine to precision medicine.

“There are far more kinds of illnesses than there are kinds of symptoms,” Kusisto said.

“With the same symptoms being presented for any number of different disease processes, it takes a health-care system full of skill and experience and a gut feel to properly nail down exactly what’s causing the problem.

“This is what the authors call intuitive medicine and it is the critically important first step in treating an ill patient. But once all of this intuition is brought to bear and a definitive diagnosis has been established, it would be far more efficient to leave the intuitive medicine arena and enter what the authors call the precision medicine arena.

“Precision medicine takes the definitive diagnosis and sets about fixing what’s wrong in a higher-volume, lower-cost, larger repeatable way,” Kusisto said. “A focused factory is what’s needed at this point, not more intuitive medicine with all of its inherent inefficiencies.

Most of America’s health-care delivery infrastructure continues to be designed to meet all the needs of all patients at all times and misses the opportunity to narrow its focus sufficiently to become as efficient as it could be.”

In driving home his big takeaway from the book, Kusisto provided this comparison: “There is a reason that the GM assembly plant doesn’t build Camaros alongside Silverados.

It’s much more efficient to build very similar vehicles in a single plant.”

BOOK SENSE

‘THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT’ Tim Ehlerding said it took him just 15 minutes to read “The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters” (Thomas Nelson) by Andy Andrews.

But the executive director of Wells County Economic Development said the little book left a lasting impression.

Ehlerding said he was given the book by Clint Kugler, CEO of the Wabash County YMCA.

Ehlerding summarized the book’s message this way: “Each one of us was purposely created to make a difference in our own lives, in the lives of those around us and in the lives of untold generations to follow. Every movement we make, every word we speak, every single thing we do will impact our world.”

Ehlerding said a foundational theory of the book is something called “sensitive dependency on initial conditions,” which posits that when a butterfly flaps its wings, the cascade of molecules set in motion could conceivably trigger a hurricane on the other side of the world.

Not surprising, then, that Ehlerding’s big takeaway from “The Butterfly Effect” was this: “I have within me the power to change the world; maybe by finding someone a job, perhaps by helping someone develop a workforce skill, or it could be something as simple as a smile at the right time.

“Each one of us also has the same power, and our challenge is this: When we flap our wings, will that hurricane we start make the world a better place.”

‘CADDY FOR LIFE’ Tim Borne, CEO of Fort Wayne’s Asher Agency, continues to find business inspiration from an unlikely book source: a story about a caddy who remained dedicated and loyal in the face of a deadly disease.

“Caddy for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story” (Back Bay Books) by John Feinstein tells the tale of a caddy for golfing legend Tom Watson who remained committed to Watson in friendship and business until the caddy’s death from ALS in 2004.

“He continued to caddy, even as the disease robbed him of his strength,” Borne said. “The love, dismay and admiration that poured forth once word spread about Edwards’ illness were overwhelming. Edwards kept his sense of humor and continued to do the job he had dedicated his life to.”

Borne, a longtime fan of Feinstein’s writing, said his big takeaway from the book was this: “Loyalty, hard work and courage are desired traits to be successful.”

Borne said he and his brother Tom, president of Asher Agency, try to create an environment where such traits can flourish.

“It’s a two-way street,” he said. “It’s what you expect from your employees. But Tom and I have also always tried to lead by example.”

If you’ve read a book that’s had a significant impact on your business practices or philosophies, you can share your reading experiences by contacting Rick Farrant, director of communications with Northeast Indiana Works, at (260) 469-4306 or rfarrant@neinworks.org.

fwbusiness.com

PAGE 9

Business Weekly

LEGEND of LEADERSHIP AWARD Honoring Irene Walters Breakfast Thursday, February 27 7:30 AM Landmark Centre Join community leaders as they pay tribute to this legendary leader.

Master of Ceremonies: Ben Eisbart, Steel Dynamics Featuring remarks by: Marilyn Moran-Townsend, CVC Communications Larry Lee, Leepoxy Plastics Cheri Becker, Leadership Fort Wayne Mike Cahill, Tower Bank Sharon Eisbart, Sharon Eisbart Corporate Art Tickets $25 each • Table of eight $150 Visit fwbusiness.com or call 260.426.2640 ext. 313

PAGE 10

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

Q

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

BRIEFLY

INDIANA

STATE ADDS RECORD NUMBER OF WORKERS Indiana added a record number of privatesector jobs in November, which helped lower the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate to 7.3 percent — a drop of 0.2 percent from the previous month.

According to figures released Dec. 20 by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the state gained 25,300 private-sector jobs last month, led by the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which added 6,800 jobs, and construction, which added 5,400 jobs. Other sectors posting increases were: manufacturing, 4,800 jobs; and professional and business services, 4,700 jobs.

The department said the number of Hoosiers who were unemployed stood at 232,400 in November compared to 240,600 in November 2008. Unemployment claims also were at their lowest levels since 2000.

“It is encouraging that fewer Hoosiers are unemployed than in November of 2008, and the unemployment rate has dropped by more than a percentage point over the past few months,” Scott Sanders, commissioner of the Department of Workforce Development, said in a statement.

Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unem-

ployment rate in November was 7 percent.

Rates for neighboring states were: Ohio, 7.4 percent; Kentucky, 8.2 percent; Illinois, 8.7 percent; and Michigan, 8.8 percent.

Nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rates for northeast Indiana counties were: Elkhart, 7.6 percent; Steuben, 7.3 percent; Noble, 7.2 percent; Allen and DeKalb, 6.9 percent; Huntington and Wabash, 6.8 percent; LaGrange, 6.4 percent; Adams and Wells, 6.3 percent; and Kosciusko and Whitley, 6 percent.

Among Indiana counties, Fayette and Vermillion had the highest nonseasonally adjusted unemployment rate, 9.9 percent, and Dubois had the lowest, 5.2 percent.

ALLEN COUNTY

KOHRMAN TO CHAIR STATE BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION Steve Kohrman, owner of Cedar Creek Carry Out in Grabill and Cedar Creek Beverage in Leo, was named chairman of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers.

Kohrman has served on the 33-member board for more than 12 years. He’s also vice president of the Grabill Chamber of Commerce. He will serve as board chairman through 2015.

Law

n December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

InFocus

n fwbusiness.com

PAGE 11

Gay marriage supporters see hope in deep-red Indiana Some legislators have backed away from their previous support for a constitutional ban (AP) — In one of the most conservative states in the nation, supporters of gay marriage are pondering the unthinkable: a victory, or at least not a loss.

A proposal to amend Indiana’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage has sparked a flurry of phone banks and appeals to big-money donors as the state prepares to become a 2014 battleground on an issue that has largely been decided in other states.

Indiana is one of just four states that ban gay marriage in statute only; 29 others have constitutional bans. But none of the other states with statutory bans — Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wyoming — face the pressure in place in Indiana, where lawmakers must approve a proposed ban and send it to voters in November unless they want to restart the process from scratch.

That the issue’s fate is even in question is remarkable in Indiana, which in recent years has become a model of conservative causes ranging from school vouchers to right to work. In 2011, state lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the amendment in the first of two required votes, and with Republican supermajorities in both legislative chambers, its final passage seemed a slam-dunk.

But the tides have shifted. Voters in Maryland, Maine and Washington have approved gay marriage, and polls have shown increasing numbers of Indiana voters oppose a constitutional ban even though most still oppose gay marriage.

“Everyone else in the country is moving toward more equality. Indiana is kind of the last stand of folks that are trying to put something like this into their constitution,” said Megan Robertson, a veteran Indiana Republican operative tapped to manage Freedom Indiana, a bipartisan coalition working to block the ban.

Opponents have argued for years that the constitutional ban is unnecessary and will paint the state as intolerant and hurt businesses’ efforts to recruit top talent.

They’re especially concerned about a provision in the proposed amendment that also bans civil unions and employee bene-

FORT WAYNE BUSINESSES OPPOSE PROPOSED BAN

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

This Dec. 17 photo shows a yard sign in Indianapolis. Indiana lawmakers will decide whether to ask voters to amend the constitution to ban same-sex marriage when they reconvene in January.

n

“The future of marriage belongs in the hands of voters.”

Micah Clark American Family Association of Indiana

fits for same-sex couples.

Volunteers with Freedom Indiana are staffing nightly phone banks and calling lawmakers who supported the amendment the first time in hopes of changing their minds before the Legislature reconvenes next month. Top companies including drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. and enginemaker Cummins Inc. have contributed $100,000 each to the campaign. And a recent fundraiser featuring Mary Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney who has been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage, was sponsored by some of the state’s top GOP money men, including the campaign finance chairman

for Republican Gov. Mike Pence.

Phil Cooper, a 63-year-old retired bus driver from Bloomington whose adult daughter has sometimes identified as a lesbian, said he has been making phone calls for Freedom Indiana two to three times each week since September.

“It really, really troubles me to see her being singled out because of that single characteristic,” he said of his daughter.

He said he is “cautiously optimistic” about blocking the amendment and said getting more information out about its effects, including the ban on employer benefits for same-sex pairs, has helped turn the momentum.

At least two lawmakers who voted for the amendment in 2011 have said they will oppose it next year. Senate Appropriations Chairman Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said last year that placing the ban in the n

See BAN on PAGE 12

Four Fort Wayne businesses are part of an “Employers for Freedom” group launched by a statewide campaign to defeat a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriages and civil unions in Indiana.

Freedom Indiana announced the formation of the group, which includes six other businesses from Indianapolis and Bloomington, on Dec. 20. The campaign was organized earlier this year with support from Eli Lilly & Co. and Cummins Inc. Freedom Indiana believes enacting House Joint Resolution 6 — the proposed constitutional amendment — would hurt the state’s business climate and make it harder for employers to attract talented workers. HJR-6 is expected to go before the General Assembly during its next session.

Earlier in December, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. announced its board of directors opposed HJR-6.

The Fort Wayne businesses that joined the “Employers for Freedom” group are: Fort Wayne Metals, Boyden & Youngblutt Advertising, Liechty Media and One Lucky Guitar/The Good Ones Clothing.

Other Indiana companies that joined the group are: CSO Architects, Indianapolis; Lodge Design, Indianapolis; Reverie Estates, Indianapolis; Road Pictures, Indianapolis; Upland Brewing Co., Bloomington; and Young & Laramore, Indianapolis.

“Some of Indiana’s largest, most wellknown companies have been leading the charge against HJR-6, and we are so grateful for their continued support,” campaign manager Megan Robertson said in a statement. “By launching ‘Employers for Freedom,’ we want to recognize job creators of all sizes and across many industries that believe this amendment is the wrong move for our state. Whether a company employs one Hoosier or a thousand Hoosiers, HJR-6 sends the message that not everyone is welcome here, and that’s a huge impediment to growing our economy.”

PAGE 12

n

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

BAN: Pence has stayed on the sidelines

Continued from PAGE 11

constitution would not be a “productive” use of time for state lawmakers. And state Rep. Sean Eberhart, R-Shelbyville, told The Shelbyville News in November that he made a mistake in supporting the amendment last time and “to put that amendment in the constitution and to lock down generations with bigotry is wrong.”

Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said he still supports the marriage ban but has been listening to his two sons, who oppose the measure.

And while House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, says he expects a vote by lawmakers on the issue next year, he notably left the issue out of the House Republican Caucus’ 2014 legislative agenda.

Supporters of the amendment, who have distributed fliers about the issue to churches, contend a constitutional ban would prevent future lawmakers from changing the law. They say Freedom Indiana’s business argument is a scare tactic and point to reports showing top job growth coming mostly in states that already have constitutional bans on gay marriage.

Even if national attitudes on the issue have changed, they say, Indiana residents

still firmly oppose gay marriage and should be allowed to weigh in.

“The future of marriage belongs in the hands of voters,” said Micah Clark, executive director of American Family Association of Indiana.

Pence, who is well-known for his social and religious conservatism, says he supports traditional marriage but has largely stayed on the sidelines.

The outcome of the debate could hinge on which side winds up with the most clout: the fledgling Freedom Indiana group, with the weight — and money — of corporate Indiana behind it, or the supporters, who have decades of lobbying experience among them and deep ties in the Statehouse to trade on.

“We don’t have a half-million dollars to pour into this, like the other side does,” Clark acknowledged.

The pressure Indiana Republicans feel makes sense, given that they likely face the most peril in how the issue plays out. If the amendment fails in the Legislature, incumbent Republicans could face the wrath of conservatives in the May primaries. And if the issue makes it to the ballot, it has the potential to rev up the Democratic base in November’s general election in a way that could ripple up and down the ticket.

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

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December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

fwbusiness.com

At Eilbacher Fletcher, we’re not like most firms. To begin with, we’re all partners, which means we don’t compete for clients, headlines or money. It means we’re built around a client-focused approach that brings to bear on every case the full knowledge base, legal experience and support resources of our entire partnership. It means we listen as much as we speak.

Our success is driven by our relentless work ethic, dedication and commitment to what is best for our clients.

(That, and a fair amount of coffee.)

And another way in which we’re not like most firms? Having four of our attorneys named a Top Lawyer in their respective practice area

by Fort Wayne Monthly. Congrats to this year’s honorees. They help us stand out as a different style of law firm.

260.425.9777 | EFlawyers.com

Kate Brogan

Employment Law

Alan Verplanck Employment Law

James Fenton

Litigation/Commercial

Dan McNamara

Litigation/Insurance

PAGE 13

n PAGE 14

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Top List GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

n

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

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December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

PersonalBusiness

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“We engage Indiana companies through our career services, as well as through projects that students can address” Why did you choose engineering as a career?

As a child, I was always keenly interested in science. I didn’t know what I would pursue until I was told by my eighth-grade teacher that I was not any good at math and should be placed in a remedial course. I deeply resented this assertion and vowed to excel in mathematics. The more I pursued math and was successful, it seemed logical that I should be some kind of engineer, as I saw engineers as mathematicians and scientists who contributed to society in an applied, more tangible way. I didn’t know that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer until after my freshman year in college. It sounds cliche, but in a sense, mechanical engineering chose me.

What were some of your favorite moments working at Ford Motor Co.?

How did your association with Innovation One come about?

CAREER PATH

Name: Thomas DeAgostino Organization: Trine University, Innovation One Title: director and assistant professor Length of time there: 4 1/2 years Education: bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University; master’s in engineering science, Rensselaer Polytechnic University

Two things stand out at Ford Motor Co. I started in the “Ford College Graduate Program” with no practical experience, in the Heavy Truck Division (which became Sterling). I performed classic structural analysis (hand calculations) of truck components. It was very gratifying to analyze large, heavy-duty components using classical techniques. The experience crystallized my attention to detail and my ability to eventually analyze much more complex structures. I ended up performing finite element analysis on engines at Ford. I was able to use computing technology that was cutting edge at the time: expensive Sun Unix workstations and a Cray supercomputer. These were tools that influenced what is available today, and gave me a solid basis for understanding the computing complexities of large analyses, which are more easily accomplished with today’s technology.

I truly enjoy teaching engineering. There was an element missing for me when I just taught, however; I missed working on tangible, physical objects that provided value to others. I am drawn to having projects to work on that produce products of value for people. Innovation One affords me the opportunity to do that. In addition, I still teach, so I’ve really got the best of both worlds. For me, as an engineer and an educator, it’s the perfect job. I knew the university administration had plans to start a business and technology incubator, so I campaigned with the administration to lead the effort. They gave me the opportunity, and, so far, it has worked out.

FILE PHOTO

Before becoming a professor at Trine University and director of Innovation One, Thomas DeAgostino worked at General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. He’s photographed through a bamboo bicycle frame built by students.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced working for the giant automakers?

The bureaucracy, and the fact that radical ideas for change were not accepted. It was sometimes frustrating to see incredible resources — and talented and knowledgeable people — squandered by poor management. In retrospect, it was very Orwellian — or Dilbertesque, depending on your perspective.

How did you come to leave GM and end up at Trine?

When the Great Recession was at its lowest point (April 2009), and GM was in the midst of bankruptcy and the government bailout, GM cut upward of 20 percent of the salaried work force. I happened to be the most highly compensated and oldest employee in my department. It made sense to tell me my services were no longer required and replace me with two engineers just out of college. The irony is that I had trained them, and they were both really fine young men and good engineers.

In my subsequent job search, I focused on looking for positions similar to what I had been doing for 25 years, but there was really nothing available at that time. I was already teaching part time (mathematics) at our local community college, and someone at Trine University had the foresight to advertise a teaching position in Monster or CareerBuilder, so I applied. They were looking to bolster faculty with industry experience at the university, and I was offered the position.

At General Motors?

I was responsible for designing and engineering a “family” of torque converters. The torque converter is the fluid coupling device that connects the engine to the transmission in an automatic transmission. It had never been done before as a family at GM, but I saw the family into production. That accounted for the middle seven years of my 18 years at GM. The other favorite experience at GM was working at the Milford Proving Grounds — 2,000 acres of test tracks. Disney World even has an attraction patterned after it; it’s called “test track.” Just an incredible place to work that very few people will ever have the privilege of seeing.

What do you enjoy most about working at the university?

The first most obvious reason that jumps out is the privilege of working with bright young people. It’s tantamount to discussing things with my (own) adult children. Nothing is more gratifying than helping to educate and form young people. The other thing is the concept of “collegiality.” Being in a setting where bright, knowledgeable people work, the ability to explore anything and to have access to the resources to do that is an incredible opportunity. For an engineer, it’s “sandbox” time.

What are Innovation One’s goals? How will the $1-million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. affect its programs?

My charge is to ensure that Innovation One is a self-sustaining entity that can continue to boost the economy in the region. That helps everyone: community members, businesses and the university. We hire faculty and students to work on projects. That leverages the intellectual capital of the university, as well as our laboratory resources, to help regional industry; and engages students in experiential learning.

I’ve joked that I won’t be satisfied until Innovation One employs every student on campus to work on projects. We have about 1,600 main campus students, so that may not really be possible, but we need to work toward that. In addition, it’s not just about engineers. Innovation One has historically gravitated toward engineering because of my background, but as we grow, all majors and disciplines are getting involved.

The Lilly grant will allow us to expand our engagement exponentially. Ultimately, Lilly wants higher education in the state of Indiana to connect talented students with jobs in Indiana so they stay here. It couldn’t fit in any better with Innovation One’s mission. We engage Indiana companies through our career services, as well as through projects that students can address. This real-world project work allows our students to be more employable, but also to have contact with Indiana businesses. In my mind, it’s exactly what Lilly is asking us to do.

What advice would you give a young person interested in engineering?

Engineering can be difficult. I don’t like to dissuade anyone from pursuing it, but I think anyone interested in it needs to be realistic about what it takes to be an engineer. When my children (none of whom is an engineer) used to ask me what I did at work, I told them, “I get paid to think.” That doesn’t seem very exciting to young people, but it’s to some extent true. Aside from that, I think young people who are interested in engineering need to be persistent, tenacious and inquisitive.

But above all, you need to be enthusiastic and passionate about some aspect of engineering.

By Linda Lipp. To suggest an idea for “Career Path,” email news@fwbusiness.com or call (260) 426-2640.

n PAGE 18

BizLeads

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NEW BUSINESSES Compound Care Pharmacy LLC 15220 Indian Creek Road Fort Wayne, IN 46814 Betsy Munoz Tavern Partners LLC 1414 Colony Court Fort Wayne, IN 46845 Lawrence L. Davis New Horizon Painting Service LLC 1332 Burgess St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Victor Rivera Selector LLC 2930 Bellaire Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Hans Livingstone S&H Resources LLC 111 E. Wayne St., Suite 800 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Damian B. Gosheff Auburn Tavern Services Inc. 1414 Colony Court Fort Wayne, IN 46845 Lawrence L. Davis Veronica Torres Gonzalez LLC 2737 W. Washington Center Road, Lot 128 Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Veronica T. Gonzalez

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.

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

Fort Wayne Holdings LLC 2220 Dunkleburg Road Fort Wayne, IN 45819 Eric D. Wooten

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.

Castro Auto Repair LLC 2425 Webster St. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Luis A. Castro Jr.

R.C.W. General Contractors Inc. 6224 Bluffton Road Fort Wayne, IN 46809 Curtis Wood

A-1 Mobile Pressure Washing LLC 1315 W. Main St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Alexander M. Crance Koti LLC 1240 W. Rudisil Blvd.

Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Jaakko Savolainen The Soundwave Corp.

803 S. Calhoun St., Suite 100 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Konrad M. Urberg

State Wide Construction & Remodeling LLC 8808 Connemarro Court Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Craig Winters Fort Wayne MHC LLC 2220 Dunkleburg Road Fort Wayne, IN 45819 Eric D. Wooten

Phipps Enterprises LLC 1821 Hidden River Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Tyler Phipps

Ana Gines LLC 2316 1/2 Lillie St. Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Ana Gines

Winters Real Estate Group LLC 8808 Connemarro Court Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Craig Winters

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.

Vinicio Ortiz LLC 711 Tennessee Ave., Apt. 102 Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Vinicio Ortiz

Elevate Our Youth Inc. 2 Wycliffe Place Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Ronald Howard

PAGES 18-19 GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

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Life Adult Academy Inc. 301 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 200 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Jon A. Bragalone Christ Appointed Childcare LLC 2721 Winch St. Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Marilyn Toro Manufacturing and Environmental Consulting LLC 6731 Lynvale Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Jeff Crawford Im and Iy LLC 831 Walnut St. Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Maria E. Flores

Alexander James Medical Supply LLC 3227 Glencairn Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Leticia Powers Firearm Depot LLC 3615 N. Clinton Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Jeremy Washington Dreamland LLC 2125 E. 400 North Fremont, IN 46737 Bonnie Garman Accounting Systems Group Inc. 140 Lane 340 Jimmerson Lake Fremont, IN 46737 Jeff Frederick Fremont Community Broadcasters Inc. 501 E. Swager Drive Fremont, IN 46737 Tim A. Swager American Combat Veteran Clothing LLC 616 Third St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Robert Bibbo

Direct Blitz Inc. 200 E. Main St., Suite 640 A Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Jason Myers Nassar Development LLC 616 W. Superior St. Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Mohamad Rahim H.S.I. Contractors LLC 610 S. Cowen Garrett, IN 46738 Charles N. Darr H.I.S. Contractors LLC 610 S. Cowen Garrett, IN 46738 Charles N. Darr Embrace Wellness LLC 8477 S. 300 East Geneva, IN 46740 Cheryl Caffee

Cozy Homes 1 LLC 19472 C.R. 40 Goshen, IN 46526 Timothy S. Thomas

RJR LLC 317 W. Shoaff Road Huntertown, IN 46748 Rebecca McKinley

Cozy Homes 4 LLC 19472 C.R. 40 Goshen, IN 46526 Timothy S. Thomas

Joyce & Nancy LLC 151334 Hunters Lane Huntertown, IN 46748 Joyce Maines

Zheng Xun Inc. 2820 Elkhart Road Goshen, IN 46526 Lan Jing Yang

Alokam Inc. 1820 Raleigh Ave. Kendallville, IN 46755 Mohamed Alokam

Cozy Homes 3 LLC 19472 C.R. 40 Goshen, IN 46526 Timothy S. Thomas

Meade Investments LLC 1426 Garden St. Kendallville, IN 46755 Jason Meade

Cozy Homes 2 LLC 19472 C.R. 40 Goshen, IN 46526 Timothy S. Thomas

Gary Younce Insurance Agency Inc. 341 W. Central Ave. LaGrange, IN 46761 Barney Bryan

Weber Psychoeducational Assessments LLC 60610 Creekstone Drive Goshen, IN 46526 Martha Weber Goshen High School Dollars for Scholars Inc. 113 Island View Drive Goshen, IN 46526 Milton Thomas Green Rascal Inc. 123 N. 20th St. Goshen, IN 46528 Deborah S. Jones CPC Healthy Options LLC 21944 Shirley Drive Goshen, IN 46526 Paula Frizsell

Flavor Freeze Corp.

64877 C.R. 21 Goshen, IN 46526 Steve Fortier

Green Works Cleaning Co. 58238 Grant Court Goshen, IN 46528 Tina Yeater

Gem Detailing & Accessories Inc. 61514 C.R. 15 Goshen, IN 46526 Leigh A. Prathaftakis

Joseph Miller Rentals LLC 12903 S.R. 37 Grabill, IN 46741 Joseph Miller

JW Medical LLC 60642 Creekstone Court Goshen, IN 46526 Jeffrey Williams

J. Kilgus Inc. 13101 Schwartz Road Grabill, IN 46741 Jason Kilgus

Jose M. Martinez LLC 385 Roxbury Park Goshen, IN 46526 Jose M. Martinez

North American Cold Storage Inc. 975 Lane 280 Hamilton Lake Hamilton, IN 46742 Michael A. Betten

JD Gascho Consulting LLC 307 E. Washington St., Apt. A Goshen, IN 46528 Darrell J. Gascho Tender Tots Child Care LLC 14849 Falcon Lane Goshen, IN 46526 Cynthia Hawkins

Thrush Construction LLC 10757 E. 450 South LaOtto, IN 46763 Michael J. Thrush Hayburners LLC 6331 E. 400 South LaOtto, IN 46763 William L. Etzler 6998 Kalorama LLC 7071 N. Kalorama Road Leesburg, IN 46538 James G. Maxwell 6980 Kalorama LLC 7071 N. Kalorama Road Leesburg, IN 46538 Juile M. Maxwell Woods & Waters Construction Development and Management LLC 5777 N. 450 East Leesburg, IN 46538 Scott W. Ralston Power House Solutions LLC 9908 Lakeshore Drive, Apt. 5 Leo, IN 46765 Michelle Yovanovitch Wildwood Investment Properties LLC 9511 Poplar Creek Place Leo, IN 46765 Brad Pepple TLK Investments LLC 9511 Poplar Creek Place Leo, IN 46765 Taylor Pepple

T.P. Szalga Trucking Inc. 11313 Morning Glory Pass Harlan, IN 46743 Thomas P. Szalga

Thale Enterprise LLC 8517 Hosler Road Leo, IN 46765 Tracy Hale

P.S. Logistics LLC 18214 S.R. 37 Harlan, IN 46743 Mitchel Thompson

ISCM Corp.

9010 Metea Valley Crossing Leo, IN 46765 Denis J. Graber

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

Pettit Affordable Housing LLC 855 W. U.S. 6, Suite 1 Ligonier, IN 46767 John C. Pettit

Caring Hearts Personal Care Service LLC 7784 E. 150 North Pierceton, IN 46562 Sherri Luke

Abba’s Investment Group LLC 5310 W. 1000 North Ligonier, IN 46767 Daniel J. Yoder

Breck Walls Property Management LLC 1106 N. St. Road 13 Pierceton, IN 46562 Breck Walls

QC Construction LLC 13694 N. 200 West Milford, IN 46542 James Kuhns

R&P Property and Trucking Inc. 3775 S. 109 West Pleasant Lake, IN 46779 Ronald L. Sudduth

Maxland LLC 1769 W. 1250 North Milford, IN 46542 Chad Dippon Murphy Place LLC 1769 W. 1250 North Milford, IN 46542 Chad Dippon Bremer Farms LLC 2824 Webster Road Monroeville, IN 46773 Danny L. Bremer Stover Farms LLC 1406 McCormick Drive Nappanee, IN 46550 James V. Stover North Webster Partners LP 104 S. Main St. Nappanee, IN 46550 Steven Walters Cornerstone Mennonite Church Inc. 26220 C.R. 46 Nappanee, IN 46550 Franklin Martin Happinest Photo LLC 618 Professional Park Drive New Haven, IN 46774 Stephen J. Harants H&L Realty LLC 1103 Summit St. New Haven, IN 46774 Richard D. Lauer Wake Property Preservation Corp.

9929 S. Country Knoll New Haven, IN 46774 Matthew Wake ZW Properties LLC. 5228 Green Road New Haven, IN 46774 John Zeimet CMD Services Inc. 15818 Darling Road New Haven, IN 46774 Collin Delagrange Statclash Inc. 6461 N. 100 East Ossian, IN 46777 Brian Kistler Kilgore’s Plant Farm LLC 5320 E. 350 South Pierceton, IN 46562 Sherri Jo Kilgore

Shared Dreams LLC 1736 North Shore Drive Rome City, IN 46784 Luann Leighty-Fosnaugh Berkshire Investments LLC 1265 N. S.R. 5 Shipshewana, IN 46565 Duane Chupp Five Star Canine, L.L.C. 4525 N. 675 West Shipshewana, IN 46565 Dale Bontrager Shipshewana North Park Inc. 1195 S. Van Buren St. Shipshewana, IN 46565 Daxa Patel Shree Maha Laxmi LLC 1195 S. Van Buren St. Shipshewana, IN 46565 Daxa Patel Shipshe Investment Properties LLC 3925 N. 850 West Shipshewana, IN 46565 Daryl D. Lehman Chexale Investments LLC 3925 N. 850 West Shipshewana, IN 46565 Daryl D. Lehman The Woods LLC 4166 S. Whitley Road South Whitley, IN 46787 Thomas Kessie KJF Property Group LLC 4166 S. Whitley Road South Whitley, IN 46787 Thomas Kessie Lei Development LLC 5648 C.R. 75A St. Joe, IN 46785 Richard L. Lentz

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS FORT WAYNE ADAMS TOWNSHIP Witwer Construction Inc. 3350 E. Paulding Road $1,250,000

December 27, 2013-January 2, 2014

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

11177 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

4488 Crawford Road From NPT Development Corp. to Timberlin Homes LLC $89,900

5208 Hursh Road From LC Will Realty Inc. to Brendon A. McCool and Rebekah J. McCool $129,900

11106 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

11211 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

12116 Willow Cove From Christina L. Grubaugh to Jean M. Rhoades $117,000

4909 Hursh Road From Izet and Sefika Latic to Michael L. Lytle $167,000

4706 Honey Oak Run From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $116,708

11245 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

13519 Galloway Cove From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. to Erica J. Faulkner $265,321

6915 Deer Run From Lissa P. Koenig and Lissa P. Griffith to Yeisika Y. McKean $185,000

11168 Dupont Oaks Blvd.

From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $116,708

11281 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

16635 Merramec Court From Richard G. and Tina Griffith to Megan A. Jernigan $208,000

1525 Seabrook Drive From John J. and Jane B. Sandor to Eugene L. and Carrie L. Mast $154,500

12614 Stoneboro Court From Kirk and Kella Hetrick to Michael D. Hilborn $121,000

1818 Traders Crossing From Kyle E. Broeker and Lana D. Bivenour to Amy E. Thompson $175,000

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

REAL-ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

FORT WAYNE ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Colonial Homes, Inc. 6041 Lineage Way $174,400

ALLEN COUNTY ABOITE TOWNSHIP Windsor Inc. 1529 Cypress Spring Drive $181,500 Windsor Inc. 1506 Cypress Spring Drive $241,801 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 2907 Arden Cove $309,900

LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP E.E. Brandenberger Construction Inc. 14838 Winters Road $275,000 Ideal Suburban Homes Inc. 10342 W. Yoder Road $119,377

MILAN TOWNSHIP Lynn Delagrange Inc. 19537 Old 24 $339,555

PERRY TOWNSHIP Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 11607 Red Cedar Cove $361,314 Sievers Building LLC 12551 Gondola Parkway $220,000 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 2474 Stonecrop Road $152,000

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP Homeowner 14932 Antwerp Road $150,000 Quality Crafted Homes Inc. 21509 Springfield Center Road $250,000

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 10104 Privet Drive $102,408

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46845

11260 Belleharbour Cove From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658 11224 Belleharbour Cove From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658 11272 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658

11109 Ridge Gap Run From Michael A. Cahill to Jimmy Dinh $133,500 13587 Lurrey Pass From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Jitendra Sah $77,950 2724 Misty Oaks Trail From Jason S. and Aimee L. Bontrager to William S. and Julie M. Stark $395,000 12565 Gondola Parkway From Timberlin Homes to Samuel W. and Sarah A. French $306,970

11238 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658

1520 Switchback Cove From HUD to Michelle A. Fosnaugh $112,000

4775 Trailside Crossing From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658

13719 Messenger Bay From Roger B. and Shannon J. Willis to Erica L. Castetter $180,000

11291 Belleharbour Cove From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658 11292 Belleharbour Cove From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $437,658 11181 Dupont Oaks Blvd.

From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126 11143 Parkers Bay Drive From Domo Development Co. LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $350,126

11502 Inland Cove From Roger P. Smith to Jordan M. and Susanne M. Malcolm $132,000 11410 Linden Grove Drive From Sayler H. and Tamara L. Daugherty to Thomas J. and Jodi L. Campbell $364,900 5315 Sorrento Blvd.

From Richard A. Michaels to Kenneth and Mallory Sallaz $219,900 273 Vin Santo Run From Art Bunt Homes to Zafar E. and Zarifa D. Nazarova $250,000 11333 Brougham Run From Terry L. and Mary A. Kummer to Cristal M. Boatright $244,500

11240 Belleharbour Cove From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. by Tony Reincke to Dorothy A. Latuszek and June M. Savoie $219,297 1628 Coronado Court From Van R. and Camilla L. Gardner to Josh P. Harris and Angeline A. Chartier $122,400 13212 Winding Vine Run From Fannie Mae to Chad U. and Shayna M. Burgh $193,900 13009 Tuscany Way From Alex Palermo to Bradley R. and Kelly E. Shank $255,000 246 Vin Santo Run From Carriage Place Homes Inc. to the Robert E. and Ramona S. Colby revocable living trust $232,900 10516 Albemarle Court From Eugene L. and Carrie L. Mast to Rachel A. Kinney $112,900 1653 Boyington Court From Classic Heights LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $44,160 203 Calash Run From Carl D. and Judy Gable to Gary A. and Janet L. Kasunic $189,000 4449 Hawthorne Crossover From Star Homes By Delagrange and Richhart Inc. to Craig Vanderwall II and Nikki Vanderwall $497,000

46804 7557 W. Jefferson Blvd.

From Chesny Real Estate LLC to MMWC LLC $584,200 26023 Gar Creek Road From the Maude R. Rathge irrevocable trust to Moore Farms LLC $889,200 4531 Bowser Ave. From the Allen County sheriff to Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity Inc. $49,640 2229 Kenwood Ave. From 1st Source Bank to HUD $96,141 26023 Gar Creek Road From Moore Farms LLC to Jaino LLC $889,200 14100 Bull Rapids Road From John Raymond Graber to Raymond R. Graber Jr. and Anna Mae Gerber $130,000 22536 Stenger St. From Robert E. Zimmerman to Brandon J. and Tiffany A. Ruppert $66,000 12012 Water St. From Marla Delagrange to John E. and Melissa A. Markey $25,000

BANKRUPTCIES ADAMS COUNTY Eric G. Kelley 1063 Parkview Drive Decatur, IN 46733 Assets: $104,939 Liabilities: $114,468

Aaron M. and Ashley N. Gaskill 877 N. 500 West Decatur, IN 46733 Assets: $133,550 Liabilities: $135,251

ALLEN COUNTY Eric L. Smith 1906 Ardmore Ave., Apt. #14 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Assets: $76,550 Liabilities: $121,685 Beulah M. Hughes 7009 John St. Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $7,850 Liabilities: $16,073 Vianna S. Ember 2301 Redwood Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46803 Assets: $32,180 Liabilities: $42,145 Helen E. Griner 3429 S. Cedar Crest Circle Fort Wayne, IN 46809 Assets: $74,668 Liabilities: $90,233 Latoya G. Falkner 3124 Hanna St. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $20,110 Liabilities: $62,000 Andres Aguirre 4010 Darwood Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $134,803 Liabilities: $148,789 Lynn K. Patrick 1008 Dupont Lake Drive, Apt. A1 Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $27,625 Liabilities: $39,071 David S. Turner Jr. 4816 Wayne Park Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $13,090 Liabilities: $83,413 Cory P. and Christina G. Wiebke 6918 Plumtree Court Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $106,224 Liabilities: $153,031 Matthew R. and Kelly M. Farrell 1305 Edenton Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Assets: $110,820 Liabilities: $169,601 Brian C. and Katherine A. Fruchey 1911 W. Wallen Road Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Assets: $30,050 Liabilities: $370,856

Stacy R. Skeans 202 Riley Place Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $9,615 Liabilities: $53,783 Felicia M. Morales 644 Putnam St. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $8,420 Liabilities: $39,067 Edward A. Fox Sr. 353 Dunnwood Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $29,533 Liabilities: $70,164 Herbert Harrison 3303 S. Barr Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $5,000 Liabilities: $105,442 Jodie R. Powell 1822 Vance Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $81,620 Liabilities: $211,811 John A. Shull 5207 Fernwood Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46809 Assets: $73,775 Liabilities: $99,953

LAGRANGE COUNTY Gary W. Hostetler 1925 N. 075 East LaGrange, IN 46761 Assets: $8,900 Liabilities: $2,974,638 Jessica L. Schrock 2055 E. 400 South Wolcottville, IN 46795 Assets: $49,513 Liabilities: $157,554

NOBLE COUNTY Timothy O. Wade 311 Pine Cove Lane Kendallville, IN 46755 Assets: $13,050 Liabilities: $116,728 David C. Adams 410 E. South St., Lot 5 Albion, IN 46701 Assets: $5,420 Liabilities: $81,591

STEUBEN COUNTY Heather and Timothy Bertoia Jr. 705 Mohawk Drive Angola, IN 46703 Assets: $7,400 Liabilities: $508,460

WHITLEY COUNTY Barbara J. Self-Marshall 2219 1/2 Rehm Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46819 Assets: $5,819 Liabilities: $73,032 Janelle D. Williamson 2220 Dunkelberg Road, Lot 244 Fort Wayne, IN 46819 Assets: $13,355 Liabilities: $56,381 Tiffany J. Cline 10650 Day Lily Drive, Apt. 232 Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $4,565 Liabilities: $85,479 Aubrey R. Tobin 2209 Point West Drive, Apt. 3A Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $1,665 Liabilities: $29,140 Travis L. and Lauren N. Trees 331 E. Hoover Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $8,289 Liabilities: $134,038

Rex L. and Wanda L. Parrett 7930 W. 600 North Larwill, IN 46764 Assets: $94,135 Liabilities: $118,283 Estill L. and Julie A. Stratton 320 N. Mulberry St. Churubusco, IN 46723 Assets: $11,855 Liabilities: $76,104

PATENTS D695,571 Food container carrier Kari L. Woitalla, Fort Wayne Filed: May 11, 2012 Approved: Dec. 17, 2013

8,608,751 Assembly system for orthopedic components Shaun R. Cronin, Fort Wayne Scott E. Dykema, Warsaw Jeff Blaylock, Fort Wayne Zimmer Inc., Warsaw Filed: Dec. 15, 2006 Approved: Dec. 17, 2013

DEKALB COUNTY Chad M. and Mandie K. Anglin 1662 C.R. 36 Auburn, IN 46706 Assets: $22,850 Liabilities: $81,027

HUNTINGTON COUNTY Trinity R. and Amy S. Krontz 1936 Mark Anthony Crossing Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Assets: $151,500 Liabilities: $199,620

PAGE 19

Angela J. Tuttle 434 S. Jefferson St. Huntington, IN 46750 Assets: $3,350 Liabilities: $30,182

8,608,745 System, apparatus, and method for cutting bone during an orthopaedic surgical procedure Jose F. Guzman, Fort Wayne Gordon Dodds, Feldkirchen, Germany DePuy Synthes Products LLC, Raynham, Mass.

Filed: March 14, 2008 Approved: Dec. 17, 2013

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DRIVING: Resurgence in manufacturing means more people are needed to haul goods

Continued from PAGE 1

provide “a current snapshot of the labor market today,” said Gary Gatman, vice president of strategic initiatives at Northeast Indiana Works. “We’re talking really recent data, so this is what’s going on in northeast Indiana right now.”

The agency that helps unemployed workers with skills training and job leads in November began covering the costs of a six-week truck driving course that Ivy Tech Corporate College started teaching this summer at the Sirva moving company complex at 5001 U.S. 30 W. in Fort Wayne.

The class trains four students at a time, and a $4,000 grant for each student covers required books and training, as well as a Department of Transportation physical exam and the first attempt at a commercial driver’s license skills test.

Kaylene Smith, professional development program manager for the corporate college, said in mid-December the January class was full and only half the spots were open for the class scheduled to start in February.

“It’s gone really well … I am getting several calls here on a regular basis from companies that hear about our program, asking about our graduates,” she said.

n

“Demographics are such that we’ve got a lot of career people hitting that retirement age being part of that baby boomer bubble.”

Phil Stump Ag Trucking Inc.

“They want our students to come to them to apply.”

Northeast Indiana Works committed to providing tuition support for 20 individuals, but that could be extended “if companies that hire the certified drivers continue to hire the graduates of the program,” he said.

“We will continue to fund that as long as it helps people get back to work.”

Manufacturing has been leading the region’s recovery from the recession, and it is expected to continue adding to the demand for truck drivers in northeast Indiana.

“As manufacturing grows, goods and services need to move,” Gatman said.

With 14,000 registered trucking companies and 48,000 truck drivers in the state, the industry’s health is important because more than 80 percent of Hoosier communities “depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods,” said Barb Hunt, vice president

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of the Indiana Motor Truck Association.

Driving a truck is a demanding job that can sometimes be dangerous. It is not considered a glamorous occupation, and with annual starting wages ranging between $20,000 and $30,000 at most Indiana trucking companies, it does not pay as well as some lines of work.

The average annual wage for a truck driver in Indiana is $42,000, and that is better than many states, but “if the pay was $50,000, the turnover probably wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is now,” Hunt said.

“Right now, driver turnover is about 100 percent — for every driver a company hires, they’ll lose a driver,” she said. “That’s mainly for large truckload carriers. They will be out overnight or out for a week and things like that.”

Because they can only earn while they are driving, many truck drivers close to retirement age chose to retire early this year after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposed new hours of service regulation, which the industry has estimated reduced productivity between 3 percent and 5 percent.

Hunt said industry estimates put the truck driver shortage at between 20,000 and 25,000 drivers nationally and between 1,200 and 1,400 in Indiana.

“I hate to sound like doom and gloom, but it’s a pretty intense situation. I really think it’s going to get worse before it gets better, and I don’t think it will get better until we get some proactive help from the government,” said Phil Stump, a sales manager for Ag Trucking Inc. The Goshen-based trucking business, which specializes in bulk and liquid tank work, employs about 140 company drivers and 25 owner-operators. Stump said it could put an additional eight to 10 drivers to work immediately if it could find qualified help.

“Demographics are such that we’ve got a lot of career people hitting that retirement age being part of that baby boomer bubble,” he said. “And probably compounding the problem is the bar to even get into the occupation has continually been raised over the last several years with additional regulations from Washington.

“So you’ve got a perfect storm of retiring career drivers with stringent restrictive entry barriers for new drivers mixed in with a robust need for trucking services.”

Truck drivers may obtain a CDL for transporting goods within Indiana at age 18, but they must be 21 for a CDL authorizing them to transport goods beyond state lines.

Companies have to be large enough to be self-insured to hire drivers as soon as they become old enough to qualify for a commercial driver’s license because insurance companies will not insure drivers unless they have at least two years of

driving experience, Stump said.

“In my opinion, the real issue is the industry doesn’t get a look at young people coming into the work force in a timely manner where they can get young people on a driver career path,” he said.

The company has upgraded its pay and benefits continually, and the state average wage for truck drivers is at the lower end of the Ag Trucking pay scale, which goes as high as $70,000 a year.

But recruiting remains challenging because “there are so few people who want to live the lifestyle of an over-the-road semi driver,” Stump said.

“It’s a difficult job. You’ve got to be focused every minute you’re behind the wheel. You have to work independently.

You don’t have a foreman watching over your shoulder; you are out there on your own. And it takes a lot of self-discipline.”

Geary Buchanan, owner of Fort Waynebased Buchanan Hauling & Rigging, said most high-school graduates have started working in, or getting training for, another type of occupation by the time they are old enough for an interstate truck driver’s CDL. Truck drivers “are in such demand it’s just ridiculous,” he said. “Anymore, you can’t find drivers.”

Because of the insurance industry’s experience requirement, Buchanan Hauling does not hire many employees shortly after they have obtained a CDL, he said. It employs 210 drivers, with 40 percent company drivers and 60 percent owner-operators.

The company’s recruiting efforts have involved a lot of online advertising, and lately some of its recruiting success has resulted from social-media marketing, Buchanan said.

“The drivers we have now recruiting new drivers — that’s the best,” he said. “They’re out there driving all the time and they have a chance to meet and talk to other people and they’re always talking to other drivers.”

The drivers best suited for the work “are level-headed people who can accept change. If the weather gets worse, they can handle the adversity. They’re adaptable.

They are people who are looking for a challenge,” Buchanan said.

Some employees with Fort Wayne-based Triple Crown Services said the truck drivers they have seen thriving in the occupation have great communication skills and have established safe driving routines.

“Safety is the most important; just having the right attitudes about safety and having safe driving habits,” said Elmes Bajgoric, an owner-operator who has worked with Triple Crown for three years.

Triple Crown serves its customers with a fleet of 6,000 Roadrailer trailers, which can n

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DRIVING: Training courses are important

Continued from PAGE 20

be pulled by semitractors over highways or by locomotives over rails. Special bogies that roll over rails are attached to each end of a Roadrailer trailer and lift its tires off the ground for the rail portion of the trip. About two-thirds of the distance typically covered is via rail.

The company employs 750 truck drivers, all owner-operators, and “for many of our customers, the driver is the primary contact with Triple Crown,” said spokesman Dan Federspiel.

“We’re very selective in whom we contract with, and consequently we get good drivers and they stay with us. Our turnover is exceptionally low compared with other trucking companies.”

Most of the driving they do is within 75 miles of the Triple Crown terminal where they are based, which makes it possible for the drivers to get home every night.

That is an advantage when it comes to recruiting drivers, but Chris Eisenhauer said it is still challenging to find the kind they are looking for.

“A lot of the people we end up with are people who have been owner-operators prior or they have been long-term company drivers someplace and decide they want to

start their own business,” he said.

“We offer sign-on bonuses and help guys find trucks, so if you are a company driver someplace and want to become an owner-operator, we would assist you to get that started and start your business.”

Training programs such as the one started by the Ivy Tech Corporate College are important for the industry because it is still recovering from the impact the recession had on attracting new drivers.

“Due to the recession, a lot of the money used for training truck drivers had diminished, trucking schools were closing down and the big companies all stopped training drivers because they didn’t have a need for them,” Eisenhauer said.

In addition to the steps the industry is taking to address the truck driver shortage, Hunt said it is looking for ways to leverage military truck driver training and help veterans with military truck driving experience obtain a CDL and transition into work with trucking companies.

Indiana Motor Truck Association officials were scheduled to meet with Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs officials the week before Christmas “to discuss the opportunities for veterans to get their CDL and have a profession in trucking,” she said.

“We’re hoping that’s a win for everybody.”

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CUTS: Cities would have to reduce services

Continued from PAGE 1

“There’s no question that it would be felt by local governments,” he said. “Many of them wouldn’t be able to perform the services they provide. And don’t forget it also affects schools.”

Supporters of eliminating the tax, such as the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana, believe such action would improve Indiana’s business climate and make it more competitive with other states that don’t have a similar tax.

But mayors in northeast Indiana called the proposal unrealistic, and that it would require major cuts to the services they provide.

“It sounds like a good headline, but the problem is that it really would affect a lot of municipalities,” Angola Mayor Richard Hickman said. “For us, that would be 20 percent of our revenue, and that would be crippling to our abilities to provide the services that people expect here.”

Auburn Mayor Norman Yoder said the resulting loss of revenue would be “devastating.” The majority of Auburn’s tax dollars go to basic services, such as fire and police protection and road paving.

“It’s a great political statement,” he said.

“I would love to manage a city without having to tax anybody, but it takes a certain amount of revenue, and generally, I think the local people hold us accountable.”

“It’s pretty obvious to any of the mayors you talk to, virtually everybody relies on property tax, from schools to townships to libraries to county government,” Yoder said. “It will be devastating to to some of the services we provide unless we provide some sort of replacement.

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry expressed skepticism about the proposal.

“We want to be a city that attracts and retains businesses that provide jobs to our residents,” he said. “However, as with any proposal, there will be unintended consequences. The loss of revenue not only could lead to sacrifices in our quality of life and the city services we provide, but would also likely increase property taxes on many homeowners and businesses.”

Kendallville Mayor Suzanne Handshoe said she opposes the proposal, in part because it takes away local governments’ ability to enact tax abatements as incentives to attract businesses. Further, the business personal property tax generates as much as a quarter of Kendallville’s revenue.

“My general fund is at the level it was 10 years ago when I took office,” she said. “And look at what we are paying for medical expenses, gas and insurance costs.

I don’t believe in raising taxes. I believe in living within our means, but I would have to

explain to our citizens that we would have to cut services.”

Making the state more business-friendly through large tax cuts won’t ultimately improve the economy if the resulting cuts in services make it Indiana less peoplefriendly, according to Matthew Greller, executive director of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. Characterizing Indiana’s tax structure as being already “very favorable” to business, Greller said the tax proposal must include an alternative source of revenue so that Indiana’s municipalities won’t be forced to cut basic services.

The quality of infrastructure, schools and public safety services “all play a part in where college graduates decide to live, and it has little or nothing to do with the business tax structure,” Greller said.

“So, regardless of what the business tax structure is, if it’s not attractive to these people, we’re just not going to have any people here to work.”

Yoder, in Auburn, expressed similar concerns.

“We want Auburn to be a good place to live, to raise our children, to do business and to retire, and we know that takes taxes and revenue, and we want businesses to pay their fair share,” Yoder said.

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