Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly - Nov. 1, 2013

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TARGET ACQUIRED Startup creates robotic system that aims to improve shooting skills BY BARRY ROCHFORD brochford@kpcmedia.com

People are erratic. They make unexpected decisions. Their behavior, oftentimes, doesn’t conform to a pattern that can be predicted. In a situation n “When he was involving armed law-enforcement or telling me about military personnel who are responding this idea that he’d to a threat, that randomness can had for application have life or death of robotics to the consequences. A Fort Wayne target world, that startup, Targamite LLC, has developed actually lined up a robotic target very well with an system designed to mimic what interest we have in officers, agents and soldiers might robotics.” encounter in realRobert Kniskern life situations. The Adaptive Micro-Ware Inc. company expects to begin selling its Targabot system to customers in January. “The idea of this doing what it does is it builds confidence,” said Targamite’s founder, Gary Kaufman. “And when you build confidence in personnel, it builds competence. That’s where the sweet spot of this thing is. It’s mission is to build more prowess and competence out in the field so people are more effective in what they do

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INSIDE

Vol. 9 Issue 44

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Brian Bauer succeeds Joe Dorko at CEO of Lutheran Health Network.

Health network board makes Bauer new CEO He became interim LHN leader in June BARRY ROCHFORD

Gary Kaufman, left, founded Targamite LLC and developed the Targabot system, center, with assistance from Robert Kniskern and Adaptive Micro-Ware Inc.

— and are safer and come home.” As a child growing up in rural Northern California, Kaufman, was at one point paid $15 a head to shoot jackrabbits. That was a seemingly high price, but he quickly realized why: Jackrabbits don’t like being shot at, and trying to hit one as it zigged and zagged away from him sorely tested his marksmanship skills. “They’re almost impossible to shoot,” he said. People, too, zig and zag. Kaufman has

Brian Bauer, now officially the chief executive officer of Lutheran Health Network, has been known to drop in, unannounced, at one of the network’s hospitals just to visit with patients and staff. On one occasion, Bauer, the Lutheran Hospital CEO who acted as interim network CEO for four months, showed up on a weekend, dressed in shorts, and had a hard time persuading people he was who he said

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PERSONAL BUSINESS

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

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Personal Business ... 12-14 Top List ............................ 19 BizLeads..................... 21-22

llipp@kpcmedia.com

worked as an intellectual-property lawyer in San Francisco, combating Ralph Lauren knockoffs and Swiss watch company counterfeits. He later joined an entertainment law firm in Los Angeles and specialized in independent motion picture finance and distribution — the straight-to-VHS movies starring the likes of Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson or Jean Claude Van Damme that feature lots of action and explosions. They

Local news .................... 3-7 Banking & Finance... 10-11

BY LINDA LIPP

Business helps communities combat unwanted pet waste

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See BAUER on PAGE 25

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Schools: Enrollment declines reflect students’ return to work BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Loss of older students thought to have re-entered the work force contributed to enrollment declines at northeast Indiana’s two largest institutions of higher learning, but new programs helped increase enrollment at some of the area’s smaller colleges and universities. Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne began this fall semester with 10,412 undergraduate and graduate students, which was down 8 percent from a year earlier when there were 11,333. The university also looks at the credit hours for the classes in which those students were enrolled, and that figure fell 6.5 percent to 120,988. There were 3,047 high-school students GREATER FORT WAYNE

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enrolled in classes that earn credit at IPFW as well as high school, which was up 25 percent from 2,438 a year earlier; the credit hours for those non-degree-seeking students rose to 12,811 from 9,906, said George McClellan, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management. “A lot of (universities) like us have growth in these dual-credit students, and that’s good in some ways, but they’re not degree-seeking students yet,” he said. And “there are less kids coming out of high school.” “Whether they are freshmen straight out of high school or adult learners coming back to college for the first time, the first-time degree seekers were up about 2 percent” at IPFW, he said. n

See ENROLLMENT on PAGE 6

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November 1-7, 2013

Two local shopping centers no longer for sale The Parkwest and Pine Valley shopping

On the march Riverview Cemetery, owned and operated by D.O. McComb & Sons, is the new home of the Vietnam War-era M-41 Walker Bulldog tank that had been displayed at Johnny Appleseed Park. The tank will become the focal point of the cemetery’s newly designated veterans section. The M-41 tank obtained through the armed forces is 273 inches long, 127.8 inches wide and 108.4 inches in height. It weighs 51,000 pounds and has been demilitarized. “There are few M-41s left and we are very honored to be able to bring one to Riverview Cemetery,” said co-owner Dave McComb. The Fort Wayne Freedom Riders were to escort the tank, which had been the propery of the Breakfast Sertoma Club and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, to its new location Nov. 1.

centers, which were listed for sale for nearly a year, have been taken off the market. “It’s good news,” said Stan Phillips, of NAI Harding Dahm, which represents the New York-based owner of both properties, the Feil Organization.

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not been revealed. Parkwest Center, a 180,655-square-foot mixed use property, was listed for just over $10 million, or $55 per square foot. Pine Valley Shopping Center, a 91,024-squarefoot retail center, was listed for more than $8 million, or $87 per square foot. NAI Harding Dahm continues to manage leasing for both centers.

CBRE/STURGES Bill Cupp represented the tenant, Bright PCS LLC, in the seven-year renewal of a

lease of 4,163 square feet of office space at 5310 W. Washington Center Road. Karen Spake and Carolyn SpakeLeeper represented the owner, NatMI National Trucking Terminals, in the sale of a 14,460-square-foot industrial property on 3.8 acres at 3907 Transportation Drive.

NAI HARDING DAHM Stan Phillips represented the landlord, SHIV Properties, as well as the tenant,

REAL ESTATE & RETAIL Linda Lipp

A national tenant is looking at filling a 32,000-square-foot vacancy at Parkwest, and to make that happen the owner will have to renovate, Phillips said. It decided to keep that property and, since it was holding on to one, keep Pine Valley as well, Phillips said. The name of the prospective tenant has

Dollar Tree, in the lease of 8,400 square feet of retail space at 2880 Walmart Drive, Suite A. Mike Dahm represented the seller, Stallsmith Family LLC, in the sale of the 16,299-square-foot building at 230 E. Collins Drive to U-Haul. Phillips represented the landlord, Fort Wayne Associates, and the tenant, Charles’ Hair Today, in the lease of 1,026 square feet of retail space at 3942 W. Jefferson Blvd. Steve Chen represented the landlord, T&T Properties, and the tenant, Lutheran Military Veterans & Families Ministries LLC, in the lease of 1,314 square feet of

office space at 3480 Stellhorn Road.

STREBIG CONSTRUCTION Strebig Construction Inc. was awarded a contract by Custom Cartons Inc. of Wabash to re-side its entire building. Work is under way and will be completed by the end of December.

FELDERMAN DESIGN-BUILD Felderman Design-Build was awarded a design-build contract by Mercedes Benz of Fort Wayne for a building and car-lot expansion off Jefferson Boulevard.

DESIGN COLLABORATIVE Grace College & Seminary in Winona Lake has just broken ground on a new 80-bed n

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Secretary of state urges crowdfunding caution State offi- n Reporter’s cials who deal with securities NOTEBOOK fraud expect to see some scams disguised as legitimate c r ow d f u n d i n g efforts, and they included that warning in an announcement on business and investment pitches that merit extra scrutiny. “With the delayed rollout of rules required by the JOBS Doug LeDuc Act, investors and small business owners alike must be RELATED on heightened alert for questionable investment STORY offers and services,” said SEC seeks Indiana Secretary of public State Connie Lawson. comments A provision of on crowdthe JOBS Act lifts an funding. 80-year-old ban on adverPage 10 tising private offerings, and Lawson said she is worried that unscrupulous promoters will try to take advantage of the change. Lack of regulation for third parties providing services related to crowdfunding investment also could cause problems, she warned. “Whether you are using a crowdfunding portal or an accredited investor aggregator, it is important to do your due diligence and to understand that use of an unregulated third party to provide such services does not change your obligations under federal and state securities laws,” she said. “Investors are not alone in their potential to be scammed. Using a fraudulent portal means both the business and the investor stand to lose.” Lawson recommended independent verification of all investments and background checks on the individuals pitching them. “You wouldn’t trust your health to an unlicensed doctor, so why jeopardize your financial health by trusting your hardearned money to an unlicensed broker or investment adviser?”

BANKING & FINANCE

NON-INTEREST INCOME HELPS OLD NATIONAL EARNINGS A 25-percent increase in noninterest income, a 6-percent gain in net interest income and a loan loss provision recapture

of $1.7 million contributed to a 21-percent third-quarter earnings rise for Old National Bancorp. The Evansville-based parent company of Old National Bank reported its thirdquarter earnings rose to $23.9 million, or 23 cents per share, from $19.7 million, or 20 cents per share, for the same period last year. A third-quarter earnings announcement said the results were affected by $2.3 million of charges related to integrating 24 former Bank of America branches into Old National and $2.7 million in branch closing costs. Old National’s third-quarter noninterest income grew to $47.5 million from $38 million for the prior-year quarter, and its net interest income rose to $78 million from $74.2 million. “Our third quarter results, specifically our strong credit metrics and stable net interest margin, reinforce Old National’s position as a strong, secure and well-capitalized community bank,” Bob Jones, its president and chief executive officer, said in the announcement. “Additionally, the completion of our Bank of America branch acquisition and the announcement of our partnership with (Fort Wayne-based) Tower Financial (Corp.) reflect our continued focus on seeking growth opportunities that benefit our clients and shareholders.” In September, Old National announced it would acquire Tower Financial, the parent company of Tower Bank, in a deal valued at $108 million. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014. Old National’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share payable Dec. 16 to shareholders of record Dec. 2.

INDEPENDENT ALLIANCE BANKS EARNINGS FALL 12 PERCENT The third-quarter earnings of Independent Alliance Banks fell 12 percent largely on a 26-percent drop in noninterest income. The Fort Wayne-based holding company for IAB Financial Bank reported thirdquarter earnings of $2 million, or 49 cents per share, which was down from $2.3 million, or 56 cents per share, for the same period last year. It’s loan loss provision declined to $300,000 from $565,000. “Our capital remains strong, and our improved credit quality allowed us to return to a more productive third quarter,” Mike Marhenke, the company’s president and CEO, said in an announcement on its third-quarter performance. Its third-quarter earnings were 65

percent above its second-quarter earnings of $1.2 million. IAB’s third-quarter noninterest income of $2 million was down 26 percent from $2.7 million a year earlier, and its net interest income of $7.1 million was down 5 percent from $7.5 million. “Overall third quarter financial performance was lower compared to last year due mainly to less secondary market fee income,” the IAB announcement said. “A rise in long-term interest rates caused mortgage rates to increase, which resulted in a slowdown in mortgage lending.”

SALIN HOLDS GRAND OPENING FOR LIMA ROAD BRANCH Salin Bank and Trust Co. has opened its branch on Lima Road in Fort Wayne. The family-owned community bank with a headquarters in Indianapolis held a grand-opening celebration for its branch at 9835 Lima Road on Oct. 26. The branch replaces a Dupont Road location. When it announced the project early this year, Salin said it planned to spend more than $1 million on the branch. It was built with an entry tower referencing a nautical lighthouse designed to give the face of the banking center a distinctive look, which would work well with the company’s logo featuring three sails, displayed prominently inside. In addition to space for conventional branch service, the single-story, 1,800-square-foot facility features a greeter hub near some video-based, self-service teller bays. In that part of the branch, APTRA Interactive Teller technology allows customers to video conference at an automated teller machine with a centrally based teller who can control the ATM. The technology enables customers to access 95 percent of the teller services normally handled inside a bank branch. An announcement on the grand opening said drive-up access to the service makes it available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. “This new banking center represents an important investment in the future growth of our bank, our commitment to the Fort Wayne community and our desire to bring world-class customer service to our clients,” Bill Salin II, president and CEO said in the announcement. If you have items for the banking and finance column, please contact Doug LeDuc by e-mail at dleduc@kpcmedia.com, by phone at (260) 426-2640, ext. 309, or by mail at Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly, 3306 Independence Drive, Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

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A year after drought, yields bounce back BY DOUG LEDUC dleduc@kpcmedia.com

Most northeast Indiana farmers are glad to have gotten through a more normal growing season after last year’s drought. Kif Hurlbut, deputy regional director for the Indiana field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, said its latest forecast for the state’s northeast district projected average yields of 168 bushels per acre for corn and 50 bushels per acre for soybeans. The forecast referenced conditions as of Sept. 1 n “Normally we because the federal govern- have frost the first ment shutdown prevented an week of October, but October fore- it didn’t happen this cast, he said. In terms of year and that was the progress of the harvest, very good because c o m p a r e d we had some beans with a fiveyear average, that hadn’t turned.” “we’re slightly Gonzalee Martin behind in corn Allen County Cooperative and barely Education Service behind in soybeans, so we’re more or less on track,” Hurlbut said. With 59 percent of the corn harvested statewide and 78 percent of Indiana’s soybean acreage harvested, “we’re well behind where we were last year because it was such a fast year,” he said. Most Allen County farmers with corn and soybeans had finished harvesting one of the crops before the end of October and were working on the other, said Gonzalee Martin, an agricultural educator for the county’s Cooperative Extension Service. “Normally we have frost the first week of October, but it didn’t happen this year and that was very good because we had some beans that hadn’t turned,” he said. “The frost this fall was about two weeks later.” Soybean yields in Allen County were tending to be nine or 10 bushels per acre better than last year’s average of 53 bushels per acre, which had been lowered by the drought. Farmers in the county have been seeing their soybean n

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ENROLLMENT: Ivy Tech sees drop in students 25 and older

Continued from PAGE 3

“All of our decline was in what I will call, for lack of a better term, ‘adult.’ We’re down in graduate enrollments, down in transfers and down in retention of upper division — juniors and seniors.” McClellan said this year marks the first in a long time that national data have shown a downturn in enrollment at colleges and universities. Enrollment data published in the Digest of Education Statistics by the National Center for Education Statistics takes time to collect and process. The latest year available is for 2011, which shows total enrollment at degree-granting institutions across the country fell slightly to 20.99 million from 21.02 million. It was the first national enrollment decline since 1995. National news stories on the 2011 decline said many individuals laid off during the 2007 recession had more time for training and education as well as increased incentive to sharpen their skills to become more competitive for the job market, and a resulting surge in college enrollment peaked in 2010. In discussing enrollment declines with officials from other universities that have seen them across the state, McClellan said he has heard “most are coming off recession enrollment spikes, so we’re on the back side of that.” Other factors mentioned have included changes in laws determining how long students can be eligible for federal financial aid. And “there are some folks who have become convinced that getting a degree won’t pay them, and I think they’re wrong,” he said. At Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast, this year’s fall semester enrollment head count, including part-time and fulltime students, fell 10 percent to 9,102 from 10,081 a year earlier. Its full-time-equivalent enrollment fell 9 percent to 5,176. “We are seeing a shift in the enrollment numbers of students 25 and older,”

said Andrew Welch, executive director of marketing and communications for the college. “This, coupled with the record number of Ivy Tech graduates we saw last May, leads us to believe that a number of adult students who enrolled in the community college a couple years ago when the recession hit are now entering back into the work force with better marketable skills,” he said. “In 2011, we saw students 25 and older make up 53 percent of our total enrollment. Today, that number is 50 percent.” Local enrollment at Ivy Tech-Northeast rose after the start of the fall semester, Welch said, as students began shorter classes with different start dates. At Trine University, the head-count enrollment rose 1 percent to 2,481 at the start of the fall semester from 2,465 a year ago. “Our enrollment increase is because we are meeting the needs of today’s 21st-century student,” said Stuart Jones, vice president for enrollment management. “We do this by continuing to improve our current academic programs while offering market-relevant new ones, offering a range of programs and modalities to attract various kinds of learners in various locations, and by making our programs very affordable.” Debbie Myers, a communications specialist at the university, said Engineering and Technology is among its biggest schools, and this year it introduced new minors in plastic engineering and software engineering; last year, it introduced a new minor in energy engineering. Jones said Trine places 92 percent of its new graduates in jobs. And a U.S. News & World Report ranking of 60 Midwest universities by student debt accumulation found Trine among the universities where students accumulated the least amount of debt by graduation. About 1,280 Trine students received more than $20 million in scholarships to help with their costs of attending the university last year.

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Officials at the University of Saint Francis said in a statement around the start of its fall semester that online courses in its College of Adult Learning helped increase USF enrollment 2 percent to 2,405 from 2,360 a year earlier. “With nearly 200 students enrolled in the Virtual Campus for the semester, the University of Saint Francis continues to make education accessible for working adults,” J.P. Spagnolo, associate vice president of enrollment management, said in the statement. Its master of business administration and registered nurse to bachelor of science in nursing degrees are among those USF offers fully online. The university said in the statement providing financial aid to all first-time, fulltime undergraduate students helped it attract students directly out of high school and “of Indiana’s 31 private, non-profit colleges and universities, USF ranks in the bottom third on cost to attend.” Enrollment at the 14 campuses Indiana Tech has in Indiana and Kentucky increased 16 percent to 8,146. In addition to Fort Wayne, its Indiana locations are in Elkhart, Evansville, Fishers, Greenwood, Huntington, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kendallville, Mishawaka, Munster, Plainfield, and Warsaw. Its out-ofstate locations are in northern Kentucky. It opened the Indiana Tech Law School in Fort Wayne at the start of the fall semester, four years after starting the first nondivinity doctorate program in northeast Indiana. The doctorate program in global leadership is a blended online/classroom program. “Providing relevant degree programs, from associate to doctoral level, in ways that fit our students’ needs and desires will help us thrive for many years to come,” said Arthur Snyder in a September statement on enrollment. “Our faculty and staff have proven to be tremendous innovators not only in their approach to education, but in the types of programs we offer.”

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YIELDS: Timing

was right this year Continued from PAGE 5

yield range fall mostly between 45 bushels per acre and 65 bushels per acre, with some operations getting up to 70. The county’s corn yield has been ranging mostly between 170 bushels per acre and 225 bushels per acre, with an average of about 190, Martin said. Many farms have seen corn yields almost double what they were during last year’s drought. This year, “most of it was planted in good time and that was the main thing and then it got good showers. During tassling, there were no issues,” Martin said. “It had to do with the timing of when they got the rain.” Bill Hitchcock, manager for the Woodburn operations of Ag Plus, said some farmers in that area saw this year’s corn yields reduced to between 130 bushels per acre and 140 bushels per acre by a big downpour that left four to five inches standing in some fields during a time that could affect the crop’s growth. Farmers in the area receiving more timely showers were getting corn yields of 200 bushels per acre, he said. Bill Vonderau, a grain merchant with Bunge North America operations in Waterloo and Decatur said many farms in the Waterloo area have been seeing soybean yields ranging between 35 bushels per acre and 45 bushels per acre because they “did not receive as much rain as a lot of places did.” Their corn yields were ranging between 140 bushels per acre and 200 bushels per acre. Yields were better from Fort Wayne south to the Decatur area, ranging between 50 bushels per acre to 60 bushels per acre for soybeans and 180 bushels per acre to 200 bushels per acre for corn. Ample rainfall helped soybean growth in August and corn growth in July, Vonderau said. Both crops have been coming in to Bunge elevators at normal moisture levels and good quality, he said.

REAL ESTATE: Tucanos holds grand opening

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townhouse-style dormitory designed by Fort Wayne-based Design Collaborative. The Lodge and Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace also were Design Collaborative projects. Holladay Properties of South Bend is the developer of the new three-story dorm, which will be at the corner of Kings Highway and Seventh Street and will feature brownstone, front and back porches and an outdoor community space.

TUCANOS TO OPEN The long-awaited Tucanos Brazilian Grill will host a grand-opening celebration at Jefferson Pointe Nov. 12. The foodcourt area has been extensively renovated to provide a home for the new restaurant. 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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‘Cereal’ entrepreneur to open new restaurant BY JOEL ELLIOTT jelliott@kpcmedia.com

Carl Moser likes cereal. He likes it a lot. He likes it so much that he is starting an all-day, make-your-own breakfast place that serves only cereal. Located in a 2,000-square-foot storefront at 1533 W. Dupont Road, Cereal City will open the morning of Black Friday, Nov. 29, so early-morning shoppers can take a break for breakfast before either returning to the stores or going home to bed. But the breakfast bar will stay open throughout the day. “If you’re like me, and like cereal morning, noon and night, you want a nice, friendly place where you can build your own cereal,” Moser said. Cereal City will provide a buffet with a wide variety of types and brands of cereal, and a variety of types of beverages to pour over it. Moser prefers to mix and match. “We’re going to have a wide selection of things that can be sprinkled in, and a wide selection of milk — lactose-free, Silk, chocolate milks, almond milk. We’ll have whipped cream. Take your oatmeal, and instead of using milk put in some cold Frappuccino — turn it into a giant breakfast cookie,” he said. Moser said he will encourage his customers, especially children, to come up with their own concoctions, and, if these turn out to be hits, he will type up the recipe, name it after the person who created it, and hang it on the wall for other customers to try. He is also working out a color-coding system to alert those who are lactose intolerant as to which beverages are safe for them to consume. Cereal City will feature Wi-Fi as well as a sound system that Moser intends to use for

JOEL ELLIOTT

Cark Moser’s new business, Cereal City, will serve cereal throughout the day and allow customers to mix and match.

karaoke and open-mic events. He wants the cereal bar to provide a family- and childfriendly atmosphere, so he plans to laminate the tabletops and offer dry-erase markers for children to color on them. His art background and training — he teaches classes throughout the region and restored murals in both the LaGrange and Noble county courthouses — will come in handy for painting a wall-sized mural along one interior wall. He also has a background in food service, having directed food services in a hospital at one point, so he said he is confident he will be able to provide quality service with cleanliness. The new restaurant will be located at the site from which another business, also owned by Moser, is moving. Solar Tan tanning salon will move to another location across the street, having grown its client

base to the point where the waiting list was too long, Moser said. The lease on the original space still had another two years on it, so he decided to come up with a creative way to use it. A restaurant that offers cereal exclusively in a wide variety of iterations is a rarity nationwide — a quick Google search reveals similar businesses in Albuquerque and Philadelphia, for instance — but it may be unique in Fort Wayne. Moser said he had found about five other similar cereal buffets in the United States. Cereal City aims to provide a variety of tastes with cereals and toppings that range from sugary to wholesome, Moser said. “We are going to be able to accommodate the healthful as well as the Fruit Loops crowd,” he said.

‘The Coming Jobs War’ author to speak at IPFW Jim Clifton, CEO of Gallup Inc. and author of “The Coming Jobs War,” will close out Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne’s Omnibus Lecture

Series Nov. 12. Clifton’s lecture topic, “The Coming Jobs War,” is taken from his 2011 book in which he argues, based on data collected by Gallup, that for communities and countries to find economic success, they must focus on ways of creating “good” jobs. He has been CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Gallup since 1988. He will speak at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Auer Performance Hall inside IPFW’s Rhinehart Music Center. The event is free, but tickets are required. Tickets can be obtained at the Larson Box Office in the Gates Athletic Center at IPFW or at www.ipfw.edu/box-office. Clifton’s Omnibus Lecture Series presentation is

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sponsored by Lutheran Health Network, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Sweetwater Sound and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. “Clifton’s book emphasizes the role of local leadership in creating a region’s economic future. It was important for me to have Lutheran Health Network involved in bringing him here to further rally and engage our local talent in the global fight for jobs,” said Brian Bauer, CEO of Lutheran Health Network and CEO of Lutheran Hospital, in an announcement. 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.

MEDIA & MARKETING Barry Rochford

PAGE 7

Celebrate the region’s innovators

Seven northeast Indiana companies have been selected as Business Weekly Innovation Award recipients, and one will be named Innovator of the Year on Nov. 7. The annual awards LaPan honor companies and entrepreneurs that have developed innovative businesses, products or services. This year’s category winners are: Emerging company: Engine Research Associates, Jeff Erickson; Health care: Senior Lifestyle (doing business as Harbour Assisted Living); Retail : Rudy’s, Rudy Mahara; Manufacturing and engineering: Tuthill Corp., Tuthill Engineering; Professional services: GMS Distribution, Gerrett Stier; Real estate, construction and design: 3Rivers Federal Credit Union; and Technology: TransWorks, Tim Minnich. Final presentations from the category winners were made to this year’s panel of judges: Don Steininger, Steininger Development; Julia Fiechter, Lendingahand.net; Terry Housholder, KPC Media Group Inc.; Mike Fritsch, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center; and Bill Nicholson, ENS Group. The judges selected one category winner as Innovator of the Year; that company will be announced at the Nov. 7 event. The event also will feature keynote speaker Karl LaPan, president and CEO of the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center. The awards luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 7 at the Landmark Conference & Reception Centre, 6222 Ellison Road, Fort Wayne. Tickets are $25 per person or $175 for a table of eight and can be purchased online at www.fwbusiness.com. The reservation deadline is midnight Nov. 3.

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

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November 1-7, 2013

Building a sense of optimism Strategic planning for “Momentum” is a tricky thing. It seemingly can be found in a lot of places — particularly in sports. The third quarter of a football game. The World Series. A winning streak. But the word pops up in other situations. A company’s rising earnings. An increase in market share. A decision to invest and expand operations. There’s no good way to measure momentum — at least as it applies to use of the word outside the physics lab. It’s an imprecise description whose significance depends solely on the person uttering it. It can be frustratingly anecdotal in nature. You have momentum. Until you don’t. Is the development of downtown Fort Wayne gaining momentum? Here’s what we know: When Harrison Square was first announced in 2006, the project’s biggest question mark was the proposed retail and residential building. The ballpark and the parking garage, bolstered by a significant investment from the city to the tune of more than $60 million, were largely assured. The hotel was a bit trickier, and then Marriott came calling. But it was unclear whether there was a great enough appetite for people to buy condos and move downtown. The parking garage, Parkview Field and the 250-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel eventually opened. But the Harrison building languished. Financing was elusive. For a long time, the only evidence of work on the Harrison was a large pit along Jefferson Boulevard. The open void was a symbol of the absence of progress. Plans for the Harrison were altered. The building would be smaller. It would have apartments instead of condos. It would include office space. And still, there was only a pit. But then a new development group, New Harrison LLC, came on board. Its local connections were enough to finagle financing for the project. This year, the last piece of the Harrison Square development opened — four

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years after what was originally envisioned. Rewind several months: As cranes were busy working at the Harrison site, another downtown project was announced. The Anthony Wayne Building would be renovated, offering a mix of condos, office and retail space. The Harrison suddenly had a companion project. Now as work continues on the Anthony Wayne Building, Ash Brokerage Corp. has announced it will relocate its headquarters to a new office building downtown as part of a $71-million multiuse project that includes apartments, condos, townhouses, parking garage and retail space. Such a massive endeavor — involving Ash Brokerage, Hanning & Bean Enterprises and the city of Fort Wayne — had to have come together over a long period of time, right? Wrong. It only took a few months. If everything goes as planned, construction could start next spring. Is this momentum? Are efforts to revitalize downtown Fort Wayne gaining enthusiasm and traction? It’s difficult to measure, but here, too, is what we know: The Ash Brokerage project, if it had been put forward in 2006, likely would not have come to fruition. It took all the pushing and prodding that began in 2006 in motion. And if you remember your high-school physics, objects in motion tend to stay in motion. If it’s not momentum, at the very lease it’s optimism. And with these three projects, that, in and of itself, may be the most important thing being built downtown.

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.

economic development ’Tis the season for strategic planning. Organizations, public and private, for profit and not-for-profit, feel the need to know where they are going in the next year. If they haven’t made a new strategic plan (or cannot find the one they made last year), there is the anxiety of traveling without a map. In today’s world, some argue, the strategic plan is as unnecessary as the paper road map. With a GPS device in your car, you don’t need a map in the glove compartment. In a rapidly changing world, this view holds, strategic plans are the route to stagnation, which is the reason so few are followed. Nonetheless, strategic plans are still popular, n particularly when there is a change of board members or senior staff. Although the words necessarily vary, here is the basic outline of the standard, contemporary strategic plan for a not-for-profit, economic-development agency. Mission statement: The Grover’s Mill Economic Development Council (GM-EDC) provides support for the growth of new and existing businesses. Vision: Grover’s Mill is a town where new opportunities and higher wages are sought to improve the lives our citizens. Objectives: 1. Enable existing businesses to grow and prosper in GM. 2. Facilitate the attraction to GM of new firms that expand employment opportunities for our Morton J. labor force. 3. Cooperate with local schools and other Marcus agencies to improve GM work-force skills and income potential. 4. Support and encourage GM community development with emphasis on infrastructure, housing and amenities. 5. Ensure the continuity of the GM-EDC. The reader will see that objective No. 5 is the most important. No respectable agency suggests it should consider going out of existence. The whole idea of sustainability for a local economic-development organization (LEDO) is its service will always be needed. Objectives 3 and 4 (work-force and community development) are not easily influenced by a LEDO. A strong voice, supported by good research and cogent argument, can help, but the future of the work force and the community rests on factors well beyond the reach of a LEDO. This leaves objectives 1 and 2 for serious and effective planning. Retention and attraction are the bread and butter of a LEDO. Its efforts must be focused on these two objectives if it is to meet the sustainability objective. Most LEDOs put their strongest efforts into the attraction objective. It brings the best press and is easier than retention. To focus on retention may mean going head to head with existing, inept management that has no desire to change. Nor is it likely that an existing business believes the LEDO has the experience and know-how to provide meaningful growth advice. All this means our friends at the GM-EDC have a strategic plan that looks good, but has only one truly actionable objective. Bring in something new to prove your worth or start surfing the Web for new jobs.

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.

November 1-7, 2013

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Crowdfunding to take a leap by seeking investors (AP) — Crowdfunding is about to go big time. For years, filmmakers, artists and charities have used the power of the Internet to generate money for projects. But in the coming year, with the blessing of Congress, startups will be allowed to raise money this way by selling stock to small-time investors. For those investors, it’s a chance to make a small profit and possibly get in early on the next Twitter or Facebook. But it’s also extremely risky, given that a majority of startups fail. And critics warn that investment crowdfunding is ripe for fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission last month took a step toward implementing the law by proposing how much people could invest and how much companies must divulge. The SEC voted 5-0 to send the proposal out for public comment. Final rules could be approved next year. Under the proposal, people with annual income and net worth of less than $100,000 could invest a maximum of 5 percent of their yearly income. Those with higher incomes could invest up to 10 percent. Companies also would be required to provide information to prospective investors about their business plan and financial condition, as well as a list of their officers, directors and those who own at least 20 percent of the company. “There is a great deal of excitement in the marketplace” over crowdfunding, SEC Chairman Mary Jo White said before the vote. “We want this market to thrive, in a safe manner for investors.” Crowdfunding is hardly new. Sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have for years helped fund projects through donations raised online. Through those sites and others, supporters can pledge $10 — or tens of thousands of dollars — to help start a project, be it a business, a charity or the arts. In return, supporters can receive a gift, such as a T-shirt or a song named after

STOCK.XCHNG

them. Others simply feel satisfied knowing that they helped a good cause. Or some get to join Spike Lee courtside at a New York Knicks basketball game. That’s how Lee rewarded donors who gave the maximum of $10,000 to his latest film project, which he funded through a Kickstarter campaign in July that raised $1.4 million. And soon, businesses will be able to offer investors a piece of their company. The 2012 law, known as the JOBS Act, made it legal for small companies to sell stock over the Internet. They could raise a maximum of $1 million a year from individual investors without registering with the SEC. The SEC was given some discretion to request company information and limits on investment, which they did with the proposed rule. The goal of the law was to help startups raise money quickly when they couldn’t

attract attention from venture capitalists or traditional investors. At the same time, the law eased the SEC’s regulatory reach by giving the startups an exemption from filing rules. The rationale was that new businesses in a hurry to raise money would be hampered by having to submit paperwork. That’s a change for Congress, which only two years earlier gave the SEC regulatory powers in response to the 2008 crisis. Supporters say investment crowdfunding could be a boon to the economy. More businesses create more jobs and that boosts economic growth. And many of the companies that would benefit are in overlooked areas of the country, such as the Midwest or Southeast, according to Robert Hoskins, who does public relations and marketing for crowdfunding ventures. “It’s going to save America’s butt,” he said. Mat Dellorso runs WealthForge, a company that will serve as an exchange for startup companies to sell their stock online. He’s already heard from more than 500 firms in a broad range of fields, including technology, medicine, energy and consumer products. But investor advocates and other critics express concerns that this new arena of investing could be a breeding ground for fraud. While many companies are started by entrepreneurs with good intentions, “there could be some sharks out there as well,” said William Beatty, the director of securities in Washington state. “I hope a lot of people don’t get hurt,” he said in a telephone interview. SEC Commissioner Luis Aguilar said unscrupulous operators could use investment crowdfunding to prey on “vulnerable segments of society.” The system could enable “affinity fraud,” he said, with promoters appealing to members of ethnic or religious groups to which they portray themselves as belonging.

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

November 1-7, 2013

$5B deal doesn’t end JPMorgan troubles (AP) — The $5.1 billion that JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay hardly ends its legal troubles over mortgage securities it sold. It’s merely a down payment. JPMorgan still faces heavy financial burdens. The bank has set aside $23 billion to cover legal costs — and it may need it all. In a statement Oct. 25, JPMorgan called its latest settlement an “important step” toward resolving allegations over mortgage-backed securities it sold. The $5.1 billion would resolve federal claims that it misled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac about risky home loans and securities they bought before the housing market collapsed. Fannie and Freddie were rescued in a taxpayer bailout in 2008 as they sank under the weight of mortgage losses. Between 2005 and 2007, JPMorgan sold $33 billion in mortgage securities to Fannie and Freddie, according to their regulator. That was the second-most sold to Fannie and Freddie ahead of the crisis, behind only Bank of America. The securities soured after the housing bubble burst in 2007, losing billions in value. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, announced the settlement with JPMorgan, the largest U.S. bank, which has Chase branches in northeast Indiana. The deal is expected to be followed by a broader agreement with the Justice Department that’s still being negotiated. Last weekend, JPMorgan reached a tentative deal with Justice to pay $13 billion. The $13-billion tentative deal n

See JPMORGAN on PAGE 11

November 1-7, 2013

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JPMORGAN: Still faces other investigations

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included $4 billion to resolve the FHFA claims. Even reduced by that amount, it would be the largest penalty the government has extracted from a company for actions related to the ďŹ nancial crisis. It’s unclear when the broader agreement will be ďŹ nalized. The bank still faces local, state and federal investigations into its sale of the mortgage-backed securities. Most of the trouble stems from JPMorgan’s acquisition of Bear Stearns in March 2008. In September, JPMorgan agreed to pay $920 million and admit that it failed to oversee trading that led to a $6 billion loss last year in its London operation. That combined amount, in settlements with three regulators in the U.S. and one in Britain, is one of the largest ďŹ nes ever levied against a ďŹ nancial institution. In another case, the company agreed to pay a $100-million penalty and admitted that its traders acted “recklesslyâ€? with the London trades. If that weren’t enough, JPMorgan is tied up in litigation over the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme. JPMorgan has said it’s responding to investigations by Justice and other regulators. The bank hasn’t given details. But it has previously faced accusations that it and other banks ignored signs that Madoff was a con artist. Edward DeMarco, the FHFA’s acting director, said the settlement with JPMorgan “provides greater certainty in the marketplace and is in line with our responsibility for preserving and conserving Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s assets on behalf of taxpayers.â€? The FHFA sued 18 ďŹ nancial institutions in September 2011 over their sales of mortgage securities to Fannie and Freddie. The total price for the securities sold was $196 billion. The government rescued Fannie and Freddie during the ďŹ nancial crisis when both were on the verge of collapse. The companies received taxpayer aid totaling $187 billion. They have since become profitable and repaid $146 billion. Of the $5.1 billion it’s agreed to pay, New York-based JPMorgan will pay about $2.74 billion to Freddie and $1.26 billion to Fannie for mortgage bonds it sold. JPMorgan is paying a separate $1.1 billion for home loans it sold them. The mortgage securities that JPMorgan sold to Fannie and Freddie included billions that were packaged by two institutions that failed in 2008: Wall Street bank Bear Stearns and Seattle-based Washington Mutual, the largest U.S. savings and loan. JPMorgan bought Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual in deals brokered by the

Big Small

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government. A number of big banks, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, previously have been accused of abuses in sales of securities linked to mortgages in the years leading up to the crisis. Together, they have paid hundreds of millions in penalties to settle civil charges brought by the SEC, which accused them of deceiving investors about the quality of the bonds they sold. But no high-level Wall Street executives has been sent to jail over charges related to the ďŹ nancial crisis. And the banks in all the SEC cases were allowed to neither admit nor deny wrongdoing — a practice that brought criticism of the agency from judges and investor advocates. Some lawmakers and other critics have demanded that the big bailed-out banks and senior executives be held accountable.

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LAKELAND EARNINGS REACH RECORD Lakeland Financial Corp., the parent company of Lake City Bank, reported record quarterly net income and earnings per share Oct. 25. Net income for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30 was $9.8 million, a 5-percent increase from $9.3 million in third-quarter 2012. Earnings per share were 59 cents, 4 percent higher than 57 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. For the ďŹ rst nine months of 2013, net income was $28.3 million compared to $26.8 million in the ďŹ rst nine months of 2012. Earnings per share for the ďŹ rst nine months were $1.70 — also a record. That’s 4 percent higher than $1.63 per share in the comparable prior-year period.

Warsaw-based Lakeland’s board of directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of 19 cents per share payable Nov. 5 to shareholders of record as of Friday. “We continue to beneďŹ t from a strengthening economy in our Indiana markets and are encouraged by this favorable performance,â€? Michael Kubacki, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. Kubacki announced in September that he would resign as CEO next April. He will be succeeded by President and CFO David Findlay. Average total loans for the third quarter were $2.35 billion compared to $2.22 billion in the year-ago period. Average total deposits for third-quarter 2013 were $2.48 billion versus $2.49 billion in 2012. Lakeland didn’t have a provision for loan losses during the third quarter — the third quarter in a row it was able to do so.

enough to offer the products you need. enough to know you by name.

First Federal Bank is more than a money manager. When you open your personal or business checking account, you get access to products that fit your lifestyle, services like mobile banking that bring added convenience, and personal investment advice.* But at each of our offices, you’ll find smiling faces, neighborly advice and a team of banking professionals with over 200 years of combined experience who take the time to provide exceptional service. It’s these people-powered principles that set First Federal Bank apart. Whether you’re opening your first account or closing an offer on the home of your dreams, we’re investing in your neighborhood one transaction at a time. After all, we’re better together.

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CAREER PATH

PersonalBusiness “It levels the playing field and keeps it clean, too” GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

Tell me a little about PooPrints. What does it do?

Name: Terry Hively Business: PooPrints N.E. Indiana LLC Title: owner Location: 7030 Tree Top Trail Website: PooPrintsNEIndianaLLC.com Number of employees: two

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PooPrints is a company founded to solve the pet waste problem experienced by apartment and condo residents. As dog ownership increases, so does the amount of dog waste left on the ground by irresponsible pet owners. Currently, there is no a way to determine who is or isn’t picking up after pets. DNA testing solves that problem. Also as a tool to assist owners in being responsible, PooPrints supplies pet waste stations and pet waste bags to make disposal of the waste easy and convenient. How big of a problem is pet owners who don’t pick up after their pets? How does PooPrints help decrease the occurrence of that happening?

According to Consumer Reports, dog waste is No. 6 on the list of America’s top gripes. In a watershed study, the EPA found 20 percent of the pollutants could be attributed to dog waste. An average-size dog produces two piles of waste each day, which amounts to 276 pounds per year, of which it is estimated that 40 percent goes unscooped. That waste is not only disgusting to find on the sidewalks and in play and picnic areas, but it also causes a health hazard for children and other pets. The waste

November 1-7, 2013

can contain harmful bacteria and parasites. PooPrints solves that problem by positively identifying the offending pet through DNA testing done on the pet. DNA doesn’t fail. It matches the dog to the waste. This is a great tool for the apartment managers and condo directors to enforce the rules they already have in place but are being ignored. Who do you anticipate as being your primary customers? Why would they benefit from your services?

Apartment managers and condo directors are using the PooPrints program throughout the country. The testimonials tell the story. They are finding a decrease of pet waste in their areas of 75 percent to 100 percent. Their residents are happy, and the responsible pet owners feel it is about time everyone obeys the rules. The apartment complexes see an increase in residents who want to live in a clean and green environment. This increases revenue through less turnaround and an increase in new residents. The managers’ time and the time of their maintenance staff can be used for more productive matters than dealing with dog waste and dog-waste complaints. n

See HIVELY on PAGE 13

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Terry Hively is helping apartment and condo managers keep their communities clean through his new business, PooPrints N.E. Indiana LLC.

November 1-7, 2013

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HIVELY: Testing identifies offending pet

Continued from PAGE 12

The condo directors just want the calls and constant complaints to stop. The condo owners want their environment to be clean, green and show pride of ownership, which translates into higher home values. What would you say to those who might think that DNA testing for dog poop sounds a little extreme?

DNA testing of dog poop can sound extreme when first hearing it. However, the fact is all communities, cities and states have rules and laws regarding the removal of pet waste from public areas. Enforcement has been nearly impossible. Responsible pet owners obey the rules but still must live with the problem. DNA testing makes it possible, for the first time ever, to identify the offending pet with total accuracy. It levels the playing field and keeps it clean, too. What did you do professionally before launching this business? Did that experience help you when you started Poo Prints in Fort Wayne?

My previous career was in engineering. During that career, my responsibilities included business-to-business sales. That

experience and my confidence in the value of PooPrints made starting this new business exciting and enjoyable. What have been some of the challenges in starting the business? How were you able to overcome them?

The greatest challenge was getting all of the paperwork and proper forms executed. Professionals in various fields handled some of the details. What have been some of the most rewarding aspects of starting this business?

It is always rewarding to have the freedom to pursue an idea and see it come to life. PooPrints is already getting the attention of apartment managers and orders are coming in. What are some of your goals for the business?

The main goal of PooPrints is to provide a new effective tool that will finally stop the pet-waste problems in our community. Think clean and green. By Barry Rochford. To suggest an idea for Career Path, email news@fwbusiness.com or call (260) 426-2640.

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

E-mail your People on the Move items to news@fwbusiness.com.

REP. MARLIN STUTZMAN Zach Rodgers was appointed to serve

as veterans affairs caseworker at the Fort Wayne office of Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd. He most recently was the assistant director of admissions at Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast.

CANCER SERVICES Stacey Stumpf joined Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana in Fort Wayne as

director of marketing and development. She will lead the organization’s development and fundraising efforts. She previously worked at The Journal Gazette.

AMERICAN RED CROSS The Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region of the American Red Cross announced its board of directors. Officers are: chair, Julie Nill, Comcast Corp.; vice chair, Mark Franke, retired; vice chair, Richard Gripp, Ignite LLC; vice chair, David Heltzel, Despos Tailoring; vice chair, Randy McCune, consultant; secretary, Judi Loomis, the League for the Blind & Disabled. New board members are: Allie Braun, Greater Fort Wayne Inc.; Clyde Brown, Brown Insurance Group; Olivia Fey, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum; Eva

Merkel, Lakeland High School; and Chris Werling, Cornerstone Management Advi-

sors LLC. The following board members rotated off the board and were recognized for their service: Stan Adams, Indiana Data Center; Christine Blanchard, Memorial Coliseum; Therese Brown, Allen County commissioner; Bob Martin, Baden, Gage & Schroeder LLC; and Jeff Sorensen, General Motors Co.

Rodgers

Flamm

Peugh

Stewart

Rutherford

Smith

Sorg

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Bryan

Stanley

GRACE COLLEGE & SEMINARY Andrew Flamm was hired as vice president of advancement at Grace College & Seminary in Winona Lake. He has more than eight years of leadership and fundraising experience. He most recently worked at Manchester University.

SYM FINANCIAL ADVISORS Rhonda Peugh joined SYM Financial Advisors in Winona Lake as a client

service representative. She has more than 20 years of previous experience, most recently working at Jefferson Elementary School. Brandon Stewart joined the firm as a client service representative. His experience includes working at local orthopedic companies and Fort Financial Credit Union.

DO IT BEST

VITAL LIVING WELLSPA

Laikyn Rutherford joined Do it Best Corp. in Fort Wayne as an internal audit

Mary Bryan joined the massage therapy staff at Vital Living WellSpa in Fort Wayne. She is certified in therapeutic massage and body work. Michelle Stanley was hired as a spa associate.

intern. Mark Smith was hired as building products account executive. Beau Sorg was hired as retail project leader. Mike Ter Molen was promoted to divisional manager for building products and home decor.

When it counts. When complex legal issues are on the line for your business, you count on your first string. We understand what it takes to be on a winning team – dedication, energy, knowledge and the ability to finish. Let us assemble the right legal team for you, so you can get back to business.

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Surpass customers’ expectations and you can wind up in the Hall of Fame Customer n service is one of those things that many companies do incredibly well while others continuously struggle. Each year, Zogby Analytics, in partnership with MSN, releases a survey that rates the best and worst companies in the area of customer service. Those Barry LaBov that provide the best customer service make it into the Hall of Fame; those that do not are listed in the Hall of Shame. While it’s interesting to see the names of the top 10 companies on each list, it’s even more interesting to learn the reason behind each ranking. The 2013 survey ranked nearly 150 brands based on input from more than 1,500 consumers. According to the survey, the top three things most important to customers are knowledgeable staff, service after the sale and friendly staff. So it’s not surprising that many of the companies in the Hall of Fame were noted for being friendly and making it easy for customers to do business with them by keeping things simple — that includes anything from company policies to communications to the products or services themselves. Customer consideration was another prevailing theme for those companies who made it to the Hall of Fame. A great example was from No. 3 on the list, Hilton Hotels. When Conrad Hilton, founder of Hilton Hotels, built his first hotel in Dallas in 1925, he realized the west side of the building became very hot in the afternoons. During a time when there was no air conditioning, this posed a significant challenge. Knowing that guests would be uncomfortable, Mr. Hilton decided to locate elevators, laundry chutes and air shafts instead of hotel rooms on the west side. He understood the importance of putting his customers first and ensuring they had the most comfortable stay at his hotel, and that focus on customer service continues today throughout the company. Companies in the Hall of Fame also communicate well with their customers. First, they’re easy to reach if a customer has a question, request, complaint or otherwise. They also listen to their customers’ needs and work to meet those needs. When a customer takes the time to communicate, a

CONFESSIONS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR

company’s response should be helpful and respectful. I recently emailed a company about the low quality of a product I’d purchased, and the response I received went something like this: “Thanks for your feedback. We’ll pass your comment on to the quality department. We hope you’ll shop with us again.” That was a rather cold, unsatisfying response. No offer to rectify the product-quality issue, no apology, no incentive to give the company another try, no confidence anything will change based on my feedback. As a result, I’m no longer doing business with the company. Several companies in the Hall of Shame received poor marks for not being open in their communication with customers on topics ranging from mortgages to sudden credit-card interest-rate changes. Not only is communication important in providing good customer service, it’s also essential in maintaining a relationship of trust with customers, which builds loyalty. When customers purchase products or services, they have certain expectations. For example, if a company says it will send a service person to a customer’s home during a certain time period, that customer expects the service person to show up. Three of the companies in the top 10 Hall of Shame received low marks for missing appointments, as many as three consecutive appointments, with customers. Not living up to expectations sends several negative messages to customers: You don’t know what you’re doing, you’re disorganized, you don’t care about the customer — the list goes on. On the other hand, following through on promises is a sure way to increase customer confidence in your company, which can lead to more business, repeat business and referrals. So now I’ll counter the poor customer-service experience I relayed earlier with an outstanding one. I had to return a product I’d purchased online. First, the shipping was free, which was great. Next, the company paid to have the product shipped back to its warehouse when I decided I didn’t like it. Lastly, it let me know when it received the package, when the return would be processed and when my card would be credited. And the company did all that in a charming, self-effacing way that made me want to do business with it again. Was this difficult for the company to do? It didn’t seem to be. Was it a hardship on the company? Considering it’s a billiondollar company, I don’t think it’s doing too bad. Sometimes the hardest part of having a bad customer-service experience is knowing how easy it would have been for it to be a great one. It can be as simple as

a sincere thank you or a genuine apology. I’m guessing most of the customer-service issues out there could be rectified fairly simply. It’s not rocket science. Live up to your promises, be honest, care about your customers, help them solve their problems. If everyone did that, there wouldn’t be a need for the MSN Money-Zogby Analytics Customer Service Hall of Shame, only the Hall of Fame. My entrepreneurial confession: I have very little patience for bad customer service, whether eating at a restaurant,

shopping online or buying a car. There’s no excuse for treating a customer or potential customer with anything less than respect. BARRY LABOV, a two-time Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year and inductee into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, is founder, president and CEO of LaBov Marketing Communications and Training in Fort Wayne and co-owner and president of Sycamore Hills Golf Club. He has written or co-authored more than a dozen business books, and he blogs at www.barrylabov.blogspot.com.

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PAGE 16

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

November 1-7, 2013

November 1-7, 2013

Q

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

BRIEFLY

E LK H A RT C O U N T Y

RV INDUSTRY SALES SOAR AT PATRICK Patrick Industries Inc. said Oct. 24 that its sales for the third quarter were up 29.8 percent, largely because of a 35-percent rise in revenue from RV industry sales. The Elkhart-based recreational-vehicle and manufactured-housing supplier reported sales of $146.6 million, up from $112.9 million a year ago. Third-quarter net income was $5.5 million, or 51 cents per share, compared with $6.6 million, or 60 cents per share, in the year-ago period, when the company had an effective tax rate of 0 percent due to a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. For the first nine months of the year, Patrick reported net sales of $448.3 million, up $117.1 million, or 35.3 percent, from the first three quarters of 2012. Revenue from the RV industry, which represented about 73 percent of total sales, increased by 44 percent. Revenue from the manufactured-housing industry, which represented 16 percent of sales, rose 12 percent. Revenue from the industrial market increased 25 percent and benefited from improved retail fixture and residential cabinet and furniture sales. The industrial

fwbusiness.com

market accounted for 11 percent of the company’s sales for the nine-month period. “Our organization’s success is centered on bringing the highest level of quality products and services to our customers, and executing our strategic initiatives with the goal of further increasing growth and profitability consistent with our expectation of continuously increasing shareholder value,” CEO Todd Cleveland said in a statement. “We intend to continue to pursue acquisitions and other avenues to increase our revenues and grow our operating income, net income, cash flows and earnings per share through the remainder of 2013 and into 2014.”

A LLE N C O U NT Y

FRANKLIN ELECTRIC BOARD OKS DIVIDEND The board of directors of Fort Waynebased Franklin Electric Co. Inc. approved a quarterly cash dividend of 7.75 cents per share, payable Nov. 21 to shareholders of record Nov. 7. Franklin Electric, which makes systems and components for moving water and fuel, moved into its new southwest Fort Wayne headquarters in August.

PAGE 17

Together, we’re growing a more prosperous, vibrant community in Greater Fort Wayne. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. is the new organization that unifies the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, serving as a single point of contact for business and economic growth in Greater Fort Wayne. Learn more at GreaterFortWayneInc.com.

You r Busi n e ss Fi rst Since 1863, 1st Source Bank has helped businesses in our community grow and prosper by offering distinctive convenience, delivered with straight talk and sound advice, always keeping their best interests in mind. Let us help your business grow. We’ll offer you great service, convenient banking and the checking and loan products needed to reach your goals. We’ll bring full service business banking to you. Call us at 260 969-2307.

1stsource.com/business/sba-loans

PAGE 18

GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

when you stand for

Photo by Robert Correll of Fort Wayne Tower Bank Downtown Lobby

serving your community you stand a whole lot taller. Welcome to the one bank that was built to help our community grow stronger. Welcome home to Tower Bank.

Where service is a passion.

260.427.7000 | towerbank.net

November 1-7, 2013

n

Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly Top List

November 1-7, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

n

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PAGE 19

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experience the power of partnership. iiabfinancial.com a b f i n a n c i a l .c com

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GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly n

fwbusiness.com

James W. Skinner Owner

WHY DID PRESS-SEAL GASKET CORPORATION SWITCH TO A FAMILY-OWNED BANK?

3URILFLHQF\ Although James Skinner’s business is built on collecting wastewater, this second-generation owner of Press-Seal Gasket Corporation is fundamentally opposed to waste. During the height of the financial crisis, infrastructure and housing-related businesses, like his, needed expert financial guidance to soften the impact. But he felt like his bank was wasting his time. So he switched to STAR Bank, a family bank where business-banking value is sealed with proficiency. For all your commercial banking needs, call Joe Martin at 260.479.2500 today or visit starfinancial.com for more information.

It takes a family bank to understand a family business.

Member FDIC

November 1-7, 2013

n November 1-7, 2013

n GREATER FORT WAYNE Business Weekly

NEW BUSINESSES A&A Repair Inc. 207 Hoosier Drive, Suite 1 Angola, IN 46703 Richard L. Helwig The Lake Place LLC 9205 E. 40 South Angola, IN 46703 Jody Porter Thompson Excavating LLC 6020 W. Bachelor Road Angola, IN 46703 Steve Thompson Bruns Family LLC 155 Lane 100 Pine Canyon Lake Angola, IN 46703 David Bruns Dalpros LLC 810 S. Broad St. P.O. Box 745 Angola, IN 46703 Alexander Dallas Keresztes Fox Lake Farms Inc. 207 Hoosier Drive, Suite 1 Angola, IN 46703 Richard L. Helwig Jack A. and Monica R. Cook Family LLC 5815 C.R. 35 Auburn, IN 46706 Jack A. Cook H&W Rentals LLC 3663 C.R. 56 Auburn, IN 46706 Cliff Gjertson Coves at Bridgewater Inc. 2102 Bunker Court Auburn, IN 46706 Greta McComb H&W Acquisition LLC 3663 C.R. 56 Auburn, IN 46706 Cliff Gjertson Precision Gage LLC 1401 S. Grandstaff Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Jeffrey L. Turner Community Redevelopment Holdings LLC 3135 C.R. 40 Auburn, IN 46706 John B. Good Lovett Avl LLC 5883 C.R. 35 Auburn, IN 46706 Frank E. Lovett Auburn Golf Limited 1328 S. Grandstaff Drive Auburn, IN 46706 Thomas A. Lavin

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

BizLeads

Collins Acquisition LLC 17800 Commerce Drive Bristol, IN 46507 Richard Collins Sure Shot Transport LLC 19813 C.R. 6 Bristol, IN 46507 William Hampton Joan Lee Parkes Consulting Inc. 56689 C.R. 23 Bristol, IN 46507 Joan L. Parkes L Parker Farms LLC 8807 Greenwell Road Churubusco, IN 46723 Lance Parker Lori Ann Ltd. 456 Harvest Court Churubusco, IN 46723 Lori A. Fulk Quilts and Cushions LLC 2315 N. Riley Road Columbia City, IN 46725 Cynthia L. Fletcher Holly Tree LLC 354 S. Cross Creek Way Columbia City, IN 46725 Joellen Seagrave

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

Wise Farms LLC 7150 N. 350 West Columbia City, IN 46725 Tom Wise

Listings may vary due to information availability and space constraints.

H5 Enterprises LLC 313 N. Main St. Columbia City, IN 46725 Tonya Horvath

R. Johnson Farm LLC 4604 C.R. 56 Auburn, IN 46706 Nolan Johnson Fetters Remodel & Repair LLC 2461 C.R. 56 Auburn, IN 46706 ErvIN J. Fetters Jr. Little Sprouts LLC 507 S. Jackson St. Auburn, IN 46706 Thompson Smith Antiques On 5th LLC 109 E. Fifth St., Suite E Auburn, IN 46706 Bret Worden Brazzell Mortuary LLC 103 Vice Blvd. P.O. Box 399 Avilla, IN 46710 Megan Brazzell Deeds Enterprises LLC 10455 E. 100 South Avilla, IN 46710 Justin Deeds Lucky China Wang Inc. 1315 US 27 N. Berne, IN 46711 Yong L. Wang

Baumgartner Attorneys PC 360 W. Main St. Berne, IN 46711 David N. Baumgartner Norwell Dollars for Scholars Inc. 119 E. Oak Forest Drive Bluffton, IN 46714 Anthony O. Crowell Oswalt Realty LLC 2781 S. 200 East Bluffton, IN 46714 James Oswalt Picture Perfect Free Throw LLC 4566 E. 100 North Bluffton, IN 46714 Brent Imel Roe Family Farms LLC 1127 N. Main St. Bluffton, IN 46714 Christopher L. Nusbaum Meesh & Deesh LLC 1127 N. Main St. Bluffton, IN 46714 Christopher L. Nusbaum Viking Way LLC 19649 C.R. 6 Bristol, IN 46507 Ronald R. Mcfall

Hazen Properties LLC 5771 E. 400 South Columbia City, IN 46725 David L. Hazen King Bakery LLC 32 N. 400 West Columbia City, IN 46725 April Poe A Suite Gift Shoppe LLC 3741 W. 800 North Columbia City, IN 46725 Stephen D. Shearer Pretzel CrossINg Inc. 2539 E. Beech Ave. Columbia City, IN 46725 Todd A. Storm Fletcher Livestock LLC 2315 N. Riley Road Columbia City, IN 46725 Hugh Fletcher Goraya & Grewal Petroleum Inc. 314 S. Main St. Columbia City, IN 46725 Daljeet K. Goraya Bab Exchange at LLC 232 W. Van Buren St., Suite 106 Columbia City, IN 46725 Gates Land Title Corp.

n

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS ALLEN COUNTY ABOITE TOWNSHIP Strebig Construction Inc. 4310 Homestead Road $330,000

FORT WAYNE PERRY TOWNSHIP Wolverine Building Group 1916 Dupont $738,960

PAGES 21-22 Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2211 Henry V Crossing $98,000 Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2195 Henry V Crossing $95,000 Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2250 Henry V Crossing $95,000 Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2192 Henry V Crossing $151,079

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

MARION TOWNSHIP

FORT WAYNE ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP

MILAN TOWNSHIP

2833 E. Dupont Road 3007 Shelbourne Court $270,710

NEW HAVEN ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Stopher Builders Inc. 3271 Landin Meadows Run $253,856

ALLEN COUNTY ABOITE TOWNSHIP Timberlin Homes LLC 3115 Greythorne Court $530,000 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 13795 Beal Brook Court $157,188

Amos Lengacher 12907 Marion Center Road $785,000

McClurg Homes 16913 Hamptons Parkway $123,000

PERRY TOWNSHIP Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 15379 Towne Park Run $152,000 Lancia Homes 1541 Vintners Way $166,100 Granite Ridge Builders Inc. 15254 Towne Park Run $134,995

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Windsor Inc. 7313 Foxfield Drive $179,272

fwbusiness.com 207 Golfway Drive From Scott and Angie Chaffee to Douglas A. and Karla D. Neeld $495,000

14436 Bridgestone Road From Adam P. and Mindy M. Dollens to William S. and Jessica C. Lebrato $285,000

2910 Grey Oaks Blvd. From John P. and Rachel M Walsh to William J. Alverson III and Leanne G. Alveson $499,888

805 Beal Brook Pass From Granite Ridge Builders Inc. to Juana A. Saldana $144,708

14505 Marlin Cove From Arbor Home Building Corp. to Michael L. and Shawna R. McDonald $426,502

2922 Grey Oaks Blvd. From Af Hamed to Toby L. and Renee S. Woodard $479,000

13210 Plumbago Court From Raza S. and Aliya Haider to Kent H. and Theresa Thrasher $192,000 13204 Timbercrest Trail From Jeff A. Piazza to Jill Pepple $57,500 3832 Vermilion Cliffs From Stuart Berk Homes Inc. to Eric N. Schneider and Jeanne D. Garton $863,780 6210 Beaver Creek Court From Susan M. Ueber to Mark J. and Karen E. Moore $395,000 2949 Treviso Way From Oakmont Development Co. LLC to Slattery Builders LLC $54,055 1578 White Coral Court From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Ronald W. and Stacy R. Munsie $365,000

LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP Wannemacher Design Build LLC 11208 Blackwood Cove $265,000 Art Schmucker & Sons 17328 Feighner Road $450,000

Windsor Inc. 7609 Sweet Spire Drive $160,000

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. 7323 Dry Creek Court $220,085

LAKE TOWNSHIP Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2157 Henry V Crossing $108,028

Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 7802 Lila Way $96,842

Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2278 Henry V Crossing $91,000

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Sterling Homes Inc. 2216 Cedar Ridge Cove $100,000

REAL-ESTATE TRANSACTIONS

Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. 2292 Henry V Crossing $108,000

Steury Homes LLC 3222 Foxfire Lane $187,000

46814 13204 Timbercrest Trail From Allen County sheriff to Jeff A. Piazza $56,200

PAGE 21

7205 Shetland Drive From Steven W. and Robin L. Nolley to Chloe A. Inskeep $112,000

13327 Paperbark Trail From Grey Oaks Development LLC to Af Hamed $40,500 13917 Ruffner Road From Allen County sheriff to Freddie Mac $269,669 15014 Blue Reef Drive From Windsor Inc. to Edward L. and Julianne L. Hunter $256,000 1568 White Coral Court From Oakmont Development Co. LLC to Buescher Construction Co. Inc. $69,900 1588 White Coral Court From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Andrew J. and Lacey J. Spiguzza $69,900 1568 White Coral Court From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Scott A. and Jennifer Peters $69,900 2817 Grey Oaks Blvd. From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Joseph A. and Paula M. Svitek $449,000 13311 Paperbark Trail From Af Hamed to Matthew S. and Barbara F. Stowe $439,000

6235 S. Hampton Court From Robert A. and Karen R. Spizzo to Brian D. and Catherine A. Windmiller $224,000

46815

11420 Brantford Court From Charles F. and Laura G. to Todd R. Birkle $308,000

4312 Dodge Ave. From John E. Arnold and Rosemarie Bouman to Roger R. Noll $120,000

1930 Egert Cove From Residentail Recovery Capital Holdings #2 LLC to Jeffrey Bredemeier $225,000

6128 Stellhorn Road From Maplewood Plaza to Lennington Stellhorn Realty LLC $550,000

14723 Sandstone Drive From Buescher Construction Co. Inc. to Amber D. and Matthew J. Niezer $52,900

3714 Daveway Drive From Craig L. and Rhonda Y. Harmeyer to Heather N. and Kevin R. Ford $82,500

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6427 Sunland Drive From Harold J. and Cherie L. Hess to Mark A. and Constance M. Byall $102,000

823 Pinehurst Drive From Tony M. Pruitt and Dawn M. Oehler to Nancy J. Bosch and Allissa Marks $96,000

3329 Blackfoot Court From Kari A. Morales to Kerrie R. Fineran $143,900

5243 Stellhorn Road From Taryn M. Bradtmueller to Deborah K. Nolan $123,500

4110 Wedgewood Drive From Daniel G. and Linda L. Crace to Su M. Yar $82,800

8223 Grand Forest Court From Fred Gray III and Debra E. Gray to Marina R. Garcia $205,000

7528 Tipperary Trail From Patricia R. Beisner to Brian Sebastian $80,000 2818 Kingsland Court From Leah L. Incremona to Billy Don Piercey Jr. $97,500 1418 Lake Forest Drive From M Squared Investments LLC to Charles and Katherine Green $115,500 2811 Arch Tree Place From Cecil W. Payne to James R. Mattoon $105,750 6926 Forestwood Drive From Shequida A. Simmons to James T. and Jennifer L. Shutt $119,900

6421 Papago Court From Geary M. Buchanan to Jacob Henry $120,000 4906 Galway Drive From Allen County sheriff to ITS Investments $36,037 8604 Fiesta Way From Catherine J. Thompson to the Ford family revocable trust $169,000 5110 Berkley Court From Eula M. Black to Joel A. Blair $79,000 1930 Kendawa Drive From Robert J. and Katherine A. Griffin to Jason Church $123,500

3224 Solitude Place From Richard G. Claybaugh to Alice L. Henderson $85,500 4202 Highwood Drive From Virginia A. Allen to Mel D. and Brenda L. Bowers $75,000 1808 Sovereign Drive From Allen County sheriff to Nationstar Mortgage LLC $120,317 4206 Darby Drive From Michael F. and Karen S. Bickel to Jeff Carteaux $118,500 5102 Nassau Drive From Cheryl A. Livingston to Ryan M. Nawrocki and Miranda L. Howell $90,000 3321 Kirkfield Drive From Kevin and Jill Maggio to Brian B. and Michelle R. Spahr $119,500 8305 Wyoming Pass From Michael Giese to Edward J. Whitney $92,500 7114 Turkey Run Drive From Michael A. Springer to Marty V. Straw $115,000

4008 Willshire Court From Mary L. Waskiewicz to Mark A. Moeller Sr. and Patty S. Moeller $107,000

46816 318 Edgeknoll Lane From Roby and Karen S. Archer-Song to Myo Chit and Khing Aye $30,000 3534 Debeney Drive From Allen County sheriff to Freddie Mac $71,000 6312 S. Anthony Blvd. From Oak Properties LLC to Maung Ko $37,000 2923 Stardale Drive From Allen County sheriff to JPMorgan Chase Bank NA $24,225

• Innovative Technology Group, LLC Contact: Bob Peters 3201 Stellhorn Road Fort Wayne, IN 46815 260-818-0135 itgnei.com

5607 Highview Drive From Stephen G. Watson to Kimberly M. Crager $77,000

2612 Chandler Drive From Allen County sheriff to U.S. Bank $42,245

1021 Woodland Pass From Lancia Homes Inc. to Marco M. Desantis and Andrea T. Ferguson $225,000

2611 Castle Drive From Suntrust Mortgage Inc. to the secretary of veterans affairs $33,490 3305 Montagne Drive From HUD to I Sha $40,051 3410 Jasper Lane From Mary L. Barbier-Stuckey to Walter L. Morgan Sr. and Earlean Morgan $76,900

46818 1536 Gable Road From HUD to Lexco Management LLC $20,500 2925 Dexter Drive From Roxanne and Tom K. Carpenter to Catherine Howard $72,900 8727 Franke Road From Thomas D. and Marilyn K. Koeneman to Cody A. Hegerfeld $132,000

Internet Directory www.fwbusiness.com IT SUPPORT & SERVICES

1825 Embassy Drive From Deborah A. Brown to Po Htoo $78,000

START-UP CAPITAL & ENTREPRENEURAL NEW BUSINESS RESOURCES • Northeast Indiana Innovation Center Inc. Contact: Gulya Alexander 3201 Stellhorn Road Fort Wayne, IN 46815 260-407-6442 niic.net

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260-426-2640

921 Clairborne Drive From Waterford Enterprises LLC to William E. Shuttleworth $288,000 3812 Wingspread Cove From David Stineburg and Vanessa Novell to Michael A. and Laura A. Waller $147,000 4120 Kimberwick Place From Citimortgage Inc. to HUD $94,018 2019 W. Wallen Road From Joyce E. Kennedy to Gregory A. and Patricia K. Fulk $69,500 2324 Allen St. From HUD to Carmen Kirkpatrick $24,500 11717 Maywin Drive From Allen County sheriff to HSBC Bank USA NA $107,593 10526 Kentfield Place From Kevin A. Stahl to Jolynn D. Wann $127,500 5731 W. California Road From Williard F. Henschen and Lois E. Weber-Henschen to William A. and Joyce E. McAbee $216,500 15130 Hand Road From Allen County sheriff to Wells Fargo Bank NA $50,410 3315 Rivulet Run From Bradley R. Shank to Kalyan B. Rachamsetty and Noemi H. Cruz $127,000 12102 Turtle Creek Court From Granite Ridge Developers LLC to Granite Ridge Builders Inc. $27,166

12525 Sonoma Drive From Alana S. Miller to Wesley T. and Alicia L. Tempel $184,900 1720 Gillmore Drive From Allen County sheriff to 1st Source Bank $86,953 4021 Winter Raven Trail From Ravens Cove Development Co. LLC to Westport Homes of Fort Wayne Inc. $25,000 6972 Desdemona Crossing From Hawthorn Valley Enterprises Inc. to Daniel and Nirupama E. Jerome $144,027

BANKRUPTCIES ALLEN COUNTY Kenneth L. Bender II 4621 Arlington Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Assets: $148,330 Liabilities: $138,781 Donald J. and Deborah C. Scott 1201 Ferguson Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $111,896 Liabilities: $151,877 Marsha R. Hudson 2514 Sherman Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $2,650 Liabilities: $26,794 Erika M. Cervantes 5605 Webster St. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Assets: $23,850 Liabilities: $61,651 Mallory K. Biddle 431 E. Wayne St., Apt. 64 Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Assets: $5,350 Liabilities: $11,229

Derrick E. and Krista M. Shirley 7361 Harold Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $6,350 Liabilities: $138,561 Bianca M. Terry 5448 Lois Lane Fort Wayne, IN 46804 Assets: $1,554 Liabilities: $112,672

November 1-7, 2013

Eric J. Fields 11303 Marion Center Road Hoagland, IN 46745 Assets: $13,500 Liabilities: $18,177 Karen K. Paonessa 1801 Lathrop Place Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Assets: $8,290 Liabilities: $24,924

DEKALB COUNTY Sheena L. Tun 3120 Monroe St. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $14,050 Liabilities: $127,081

Samantha K. Baker 5990 C.R. 7 Garrett, IN 46738 Assets: $1,617 Liabilities: $11,833

Karen E. Worrell 5115 Macy Lane Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Assets: $94,150 Liabilities: $112,791

Tracey D. and Wanita M. Woodard 129 W. Cherry St. Butler, IN 46721 Assets: $66,445 Liabilities: $136,710

Rosario R. Moeckel 2415 Thompson Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46807 Assets: $1,130 Liabilities: $44,729 Micheal W. and Nicole D. Fuller 4932 Bahama Lane Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $12,700 Liabilities: $55,831 Kelby R. and Zonda K. Musselman P.O. Box 33 Grabill, IN 46741 Assets: $9,302 Liabilities: $99,310 Emilie A. Workman 5605 Dartmouth Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Assets: $69,578 Liabilities: $182,526 JR and Kathleen S. Sullivan 1111 Stophlet St. Fort Wayne, IN 46802 Assets: $38,600 Liabilities: $71,384 Siedah S. Lee 4408 Oliver St. Fort Wayne, IN 46806 Assets: $2,865 Liabilities: $61,637 Karen F. Koch 2401 Lynn Ave. Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Assets: $5,725 Liabilities: $77,765

NOBLE COUNTY Cody A. and Mandi L. Hawn P.O. Box 538 Cromwell, IN 46732 Assets: $5,203 Liabilities: $22,817

STEUBEN COUNTY Roy A. and Christina A. Bell 10725 W. 575 North Orland, IN 46776 Assets: $139,443 Liabilities: $99,725 Nicholas J. Hicks 709 S. Martha St. Angola, IN 46703 Assets: $6,420 Liabilities: $80,510

PATENTS 8,561,974 Pin clamp assembly Kenneth A. Steele, Fort Wayne Bruce D. McIntosh, Monroeville Steven M. Moilanen, Fort Wayne William E. Davenport, Fort Wayne William D. Givens, Berne Parag Patwardhan, Fort Wayne PHD Inc., Fort Wayne Filed: Nov. 10, 2008 Approved: Oct. 22, 2013

8,561,320

Terrie A. Kitchen 3315 Rosebay Court Fort Wayne, IN 46835 Assets: $160,832 Liabilities: $129,069

Phillip E. and Joy D. Jones 208 W. South St. Monroeville, IN 46773 Assets: $16,500 Liabilities: $97,666

Jeff A. and Jennifer R. Minnick 2931 Inwood Drive Fort Wayne, IN 46815 Assets: $83,677 Liabilities: $137,817

Allen D. Tatum 1826 Fox Point Trail Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $1,500 Liabilities: $21,990 Edward G. and Amy S. Shell 1502 E. Paulding Road Fort Wayne, IN 46816 Assets: $3,950 Liabilities: $77,381

System and method for determining status of a drying cycle and for controlling a dryer David J. Geer, Johnsonburg, Pa. Jason J. Detsch, St. Mary’s, Pa. Bradley M. Johnson, Fort Wayne General Electric Co., Schenectady, N.Y. Filed: Aug. 31, 2011 Approved: Oct. 22, 2013

November 1-7, 2013

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TARGET: Getting a machine to act seemingly randomly is a complex physics problem

Continued from PAGE 1

were “guy kinda movies that were made for nothing back then,” Kaufman said, but they usually earned their producers double or triple back. In the late 1990s, he helped RoseTel System Corp. launch a broadband video conferencing system that used telephone lines to transmit images. The company earned a small footnote in history when the U.S. House of Representatives, for the first time ever, accepted video testimony via the RoseTel system — in this case, Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad, who testified at a subcommittee hearing honoring NASA’s 40th anniversary in 1998. Kaufman then got a call from Williams, Williams & McKissick in Tulsa, Okla., to help develop an Internet and video auction platform for the company. This was at the beginning of the real-estate downturn and the company was auctioning off 2,000 or more homes a month. The added TV and Internet presence helped raise the sales price for each property by about 10 percent. It was in Tulsa that Kaufman got the idea for the Targabot system. While working at Williams, Williams & McKissick on a contractual dispute, Kaufman felt he and his family had been threatened. “And I realized that I didn’t know how to defend myself at all,” he said. He had a rifle and a Glock handgun. He went to the shooting range to practice, but over time he became disenchanted with aiming at stationary paper targets. “I thought it’s not particularly interesting or challenging or confidence building to shoot at paper targets because in my estimation most things that are being shot at tend to move,” Kaufman. He looked around and tried to find some sort of robotic target but there was nothing. So in 2012 he was tinkering in his workshop and came up with a “Tonka toy” prototype that combined a motor he’d purchased on eBay with a linear actuator. It approximated what he was looking for, but he wasn’t an engineer. So he called one. Kaufman had worked with Robert Kniskern, president and founder of Adaptive Micro-Ware Inc. in Fort Wayne, on other projects before. Kaufman asked Kniskern if he would be willing to lend his expertise, but after hearing about the idea, Kniskern went a step further: He wanted to be a partner in the development of what eventually became the Targabot system. “When he was telling me about this idea that he’d had for application of robotics to the target world, that actually lined up very well with an interest we have in robotics,” said Kniskern, whose company does contract research and development work.

“I felt robotics was going to be one of the major growth areas in the future,” he said. “In particular, I felt that the Midwest was well-suited for that kind technology because of the combination of the engineering capability that people like ourselves represented, but also the manufacturing capability with foundries and machine shops and automotive suppliers of various sorts.” Kaufman originally intended to stay in Oklahoma until his wife, Diana, offered him some advice. “My wife said, ‘I think you and Bob are going to work more efficiently if you actually go to Fort Wayne, Ind., and work with him on a day-to-day basis,’ because she actually thought this was a pretty good idea, too,” Kaufman said. “And that’s rare when your wife thinks you have a good idea, so I seized the opportunity.” Kaufman, his wife, a horse and a dog

moved to Fort Wayne so he could continue working on the Targabot system. He’s based out of Adaptive Micro-Ware’s office in the Summit Industrial Park. A team at Adaptive Micro-Ware created the software used the govern the Targabot system. The system comprises a heavyduty, adjustable stand and a center unit that can rotate 180 degrees and contains the electronics. An arm made out of PVC tubing — the low-cost material makes it easy to replace if shot — with a target affixed to one end is slotted through the center unit and can be extended or retracted. Controlling the system is done through an interface on the center unit or a remote control, and a USB port allows the Targabot to be custom programmed by its user via software on a PC. “The idea is this simulates more accurately the conditions within which people

will find themselves — in a firearms context,” Kaufman said. The target, for example, replicates a person peeping around a corner or popping up from behind a car. The Targabot system, which is placed behind a protective barrier when used in the field, looks deceptively simple, but “it actually is more difficult than it appears on the surface because of the multiple types of motion that can happen simultaneously,” Kniskern said. What makes the Targabot stand out from other target systems is its ability to make the target move in a seemingly random manner. But because it’s governed by software and electronics, that movement can be repeated, and the system can detect whether a shooter is hitting the target and adjust its difficulty up or down accordingly. n

See TARGET on PAGE 24

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TARGET: ‘Gaping hole’ in marketplace

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“For training applications, that’s where law-enforcement people have been very excited,” Kniskern said. “You can present something that looks novel and very difficult to begin with. But even though it looks random, we can do that exact sequence over and over again, so they can try it on a wide variety of people to see if they can advance their skills even more.” The Targabot system will sell for about $3,000. Kaufman has demonstrated the system to local and federal law-enforcement agencies and the military. Those likely would be the primary customers for the Targabot system, as are training centers and commercial gun ranges. There are larger, costlier and nonportable systems on the market — some that even have targets that pop out, sort of like a shooting game at a carnival — but Kaufman said what they lack is being able to create realistic random movement. Kaufman has largely financed the venture himself. Targamite’s sole outside investor is Scott Fergusson, dean of the Kettner School of Business at Trine University and founder of Chapman’s Brewing Co. in Angola. Fergusson had one of his marketing classes at Trine conduct market research to see whether there were any competitors. “They looked as hard and as fast as they

Q

November 1-7, 2013

could and could not find anything competitive in the marketplace,” Kaufman said. “It was good to get that validation from 60 other people who did nothing but comb the Internet to try and find something.” Fabrication and assembly of the Targabot system will be contracted out to area companies. The initial run will be 100 systems, and production could increase to more than 1,000 a month depending on sales nationally. Kaufman said future products will include a lightweight plastic Targabot system for smaller-caliber weapons; he’s even toyed around with putting a target on a reprogrammed Roomba that would be used for pellet guns and could vaccuum up the pellets. Kniskern said the system’s software was developed so more than one Targabot can be used together. There also have been some requests to make Targabots move across the ground. Kaufman is optimistic his Targabot system will strike a bull’s-eye with customers. “This is a quantum leap in terms of performance and a real cut in the cost that they’re normally incurring for an advanced target,” he said. “It was a gaping hole in the marketplace, and these days I don’t ask questions. I just jumped.”

BRIEFLY

A LLE N C O U NT Y

W E L LS C O U N T Y

FRANKLIN EARNINGS RISE ON 5 PERCENT SALES INCREASE

INVENTURE TO INVEST IN NEW EQUIPMENT

Franklin Electric Co. said Oct. 30 its third-quarter earnings per share totaled 51 cents, an increase of 11 percent from 46 cents per share a year ago. Adjusted, earnings per share were 50 cents, a 9-percent increase from 2012. The earnings per share were the highest of any third quarter in the company’s history, Scott Trumbull, Franklin’s chairman and chief executive officer, said in the earnings report. Third-quarter sales of $249.8 million were up 5 percent from the same quarter of 2012 but fell short of analysts’ estimates of $254.5 million. “Our global sales of Pioneer branded mobile dewatering systems and Little Giant branded waste water pumps increased by more than 25 percent during the quarter,” Trumbull said. “In addition, we continued to achieve high single digit organic sales growth for our Water and Fueling products in developing regions after excluding the impact of foreign currency translation.”

Inventure Foods plans to invest $3 million in additional snack-food extrusion equipment at its Bluffton plant. Phoenix, Ariz.-based Inventure, which operates a 100,000-square-foot distribution center and 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Bluffton, plans to add the equipment to the plant during next year’s second quarter. The extrusion process moves mixed ingredients through an opening in a perforated plate or die in a way that prepares it to take a specific shape once it is baked, after it is cut to a desired length. “To have this type of investment in this plant bodes well for us,” Ron Lee, manager of the facility, said in a prepared statement. “This supports our current customer base and allows us to enhance our ability to serve new customers.” Products made at the plant include the TGI Friday’s, Nathan’s Famous, Burger King and Tato Skins brands of salty snacks.

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BAUER: Appointed to Region 3 Works Council

Continued from PAGE 1

he was. He doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan to change now that the LHN board has formally approved his selection as network CEO. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having that opportunity to interact with patients and staff is very important to me,â&#x20AC;? Bauer said. Bauer, a Butler University graduate who grew up in Terre Haute, left his position as CEO of Terre Haute Regional Hospital to become Lutheran Hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO in June 2011. He replaced Joe Dorko, who left his dual role as both hospital and network CEO to concentrate on the network position. Lutheran Health is owned by Community Health Systems Inc. After Dorko moved on last June to become special projects CEO at Community Health, Bauer assumed the duties of the network job on top of his hospital role. He plans to continue doing both, as most of his predecessors have done. His visits to the facilities in the network, including an afďŹ liate in Hicksville, Ohio, have been his way of getting to know them better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand how important they are to those communities, and I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for this role,â&#x20AC;? he said.

UPICKâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;EM

n

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of been overused, but I want to try to be a servant leader. I want to be approachable not only with the hospital, but in the community.â&#x20AC;?

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Brian Bauer Lutheran Health Network

Bauer may dress casually on some of his hospital visits, and forgo a tie â&#x20AC;&#x153;for infection control purposes,â&#x20AC;? but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more likely to be found in the traditional suit and tie when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performing his community responsibilities. Among other things, Bauer was recently appointed by Gov. Mike Pence to the Region 3 Works Council, which has been tasked with developing and evaluating career and technical education needs in the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to see the momentum in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana,â&#x20AC;? he said. Bauer, whose wife is expecting their third son, said he works to be an accessible leader, the kind whose door is always open to others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of been overused, but I want to try to be a servant leader,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to be approachable not only with the hospital, but in the community.â&#x20AC;?

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