POURING TRADITION
POURING TRADITION
HOLLY’S PACKAGE STORE CELEBRATES 45 YEARS IN GREENTOWN
Writer / Natalie Platt
Richard Lacy takes his time when he answers questions about Holly’s Package Store, the Greentown liquor store that just celebrated 45 years in business. His responses are genuine and he has an easy laugh, just like someone you’d imagine who runs a business that “has a great vibe,” according to a recent Google review.
Opened since October 1980, Lacy wants to make sure the community knows the family-owned business is more than “just a liquor store.”
Lacy’s connection to the store goes back to childhood. He grew up just across the parking lot, where he shot his first basketball and watched his dad run the shop that was then owned by his great uncle. When his father became ill, he stepped in part time while working in insurance, joining his mother at the store. Over time he found himself drawn more deeply into the business, eventually discovering that the
store wasn’t just a job, but a place where he could carry forward something meaningful.
“We’re a small business that happens to be a liquor store,” he says. “We treat everyone with genuineness and kindness, no matter who it is that walks in our door…I hope everyone knows that, and knows they can come in here for whatever they need or just conversation, if they need that.”
That kind of connection still matters in a small town like Greentown. Lacy says in bigger cities, it’s easy to walk into a store and never hear a hello. At Holly’s, regulars are greeted by name and newcomers often leave feeling like they’ve made a new friend. The familiar exchanges — maybe it’s a story shared or a laugh at the counter — have become part of the store’s personality.
“We don’t try to imitate corporate chains or reinvent ourselves, he says. “We stick to what our family has always done, and that’s to be a welcoming place for the Greentown community and beyond. I feel like we have an opportunity to not only bring
great bottles to the store, but bring people to the store from other areas so it creates opportunities for other small businesses in our town.”
Lacy hopes doing things the right way honors his father’s legacy. Gary Lacy ran the store for nearly 42 years before his death in 2023. He was a quiet but known fixture in the community and preferred to keep the spotlight off himself — while the younger Lacy is the face of the store’s social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
“My dad was pretty old-school,” Lacy says. “But we know to be successful — to continue being successful — that we have to adapt. Dad would have thought social media was too modern, but I think it’s important to show the community what Holly’s is really about, and that’s building connections.”
Lacy says his family has always put thought into nearly everything they offer, especially when it comes to special barrel picks or small-batch blends — he always brings
Down On
MAINSTREET
Bar and GRILL
Join us 7 days a week for cold drinks and great food! Fri and Sat open til 3 am.
104 East Main Street, Greentown
Mon–Thurs 11am–1am; Fri–Sat 11am-3am; Sun 12pm–1am
customers into that process.
“I don’t just pick it myself,” he says. “We take our customers with us, and I rely on them because they are the ones that help keep our business successful.”
Lacy’s father only drank on special occasions and Rich has followed suit, asking his customers for their feedback on specific liquors before the store decides to carry something new.
Some might think that owning a liquor store but rarely drinking seems counterintuitive — but Lacy says it’s OK to be different.
“I hope everyone knows that,” he says. “It’s OK to be different, to be you, to be original, and we hope we meet you soon at Holly’s.”
Holly’s Package Store is located at 119 W. Main St. in Greentown. You can reach the store at 765-628-2712 or find them on social media at @HollysPackageStore.
Much of Jenny Cole’s business has grown the way reputations do in small towns, through word of mouth and consistency. As a financial advisor with Edward Jones, Cole says referrals have never come from pitching herself, but from showing up and doing the work. That approach is most visible in Greentown, where more than a quarter of her book of business is based and continues to grow through long-standing relationships.
“When people feel like you truly care about them, they naturally tell others,” Cole says. “I have never had to force it. It has always come from relationships.”
Cole became a financial advisor in 2014 after taking over a small Edward Jones office in Kokomo. As she reviewed the clients she inherited, she noticed that a significant number were from Greentown. She soon learned why. A former Edward Jones office in Greentown had closed, and those clients were absorbed into the Kokomo location. What stood out was not just how many there were, but how closely connected they seemed to be.
“They were incredibly loyal and incredibly kind,” she says. “I started getting referrals from Greentown almost immediately, and it felt very organic.”
Those relationships deepened as Cole became involved in the community through the Greentown Business Association and projects like Hometown Hero, including decorating near the police station and supporting efforts that mattered to her clients.
BUILT ON TRUST
RELATIONSHIPS DRIVE JENNY COLE’S FINANCIAL PRACTICE
Writer / Natalie Platt
As her children grew older and family schedules filled with sports and school activities, she stepped back from evening commitments, but her connection to Greentown remained steady. Today, she says more than a quarter of her clients still come from the area.
Cole says she has always been intentional about how she approaches her work. Traditional networking events and rehearsed sales conversations never appealed to her.
“I never wanted to feel like a salesperson,” she says. “That was honestly my biggest hesitation when I said yes to Edward Jones.”
Instead, she focuses on listening and understanding what matters most to each client. Through Edward Jones, Cole helps clients plan for retirement and long-term financial goals, while making sure they are connected with trusted professionals for estate planning and related needs.
“My job is to help people see the whole picture,” she says. “I want them to feel confident and supported, not sold to.”
That mindset has led to relationships that extend well beyond the office. Cole says she has attended birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, funerals and Christmas gatherings with Greentown clients. When she runs into clients around town, even outside of Greentown, she is often greeted like family.
“My husband laughs because people will say, ‘She could be our granddaughter’ or ‘She could be our daughter-in-law,’” Cole says. “Then they add, ‘Oh, and she’s our financial advisor.’”
Those relationships are shaped by responsibility and trust. Cole was raised in Peru, Indiana, and earned her degree from Purdue University in social work and special education. She worked as a special education teacher before her path shifted unexpectedly.
From 2011 to 2013, she and her husband performed professionally with the circus in China, traveling with their children during that time. Their son was just a few months old when they left, and their daughter was 5.
“That experience taught me a lot about planning and adaptability,” she says. “When you are far from home with kids, you learn quickly how important it is to think ahead and take care of the people around you.”
When the family returned to Indiana, Cole knew she did not want to return to teaching. A friend encouraged her to join Edward Jones as a branch office administrator, filling in across multiple offices. About seven months in, she realized what drew her in was the trust between advisors and clients.
“I remember thinking, I love this part of it,” she says. “I didn’t even know what an IRA was at the time, but I knew I loved the relationships.”
Edward Jones provided the training and structure, and Cole completed the required education and licensing.
“In a town like Greentown, people look out for each other,” Cole says. “If you take care of people, they take care of you. That’s how this business has grown.”
Cole can be reached at jenny.cole@edwardjones.com for financial planning needs.
Jenny Cole, CFP®
Advisor
Fresh Finish
NEWVIEW PAINTING & COATINGS BUILDS QUALITY THROUGH PREPARATION AND CRAFT
Writer / Natalie Platt
NewView Painting & Coatings is a locally owned painting company based in Greentown, Indiana, serving residential and commercial clients across central and northcentral Indiana. The business is owned by Zack Pence, who started the company after several years working in the trade and has grown it steadily since 2019.
Pence grew up in Greentown and attended Eastern School Corporation from kindergarten through high school. After graduating, he worked for a contracting
company while in college, painting during the summers and learning the day-to-day realities of the job.
“I painted while I was in college and worked for another contracting company in the summers,” Pence says. “In 2019, I decided to go out on my own, and since then we’ve been growing and hiring painters.”
NewView Painting & Coatings now operates with a five-person crew and serves a broad service area that includes Kokomo,
Greentown, Marion, and surrounding communities. The company regularly works between Indianapolis and Plymouth, with occasional projects extending into nearby regions depending on scope and scheduling.
Residential work makes up about 60% of the company’s projects, with commercial jobs accounting for the remaining 40%.
On the residential side, NewView handles interior and exterior painting, power washing, drywall repair, wallpaper removal, and the painting of cabinets and doors.
Pence says the goal is to offer full surface preparation and finish work rather than simply applying paint.
On the commercial side, the company works with interior and exterior paint, specialty coatings, fluid-applied flooring systems, and commercial wall coverings. One growing area of demand has been digitally printed wall coverings, which allow large-scale images to be installed directly onto walls.
“A digitally printed wall covering is where an image can be printed life-size onto a wall covering material and then installed,” Pence says.
For homeowners considering a repaint, Pence says the process begins with an in-person visit. A member of the team meets with the client, reviews the space, takes measurements, and talks through expectations before preparing a detailed written estimate.
“We meet with them, have them show us the areas, measure everything, and explain how the job will go,” he says. “We break it into smaller parts like walls, trim, cabinets, ceilings, and doors, and explain our process for each one.”
That breakdown is especially important in older homes or spaces with prior
damage. Pence says surface condition and preparation often determine how successful a finished project will be.
“There are times when special priming or repair work needs to be done,” he says. “Water stains, old wallpaper paste, textured walls. Figuring out what needs to be addressed is step one, and that’s why we break projects into phases.”
Material selection plays a major role in durability and long-term appearance. Pence encourages homeowners to ask contractors about the products being used and why.
“Quality of product is a big deciding factor,” he says. “Any legitimate company should be willing to share what they use and what they’ve had success with.”
He adds that cutting costs on materials often leads to disappointing results over time.
“If someone is just trying to get the cheapest price, they may not be getting a quality product or experienced application,” Pence says. “Using good materials and doing it right the first time makes a difference in how long it lasts.”
Much of NewView’s business comes through referrals. Pence says word of mouth has been the company’s most reliable source of growth, driven by repeat
clients and recommendations. Their client list and referrals are what set them apart from the competition, and Pence is always happy to share past client information with prospective clients so people can talk to someone the company has worked for before.
One point Pence emphasizes is that the company does not subcontract its work. Every painter on a job is a company employee who lives and works in the area.
“The people showing up are my employees,” he says. “They’re local, they’re vetted by me, and they’re not subcontracted from somewhere else.”
NewView Painting & Coatings is located in Greentown, Indiana. Estimates can be scheduled by calling 765-867-3407.
• Interior & Exterior Painting
• Residential & Commercial Projects
• Cabinet Painting & Refinishing
• Pressure Washing
• Drywall Patching & Repair • Deck & Fence Staining • Fluid applied floor coatings