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Serving Greater Northwest Indiana and Surrounding Counties
Legal Q&A
n
SIGHTSEE HERE
n
App for That
n
NFL Rivalry
n
Retirement Trends
Summer–Fall, 2010
Following
a Dream
Stories of
entrepreneurial
success.
LeAnn VanSchoyck, owner,
L.R. Men’s Clothier &
Tuxedos, LaPorte
EvEry businEss has a
story. tEll us yours.™
“My dad John and his brother Gary ran the business
when I was growing up. I’m John Jr. I worked there on
weekends. I knew the business would be mine one day,
and that day is here. I need a lot of help transitioning
the company. And making sure it’s still strong when I
pass it along to my son, John III.”
At Fifth Third Bank, every business banking relationship begins
with a conversation. Where you do most of the talking and we
listen. Then, once we understand your business and your needs,
we get to work. And as we build your financial solutions, we
make sure to keep you involved. Because success in business is
rarely achieved alone.
Let’s have a conversation. Stop in your local Fifth Third Bank,
call us at 877-804-2095, or visit 53.com.
Fifth Third Bank, Member FDIC.
T:10.875”
S:9.875”
p20
Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly
table of
4Publisher’s Note
Riding out the recession as a small business.
6Noteworthy News Bits
From around the region.
cover story
14Making a Change,
Following a Dream
Every story of entrepreneurial success is personal.
ceo profile
20Pangere Corp.
Venturing into the future—with Hope.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
AND REAL ESTATE
Steve Pangere, CEO of
Pangere Corp., with Hope.
24An Emphasis on the Outside
p38
Sure, a good landscape design is
pretty, but it can save money, too.
FOCUS: BUSINESS LAW
28Legal Q&A
Insights on social media, succession,
startups, unions and other legal matters.
tourism
33Must-See, Close to Home
A variety of unusual attractions within a short drive.
37Tribute to the King of Pop
Michael Jackson’s legacy to be
celebrated at MJFanvention.
milestones
38American Savings
The family-centered community banking
tradition continues, 100 years later.
technology
41There’s an App for That
2
NORTHWEST INDIANA
president,
B U S I N E SMichael
S Q U A R TMellon,
E R LY
American Savings.
Making business mobile with
software for handheld devices.
Summer – FALL 2010
p58
contents
RETIREMENT LIVING
46Enjoying the Golden Years
Baby Boomers seek security and choice
from their retirement communities.
Economic Development
52Innovative Freight Systems
Intermodal project in Kingsbury
will link region to the world.
53The Illiana Expressway
Driving into the future with
higher productivity, lower costs.
54Asian Carp Update
Intermittent shipping interruptions are expected.
Dining
56Amore Ristorante
Peyton Manning, four-time MVP,
Indianapolis Colts.
Italian downstairs, martinis and sushi upstairs.
sports
58NFL Rivalry
p14
Bears and Colts battle for
Northwest Indiana loyalties.
Advice & Opinion
51Retirement Planning:
The Time to Plan is Now
63Interior Design:
Image Talk
Choosing a designer for your office makeover.
64Viewpoint: Partnering
to Pay for Infrastructure
With federal funds waning, expect
to hear more about the “P3” option.
Cover photo and all photos on this page
(except Peyton Manning) by Shawn Spence.
Ray Shingler
and
Joe
Ubben,
NOR
THW
EST
INDIANA
Click Bug Studios.
B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E R LY
3
Publisher’s NOTE
Riding out the recession as a small business
A
ccording to the U.S. Small Business Administration, major challenges that small businesses are
facing in this current economy are access to
capital (a topic we’ll address in the fall issue), cost of
health insurance, retaining a quality workforce, global
competition, concern about taxes, and
federal procurement and regulations.
In our state alone, we have an estimated 451,437 small businesses and of
these, more than 138,000 are minority,
Hispanic and women-owned. (Source:
Indiana Department of Commerce.)
In this issue’s cover story, Kathy McKimmie interviews five small-businesses
who are some of the survivors of this
recession. One pursued a dream of
opening a restaurant after being laid
off, another left the banking industry to
reopen a business that brings her joy/
personal satisfaction, and one came up with an Internetbased game idea teaching younger people about ethics
and character. They are examples of businesses successfully riding out the recession during this slow economic
recovery, located here in Northwest Indiana!
Also in this issue, we examine the current retirement
trends of the emerging Baby Boomers, looking at options
and choices. It is apparent that Boomers want to stay closer
to home and are choosing retirement facilities located near
a college or university. The amenities are very appealing
and it is the major retirement living trend today!
Michael Puente had a challenging assignment asking some
of the area’s most prominent and experienced business law
attorneys about the pressing legal issues facing business
owners today. See our business law Q&A inside this issue.
Our CEO profile is about Steve Pangere, who has
built a successful business empire passed down from his
grandparents and continues to lead a successful familyowned business despite being legally blind. It’s an inspiring article to read, written by our editor, Rick Richards.
Finally, our sports feature showcases both the Chicago
Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, two of the most respected
NFL teams today. Peyton Manning’s contract expires at the
end of 2010. Will the four-time MVP and the highest-paid
player in the league’s history renew his contract with the
Indianapolis Colts? Okay, I must confess, I’m a Colts fan.
And yes, I think he will. Enjoy our summer issue!
Glee Renick-May, Publisher
LOOKING for something new?
team spirit
MAGNIFY your corporate image
ZOOM IN on ways to build community
FIND the possibilities at UNITED WAY!
CATCH SIGHT of ways to build
Your Trusted Philanthropic Partner
• Workplace Giving Campaigns
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• Community Involvement
Lake Area United Way
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4
United Way of Porter County
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www.unitedwaypc.org
N O R T H W E S T I N D I A N A B U S I N E S S Q U A R T E R LY
United Way of LaPorte County
(219) 362-6256
www.unitedwaylpc.org
SUMMER – FA LL 2010
Summer – Fall 2010
Publisher
Advertising & Marketing
GLEE RENICK-may
Editor
Rick Richards
Contributing Editor
Steve Kaelble
Magazine Project Manager
Tech Support
Jim Pavlik
Art Director
ANDREW ROBERTS
Creative Director
Vicky Rockwell
Photographer
Shawn Spence
Contributing Writers
Don Babcock
Cameron Carter
Shari Held
Kathy McKimmie
Michael Puente
Timothy D. Rice
Alison Skertic
Patti Tritschler
Editorial Advisory Committee
John Davies
Eric Hromadka
Keith Kirkpatrick
Karen Lauerman
Joshua Lybolt
Bruce N. MacLean
LeAnn McCrum
Janis Moran
Desila Rosetti
Erika Scheeringa
Eric Servaas
Jim Staton
Linda Woloshansky
Circulation
Jim Pavlik
e-mail
[email protected]
Web
www.nwibq.com
Member Associations
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
Northwest Indiana Forum
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Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly is owned and
published by May Communications Group, LLC,
Glee Renick-May, president and CEO.
© Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
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5
NOTEWORTHY NEWS BITS FROM...
Around the Region
6
Courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks
BANKING
Peoples Bank in Munster has been
recognized as one of the top 200
community banks in the United
States for the sixth consecutive year.
… Horizon Bank in Michigan City
has been named one of the top 200
community banks in the nation by
U.S. Banker magazine. Horizon was
ranked 93rd. … Horizon Bancorp
in Michigan City has announced
the acquisition of American Trust
& Savings Bank of Whiting. Horizon acquired $107 million assets
and assumed all of American Trust’s
deposits. Horizon now has 22
branches in northern Indiana and
southwestern Michigan and has $1.4
billion in assets. … Mike Ondrovich has been named vice president
secondary market manager for Horizon Bank’s South Bend office. …
Mary Panas of Munster has joined
the Highland office of Centier Bank
as vice president of business banking. … Andy Fox has been promoted to officer at 1st Source Bank
in South Bend. He is a compliance
officer with 1st Source Retirement
Plan Services. … Sandra Grzegorek
has been promoted to officer at 1st
Source’s Osceola Banking Center.
… Pamela J.
Austin
has
been
named
vice president
and
private
banker at 1st
Source Bank
in South Bend.
…
Jackie
O’Blenis has
been
named
assistant
vice
Carmen Lynes, 1st Source president and
accounting manager for 1st Source
Bank in South Bend. … Carmen
Lynes has been named manager
of the 1st Source branch at the
Chesterton North Banking Center.
Before joining 1st Source in May,
she was manager of National City
WINNERS ON ICE Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly congratulates the Chicago
Blackhawks for winning the 2010 Stanley Cup. The team poses with the cup at center
ice in Philadelphia after defeating the Flyers in Game 6 of the National Hockey League
finals. It is the first Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks since 1961.
Bank in Schererville and Michigan
City. … Sandy Boland, manager of
the 1st Source Chesterton North
Banking Center, has retired after
23 years with the bank. … The
Whiting Refinery Credit Union
is marking its 75th anniversary.
The credit union has $45 million
in assets and 3,200 accounts. …
Teachers Credit Union in South
Bend has been named one of the
70 best places to work in Indiana
by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. … Shawn Wagoner has
been promoted to vice president,
retail sales management for Citizens
Bank in Munster. … Theresa Mudd
has been promoted to assistant
vice president, regional sales manager at Citizens Bank in Munster.
… Michelle Novak has been promoted to banking center manager
of the Munster 45th Banking Center
by Citizens Bank of Munster. …
Elizabeth Chenore, vice president,
retail sales management at Citizens
Bank of Munster will assume duties
as vice president-consumer lending manager. … Citizens Bank of
Munster has announced the addition
of three people to its credit analyst
team. They are Paul Starkey, Linda
Brouwenstyn and Jason Rebar.
… As part of its 115th anniversary
celebration, Centier Bank in Whiting, along with members of the
Schrage family, the City of Whiting and Immaculate Conception
Church have begun restoration on
the Schrage Family Home as a community center. It is owned by the
city and previously used as a rectory
for the church.
COMMUNITY
Smooth Jazz at South Shore will
be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
28, in Washington Park in
Michigan City.
Proceeds will go
to Sand Castle
Shelter for Children and Families,
Stepping
Stone Shelter for
Abused Women
and the LaPorte Keyboardist Oli Silk
County Chapter of American Red
Cross. Performers will include keyboardist Oli Silk, saxophonist Tom
Braxton, keyboardist Jeff Lorber,
the Urban Jazz Coalition and guitarist U-NAM of Paris. Tickets are
$25 and are on sale at StarTicketsPlus.com, the Michigan City Area
Chamber of Commerce, Roxy Music
in LaPorte, Shady Lawn Floral in
Chesterton, House of Fabian in Valparaiso and Michigan Thyme Café
and Shops in New Buffalo, Mich.
For more information visit www.
SmoothJazzAtSouthShore.com
…
Six Northwest Indiana communities
have received Energy Efficiency
and Conservation Block Grants
from the U.S. Department of
Energy. They are Dyer ($22,845) to
retrofit traffic and street lights with
LEDs; Lowell ($44,445) and Dyer
($99,984) to retrofit municipal building lighting; Schererville ($245,000)
to improve waste water treatment
pumps; Valparaiso ($240,160) to
retrofit waste water treatment plant
pumps; LaPorte ($207,547) to retrofit waste water treatment plant
pumps; and Knox ($21,540) to
retrofit wastewater treatment plant
pumps. … Starke Memorial Hospital employees have volunteered
to plant gardens for elderly residents in Knox. The small vegetable
gardens will provide residents with
a small amount of fresh produce.
… James Herman has received
the 2010 Evan J. Sears Award
and Scholarship from the City of
South Bend. The award is named
for Evan J. Sears, an intern with the
Bureau of Traffic and Lighting who
was killed in a traffic accident while
working in a city street in 1999.
the top 400 general contractors in the
United States by Engineering NewsRecord. Tonn & Blank has been
involved with construction of the
83,000-square-foot Valparaiso Family
YMCA and the 420,000-square-foot
St. Elizabeth East Hospital in
Lafayette. For the Valparaiso Family
YMCA, Tonn and Blank received the
2009/2010 Project of the Year award
from the Construction Advancement Foundation. … A topping
off ceremony was held on the new
school and office for the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local 697 in Merrillville.
The local represents members in
Lake and Newton counties. The
$11 million building is going up at
73rd Avenue and Mississippi Street.
bankatfirst.com
CONSTRUCTION/ENGINEERING
Richard J. Corbett of Michigan City
has joined Falk-PLI Engineering
and Surveying in Portage as director of engineering. … Jack Champaigne, president of Electronics
Inc. of Mishawaka, has received
the Outstanding Contribution Award
from SAE International … Tonn and
Blank Construction Co. of Michigan City has been ranked as one of
7
NWIBQ_Nyhart.ai 7/1/2010 1:35:24 PM
Which Indiana Companies are
Worth Watching in 2010?
"Indiana Companies to Watch was a great
source of employee pride. We look forward
to becoming a third stage company."
— Thomas L. Totten, Nyhart Managing Principal
C
M
Y
CM
MY
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation,
its Small Business Development Centers, and
Purdue University, in association with the Edward
Lowe Foundation, proudly announce the 2010
Indiana Companies to Watch Awards program,
sponsored in part by Premier Capital
Corporation.
CY
CMY
K
Purchase your tickets now for the 2010 Indiana
Companies to Watch Awards Dinner August 26.
For more information, company eligibility
requirements, or to nominate a company or
apply, contact us by:
web http://indiana.companiestowatch.org
email [email protected]
phone 888.472.3244
Indiana Companies To Watch 2010
SM
An Awards Program Celebrating Second-Stage Companies
2010 SPONSORS
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NOTEWORTHY NEWS BITS
It is expected to open in November.
… Patti O’Brien has been named
chief financial officer at LarsonDanielson Construction Co. Inc.
in LaPorte. She joined the company
in 2008 as accounting manager.
EDUCATION
John Novak of Munster has been
named assistant vice chancellor for
the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Indiana University
Northwest in Gary. He will plan,
coordinate and institute assessment,
evaluation and improvement processes at IUN. … Richard Mellinger,
managing partner of Northwestern
Mutual Financial Network received
the E.M. Morris Award from Indiana
University South Bend for his contributions to business and the quality
of life in Michiana. … Christopher
Craft, senior vice president and
regional manager of the Commercial
Banking Group of Lake City Bank,
received the Distinguished Alumnus
Award from Indiana University
South Bend.
GAMING
Ameristar Casino in East Chicago
has announced a $4.2 million project to upgrade all of the rooms in
its hotel. The project includes new
carpeting, wall coverings, lighting, luxury bedding and installation
42-inch high-definition televisions.
GOVERNMENT
Elizabeth Cecconi has been named
director of marketing and development for St. Joseph County Airport Authority in South Bend. …
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn have signed
legislation backing development of
the Illiana Expressway, a 55-mile
highway connecting Interstate 65
in Indiana with Interstate 55 in Illinois. The project is supported by the
Northwest Indiana Forum and is
projected to create 2,300 jobs and
How can I finance
a new building or
expand my business?
I need
to buy
equipment.
I need working
capital.
$237 million in income while easing
traffic congestion on the Borman
Expressway in Indiana. … The
Newton County Commissioners
and Newton County Economic
Development have approved a
plan to create the Prairie Hills Economic Improvement District. It
will support a proposal by the Prairie Hills Motor Sports Club to create
a grand prix-style track, restaurants,
lodging and other facilities near Lake
Village. The project could cost $100
million. … Angela M. Fegaras has
been named chief of staff and communications director for the LaPorte
District of the Indiana Department
of Transportation. … The LaPorte
County Economic Development
Alliance recently hosted the Indiana Economic Development
Association’s summer meeting at
the Stardust Event Center at Blue
Chip Casino in Michigan City. More
than 120 people from around the
state attended.
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9
unit in the fall. The 12-bed facility
HEALTH CARE
Starke Memorial Hospital in Knox could be open by November. …
has announced the facility will Joseph Arulandu has been recogbecome 100 percent tobacco free nized by the National Committee
on Nov. 18. … Michael Method, an for Quality Assurance, the Amerioncologist with Michiana Hema- can Diabetes Association and
tology Oncology in South Bend, the Diabetes Physician Recognihas been invited to join a committee tion Program for providing quality care to the LaPorte
for the federal governRegional Physician
ment’s strategic PlanNetwork. … Life &
ning Committee for
Times, a publication
the Community Cliniof LaPorte Regional
cal Oncology Program.
Health System, has
… Gail Zacok has
received a gold medal
joined Indiana Unifor excellence in adverversity
Northwest
tising/marketing in the
College of Health
2010 Aster Awards,
and Human Services
which had 3,000 entries
as a nurse practitiofrom North and South
ner on call at the IU
America. … NereNorthwest
Health Joseph Arulandu
ida Henderson has
and Wellness Center.
… St. Anthony Medical Center been named director of nursing for
in Crown Point has announced it the Continuing Care Center at
will open a neonatal intensive care LaPorte Regional Health System.
10
She was previously nursing director
for Life Care Center in Michigan
City. … Linnea Robbins-Winters
of New Carlisle has been elected
president of the Indiana Optometric Association. She is a partner in
Eye Care Associates of Michiana.
… George Friend has been named
physician executive of Oncology
Services at Memorial Hospital and Health System in South
Bend. … LaPorte Regional Health
System has acquired Lakeshore
Surgicare. Lakeshore opened in
2006 and provided outpatient orthopedic surgery in an 11,200-squarefoot facility. All 30 employees will
now be affiliated with LRHS. …
Jeanne Barker has been named
nurse executive at Madison Center
in South Bend. … John Offerle has
been named Optometrist of the Year
by the Indiana Optometric Association. He is affiliated with Eye Care
Associates of Michiana. … Chris
Taelman has been named director of marketing and strategy at
LaPorte Regional Health System.
…LaPorte Hospital has been
named among top 3.75 percent of
the nation’s 5,815 hospitals for the
quality of its nursing practice. The
honor comes from the Magnet Recognition Program, the top nursing
evaluation program in the nation.
… Benjamin Troy has joined
the practice of David F. Sonego
and Associates in Mishawaka as
a psychiatrist. … XRC Medical
Imaging has received a three-year
accreditation in PET-CT scanning
and stereotactic breast biopsy from
the American College of Radiology. … JoEllen England has been
named office manager at LaPorte
Regional Physician Network. …
Cancer Care Partners of Mishawaka has joined with Goshen
Center for Cancer Care to open
at new cancer treatment center
in Mishawaka. … Gary Mitchell,
president and chief executive officer of Opportunity Enterprises
in Valparaiso, has received the
Chairman’s Award from the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. … Steven Zaeske
has opened ReNew Physicians, a
chiropractic clinic in Schererville.
… LaPorte Hospital has opened
a 20-bed behavioral health clinic
on the seventh floor of the hospital. The clinic will focus on inpatient
geriatric mental health issues such
as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
and inpatient adult-based psychiatric
care. … LaPorte Hospital Foundation has been awarded $30,000 to
4-625x7-5_NWIBQ.indd
assist in the early detection of breast
cancer. The two grants came from
the Susan G. Komen for the Cure,
with the money to be split between
women in LaPorte and Starke counties. … Walt Pullins of LaPorte has
been named engineering services
manager for LaPorte Regional
Health System. … Porter-Starke
Services has opened a facility
in Portage at 3176 Lancer St. The
8,000-square-foot center provides
more space than its old building on
756-BANK | 1-888-Centier | Centier.com | Member FDIC
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6/15/10 10:54:35 AM
11
Willowcreek Road.… Mary Drewes
has been promoted to manager
of cardiovascular diagnostics at
LaPorte Regional Health System.
She will be responsible for all inpatient and outpatient services and
programs for the
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
and
the Peripheral Vascular Lab. … Stevens C. Marshall
has joined the
practice of the Visiting Physicians
Association
in
Mary Drewes, LaPorte
South Bend. …
Regional Health System Triumph
Our
Lady of Peace
has elected officers for its medical
staff. They are Shayna Mokfi, president; Ismail Al-Ani, vice president;
Robert Hunt, secretary; and at-large
members, Bilal Ansari, Fred Ferlic,
Paul Miller and Robert Tomec.
… Five orthopedic physicians have
joined the LaPorte Regional Physician Network. They are Douglas
Golda, Scott Fielder, James Hartson, Thomas Magill and Anthony
McPherron. … Working Well
Occupational Healthcare in Michigan City, a division of The Sisters
of St. Francis Health Services, has
become the first occupational health
provider in the world to receive ISO
9001:2008 Certification. The effort was
led by Tim Ross, regional director
of Working Well, and Chris Vanni,
regional manager of performance
improvement with SSFHS. … Janice
Bopp has joined Michiana Hematology Oncology in Mishawaka as
master nutrition therapist. She previously owned Mar-Main Pharmacy.
line of Chesterton and Ashley Reppert of Valparaiso have joined the
Michigan City accounting firm of
Rowley, Bushue & Co. … Two
Northwest Indiana college students
have received scholarships from
the Indiana CPA Society. They
are David Erpelding of Lowell, a
student at Manchester College, and
Caleb Laidig of Mishawaka, a student at Bethel College. … Linda
Koon of Cassady Neeser & Brasseur in South Bend has received the
Certified Insurance Counselor designation from the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors. … The
Ross Group of Portage has received
the 2010 Gibson Safety Award for
its excellent safety, loss control and
accident prevention programs.
INSURANCE/ACCOUNTING
Ned L. Broadwater has joined
Gibson Insurance in South Bend
as a client executive in the Employee
Benefits practice. … Michael Grego-
INVESTING
The Edward Jones office in Osceola
has announced that three of its
employees have received the company’s Client Service Excellence Award.
est. 1921... thank you for 89 years of success in Northwest Indiana.
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12
They are Matt Stemm, Kimberly
Skalski and Melissa Wachs. … Brad
Murzyn has been named manager of
the Merrillville office of Scottrade.
LEGAL
Connie L. Bauswell of The Law
Office of Connie L. Bauswell of Valparaiso has become a Certified Elder
Law Attorney … David S. Gladish, a
Highland attorney, has been named
by Indiana Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in
Indiana in 2010. … Kimberly P. Peil
has joined the Valparaiso law firm of
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans. Peil
will work in the firm’s Merrillville
office concentrating in labor and
employment and commercial litigation. … Bernard H. (Chip) Owens
III has joined the Valparaiso law firm
of Hoeppner Wagner & Evans. He
will work in the Merrillville office
specializing in labor and employment
and commercial litigation.
MANUFACTURING
MonoSol in LaPorte has begun
construction on a $20 million,
41,000-square-foot addition that will
create 11 permanent jobs. The expansion will double the plant size to
80,000 square feet. New production
lines will be installed. … Chep Catalyst Chemical Corp. will move its
operation from Hammond to Cedar
Lake. The Canada-based company
refurbishes and stores steel bins used
by refiners. … Royal Adhesives and
Sealants of South Bend has completed
a $4.3 million expansion that includes
36,000 square feet of manufacturing
area, a laboratory and a warehouse. …
B&B Molders has announced six promotions. Brad Rittenhouse has been
named product development engineer;
Bill Evans has been named quality
assurance manager; Jim Krezel has
been promoted to operations manager;
Mike Pletcher is now production
manager; Vicki Oliva is purchasing
manager; and Scott Helm has been
named controller. … U.S. Steel in Gary
has announced plans to build four
carbon alloy synthesis plants to create
Cokonyx, a substitute for coke in
continued on page 32
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13
cover story
Making a Change,
Following a Dream
Every story of entrepreneurial success is personal.
by
K athy McKimmie
“I
can do this” is on the lips
and in the mind of every
successful man and woman
who launches a business. Some take
the experience of working for others
for years and start up in the same
field. Some bravely adopt the phrase
after suffering the trauma of job loss.
Others simply decide that the time
is finally right to follow their dream,
not just find a job.
Northwest Indiana is full of successful small business people whose
faith in themselves and work ethic
pay dividends in economic self-sufficiency and personal gratification. We
salute some here.
14
Tracy Freeze, principal,
HMS-Midwest, Chesterton
Five years ago, Tracy Freeze moved
her successful medical-practice
management company from Michigan to Burns Harbor, then moved
it again to Chesterton in 2009. She
has been on the move in many
ways since she began managing a
psychiatrist’s office in Traverse City,
Mich., in 1993.
When she needed to leave that job
in 1995 to move to southwest Michigan due to her husband’s job, she
was asked a question that changed
her life. Would she keep on working
on a consultant basis? Yes! Her desk
and file cabinet went with her.
She still has that first client—and
that desk. But thanks to hard work
and the growing trend toward outsourcing she now serves 31 medical
professionals in six states, handling
their reimbursement, financial and
office management needs with four
full-time and two part-time employees. Distance is not a problem. She’s
had a client in Florida for two years
that she’s never met in person.
Always striving to make the physicians’ practices more efficient,
Freeze developed a program called
Pay My Provider, allowing patients
to pay their bills online 24/7 to keep
the cash flowing.
Her husband, Jeffrey, has been
involved in the business part-time
from the start, while making his own
career changes, first as an investment
advisor, then in the automotive industry where his job evaporated with 24
hours’ notice in 2009. The time was
right for him to come onboard fulltime and he runs the day-to-day business as vice president of operations.
“I love working with him,” she
says. “We are a perfect match in
terms of passion and analytical skills.
We’re best of friends and we’re great
working partners.”
shawn spence shawnspence.com
Ted Zych, chef/owner,
Abstract Cafe, Portage
People told him he was crazy when
he opened a fine dining restaurant in
a strip mall in the heart of Portage,
a city known more for its steel mills
than pepper mills. But Ted Zych
decided to trust his crazy ideas and
opened his popular 50-seat eatery in
July 2009.
It offers a locally grown, seasonal
menu that features free-range chickens, bison, line-caught fish, grassfed beef and as much organic food
as possible while still keeping the
pricing affordable. “Good, healthy
food is not a fad,” he says.
The strip-mall rent was reasonable and the building had a kitchen
from a former tenant, so although
Ted and his wife Jennifer (a 50-50
owner) spent everything they
had, they didn’t have to go into debt.
Like many people, Zych felt his
career didn’t match his passion. “It
was now or never,” he says, when
he was laid off from his construction
management job in 2007. “My wife
was luckily on my side and said, ‘If
you really want to do it, go for it. I’ll
stand behind you.’”
He found another construction job,
but also enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu
College of Culinary Arts in Chicago,
traveling three hours five nights a
week for classes. He graduated at
the top of his class and earned the
President’s Award.
A short unpaid externship was
required by the program and Zych
arranged his with Nicole Bissonnette, chef and owner of Bistro 157
in Valparaiso. He was then hired on
and learned how the restaurant and
catering business was run.
In business only a year and only
33, Zych is already talking expansion. “My goal is in the next few
years to open a second and third
restaurant,” he says, with St. John
the second location in 2011. He’s
also mulling over whether to expand
Abstract Cafe into adjoining space.
“I had to reinvent myself”
Click Bug Studios in
Valparaiso began pressing to
get its product to market when
Ray Shingler (shown here
with Joe Ubben, left) was laid
off from a Web design job.
H
o l
d i
n g
o
n
H
a
s
CONSEQUENCES
EspEcially if it’s unclaimEd propErty.
Be sure to turn in all unclaimed property to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office by
November 1, 2010 to avoid interest and other penalties. Businesses with unclaimed
property may participate in a one-time only Holder Amnesty Program to comply with the
law and avoid penalties. For more information, visit our website or call 1-866-IN-CLAIM.
ST R E NGT H I N N U M B E R S
Behind every successful business is a solid financial support team. Swartz Retson
is the oldest and largest accounting firm in Northwest Indiana. For more than 80
years, companies have relied on our expertise to help them maximize their
opportunities. Our strength lies in our experience and “cross consulting”
philosophy, drawing on our team of 25 professionals to identify and
attain your financial and operational goals.
OUR R ANGE OF SERV ICES INCLUDES:
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16
Hector Cornejo, president,
Momax Marble & Granite,
Merrillville
For eight years, Hector Cornejo
made the daily commute from Merrillville to his job on the north side
of Chicago, working for a granite
company. When his “I can do this”
moment came in 1996, he decided
to set up a one-man operation in
his garage and became the first
marble and granite business in the
area.
“You have to work hard at something you love,” he says. “If you
work at it, the rewards will come.”
In October 2009 he celebrated
the grand opening of his new
20,000-square-foot building on
U.S. 30. It’s not only a very tangible sign of his success, but its high
visibility has attracted even more
business.
Starting out, Cornejo did everything, from fabricating to cutting to installing. He didn’t have
the money to buy all the tools
his workers use today, but he
made do. A year later he built a
1,000-square-foot pole barn on his
property to expand his work area,
had two employees, and his wife,
Gloria, joined the business to do
the accounting and billing.
He taught her how to handle the
pricing for bids and she remains in
charge of these areas today as vice
president. Growth meant a move to
an existing building on U.S. 30 in a
shop five times larger and the decision was made to focus on wholesale business, now 80 percent of
sales.
While new housing construction is
down, remodeling of existing homes
is up, says Cornejo, which enables
Momax to maintain 24 employees
and keep his four crews busy with
installations. He estimates sales this
year will be $3 million.
The company earned the 2009
Best of Merrillville Award from the
U.S. Commerce Association, which
recognizes outstanding local businesses around the country.
cover story
Click Bug Studios,
Valparaiso
Sometimes ideas need to percolate for decades before they begin
to pick up steam through the right
partnerships, technology and timing.
The Land of PurFUNple, a 3D online
video game for youngsters ages 5 to
9, is the result of 20-plus years of
percolation.
It’s the first product of newly
formed Click Bug Studios in Valparaiso. The company has four
principals: Cindi Blandford, president; Ray Shingler, director of product development/operations; John
Carpenter, director of media; and
Joe Ubben, director of sales and
marketing.
Blandford and Shingler work fulltime out of their homes; Carpenter
and Ubben are part-timers while
working other jobs. Carpenter owns
2077 ad B.qxd 6/16/2010 2:35 PM
a recording studio in Hammond and
writes and performs the music for
the site, www.purfunple.com.
The full-court press to get the
product to market began earlier
this year when Shingler, 50, was
laid off from his job designing Web
sites for Fortune 500 clients at a
Chicago firm. “I had to reinvent
myself,” he says.
He also reinvented a video game
he worked on years ago, one that
was based on a bedtime story
his old friend Blandford wrote to
teach her children about tolerance
and prejudice. It became a 3D
experience.
It takes place in a land where the
pig prince, Pigston, decrees that all
things must be purple, and the heroine, Penelope, resists. “Finally the
delivery platform and the Web and
broadband access and what kids
want to do online created this perPage 1
fect storm,” he says.
The immediate focus is raising
$250,000 in seed money to get the
microsite up by October, let kids
hang out for free and let it spread
organically while capturing data
on its use and growth to lure an
additional $700,000 from investors
to roll out a commercial site for
subscribers.
Click Bug Studios is the first Indiana production studio developing
a virtual world for kids online,
Shingler says. In fact, it’s the only
3D game aimed at the age group.
A key player in the kids’ market
is Club Penguin (in 2D), which
was acquired by Disney in 2007
for $700 million. Looking at that
number, it’s easy to see why
the company’s goal is a potential movie deal or an acquisition
once PurFUNple reaches 250,000
users.
At Tech Credit Union,
we value your business.
Business Loan & Banking Services
Contact a branch manager or our
Commercial Services department
at 800-276-8324, extension 252 today.
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(219) 477-6805
www.techcu.org
17
cover story
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LeAnn VanSchoyck, owner,
L.R. Men’s Clothier &
Tuxedos, LaPorte
The word “service” is often found
in retailers’ ads, but nowadays
shoppers tend to find it wanting.
L.R. Men’s Clothier & Tuxedos
surprises.
When was the last time a clothing
store kept your size and preferences
on a card for reference, delivered
to your office, or let you take a
few shirts home to see which one
matched your wife’s outfit?
L.R. aims to stand out in the service department, but also wants
to differentiate itself from the mall
stores in merchandise.
“We’re more unique,” says VanSchoyck. “Anything you see in
Macy’s, I’m not going to carry. We’ll
be a little more expensive, but we
always have sales. And we can special-order in a day.”
Born and raised in LaPorte, VanSchoyck remembers when there
were four or five men’s stores in
town. Now there’s only L.R. Her
knack for retailing and pleasing the
customer developed while working
at Droege’s in LaPorte, a local institution for 75 years.
She worked there for 13 years
before it announced it would close
in December 2006. “I was at a crossroads,” she says. But almost overnight, after hearing that a chain
tuxedo store might locate in the
area, she decided to seek financing
to start her own men’s store with
tux shop. She knew LaPorte couldn’t
support two.
She opened her store in November 2006, a month before Droege’s
shut its doors. “I started at the right
time,” she says. “Now, it would be
tougher getting a loan.”
VanSchoyck used to say, “Oh
yeah,” when she heard people
say, “Find your passion and you’ll
be happy.” Now she knows what
they’re talking about. n
THE ENGAGING POWER OF MAGAZINES
MAGAZINE AUDIENCES ARE GROWING: The latest research reveals that
magazine readership has risen over the past five years……In fact, 93% of adults
overall and 96% of adults under age 35 read magazines.
Source: MRI, Spring 2010
MAGAZINE AUDIENCES ARE EXPANDING ACROSS PLATFORMS: The number
of magazine websites and mobile apps is increasing-readers are projected to
grow rapidly- and consumers want to see magazine content on them.
Source: MediaFinder 2010
MAGAZINE ADVERTISING GETS CONSUMERS TO ACT: Sources reveal that
56% of all readers act on magazine ads. Advertising recall for recalling specific
ads has grown 13% over the last five years.
Source: Affinity’s VISTA Print Effectiveness Rating Service, 2005-2009
MAGAZINES BUILD BUZZ: Magazines are most likely create and influence
social networkers who build buzz.
Source: MRI-fall 2009
MAGAZINES SPUR WEB TRAFFIC AND SEARCH: An analysis by Marketing
Evolution shows more than 40% increase in web traffic occurrence after
readers/ consumers were exposed to magazine ads.
Source: Marketing Evolution, 2007
MAGAZINES AND MAGAZINE ADS GARNER THE MOST ATTENTION:
Consumers read magazines, they are most likely fully engaged and not
simultaneously going on-line, listening to the radio or watching TV.
Source: BIGresearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study, 2009
MAGAZINES SUPPLY CREDIBILITY: Multiple sources show that consumers
trust ads in magazines- New data shows that magazines continue to score
higher than TV or the Internet in ad receptivity.
Source: Experian Simmons Multi-Media Engagement Stud
SIMPLY STATED
MAGAZINE READERSHIP CONTINUES TO GROW. MAGAZINES APPEAL TO
DIVERSE READERS. MAGAZINES PROVIDE A BETTER REACH COMPARED TO
TV, AND CONSUMERS TRUST MAGAZINE ADS!
*Permission to reprint material cited in the 2010/2011 Magazine Handbook, published by the Magazine Publisher’s of America.
ceo profile
Pangere Corp.
Venturing into the future—with Hope.
by
Rick A. Richards
S
20
In 1972, Pangere came onboard
after graduating from Purdue University with a degree in industrial
management design. Since 1987,
he has been president of the family
business.
Pangere Corp. has called the 11
acres it occupies in the 4000 block
of Fourth Avenue on Gary’s west
side home since 1959. The operation also includes Culver Roofing
Inc., a Chicago company Pangere
himself acquired in 1987 and moved
to Gary. That same year, Pangere
Corp. became a commercial general
contractor and signed on to become
an authorized Butler Builder, putting
up pre-engineered buildings in the
region.
Three years later in 1990, the company added commercial painting
and decorating as well as remodeling and renovation to its list of services. In 1992, Pangere opened a
branch office in Indianapolis and in
2004 it added general laborer services and overhead door installation
to its portfolio of services.
“The best thing about what I do
is the relationships I’ve been able to
build, especially with my employees,” says Pangere, 60. “Over the
years, it’s the employees who have
made the difference.”
The importance of a good relationship with employees comes
from advice he received from his
father. “My father told me, ‘No matter
where you go, no one is any different than you.’ I have good employees. We play hard, we work hard,
we laugh hard.”
That relationship with employees
has been bolstered by the company’s
emphasis on safety. In 2007, Pangere
Corp. was recognized by the Northwest Indiana Business Roundtable
for more than 600,000 work hours
without a lost-time accident, and in
2009 was recognized for completing
342,000 additional work hours without a lost-time accident.
The company’s fingerprints are all
over Northwest Indiana’s steel mills.
Pangere Corp. has put up steel framing at nearly every mill in the region,
and the company has worked across
the state, too. It was involved in the
Conseco Fieldhouse project in Indianapolis as the painting and decorating contractor. “We painted it, we
did not build it,” Pangere is quick to
point out.
In taking on a project the size of
Conseco, the company has shown it
has the ability to do jobs of all sizes.
The company has also been
involved in projects at Gary/Chicago
International Airport and Majestic
Star Casino, and received the 2006
Industrial Project of the Year award
from the Construction Advancement
Foundation for work on the basic
oxygen furnace command tower at
Mittal Steel USA, Indiana Harbor.
“Each project, whether it be a $300
project or a $12 million project, is
given serious attention to every
detail,” says Pangere. He adds that
he wants the work done right the
first time because 90 percent of the
company’s bottom line comes from
repeat customers.
“We’re down 60 percent of what
we normally do,” Pangere says of
the current difficult economy. “This
is the reason we got into other disciplines. I’m trying to get outside
(the steel mills) more so all our
eggs aren’t in one basket. We went
through the nasty LTV bankruptcy,
one of our biggest customers, and
it hurt.” As a result of LTV’s bankruptcy filing in 1986, Pangere was
teve Pangere has Hope with
him wherever he goes. He’s
perpetually hopeful about the
future of his construction company
and his community. And each time
he leaves his office, Hope leads
the way.
Hope is a 2-year-old Labrador mix that serves as Pangere’s
eyes. Legally blind for more than
a decade (Pangere can still see
images and uses a magnifier to
check e-mail on his computer),
Hope and Pangere became partners about two months ago.
Pangere, president and sole owner
of Pangere Corp. in Gary, hasn’t let
a degenerative eye disease keep him
from running a successful construction company. With 150 employees,
Pangere did $40 million of business
last year.
“We are in the business of sales
and we happen to be really good
at all of our construction services:
structural steel erection and repair,
metal roofing and siding, industrial
and commercial painting, rough
and finish carpentry, industrial and
commercial overhead doors, general
construction, roofing,” Pangere says
from his dark-paneled conference
room, Hope curled up on the floor
at his side.
Pangere says his company’s success is based on a simple formula.
“We have made our primary focus
building relationships with customers and one another by treating
people right. This is what distinguishes us from our competition.”
In 1905, John T. Pangere came to
the United States from Greece and
started a small construction business
in Gary. Pangere’s father, Nicholas,
joined the business in 1945.
“She’s made it positive for me.”
Steve Pangere’s Labrador mix, Hope, is
at his side as he runs the family business,
Pangere Corp. Pictured with him are his wife
Georgiann, and sons Tony (left) and Nick.
ceo profile
named to the creditors’ committee
as a way of protecting his company
during the lengthy restructuring process for LTV.
But while the economy and the
bankruptcy of its biggest customer
were blows to the company, that
Asked which project was the most
satisfying for him and his company,
Pangere is reluctant to name any
one project. “I can’t single one out
because of the different divisions
we have. They all do a good job.
I’m proud of the whole company.
“We have made our primary focus
building relationships with customers
and one another by treating people right.
This is what distinguishes us from
our competition.”
doesn’t dim Pangere’s view of the
future.
“I know we’re going to continue
in the steel industry,” says Pangere.
“And we’ll get into more development projects, things we want to do
and build. That’s the direction I’d
like to take.”
22
They’ve all done things that are
great. They’re all part of my family.”
In an article 10 years ago in the
trade publication Engineering NewsRecord, Pangere was described as a
visionary. It was an ironic description because he was legally blind at
the time.
But that description is apt, even
today. Pangere is in the office every
day, when he’s not out meeting with
customers.
“I used to drive in my early 20s,”
he says. “I graduated from Merrillville
High School and I played football
and wrestled.” But, adds Pangere,
he’s known since high school about
the rod cone dystrophy he was born
with that’s slowly robbing him of his
vision.
His brother, John, a former partner
in the business, also has rod cone
dystrophy and is totally blind.
“I’m not totally blind. I can see
my cup somewhat,” Pangere says,
pointing to the coffee mug on the
table in front of him.
Never, though, has Pangere
described his diminished vision as a
disability, and he’s never let it affect
how he lives his life. He and his wife
of 32 years, Georgiann, have traveled the United States and the world
with their children. He’s involved
in the community and his church,
Saints Constantine and Helen Greek
Orthodox Cathedral in Merrillville.
“We’re very involved in the community,” he says. “It’s not that I have
to give back, I want to give back. I’m
so fortunate and this company has
been so fortunate. We want to share,
so we do.
“When times get tough I have no
problem sharing to help people care
for their families and pay their bills.”
It’s because of his eyesight that
Pangere has that perspective. In
conversation, he often describes his
situation as fortunate because losing
his eyesight has given him an ability
to judge people beyond mere physical appearance.
For a time, Pangere got around
with a cane, but now depends on
Hope. “Getting her was a stressful,
time-consuming process,” he says.
Hope was trained in New Jersey by
Seeing Eye. “It’s the only school that
has the trademark Seeing Eye.”
“She gives me a lot more freedom
and a lot of independence. She helps
me with my mobility. Personally, I
think she’s made it positive for me.”
One of the things he used to do in
his Crown Point neighborhood was
take walks, but his eyesight in recent
months made that impossible. Now
Pangere is entertaining the idea of
taking those walks again, thanks to
Hope.
The biggest hurdle he’s had to
overcome with Hope is putting 100
percent trust in her because he’s
always depended on himself to get
things done. But during a teaching
exercise in New York City, Pangere
learned he can trust Hope completely.
“I took the subway because I take
the train when I’m in Chicago and I
wanted her to experience that,” says
Pangere. “She went in and out of traffic easy. We went to Central Park and
when I was back at the station, trains
were coming and going on either
side of me. The trainer told me to
tell Hope to go forward. She did and
when we got to about a foot from the
edge, she threw a body block on me
and dragged me to the stairs.”
Pangere says that’s when the
trainer leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, “Never forget to
trust her. She’s trained to do that.
That’s what I have to learn.”
Although Pangere calls it building
a relationship, what he has really
done with his customers is instill in
them trust that his company will get
the job done right.
“It’s all about building relationships, whether it’s customers,
employees or friends.” It’s the kind
of relationship that gives customers
hope.
Hope has helped Pangere lead
his company into its second century. And now he has his own
personal Hope helping him lead
the way. n
THE PANGERE
CORPORATION
Building Excellence
Since 1905
Industrial/Commercial Contractor
“We are proud to support and
serve the communities in which
we work and live.”
Gary, Indiana • (219) 949-1368
www.pangere.com
23
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE
WHAT’S OUTSIDE IS IMPORTANT Landscaping for the new library at the Associated
Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart was done by The Troyer Group of Mishawaka.
An Emphasis on the Outside
Sure, a good landscape design is pretty,
but it can save money, too.
by
Rick A. Richards
A
ny time a business decides
to build a new office, the
owners are going to make
sure their money is spent to create
the most efficient operation possible.
Steve Ruby, a landscape architect
at The Troyer Group in Mishawaka,
understands that thinking. “If a company is going to spend its money,
it’s looking for the biggest bang for
its buck. So they spend their money
indoors, not outdoors.”
But for The Troyer Group and
other Northwest Indiana firms
engaged in landscape architecture,
the outside of a business is just as
important as what’s inside. And
24
done properly, a well designed and
implemented exterior design can
save a company money.
With more clients designing projects with an eye toward meeting
national green standards such as
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), more attention is being paid to landscaping.
“LEED goes back to our origins,
which is designing with nature,”
says Ruby, a Purdue graduate who
is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects. “It’s not
so much reducing watering costs as
it is finding plants that take care of
themselves.”
Ruby says it’s important for land-
scape architects to be involved with
a project from the beginning, and
that it’s important for a landscape
architect to know the company’s
goals and its philosophy.
“We want to know what they
want to achieve,” says Ruby, adding
that a landscape architect can play
an important role in making sure a
client knows what the local ordinances and regulations are concerning landscaping.
Troyer is a 50-year-old company
that Ruby says has always designed
projects with an eye toward being
environmentally friendly.
“Companies are starting to shift
some money toward the appearSUMMER – FA LL 2010
ance of their building,” says Ruby.
“That’s easier for them to do when
we explain that with the proper
shade trees, it can cut their air conditioning costs. We can show there
is monetary savings in irrigation,
energy costs and the benefits of curb
appeal—that image sells.”
He says all of that is simply a
matter of education, but an increasing number of clients are figuring
that out on their own. When that
happens, Ruby says a landscape
architect’s job is easier.
Even though no two projects are
the same, Ruby says the basics of
being environmentally friendly,
saving money and enhancing curb
appeal are all becoming more
important to clients.
For Taghi Arshami, the principal
of Merrillville’s The Arsh Group Inc.,
landscape design is just as important to a company’s bottom line
as the design of a production line.
Founded in 1997, The Arsh Group
has been involved in urban planning
throughout the region.
“There is an awakening of the
public about sustainable development and design,” says Arshami.
“There is a growing concern over
climate change and I think people
are paying more attention to that
part of a development.”
Arshami says he’s always been concerned about the environment. “We’re
involved in two areas of design. Residential landscaping, which is a big
part of our business, and the commercial side. We get involved in the
drainage issues of a project, the soil
and water management.”
The goal for any landscape architect is to create an environment
that is virtually self-sustaining and
has minimal impact on neighboring properties. That means trying to
make sure rainwater runoff is contained on the property and invasive
plants are not used.
Even though the final decision is
up to the client, Arshami says he
offers the best advice possible and
tries to balance what his expertise
says is best for the project with what
the client wants.
“It’s all a matter of education,” says
Arshami. “Clients are starting to see
the value of proper outdoor design.”
Chuck Lehman, president of
Lehman & Lehman Inc. in Mishawaka, says the idea of sustainability has long been a key component
of what his 22-year-old company
does.
“It involves the cost of main-
tenance, a safe environment and
simply being a good steward,” says
Lehman.
“What we do is not just landscaping and not just for aesthetics. It’s
answering questions about how to
retain storm water runoff and understanding that a rain garden (which
collects rain water for other uses on
the property) isn’t pleasing to look
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Voted by the readers of
25
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE
at, but is important to the environment. Education is important in the
process.”
Lehman & Lehman has done work
across Indiana, not just in the region.
Lehman says the firm recently was
involved in projects in Indianapolis
and Noblesville, for instance.
“Some of our clients are looking at
indigenous plants instead of bringing in exotics,” says Lehman. “It’s
like food. If you can produce what
you want in a location nearby, it has
less impact on the cost of transporting and processing it.”
It’s the same thing with indigenous plants, explains Lehman. If the
plants are grown locally and blend
in with other native plants, there
isn’t as much cost involved in maintaining them or in acquiring them.
In the end, though, Lehman says
the final decision on what a landscape project will look like is up to
the client. “They all vary from client
to client. We have to see how what
we suggest matches with the client’s
agenda.”
At Foegley Landscape Inc. in South
Bend, president John Foegley has
seen a shift over the years to more
environmentally friendly design.
Foegley’s company has been
around since 1959 and in that time,
he says not only have attitudes and
education evolved, but so have
products. “The biggest change has
been the move toward more environmentally friendly design and
plantings,” says Foegley. No longer
is it sufficient to toss down some
grass seed and plant a few bushes.
Exterior designs are now becoming a part of an overall project and
not merely an afterthought.
“Clients are going to a more natural
setting,” says Foegley. “For instance,
some are cutting back on their maintenance costs by planting prairie
grass. They don’t have to mow that,
but it is a different approach. Some
people are uncomfortable when
there isn’t a neatly mowed lawn, but
others like a more natural look.”
Other clients, he says, are trying
to reduce heat, especially in urban
areas where the sun beats down on
concrete and asphalt all day long.
“There is something called Geoturf,
which is a reinforced turf that you
can use for parking without destroying the grass.”
The benefit of something like that,
says Foegley, is that it doesn’t get as
hot as an asphalt or concrete parking lot. “Some people are also using
permeable pavers, which allows
water to drain through more easily,”
says Foegley.
The Troyer Group’s Ruby said attitudes about landscape design are
changing among clients. He compared it to baking a great cake. No
matter how good the cake tastes, it
isn’t perfect without the icing. “That’s
what landscape design is. We’re the
icing. That’s a good description of
what we do.” n
Join us as we continue to lead the way out of the worst recession in ages.
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Additional Information
The Troyer Group, 550 Union St., Mishawaka. 574/259-9976
www.troyergroup.com
Notable projects: Kroc Center, South Bend; Steuben County Fairgrounds; LaPorte Depot.
The Arsh Group, 8396 Mississippi St., Merrillville. 219/796-9050
www.arshgroup.com
Notable projects: Merrillville Parks Master Plan; City of Hammond Parks;
Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Indiana.
Lehman & Lehman Architects and Planners, 510 Lincolnway East, Mishawaka. 574/257-0255
www.lehmanandlehman.com
Notable projects: Brownsburg, Ind., Parks Department; Purdue University Outdoor Sports Courts;
Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Middlebury, Ind.
Foegley Landscape Inc., 52215 Lilac Road, South Bend. 574/277-2424
www.foegleylandscape.com
Notable projects: Allied Physicians, South Bend; Chris Wilson Pavilion in Potawatomi Park,
South Bend; Riley High School Park, South Bend.
LarsonDanielson_NWINBQ_AD_Jun2010:L&D_NWINBQ_AWARD_AD
7/2/10
10:39 AM
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Building Business
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27
FOCUS: BUSINESS LAW
Legal Q&A
Insights on social media, succession,
startups, unions and other legal matters.
by
Michael Puente
D
isputes arise in every type of
business—big or small, new
or established. Disputes can
develop between a business owner
and employee or with an independent contractor. And litigation is
always costly.
For instance, a dispute could arise
over Internet use at work, about
what’s being posted and how that
might affect a business’s reputation.
How to keep your company from
getting embroiled in legal tangles
and minimize costs, whatever the
issue, is what our experienced attorneys will try to accomplish in this
article.
“As the saying goes, an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cure,” says attorney Rabeh Soofi
Bruder of Ice Miller LLP’s Indianapolis office.
One of Soofi Bruder’s specialties
is assisting corporate clients with
questions and concerns about the
Internet and its application in the
workplace. Soofi Bruder and a colleague recently completed a survey
polling chief executive officers called
“CEO Survey: Internet, Technology
and Social Media Rising Concern.”
Q: How are most companies
dealing with the use of social
media, such as Facebook and
Twitter, by employees? Since
social media has been around for
several years, most companies
are probably used to dealing with
this issue, correct?
Soofi Bruder: What we’re seeing
nationally is that most companies
do not have social media policies
in place. As you know, sometimes it
28
Rabeh Soofi Bruder of Ice Miller
takes a while for business to catch
up to technology. … Everybody is
involved. For employers, it’s not possible to stop employees on what they
do after hours. They have social lives.
They are going to use these sites. They
are going to make comments about
their jobs and bosses. Most companies do not know how to handle it.
Some companies have responded
by banning social media sites altogether. That’s not an effective way
of handling the problem. Businesses
need to see that the Internet could be
their biggest opportunity to growing
their business. We’re seeing companies using coupons on the Internet
and offering special discounts for
people only using Facebook.
Attorney Eric Seigel, a partner with
Tuesley Hall Konopa LLP in South
Bend, also deals with social media
issues with business clients.
Q: Should employers have policies about the use of the Internet
while on the job?
Seigel: I recommend that businesses do have a policy in place for
use on the job. They need to have a
policy that addresses the use of social
media on work hours and on work
equipment. There are benefits and
a downside when it comes to social
media.
Let’s say someone is on their Facebook page on something unrelated to
their work and they post some unflattering comments about the company. That can cast the company
in a bad light. Can you take action
against that employee? Even if you
don’t have a policy in place, depending on the conduct, you can still
take action, but you’d be in a better
position if you have a policy in place
before you get to that point.
Of course, not all disputes involve
social media. Some disputes can
arise over the simple task of deciding who will take over a business
if the CEO or owner passes away.
Thomas Gardiner says most smaller
companies do not have a succession
plan in place. Gardiner is a partner
with the Chicago law firm of Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona.
Q: What is the benefit of having
a succession plan and do all companies need one?
Gardiner: I would be surprised if
most companies have a succession
plan. Succession planning is something we would recommend because
in the event of an emergency, it’s
clear what would occur. However,
I don’t think in a family business
it’s often necessary. The board of
directors will convene a meeting
and make a decision. In a familyoperated type business, a succession
it going to take the business to be successful? So many new businesses are
so undercapitalized that six months
into it, the owner is trying to find out
how he’s going to come up with other
sources of income. Banks are putting a hold on lending. Banks are in
business to lend money but it’s just
not happening right now. The client
has to be realistic about that.
George Carberry of Burke
Costanza and Cuppy
plan isn’t often stated but in practice
a succession plan may mean the son
might take over. That might be the
assumption without a stated plan. In
Fortune 500 companies, sometimes
the frontrunner for the top position
may not be the person chosen to be
the new CEO. Sometimes things are
not set in stone.
Given today’s economy, one might
think it’s not a good time to start
a business. But some people are
opting to make a go at it. If you do
try to become an entrepreneur, it’s
vital to do your homework. Attorney
George W. Carberry, a partner with
Burke, Constanza & Cuppy LLP in
Merrillville, assists and guides new
business owners.
Q: What are some of the legal
considerations an entrepreneur
should consider before starting a
business?
Carberry: Some of the things that
we first talk about is what is the best
model for the business? Will it be a
corporation, an LLC, sole proprietorship? We also recommend that
whatever the venture is in, know
the market. What drives the market
of this particular area of business?
Who would the competition be? Put
together a business plan. We also
talk about capitalization. How much
money is it going to take? Don’t
underestimate how much it will cost
to acquire the inventory. How long is
A new business or company may
want to acquire property to build a
warehouse or plant, but the property may have some environmental
issues. Attorney Nicholas J. Chulos,
a partner with Krieg DeVault, says
there are many issues to consider.
Chulos works out of the firm’s Indianapolis and Schererville offices.
Q: What do buyers of property
with environmental concerns
need to be aware of?
Chulos: The very first thing to do
is make sure that they hire a strong
environmental firm do a site assessment and other analysis on the property. You really need to get a handle
on what the scope is. You also want
to talk to the land owner and see
what the owner has to say. They may
say they don’t know or they might
not be forthright. The owner still
needs to disclose what’s wrong with
the land. Many times it’s covered in
a fairly detailed real estate agreement. In some cases, the property has
Nicholas J. Chulos of Krieg DeVault
had issues with the EPA or Indiana
Department of Environmental Management. Sometimes there’s ongoing
remediation. Sometimes, whether
you’re the buyer or seller, you can’t
quantify the liability. It’s hard to
figure out. In most cases, you can
quantify the liability, within a range.
It depends on the size of the property
and what’s going on or has gone on
with the property. In some cases, you
buy the property at your own risk.
In some businesses, employees
may feel the need to organize a labor
union. Gerald F. Lutkus is a partner
in the South Bend office of Barnes &
Thornburg LLP and a member of the
firm’s Labor and Employment Law
Department.
Q: Can a company stop or prevent employees from organizing
a labor union?
Lutkus: It’s not a matter of allowing or not allowing employees.
Employees have a right to organize.
If it’s determined there is majority support for a union, they have a
right to do that. Employers do have
a right to inform their employees
why unionizing is not a good thing.
They need to make sure that they
communicate to their employees the
downside of union organizing. The
expense of paying union dues, for
instance, or going through the union
for complaints. And there is no guarantee of higher wages or better benefits. All that is subject to negotiation.
Likewise, an employer can’t threaten
job loss for unionizing. That’s illegal. But there is a reason why only
8 percent of American employees in
the private sector are represented by
unions today. They have fallen into
disfavor.
Some communities have provided
tax incentives to lure new business to
a blighted or underdeveloped area.
This may include the use of TIFs (tax
increment financing districts). TIFs
continue to receive a bad rap by
some in the community. According
to the state of Indiana, once a TIF
district is created, the property tax
revenue attributable to new assessed
29
value within the district accrues to
the redevelopment district rather
than traditional taxing units such as
schools, the county or the township.
The new revenue is usually used to
pay for improvements to the infrastructure within the designated TIF
district. Richard Hill, a partner with
Baker and Daniels in South Bend,
advises local municipalities in establishing a TIF district. He once served
as city attorney for the city of South
Bend.
Q: Why have TIFs received such
bad publicity in some places? Is it
worth the headache for communities to establish such a district?
Hill: In dealing with a blighted
BCC
BURKE COSTANZA & CUPPY LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Advisors you want. Advocates you need.
Matthew C. Abad
Edward L. Burke
John P. Bushemi
Jeremy J. Butler
George W. Carberry
Joseph E. Costanza
H. Jonathon Costas
John G. Donner
Dana Rifai
Todd A. Etzler
Jon A. Schmaltz
Marie M. Flannery
Kathryn D. Schmidt
Daniel A. Gioia
Natalie Shrader
Paul A. Leonard, Jr.
Jason M. Smith
Gregory R. Lyman
Kevin E. Steele
Chad J. Melchi
M
argaret
A. Williford
Robert F. Parker
Phillip A. Pluister Ann Marie Woolwine
Tory Prasco
Call Today 219-769-1313
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by readers of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly
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30
Richard L. Hill of Baker & Daniels
area, TIFs may be suitable to attract
new jobs to a community. From the
standpoint that it brings business
into that community, they may have
very few resources at hand. We don’t
get the benefit of new taxes if it’s
not for the new project going into a
blighted area with the help of a TIF.
With unemployment in Indiana at
10 percent, which is slightly more
than the national average, business
owners have the potential to hire
very qualified candidates for vacant
positions. On the other hand, there
are a number of “overqualified” candidates that some firms may decide
not to hire. Jim Jorgensen is a partner
in the Valparaiso office of Hoeppner
Wagner & Evans. He specializes in
the areas of labor, employment,
banking and business law.
Q: Should employers be careful when deciding not to hire
someone they have deemed to
be “overqualified”? And why
are companies reluctant to hire
someone who is overqualified
for a position?
Jorgensen: I think the concern is
that the person will immediately be
looking for another job. When someone is hired into a position for which
they are overqualified, overqualified
means I’m also underpaid compared
to what I’m used to. The person may
spend most of the time and attention
in finding another job. IndividuSUMMER – FA LL 2010
FOCUS: BUSINESS LAW
before they get ready for trial. Some
cases are starting mediation much
earlier in the process. … Sometimes
cases are referred to mediation by the
court. That’s usually the rule rather
than the exception. Judges want the
parties to make a genuine effort without the courts involved. … I think a
competent mediator with every case
James L. Jorgensen of Hoeppner
Wagner & Evans
als who are overqualified are usually over the age of 40. The person
could file an age-based claim. There
are more of those types of claims
emerging. The courts are looking
closely to determine if the firm had
a legitimate business reason not to
hire that person. There always has to
be a legitimate, non-discriminatory
reason not to hire a person.
Even after a dispute ends up in
court, there are still ways to resolve
the dispute. Civil mediation is one
way disputing parties can try to
resolve the matter. Daniel W. Glavin,
managing partner with Beckman,
Kelly and Smith in Hammond, is
a certified mediator. He’s helped
mediate hundreds of civil cases.
Q: Why would a party or parties
to a lawsuit want to try to settle
a dispute by going through the
mediation process? Does it work?
Glavin: At their core, all business
disputes involve somebody not wanting to pay. Sometimes, one party
doesn’t want to pay because they feel
they didn’t get the value or that they
didn’t receive what they have contracted for. There are also business
disputes litigated simply because one
party cannot pay. We’re seeing more
of that given the economic pressures.
A mediator is completely neutral.
… The process kind of forces the party
to take a cold hard look at their case
feels that there is some way to get
these people to reach an agreement.
Sometimes it doesn’t take very long for
you to conclude that is not going to
happen. Sometimes you feel that this
is definitely going to happen. Then,
there are other cases where almost
every issue is being disputed in the
case. It’s disappointing. n
Law of
the Land.
Real Estate & Land Use
Named by readers of Northwest Indiana
Business Quarterly to a Best Law Firm
category for eight consecutive years and
“Best Law Firm For Litigation” in 2010.
W
hen it comes to owning and
developing real estate, investors and
managers turn to Hoeppner Wagner
& Evans. We represent Northwest
Indiana developers, property
managers, municipalities and
consumers, advising on a wide variety
of real estate and land use issues:
■ Land Use Planning and Zoning
■ Property Acquisitions and Sales
■ Leasing and Tenant Matters
■ Bank and Private Investor Financing
Transactions
■ Taxation Strategies
■ Environmental Impact Matters
■ Municipal Law Issues
■ Dispute Resolution, including
Mediation and Arbitration
Valparaiso (219) 464-4961
Merrillville (219) 769-6552
www.hwelaw.com
Hoeppner Wagner & Evans – We Care About Your Business
31
continued from page 13
steelmaking. The process would
reduce the cost of raw material and
emissions, will take more than two
years to complete and cost $200 million. It will produce 500,000 tons of
the product, replacing 20 percent of
the mill’s coke needs. … Graycor, a
national construction company, has
announced plans to locate at AmeriPlex at the Port in Portage. It will
build a 44,000-sqare-foot office and
metal fabrication shop and employ
37 people with an annual payroll of
$3.5 million.
SMALL BUSINESS
Gurley-Leep Automotive in South
Bend will remain a Buick, GMC and
Cadillac dealer. General Motors made
the announcement after 12 months
of deliberations … Tim Anderson
of Valparaiso has joined Midwest
Transmission and Automotive in
Lake Station as service manager. …
Robert Weed Plywood of South
Bend has received the 2010 Gibson
Safety Award for its efforts at prevention of accidents in the workplace.
… Splash Down Dunes, a water
park in Porter for 16 years, did not
open this season. Owner Paul Childress closed the park after a dispute
over code violations with town officials. He is looking to sell the park
for $4 million … Energy Diagnostics Inc. of Valparaiso has received
the EPA Energy Star award. The
company was founded 19 years ago
by Jerry and Karen Thatcher. …
Three Floyds of Munster, a private
brewery, has received a gold medal
in the Imperial Red Ale category in
the World Cup Beer competition.
… Crown Point Brewery received
a bronze medal in the Brown Porter
category in the World Cup Beer
competition. … Strongbow Inn, a
longtime restaurant in Valparaiso, has
opened a coffee shop in the Cumberland Crossing shopping center. …
McAlister’s Deli, a Mississippi-based
restaurant chain, will open a location
in Merrillville this year. … Schilling
Lumber of St. John has acquired the
former Edward Hines Lumber Co.
in Mokena, Ill. … Palmer Funeral
Home in South Bend has announced
32
GROWING THE COMMUNITY Ruth Ambers, Azure Geller and CEO Linda Satkoski of
Starke Memorial Hospital volunteer their time planting gardens for senior citizens.
it is offering pet cemetery and cremation services. … Ground has been
broken on Muller Acura of Merrillville. The $5 million building is
going up on U.S. 30 and is scheduled to open in the spring of 2011. …
Morse & Co. Advertising Communications of Michigan City received
a bronze award from Healthcare
Advertising Awards for material it
created on behalf of Methodist Hospitals for Dr. Jeffrery S. Flagg. … Cheryl
Watterson has joined ADT Security
as a security sales specialist on the
Residential Team. … Portage Real
Estate is marking its 50th anniversary
this year. The company is co-owned
by Leo Hatch Jr., whose father, Leo
Sr., started the company in 1960.
TECHNOLOGY
SlipStream, a start-up company
working to create an efficient hybrid
vehicle, has moved into Innovation Park at Notre Dame. … RemSense Inc., which is working to
create education software to boost
student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,
has moved into Innovation Park
at Notre Dame. … J.P. von Rahl
has been named director of project
management for Inovateus Solar
in South Bend. … Joannes Westerink and Andrew Kennedy, faculty
members in the University of Notre
Dame’s College of Engineering,
are helping with research in the
Gulf oil spill. Both are working on
efforts to forecast the movement of
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and
how it could be affected by a hurricane. Westerink is in charge of the
Computational Hydraulics Laboratory and Kennedy is in charge of the
Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory.
CORRECTION
In the spring 2010 issue of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly,
the story “High Tech, High Returns”
on page 44 should have reported
that in 2006 Community Hospital in
Munster was among the first hospitals in Indiana to use the da Vinci Si
Surgical System, although St. Margaret Mercy and St. Anthony Hospital
are the only hospitals in the region
using da Vinci’s latest high definition
3-D visual field.
In the spring 2010 issue of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly, the
story “Play Ball!” on page 54 should
have reported that the Gary SouthShore RailCats belong to the eightteam Northern League. Other league
members are the Fargo-Moorhead
RedHawks, Joliet Jackhammers,
Kansas City T-Bones, Lake County
Fielders, Rockford RiverHawks,
Schaumburg Flyers and Winnipeg
Goldeneyes. n
Submit your news releases,
events and announcements to
[email protected].
tourism
DIVERSE SPECIES Keep in touch with nature at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
courtesy of National Park Service
Must-See, Close to Home
A variety of unusual attractions within a short drive.
by
Rick A. Richards
W
hat’s
your
pleasure?
Camping or canoeing?
Hiking or bird watching?
Chocolate or steam locomotives?
Lighthouses or baseball?
You don’t need to travel to far
from home. All of that and more is
available to see, do and experience
in Northwest Indiana. And each of
these must-see attractions is less
than a tank of gas away.
Instead of a two-week vacation,
why not explore your own backyard over a three- or four-day weekend? You might be surprised at what
you’ll find.
Each of these attractions provides
a glimpse of the historic and natural diversity that is at the core of
Northwest Indiana. Certainly there
are others, but these offer a chance
to explore the outdoors, learn about
the region’s manufacturing past and
take in some of the entrepreneurial spirit—shining examples of the
determination that makes Northwest
Indiana what it is today.
Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
contains more than 15,000 acres
and 15 miles of beach along Lake
Michigan, from Gary to Michigan
City. Last year the 44-year-old park
hosted nearly 2 million visitors, says
Lynda Lancaster, spokeswoman for
the park.
33
courtesy of Studebaker National Museum
PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINES Studebaker horse-drawn wagons are
on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend.
South Bend Chocolate Co.
Who doesn’t like chocolate? It’s a
treat any time of the year, and for
34
chocolate lovers, there’s no better
place than South Bend Chocolate Co.
Owner Mark Tarner opened South
Bend Chocolate in 1991 as a specialty chocolate maker by signing
an agreement with the University of
Notre Dame. Today, he makes treats
for Indiana, Purdue and Michigan
Hesston Steam Museum
Since 1957, Hesston Steam Museum
has been attracting steam locomotive fans to its more than 150 acres
in northern LaPorte County.
It is a place, says executive director Ted Rita, that recalls another
era. Where else can you take the
family for a steam train ride through
the woods in a full-sized 1929 Shay
courtesy of rick richards
“We have the seventh most diverse
vascular plant species,” says Lancaster, adding, “those are flowering
plants.”
Species such as jack pine, which
are found mostly in Canada, and
prickly pear cactus, common in the
U.S. southwest, are found side-byside at Indiana Dunes.
The park is home to the endangered Karner blue butterfly and five
species of swallow, which dig holes
in the steep sandy faces of dunes
near 125-foot Mount Baldy near
Michigan City.
Lancaster’s previous assignments
took her to the mall in Washington,
D.C., Denali National Park in Alaska
and Glacier Bay in the Pacific Northwest, but she says Indiana Dunes is
just as special as more well-known
parks. “It is a place that provides an
opportunity for people who want
to keep in touch with the natural
habitat.”
For information, visit www.nps.
gov/indu/index.htm or call 219/
926-7561.
as well as the general public.
“We’ve grown over the years,”
says Tarner. “We’re in a 100-yearold building and we have a
10,000-square-foot store.”
Not only can chocolate lovers buy
Tarner’s products, they can see how
they’re made. “We have a hair net
tour,” says Tarner, adding that visitors can sign up for a regular free
tour or a special paid tour where
they get to create their own chocolate concoction.
The factory, museum and gift
shop are at 3300 W. Sample St.,
South Bend. There are 16 other locations, including three on the Indiana
Toll Road, seven other Indiana communities and outlets in Michigan
and Ohio. For more information,
visit www.sbchocolate.com or call
574/233-2577.
POWERING THE NATION Locomotives on display at
the Hesston Steam Museum in LaPorte County.
tourism
logging locomotive? Or go for a ride
on a quarter-scale steam locomotive
that operated at Kiddieland Amusement Park in Chicago?
Rita loves steam locomotives
and points out that from the mid1800s until 1950, steam powered
the nation. The museum, Rita says,
isn’t merely a display. “People can
ride it, they can touch it, they can
experience it. That’s what makes the
museum unique.”
Hesston Steam Museum is at 1201
E. County Road 1000 North, LaPorte.
For more information, visit www.
hesston.org or call 219/872-5055
during the week or 219/778-2783 on
the weekend.
Hoosier Bat Co.
Former New York Yankees scout
Dave Cook has carved out a unique
niche. His company supplies baseball bats to major leaguers, T-ballers
and players in between.
For baseball fans, the chance to
talk with Cook, look around his
small showroom and gift shop and
tour the factory is a rare look behind
the curtain of the major leagues.
Retired Chicago White Sox slugger
Frank Thomas used a Hoosier Bat.
Today, some 75 to 80 minor and
major leaguers use Hoosier bats.
After opening a restaurant in Plymouth called the Hayloft that was in
an old barn, one of his regular customers was Yankees owner George
Steinbrenner, who had a home in
nearby Culver.
“I asked him if he had anything in
baseball for me to do,” says Cook.
“Two weeks later he called.” The
offer was to be a scout in Indiana,
Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky, a job
Cook quickly accepted.
By 1989, Cook stepped away from
scouting and started Hoosier Bat, a
unique product made with an ash
handle, a hickory sweet spot and a
maple barrel. He patented the bat
and got it approved for use in the
major leagues.
Hoosier Bat is at 4511 E. Evans
Ave., Valparaiso. For more, information visit www.hoosierbat.com or
call 800/228-3787.
Bass Lake Beach and
Campground
Bass Lake in tiny Starke County is
Indiana’s fourth-largest lake and
it’s home to Bass Lake Beach and
Campground, home to 1,500 feet
of pristine sandy beach. With a
campground directly across from
the beach, it has become a popular summer getaway destination for
Chicagoans and Northwest Indiana
residents.
Brian Callahan of Callahan Co.
LLC operates the beach on behalf
of Starke County Commissioners.
“It’s a popular place for campers
and people who just like to enjoy
the beach,” says Callahan. He notes
that the beach used to be operated
by the state, but a few years ago
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was taken over by the county.
Bass Lake Beach is on Indiana
10 near Knox. For information,
visit www.basslakebeachandcampground.com or call 574/772-3382.
Celebrating 70 Years of Tradition
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No additional fees for our reception rooms
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2405 US 30 E • Valparaiso IN 46383
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Voted Best Meeting Site for Small Groups by readers of Northwest Indiana Business Quarterly
Jasper-Pulaski
Wildlife Refuge
Things are quiet right now at JasperPulaski Wildlife Refuge, but come
fall, it will be a crowded, noisy place
with thousands of sandhill cranes
stopping by during their annual
migration.
Jason Gilbert, assistant manager of
the Indiana Department of Natural
Resources property, says the peak
for sandhill crane migration is midto late November.
“We have 8,000 acres here and
most of it is marsh,” says Gilbert.
“There aren’t a lot of hiking trails,
which is why we ask everyone who
visits to sign in at the headquarters
and then go to the public viewing
area we have nearby.”
Site manager Jim Bergens says as
many as 35,000 cranes can be on
site at any one time, but the usual
number is about 16,000 during the
annual migration.
“It’s a really exciting time when
they are here,” says Bergens.
The elegant, gray stork-like birds
were down to only a few nesting
pairs some 50 years ago, but efforts
to protect the species have worked
and now they have become a popular Hoosier attraction on their annual
migration from Florida and Georgia
to Wisconsin, Minnesota and southern Canada.
Jasper-Pulaski’s headquarters is on
Indiana 143, about a mile and a half
west of U.S. 421, near Medaryville.
For information, visit www.state.
in.us/dnr/fishwild/3091.htm or call
219/842-4841.
Deep River Water Park
The idea of a county-operated
water park was controversial in
1995. Not anymore. Deep River
Water Park is 15 years old, and is
on target this year to host a record
240,000 visitors.
continued on page 44
36
tourism
Tribute to the King of Pop
Michael Jackson’s legacy to be celebrated at MJFanvention.
by
Michael Puente
M
ichael Jackson’s sudden
death on June 25, 2009,
shocked the world. But
while the world lost one of the
greatest entertainers the planet has
ever seen, Northwest Indiana lost
one of its favorite sons.
On the one-year anniversary of
his death, thousands of Jackson fans
descended on the King of Pop’s boyhood home in Gary, at 2300 Jackson Street (renamed Jackson Family
Boulevard).
And the celebration of Jackson’s
life isn’t done yet. From August 26
to 29, fans from across the country
will attend the first MJFanvention at
the Star Plaza in Merrillville, formally
named the Radisson Hotel at Star
Plaza.
“We felt that Northwest Indiana
was the perfect place to host an
event that will highlight Michael’s
life and music. It just makes sense
because everything began here,”
says Renae Brantley, CEO of Fluid
Entertainment Inc. and Fluid Productions LLC. “This is the only event
that will be held so close to his Gary,
Indiana, boyhood home.”
Don Thompson, event director for
Fluid Entertainment, says MJ fans
from as far away as China and Japan
will be attending this one-of-a-kind
event.
“Michael was from Gary but he
is a beloved entertainer throughout the entire universe,” Thompson
says. “This is where Michael and his
family hail from. There can be many
fanventions, but it only makes sense
to have it here, close to Michael’s
birthplace.”
Relatives of the Jackson family,
promoters say, are expected to be in
attendance at the convention.
A niece of Jackson, Genevieve
Jackson, and “The Triple Dose
Band,” led by Keith Jackson, another
cousin, will perform. Michael Jackson’s protégé, Omer Bhatti, will
also perform.
“The MJFanvention will give
Michael Jackson fans an opportunity to enjoy his music and talk with
performers who worked with him
on a variety of projects throughout
his illustrious career,” says Karen
Williams, COO of Fluid Entertainment Inc.
Others expected to participate at
the event include artist David Nordahl, who painted several commissioned portraits of Michael Jackson.
Guitarist Jennifer Batten, who played
with Michael on tour, and MJ author
Aphrodite Jones will participate in
discussion panels and answer questions from fans. A tradeshow exhibit
hall with Jackson memorabilia will
also be available during the event.
The weekend will include a special tree-planting ceremony at the
Jackson family’s Gary home as well
as a Michael Jackson Environmental
Tour.
“Michael had a special love for the
planet. He used his music to convey
his concerns,” Thompson says. “We
want everyone to walk away from
this event understanding his passion for his music, humanity and
his commitment to preserving the
earth’s natural resources.”
A VIP gala reception on Aug. 28
will feature an exclusive concert
called “The Jacksons – The Next
Generation.” The weekend will
conclude with a Michael Jackson
Birthday Celebration Sunday, Aug.
29. A portion of the proceeds from
the MJFanvention will be donated
to a charity, in the spirit of Jackson’s commitment to humanity,
promoters say.
The MJFanvention comes on the
heels of the announcement by Gary
Mayor Rudy Clay to build a museum
to honor Michael Jackson and his
family. The $300 million Jackson
Museum and performing arts center
would be built off a major highway
in Gary. Clay says the center will
attract millions of fans annually,
potentially creating thousands of
jobs for the city.
At a press conference in early
June,
Joe
Jackson,
Michael’s
father, says building a museum
in Gary would fulfill the wishes
of his son and the entire family.
“What this means to us? It’s another
great idea that we have and Michael
had. I’m just carrying out his legacy,”
Joe Jackson said. “He wanted to
come back here and we’re bringing
it back. And we’re coming back with
something as well.” n
For more information on the MJFanvention, visit www.mjfanvention.
com or call 877-653-2658.
37
milestones
American Savings
The family-centered community banking
tradition continues, 100 years later.
by
Rick A. Richards
A
merican Savings FSB has
come a long way from its
founding in the basement
of St. Casimir School in Hammond a
century ago, but it hasn’t strayed far
from its roots. “One hundred years is
a long time,” says President Michael
Mellon, who took over the $185 million institution two years ago.
The institution was established
March 29, 1910, as The First Polish
Building Loan and Savings Association. The bank was organized by
Father J. Kasprzykowski, and when
it opened, it had 21 members. Today,
it has more than 1,100 members.
“Our roots are as a community and
family bank and that’s what we are
today,” says Mellon, who is the third
generation of his family to head the
institution. Seventy-three years ago,
his step-grandfather, Clement B.
Knapp Sr., was named bank president. He was followed by Mellon’s
stepfather, Clement B. “Skip” Knapp
Jr., who retired just two years ago.
Mellon has been in charge since.
“Growing up, banking was typical dinner table conversation for us,”
says Mellon.
He looks back with pride at the
100 years of service the bank has
provided to Lake County and Northwest Indiana.
“What we do is help the community work together in its purest
sense,” says Mellon. “When the bank
started, people got a building loan or
a home loan from money deposited
by parishioners and family. People
readily paid their debts because it
was going to help friends and neighbors.”
While things are a bit more sophisticated today, Mellon says the institution’s philosophy hasn’t changed.
“It’s neighbor helping neighbor,”
he says. “I believe our country and
our economy were built on the back
of the community banking concept.
Here, you can sit down with the
president and talk face-to-face about
your business idea or why you’re
ready to purchase a home. We act
as a partner.”
Shortly after the bank’s name
was changed to American Savings
and Loan in 1937, these comments
were recorded in the minutes of the
bank’s board meeting: “When you
look at the growth of this organi-
Michael Mellon, president, American Savings
38
“I believe our country and our economy
were built on the back of the community
banking concept. Here, you can sit
down with the president and talk
face-to-face about your business idea
or why you’re ready to purchase a home.
We act as a partner.”
zation, we are filled with astonishment and pride at the results we
have achieved in these 30 years.
More than $2 million was lent out
to members for building, buying and
renovating purposes, among other
things. A great majority of our fellow
countrymen, through their participation and membership in this institution, have built great wealth through
regular saving. Hundreds are grateful to this organization for the ability
to own their own homes.”
Those are sentiments shared by
Mellon.
“We’ve never strayed too far from
our overall mission,” Mellon says,
adding that the institution has managed to sail through the recent economic downtown without major
concerns. “We didn’t do sub-prime
lending or things like that. We stayed
with what we knew. We don’t have
to send our underwriting paperwork
to Ohio for someone to approve. We
do that right here because we’ve sat
down and looked that person in the
eye and gotten an understanding of
their situation.”
Mellon describes what American
Savings and its 40 employees do
as “niche banking,” but it’s a niche
that’s vital to homeowners and small
business owners across Northwest
Indiana.
“Our focus is on the area. We can
continue to grow by focusing on our
core business, which is mortgage
lending,” Mellon says, adding that
American Savings provides a variety
of services, but doesn’t want to lose
the personal contact with customers that can happen at what he calls
“large megabanks.”
“Banking is about relationships,”
says Mellon. “Getting a mortgage,
especially for a first-time buyer,
“Neighbor helping neighbor”
Michael Mellon represents the
third generation of his family to
head American Savings.
milestones
American Savings Timeline
1910 – First Polish Building Loan and Savings Association is formed
in the basement of St. Casimir School in Hammond.
1930 – Clement B. Knapp Sr. joins the bank as a director.
1937 – Name changed to American Savings and Loan Association
of Hammond.
1949 – Clement B. Knapp Sr. is named bank president.
1965 – Munster branch opens.
1978 – Clement B. “Skip” Knapp Jr. succeeds his father as
president.
1987 – Conversion to a federally chartered institution, American
Savings FSB, is completed.
1989 – Dyer branch opens.
2008 – Schererville branch opens.
2008 – M
ichael J. Mellon is named president after the retirement of
his stepfather, Clement B. “Skip” Knapp Jr.
American Savings Locations
Munster, 8230 Hohman Ave.
Schererville, 7880 Wicker Ave.
Hammond, 4521 Hohman Ave.
Dyer, 1001 Main St.
AMERICAN SAVINGS FACTS
Assets as of March 31: $184,561,000
Deposits as of March 31: $151,185,000
Employees: 43
Loans: $141,463,000 of all deposits. Mortgage loans represent
$132,655,000 (94 percent); commercial non-mortgage loans
represent $7,095,000 (5 percent); and consumer non-mortgage
loans represent $1,713,000 (1 percent).
For more information: www.ambfinancial.com
involves a lot of anxiety and hundreds
of papers to sign. It can be stressful.
We take the time to explain things,
and if need be, I’ll sit in and help.”
That kind of involvement for a
bank president is unusual, but Mellon
sees it as part of what he’s supposed
to do. It the kind of thing the bank’s
leadership has done since the institution opened its doors, and he sees no
reason to change that now.
Not only is Mellon involved in
40
the community through the bank,
he’s also committed to its future as a
second-term Munster Town Councilman, as coach of his 7-year-old son’s
Little League team, and through his
involvement at his parish, St. Thomas
More Catholic Church in Munster.
“My reputation and integrity are
important so I take the time to talk
with people. My wife will send me
to the grocery to pick up something and 45 minutes later I’ll come
home. She’ll ask me what took so
long, but people recognize me and
want to talk.”
So Mellon takes the time to talk
and answer their questions. “There
is no better feeling than closing on
a mortgage, especially a first-time
home buyer. That really makes me
feel good.”
Mellon, who attended Ball State
University and got his undergraduate
degree from the National School of
Banking in Fairfield, Conn., earned
his master’s degree at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond. He
and his wife, Lee Ann, and their two
sons, Ben, 7, and Samuel, 3, live in
Munster.
In today’s banking world, Mellon
says he knows there are customers
who will sample offerings made by
large regional and national megabanks. “But I have found that many
times when customers test those
waters, they end up coming back
to us.”
He doesn’t pry about why customers return, but he suspects it’s the
personal service customers receive
at American Savings.
These words were written shortly
after the bank’s founding: “Gratitude should be paid to the founders
and the first members, whose constant work through all the hardships
established a strong foundation
for the Polish Financial Institution,
which now plays a serious role in
our lives and is related, in large part,
to the well-being of the Polish community in our area. The majority
of the founders have left us for the
other world, but we are positive that
if they were still with us today, they
would be happy that their work was
not taken for granted.”
It’s work that Mellon doesn’t take
for granted, either. He is fully aware
of the history of American Savings
FSB and the legacy for which he is
responsible.
As the bank marks a century of
service, Mellon says, “American
Savings FSB is proud to remain a
faithfully local, full-service bank
serving this area, exclusively, for
100 years.” n
technology
There’s an App for That
Making business mobile with software for handheld devices.
by
Rick A. Richards
B
usiness owners always want
to be in touch with their
office, so wouldn’t it be
great if they could just pack it up—
their Rolodex, their computer and
phone—and take it with them?
Thanks to a rapidly growing sector
of the technology market, they can.
All they need is a handheld device
(an iPhone, iPad or a Blackberry)
and the right mix of software.
Crown Point Mayor David Uran’s
mobile phone is jam-packed with
software called apps (short for applications) that allow him to do nearly
everything he does in the office
when he is traveling.
“The devices have gotten much
more user-friendly,” says Uran.
“You can immediately call up maps,
weather reports and other information and get answers for people right
away. It is basically a mobile office.”
The demands on Uran’s time are
never ending, and he says by having
his mobile phone equipped with the
right apps, he’s able to communicate
directly with his department heads.
“If I’m out in the community and
I get a message from a resident—
and I get them all the time—I can
respond immediately,” Uran says,
adding that he has used the camera
on his phone to hold a face-to-face
conversation as a sort of mobile teleconference.
“Of course, you’re never away
from the office because it’s always
with you,” Uran says of the potential
downside.
To efficiently use the device and
its apps, Uran says people have to
become expert at multi-tasking.
Uran, a former teacher, coach and
police officer, has seen technology
evolve from the bulky bag phone 15
Apps makes multiple functions simpler An app created by Golden Technologies
in Valparaiso allows users to easily access the Internet by using this handheld device.
41
years ago to a device he can now
slip into a shirt pocket.
Technology is driving the phenomenon of handheld apps. In
general, the mobile Web (mobi for
short) is the ability to use Internet
status for various devices. It takes
information from various websites
and combines them into a single
site, making it easier for users to
track the information.
Allison says that within as few as
“What makes apps so appealing to
businesses is the speed and quickness
by which managers and marketers
can retrieve and analyze information.
And many of the major apps already
have developer platforms that allow
businesses to modify the app to fit
their needs without having to have one
designed from scratch.”
— Nat Finn, Internet marketing specialist for Golden Technologies in Valparaiso
applications common on a laptop
or desktop computer on a mobile
device.
Some of those programs, however,
don’t translate well to small handheld devices, but in the past 12 to
18 months vast improvements have
been made in modifying computer
programs to make them compatible with iPhones and other similar
devices.
Allyson Kazmucha of Michigan
City, a Purdue University North
Central graduate, is working with
her brother, Matt, and friend Cody
Allison, also of Michigan City and a
junior at PUNC, at developing a variety of apps for handheld devices. All
three have “an avid fascination with
technology.”
“You can boil an app down to a
computer program. It’s like when
you log onto a computer, whatever
you’re using, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, it’s the same thing, but on
a moveable level,” says Kazmucha.
“People can take their office with
them,” says Kazmucha, who works
for a subsidiary of NiSource.
An app the three have developed
and marketed involves the warranty
42
five years, handheld devices could
surpass laptops in terms of Internet
use. “Your desktop computer won’t
be obsolete, but pretty close to it,”
says Allison. “We’re on the cusp of a
major technology change right now.
A lot more people are seeing the
iPhone’s potential.”
The only reason more people
aren’t using handheld devices
instead of laptops, says Kazmucha,
is that for now it’s impossible to
develop a chip small enough and
powerful enough to do the same
things as your desktop.
Handheld devices have become a
way of life for Tim Gropp, executive
director of the Greater LaPorte Economic Development Corp.
“It has become a necessary tool,”
says Gropp. “I use it to e-mail my
contacts and I keep it with me at all
times. When I’m out of the office
meeting with clients, I can use the
GPS in the device and pull up maps
so I can explain the lay of the land.”
He’s organized the websites he
uses with an app so he can streamline all of the various newspaper and
magazine sites he visits into a single
location. “If I had the right tools, I
could access my office computer,”
says Gropp. “I decided to buy this
so I wouldn’t have to haul my laptop
around.”
Golden Technologies in Valparaiso (www.golden-tech.com) is following what happens in app use
and development closely. The Internet marketing and design firm is
involved in creating apps of its own,
says Nat Finn, Internet marketing
specialist for the company.
“Presently, we are working on a
Web application that will synchronize Family Express’ gas prices into
the popular smart phone app, Gas
Buddy. The application will connect
all 50 plus Family Express stores, get
the latest gas price changes, then
connect to Gas buddy and update
their prices.
“Basically, apps makes multiple
functions simpler,” says Finn. “When
the iPhone first came out, we bought
one so we could start preparing for
this.
“Over the last six months we have
seen a steady rise in client demand
for mobile apps,” says Finn. “Fortunately, we have a great team who
eats, sleeps and breathes technology
and have been on top of the latest
developments in mobile apps.
“Over the next five to 10 years,
mobile apps should see an increase
in demand from business,” says
Finn. “What makes apps so appealing to businesses is the speed and
quickness by which managers and
marketers can retrieve and analyze information. And many of the
major apps already have developer
platforms that allow businesses to
modify the app to fit their needs
without having to have one designed
from scratch.”
Luke Weinman IV, director of
information technology for the
South Shore Convention and Visitors
Association in Hammond, has been
involved in creating a mobi site.
“An entire website is condensed to
fit on a cell phone,” says Weinman,
who adds that it’s faster for those
who visit because they don’t have to
download information.
Weinman says it took three months
technology
to create the mobi site. With it, the
South Shore CVA has put its entire
64-page visitors guide online, making
it readable on handheld devices.
“The reason we did this is for
tracking information. We have
no idea who is reading the magazine, but with this, we know where
they’re logging on. We now know
their name, whether they’re married,
if they have kids and if they like
boating and golf. We can target them
with information and we can e-mail
them about places and events they
might find interesting, along with
hotel and visitor information.
“This is a living, breathing animal,”
says Weinman. “The neat thing is
that all of our partners now have
access to the site without our input.”
That kind of information is why
Joshua Lybolt of Prime Real Estate
in Schererville likes the use of apps.
For the past 3½ months, the commercial real estate specialist has
been involved with creation of an
app that will list available real estate
throughout the Chicago and Northwest Indiana area.
With the app, instead of visitors
just seeing Lybolt’s properties on the
site, they can see the property of any
real estate firm that’s a member of
the Multiple Listing Service.
“It’s not just a cell phone anymore,” says Lybolt. “It’s a handheld
computer.”
Five years ago, Lybolt says no one
had any idea this kind of phenomenon was coming. Five years from
now, he says it’s anyone’s guess
where the industry will be.
“We think it’s going to benefit the
public. We can show available locations on a map and when they click
on the pin, a picture and description
of the property shows up. But with
the app, now when they click on a
pin from one company, two or three
other properties for sale just a few
blocks away from another company
will pop up. Without this app, the
public wouldn’t have known those
properties were available.”
That kind of access to information,
says Lybolt, creates all kinds of interesting possibilities for business. n
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THE REGION
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43
tourism
www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2965.htm
or call 574/946-3213.
courtesy of IDNR/Outdoor
NOISY IN THE FALL Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Refuge
is a favorite stop for migrating sandhill cranes.
continued from page 36
“The park department decided to
enter into a business development
because we knew there had to be
a mechanism to sustain itself,” says
Sandy Basala, superintendent of
visitor services for the Lake County
Parks Department. With 12 parks,
she says something was needed to
generate revenue.
“Some people thought it would be
too cold for a water park, but at that
time, the Dells in Wisconsin were a
major attraction,” says Basala.
When the park opened in 1995,
projected attendance was 140,000,
but more than 200,000 people
went through the gates. “In 2004,
we almost doubled in size and we
added ice skating in the winter,”
says Basala.
The attractions include a 500,000gallon, heated wave pool, an 800foot Bayou River Ride, the Play Zone
for children, and Mayor Byrdovich’s
Courthouse, a family play area.
Deep River Water Park is at 9001
E. U.S. 30, Merrillville. For more
information, visit www.deepriverwaterpark.com or call 800/928-7275.
44
Tippecanoe River
State Park
One of the best places for canoeists
in Northwest Indiana is Tippecanoe
River State Park in Pulaski County.
Property manager Kevin Snyder says
canoeists find Tippecanoe River a nice
place to enjoy a summer weekend.
“People love the trails and the
wildlife they find here,” Snyder says,
adding that river otters, beavers
and eagles are common sights. “Of
course, if you do come, make sure
to bring some bug spray. The mosquitoes can be bad at times.”
With more than 2,800 acres within
the park, Snyder says there are 20
miles of hiking trails, 107 campsites
with electric hookups and cabins to
rent for $35 a night. “All you need to
bring is a bedding and food,” he says.
Last year, Tippecanoe River State
Park attracted 200,000 visitors. “This
is a really lovely place. It’s laid out
pretty nice and it has a fierce following of folks who show up on a
regular basis.”
Tippecanoe River State Park is at
4200 N. U.S. 30, north of Winamac.
For
more
information,
visit
Old Lighthouse Museum
Indiana’s only lighthouse museum
is in Michigan City’s Washington
Park. Its fascinating history includes
the story of Harriet Colfax, one of
a handful of women light keepers
and who maintained Michigan City’s
light for more than 40 years.
Her logbooks were so detailed
they are a part of the collection in
the National Archives.
Jackie Glidden, chief curator at
the 152-year-old museum, calls it “a
jewel.”
“The thing people need to see is
the Fresnel lens,” she says. “This is
Indiana’s only federal lighthouse.
People who come here are amazed
at the quantity and quality of the
material we have and how well
things are done.”
The Old Lighthouse Museum is
on Heisman Harbor Road in Washington Park, across the parking lot
from the U.S. Coast Guard Station.
For more information, visit www.
oldlighthousemuseum.org or call
219/872-6133.
Studebaker
National Museum
Studebaker National Museum in
South Bend is home to much more
than classic cars. “People find it hard
to believe that we have the largest
presidential carriage collection in the
United States,” says Petty Soderberg,
assistant director of the museum.
They were the presidential limousines of their day. The four on display were used by Abraham Lincoln,
Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison
and William McKinley. They are
among 120 horse-drawn wagons
and carriages, automobiles and military hardware built by Studebaker
from the 1860s to the 1960s on display at the museum.
Studebaker, which started as a
wagon maker, was the backbone of
the South Bend and northern Indiana economy for a century before it
closed in 1966.
The Studebaker National Museum
courtesy of IDNR/Outdoor
GREAT PLACE TO CANOE Tippecanoe River State Park in Pulaski County.
and the adjoining Center for History
are at 201 S. Chapin St., South Bend.
For information, visit www.studebakermuseum.org or call 574/235-9714.
Other Sites to Consider
Albanese Candy, 5441 E. Lincoln
Highway, Merrillville (www.albaneseconfectionery.com or 219/7382333); Shrine of Christ’s Passion,
10630 Wicker Ave., St. John (www.
shrineofchristspassion.org or 219/3656010); University of Notre Dame, 112
N. Notre Dame Ave., South Bend
(www.nd.edu or 574/631-8638);
49er Drive-In, 675 N. Calumet Ave.,
Northwest Indiana Tourism Information
Lake County: www.southshorecva.com or 219/989-7770
Porter County: www.casualcoast.com or 800/283-8687
LaPorte County: www.michigancitylaporte.com or 219/872-5055
St. Joseph County: www.exploresouthbend.org or 800/519-0577
Newton County: www.newtoncountyin.com or 219/285-0653
Starke County: www.explorestarkecounty.com or 877/733-2736
Pulaski County: www.pulaskionline.org or 574/946-3869
Indiana State Parks: www.state.in.us/dnr/parklake/index.htm
Valparaiso
(www.49erdrivein.com
or 219/462-6122); Hoosier Valley
Railroad Museum, 507 Mulberry St.,
North Judson (hvrm.railfan.net or
574/896-3950); Fair Oaks Dairy, 857
N. County Road 600 East, Fair Oaks
(www.fofarms.com or 877/536-1194);
Barker Mansion, 631 Washington St.,
Michigan City (www.emichigancity.
com or 219/873-1520). n
45
RETIREMENT LIVING
Enjoying the Golden Years
Baby Boomers seek security and choice
from their retirement communities.
CONNECTING WITH RESIDENTS Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame Executive Director
Steve Kastner often visits with current and prospective residents in the dining room.
by
Shari Held
S
ome Baby Boomers won’t have
the financial means to relocate, but a growing number
of seniors plan to brave Northwest
Indiana weather and stay put. And
retirement communities all over the
region are gearing up to meet the
anticipated demand and to provide
the amenities Baby Boomers desire.
“Savvy retirees are looking to
stay close to not only family and
friends, but to their trusted medical
and financial professionals, places
of worship, and favorite and familiar shops and restaurants,” says
46
Elaine Bradach, marketing director
for Hartsfield Village in Munster.
Hartsfield Village offers independent apartment homes with services,
assisted-living apartments, assistedliving memory support and nursing
care and rehabilitation.
Trends in retirement living
“People are looking for several
things in retirement, but the number
one I see is peace of mind,” says
Laurie Mullet, CEO, Pines Village
Retirement Communities in Valparaiso. “Security—whether it is due to
their financial, environmental, physi-
cal, emotional or social situation.
They also want to have choice and
to be in control, plus the opportunity to do things in retirement living
that they maybe didn’t have in their
working life.”
Mullet, a registered nurse, was
hired initially by Pines Village to
start a home health agency, and the
organization is based on a homecare model. The main campus has
40 assisted-living apartments and
112 independent-living apartments.
Nearby sister community Meridian
Woods has 62 duplex homes and
residents can receive all the services
provided to Pines Village. All health
care is provided through Pines Village home health division, which
comes to seniors’ residences.
“It isn’t always a change in health
status that leads a person to move
into a senior-living community,”
says Stephen Bardoczi, senior vice
president of Ministry Development,
Franciscan Sisters of Chicago Service Corp. “Many times it is because
seniors are no longer interested in
fixing faucets, repairing furnaces,
cleaning gutters, shoveling snow,
mowing the lawn or raking leaves. A
challenge that lies ahead is that the
general population doesn’t always
equate senior-living communities
and active lifestyle.”
Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame
offers independent living, assisted
living, nursing care and a dedicated
wing
for
Alzheimer’s/dementia
patients. One of its main attractions
is the campus environment.
“The college campus idea is one
of the biggest trends right now,”
says Susan Griffin, marketing director for Holy Cross Village at Notre
Dame. “To be located near or even
on a college campus, and all the
things that come along with that—
access to continuing education, the
theatre, the arts, the lectures—is
very appealing.”
Griffin sees Baby Boomers are
beginning to research retirement
communities at an earlier age than
other generations. “A lot of the Baby
Boomers have helped take care of
their parents and have helped investigate communities for their parents,” she says. “They have realized
that the earlier they do it, the better
the choices.”
But not all Baby Boomers are ready
to give up traditional-style living
arrangements in favor of retirement
communities. “Whether it’s traveling, playing golf or hanging out with
family, the ‘lock-it-and-leave-it’ lifestyle is appealing to people of all
ages,” says Ted Foster, developer of
Stonebridge Villas at Edison Lakes, a
community of ranch-style condos in
Mishawaka. “Baby Boomers … want
their own community with upscale
amenities, which also has a large
cross section of ages living within it.”
Multiple levels of care
Many retirement communities,
such as Franciscan Communities, a
division of the Franciscan Sisters of
Chicago Service Corp., offer a full
spectrum of care. “The best benefit of a continuing care retirement
community (CCRC) is that residents
can move from one level of care to
another based on their needs, but
remain in the security of comfortable
and known surroundings,” Bardoczi
says.
In general, seniors in independent
living live in homes or apartments
near other seniors and often have
access to activities, facilities and
programs offered by the retirement
community. Assisted living is for
seniors able to live independently
provided they receive help with certain daily activities such as meals,
housekeeping, bathing or medication management. The next level is
nursing care. Here seniors are provided with 24-hour nursing care,
usually in a nursing home environment. Many retirement communities
also have units devoted to Alzheimer’s/dementia patients.
Targeting the right
community
Since most people plan to make
the move to a retirement community
their last, it’s especially important
for them to get it right the first time.
Retirement communities are skilled
at helping seniors determine when
to make the move.
“I always ask the question, ‘Do
you envision the next five to seven
years of your life looking significantly the same as the prior five to
seven?’” Griffin says. “Nobody has
a crystal ball, but we know that the
challenges only increase with time.
It doesn’t get any easier to close
down a large house and right-size a
move into a community; it only gets
more difficult.”
She says seniors want to know if
they will receive priority access to
different levels of care within the
community if and when they need
it. They also are interested in life
enrichment programs and whether
they will be mentally challenged by
them.
Bardoczi has a list of questions
that covers the gamut of the retirement community experience, including: What does the community look
like? Do the employees look helpful?
Does the community appear active
with different programs and activities taking place? Does the community have the types of amenities you
are seeking? How is the dining room
and dining staff service? Are there a
variety of items to choose from? Are
pets allowed? Does the community
look clean? Does it have a pleasant
smell? Does it look new or does it
appear old and run-down?
He also suggests asking residents
what they like and dislike about
living in the community. Do they
consider staff friendly and helpful?
Do they consider their quality of life
to be good? Does the community
direct its residents’ lifestyles to be as
independent as they want to be?
“About 77 million Baby Boomers will
soon be retiring—many in good health—
and looking for a lifestyle that combines
intellectual, physical, social and spiritual
wellness opportunities,”
—Stephen Bardoczi, senior vice president of Ministry Development,
Franciscan Sisters of Chicago Service Corp.
47
met,” she says. “It is also important
to find out about the frequency of
turnover with those staff. Our seniors
do not all adjust to change well, and
to have new people in and out on
a daily basis can be very confusing
and overwhelming to them. Finally,
I would ask at what point the facility can no longer meet the needs of
the resident, and what would be their
recommendation for the transitional
step at that time.” Settlers House
cares for people from independence
through total dependence provided
they are not a danger to themselves
or others.
© 2009 Aran Kessler – www.kesslerphoto.net
LISTENING TO BOOMERS Laurie Mullet is CEO of Pines Village Retirement
Communities in Valparaiso, which added dining options, a computer lab
and other amenities in response to surveys of potential residents.
“Ask the staff about ownership
or sponsorship,” Bradach says. “Is
it a large corporation with multiple
locations? Is it privately owned? Is it
sponsored by a church or hospital?
Ask about all costs, contracts and
billing methods.”
48
Susan L. Roberts, residence director, Settlers House in LaPorte, which
recently received a deficiency-free
survey, suggests asking for state
survey results. “I would ask how
many caregivers are present to ensure
the needs of the residents are being
Preparing for the Baby
Boom generation
“About 77 million Baby Boomers
will soon be retiring—many in good
health—and looking for a lifestyle
that combines intellectual, physical,
social and spiritual wellness opportunities,” Bardoczi says. “That is why
our communities offer continuing
education classes, fitness centers,
cultural and recreational trips, mealtime choices and Mass and other
church services.”
Pines Village completed a $10
million renovation last October. In
response to studies on what Boomers want, it removed the boundaries
separating people in different levels
of care, added more laundry rooms
and public space, four additional
dining options and a computer lab
with Skype capability.
Griffin says Baby Boomers will
also want more options in entry fees
and monthly fee structures. “I think
communities in general need to look
at containing costs to be able to continue to offer options that the Boomers will be able to afford,” she says.
“The generation that is in communities now were very good savers.
I don’t know that Boomers were as
good at saving.”
Bradach sees a big demand in
upgrades in all aspects of retirement.
“The generations that are now being
served, The Greatest Generation and
The Silent Generation, while appreciating fine accommodations and
RETIREMENT LIVING
services, on the whole see these as
luxuries,” she says. “The Baby Boom
Generation is expected to view these
not as luxuries, but as necessities.”
Growth in retirement
communities anticipated
“Is this expected to be a growth
industry?” Mullet asks. “Yes. Statistics
show the Baby Boomer population
is the largest population. However, I
think that there will be many different levels of retirement services, and
home care will be one of them.”
Bradach says Hartsfield Village,
which is situated on 38 acres, was
designed for expansion to meet
the anticipated needs of the Baby
Boomers.
While everyone seems to anticipate that this is a growth industry,
no one knows how it will play out.
Demand could rise rapidly as Boomers decide to enter CCRCs early or it
could be a delayed reaction.
“I believe that the Baby Boomers,
for the most part, are living healthier
lifestyles, and will be much older
when they come into senior housing,” Roberts says. “Most of them
are where they are today based on
good and sound decisions. They will
not look for their children to make
the decisions for them; they will
make the decisions that affect their
future. With our current economic
situation, most people moving to
communities are not doing this
because they want to, but because
there is a need.”
Spillover into other
industries
Residential housing is one area
that is expected to benefit from this
phenomenon.
“No question,” Foster says. “We
believe that we are perfectly positioned to benefit from the large
inflow of Baby Boomers.”
The increase for the home health
care industry is expected to be substantial.
“I believe that home health care
will see a surge in activity as the
aging population exhausts every
avenue of remaining in their home
and independent as long as possible,” Roberts says. “Home health
care also benefits from the growth
in the assisted-living population as
the addition of their services that
are reimbursed by Medicare can
help to reduce their out-of-pocket
expenses.”
One economic sector that may
also see an increase is, surprisingly,
technology.
“Technological advances make
reaching out to Boomers easier,”
Bardoczi says. “Boomers are purchasing electronics at record pace
as well as being the driving force
behind the increasing popularity of
social networking sites.” n
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49
Advice retirement planning
The Time to Plan is Now
expenditures is a critical first step in
planning for retirement. Investment
returns, health insurance costs, tax
and inflation rates are all important
elements of evaluating your retirement income strategy.
Timothy D. Rice
A
s traditional pensions have
slowly disappeared from our
workplace, the importance
of retirement planning is now greater
than ever. The volatility in the financial markets over the last decade has
caused many people to adjust their
retirement goals and for some, they
have become frustrated and chosen
not to plan at all. In April 2010, the
Employee Benefit Research Institute
survey found that only 16 percent
of workers were “very confident”
they would have enough money for
a comfortable retirement. What are
some of the things you should be
thinking of right now?
First, calculate your retirement
“income replacement ratio.” Many
articles state that retirees should
target 70 percent of their final working years’ income as their income
replacement ratio. In our experience,
we have found that many retirees
need 100 percent of their final pay
in retirement. Obviously, having a
detailed accounting of your monthly
Social Security
For many of you, Social Security will
provide for a portion of your retirement income. We still see investors
focus on retiring at age 60 or 62,
when in reality the age that many
should be considering retirement
is when they begin receiving nonreduced Social Security benefits. For
example, if you were born in 1960
or later, the earliest you can begin
receiving full Social Security benefits
is 67 years of age. Careful consideration should be given to working to
a later age in order to increase the
monthly income from social security.
Workplace
Retirement Plan
Your workplace retirement plan still
remains one of the easiest ways to
save for your retirement. Are you
fully maximizing the amount of
your employer’s match? Are your
investments appropriately diversified in regards to your time horizon
and risk profile? If the Roth 401(k)
deferral option is available in your
plan, have you evaluated whether it
makes sense for you to utilize this
option?
These are just a few of the challenges that currently exist in workplace retirement plans and they can
all be solved through more thoughtful planning by plan participants. For
example, we are seeing adoption
rates over 50 percent for the Roth
401(k) deferral option in plans when
participants are properly educated
on the benefits, yet many plans still
do not offer this option.
Roth Conversion
Opportunity
Many are familiar with the benefits of establishing a Roth IRA,
however, they may have been
excluded from participation due to
the income limits. In 2010, investors have a unique opportunity to
convert traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) into Roth IRA
accounts regardless of income. Additionally, those converting can choose
to pay the income tax due on the
conversion over the 2011 and 2012
tax years. An important consideration is whether you have the liquid
funds available to pay the taxes due
on the conversion. This opportunity
may make sense for many investors,
but we encourage you to carefully
evaluate this decision with your tax
and financial professionals.
Develop and execute your financial plan and strive to remove the
emotion from the planning process. Although the volatility in the
financial markets can cause unease,
a comprehensive plan of action to
help you obtain your retirement
objectives will help you to focus on
the end result and not short-term
fluctuations in the market. Remember, the best time to plant a tree was
30 years ago, but the second-best
time is now. n
Timothy D. Rice, AIF, is president of
Lakeside Wealth Management Group
LLC. He is a founding lecturer of
The Retirement Advisor University at
UCLA Anderson School of Executive
Management and was named one of
the 300 Most Influential Advisors in
Defined Contribution by 401kwire.
com and the DCP Institute in 2009.
51
Economic Development
Innovative Freight Systems
Intermodal project in Kingsbury will link region to the world.
by
Don Babcock
F
or Northwest Indiana residents, it may be hard to
imagine that a new, highly
competitive avenue for delivery of
products to our Southern coasts,
Eastern coasts and world could be
right in our own backyard. And it’s
the truth. The ICS Logistics project
in LaPorte County will be a gamechanger.
Michael Breen, director of the
international department of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, describes LaPorte County’s
intermodal project as a way “to connect the heartland to the southland.”
Breen has high praise for LaPorte
County as a major transportation
hub that could lead to the creation
of some 130 permanent jobs and 500
construction jobs by mid-2011.
Debbie McDowell, director of ICS
Logistics; Erin Laguio, market manager for CSX Transportation; Alberto
Cabrera, director of the Jacksonville
Port Authority; and Breen announced
details of an agreement that will
create the ICS Inland Logistics Port
at Kingsbury. Critical components
include a $50 million warehouse/
distribution center and a rail connection to the CSX Transportation rail
line on the southern border of the
industrial park.
ICS Logistics, a third-party logistics
company, is an asset-based supplychain solutions company, provid-
52
GAME-CHANGER Rail services by CSX and the Chicago South Shore &
South Bend Rail lines would support rail freight from the Chicago region.
ing transportation, warehousing and
maritime related services to national
and international customers in a
variety of industries, including food
manufacturing, retail grocery, foodservice, forestry, steel and metals.
The company has targeted Kingsbury as the potential location for a
458,000-square-foot warehouse.
It will include 29,677 square feet
for pallet operations, along with 15
rail spurs and 30 truck doors. Once
ground is broken, McDowell says,
the warehouse should be open
within 12 months.
“This is important to both our
regions,” McDowell says. “We provide connectivity between ships,
trains and trucks.” ICS
employs nearly 700 and
provides transportation
and warehouse services
in Jacksonville, Florida;
Mobile, Alabama; and
New Orleans.
The plan initially calls
for one weekly highspeed dedicated unit
train to be operated by
CSX Railroad from the ICS Inland
Logistics Port at Kingsbury direct to
the facility in Jacksonville.
The train will be able to handle
a variety of products in any size
and quantity. ICS currently handles
product for small businesses supplying retail giant Walmart. ICS targets
its service to small companies, many
valued at $1 million or less, because
they don’t have the transportation
network to serve major companies
such as Walmart.
Additionally, the facility in Kingsbury will allow companies to use rail
without the hassle of going through
the crowded Chicago rail market.
Part of the service at Kingsbury will
be a transload facility that transfers
palletized freight from truck to rail,
rail to truck, and to warehouses.
In the second phase of the planned
service, ICS will provide weekly
dedicated service to Port Elizabeth,
New Jersey, and Port Manatee in
Tampa Bay, Florida. The ICS warehouses will store and stage goods
for export to these ports for distribution throughout the eastern United
States, a market that includes more
than 71 million people. Rail service
by CSX and Chicago South Shore &
South Bend Rail lines will support
rail freight from the Chicago region
as well.
The LaPorte County Economic
Development Alliance, a joint effort
of LaPorte and Michigan City economic development corporations, is
leading the charge in bringing this
project to fruition. Tim Gropp (executive director of the Greater LaPorte
Economic Development Corp.) and
John Regetz (executive director of
the Michigan City Economic Development Corp.) work cooperatively
to promote this opportunity.
And they have been spreading
the word. More than 80 end users,
elected officials and interested business people from Indiana, Illinois
and Michigan heard the positive
message about Northwest Indiana at
a recent seminar on the distribution
triangle and market accessibility to
be created with the addition of the
Kingsbury Industrial Park.
The benefit for the Midwest, says
McDowell, is that the transload and
unit train services will speed delivery of imports to and exports from
northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and the Chicago area. The process will cut several days off the
supply chain and open up world
markets through the port access.
It will also lower freight costs and
delivery/production times for industry and commerce in the region.
“Landing this project in Northwest Indiana, specifically in LaPorte
County, is based on our assets of
location, workforce, infrastructure,
affordability and access to markets,”
says Gropp.
Regetz concurs: “Bringing business to our region, regardless of the
community it decides to call home,
benefits everyone with jobs, income
and opportunity.” n
Don Babcock is chair of the Northwest Indiana Forum’s Managing
Board of Directors and the LaPorte
County Economic Development Alliance. Babcock is also the director of
economic development for NIPSCO.
The Illiana
Expressway
Driving into the future with
higher productivity, lower costs.
I
ndiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn met at
the Lansing Municipal Airport in
early June to sign a memorandum
of understanding keeping the Illiana
Expressway project moving forward.
“We are pleased that governors
Daniels and Quinn have each taken
action to get this long overdue project
moving forward,” says Mark Maassel,
Northwest Indiana Forum president
and CEO. “We greatly anticipate this
new asset as we work to attract capital investment and job creation in
Northwest Indiana while also striving to improve the environment by
avoiding the impact of idling trucks
on congested roads. Indiana and Illinois legislators should be applauded
for their support of this extremely
important addition of infrastructure
in our region.”
Both the Indiana and Illinois legislation identify public-private partnerships (the ability for the state to
own the land and a private investor to
build the roadway) as a way to expedite the Illiana’s development (see
Viewpoint article on page 64 for more
about public-private partnerships).
With a bi-state effort, the impact of
the Illiana will be significant: 2,300
jobs, income of $237 million, gross
regional product of $201 million and
output of $475 million. In addition,
the highway is expected to ease traffic on the Borman Expressway and
create $6 billion in projected economic development.
Efficient transportation systems
in Northwest Indiana are essential for lowering transportation and
production costs while enhancing
productivity and profits. Efficient
transportation systems are also
essential to maintaining and enhancing our environment. Both are real
benefits for attracting new industries
and retaining existing companies.
As the regional economic development organization and the voice
of business leadership, the Northwest Indiana Forum realized the
importance of this roadway infrastructure and worked with other
regional partners and elected officials to facilitate a positive outcome
for Northwest Indiana, without cost
to Indiana taxpayers. People and
partnerships foster progress, and
the passage of the Illiana legislation
is just one more example of working together for the future of the
region. n
53
It looks like it’s
clearing up ahead.
JOB
CREATION
Asian Carp
Update
CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE
Intermittent shipping
interruptions are
expected.
2011
ECONOMY
Duane King © 2010
A
Insuring NW Indiana
for over 70 Years
• Apartments
• Auto Dealers
• Auto Repair
• Churches
• Condominiums
• Contractors
• Manufacturing
• Non Profits
• Public Entities
Michigan City
219.879.4581
• Restaurants
• Retail
• Schools
• Trucking
t
Voted baegsency
insuranbcuesiness
for
in a row
six years usiness
LaPorte
219.362.2113
www.genins.com
54
t Indiana B
Northwes rl y Readers Poll
Quart e 006, 2007,
2005, 2 09, 2010
2008, 20
Valparaiso
219.464.3511
s reported in the media,
Asian carp have been found
in multiple inland waters
such as those near Garfield Park,
Lincoln Park and McKinley Park in
Chicago as well as Lake Calumet
within the Chicago Area Waterways
System (CAWS).
The inland waters have not seen a
reduction of fish species as is feared
when Asian carp are present. Work
continues to investigate the CAWS
for the presence of the Asian carp in
conjunction with capture and transport management activities.
Though it is not anticipated that
the CAWS will be closed for a
repeated application of the toxicant,
Rotenone, intermittent shipping
interruptions are expected to occur.
Affected businesses and recreational
boaters continue to participate with
the regulatory agencies in these
efforts.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is actively studying
Indiana rivers where Asian carp
have been found and taking action
to install temporary measures to
minimize migration. n
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Crown Point • Hammond • Michigan City • Munster • Valparaiso
Dining
Amore Ristorante
Italian downstairs, martinis and sushi upstairs.
by
Alison Skertic
T
56
of the fish. There was no problem here, though. The fish was
the perfect consistency. And
how do you make a great fish
even better? Don’t skimp on
the portions. A dozen perch
filled the plate. Served with
steamed green beans and
the house Vesuvio potato (a
roasted potato with a bit of a
garlic taste), this was a satisfying meal.
I was in the mood for steak,
and chose the 12-ounce prime
rib (there’s a 16-ounce version
for the heartier appetite). An
excellent cut of meat, not too
fatty and cooked exactly as I’d
requested. I chose the grilled
asparagus and risotto to complement this nice cut of meat.
We ended with some great dessert selections. Our daughter chose
the chocolate cheesecake, a portion
that was big enough for two. Slightly
smaller, but just as wonderful, we
chose two cupcakes—a red velvet and
vanilla bean. When we saw cupcakes
on the menu, we wondered why more
restaurants don’t offer this sort of dessert for those who want something to
go with their coffee but can’t take on
a whole piece of cake. The cupcakes
were light, tasty and just the right size
to top off a great meal.
Executive chef Carl Lindskog was
formerly head chef at Paparazzi’s in
Valparaiso, a popular restaurant that
has some of the same ownership at
Amore. Lindskog was also the chef
and co-owner of Café 444, a terrific
restaurant in Gary’s Miller neighborhood that never generated the level of
business it deserved. He has worked
in the kitchens of some of Chicago’s
best restaurants, including Spago and
Nick & Tony’s Chophouse.
In developing the menus for
he Crown Point square
is well known for its
small-town feel, with
a bevy small antique shops,
unusual stores and eateries
surrounding the historic Courthouse Square.
Now you can add a chic Italian restaurant and upscale martini and sushi bar to the mix of
places to visit on the square.
Amore
Ristorante
opened
recently in the space formerly
occupied by Chicago’s. The
newcomer is really two restaurants in one: Amore is downstairs, while upstairs is the 109 WAS CHICAGO’S, NOW AMORE AND 109 LOUNGE
Lounge, a 21-and-over martini Server Charlotte Penzuto with vegetable tempura
and spicy lobster maki roll.
bar and sushi restaurant.
We had our teenage daughter There’s no smoking in the restauwith us on a recent visit, so heading rant. Although there was no enterupstairs to the 109 Lounge wasn’t an tainment the night we visited, there
option. But our waitress let us know is a center stage near the back of the
we could still order off the sushi restaurant that is visible from both
menu if we were interested. One look Amore and the 109 Lounge.
at the interesting selection of choices
At our waitress’ suggestion, we
on the Amore menu, though, and began with a prosciutto-wrapped
we decided to save the 109 Lounge’s shrimp appetizer. A generous servofferings for another day.
ing of six plump shrimp, this tasty
Our waitress was knowledgeable, treat is served with a balsamic glaze
detailing the day’s specials, explain- that really tied together the ham and
ing how they were prepared and shrimp flavors.
For dinner, our daughter chose
their price. Moments after she left
with our drink orders, a basket of the lobster- and crab-stuffed ravioli,
warm, crusty bread was placed on served with a tasty saffron lobster
our table along with a dish of olive cream sauce. The ravioli were exquioil topped with freshly grated par- site, with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and just the right combination
mesan cheese.
Although the restaurant was busy of lobster and shrimp. These were
on the Friday night we visited, the really tasty and worth a return trip.
atmosphere at Amore is relaxing We learned later that this is among
and we never felt rushed. Smooth Amore’s most popular entrees.
My husband chose the lake perch,
jazz was piped in, but it was never
so loud we couldn’t talk. The feeling prepared with a light breading and
inside is very family-friendly. The tin cooked in butter. In the hands of a
ceiling and original brick along one less skilled chef, the butter or breadof wall give it a very cozy feeling. ing can easily overpower the taste
Chic Italian, martinis and sushi Executive chef Carl Lindskog at Amore Ristorante in Crown Point.
Amore, his goal was to offer a fine
dining Italian experience, he says.
“We’ve really focused on the higherend meats—the bone-in rib eye, the
strip steak, more variety in the tenderloins,” he explains.
We spoke with Lindskog and coowner Barbereen Sexton a few days
after our visit. The goal was to give
visitors the same feeling they have
when visiting some of the steakhouses
in Chicago, she says. When she and
other owners purchased the building
at 109 Joliet St. in Crown Point, Sexton
says, she “remembered back 20 years
ago when they had both floors busy
and they were both popping.”
When deciding what type of resSUMMER – FA LL 2010
taurant to open, she says she felt
“there was really a need for a nice
sushi place and a nice Italian restaurant. Two places together, but with
very different feels.”
Drawing in her experience as an
interior designer, she wanted to
give both restaurants and upscale
look while keeping them comfortable and inviting. Both Amore and
its upstairs counterpart make use of
long wooden bars. Café 109’s is from
the 1920s, while Amore’s is from the
1930s. “They’re absolutely beautiful,” Sexton says.
She co-owns the restaurant with
Kent Blankenship, Joe Repay and
Larry Kolodziej.
Sexton says she wants visitors to
come away with the same feeling
they have when visiting some of
Chicago’s restaurants. “Why drive
downtown and pay the high prices,
the high prices for parking, when
you can come to downtown Crown
Point? We have the same quality
of food, the same atmosphere and
same quality of entertainment.”
Amore, 109 W. Joliet St. on the
southern end of the Crown Point
Square, is open from 11 a.m. to 10
p.m. Monday through Thursday.
It remains open until 11 p.m. on
Friday and Saturday, and it closes at
9 p.m. on Sunday. For reservations,
call 219/663-7377. n
57
sports
DEFENDING THE REGION Chicago Bears’ Lance Briggs (55), Mark Anderson (97), Nick Roach (53)
and Brian Urlacher (54) swarm a Pittsburgh Steeler running back last year at Soldier Field.
Bill Smith, courtesy of the Chicago Bears
NFL Rivalry
Bears and Colts battle for Northwest Indiana loyalties.
by
Rick A. Richards
S
uper Bowl XLI on Feb. 4, 2007,
tore at the region’s football
loyalties. Its fans have long
been loyal to the Chicago Bears, but
it’s also home to a growing number
of Indianapolis Colts loyalists.
That game had the attention of the
entire region, and when the Colts
58
defeated the Bears 29-17, it gave
Colts fans temporary bragging rights
in the region.
Still, fans of the stylized “C” of the
Bears dominate the landscape—on
flags, hats, sweatshirts and bumper
stickers.
But the fact that the blue horseshoe of the Colts is becoming a more
common sight shows the importance
of Northwest Indiana to both teams.
It no longer matters that Northwest
Indiana has historically been thought
of as Bears territory. The Indianapolis Colts have increased their presence in the region, bringing team
officials, players and cheerleaders to
high school games and other events.
Both teams have a storied history in the NFL, with the Bears
entering their 91st season as one
of the league’s original franchises.
And even though the Colts are still
viewed by some as new to Indiana,
the franchise has been a Hoosier fixture for 26 years after its move from
Baltimore on March 29, 1984.
In the modern era (since the NFL
and AFL merged), each team has
won the Lombardi trophy given to
the Super Bowl winner—Chicago in
1985 and the Colts in 1971 and 2007.
Both team also won NFL championships before the merger—Chicago
eight times and the Colts twice.
Through the years the Bears have
produced such hall of fame players
as Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter
Payton, Bill George and Mike Singletary. The Colts have an illustrious past, too, with such names as
John Unitas, John Mackey, Raymond
Berry and Alan Ameche.
There are plenty of football fans in
Northwest Indiana who would like
nothing more than to see a rematch
of the two teams in the next Super
Bowl. That dream has some describing the upcoming season as “unfinished business” for both teams.
Chicago finished last season with
a 7-9 record, well below expectations. In fact, the Bears haven’t made
the playoffs since their Super Bowl
loss against the Colts.
The Colts, meanwhile, wrapped
up their 57th season in the NFL
with a 14-2 record. It was successful in every way but one—they lost
the Super Bowl to the New Orleans
Saints, 31-17.
Both teams are looking to improve.
For the Bears, nothing short of a
winning season and advancing into
the playoffs will do. For the Colts,
anything less than a Super Bowl
trophy will be considered a failure.
With expectations high for both
teams, it’s understandable that both
are looking closely at Northwest
Indiana as a place to build their fan
base.
“It’s a good market for us,” says
Chuck O’Hara, director of marketing
for the Colts. “It’s had a lot to do
with the success of our team.”
The Bears, however, are not taking
the region for granted or conceding
anything to the Colts. “We look at
Northwest Indiana as important to
us as Naperville, Ill., or Lake Forest,
Ill.,” says Scott Hagel, senior director
of corporate communications for the
Bears. “Absolutely we see it as a part
of the Chicagoland area.”
The region has long been an
important area to the Bears. There’s
even a reference to the Chicago
Bears in the classic holiday movie
“A Christmas Story,” which is set in
Northwest Indiana.
The dueling marketing efforts of
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59
RUSHING INTO TRADITIONAL BEARS TERRITORY Increased presence for the Indianapolis Colts, including
Kelvin Hayden, Gary Brackett, Fili Moala and Antoine Bethea, battling the New York Jets last year.
the Bears and Colts underscore the
drive by teams for fans, particularly
in places where loyalties overlap.
To the north of Chicago, with Wisconsin not quite 90 miles away, the
Bears compete with the Green Bay
Packers, and southeast of Indianapolis, the Colts go head-to-head for
fans with the Cincinnati Bengals.
That’s why having a presence
throughout a region—even in an
area that might be considered the
fringe of a team’s fan base—is
important, says O’Hara. “In Northwest Indiana, we bring in a couple
of players or cheerleaders for Colts
in Motion,” O’Hara says of the team
caravan that travels around Indiana trying to fire up fans. The most
60
recent trip for Colts in Motion was
to Elkhart, but in the past it has visited South Bend, LaPorte and sites in
Porter and Lake counties.
At one time the NFL created a
“halo” around what was to be a franchise’s fan base and no other team
was allowed to promote within it.
Teams still can’t do that, but in areas
such as Northwest Indiana where
there is an overlap of loyalties, those
rules don’t apply.
“People are so eager to touch
the franchise,” says O’Hara, adding
that he’s seen “a whole lot of flags,
jerseys and stickers” with the Colts
horseshoe across the region.
The irony for O’Hara is that he
grew up a Bears fan. “I didn’t become
Courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts
a Colts fan until (Mike) Singletary
left the Bears.” Singletary, whose last
season with the Bears was 1992, is
now in the NFL Hall of Fame and
is coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
In the short term, O’Hara says
Colts in Motion events bring attention to the team, but in the longterm, it’s about creating fans. “We’re
dealing with generational issues,”
says O’Hara. “To generate a fan base
you can’t forget about Northwest
Indiana. We’ve got kids who’ve only
known the Colts as a 12-win-a-year
team. It’s grow or die. We want them
to remain with the team when it’s
6-10, too.”
Hagel sees the Chicago Bears as
an entity that unites Chicago and its
sports
Chicago Bears
For ticket and team information,
visit chicagobears.com. (All seats
in 61,500-seat Soldier Field are
sold out for the 2010 season,
but additions to the waiting list
are accepted with a $100 nonrefundable deposit.)
ours and we are very active in that
area.” Hagel points out that area
includes Northwest Indiana.
Of the 61,500 seats in Soldier
Field, Hagel says all are sold and
that between 4 percent and 5 percent of those season tickets are in
the hands of Northwest Indiana fans.
“We are very proud of our fan
base,” says Hagel. “We have season
ticket holders in all 50 states. Most
of them are from Illinois, but second
is Indiana.”
The Colts do not have information on how many Northwest Indiana fans have season tickets, but
O’Hara describes it as “a sizeable
number.” n
Training camp opens July 30 at 3
p.m. at Olivet Nazarene University
in Bourbonnais, Ill., and ends Aug.
19. Admission is free.
Indianapolis Colts
For ticket and team information, visit
colts.com. (All seats in 63,000-seat
Lucas Oil Stadium are sold out for
the 2010 season, but additions to
the waiting list are accepted with a
$150 non-refundable deposit.)
Training camp opens August 1 at
1 p.m. at Anderson University in
Anderson, Ind., and ends Aug. 18.
Admission is free, but Anderson
University charges $10 for parking.
outlying suburbs, including Northwest Indiana. The team’s branding
campaign this year is “One City. One
Team.” It’s a spin on Major League
Baseball in Chicago, where the city’s
loyalties are split between the Cubs
and White Sox. But, Hagel points
out, once football season starts,
everybody is a Bears fan.
The team has invested heavily
in billboard advertising with that
slogan, particularly south of Interstate 290, an effort that targets south
suburbs and Northwest Indiana
commuters.
Unlike the Colts, Hagel says the
Bears don’t do caravans. Instead,
he says, the Bears will work with its
corporate partners who are involved
in various promotions and events
throughout the city and suburbs.
“Through our corporate partners
players and team officials are always
attending events and meeting with
fans,” says Hagel. “We see the area
75 miles north of Soldier Field and
75 miles south of soldier Field as
61
GIBSON WOODS, LAKE COUNTY © CHRISTOPHER JORDAN
www.nature.org/indiana
Working in communities, with businesses, organizations, agencies and individuals, The Nature Conservancy
protects irreplaceable lands and waters worldwide.
We’d like to thank the members of our Corporate Council for the Environment.
The Corporate Council is a group of environmentally concerned corporate citizens who share The Nature
Conservancy’s vision to save our natural heritage, here in Indiana and all over the world.
To learn more about our Corporate Council, contact Chuck Adams at (812) 325-7103 or [email protected].
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Advice INTERIOR DESIGN
Image Talk
Choosing a designer for your office makeover.
Y
ou’re tired of looking at the
same old carpet. The oncehip furniture set is still comfortable, but the word “frumpy”
comes to mind. And new paint
colors sure would perk up the place.
If you’re like
many
business
professionals, you
hear the phrase
“interior designer”
and you’re poised
to hit the panic
button:
What’s
it going to cost?
Will the designer
listen to what we
want, or will he
or she dream up
some
futuristic
or
fuddy-duddy
Patti Tritschler
design that doesn’t
fit our image? Is the process going to
take forever, with endless rounds of
revisions and nickel-and-diming?
The truth is, your office space is
analogous to your business attire. It
creates a first and lasting impression
for your image—and people today
are particularly attuned to the
environments in which they work,
shop, dine and purchase services.
Whether or not you want to be
judged by your brand, your potential
clients and employees are absorbing
information about you based on
logo design, color palette and a
whole range of subtle factors.
An interior design firm specializes
in how to make the most of what
you have, and can often be a more
reasonable investment than you
expect. (You’ll also rest assured that
the furniture, finishes and equipment
selected will not only fit your needs,
but comply with local and national
code requirements.) When you start
your search for potential interior
design vendors, the first item to
look for is National Certified Interior
Design Qualifications (NCIDQ). This
certification assures that the designer
you are working with has a depth of
education and experience, and has
passed the NCIDQ exam. Today,
to determine how many revisions to
the design are included, and what
the additional fees are for revisions
outside of the proposal.
Once you have the space
designed, you’re ready for the action
Your office space is analogous to your
business attire. It creates a first and
lasting impression for your image.
sustainable design is an increasingly
important selling point; here, the
qualification you’re looking for is
LEED AP, which means your designer
has passed the Green Building
Certification Institutes exam.
Most consultations start with an
objective first-impression evaluation
of your existing space. Perhaps your
point of entry hasn’t been updated
in the past five or 10 years, and
could use a reformatting of the traffic
flow. Maybe a new paint palette,
re-upholstery of your seating, new
art or new carpet are in order. An
experienced interior designer will
also see things that you no longer
notice—but your clients might.
The next step is determining a
budget and enlisting the selected
design firm to propose a few options
within your budget. Interior design
firms today have access to numerous
design programs that enable you
to see your space in virtual 3D
renderings. What you see is what
you get, before you invest!
While seeing the images on screen
is exciting, don’t get too caught
up without knowing the scope of
what’s included in the fee schedule.
A formal proposal outlining the
work to be performed, timelines
and fees should be provided to you
before the project begins. Be sure
steps of selecting your furnishings,
ordering
product,
ensuring
delivery, overseeing installation
and negotiating any quality issues.
You could handle some or all of
those steps yourself, but you might
consider asking your design firm
for a turnkey package. There are
other advantages to this route: By
engaging the design firm with a
furniture budget, for example, you
ensure that product quality aligns
with design quality. With a costplus agreement, you’ll get the added
value with the confidence that
they’re not just selling a particular
manufacturer’s products.
The final success factor is a
comfort level with the design
firm you choose. Interior design
isn’t a one-way road—it should
be a partnership that allows for
creativity, constructive criticism and
open communication. Ideally, the
makeover process should make you
feel confident as well as help you
look your best, from the time you
sign the contract to the moment the
last coat of paint has dried. n
Patti Tritschler is president of
Interior Image Group, a commercial interior design studio located
in Dyer. Her business is certified by
the Women’s Business Enterprise
National Council.
63
Viewpoint
Partnering to Pay
for Infrastructure
With federal funds waning, expect to
hear more about the “P3” option.
G
ridlock persists in Washington over reauthorizing
the nation’s comprehensive
transportation law that expired last
year and that states depend upon
heavily to pay for transportation
projects. Indiana, for example, still
gets about 40 cents of every dollar it
spends on transportation infrastructure
from
the federal government.
The bill is getting caught up
in a couple of
entangling webs,
and
Congress
seems
content
(for now) to keep
punting on the
Cameron Carter
issue with stopgap appropriations. For one thing,
there’s a move away from roads and
highways including the interstate
system, even though we have to
maintain and even expand them to
a certain extent (think Interstate 69
here in Indiana). The federal focus
is migrating toward such things as
mass transit, even high-speed rail,
and is motivated in part by the “livable communities” paradigm where
the goal is not having to drive a car
to get where you’re going. Washington is trying to engage in behavioral
economics to nudge people into
behaving a certain way—giving up
their cars for bikes or rail or mass
transit. How Americans take to this
remains to be seen. So, it’s anyone’s guess when the transportation
reauthorization will come through,
where dollars are designated and
how much.
Add to that the perpetually
64
under-resourced federal Highway
Trust Fund. It is funded with gasoline taxes, which have not been
raised since 1993. Moreover, gas tax
revenues are falling because of the
recession and we’re seeing more
hybrid and high-efficient vehicles,
the Indiana Toll Road—a deal other
states studied and tried to emulate.
By any measure, the “Major Moves”
program it fostered is a success, but
new resources will still need to be
identified. Fast forward to the 2010
legislative session, and another P3
It’s also no secret that every state is either
running deficits that they can’t sustain or—
like Indiana—they have engaged in costcutting and are balancing their budgets.
to be joined soon by electric cars.
Such technological progress will
only cause the funding shortfall
in the trust fund to become worse
over time.
It’s also no secret that every state
is either running deficits that they
can’t sustain or—like Indiana—they
have engaged in cost-cutting and are
balancing their budgets. This, too,
means that state transportation coffers will continue to be pressured.
With states at a funding crossroads, what can they do? An
increasingly necessary and attractive option is a public-private partnership (sometimes called a “P3”)
to fund massive public construction
projects. In basic terms, a P3 can
be described as a venture which
is funded and operated through a
partnership of government and one
or more private companies. In the
contract between the two parties,
the private party assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk in the project.
Several years ago, Indiana came
out on top with the P3 it struck for
bill was passed to authorize partnerships for the Illiana Expressway as
well as for building the KentuckyOhio River bridges.
The next stage hopefully will
involve the Legislature soon debating and passing a blanket P3 statute
for the state, so the process doesn’t
start over each time a new need is
identified where it might be appropriate for private sector financing.
That makes a lot of sense; the problem will be in the politics of the
thing because we presently have
a divided General Assembly—a
Republican Senate and a Democratic
House. However, because Indiana
legislators have shown a pattern in
recent years by approving two massive transportation projects via P3s,
there is reason for optimism. Not
to mention there is the reality that
the requisite funding for major infrastructure needs will likely not be
there otherwise. n
Cameron Carter is vice president,
economic development and federal
relations for the Indiana Chamber of
Commerce.
NWIBQ.com
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