Business

By: Greg Zirkle— Muncie, IN – Ben Smith, CPA, CGMA, was recently appointed by Commissioner Adam Krupp to a newly formed Tax Advisory Council for the Indiana Department of Revenue.  Smith is CEO of Muncie-based accounting firm Estep-Doctor & Company and has been a Certified Public Accountant for 28 years. As a member of this council, Smith will serve a two-year term and meet quarterly with the Commissioner and his team.  Krupp has formed the 14-member panel to provide direct feedback to him regarding matters of tax administration in Indiana in order to improve the overall customer service processes at…

By: Jaime Faulkner, CFMP— Muncie, IN — Character, Class, Compassion, and Competition are the values driving MutualBank’s vision for helping people live better lives. For 129 years, MutualBank has served communities throughout Indiana by upholding these values and doing the right thing. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed at the end of 2017 gave companies in all industries the opportunity to project a different economic outlook in 2018 and possibly beyond. While those realizations have not yet materialized, the rapid changes in our environment gave senior management at MutualBank an opportunity to evaluate how to respond. CEO Dave Heeter…

By: Augusta Consulting— Highlights include 2017 new jobs and investment; County building momentum for 2018 Delaware County – County officials highlighted a year of accomplishments at the January 16th Commissioners meeting. With a focus on the small towns and locally owned businesses of Delaware County. Augusta Consulting, the county’s privatized economic development agent, touted new jobs, capital improvement projects, and more than $17 million in investments in 2017. “Delaware County officials have proactively sought investment and opportunity for the residents of our county, and 2017 marked a year of significant progress,” said James King, President of the County Commissioners. “These…

Tax reform, strong 2017 performance leads to employee investment Muncie, IN – First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ – FRME) has announced that it will raise the wage paid to hourly employees by $1 per hour as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, signed by President Trump in Dec. 2017. Additionally, as a reward for the company’s strong 2017 performance, all associates, excluding senior management, will receive a $500 one-time cash bonus. Part-time associates will receive a pro-rated share. The compensation investments will impact nearly 90 percent of First Merchants’ 1,700 employees and will be in addition…

Muncie-based company recognized for growth, profitability and asset quality Muncie, Ind. – Forbes has released its 2018 list of “America’s Best Banks,” and one of Indiana’s legacy financial institutions has reason to celebrate. First Merchants Bank – the largest financial services holding company in Central Indiana and second largest in the state – sits fourth in the annual ranking of the country’s 100 largest banks, ahead of peers like JPMorgan Chase, Fifth Third Bancorp and Citigroup. “This is a momentous achievement and speaks to the financial success and future opportunity for both First Merchants Bank clients and the communities we…

By: Mike Rhodes, Publisher and Managing Editor— This morning, I received an inquiry to speak to a local business group about the Muncie Journal. I was thankful for the invitation and relished the opportunity to talk more about the Muncie Journal project. Muncie Journal is my passion and I’m proud of what we do here on behalf of Muncie and Delaware County. From time-to-time I get the opportunity to present to local groups, but I have not really extended an official invitation to community groups and organizations to learn more about Muncie Journal. Consider this my invitation to you! If…

By: Shawn Rogers— Muncie, IN—A ukulele plays and a furry, blue monster hand comes on-screen and paints the words Paint By Monster and then, the monster himself greets us: “Hello everyone and welcome to Paint By Monster with me, your host, Easel Monster!” And with that, we are in the studio of a monster artist. Paint By Monster is a YouTube show about Art and being an artist, and is the creation of local artist Dan Wright, who, at 51 years old, says he feels like he is just now coming into his creative prime. Wright has been a professional artist…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—Chef Megan VanDerHeide will join the Horizon Convention Center as the new Executive Chef on January 1, 2018. Chef Megan VanDerHeide is a Muncie Central graduate and has an Associates Degree in Hospitality Administration with a concentration in Culinary Arts and Event Management from Ivy Tech Community College. She received her Chef Certification from the American Culinary Federation in 2011.  ACF certified chefs have gone through numerous practical and written examinations. A panel of ACF certified chefs tests a prospective chef and judges his or her food. There are about 14 levels of chefs in the culinary…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—When you think of branding your business, what comes to mind? Do you think about how you are perceived by others? How do you want to be perceived by others? What do you really do day-to-day in your business? Answers to these kinds of questions take time and considerable thought. But getting them answered is worth it, as your branding strategy is key to marketing your company and helps you define your on-going marketing tactics. About a year ago, Ted Baker, executive director of the Innovation Connector, decided to take a hard look at the Innovation Connector’s…