Business

By: Sheena Peters— Muncie, In—The Innovation Connector of Muncie, Indiana is hosting the fourth annual BIG Idea Pitch competition for local entrepreneurs and innovators to “pitch” their business, business concepts, product or invention to a panel of judges from the business and investment community. There are many very creative and interesting concepts from people in our region, and this competition will showcase those ideas and offer what it takes to advance them. This event is for individuals in all phases of the business, including startup or pre-startup. Jr High and High School students as well as college students also are…

By: Genet Soule, VP Development & Marketing— Muncie, IN – Hillcroft Industries, a division of Hillcroft Services, Inc., received its ISO 9001:2015 certificate of registration for its quality management system on July 19, 2017.  “ISO 9001 is not only a validation of our quality management system, but a validation of our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction,” said Mike Salmon, VP Business Development. Hillcroft Industries, formerly Cannon Industries, has performed parts assembly, packaging, kitting, collating, and sorting work for various industries in East Central Indiana for over 60 years.  Customers have included local businesses, OEMs, Tier 1 automotive suppliers, and…

By: Tara Whitehead— Meeting Brings Together Manufacturing Leaders from All Areas of the State and Highlights Continued Growth of Indiana Manufacturing Sector  Muncie, IN – On October 4, 2017, manufacturers, business leaders, and policymakers from across the state met in Indianapolis to honor those companies that have made outstanding contributions to the development of a healthy, dynamic environment in Indiana, and to the state’s overall economic well-being. Mid-West Metal Products is excited to be among the select group of companies acknowledged at this prestigious event, and honored to have been selected as an inductee into the Indiana Manufacturers Hall of Fame….

By: Dave Heeter, President and CEO of MutualFirst—  Combination Expands MutualFirst’s Presence into Central and Southern Indiana Creates Community Bank with $2 Billion of Assets  Muncie, IN – MutualFirst Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: MFSF) (“MutualFirst”) and Universal Bancorp (“Universal”) have announced  that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) pursuant to which Universal will be merged into MutualFirst, with MutualFirst being the surviving entity. Upon the closing of the transaction, BloomBank, the wholly owned bank subsidiary of Universal, will merge into MutualFirst’s wholly owned bank subsidiary, MutualBank. The merger will expand MutualFirst’s presence into Central and Southern Indiana. At…

Muncie, IN—Announcing the acquisition of WKHL 106.7 FM, West Lafayette, Woof Boom Radio continues its mission to build out great locally managed and owned radio stations. Woof Boom Radio began with a vision of great radio that focuses on service to the local community. Woof Boom, with this newest addition, becomes a station group operating in three markets in Indiana and Ohio. Pending FCC approval, Educational Media Foundation (EMF) will sell WKHL FM, West Lafayette to Woof Boom Radio. The station will be run by Woof Boom Radio Lafayette Managing Partner, Jim Stone. Stone, a long-time radio veteran returns to…

By: Tracy Dishman— Muncie, IN—A professional and beautiful building, and amenities such as plenty of free parking and back-office staff support,  adds to the credibility and professionalism of an organization. Align these attributes with matching values and missions and you find a resource partner that calls the Innovation Connector their home—The Shafer Leadership Academy. “Shafer Leadership Academy is a non-profit organization that helps people learn how to lead. Our mission is to grow local leaders for East Central Indiana,” said Mitch Isaccs, Executive Director for Shafer Leadership Academy. Isaccs, along with program director, Tisha Gierhart, agree that the Innovation Connector…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN— The Horizon Convention Center hosted the 2017 Indiana Association of School Psychologists Fall Conference. The 3 day conference brought over 120 IASP members from across the state to Muncie. The members of IASP apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the communities they serve. The keynote speaker was Dr. John Kelly, NASP President. His presentation, “Power of One: Creating…

By: Richard Crist— Muncie, IN—Muncie, Indiana based Youth Opportunity Center, Inc. recently announced the promotion of Jeff Helm to Chief Information Officer. Helm has been with YOC for 15 years, most recently serving as the Director of Information Technology & Facilities for the past nine years. In this newly developed role, Helm will help achieve organizational goals in two primary ways. He will oversee and ensure all information and communication systems are secure and reliable. He will also take on responsibility for accurate, timely, and actionable data reporting to improve the performance of the organization. “The YOC is fortunate and…

By: Liz Valpatic— Muncie, IN—Sue Tschuor, Director of Sales, Woof Boom Radio, LLC has been recognized for exemplifying all five of the company’s values. Since its inception, Woof Boom Radio has held the following values to be true: Speak the Truth; Do Your Best; Do What You Say You Will Do; Treat All with Respect; and Work with Passion. These are not just words you will see written on our walls, tagged in our email signatures, or listed on our website – these are values that Woof Boom Radio, as a company, strives to live out every day – and Sue Tschuor…