Business

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—When Debbe Caine, owner of the Hayloft Boutique, decided to open her store downtown, she really did not know what to expect. Originally from Middletown, IN, Debbe moved to Florida in 1980 and spent time in the real estate business. Debbe moved back to Indiana and opened up the Hayloft Boutique a little over 2 years ago. “One day I went shopping for fall clothes, and found prices to be a little high,” said Debbe.  “So, the idea of the Hayloft Boutique was sort of born out of that experience. I wanted to do something different….

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN— Tonne Winery was established in 2009 and has become a favorite gathering place for wine lovers. Kevin and Larry are very proud of the awards their wines have won.  Tonne Winery has won numerous INDY awards, which is the largest international wine competition in the United States. In 2014, Tonne Winery won the prestigious Governor’s Cup award and was named Indiana Winery of the Year.   Even though there are 18 different wine options available, it’s easy to choose a selection you might like.  The winery offers up to 5 complimentary tastings per visit.         …

By: Sheena Peters— Muncie, IN – Muncie Innovation Connector recently hosted the third annual Excellence in Innovation Awards at the Horizon Convention Center. This celebration recognized leaders in business innovation including those who are well established and others who are emerging. Mr. Gerry Dick, President and Managing Editor of Grow INdiana Media Ventures, LLC, and InsideINdianaBusiness.com served as the Master of Ceremonies. In addition, Karen E Laine and Mina Starsiak Hawk, better known as Two Chicks and Hammer and stars of the HGTV hits series Good Bones, were the keynote speakers for the evening. Awards were presented in four categories…

Muncie, IN—MutualBank is thrilled to provide bankwithmutual.com visitors the option to translate the site into Spanish! On desktops and laptops, visitors can click an “Español” button in the bottom right corner of the screen to initiate the translation. On mobile and tablet devices, the translate button is located at the top left of the screen. Visitors should note that services such as online banking, mobile banking, online product enrollment applications, and any other online service requiring a user login are not included in this announcement but will be evaluated for translation capability in the near future. “This functionality is strategically…

By: Mike Rhodes— Carmel, IN—The Indiana Broadcasters Association presented their 30th Annual Spectrum Awards on Friday, November 3, 2017 in ceremonies held in Carmel, IN. The Indiana Broadcasters Association is an alliance of more than 300 member radio and television broadcasters, united to serve their audiences throughout the Hoosier state.  The IBA advocates for member stations, offers FCC inspection programs, provides scholarships to college students, hosts career fairs throughout the state for members to recruit new employees, and represents the broadcasting industry before the Indiana General Assembly and to Washington, D.C. policymakers. The IBA’s Spectrum Awards recognizes the “Best in…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN— At the October 5, 2017 regular meeting of the Muncie Redevelopment Commission, status updates on a number of economic development projects were given. Todd Donati reported that the highly anticipated Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market is on-track to open in the spring of 2018. Walls of the new market can now be seen being erected.  Due to the new construction and heavy trucks moving in and out, Milton Street will be rebuilt in sections. The commission is working with the Muncie Sanitary District to lay stormwater lines to revert stormwater south instead of north.  The commission…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—The Horizon Convention Center hosted the Special Olympics Indiana State Conference on October 27-28 in downtown Muncie. Over 300 people from all over Indiana attended the conference. The annual conference is primarily for Special Olympics Indiana volunteers, leaders, staff, board members and county/management teams from across the state. In addition to numerous break-out sessions, an important component of the conference was the “Spirit of Special Olympics” luncheon held on Saturday. Awards in five categories were presented. Carl Erskine was a featured presenter during the luncheon. The Erskine Green Training Institute inside the Courtyard Marriott Muncie was named…

Muncie, IN—First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ – FRME) reported record third quarter 2017 net income of $24.4 million, compared to $21.1 million during the third quarter of 2016. Earnings per share for the period totaled $.50 per share, which included $.11 per share of acquisition expenses, compared to $.51 during the same period in 2016. The acquisition expenses in the quarter totaled $7.9 million and were primarily related to the July 14, 2017 acquisition of Independent Alliance Banks, Inc. Year-to-date net income totaled a record $71.7 million, compared to $58.8 million during the same period in 2016. Earnings per share for…