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7 examples shine

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Rob Weiss’ vision helped turn an abandoned, shoddy corner of Richmond into a showpiece of progress.

Reid Hospital turned 99 wooded acres on a hill into a shining beacon of health care.

Rally’s restaurant joined them in offering strong curb appeal as road construction along Chester Boulevard transforms northern Richmond.

The three were among seven projects honored Thursday during the Community Improvement Awards Luncheon sponsored by the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce.

The eighth annual event drew 180 to Forest Hills Country Club in Richmond.

Other honored projects were: Fellowship Baptist Church, Seton Catholic gym, J&J Winery and Tiedemann-Bev’s Industries.

Emcee Eric VanVleet alluded to them as mountaintop projects, those that stand out for their beauty.

Many young faces were in the crowd as Spirit Awards were bestowed upon those who served and helped lead the Lemonade Day and All-America City campaigns.

“They have been an inspiration and example for us,” said chamber President Dennis Andrews. “The kids set a good example for the adults.”

Weiss’ project at 990 Chester Blvd. was selected for the Exemplary Award.

J&MW Holdings, which is owned by Weiss and wife Chris, bought the former LoBill’s in July 2007.

Their business turned the old grocery store into a modern, eye-appealing medical center with upgrades that include a coffee kiosk in the parking lot.

“It is a marked improvement to an area with a high volume of traffic,” said Amy Holthouse of the chamber.

She and Kelly Hale alternated comments about the honored projects.

Rod Weiss said his project involved a strong spirit of cooperation among contractor Whitewater Construction, architect Maze & Associates, Wasson Nursery and First Richmond Bank.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by your peers and other leaders in the community,” Weiss said after the ceremony. “I saw a vacant building we could make into something very nice, turn into a good use.”

Reid Hospital was given a special honor – Elevating the Quality of Life – for the beauty and functionality of its new campus.

“Every element…was created with patients and visitors in mind, VanVleet said.

“The facility is a showpiece for our community”

Award Winners:

Tiedemann-Bev’s Industries, 4225 W. Industries Road: “The building adds a distinctive design and color scheme to Richmond’s Midwest Industrial Park and has a welcoming quality that is highly visible from Interstate 70.”

EDC honors success stories

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0400

It was time Monday to say thank you to 10 businesses that have been unwavering in their commitments to Wayne County.

It also was time to hear an upbeat message from community leader Paul Lingle in a keynote address during the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County's annual meeting.

"The future of Richmond and Wayne County looks mighty bright," Lingle told about 75 business and community leaders at Forest Hills Country Club.

He detailed many assets: strong community arts and social services, excellent public safety, growing educational systems and opportunities for young people and new spirits of cooperation toward regional economic development. "Let's not listen to negativism. When it begins, stop it," Lingle said. "Tell them the great things you are watching happen."

Those happening things in economic development certainly include these investment success stories: $318 million in the new Reid Hospital, $42 million in the Johns Manville plant and $1 million for J.M. Hutton and Co. to expand into new areas.

They were among the 10 honorees Monday, all of which received some financial help from EDC.

The leaders of the business are all vocal about selling the positives of Wayne County.

The success stories also include:

Oberle & Associates and Primex Plastics Corp., longtime businesses in Richmond that chose to rebuild after devastating fires
Berry Plastics and TBK America, which have worldwide focuses but keep expanding their involvements here.
Tiedemann-Bevs Industry, which moved its national headquarters here from New Jersey.
The Stride Rite Corp. national customer service center, which kept 80 jobs in Richmond, in part, because of grants to help retrain employees.
Pinehurst Village constructed additions to help it modernize with the help of fund to extend sewage and water lines from Centerville.

EDC President Tim Rogers and board Chairman Jeff Jackson spoke during the annual meeting about pushing a stronger emphasis on helping existing businesses.

Businesses that have stayed here deserve honors in equal ways. "Tell them thank you for being here, employing people, paying taxes," he said.

In other action, the EDC board unanimously approved motions to award $14,322.46 for work force training expenses to Howa USA and $18,284.24 for equipment-moving expenses to the life-sciences company Taconic.

Wayne Co. EDC recognizes 10 growing businesses

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0400

Ten businesses that expanded in 2008 were honored for their investment in Wayne County during the annual meeting of the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County Monday at Forest Hills Country Club. Berry Plastics, J.M. Hutton, Johns Manville, Oberle & Associates, Pinehurst Village, Primex Plastics, Reid Hospital, TBK America, Stride Rite and Tiedemann-Bevs Industries all made investments during 2008.

In 2008, Really Cool Foods opened a new facility in the Indiana Gateway Industrial Park north of Cambridge City and Tiendmann-Bevs Industries opened in the Midwest Industrial Park on Richmond’s northwest side, said 2008 EDC Board Chairman Joe Chamness. In addition to the opening of Really Cool Foods, the company announced it was moving its headquarters from New York to the new plant, he added.

During 2008, the search for a new president and CEO was begun and nearly completed, which ultimately led to the hiring of Tim Rogers from Illinois in early 2009.

“We’re going to have some challenges coming to us in the next few months and years we’ve never seen before,” Chamness said. “We’re going to have to work together as a community to make this successful. I think we have the right people, the tools we need to do it and we’ve got the location but if we don’t work together, we will get lost.”

Incoming Chairman Jeff Jackson announced the EDC would no longer give land in county-owned industrial parks as an incentive to new industry.

“Instead, we’re going to include financial incentives based on the investment to be made and the number of jobs created and we will allow the prospect to use that incentive to purchase land from us, another private developer or an existing vacant facility,” he said. “This shift in policy may encourage private development by removing that unfair, free-land incentive. It also reflects our focus on existing businesses, for what good is free land to an existing business that is going to expand?”

He said existing businesses would receive the same incentives based on investment and job creation.

He also said the EBD would work regionally to help lure companies to the region because some of the workers may live in Wayne County and shop in the county.

“We have better odds of success if we find ways to cooperate with and support neighboring communities in their efforts to attract business,” Jackson explained. “If a prospect is looking at Preble County [Ohio}, we need to be in position to help Preble County sell the region. We need to move away from turfism and find ways to support regionalism in our economic development efforts.”

Keynote speaker Paul Lingle, owner of Lingle Real Estate Inc., offered several challenges to the community, EDC and elected officials:

“Let’s not tolerate or listen to negativism.”
Support the local school systems, the arts and social services in the community.
The EDC needs to communicate what needs to happen to create the environment for economic growth to occur.
Use the unique advantage such as Interstate 70, five schools of higher education and a new medical facility in the county to develop jobs and increase the employment base.

“As I look in the future, I like what I see – lots of very good professionals, good city and county officials, excellent staffs and boards, outstanding educational leaders at all levels, wonderful caring clergy, the best social service and health care professionals in the region, great youth and lots of hard-working parents,” he said. “When I watch television about all the communities with problems, pollution, traffic congestion and crime, I look at my wife and say, “Move to Richmond Wayne County.”

Existing businesses provide opportunities

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Existing businesses provide most new jobs. Although their growth often is slower and not as splashy as when a new company comes to town, existing businesses provide residents with most opportunities for improved personal well-being.

Articles in the Nov. 23 Palladium-Item featured two existing companies, Johns Manville and Tiedemann's-Bevs Industries. In each case, the company believed the community and its local workforce was worth the investment and effort required to remain here. The City of Richmond and the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, Indiana, are among groups which worked together to help each company stay here and grow.

Many other companies continue to expand in Richmond and Wayne County. So that companies can be successful, it is important for the community to continue to maintain good municipal services and a supportive atmosphere that encourages business expansion.

Congratulations to Johns Manville and Tiedmann's-Bev's Threads on their success. And thank you to them and the many other quietly successful businesses that are so important to our community.

Richmond and Wayne County can rightfully be proud of the local quality of life. Existing businesses contribute to that quietly but substantially. Thank you to the Palladium-Item for telling these stories.

Bob Hansen: Manager of business retention and expansion for the EDC of Wayne County

Companies stitched together for success

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Two Richmond businesses are operating as one at a new facility on West Industries Road.

Tiedemann & Sons and Bev's Threads, both owned by the Galletly family, will be known in their new home at 4225 W. Industries Road as Tiedemann-Bevs Industries.

Theo Tiedemann & Sons is a 140-year-old, five-generation business that provides textile products and fabrics designed for the interiors and exteriors of caskets.

Owned by brother Bob and Pete Galletly, it was formerly at 1010 Industries Road and had facilities in New Jersey.

Bev's Threads Etc., established in 1986, does contract sewing and embroidery and other parts manufacturing, much of it for the casket industry, and offers sewing supplies and enhancements for their operations.

The company, formerly at 621 S. J St., was acquired by the Galletly brothers and their sister, Anne, in 1999.

In early 2007, with three separate operations in New Jersey and Indiana, the brothers decided to permanently move and consolidate Tiedemann's two locations to Richmond, and to merge it with Bev's Threads.

The new 65,000-square-foot building opened in July with Bev's Threads moving in September. The companies will begin using the new name in January, according to a press release.

"Our new name reflects the shared values and commitment of the two businesses," said Robert Galletly. "It symbolizes a combination of the legacy of these two companies and the expanding range of capabilities and services we are able to offer customers."

On 9 acres, the new building houses the entire operations of Tiedemann-Bevs Industries, including the textile distribution, embroidery, sewing and interiors departments.

The building is designed as a light "green" facility, emphasizing resource-efficient lighting and integrated design components.

"The outreach and good will from the Richmond community have been tremendous," says Pete Galletly. "Now we are looking forward to the next chapter of the business."

Firm built new plant in 2008

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:00:00 -0500

A new tradition practiced in ancient Egypt is being carried on by a company that moved its headquarters from New Jersey to Richmond in 2008.

Tiedemann-Bevs Industries opened a new plant and headquarters building in the Midwest Industrial Park in July 2008 and had an open house there in December.

The Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County, Indiana, helped the company by arranging with the City of Richmond for the purchase of 9.5 acres of city-owned land at a discount. In exchange, the company agreed to expand from about 35 employees to about 42 in the next few years.

The company continues the ancient tradition of letting future generations know about what kind of person is inside a casket. In ancient Egypt, mummies were preserved inside of a wooden sarcophagus covered with hieroglyphic pictures representing the dead person's activates and interests. Today, Tiedemann-Bevis makes upholstered cloth linings for caskets and, in many cases, embroiders them with pictures or emblems from the deceased person's life.

Approaching a 6-needle 12-head embroidery sewing machine with Pete Galletly, co-owner, he points to embroidered military emblems coming out, noting that many people want to be remembered for the branch of the military where they are served. Others ask for a special word like a floral "Mother" or professional and collegiate sports team logos, golf, or other hobbies or even special pets.

In fact, personal embroidery is such a growing part of the company business that the have a brochure filled with stick emblems from which families can choose. They also will make custom designs: a popular item is a family tree with the names of all the grandchildren and great-grands. Photos can even be applied to the fabric.

"We will take a custom order today and it will arrive at the location by 10 a.m. the next day, for the service," says Galletly.

As fast as the custom-emblem part of their business is growing, Tiedemann-Bevs is still heavily involved in selling bulk fabrics and enhancements for the industry and making traditional casket upholstery from "high-end velvets to less expensive woven polyester," Galletly says. It has responded to an increased demand for cremation by manufacturing linings for rental caskets.

Tiedemann & Sons was started in the late 1860s in New York. It had been headquartered in New Jersey since the 1960s and had a distribution operation in the Richmond Center. Pete, the executive vice president, is a co-owner with his brother, Bob Gallently, Jr., the company president.

Bev's Threads, Etc., acquired by Tiedemann & Sons in 1999, had been located on Richmond's south side since the late 1980's.

In 2007, the Galletly family decided to consolidate the company's three locations to Richmond. The result is the new 65,000 square foot building. General Manager Pam Soper, who has been with Bev's Threads for 22 years, said she likes the new building's open interior. "We were more confined, tighter together. Now I can see all of the operations. Before, we were all sectioned off."

"The location is great for the casket business. There's a large contingent of customers here, not only for the finished caskets but also for components," Pete Galletly said. "Plus, we like the labor force here."

"We loved our people in New Jersey - it was hard to leave them," he continued. "But we have great managers and team players here; it's a very good atmosphere."

They also liked working with their general contractor, Thor Construction.

"Dan Stamper (owner of Thor) was an absolute pleasure to work with," Pete said. He suggested that the building be "light' green, meaning that it maximizes sustainable, energy-efficient lighting and heating. Stamper also participates in the Buy Local Initiative of the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce and involved about 18 other local companies in construction or providing materials and supplies.

Galletly also had praise for Richmond and Wayne County, saying that, "The size of the community is an asset. It's easy to know a lot of people."

"The town made us feel welcome, that you wanted us," he said. "We are extremely happy to be here."