WKChamber Annual Dinner Featured Pence as Keynote

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Warsaw Kosciusko County Chamber tries to provide a valuable experience for the members at their annual membership event.  This year may have outdone all previous years by their ability to secure newly elected Governor Mike Pence as keynote speaker for their 101^st Annual Chamber Membership Dinner.  Just a week from being sworn in, the Governor highlighted many of the themes of his campaign as well as outlining his upcoming agenda for the State.  Governor Pence applauded the prosperity of Kosciusko County and indicated it would serve to inspire the nation and give people hope that free enterprise still works and can work again.

Although his time at the dinner was brief, before his speech, Governor Pence greeted guests dined on a  wonderfully prepared plated dinner provided by Mad Anthony Lake City Tap House, and greeted the guests with a hand shake.  Governor Pence had to return to Indianapolis immediately following his keynote address.

The Governor’s comments were a true complement to the theme of the evening which is a celebration of Kosciusko County business.  Many business awards were presented, including Wal-Mart Supercenter, for BLN Employer of the Year; Miller’s Senior Living Community, for service; Bartel Printing, for general business; and Bishop Farms, for industry.   OrthoPediatrics received the Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Individual honors were awarded to Jan Orban of CBRE|Bradley – Warsaw, for Chamber Ambassador of the Year; Monica Wilson of United Way of Kosciusko County, for Young Adult Professional of the Year; and Becky Anglin of the Warsaw Police Department, for Government Excellence.

Man & Woman of the Year were Mary Ettinger and Jerry Clevenger for their enormous contributions to the community.

View more photos HERE.

Robyn Palmer Promoted to Client Relationship Manager for Kosciusko and Elkhart Counties

ELKHART, INDIANA – MutualBank announces the promotion of Robyn Palmer to Client Relationship Manager for Kosciusko and Elkhart Counties. In his new role, Palmer will work with MutualBank clients one on one by serving as a point person, providing advice, recommending solutions and helping clients work toward achieving their financial goals. This role is centered on the client and their unique needs.

With over ten years of experience serving in various roles at MutualBank, Palmer has the expertise to meet the needs of the customers he serves. Palmer attended Indiana University Fort Wayne and obtained a MBA from the University of Mississippi. Palmer is active in the community serving as the Board of Directors President for Combined Community Services in Warsaw, President-Elect for the Warsaw Rotary Club, and Board Member for the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County.

Palmer resides in Kosciusko County with his wife, Katie and daughter Charlotte. In his spare time, Palmer enjoys fishing, hunting and spending time outdoors.

MutualFirst Financial, Inc. is the parent company of MutualBank, an Indiana-based financial institution. The company has thirty-one full-service retail financial centers in Delaware, Elkhart, Grant, Kosciusko, Randolph, St. Joseph and Wabash Counties in Indiana.  MutualBank also has two offices located in Carmel and Crawfordsville, Indiana specializing in wealth management and trust services and a loan origination office in New Buffalo, Michigan.  MutualBank is a leading mortgage lender in each of the market areas it serves, and provides a full range of financial services including business banking, wealth management, trust services, investments and internet banking services.  The Company’s stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol “MFSF” and can be found on the internet at www.bankwithmutual.com.

1st Source Bank Announces New Roles for Conroy, Deranek and Zeltwanger

South Bend, IN – 1st Source Bank announces new roles for Danny Conroy, Steve
Deranek and Ron Zeltwanger.

Ron Zeltwanger is the bank’s new Manager of Central Region Banking Centers and is
responsible for 23 banking centers in the South Bend, Niles and Dowagiac area.
Zeltwanger joined the bank in 2001 and has served as Regional President in the bank’s
Community Region which includes Marshall, Fulton, Pulaski and Starke Counties. Most
recently Zeltwanger was the bank’s Continuous Improvement Leader.

Zeltwanger received an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a B.S. degree from
Purdue University. He also attended the Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking.
Zeltwanger serves on the board of the Marshall County Community Foundation and is a
member of its scholarship committee.

Danny Conroy is the bank’s new Continuous Improvement Leader and will oversee the
bank’s efforts to improve effectiveness and maximize efficiencies. Conroy has been with
the bank for nearly seven years, most recently as Regional Sales Manager in the bank’s
Community Region.

Conroy graduated from the IU Kelley School of Business with a degree in Business
Economics and Public Policy. He is a graduate of the St. Joseph County Chamber of
Commerce’s Leadership program.
Steve Deranek, Regional Sales Manager for the bank’s East Region in Elkhart and
Kosciusko counties, will take on additional responsibilities as the Sales Manager for the
bank’s Community Region. Deranek started at 1st Source in 1985 and has extensive
experience in retail and private banking.

Deranek is a graduate of Indiana University South Bend. He serves on the board of
directors of Bashor Children’s Home and is a member and past president of the Goshen
Noon Kiwanis.

1st Source Corporation, parent company of 1st Source Bank, has assets of $4.55 billion
and is the largest locally controlled financial institution headquartered in the northern
Indiana-southwestern Michigan area. The Corporation includes 76 banking centers in 17
counties, 22 1st Source Bank Specialty Finance Group locations nationwide, nine Trust
and Wealth Management locations and nine 1st Source Insurance offices.

1st Source common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under
“SRCE” and appears in the National Market System tables in many daily newspapers
under the code name “1st Src.” Since 1863, 1st Source has been committed to the success
of the communities it serves. For more information, visit http://www.1stsource.com.

Work Force Training Forges Alliances

The state’s business and education sectors continue to cooperate in an effort to bridge the so-called skills gap. Ivy Tech Corporate College President Matt Bell says the school is dedicated to training and certifying hundreds of production employees.

Read entire story HERE.

How Do You Choose A Reputable Credit Counseling Agency?

Got Debt?  Having trouble making ends meet?  Tired of paying the minimum payments? FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION would like to make consumers aware of things to look for in a reputable credit counseling agency when trying to get out of debt.

 

Non-profit credit counseling agencies can assist families in getting their finances in order, figuring out a budget and managing debt.  These agencies will work with families to develop a written spending plan for success.  Some credit counseling agencies offer free or low cost services and others charge high fees and might not be trustworthy.

 

The following tips will assist you in choosing a reputable non-profit credit counseling agency.

1. Ask family members, friends and co-workers if they recommend an agency, and keep in mind it is best to pick one that has been around for several years.
2. Use credit counseling agencies that have been referred by banks, credit unions and universities.
3. Check with the Better Business Bureau in your area to find out if a credit agency has complaints and what their rating is.
4. Will you be signing a contract before getting counseling and if you are be sure to read the contract before signing it?
5. Ask if there are different fees for different services, and ask to see the fee schedule.
6. Ask if the agency has certified financial counselors?
7. Ask if the agency offers professional, one-on-one assistance with managing your money or debt?
8. Ask if the agency offers a free budget counseling session prior to enrolling into a debt management program?
9. Ask if the agency offers any free workshops and educational material?
10. Ask if the agency has a local board of directors?
11. Choose a credit counseling agency that has been approved and certified.

 

FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is a member of the NFCC.  For help developing a 2013 budget, controlling spending, or any other personal finance concern, please contact FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION at 260-432-8200 or toll free 800-432-0420.  We can also be reached at www.financialhope.org.  Our Fort Wayne office is located at 4105 West Jefferson Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is a non-profit community service founded in Fort Wayne in 1965, and a local member of the NFCC.  FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is committed to helping people gain control of their finances by providing free budget counseling, Debt Management Programs, Financial Education, HUD approved Housing Counseling, approved Pre-File Bankruptcy Counseling and Education.

CTSi Announces Cloud Hosting Partnership

Winona Lake, IN January 15, 2013 – Creative Technology Solutions, Inc. (CTSi) announces a new partnership with the global leader in cloud computing – Rackspace® Hosting (NYSE: RAX).  As a Gold Partner Member, CTSi will have the opportunity to offer clients access to all of

Rackspace’s product offerings. This partnership with Rackspace will empower CTSi’s customers with a solid and reliable infrastructure on which to grow their business’ cloud presence.

 

A few of the key benefits that this solution will bring business owners include:

– Industry-leading Service Level Agreements means your uptime is guaranteed –  unlike many other hosting providers

– Built-in Scalability to handle spikes in traffic that are becoming more common with the advent of social media

– Built-in Redundancy to ensure maximum uptime and backups

– Fanatical Support® means that business owners can focus on their customers and stop worrying about the infrastructure that backs their online presence

– Multiple OS Platforms allow for flexibility to fit any type of web technology

 

The power of Rackspace hosting can be seen through case studies such as gdgt® who utilized Rackspace hosting to handle 55 million page requests during their coverage of the iPhone 5 announcement. Other Rackspace customers include companies such as Ironman, Mazda, Vevo, and Six Flags. While this demonstrates the robustness of Rackspace’s offerings, built-in scalability makes this the perfect choice for businesses of all sizes.

“CTSi’s strategic partnership with Rackspace comes as a result of a large amount of research and allows us to provide our clients with world-class hosting options,” says Timothy Poyner, President of Creative Technology Solutions, Inc. “We’re excited to leverage Rackspace’s Fanatical Support® to provide our customers with the best hosting experience possible.”

Creative Technology Solutions, Inc. (CTSi) located at 700 Park Ave, Suite E (above the Boathouse Restaurant) in Winona Lake, Indiana, is an independent consulting firm with more than thirty years of combined experience. CTSi functions as a progressive and dynamic technology center with the expertise and competency necessary in today’s demanding environments. Businesses of all sizes rely on CTSi as their virtual IT department. Walk-in customers are always welcome, 9-5, M-F. For more information, call 574-268-2874 or visit www.creativetechs.biz.

DJ Construction Chosen as Cardinal Buses New Building Construction

MISHAWKA – Cardinal Buses, Inc. recently began construction of a new building in Mishawaka to be located at 2525 E. Day Road.  It selected DJ Construction as its building partner for the project.

 

The 5,395 square foot building will be a maintenance facility for Cardinal Buses’ fleet of charter buses, including spaces for washing, cleaning, and mechanical maintenance.  It will feature two (2) service bays and one (1) wash bay.  Construction will be finished in spring 2013.

 

Cardinal Buses, Inc. currently has facilities in Middlebury, Indiana and Holland, Michigan.  It is a family-owned business in existence since 1923 and operates a fleet of modern motorcoaches with various seating capacities.  For more information, visit its website at www.cardinalbuses.com.

 

DJ is committed to helping our clients solve facility challenges from master planning and assessment to management and construction.  The company provides a customer-driven approach to the building delivery process for all sizes of projects, including renovations and repairs.

Zimmer Technology Clears Federal Hurdle

WARSAW, Ind. – Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZMH; SIX: ZMH), a global leader in musculoskeletal health, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market iASSIST Knee, the Personalized Guidance System for knee replacement procedures.

 

Read entire story HERE.

National Foundation for Credit Counseling Launches Spanish Version of MyMoneyCheckUp™

Comprehensive financial self-assessment tool to help consumers evaluate financial health,

make positive changes

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) this week announced the expansion of MyMoneyCheckUp™, the NFCC’s free innovative online financial resource tool for consumers.  The tool is now available in Spanish at https://www.miayudafinanciera.org and www.DebtAdvice.org, bringing Hispanic populations and communities a unique and much-needed method of assessing personal financial health.

 

“Our mission at the NFCC has always been to provide the public with the resources necessary for financial stability,” said Gail Cunningham, spokesperson for the NFCC.   “The introduction of MyMoneyCheckUp™ in Spanish allows us to bring the tool to a much wider audience.”

 

As of 2011, the Hispanic population comprised 16.7% of the United States population, the largest minority group following African-Americans. In addition, 20.3% of U.S. households speak a language other than English.

 

Recognizing the need for expanded financial resources to the Hispanic community, Experian provided a generous grant to translate MyMoneyCheckUp™ into Spanish.

 

“Experian is so pleased to work with the NFCC Member Agencies in helping families with their financial capability and in making this valuable tool available to a wider audience,” said Maxine Sweet, Experian Vice President of Public Education.  “We have a shared goal of helping everyone learn to live credit smart. That starts with a clear understanding of your financial position and having readily accessible tools to help guide your future.”

 

The English version of MyMoneyCheckUp™ originally launched in 2011 to provide consumers with a means of evaluating four key areas of personal finance: budgeting and credit management, saving and investing, planning for retirement, and home equity.

 

After answering a series of topic specific questions, a personalized assessment of the individual’s overall financial health and associated behaviors is generated.  With areas of concern identified, the analysis suggests changes that consumers are encouraged to implement in order to become more financially independent.  The traditional red, yellow and green traffic light colors signal whether the consumer should continue on their current money path, proceed with caution, or stop and make a change respectively. Individuals can also complete an optional budget to further help them assess their financial health.

 

“When developing the tool, one goal was to make financial education more readily accessible to a broad segment of the population.  Thousands of Americans across the country have already benefited from the

English version of MyMoneyCheckUp™.   It is our hope that the Hispanic community will now take

advantage of this simple and free personal finance assessment tool, and embrace the opportunity to improve their financial stability,” continued Cunningham.

Since 1951, The NFCC and its members have promoted financial education, sound money management, and positive financial habits to millions of people in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, giving them the knowledge, capability, and support needed to achieve their financial goals.  The NFCC Member Agency services are provided for free or at low cost, and are available in both English and Spanish.  For more information, please visit www.DebtAdvice.org.

 

FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is a member of the NFCC.  For help developing a 2013 budget, controlling spending, or any other personal finance concern, please contact FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION at 260-432-8200 or toll free 800-432-0420.  We can also be reached at www.financialhope.org.  Our Fort Wayne office is located at 4105 West Jefferson Boulevard in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is a non-profit community service founded in Fort Wayne in 1965, and a local member of the NFCC.  FINANCIALHOPE COUNSELING AND EDUCATION is committed to helping people gain control of their finances by providing free budget counseling, Debt Management Programs, Financial Education, HUD approved Housing Counseling, approved Pre-File Bankruptcy Counseling and Education.

 

Timeline for Employers on Health Care Act

Submitted By Mike Ripley, VP Health Care Policy with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce

During the final months of 2012, the Indiana Chamber made several presentations to local chambers of commerce and their members on federal health care reform and the timeline for employers for the Affordable Care Act in 2013. Some of the highlights discussed at those meetings include the following:

The U.S. Department of Labor has begun conducting random audits to make certain that businesses are complying with the Act

On January 1, 2013, businesses must begin withholding for the increase in the Medicare tax from 1.45% to 2.35% on wages over $200,000. Employers may want to inform employees that under some conditions an employee may still have a Medicare tax liability even though the employer may not be required to withhold the tax

Effective for open enrollment periods on or after September 23, 2012, employers must provide employees a summary of benefits and coverage (which most already provided)

Employers with more than 250 employees must issue W-2s that include the aggregate cost of the applicable employer-sponsored health care for the 2012 tax year (distributed January 2013). For companies under 250 employees, it is optional and will be mandatory for the taxable year 2013 (distributed January 2014)

By March 1, 2013, the employer must provide notification that the employee might be eligible for premium assistance on the exchange and how to access information regarding premium subsidies available for a health insurance exchange-based coverage

The new federal premium tax that will go toward the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund goes into effect. The fee, in the first year, is $1 per covered life. Payment is due on July 31, 2013

The medical device tax goes into effect January 1, 2013. It is a 2.3% excise tax on medical device manufacturers, producers or importers on the sale of medical devices

Businesses will need to begin planning for the Transitional Reinsurance Program assessment fee that will be in effect from January 1, 2014-December 31, 2016. The Department of Health and Human Services has determined that the fee will be $5.25 per covered life per month (or $63 per year)

On a related note, America’s Health Insurance Plans hired the firm of Oliver Wyman to conduct an analysis on the costs contributed to the new tax on health insurance premiums in 2014 for each state and by line of insurance business. The results of that study were issued last month. For Indiana, the costs attributed to the tax were estimated as follows (aggregate tax per contract 2014-2023):

In the small group market for a family plan, the tax could range from $5,819 to $7,493 for the 10-year period
In the large group market for a family plan, the tax could range from $6,272 to $8,077 for the 10-year period
The report also included the amount that the state of Indiana might pay in additional taxes for Medicaid policies (per contract). That range was from $1,212 to $1,561 for the same 10-year period.