Discover some of the area’s top locally owned businesses in 2025

Locally owned businesses are the backbone of Greater Lafayette, and those small business owners invest time, finances, energy and passion into their companies. Here we take a look back at the small business of the month winners recognized by Greater Lafayette Commerce in 2025, along with the Small Business of the Year winner. Old National Bank is a longtime sponsor of the Small Business of the Month & Year program. The winners were recognized each month at a ceremony at Ripple & Co.

JANUARY – THIS OLD BUTCHER SHOPPE

This locally owned full-service butcher shop serving the Greater Lafayette area was launched in September 2021 by owner Jessica Roosa, a Purdue University graduate, as an offshoot of the family’s agriculture business (This Old Farm) and with a mission to bring sustainable, locally sourced meats to the community. What sets This Old Butcher Shoppe apart is its emphasis on transparency, regenerative agriculture and traceability. It offers pasture-raised pork, non-GMO-fed poultry, grass-fed lamb and beef, and dry-aged beef cuts — all sourced from known local farms and processed under USDA inspection. Beyond its product selection, the shop is praised for knowledgeable staff and superior customer experience: reviewers highlight the butchers’ willingness to explain cuts, give cooking advice and consistently deliver high quality.

This Old Butcher Shoppe

3623 Braddock Dr., Suite B  Lafayette (765) 767-4886

FEBRUARY – BUDGET BLINDS OF KOKOMO AND LAFAYETTE

Serving the Kokomo and Lafayette areas, Budget Blinds has been operated by owner John Fansler since 2005. The business emphasizes a full-service model: it provides free in-home (or virtual) consultations, brings the “showroom to your home,” takes precise measurements, manages the ordering of custom window coverings (blinds, shades, shutters, drapes) and performs professional installation. This business is known for focus on design consultation and customized solutions. Products offered include a wide variety of blinds (wood, faux wood, vertical); shades (roller, cellular, Roman, woven); shutters (plantation and vinyl); draperies, outdoor shading solutions and motorized/automated coverings.

Budget Blinds of Kokomo and Lafayette  John Fansler  jrfansler@budgetblinds.com (765) 234-1681

MARCH – FLORA CANDLE COMPANY

Flora Candle Company is a locally owned artisan candle shop whose mission is rooted in sustainability, inclusivity and community. The business was founded by Nolan Willhite and Troy Weber in tribute to Nolan’s late great-aunt Florann, and they chose to keep the name “Flora” as a way to honor her memory.

The two use 100% soy wax sourced from the Midwest, favor natural and low-emission materials and maintain an eco-friendly business model—emphasizing local sourcing to reduce transportation impact and using toxin-free ingredients. Inside the store, you’ll find a lively selection of hand-poured candles, room and linen sprays, wax melts and other fragrance products. Its catalog features hundreds of unique scents, such as names inspired by regional themes, pop culture and seasonal moods.

Flora Candle Company  609 Main St.  Lafayette (765) 767-4819

APRIL – GIBSON PAINTING GROUP

Gibson Painting Group is a family-owned painting and construction contractor serving the Greater Lafayette area. With a long legacy of five generations of experience, Gibson is committed to craftsmanship, attention to detail and delivering projects on time and on budget.

Its services cover both commercial and residential painting: everything from new construction and large facility repainting to home interior and exterior work, refinishing kitchens and bathrooms and preparing homes for sale.

Gibson Painting Group

105 N. 36th St., Suite C

Lafayette  (765) 838-1233

MAY – THE OUTPOST CATERING

Established in the early 2000s originally as Sgt. Preston’s Catering before rebranding to The Outpost in 2007— the company grew from a downtown catering operation into a full-service venue offering onsite and off-site catering for weddings, corporate events, reunions and more. The Outpost’s catering service is highlighted by a diverse menu and flexible service styles, which include plated dinners to buffet setups, outdoor cookout themes and full bar service with licensed bartenders. THe Outpost is owned by Doug and Karen Cooper.

The Outpost Catering

2501 Old U.S. 231  Lafayette  (765) 471-1706

JUNE – THE SPINNING AXE

The Spinning Axe is an indoor axe-throwing venue offering an energetic and unique entertainment experience. It opened in January 2021 after owners Barbara and Jason Whitenight were inspired by a visit to an axe-throwing facility in Kentucky.

This physically entertaining business caters to a broad audience—from families and birthday parties to corporate team-building and private events. Inside, guests will find multiple throwing lanes, a full-service bar, a patio with games, and concession-style food offerings, creating a lively atmosphere that blends sport, socializing and casual fun.

The Spinning Axe 

351 South St. 

Lafayette, IN  (765) 637-7775

JULY – COORS REMODELING

Coors Remodeling is a family-owned, full-service residential remodeling company that has been serving the Greater Lafayette region since 1993. Founders Bart and Michelle Coors leveraged their backgrounds—Bart in construction and Michelle in interior/design education—to evolve the business from an exterior-focused remodeling company into a full-scope firm covering kitchens, bathrooms, basements, decks and whole-home renovations.

Coors Remodeling offers a wide spectrum of services across both interior and exterior domains. On the interior side, it handles kitchen remodels (custom cabinetry, quartz/granite counters); bathroom updates (luxury surrounds, accessible design); basement finishing and living-space reconfiguration. For exteriors, the company designs and builds custom decks and outdoor living areas, as well as siding, windows and doors from premium brands.

Coors Remodeling 

3480 Kossuth St., #5 

Lafayette  (765) 449-2600

AUGUST – GENERATION NA

Generation NA is a pioneering functional bottle shop and taproom specializing in non-alcoholic (NA) beverages. Founded in 2022 by owner Rob Theodorow, the business launched with the aim of providing an inclusive social space where people could enjoy beer, wine and spirits without alcohol. With an exclusive variety of unique non-alcoholic beverages, there also is a lively atmosphere with pinball machines and relaxed events such as open mic nights. The venue positions itself as a social space not just for those abstaining from alcohol, but for anyone seeking a different kind of drink experience — for health, wellness or simply curiosity.

Generation NA

504 Main St.  Lafayette  (765) 233-2366

SEPTEMBER – GARCIA INSURANCE AGENCY

Garcia Insurance Agency is an independent insurance firm that offers a variety of coverage options tailored to individuals, families and small businesses. According to its website, it carries policies for auto, home, renters, business, bonds, special events and more. Affordable and responsive service is a key selling point, especially for clients who may appreciate a more personalized experience than large national carriers. Owned by Diana Garcia, the independent agency represents multiple carriers rather than a single insurance company, which allows the agency to compare options and find competitive rates and coverage combinations for its clients.

Garcia Insurance Agency

2927 Union St.  Lafayette  (765) 449-4544

OCTOBER – CAMFLO  HEATING & COOLING

Camflo Heating & Cooling, LLC is a familyrun HVAC firm that has been serving the area since 2009. Its name reflects its origins in the towns of Camden and Flora, and the leadership of the Hess family emphasizes a people-first philosophy: being easy to do business with, valuing your time and delivering on its word. The business places strong focus on honest service, expert workmanship (with many NATE-certified technicians), and longterm relationships rather than high-pressure sales.

Camflo offers a full range of HVAC services for both residential and commercial clients across the Greater Lafayette area. Its offerings include heating system repair, installation and maintenance (furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, ductless systems) and cooling services, including central air, ductless systems and full replacements.

Camflo Heating & Cooling

110 S. Center St.  

Flora (574) 381-9919

TRISH’S RED BIRD CAF É

This year’s Small Business of the Year winner is Trish’s Red Bird Café, which was a Small Busines of the Month Winner in 2023.

Trish’s Red Bird Café opened in April 2018 in the historic community of Dayton just off I-65 — making it a convenient stop for locals and travelers alike. Named after the “Red Bird” horse-drawn sleigh that once transported people from Lafayette to Dayton in the 1800s, the café embraces a strong sense of local history and nostalgia.

“Being Small Business of the Year for 2025 is beyond anything we could have dreamed of receiving,” says owner Trish Brown. “We do the things that we do just because it is the right thing to do. Being able to give back to those that need help is just a dream come true. As I mentioned in my speech [after accepting the award], my husband and I just wanted to make a small profit to support ourselves, and anything above that was a blessing that we would be more than happy to share.”

Trish’s Red Bird Café offers a full-day menu: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its breakfast menu includes pancakes, omelets, biscuits with

sausage or pepper gravy, eggs any style, and its “Bird in the Nest” — eggs in toast — among others. For lunch and dinner, the café serves a broad array of comfort-style American fare: burgers, sandwiches, wraps, chicken tenders, catfish and cod meals, pulled-pork BBQ sandwiches and more hearty options such as country fried steak or prime rib sandwiches.

Brown adds, “The fact that we are becoming a favorite restaurant makes us very proud. We love sharing our family recipes with a modern-day twist. That is what we are based on and love to share. We hope to be able to continue to share our dreams for many years to come with our amazing staff that are so dedicated to our dream.” ★

Trish’s Red Bird Cafe

696 Walnut St

Dayton

(765)-296-6964

Sample international cuisines, no passport needed

BY JANE McLAUGHLIN ANDERSON | PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV AND PROVIDED

Let’s plan a culinary trip this year! We’ll visit Italy, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan, Greece and India to sample the best cuisine each country has to offer. Thanks to my friend, AI, here’s a logical travel itinerary to avoid backtracking: North America (Mexico, Puerto Rico); Europe (Italy, Greece); and Asia (India, Japan). We’ll need to allow a minimum of six weeks to three months to travel and spend a little time at each destination. OR, we could simply taste our way through these international cuisines by visiting Greater Lafayette’s wide selection of global restaurants on both sides of the Wabash River.

Just for fun, we’ll imagine our culinary tour starts in Mexico. With over 19,000 Latinos living and working in Greater Lafayette, roughly 10 percent of the population, Mexican cuisine has become a favorite, delicious staple of the community. There are 30 to 40 Mexican restaurants to fit every taste and budget. However, one of our favorites goes above and beyond, offering upscale Mexican cuisine amid authentic Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) decor.

NOM NOM TACOS & TEQUILA creates bold and memorable taste sensations such as handcrafted ceviche filled with fresh shrimp, mango, pineapple, red onion and celery wrapped in thin cucumber slices and garnished with micro-greens and edible flowers, all served with a spicy sauce and a side of plantain chips. It’s art on a plate.

Every dish is a little masterpiece of inviting, surprising flavors. With tacos in their name, Nom Nom delivers on taste and variety. Choose from pulpo (char-grilled octopus), tempura shrimp, fish Ensenada style, roasted chicken, vegetarian, pork carnitas (confit pork) or rajas poblanas. With ingredients like pickled red onion, cabbage, chipotle crema and chihuahua cheese, the tacos are a burst of flavor in every mouthful.

Signature dishes are delicious and filling. The Sizzling Molcajete includes grilled steak, chicken, shrimp and onions with a cream cheese-stuffed poblano pepper wrapped in bacon. Caution, that little pepper packs the heat―keep cold milk handy! Desserts, like churros and pan de muerto, are beautifully plated and an exceptional sweet ending to the meal. Don’t forget to try a Mexican cocktail, too. Nom Nom offers more than 100 tequilas and 50 mezcals. The agave-based spirits are Mexico’s gift to the world. Experience the taste of Mexico by dining at Nom Nom at one of its locations in Lafayette. The meal, atmosphere and service will not disappoint.

• Downtown: 102 N. Third St., Lafayette
• Southside: 3209 Builder Dr., Lafayette

A short flight due east of Mexico will take us to the sun-drenched island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Luckily for us, we don’t need to pack a bag to sample Puerto Rican food at one of Lafayette’s newest international restaurants.

WEPA! CAFÉ celebrates unique Creole cuisine that’s uniquely influenced by Spanish, African and indigenous Taíno cultures that once lived on the small island before it became a U.S. territory in 1898. Wepa is a Spanish expression used to express excitement, joy, congratulations or pride. It is exciting to introduce traditional Puerto Rican dishes to Greater Lafayette. As they approach the restaurant, guests are greeted by the gentle nighttime chirping sounds of native coqui frogs.

Key ingredients found on the island-inspired menu include plantains, yuca, rice and beans, tropical fruits, fresh fish, pork, chicken and steak. Wepa Café golden fries and mashes green plantains with garlic in its traditional mofongos, served with a choice of meat or shrimp. Green plantains are high in potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin C and vitamin B6, whereas sweet plantains have a higher sugar content, like bananas. Both plantains and yuca can be boiled, fried or roasted like potatoes.

Barbecued meats are popular at the restaurant and are a part of the island’s earliest history. The word “barbecue” comes from the ancient Taíno word “barabakoa,” meaning a raised framework for slow-roasting or smoking food over a fire. The indigenous Taíno culture predates Christopher Columbus. Cooking low and slow creates a delicious stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.

Popular items on Wepa’s menu are Taíno sandwiches, served on crispy tostones (plantains), made with roasted pork, chicken or steak. They’re flavorful, but not hot spicy. Try the ever-popular Cuban Taíno with savory roasted pork, honey ham and provolone cheese, topped with all the fixings and signature Taíno sauce (ketchup, mayo, garlic). Fresh bread can be subbed for plantains, if desired.

Don’t forget to try traditional drinks such as passion fruit juice, coco rico (coconut-flavored beverage), cola champagne (sweet, sparkling, creamy soda), or café con leche (coffee with steamed milk). The desserts (flan, rice pudding and coconut pudding) are the perfect ending to the island tour before we fly to Europe.

• 513 N. Earl Ave., Lafayette

The flight to Rome, including layovers, takes 12 to16 hours from the Caribbean. The trip is well worth it to visit one of the culinary capitals of the world. Fortunately, Italian cuisine has spread across the globe and is widely accessible. Greater Lafayette alone boasts more than 25 restaurants serving various versions of pizza. However, our featured pick specializes in a complete menu of authentic Italian specialties.

LA SCALA is a chef-owned family ristorante located in the gargoyle-adorned historic Ross Building on Main Street across from the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. It has been Lafayette’s premier Italian eatery for 25 years, winning the Journal and Courier’s vote for Best Italian Restaurant. The cozy interior features a deep shotgun layout, with tables lined up on both sides of the restaurant and open dining in the bar area. A spacious outdoor café is open during the warmer months. The humble beginnings in 2000 for Chef Francisco “Paco” and Kirsten Serrano, and their daughter, Lillian, have evolved and grown into a delicious and self-sufficient farm-to-table family enterprise.

What’s special about La Scala? The extensive menu of mouthwatering authentic Italian dishes such as Calamari Friti (octopus with lemon and marinara) for starters; Sacchetti Napolitana (cheesefilled “beggar’s purse” pasta with tomato cream sauce) and Steak Pepperonata (a flat iron steak with Italian peppers, basil, tomato and linguine) for main dishes; and Bomba Exotica (gelato or sorbetto dipped in a chocolate shell and drizzled with chocolate sauce and whipped cream) or tiramisu for dessert please any palate. Gluten-free pastas are offered alongside traditional Italian favorites. La Scala’s full bar includes house-made limoncello and seasonal sips. If you’ve ever traveled to Italy, you know that each dish is made and served with pride and pleasure. Using fresh quality ingredients, the Italians have mastered the art of eating well and have one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. That mission to provide the same freshness to Greater Lafayette helped inspire another unique feature of La Scala. You’ll enjoy fresh, chemical-free, locally grown ingredients from the family’s Small Wonder Farm. The Serranos grow and supply fresh and seasonal produce for La Scala dishes and their innovative chef-prepared subscription meal service, Good to Go. The meal program delivers ready-made meals within Tippecanoe County for busy individuals or families looking for easy, nutritious, restaurant-quality meals at home — perfect as a gift for the cooking impaired. Downtown’s longest-running fine dining restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday evenings, starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are encouraged.

• 312 Main St., Lafayette

The trip from Italy to Greece is the shortest leg of our trip. The two-hour flight takes us to another ancient culture along the Mediterranean Sea, famous for its distinctive, delicious cuisine. Fresh vegetables, olive oil, cheeses and herbs give the food its unique flavor profile. A quicker way to experience the culture is to drive across town to one of the area’s best Greek restaurants in West Lafayette.

PARTHENON GREEK AMERICAN GRILL is a new restaurant concept for the 45-year-old Pitoukkas family-owned West Lafayette landmark. What’s new is offering traditional Greek favorites in a more contemporary, Greek-inspired atmosphere with quicker service to accommodate their customers’ busy lifestyles. It may be faster to get in and out, but there is no compromising on the four-generation family recipes or ingredients.

Opa! is a common expression used in Greece and surrounding areas to denote enthusiasm, joy, surprise or after making a mistake. In Greek culture, it can accompany the act of plate smashing at weddings or parties. At Parthenon, it’s exclaimed when a pan of hot saganaki (kefalograviera cheese) is set on fire before it’s brought to the table. By the way, it’s delicious and is served on fresh pita bread. Another signature dish is spanakopita, a homemade blend of seasoned spinach and feta hand-wrapped in flaky phyllo dough and baked. We would be remiss not to highlight the famous Gyro sandwich. Made from scratch in the kitchen from ground beef, lamb and Parthenon’s own blend of herbs and spices, the flavors will not disappoint. It’s wrapped in warm pita bread and adorned with onion and tomato slices and a dollop of homemade tsatsiki (cucumber yogurt) sauce. Complete your meal with Greek fries or rice pilaf and a fresh Athenian salad made with kalamata olives and feta cheese cubes.

For dessert, dive into a classic baklava, sure to satisfy any sweet tooth with layers of honeyed nuts between layers of phyllo dough. Another option is a Greek wedding cookie, a rich buttery cookie with almonds drenched in powdered sugar. Parthenon caters special events and has a drive-thru, too. The Greeks still celebrate life in many Old World traditions, with lively music, dancing and sharing delicious meals with family and friends. If you’ve not tried Parthenon yet, feta late than never. Opa!

• 2060 Sagamore Parkway W., Suite M, West Lafayette

Now for the long-haul trip to Asia, taking 10 to15 hours, starting from Athens to New Delhi, India. There are 3,610 foreign-born residents from India living in Greater Lafayette, including students, who contribute to the community.

ADDA INDIAN CUISINE is located at Wabash Landing. Its flagship store is in Chicago, with West Lafayette as its second family-owned location with a mission to bring the flavors of India to the world. The chefs pride themselves on recreating traditional Indian foods while putting a twist on others to create a new taste sensation, raising a toast to the old and the new. The spices in Indian food are what make the dishes flavorful and memorable, including ginger, turmeric, curry, cumin, cloves, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard, fennel, chilies, garam masala, black pepper and more. On a spicy heat scale of 10, Indian food ranks between 5 and 10, says Chef Sid Savale. You’ll taste the heat of India.

In India, ADDA means “An everyday place or spot where friends gather.” Upon entering, you’ll be greeted with the soothing, burbling sounds of a fountain and the aroma of warm spices. The restaurant seats couples and larger groups who are gathering for an Indian food experience. There are many wonderful vegetarian dishes, including lentil soup and veg specialties like malai kofte (cheese and veggies in a white, creamy sauce). It pairs well with long-grain basmati rice. The menu features a wide selection of chicken, lamb and seafood dishes. A popular favorite is chicken tikka masala. Tikka means “bits” or “pieces” of the meat, vegetable or cheese used in a dish. Andhra lamb curry is a favorite slow-roasted lamb dish, rich in coriander, curry leaves and a complex blend of spices. Many of the dishes are cooked tandoori style―in clay pots after being marinated. Don’t forget the naan, the warm, leavened bread perfect for sopping up gravy or sauces.

Desserts are sweet puddings, pastries or ice cream to calm the taste buds after a spicy repast. Carrot halwa is a rich pudding made with grated carrots, cooked with milk, water, sugar, spices and ghee (clarified butter)―a popular sweet during winter and festive seasons. Experience Indian authenticity in every bite at ADDA.

• 332 E. State St., West Lafayette

A direct flight from the Indira Gandhi International Airport to Tokyo, Japan, takes only 8 hours. Greater Lafayette is home to 15,940 Asian residents, roughly 8.29% of the total population. Many come to Purdue University to pursue higher education and bring their ancient and evolving cuisine to the community.

SAKANAYA IZAKAYA’S dining experience transcends the ordinary. Cross the threshold, and you are transported to Japan with cool vibes and clean bamboo lines. The Name Tree greets you at the door, festooned with wooden ornaments hanging from red ribbons. Guests are encouraged to add their names or sentiments to an ornament and string it to the tree. The upscale interior features honeycombed, intimate seating for one or two couples, or tables for bigger parties. There is art in décor and art in every dish. Fresh. Colorful. Beautifully plated. Tasty. Healthy. Japanese fusion. It’s a delightful place to gather, share food, and celebrate little occasions. Like Happy Hour on Sunday-Thursday from 2-5 p.m. for special pricing on sushi rolls and festive cocktails.

Located close to our Greek friends in Market West, Sakanaya is one of the hottest new restaurants in the area. Several ingenious varieties of sushi, maki rolls, sashimi and yakitori are on the menu. One of Chef’s favorites is the Sakanaya Wagyu Roll, made of spicy shrimp, avocado, torched A5 wagyu, tobiko, masabo, green onion oil and beef tartare sauce. A great starter is the Dinosaur Egg, a large egg-shaped container filled with avocado, spicy tuna, cream cheese and shrimp. Entrees come with a house salad or miso soup and range from hearty sushi rice bowl selections from the sushi bar or culinary favorites like teriyaki chicken or curry katsu (panko-battered chicken with Japanese-style braised curry) from the kitchen. Everything’s almost too pretty to eat, but you’ll be sorry if you don’t.

But wait, there’s more. Sakanaya features delicious lunch specials from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Theoretically, you could come for lunch and stay through Happy Hour. Japanese whiskey and beer, sake, shochu and handcrafted cocktails complete the dining experience. Every month, a unique seasonal cocktail is featured. Enjoy the taste and culinary artistry of authentic Japanese cuisine right here in Greater Lafayette.

• 2060 Sagamore Parkway W., Suite T, West Lafayette

The culinary quest has ended. Time to head back home. It takes 12 hours for a nonstop flight from Tokyo to Chicago, followed by a short United Express flight to the Purdue University Amelia Earhart Airport. Luckily for us, these global gastronomic destinations are right here for the tasting. ★

‘Local’ offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their business chops

BY BRAD OPPENHEIM \ PHOTOS PROVIDED AND STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

Downtown Lafayette boasts a vibrant and diverse retail scene, and now, an innovative pop-up opportunity is offering local entrepreneurs the chance to grow and elevate their small businesses during what can best be described as a trial basis.

Located on the southeast corner of Sixth and Main streets, Local, which is touted as a “downtown Lafayette pop-up experiment,” is offering two 500- to 600-square-foot white-box storefronts available to budding retailers, makers and creators where they can apply to rent the storefront on 30-day terms.

This effort allows business owners to run a physical storefront with less risk than committing to a long-term lease right away.

Dennis Carson, economic development director for the City of Lafayette, says the opportunity to purchase the building was presented to the city when the business that formerly occupied the space closed.

The vision for the space includes expanding amenities for the public and artists using the Long Center for the Performing Arts, which is right around the corner, allowing the addition of a larger public lobby and gathering spaces. Currently, Carson says the project is still a few years out, with no specific timeline.

“So, in the interim, this is a great use of the space and economic development initiative to encourage more Main Street businesses to grow downtown,” he says.

This isn’t the first time this concept has been introduced in Lafayette. Carson notes that the city already has been offering a comparable option at a storefront on Columbia Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, where two spaces have been made available to retailers on short-term leases of up to one year. Those spots have housed a spice and tea shop, a fashion designer, a collectibles shop and others.

“This program expands on that and adds other services and support that will help entrepreneurs for success,ˮ he says. “I’m excited to add more retail choices downtown and continue downtown’s positive momentum as a retail and tourist destination.”

With the City of Lafayette, the project is a collaboration between several entities, including the Downtown Lafayette Business Owners Association (DLBOA), MatchBOX Coworking Studio, Lafayette Urban Enterprise Association, The Heartland Concept, First Merchants Bank and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Amanda Findlay is the executive director of MatchBOX, which serves as a coworking studio, makerspace and innovation hub designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers, creatives and small-business founders in Greater Lafayette.

“At MatchBOX, we’re constantly meeting creative innovators, so we know the demand for opportunities like Local exist,” she says.

“We looked at many models around the country in preparation for the launch of Local and were really impressed with some of the initiatives that others have successfully launched and operated.”

For those interested in renting a space, the first step is submitting an online application. From there, a small committee reviews those applications and helps make decisions about retail readiness and product market fit. Findlay says the plan is to rotate vendors on a monthly basis through June 2026.

As for choosing which retailers occupy the space, she says customer-facing businesses make sense, specifically in the north space with large windows facing Main Street.

“Home goods, packaged food, clothing collectives, experiential studios, art and craft pop-ups … there are so many options,” she says. “We’re looking at existing businesses with market track records (farmers market and pop-up vendors), online vendors looking to expand into physical spaces, and brand new concepts and collaborations testing the market for the first time.”

Entrepreneurs who are selected will be assigned a timeframe to operate the space, and once their timeframe comes, they will have a month to run their operations and gauge how their business models perform.

“It’s like a month-long market booth, or a very quick pop-up presence,” Findlay says. “But we think the short-term commitment will be a really insightful test for the retailers and help them decide if brick-and-mortar business ownership is the right path for them, long before they sign a 3- to 5-year lease or purchase commercial space.”

As for rates, the 30-day residency comes at a cost of $500, which includes the lease, basic utilities, access to shared furniture, business coaching and marketing support. Not included in the lease is general liability insurance, which vendors will be required to carry before moving in.

For multiple businesses looking to co-exist in the space during the same timeframe, partnerships are encouraged, but applicants must provide details on space-sharing arrangements and co-branding plans when filling out the application.

Entrepreneurs also will be provided with MatchBOX and DLBOA memberships through the duration of their lease, allowing them the opportunity to tap into acceleration programs, MatchBOX office hours, downtown business owner meetings and collaborations and more.

“Greater Lafayette has a thriving small business ecosystem, with numerous vendor-based events providing market-testing opportunities for entrepreneurs,” Findlay says.

She notes that popular events such as Summer on the Square, Merry Main Street, Monster Mash on the Wabash, Star City Nights and the MatchBOX Holiday Maker Market have proven significant vendor participation and consumer demand. Additionally, the Lafayette, West Lafayette and Purdue University farmers markets offer regular retail opportunities for small business owners.

“However, these events, while valuable, are often limited to single-day or weekly engagements and do not provide sustained exposure for vendors to refine their business models or cultivate a loyal customer base,” she says. “We’re calling this an experiment for a reason, and we’re looking forward to giving entrepreneurs the chance to test their concepts on our beautiful Main Street.”

The program will be assessed, determining the best course of action on how to best serve up-and-coming retailers here in Greater Lafayette.

“We’re looking at a few things to measure the success of this project,” Findlay says.

This includes revenue generated by the entrepreneurs in the spaces, number of businesses who either directly or indirectly operate from the spaces and number of community organizations that engage with the space.

“We’ve learned from MatchBOX that the proper metric for business ideas is never that 100% will become viable businesses,” she says. “Sometimes, innovators put their idea through the ringer and realize the product-market fit is off or they don’t actually enjoy running a brick and mortar or that isn’t how their customers like to interact with this.”

Findlay notes that the 30-day residency is particularly fast for this project, and while uncertain if this rapid turnover pace will continue, testing it to keep the corner of Sixth and Main fresh and exciting is important for the beginning phases of Local. ★

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

One story above the main level at 337 Columbia St., where professionals collaborate in a startup-style, open-office environment, is a meeting room reserved for private discussions. On a chilly day last fall, the space provided a quiet backdrop for Mikel Berger to reflect on his first few months as president and CEO of Greater Lafayette Commerce.

From his vantage point, the Italianate structure’s high windows framed a corner view of the Tippecanoe County courthouse. Berger, sporting a button-down shirt, sweater and sleeveless vest bearing the GLC logo, looked comfortable in his new position spearheading an organization covering up to nine counties.

“That’s one of the things I’ve come to appreciate about the role,” Berger says, commenting on GLC’s scope. When he asked the board of directors about the boundaries of Greater Lafayette, he learned that they are fluid, defined less by lines on a map and more by opportunity.

Greater Lafayette Commerce primarily serves Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County. The region’s labor shed, however, extends across nine Indiana counties, covering the I-65 corridor between Indianapolis and Chicago. Some grants that GLC oversees, such as Indiana’s READI 2.0 economic development funding announced in 2024, apply to all or most of those counties.

“I like that there is a geography to it, but on certain issues, we get to expand on that,” Berger says. It’s all about working better together, he adds.

The entrepreneur’s new W2

A Purdue University graduate with technical degrees, Berger has called Greater Lafayette home since 1997, starting his first company in 2004. He knows Greater Lafayette Commerce well, having been a business member for years.

Now, from the inside, he’s gained a new appreciation for the organization’s scope, which includes economic and talent development, support for small businesses and corporations, professional development for area workers and engagement with various communities, including the area’s growing Latino population.

Some colleagues have asked Berger if the role is an honorary appointment. He confidently asserts, “It’s definitely a full-time job,” adding, “It’s the first time I’ve had a full-time W2 from an organization I don’t have a business [stake] in.”

Berger succeeds Scott Walker, who came to Greater Lafayette Commerce from Michigan after working in the automotive industry and economic development. “Scott was great and what the community needed in that season,” Berger says.

In contrast, Berger has deep roots in Greater Lafayette, plus broad experience as an entrepreneur, tech executive and co-founder of the investment partnership Little Engine Ventures. He sees his background as the right fit for GLC’s current and future needs.

“The chamber has the responsibility to make the members work better together but also help the business community as a whole work together with healthcare, nonprofits, et cetera,” he notes.

Legacy and the local ecosystem

Raised in Nappanee in northern Indiana’s Amish country, Berger grew up on a farm, where his father harvested corn, soybeans and hogs. His own business career has intersected with agricultural technology and agricultural business, including work on greener, more sustainable advanced chemistry applications.

“The good things that are happening here beget more things,” he says, including strengthening the local ag economy.

For example, Primient, a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources, is expanding its Lafayette operations to support Sustainea, which is building a plant next door. Primient will supply the new plant with dextrose derived from locally grown corn. In turn, Sustainea will convert the dextrose into Bio-MEG (monoethylene glycol), which will be used primarily in the production of polyester textiles and beverage bottles.

Such planned expansions predate Berger’s tenure as head of GLC. In support of these endeavors, Berger plans to do a lot of listening his first year. “I want to learn at a deeper level,” he says.

The power of neighbors in commerce

Interconnectedness is key to understanding Berger’s philosophy of what he calls “the power of neighbors in commerce.” He refers to Lafayette-West Lafayette, which has a combined population of just over 190,000, as a “big small town.”

“We intersect each other, the neighbors in commerce, our businesses impact each other. We’re peers and we’re learning from each other. Our kids go to school together, and they compete against each other,” he says. “We go to church together. I think that’s what neighbors should be.”

That cooperative attitude is consistent with Greater Lafayette Commerce’s mission, underscoring such initiatives as talent attraction and retention. GLC team members work hand in hand with institutions such as Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana to train and upskill local workers for advanced manufacturing jobs. It also partners with local employers to help hire high-growth, mid-career executives from outside the area.

To successfully recruit such folks, the community must appeal to the entire family, Berger says. While some spouses and partners may be looking for local jobs, many are remote workers or entrepreneurs.

Organizations such as MatchBOX Coworking Studio, which Berger co-founded, support small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. GLC, along with Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette, helps connect families to the many amenities the area offers, he says.

The community of choice

Looking ahead, Berger is hesitant to make any firm 10-year predictions. His commitment, he says, is to lead with integrity when inevitable challenges arrive.

When it comes to defining what progress might look like in 2036, Berger is less reticent. Once companies such as SK hynix open new plants in Greater Lafayette, he says, they will attract suppliers, creating opportunities that benefit existing businesses in fields such as advanced chemistry and manufacturing. That growth could also spawn related development through a multiplier effect, such as new retail stores, restaurants and housing stock, to accommodate a growing population.

The ultimate measure of success, Berger concludes, is for Greater Lafayette to become “the community of choice” for the semiconductor and other industries. He plans to support that goal through his entrepreneurial, service-oriented leadership style.

“I take it very seriously,” he says of his new role. “It’s hopefully a way to give back to the community that’s given so much to me.” ★

BY RADONNA FIORINI

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV AND PROVIDED

It’s been a little more than a year since the City of Lafayette first rented out the micro-retail incubator spaces at 619 Columbia Street in the Public Safety Center. A fashion designer and collectibles shop now occupy the two 306-square-foot spaces, and one of the first renters has moved to a downtown building six times bigger.

Lafayette’s Economic Development Director Dennis Carson calls that a success.

“It’s going really well, as far as I’m concerned,” Carson says. “We’ll continue doing this.”

The business incubator space contains two identical rooms that feature big windows and cement floors joined by a hallway with a restroom. It can be occupied by one or two businesses on a three-to-12month lease at an affordable rate that includes internet service and utilities. Almost any retail establishment could use the space except food service. The goal is to provide a small business space to try running a brick-and-mortar store without buying property or signing a long-term lease.

The concept helped Emily Colombo launch her local shop, A Pinch of Pepper and Spicery, in November 2023 as the first renter. She began curating and selling spices and tea online in the spring of ’23 and then took advantage of the micro-retail space to see if the business could be successful on the ground.

“(The space) definitely reduced the barrier to entry,” Colombo says. “I wouldn’t have started a brick- and-mortar this soon in my journey without it. I was happy to be the guinea pig.”

Colombo moved Pinch of Pepper to 101 North Sixth Street after the micro-retail lease ended and opened the new shop February 1. The shop jumped in size from about 300 square feet to 1,800 square feet with 1,100 square feet of retail space. She has increased her inventory, has room to store product and has an event room for cooking classes.

And her rent is more than five times higher than at the micro-retail space. While Colombo knew there would be some sticker shock when entering the downtown retail market, she was surprised that the city didn’t offer more training and support in transitioning to a bigger space.

“No matter what, the jump was going to be very stark, but there wasn’t really a bridge,” she says.

“Yes, it was a great opportunity but there’s a lot more to running a business than just the space. This is such a unique and innovative program and there could have been more support.”

Carson acknowledges there was a learning curve for everyone in opening the retail incubator space. He recognizes the challenges Colombo faced in moving to a more permanent location, while also being realistic about the city’s capacity to help.

“We might be able to help someone identify spaces available downtown,” if the business wants to stay in that area, he says. “But for other kinds of support, I would refer them elsewhere.”

Carson is pleased to see a burgeoning cooperation between business-related groups dedicated to attracting and helping retail owners succeed. The MatchBOX Co-Working Studio offers a business accelerator program that has courses and support for those starting out. Others, such as the Downtown Retailers Association and Greater Lafayette Commerce, are joining forces to encourage entrepreneurship in the city’s center, he says.

“It’s an evolution as we move along in time,” Carson says. “There are more programs coming online and more cooperation to support small business.”

And while Carson is not ready to reveal details, he says officials are considering creating another retail incubator in downtown Lafayette.

After having made the move, Colombo is pleased that the relocated Pinch of Pepper receives a lot more foot traffic. She already has hosted pasta-making and sourdough bread classes in her event room. One of her dreams is to begin hosting a Sunday supper club, collaborating with local caterers and inviting the community in. Her event room also is for rent to the public.

Sarah Harmon is a regular Pinch of Pepper customer who finds the new location makes it easy to stop in when she makes a farmers market run.

“I’m there at least once a month, but more frequently now that we head to the farmers market on Saturday mornings,” Harmon says.

“I love the new location! So much more room to take in all the fun product lines she carries, and there’s still room to grow, too. I think her community room is going to be such a gem and great addition to downtown as folks start to discover the space.”

Colombo has expanded her retail offerings and now has spices, dried beans and pasta, tinned fish, hot sauce, oils and vinegars, and lots of tea brands in both loose leaf and bagged. In keeping with her desire to be environmentally aware and health conscience, all tea bags are free of micro-plastics.

Because of Colombo’s collaborative spirit and desire to bring the community together, the shop features succulents for sale from a Lafayette grower, and you can often find other products from local retailers.

“I’m still in the early stages of what I want to do,” she says. “I want this to be a community gathering place where I can make a difference.”

The Retro Room

Back at the Columbia Street incubator space, the east side originally was rented by a vintage clothing store, Arondite Vintage, and owner Ella Seet still has some of her clothing and accessories at a couple of downtown shops and in Indianapolis.

Now occupying that space is a collectibles store called The Retro Room. Owners Steve and Mary Hinckley opened the shop on weekends in midJune and offer lots of vintage toys and collectible pop culture items from the 1980s and ʼ90s.

For about 25 years, the couple has been collecting toys, dolls, games and other items from the eras of their youth, says Steve Hinckley. They exhibited their collection at pop culture conventions and then opened booths in antique malls and pop-up markets as the number of vintage items grew.

“There are a lot of memories tied up in these things,” he says. “We enjoy the youthfulness of it and there is a real community around these collectibles. People kept asking where our shop was, and now we have a location to give them.”

While the focus of the store is on toys, the shop will sometimes feature other items such as books and vintage clothing that help create a time capsule from 30 and 40 years ago.

Iván Delfín LLC

And on the west side of the incubator space fashion designer Iván Delfín is busy making the little shop his own for the next year, setting up mannequins dressed in custom gowns and decorating the room in rich colors and Swarovski crystal lights.

Delfín lives in Indianapolis with his husband, Steven Flowers, and has a small workspace in their home. But Flowers, executive director of the Greater Lafayette Family Shelter, works in Lafayette and the couple wanted to be able to meet for lunch and spend more time together. So Delfín began looking for an affordable space to rent locally where he could sew and meet with clients for fittings and consultations.

“I appreciate this space, and I waited a year to get in here,” says Delfín. “It’s a good program to help a small business get started.”

Delfín also appreciates Lafayette’s small town feel after living for many years in large metropolitan areas. Although he was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, his parents also owned a home in southern California, so he lived in, and learned from, both cultures.

He says he knew very early on he wanted a career in fashion and started modeling, but he soon realized his favorite spot was behind the curtains. He earned a fashion design degree from University of the Californias International in Tijuana and scored an internship with a famous fashion house in Guadalajara, Mexico. He also worked there for a bit, learning many tricks of the trade.

Delfín then opened his own business designing and sewing wedding gowns and Quinceanera dresses for teen girls in the Hispanic tradition of celebrating their 15th birthday with a coming-of-age party. Business grew as many of the girls also hired him to create dresses for prom and eventually their wedding, and he hired five people to work in his studio.

He moved to Seattle in 2019 and hosted three runway shows, deciding to stay in the U.S. when the pandemic hit. His custom gowns, pant suits and party dresses were featured in a 2023 edition of Seattle Fashion Collective magazine, and he has continued to create since meeting Flowers, marrying, and moving to Indiana.

“It’s harder to find this kind of business in the U.S.,” Delfín says.

“There are lots more celebrations in Mexico that women have a custom gown made for. My customer is the woman who can’t find the quality and fit she wants in a store.”

And while Delfín recognizes that custom clothing is expensive, he contends that the finished product is worth the price.

“So much of the clothing (in top department stores) is low quality with cheap fabric,” he says.

“Women pay a lot for a dress and then discover it doesn’t fit them well or the lining is uneven, so they have it altered.”

By the time the process is finished, they’ve paid almost as much as they would have for a custom dress, designed to fit their body and their personality, he says.

Delfín is choosy about the fabrics he uses, often buying from importers in Los Angeles. The fabrics must be comfortable, breathable, soft and beautiful so the wearer can forget about the dress and move with confidence into any celebration, he says. He loves working in monochromatic colors, adding special touches that reveal the personality of the wearer and focus on movement and elegance.

After Delfín creates a gown, the owner can bring it back and he will deconstruct it and use the fabric to make a new piece for them, or he’s happy to buy the gown back and then rent it to someone else.

“Every woman should treat herself to at least one custom gown,” he says. “If you know of a special event coming up, just prepare in advance and save up to have the gown made. Clothes can help you free yourself and feel confident.”

Delfín takes care of each step of the process, from talking with a customer to discover their personality and hopes for the dress, to measuring and creating a pattern, to sewing and altering the gown for a perfect fit. And he will work within your budget, choosing less expensive fabrics if necessary. Much of his work is in alterations out of necessity, although designing and constructing a piece of clothing is the best part of his craft, he says.

Delfín is passionate and committed to helping people feel confident and comfortable in their clothing, so much so he is happy to consult with anyone who is unsure about their style or body type and will even advise them where to buy something off the rack if they don’t want to go the custom route.

“Find your personality, find your style and find yourself in your closet!” he says.

You can find Iván Delfín by making an appointment through his website, ivandelfinfashion.com, or calling or texting 206-550-6972.

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

Evonik and Caterpillar, two industrial giants with a significant presence in Greater Lafayette, are at the forefront of an innovative talent attraction campaign casting a wide net across the Midwest. The experimental initiative, spearheaded by Greater Lafayette Commerce, aims to bolster the region’s workforce, drive population and wage growth, and enhance Greater Lafayette’s reputation as an attractive place to live, play, raise families and build careers.

Launched in early 2025, the advertising campaign is seeking candidates for key positions at Evonik, one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies, and Caterpillar, a global leader in the manufacturing of construction, mining and other equipment.

“We wanted to look at surrounding areas that are within a good drive time, three to four hours to our location,” explains Chelsie Freeman, vice president, marketing and communications at GLC. Targeted towns include those with a high concentration of skilled talent and a strong industrial heritage – ideal hunting grounds for Greater Lafayette’s workforce needs.

A new frontier in talent attraction

Traditionally, GLC’s talent attraction efforts have focused on general awareness campaigns, which are difficult to measure results. The new experimental approach with Evonik and Caterpillar marks a significant shift.

“We are coming alongside these employers in tandem, showing them Greater Lafayette but also showing specific job opportunities here,” Freeman says.

The primary goal: to drive applications for high-demand positions. For Evonik, that’s production operators, who operate equipment and perform in-process testing and maintenance. The company’s Lafayette plant, known as Tippecanoe Laboratories, is one of the world’s largest contract manufacturing facilities for active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Evonik’s campaign concluded in April after about two months. Todd T. Wetli, vice president and site manager – Tippecanoe Laboratories, Health Care, says that the company continues to interview candidates that responded to the ads.

“The campaign was an opportunity to bring new talent with fresh ideas and perspectives to the region, providing access to a workforce currently unavailable locally,” he says. “Partnering with GLC enabled us to explore innovative recruiting and hiring strategies we hadn’t considered before.”

Collaboration for maximum impact

Caterpillar’s campaign kicked off in May. The company’s Lafayette Engine Center designs and manufactures diesel and natural gas engines. The GLC campaign is advertising for CNC machinists, who use computer numerical control (CNC) machines to manufacture parts and components from raw materials.

As with the Evonik phase, the Caterpillar phase is all-digital and includes display ads, social media, programmatic video (including Hulu ads), email marketing and customized landing pages with simplified job applications. GLC is covering all costs for both employers.

Evonik and Caterpillar have been active collaborators, working closely with GLC to identify high-need roles, refine job descriptions, review creative assets, and jointly track and evaluate incoming candidates.

While an external agency handles ad execution, Freeman and her team – with some help from local creative talent – are developing the assets, ensuring consistent messaging and brand representation.

Campaign messages focus on both employer-specific value propositions and quality of life in Greater Lafayette. Evonik and CAT offer relocation incentives, competitive compensation and opportunities for professional growth.

On the community front, key selling points include a relatively low cost of living, access to education through Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, a family-friendly environment and green spaces. Demographic research shows that outdoor amenities are particularly important to the targeted applicants, Freeman says.

Data-driven monitoring

Freeman is meticulously tracking results, including the number of people that complete an application. She follows each prospect’s journey through the hiring pipeline in conjunction with the companies’ HR departments. These granular data allow GLC to retool messaging if a company is not getting the right kinds of applicants.

She’s also monitoring ad views and impressions, which reached millions of views during the Evonik phase. “Even if people don’t apply, they are still getting awareness of the employer and Greater Lafayette. You never know when someone is going to come around when the time is right for them,” Freeman says.

Wetli adds, “Evonik places strong emphasis on brand recognition. The campaign reinforces our commitment to educate stakeholders about Evonik’s core purpose and values. It also gives prospective employees valuable insights into the available opportunities and benefits at Evonik, fostering a deeper connection with our community.” He says that the company is open to future campaigns like this one.

The road ahead

Ultimately, Freeman hopes to develop a repeatable, scalable campaign model that can be adapted across various sectors beyond manufacturing, including healthcare. Right now, though, “It’s really just the beginning,” she says.

Still, the campaign represents a proactive step towards the twin cities’ urgent need for qualified workers by showcasing employers and highlighting community amenities. As the Evonik phase suggests, the ads are already planting seeds of awareness that could reap benefits for talent attraction and population growth far into the future.

BY AMY LONG

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

What do a commercial cleaning service, a short-term apartment rental and a nonprofit foundation that benefits children in Indiana and Mexico have in common?

They are all part of the vision of Alejandra Malo, founder, president and CEO of Pink Team Group, an umbrella organization that includes Pink Team Cleaning Services, Pink Team Rentals and Pink Team Foundation. A fourth entity, Pink Team Events, a special-events space and party-rental company, is in the works, with a roll-out planned for later this year.

Through the four divisions of Pink Team Group, Malo and her team strive to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and communities – by offering flexible hours to busy working moms at Pink Team Cleaning Services, for example, or by providing clean, safe and inexpensive short-term housing through Pink Team Rentals.

“It’s Alejandra’s vision for making an impact in the community: seeing a need and trying to fill it,” says Alma Chavez, director of Pink Team Foundation.

In 2011, when Malo founded Pink Team Cleaning Services, she never imagined that her business would grow into a multi-faceted organization with 100 employees across branches in five states and Mexico. Malo had moved to Lafayette with her new husband only a year earlier. A native of Querétaro, Mexico, an industrial city of about two million people 150 miles northwest of Mexico City, Malo knew no one in her new hometown.

Casting around for a project that would keep her busy and that would also have a positive impact on her new community, Malo decided to clean homes for women undergoing cancer treatment, free of charge. Then, through word-of-mouth, Malo eventually took on paying clients and was able to hire a small staff; one of her first employees was a person with disabilities.

“So, my idea was, ‘If this doesn’t work, it won’t matter, because I will have already done something good,’ ” Malo recalls.

According to Malo, entrepreneurial spirit runs in her blood. “My father is an entrepreneur,” Malo says. “I have five brothers, all of them entrepreneurs, as well. So, it was kind of natural to think about something entrepreneurial.”

In addition, Malo has a strong business background. In college, Malo studied finance and accounting. Early in her career, she worked in business and accounting in the U.S., Mexico and Germany.

But she also was influenced by her traditional upbringing. Malo always figured that, after a few years in the workforce, she would follow in the footsteps of her mother, who stayed home to raise seven children. “I saw myself like my mom: staying at home, raising my kids. I didn’t have anything else on my mind.” Her housecleaning project, she says, was just supposed to be a fun side job until she and her husband started a family.

Malo was in her mid-30s and had been running the residential cleaning business for a couple of years when she found out that she was pregnant with her daughter, Isabella, now 11. “I thought, ‘I’m going to close this business and do my real job, which is being a mom,” Malo recalls. But on the exact same day, she also learned that she was approved to move into new office space on 26th Street. Also around that time, she landed her first big commercial cleaning client, Southwire, in Lafayette.

She called her dad with the news. “I remember telling him, ‘We got the factory!’ And I was crying. And

I’m like, ‘I can’t close right now. This is too good.’ ”

Through the years, Malo’s little family expanded with the addition of Alexander, now 9, while Pink Team Group also grew to include Pink Team Rentals, a portfolio of short-term rental properties.

Pink Team Cleaning services also has grown. Today, the company exclusively cleans corporate and commercial spaces for clients that include Wabash and Arconic in Lafayette. Pink Team also has opened branches in Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia and Malo’s hometown of Querétaro Mexico. While Pink Team is no longer a residential cleaning service, the company continues to offer free housecleaning services for cancer patients undergoing treatment.

That spirit of service and generosity undergirds everything that Malo takes on. She is dedicated not just to her clients, but also to her team of around 100 employees. After years of balancing the demands of work and family, Malo is especially sensitive to the needs of other women to seek purpose, to impact their community and to be available for their families. With a strong commitment to supporting minorities and mothers, Pink Team boasts a 96% retention rate year to year, in part through careful hiring, thorough training and flexible scheduling.

“We are very cautious on the hiring and very good at keeping the people that we have,” Malo says. “We do more marketing inside, with our employees [rather than to potential clients], trying to motivate them, trying to do events for them, and talking to them and really making them feel comfortable,” Malo says.

“Alejandra is extremely driven, and she has an infectious leadership style that makes you want to do good work for her,” says Mark Dolfini, a Lafayette business owner, consultant and strategist who met Malo through a networking group when Pink Team was in its infancy. They have been good friends ever since.

“Her whole sense of being is just about elevating others,” Dolfini adds.

In 2023, the Pink Team expanded again when Malo established Pink Team Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money – primarily through an annual fundraising gala – to benefit children’s charities in Lafayette and in Querétaro.

It was a move that was inspired, again, by her father, as well as by a deep feeling of gratitude and a desire to help those less fortunate. “I grew up in a family that was privileged, because I didn’t have any needs of any sort,” Malo says. “But I remember seeing my father always helping in different ways. He never said anything; it was just part of his life.”

It is important for Malo to send money back to her hometown in Mexico, where there are few resources available to help homeless or traumatized children. In the two years since its inception, Pink Team Foundation has given more than $30,000 to a Querétaro orphanage called La Alegria de Los Niños.

To honor Malo’s adopted hometown and the hometown of her children, Pink Team Foundation also supports local nonprofit agencies. In 2024, the organization raised $13,000 for Heartford House, a child advocacy center in Lafayette, where children who have been the victims or witnesses to crimes can be interviewed in a safe, secure and private environment.

“This is Alejandra’s vision of being able to give back some of the success that she’s seen in her life,” says Chavez, the foundation’s director. “This was something that’s been in her heart for a while, and she finally felt it was the right time to share some of that success that she’s experiencing as an entrepreneur and to be able to give back.”

With her can-do attitude and unstoppable energy, it doesn’t look like Malo will be finished building Pink Team Group anytime soon. When an opportunity presents itself, whether it’s the chance to take on commercial cleaning clients for the first time, to expand into other states, or to launch a charitable foundation, Malo jumps right in.

“I think it, I do it. That is that. There is no process in between,” Malo says.

However the Pink Team umbrella expands, Dolfini is certain that the organization will continue to quietly transform lives. “The bigger impact to the community is employing people and bringing them into a cause, and not just a job. I think Alejandra and Pink Team do that very well.”

Greater Lafayette Summer Internship Experience helps with both

BY BRAD OPPENHEIM

As Greater Lafayette continues to grow and flourish, attracting and retaining top-tier talent to fill jobs is a priority, and while there’s no shortage of opportunity—there is a shortage of workers.

To help bridge the gap, Greater Lafayette Commerce (GLC) is partnering with the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) to launch the inaugural Greater Lafayette Summer Internship Experience. The program is designed to give college-aged students — who have secured internships across various sectors — a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the many amenities the Greater Lafayette community has to offer.

“Regions like Greater Lafayette are perfectly poised to seize this opportunity—but it will take more than high-wage jobs. The real draw lies in something deeper: a sense of belonging. That’s the idea behind the Greater Lafayette Summer Internship Experience,” says Chelsie Freeman, vice president of marketing and communications at Greater Lafayette Commerce.

The program, which is on track to officially launch in May, is slated to take interns beyond the traditional workplace setting, offering them a firsthand experience of what life could look like if they choose to accept a job and live in the area following graduation.

“We see this program as an invitation to helps with both experience everything that makes Greater Lafayette more than just a place on the map,” says Freeman. “By connecting interns with the people, places and opportunities that shape our community, we hope they’ll see what we already know—this isn’t just a great place to start a career. It’s a place to build a life.”

Freeman says this inaugural program serves as an impactful way to strengthen Greater Lafayette’s talent pipeline and drive long-term growth, presenting employers a prime opportunity to showcase the local quality of life and why it makes sense to put down roots in Greater Lafayette.

As for the program itself, activities will include exploring local amenities and attractions, building workplace skills through interactive exercises, participating in service/ volunteering activities, and building fellowship among other interns in the area.

“GLC has reached out to employers, Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette, Greater Lafayette Young Professionals, educational institutions and local philanthropy, who are all on board with this opportunity in order to highlight all the community has to offer to this demographic,” says Karen Momper, director of strategic initiatives at the Indiana Destination Development Corporation. The IDDC is tasked with promoting, branding and telling Indiana’s story in an effort to attract and retain businesses, talent, students and visitors.

For its inaugural year, IDDC has granted money to pay for the program, but the hope is that it will prove to be successful, attracting local investment to sustain it.

As these young professionals prepare to transition from school to the working class, many might be wondering, “Why Indiana?” Momper says, “This program gives them experiences that will help inform their decisions as they discern where they want to live, start a family and build their careers.”

“Greater Lafayette is one of those places that just gets it right,” Freeman says. “A Big Ten town with small-town bones, Purdue University brings a level of excitement you don’t often find in a city this accessible. It’s big enough to have momentum—new businesses, major investments and a ton of opportunities—but it still has the feel of a community where people know and support each other.”

Currently, employer interest projects that more than 300 interns may be in the area, and this program hopes to attract about a third of those interns to participate in the program.

“By planning programming for interns across multiple sectors, we hope to attract them with complimentary food/beverage, while introducing them to fun local spots they might not have experienced otherwise while also providing an opportunity to connect with other young talent,” she says.

While this program may be a first for Greater Lafayette, it’s not the first of its kind.

IDDC has inaugurated two programming experiences for summer interns in communities over the past two summers. Past programs have included destination expe- riences, complimentary refreshments, and opportunities for fellowship for interns from multiple companies in various fields.

“It helps them (students) see what life might look like, what their future friend and professional network could be,” Momper says. “We also believe a connection to leadership in the area, along with an exposure to local philanthropy, also contributes to the question of ‘What would life look like here?’

Furthermore, this demographic, unlike those before them, are more interested in work/ life balance, making where they live a more important part of the question of what they will do.”

As the program gains momentum ahead of its launch, GLC has established an advisory committee of more than 20 community members, representing local employers, educational institutions, government and tourism organizations to help shape, refine, and guide the program, ensuring it’s set up for success.

Freeman says this experience will undoubtedly offer these students a true taste of life in Greater Lafayette.

“It’s not just about growth for the sake of growth — it’s about making this a place where people want to be — whether they’re starting a business, building a career or just looking for a great community to call home,” she says. “And when you feel the itch to explore more? Indy and Chicago are just up the road, and our own airport makes travel a breeze. But the thing is, once you’re here, and you have the opportunity to see what makes us special, you get it.”

When it comes to measuring the success of the new program, IDDC will provide a surveying rubric to evaluate key markers, including changes in perceptions, and overall satisfaction with the experiences. GLC also will evaluate the rubric and will look at the engagement with employer partners and offer/hires to measure success.

Momper notes that other communities have continued the programming after the inaugural year, and some have chosen to expand the scope to include leadership and other professional development programs for young talent in their area.

The end goal: sustainability. “Talent attraction is a priority for our community, and we hope to only build upon this program and others in the months and years to come to help attract and retain talent and new residents to Greater Lafayette,” Freeman says.

“One day, we’d like to see them (students) return, not as participants, but as mentors, helping to guide the next generation of talent,” Freeman continues.

Freeman encourages anyone interested in getting involved and supporting the program to get in touch with Greater Lafayette Commerce.

“Our vision is for this program to become a staple of summer internship experiences in Greater Lafayette, growing in impact year after year,” she says. “We want interns to walk away with a positive experience of Greater Lafayette through exposure to networking and fellowship, workplace skills development and fostering civic pride and belonging through community-based volunteering activities.”

In addition to the Greater Lafayette Summer Internship Experience, GLC is hard at work tackling the talent challenge head-on with dynamic programs designed to attract, develop and retain top talent—starting long before students enter the workforce.

“Through the Career+ Ecosystem, K-12 students gain early exposure to real-world, in-demand skills that directly connect to future career opportunities,” Freeman says. “Programs like Robotics in Manufacturing and Manufacturing Week spark curiosity and provide hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.”

She says the message is clear: Greater Lafayette isn’t just a place to study—it’s a place to build a future.

“Greater Lafayette Summer Internship Experience offers a deeper connection to the community.”

To learn more visit: greaterlafayetteind.com/summer-intern-experience

► Employers that want to learn more about the program can contact: Chelsie Freeman, cfreeman@greaterlafayettecommerce.com

► See all there is to experience in our community, visit: homeofpurdue.com and visitindiana.com

BY GREG LINDBERG

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Since 1993, Greater Lafayette Commerce has been selecting Small Business of the Year winners, and this year Express Employment Professionals was selected due to its prominence and success within the Greater Lafayette community for the 2024 year. Notably, Express Employment Professionals originally won Small Business of the Month in August 2023.

The success in 2024 can be attributed to the exceedingly passionate staff and leadership of owner Chuck Fish and director of operations Katie Westfall. The local effort of the company can be credited to meeting the goals and fulfilling the company’s mission statement:

“Our mission is to honor the unique value of every applicant, associate, and client, fostering an environment that enhances the quality of life and business success for all.”

In response to winning Small Business of the Year, Westfall says, “We were truly excited and honored to receive the notification. It brought a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, knowing that we were meeting the needs of our community and making a positive impact in the Greater Lafayette area.”

Fish and Westfall state that several key changes in the organization helped improve service, including enhancing recruitment and training processes to ensure that Express Employment Professionals consistently matched the right talent with the right clients. It also has invested in new advanced technology that has helped the business to “streamline communication, improve efficiency and better track performance,” according to Westfall.

Westfall adds that improvements also have occurred that focus on fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability. This effort has promoted continuous improvement, making sure the team stays motivated and united with the needs of the clients.

These various changes have permitted Express Employment Professionals to provide exceptional service and generate a meaningful impact in the community. Westfall adds, “Express Employment Professionals of Lafayette plays a vital role in supporting the Greater Lafayette community by connecting businesses with reliable, skilled talent and providing job opportunities to individuals.”

One main goal of the staffing agency has been to fill the gap between employers’ needs and the skills of those seeking jobs. These employment solutions allow Express Employment Professionals to contribute to all local businesses and permit candidates to build a career that is impactful and meaningful to them.

“We are committed to improving the overall quality of life in the Greater Lafayette area by fostering a strong workforce, promoting community development and being a trusted partner to both employers and job seekers,” Westfall says.

The company’s future goals include expanding the reach throughout Greater Lafayette to assist even more businesses and job seekers. Westfall emphasizes they also want to skillfully maintain their commitment to personalized, high-quality service.

With technological advances that will continue to improve the recruitment process, Express Employment Professionals can better ensure connections with top talent that will be given the most appropriate opportunities based on their skills and background. With the addition of expanding to more specialized markets, Westfall says their main goal is to “continue being a trusted partner in driving local economic growth and helping individuals build successful careers.”

Westfall and Fish are grateful to Greater Lafayette Commerce for awarding the company Small Business of the Year.

“This recognition is an honor, and we are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our community,” Westfall says. “We are proud to be part of such a vibrant and supportive network of local businesses, and we look forward to continuing our work to make a positive impact in the Greater Lafayette area. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.” ★

Express Employment Professionals has been operating globally since 1983 but started providing job placement and work solutions in Greater Lafayette in 2002. The Lafayette branch is located at 2200 Scott St., Lafayette. Call Express Employment Professionals at 765-449-5200 for pricing, hours and directions.

BY CINDY GERLACH

PHOTOS BY CHRSTINE PETKOV

Every community has its landmarks, those businesses that define them. For West Lafayette, Bruno’s Pizza is one of those institutions. For nearly 70 years, the name Bruno’s has meant pizza, Bruno Dough, beer and Swiss favorites with a local twist.

But it’s more than a restaurant. Bruno’s is a sense of place. Bruno’s is, first and foremost, about family. It’s about community, about nostalgia. And Bruno’s wants everyone to share in that feeling.

The West Lafayette pizza place is an institution. Bruno Itin, Sr. opened the original Bruno’s Swiss Inn in 1955 at the corner of what is now State Street and North River Road. Expansion of that intersection back in the late ’90s forced the demolition of the original building, with a replacement opening across the way at Brown Street and Howard Avenue.

Now, with that space being ceded to plans by an Indianapolis developer, it’s moved on to yet a third iteration of the Swiss-inspired pizza chalet, this time at 2512 Covington St. in West Lafayette, next door to Brokerage Brewery.

And full restaurant operations have been handed down to a new generation of the Itin family, with Bruno Itin, Jr.’s daughters Holly Beattie, Krista Rodriguez and Angela McDonald taking the helm.

For the sisters, who grew up immersed in the atmosphere of Bruno’s, it’s the natural place for them to land. Because for the sisters, Bruno’s is all about a family legacy.

When Bruno’s closed its doors in February 2024, the sisters really thought that this second closing of the doors might be it.

“There was a real moment in time where it felt like a real possibility that Bruno’s might be done,” Beattie says. “It still gives me chills even thinking about that. Because I remember those feelings and that last day of working and thinking this is the last pizza that we’re going to make.

“Change is hard. Those last weeks at 212 [Brown St.] were really difficult. We knew what was happening and there were tears. You could just feel a sense of sadness. And I think that moving into this transition, there was always this feeling of, how can we ever recreate that? And in some ways, you can’t. There are just some things in life that cannot be recreated. But they can be honored.”

“We never gave up hope, though,” Rodriguez chimes in.

The family was open to a new location. But so many pieces had to fall into place to find something suitable. They were alerted to the possibility on Covington Street, but it took some time for the deal to come together.

“We had been looking for a place,” Beattie recalls. “But the right thing had not come up. And it seemed like every road wasn’t the right road. And the last thing we wanted to do was get into something … you can’t force these things. We closed on a Wednesday, and on Friday got the call.

“The space had possibilities. We could add a pizza kitchen. There were weeks of ‘Can it fit? Can we get our pizza oven in there? Can we make it functional?’ And we did.”

“We wanted to find something that would be a good fit for Bruno’s,” Rodriguez says. “There are certainly a lot of options around town. But we really wanted the neighborhood feel. Something unique, something a little bit different, personal, something that would be easily accessible for the community, with parking. Proximity to where people live and work. So, we’re really excited about being here.”

It’s been fun, they say, recreating a beloved eatery in a new location. There are, naturally, challenges. They brought over as much from the old place as possible – tables and chairs, light fixtures, memorabilia, stained glass — even the pizza ovens. But as anyone who has ever moved can attest, not everything fit just right, so there have been adjustments.

One of the biggest challenges is the dining room. The former dining room seated 275 people; the current one now seats only about 50. Only a portion of Bruno’s famed sports memorabilia collection is on display.

“The size is the biggest difference,” Beattie says. “A lot of people in the community could come to Bruno’s and there was always a table. There was this welcoming feeling of ‘bring the team, bring the family, there’s room for everyone.’ And we still have that, just on a smaller scale.”

They have worked to come up with creative solutions. The foyer is not large enough to accommodate dozens of people waiting to pick up a pizza. The answer? Send them next door to sit at Brokerage Brewery and have a beer while they wait; a text message lets them know when the pizza is ready. Or they can get their pizza to go and eat it at Brokerage.

“So many people say they can walk up or maybe they live close by and they’ll order a pizza for carry-out and go next door and enjoy a beverage while they wait for it,” Rodriguez says. “It’s been so much fun to see people enjoying themselves.”

It’s been a fun collaboration, they say, establishing a partnership with Brokerage. The two local, family-owned businesses blend well together. And Brokerage has even crafted a Bruno’s Swiss lager.
“It was released on our opening day,” Rodriguez says. “We also serve it on draft. Switzerland is near and dear to our heart and our history. It’s kind of fun to see that merge together.”

And Bruno’s responded in kind, adding a Brokerage pizza to its menu, featuring pulled pork, red onions and a beer cheese drizzle.

“It has gone over really well,” Rodriguez says. “It’s just one other nice way that we complement each other.”

The Itin sisters feel as if they’re home again. With the support of their dad and familiar employees, they can look out at the restaurant on any given night, regular customers at the tables, and feel comfortable with the transition.

“We’ve been so fortunate to have employees return that worked with our grandfather at the original location,” Rodriguez says. “So, they’ve been with Bruno’s over 40 years. And many others, 20-plus years. It was incredible, on opening night, to look around and see all these employees who’ve been around, who really we grew up with. They’ve been around our whole life. It really does feel like a team.”

Management has passed to the younger group. And they could not be happier — even if working at the family restaurant was not always in their plans.

“When my own children were little, I left and did some different things, but there was always a part of me that had hoped to be in this position someday,” Rodriguez says.
McDonald adds, “I tried to find something else, but I just kept coming back.”

Recreating the magic of Bruno’s has brought the sisters great satisfaction. Running a restaurant is hard work — that’s undeniable, they say. But the rewards make it worthwhile. Seeing happy families — generation upon generation — enjoying themselves in a new place that still feels familiar brings them joy.

“I enjoy what I do and it’s great to be able to do it with family,” Rodriguez says. “And to get back to seeing all our regular customers that we’ve missed while we were closed.”
The feedback from customers has made it clear, too, that this new version of the restaurant is wanted. And they’re pleased to be able to bring it back to life.

“It’s always been such a special place, not just for our family but for our customers and the community,” Beattie says. “And that’s one of my favorite things, hearing from customers, whether it’s their first date or an anniversary dinner or a birthday celebration, even end-of-life celebrations, that people choose to spend their time at Bruno’s. It just makes it so special.

“It makes it feel like it’s not work. It’s just something we really enjoy.” ★

BY BRAD OPPENHEIM

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

Since opening its doors more than three decades ago, Lafayette-based Steiner Enterprises, a contract manufacturer specializing in designing, engineering and developing mechanical, electrical and electro-mechanical devices, has created a reputation as innovators in design and manufacturing.

Before Steiner Enterprises was established, its founder, Ed Steiner, and current owner and president, Tom Hicks, worked for a local, fully integrated manufacturing company. Frustrated with the limitations and lack of cost competitiveness of designing products to be produced on in-house machinery, Steiner envisioned a solution. His solution was to create a contract manufacturing business that leveraged the most efficient and cost-effective manufacturers to produce components. This innovative approach would free product designs from the constraints of in-house tools and equipment, paving the way for greater flexibility and efficiency while reducing production costs.

Steiner’s vision became a reality with the founding of Steiner Enterprises. Together Steiner and Hicks began building a network of local and regional manufacturers. They tapped into the talents of Purdue University students and early retirees to handle assembly, packaging and shipping, creating a dynamic and resourceful team.

“Steiner Enterprises started with a $200 purchase order from a customer in the science education market who is still doing business with us today,” Hicks says. “Within five years, Steiner grew to be a major supplier in the science education market before diversifying into new markets in the early 2000s.”
As the company continued to thrive, Steiner made the decision to step aside and retire in 2007. That’s when Don DeWitt stepped into the picture as a partner, bringing along his electrical engineering expertise and passion for innovation.

Among such innovative solutions include their strategy of independently run business units for specialized production teams. “By dividing our business into specialized teams, we ensure that each project gets the focus it needs, leading to more effective project management and better results,” says DeWitt. “With a single point of contact who understands your company’s culture, we take full ownership of your project, saving you both time and money while boosting efficiency and reducing errors.”
“Today, Steiner employs about 50 full- and part-time team members and serves a diverse range of industries, including sports equipment, electronics, consumer products, industrial applications and the RV industry,” Hicks says.

As for everyday operations, it can be described in one word: innovation. The company designs, engineers
and prototypes products to solve problems for its
customers.

“Often, these problems involve a product concept or just a few ideas for a new product. We take those ideas, design a finished product, and handle the production, assembly and packaging to provide a truly turn-key solution for our customers,” says Hicks. “Other times, our customers will bring us an existing product that isn’t meeting their needs, whether it’s due to functionality, quality or supply chain issues. We can redesign the product to address their concerns and leverage our global supply network to ensure their production needs are met.” The components come into its facility, located in Lafayette on Coleman Court, where it is assembled, tested, packaged and shipped.

Among the company’s milestones include growth from a regional manufacturing supply chain to having a global presence with supply chains across the United States and Southeast Asia. The company also has received two Manufacturing Readiness Grants, assisting in expediting its prototyping processes and bringing products to market sooner.

“It’s a testament to the vision, innovation and teamwork that define our company,” Hicks says.
“At our core, we are dedicated problem solvers, focused on creating innovative solutions through the products we manufacture, and the products we manufacture are the solutions to our customers’ unique challenges,” says Josh DeWitt, director of engineering. “Whether it’s a single unit or 300,000, we bring ideas to life—from a simple napkin sketch to a fully functioning product.”

As demand constantly shifts, Steiner makes it a priority to keep up with current needs. “Our customers really take the lead when it comes to forecasting. We stay in close contact with them, and they provide us with their forecasts so we can stay on track,” says Operations Manager Dave Barrett. “We also make sure to have regular conversations with both our customers and suppliers to stay on top of things and make sure we’re ready to meet demand as it changes.”

Though Steiner serves clients throughout the United States, it certainly hasn’t forgotten its roots. “We have had good success working with and employing Purdue students as well as students from local high schools for summer employment,” says Wanda Miller, human resources manager. “We take pride in knowing that the experience they gain with us gives them a competitive edge in the job market.
“The leadership at Greater Lafayette Commerce has played a pivotal role in helping us establish valuable local connections. We have several business partners in the Greater Lafayette area that we rely upon as a critical part of our supply chain.”

In a field with an ever-growing amount of competition, Hicks says that unwavering passion for providing turn-key solutions that drive success and growth for its customers is the motivating factor to stand out among the crowd.

“From concept to design, from design to prototype, from prototype to mass production, and from mass production to assembly and packaging, we enjoy being a part of every step of the process,” Hicks says. “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We’re non-traditionalists who thrive on change and constantly look for new ways to improve and evolve.”

While the most recent growth has been in the RV market, Hicks says the company continues to explore expansion into other industries.

“As we continue to expand into new industries, we are dedicated to growing our engineering team and establishing additional business units to support new customers, innovative products and increased demand for assembly workers,” he says. “Whether you’re an engineer seeking a rewarding and challenging role, or a student or retiree interested in a flexible schedule, we encourage you to reach out to explore the opportunities available as we embrace our continued growth and development.”
At the end of the day, one of Steiner’s greatest and most appreciated strengths is the client-customer relationship, making it known that they are more than just a vendor; they are a partner.

“Whether we’re creating something entirely new or enhancing an existing product, every product we produce is driven by the need to solve a problem for our customers,” says Josh DeWitt. “If there is an engineering, quality or supply chain solution we can provide, let us know how we can help. We’re always looking for new challenges.”

For additional information, including contacts, visit steineronline.com. For additional information, including contacts, visit steineronline.com.

BY MEGAN FURST
PHOTOS PROVIDED

Greater Lafayette’s locally owned businesses are the heart of our community. Small business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, energy, money and passion into their companies. Join us as we look back at the small business of the month winners recognized by Greater Lafayette Commerce in 2022. 

Mecko’s Heating & Cooling
meckosheating.com
418½ Sagamore Parkway N., Lafayette
765-447-7555

According to Dave Mecklenburg, owner of Mecko’s Heating & Cooling, helping people in need and building relationships based on loyalty, trust and honesty have been key to their mission for the past 18 years. 

“We will do all things possible to help our clients,” Mecklenburg says. “Hearing our clients call in and say that our employees did an awesome job and were very professional while in their home is one of the most satisfying and proud moments of being a business owner in this incredible community.”

Mecko’s Heating & Cooling offers both residential and commercial services on HVAC systems. They also provide a 24-hour emergency service, where someone from the company will respond and immediately address the client’s needs. 

Giving back through community service opportunities is important to Mecklenburg. He serves on the Lafayette Parks and Recreation board and delivers food for the food pantry and Lafayette Urban Ministry. Mecko’s also has supported numerous charity events such as the Ebony and Ivory Ball, Toast of Mental Health, Blue Knight Auction, March of Dimes, Transitional Housing Bingo and 100 Men Who Cook

Great Harvest Bread Co.
greatharvestlafayette.com  
1500 Kossuth St., Lafayette
765-742-7323

Another longtime small business in Greater Lafayette is Great Harvest Bread Co., co-founded by Jerry and Janet Lecy nearly 17 years ago. The bakery welcomes you to its historic Kossuth district location with the delightful smells of freshly baked bread and pastries, hot coffee and other delicious treats.

The Lecys came across the Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise while living in Orlando, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Jerry and Janet had been considering a new chapter in their lives, and they knew immediately that it was the perfect business for them.

“I try to avoid fear. It definitely took us out of our comfort zone — my wife more than myself,” Jerry says. “Even the first year, she was like, ‘Do you miss our old life?’ And I’m like, ‘No, I don’t even think about it. This is happening. This is good.’”

In addition to coffee, sandwiches and desserts, Great Harvest Bread sells on average 150 to 200 loaves of bread daily. Their bread ingredients are simple and include honey rather than high-fructose corn syrup.

“We are about the bread. We are about quality ingredients,” Jerry says. “The honey whole wheat, which is our signature bread, has five ingredients: water, salt, yeast, honey and flour. You can pronounce everything.”

Great Harvest Bread also values community and regularly donates leftover bread to charitable organizations such as Lafayette Urban Ministry, Trinity Mission, a local women’s shelter and more. 

Sweet Revolution Bake Shop
sweetrevolutionbakeshop.com 
109 N. Fifth St., Lafayette
765-743-7437

Since opening in June 2017, Sweet Revolution Bake Shop has doubled its size to accommodate the growing business. Located in historic downtown Lafayette, Sweet Revolution is family-owned by siblings Sarah McGregor-Ray and Jonathan McGregor and mother Debbie McGregor.

Chef Sarah had always dreamed of running her own bakery, while her brother Jonathan had a hunger for being an entrepreneur. 

“I knew Sarah was gifted with food when she was 10,” Debbie says. “She would help me cook, and I just let her do more and more all the time. She is very gifted. It’s fun to watch.”

Sweet Revolution features specialty, freshly baked pies and pastries with natural ingredients. They also offer made-from-scratch savory quiches, coffee and teas.

Following the success of Sweet Revolution Bake Shop, the McGregor family opened Revolution Barbeque in 2020, also located in downtown Lafayette. They’ve appreciated the support of the community and their loyal customers and look forward to additional projects in the future.

Sparkletone Dry Cleaners
238 E. State St., West Lafayette
765-743-2007

Customer service has always been the top priority at Sparkletone Dry Cleaners — over the past 66 years. Sparkletone was founded in 1956 by Robert Dudley and handed over to his son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Jeanne Dudley.

They’ve always focused on delivering the best service to their customers, and Jeanne, especially, has enjoyed getting to know each one.

“If you don’t have customers, you don’t have a business,” Jeanne says. “I’ve always liked people. I always have, so it’s easy for me.”

Scott and Jeanne’s two daughters, Kristin and Robin, took over the business after their parents’ retirement so Jeanne could provide care for Scott. He passed away last year, leaving behind a wonderful legacy and a thriving business.

Robin focuses her attention on customer service and enjoys talking to all the customers, much like her mother. Kristin manages the day-to-day operations. Together, they provide an in-house dry-cleaning and shirt laundry service. Their two-day services return clothes clean, pressed and ready to wear.

“We keep it simple. Customer service has always been our number one priority,” Robin says. “We greet our customers with a friendly smile, listen to their needs and provide an affordable and timely service. We thank our loyal customers for our continued success over the past 66 years.” 

The Homestead
homesteadbuttery.com 
155 Win Hentschel Blvd., West Lafayette
765-838-1590

The Homestead, located on Win Hentschel Boulevard in West Lafayette, opened in 2017 by owners Mike and Jody Bahler. The Bahlers already had one location in Remington but decided to add a second to expand and grow their customer base. 

Having always dreamed of a catering business of her own, Jody was excited about the opportunity her sister-in-law, Heidi, shared with her back in 2010. There was a building available for rent in Remington that would be ideal to open a bulk food, baking and catering shop. 

Jody loved experimenting with different recipes and would often make them ahead of time and freeze them for later. This convenience made it easier to feed her growing family.

She brought this take-and-bake approach to The Homestead, where customers can enjoy a large salad bar, deli lunches, catering, frozen and bulk foods and a gift shop. 

“It’s not anything gourmet. It’s just homestyle, basic cooking,” Jody says. “It’s very much a homemade product when the customer gets it.”

The farmhouse featured in their logo is an illustration of Jody and Mike’s family home. “That’s how we named it The Homestead because it truly is a family homestead,” Jody says. “We wanted it to be just kind of a warm and welcoming feel when people visit and when people hear the name. It has that warm, cozy feel.”

GLGraphix
glgraphix.com 
311 Sagamore Parkway N., Ste. 6., Lafayette
765-446-8600

Mark and Sandy Sweval opened Speed Pro Imaging in 2011, but rebranded to GLGraphix in 2019. GLGraphix offers large-format graphics such as displays, banners and images that grab an audience’s attention.

They both enjoy different aspects of the business, and it shows in the success they’ve shared over the years.

“I’ve always enjoyed the sales process,” Mark says. “I love the flexibility. I love the freedom. I loved being able to chart my own destiny being an owner of a small business.”

Their flexibility was tested, however, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They had to quickly shift gears to make up for the lost revenue from large canceled indoor gatherings such as conventions and trade shows. 

“I started really burning up the phone lines and calling people,” Mark says. “I found a way to replace the lost business.”

GLGraphix ended up designing thousands of COVID-related graphics for Purdue and area hospitals. This helped them stay afloat and come back even stronger.

The business is heavily involved in the community and supports Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA. They also provide discounted signage for numerous not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Lafayette area.

GLGraphix has been turned over to a new owner. In July 2022, Nathan Erber, founder of Mark VII Graphics, adopted the GLGraphix name and continues in the Swevals’ footsteps in providing quality graphics solutions to Greater Lafayette.

TBIRD Design
tbirddesign.com 
105 N. 10th St., Lafayette
765-742-1900

Owner Timothy Balensiefer had high expectations for his company when he founded TBIRD Design in 2000. He had a five-year and 10-year plan for his design firm, yet he was able to accomplish all his goals within three years of business. 

“It did grow a lot faster than we were expecting, but we knew there was a need in the community,” Balensiefer says. “Our clients trust us, and they like us. That’s why they come back.”

TBIRD Design helps prepare new industrial and commercial sites, assists local government in improving and extending infrastructure, evaluates boundaries, provides precise positioning and surveying and also creates residential neighborhoods. 

The firm works with major industry players such as Purdue University, Caterpillar, Subaru and Wabash. They developed the Rise at Chauncey, a 16-story mixed-use project in West Lafayette that includes more than 21,000 square feet of retail space and 300 residential units. Additionally, TBIRD led the way for the HUB Plus building, which houses retail spaces and more than 200 residential units.

TBIRD Design also has worked on the design and construction of the downtown Lafayette streetscape and partners with the Tippecanoe School Corp. to develop new schools, athletic fields and other additions.

“We’re truly a local firm. That’s the way people feel about us,” Balensiefer says. “They know we’re local. We’ve been around for a long time.”

TBIRD gives back to the community and is a frequent sponsor of downtown events. It developed the Shamrock Dog Park in Lafayette and is working toward developing properties for the Boys and Girls Club, pro bono. 

Instant Copy
instantcopyprinting.com
701 Main St., Lafayette
765-742-8656

Instant Copy, located in downtown Lafayette, is a one-stop print shop. Established in 1986, Instant Copy merged with Lafayette Copier and Eco Shred in 2020 and is currently owned by T.J. and Dawn O’Bryan and managed by Toni Edmonson.

“Our customer service is our shining star here because we will always go out of our way to make sure that our customers are happy,” Edmonson says. “We want you to be satisfied with your project — whether we designed it, or you did.”

Instant Copy provides print, graphic design and bindery services, and customers can also shred documents in the store. Graphic artists are available to assist clients with design needs, including logos, business cards, brochures, posters and more.

It works with businesses such as Unity and Franciscan hospitals, Bauer Family Resources, Hartford House, Food Finders and St. Boniface. It also enjoys its regular customers who come in for help with printing, shipping labels, invitations and cards. 

“We really try to branch out and work with a little bit of everybody,” Edmonson says. “Being that Instant Copy has been in business for so long, generally at one point or another, people have printed something with us.”

Instant Copy donates print materials for various nonprofit organizations — and prints flyers for missing persons and lost pets at no cost. “If there’s a customer in a hard spot, we do try to help out our community in that way with printing services,” Edmonson says. 

Hearing Solutions of Indiana
indianahearing.com
– 750 Park East Boulevard, Suite 3, 
Lafayette
– 480 West Navajo St., Suite A, 
West Lafayette
765-771-7109

Additional Locations: Avon, Carmel, Delphi, Fishers, Franklin, Greenwood, IU Health Arnett, Kokomo and Zionsville

When Hearing Solutions of Indiana opened in 2018 with one location and one employee, it had no idea how quickly the business would grow in the next four years. Hearing Solutions of Indiana is led by husband and wife Michael and Dr. Judy Olson.

They offer several services to both new and existing hearing aid wearers, including fittings, repairs and programming. Hearing Solutions of Indiana also provides comprehensive hearing exams and treatment options for tinnitus.

In 2020, it added a second location in West Lafayette and has since expanded to include locations in Avon, Carmel, Delphi, Fishers, Franklin, Kokomo, Zionsville and IU Health Arnett. The newest location opened in Greenwood. 

Judy and her team focus on providing the highest level of care and are committed to their patients and their employees. Judy understands what it means to have quality hearing, as she has worn hearing aids for 25 years. 

“We’re always on the forefront of technology and that also helps us continue to grow — and to grow into new markets to bring the gift of better hearing to more and more people,” Judy says. “We have a passion for what we’re doing.” 

“That’s what we’re about,” adds Michael. “It’s changing lives, and we’re committed to doing that throughout Central Indiana.”

Michael and Judy grew up in Greater Lafayette and feel fortunate to provide jobs to their 25 employees. They also enjoy sponsoring, educating and participating in community events.  ★

BY KAT BRAZ
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

Last summer, tensions surrounding issues of racial injustice boiled over across the country in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Locally, more than 1,000 peaceful protesters marched downtown on May 31 to rally for racial justice and take a stand against police brutality.

“Witnessing the energy of the young people and the memory, or the wisdom of the older people, together, that gives me hope,” says Rodney Lynch, pastor and director of the Baptist Student Foundation at Purdue University. “I was pleased with the number of people who were there. Most of them were white, that’s the demographics of this community. But standing up for racial justice is not a one-time moment; it’s a lifetime movement.”

Motivated by a desire to join like-minded community members to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Lynch joined the Diversity Roundtable (DRT) when he relocated to Greater Lafayette in 2016. An outgrowth of Vision 2020, a 2000–2001 community visioning project for the future of Greater Lafayette, the DRT began in 2002 when a small group of citizens started meeting to plan a Diversity Summit held in April 2003. It became a biennial event and this month, the DRT held its 10th summit. The 2021 Diversity Summit, held virtually and free to all participants, focused on Strategic Doing: Turning Conversation into Action.

In addition to the summits, the DRT meets monthly to discuss DEI issues in the community. The meetings are open to the public and co-facilitated by Lynch and Barbara Clark, who retired as director of the Science Diversity Office and director of the Women in Science Programs at Purdue in 2015. An all-volunteer group, the DRT is a committee of Greater Lafayette Commerce.

“We are the only group in the community focused on diversity in general,” Clark says. “We’re not organized in response to a crisis or an issue. We’re focused on raising awareness and educating people about the diversity issues in the community — anything from race to sexual orientation to disability — and how diversity, equity and inclusion intersect with social issues.”

Many of the monthly meetings feature speakers from the community, such as city government officials, school superintendents, police officers and university administrators who share their perspective on how DEI is supported in their respective institutions as well as identifying areas that still need to be addressed. Clark, who has served as a co-facilitator of the group since 2009, says although the same core issues may resurface, often they’ve been redefined in some way.

“An issue that we’ve discussed a number of times is ‘driving while Black,’” Clark says. “When we first started talking about that, it was somewhat surprising to the white folks but certainly not surprising to the people of color. One of the things the DRT does is develop programming to educate the community on these issues.”

One of the programs facilitated by the DRT addressed implicit bias. Lynch, who co-led the training, would ask attendees how many of them had “the talk” with their children. Invariably, white attendees assumed “the talk” centered around sexual activity. Black attendees gave their children the “police talk.”

“Black people do not have the privilege of not educating their children about how to conduct themselves when they are engaged by a police officer, so they get home safe,” Lynch says. “White children are raised to believe the police will keep them safe. Whereas we’ve seen time and time again, Black people are afraid to even call the police because our loved ones may not live through that interaction.”

The depth of implicit bias is magnified through a video experiment shown in the training that posits two men of different races in the same scenario. In one instance, a white man is shown breaking into a car in broad daylight. In the other, the man breaking into the car is Black. The white man sets off the car alarm multiple times, fishing with a wire coat hanger for 30 minutes trying to pop the door lock. A police car drives by without stopping. When the Black man attempts to break into the car, a passerby begins filming him with a cellphone almost immediately and the police arrive within two minutes. The video ends with the Black man in handcuffs surrounded by five police officers.

“It’s assumed that the white guy is just locked out of his car,” Lynch says. “But the Black guy must be robbing that car. These are examples of the implicit biases we all live with.”

The difficulty of identifying implicit biases lies in the fact that we don’t always know we have them. These unconscious inclinations often operate outside of our awareness and can directly contradict a person’s espoused beliefs or values. The danger of implicit biases is how they affect our reactions and behaviors without our awareness. The goal of implicit bias training is to help attendees understand and acknowledge the systems of privilege in place that influence these unconscious prejudices.

These conversations are difficult to have, even among members of the DRT, who, by their very presence at meetings, are more inclined to be receptive to reframing their personal perspectives and committed to acknowledging and addressing DEI issues within the community.

“One of the things that keeps people coming month after month is that they can be honest and open at the DRT,” Clark says. “They feel safe talking about issues in a group where people have different perspectives because of their lived experiences.”

Another program offered by the DRT for the past few years centers around the book Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World by Layla F. Saad. The book operates as a workbook, outlining journaling exercises and conversation prompts that force white readers to reflect on the roots of their own unconscious bias, how they benefit from the systems in place and how white supremacy plays out in their everyday lives. Small cohorts of 20 to 25 people work through the book together, meeting for weekly discussions over the course of one month.

“It’s not really fair to expect people of color to educate white people on issues of diversity,” Clark says. “If white people care about diversity and want to make a change, they need to put some energy into educating themselves. That’s what Me and White Supremacy is all about. The journaling can be difficult. The conversations can be intense, but it’s all very worthwhile.”

Before the pandemic, approximately 30 people attended the monthly DRT meetings. After switching to virtual meetings last year, the DRT has seen a slight increase of participation with up to 50 attendees. Those numbers may seem small, but the impact of the DRT on the larger community is far greater.

“We’re not only touching the people who show up,” Lynch says. “The people who participate in the DRT are armed with information they can use when they encounter injustice at their job, in the community or in their family. That’s the beauty of what the DRT offers. If someone is serious about combatting injustice, DRT is a good place to start. We can inform and educate.” ★

To receive updates about the DRT and information about its monthly meetings, email 
diversitytippecanoe@gmail.com or visit diversitytippecanoe.org. 

BY RADONNA FIORINI
PHOTOS PROVIDED

The fifth and most advanced generation of wireless internet technology is coming to a West Lafayette laboratory where innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs will put it to the test.

The 5G Innovation Lab opens this summer in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration near Purdue University. Owned and managed by the nonprofit Purdue Research Foundation, the Convergence Center provides space and resources to bring new innovations and products out of the lab and into the marketplace.

The 3,000-square-foot lab is part of the Indiana 5G Zone, a public/private partnership launched in 2020 in Indianapolis, says Managing Director Sean Hendrix. The 5G Zone was created in response to a push from industry, economic development groups and government to invest in technological research and infrastructure, positioning the state to attract and support innovative, high-tech companies.

The first 5G demonstration lab opened in Indianapolis last year, so the West Lafayette site is the second in the state. These labs allow companies and innovators to research new technologies without having to invest in their own 5G infrastructure and networks, says Hendrix.

When completed, physical work spaces in the West Lafayette lab will be connected to 5G through technology similar to an on-site, dedicated cell tower. Businesses, university researchers and private innovators can lease space there and full-time staff will be on-site to help new clients learn how to use the technology. The staff also can provide help in any testing process, or act as an independent, third-party team with assessment capability.

“5G is not just the next generation of wireless technology. It provides a fundamentally different way to do computing over networks,” Hendrix says. “There are tons of opportunity because this is not an established technology. The lab can help government, industry and academia test practical applications for 5G technology.”

If you’ve heard of 5G, it’s probably in relation to the next level of cellular phone speed and capability, but so much more is possible, says Troy Hege, PRF vice president for innovation and technology. The benefits of 5G include:
• Faster speed – up to 20 times faster than current wireless technology.
• Larger bandwidth – meaning more information can be processed at one time.
• Less latency – the lag between requests and responses in data transfer is reduced.

This technology is critical in the Internet of Things (IoT) and its ability to wirelessly connect different devices so they interact remotely, in real time, such as thermostats and video door bells that can be controlled from a cell phone. But much more complex applications are being studied.

One possibility is using encrypted video in a smart street system that collects data from cameras and sensors at road intersections so traffic lights can be controlled in real time, allowing for better traffic management, Hege says. While some of that technology currently exists, 5G has the capability to link all the hardware to a central facility so data coming in from across the system can quickly be analyzed.

This technology may be invaluable for manufacturing, machine learning, factories using robotics, and even agriculture systems, health care, and cybersecurity providers.

To create new uses for wireless technology, Hege says three basic things are needed: a device or sensor; software that actively processes data generated by the sensor; and a network that connects to the software and transmits or analyzes the data.

“This living lab is the center of bringing those things together,” he says. “Companies can bring new devices to the lab for testing and collaborate with researchers and professors who are the best in the world. Data analysis and machine learning are shaping industry all over the world, and this lab is the front door for research and application deployment.”

The 5G lab falls under the umbrella of NineTwelve Convergence, a nonprofit innovation institute designed to promote collaboration between business, academia and governmental entities in deploying 5G technology.

Two private companies are building out the necessary infrastructure in the Convergence Center: SBA Communications is the cellular network provider; and Tilson is the fiber optic backhaul network provider, Hendrix says.

He adds that the fiber optic network is owned and managed by SBA Communications, and PRF has signed a long-term service agreement with the company. PRF will operate the “testbed” portion of the lab’s network.

This means the network is not owned or operated by a specific internet service provider and so is considered a neutral platform. Another advantage to working with the West Lafayette lab is that the private wireless network will eventually be linked throughout the Discovery Park District, a 400-acre planned development that will include businesses, manufacturing, housing, retail and entertainment venues. That connectivity will provide a living laboratory where researchers can pilot applications in the lab and test and refine them in a controlled, real-life environment, says Hege.

“Elements of 5G are already out there, but we are at the very beginning of learning about this technology,” he says. “This will be a decade-long process and it will take all of us working together. We are thinking about all the ways data and connectivity impact our lives across the spectrum of where we work, where we learn and where we live.” ★

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

NineTwelve Convergence —ninetwelveconvergence.us

Indiana 5G Zone — indiana5gzone.com

Discovery Park District: Building a Connected Innovation Community — youtube.com

BY RADONNA FIORINI
PHOTOS PROVIDED

For the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration, that common focus is providing space and resources for academic research and private industry to collaborate, with the goal of seeing discoveries and innovations regularly make it out of the laboratory and into the world.
The Convergence Center, a 145,000-square-foot, five-story building located west of Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, is billed as “Private Industry’s Front Door to Purdue,” says David Broecker, chief innovation and collaboration officer for the Purdue Research Foundation, the non-profit entity that owns the building.

Companies want to collaborate with the university, Broecker says, because that partnership provides access to student talent, engagement with faculty and professors on the leading edge of research, and facilities such as established modern labs and innovation centers. PRF, through its Office of Technology Commercialization, also helps connect researchers with private industry to move inventions and discoveries out of the lab and into the marketplace, while protecting intellectual property with patents and licensing.

But collaboration can be difficult, expensive and time-consuming if a company is not physically located near campus. That’s where Convergence comes in, offering flexible workspace options for established companies, startups — even individuals needing office space away from home.

“We want (Convergence) to be the place where companies and external collaborators meet with their counterparts from Purdue University and PRF to solve problems and address the answer to the question, ‘What keeps you up at night regarding your innovation/business strategy?’” says Broecker. “We want to make it easy for companies and external collaborators to be successful.”

Construction on Convergence, located at 101 Foundry Drive, began in 2018, with the $32 million building opening in January 2020, says Wade Lang, PRF vice president and chief entrepreneurial officer. The building is already home to several PRF entities along with four agriculture and life sciences companies. Improvements continue in the tenant spaces on three of the five floors, and retail space is being developed.

This summer, the 5G Innovation Lab will open in Convergence, providing companies and researchers access to the latest wireless internet technology in a lab setting.

It is the second such lab in Indiana and will allow the private sector and the Purdue community a place to experiment with the cutting-edge technology.

PRF is actively looking for new tenants for Convergence, which is managed by Carr Workplaces, a company based in Washington, D.C. Carr is a national workspace provider that manages brick and mortar office space but also offers such services as mail management and phone answering for those who may work from home but want a professional address and help with administrative chores, says Michelle Mercado, Carr business development associate.

Carr Workplaces provides a step up from traditional co-working spaces in that clients who lease space in Convergence have access to a dedicated phone line, email, fax and binding machines, copiers, shredding and notary services, high-speed wireless internet, and onsite tech support. There is a fully stocked coffee bar and conference rooms with videoconferencing capability and digital white boards for virtual collaboration.

“It’s a beautiful space,” says Mercado. “It has all the bells and whistles, and it’s positioned to be close to the university, but far enough away from campus to be its own entity. We meet people where they are. We ask, ‘What do you need? What tools will help you?’”

• 

• 

• 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have begun rethinking their office needs, Broecker says. While corporate headquarters are shrinking, PRF finds that companies want to expand in strategic locations, often near universities, to tap resources that can meet their innovation and business needs.

“Bayer Crop Science is a great example of this strategy,” Broecker says. “Bayer has relocated three of their employees to create their own ‘innovation hub’ at Convergence that will facilitate interactions with students and faculty, and provide access to the places and spaces they need to be successful. We believe all of these aspects of the Convergence Center make it extremely unique among other leading universities.”

Convergence is ticking all the boxes for Beck’s Superior Hybrids, says Brad Fruth, director of innovation for the family-owned, Indiana-based seed company that operates in 14 states across the corn belt and is the third-largest retail seed brand in America.

“I don’t think a lot of people understand what a treasure the center is,” Fruth says. “Our innovation team knew we needed to increase collaboration with different schools at Purdue. Having an office at Convergence means we have the opportunity to regularly connect with researchers and go to call-outs and make connections. All we had to do was show up and get our key. The Carr staff takes care of all the amenities.”

Headquartered in Atlanta, Indiana, Beck’s opened a Convergence office in summer 2020 and leases dedicated space that allows its innovation team to meet once a week in person, provides an office for team members to land as needed, and gives its intern a place to work. While the space might not be used every day, everything the team needs is available when it is on site.

And being close to Purdue means Beck’s team members are on campus more regularly. Companies have to be proactive about making campus connections, Fruth says, and he is always on the lookout for research and innovation going on at Purdue that can be applied in the real world to benefit Beck’s ultimate client, the American farmer.

While Beck’s is certainly connected with those doing agronomy research at Purdue, the company also is interested in leveraging data analysis, computer science and supply chain management research, Fruth says. His team’s goal is to be on campus regularly and make at least one new Purdue connection each week.

Fruth looks forward to the day, post-pandemic, when travel again becomes a bigger part of the Beck’s business model because the company can use space in other Carr Workplace sites around the country for a single-day meeting or extended conference.

Carr has about 35 sites throughout the United States, the closest being in Chicago, and this perk for anyone who leases from them is particularly useful for businesses doing recruiting or collaborative work, says Mercado, adding that the Carr team can even help with travel arrangements and event planning.

“Flexible lease terms and networking spaces around the country are some of the reasons why we’re (in Convergence),” Fruth says.

Those flexible lease terms are attractive because clients can rent private office suites that will accommodate a team of one to five people, share a private office between a few employees, or lease a dedicated desk in a shared work space that still offers access to all the office equipment and administrative help, says Ethan Kingery, Car’s general manager at Convergence.

Kingery works alongside Chelsea Hulbert, the local Carr community manager, who serves as receptionist and liaison between every tenant and each guest who walks in the door. Hulbert helps with shipping needs, answers phones and supports all the tenants in myriad ways
every day.

“We have a hospitality mindset that you could compare to the quality you would find at a luxury resort,” Kingery says. “We work with every tenant to see how we can support and amplify what they need.” And as a Purdue graduate and former university employee, Kingery has insight into Purdue’s unique culture and can work with Convergence tenants to help them make connections on campus.

While established companies such as Beck’s and Bayer Crop Science find Convergence a good place to land, startups also can lease dedicated or community space and have access to office equipment and administrative support. As an example, Kingery cites an entrepreneur who has leased space for her fledgling apparel company in Convergence and is in the building many evenings and weekends when she’s not working her day job.

“If you need 3,000 square feet or less of office space, we can work with you,” Kingery says.

While most Carr Workplace sites are in large cities and cater to white-collar tenants such as lawyers or lobbyists,

Convergence is unique in that it is the only Carr site near a top research university and attracts more scientists and researchers, says Mercado.

Convergence also plays a distinctive role within the Discovery Park District (DPD), a 400-acre, mixed-use development that broke ground in 2017. PRF, which owns and manages the land west of campus where the district is being developed, is partnering with Indianapolis-based Browning Investments, Inc. on the project.

“Over the next 10 years, we are projecting over $1 billion in development (at the Discovery Park District) comprised of business, research, residential, retail, advanced manufacturing and community spaces that will eventually attract upwards of 25,000 people living, working, playing and learning across the district,” says Broecker.

“With the 50,000+ students, faculty and staff at Purdue, Discovery Park District will become an incredible community in its own right on the campus of a leading research university … and the Convergence Center is the ‘business front door’ to the DPD.” ★

For more information about Carr Workplaces, go to:
carrworkplaces.com/locations/purdue_university/convergence

For more information about the Convergence Center,
go to: discoveryparkdistrict.com/the-convergence-center

Central Lafayette

Downtown Lafayette

South Lafayette

West Lafayette

BY RADONNA FIORINI
PHOTOS PROVIDED

While much of life slowed or was outright canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, city improvement and development projects continued, and many will come to fruition in 2021. From penguins to new planned neighborhoods, here’s a peek at what’s coming for our communities.

Columbian Park
Lafayette’s Columbian Park continues to be a beehive of activity with new attractions slated to open this spring and summer.

The recently constructed $20 million Loeb Stadium, located at the corner of Main and Wallace streets, will be dedicated at the end of January, says Lafayette Parks and Recreation Marketing Manager Samantha Haville. Some COVID-related delays pushed the project’s completion back a bit, but everything should be ready for Lafayette Jefferson High School’s baseball home opener in the spring.

The original Loeb Stadium, built in the 1940s of concrete, was long the site for Lafayette Jeff’s home games, the Colt World Series, and more recently the summer collegiate baseball team, the Lafayette Aviators, part of the West Division of the Prospect League. The new brick stadium, which will seat 2,600 people when suites and lawn seating opens later this year, is also designed as a multi-use space where concerts and family movie nights will be planned.

“We hope to make a big splash for the first Jeff home game and for the Aviators’ opener in early summer,” says Haville. “And we’re opening it up to community partnerships for a wide variety of events.”

The newest additions to the Columbian Park Zoo are scheduled to arrive before the zoo opens this spring. Nine African penguins will be shipped from California to inhabit the penguin house constructed in 2020. Their arrival was delayed because of travel restrictions, but the hope is that these warm-weather birds will feel at home and be ready for visitors by late April.

Another exciting addition, an updated blast from the past, will be a new carousel. Construction on a permanent building to house this family favorite has begun, located between the zoo and Tropicanoe Cove water park. The carousel will feature hand-carved and painted wooden animals that represent some of those found in the zoo, along with exotic species and traditional horses. Haville says no date has been set for the opening of this much-loved ride.

While some of these new projects will not be fully used until the pandemic is under control, several planned features in Columbian Park will be open for individual use this summer.

Phase three of the Memorial Island project is proceeding apace. A new amphitheater with upgraded sound system is planned. The lagoon was drained last year, and sea walls are being rebuilt. Lots of new elements are being added to make the area accessible for folks with disabilities including boardwalks, new bridges, and ADA fishing nodes that jut out into the lagoon and accommodate a wheelchair, Haville says. The parks department is working with Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to choose fish that will be stocked in the refilled lagoon this summer.

“We are most excited about the fact that paddle boats are coming back!” Haville says. “The boats will be located on the south side of the lagoon near the train depot. We hope to have them available
in July.”

Cason Family Park
Keeping with the theme of public parks and outdoor spaces, West Lafayette has several projects in the works, says Erin Easter, director of development for the city.

Cason Family Park is a planned 14-acre prairie-style space being developed in two phases. The park, located on acreage donated by local farmer Lynn Cason at Cumberland Avenue and U.S. 231, is already home to the historic, one-room Morris Schoolhouse. Built in 1879, the school was moved to the property in 2017 and restored so it can be used for educational programs.

Construction on other park elements is slated to begin this year with completion set for 2022. Surrounding the schoolhouse will be outdoor play places, lawns and waterways. There will be picnic pavilions, public restrooms and several trails throughout the acreage.

“This will be a really fun, whimsical place to play that won’t feel forced,” Easter says. “There will be natural playgrounds with climbing rocks, wooden elements and rest areas.”

For bikers and walkers in West Lafayette, a planned 10-foot-wide pathway project will roll out this year. The path will run along Salisbury Street from Kalberer Road to Grant Street and end at Northwestern Avenue. The project will include shifting some traffic lanes and burying utilities, says Easter. Lighting and other amenities will be added during this two-year project, which will provide a safer way for pedestrians to move from the northern side of the city to the Purdue campus.

And the pathway will lead directly to the new Wellness Center just completed in Cumberland Park. This 73,000-square-foot facility houses a pool, gym, walking track, weight equipment and spaces for health classes, Easter says.

“A lot of our parks programming was put on pause in 2020,” she says. “It was difficult not to do those things last year, but we’ll have a beautiful new home (for those programs) when the time is right.” (See story on Page 22)

A New City Hall in West Lafayette

While anticipating summer activities, Easter and other city employees are spending these colder months settling into newly renovated office space at the Sonya L. Marjerum City Hall, formerly the Morton Community Center. Remodeling of the historic building began in 2019 and was largely completed in December when city workers began moving in.

The city offices have moved around for several years, but the more than $15 million renovations should allow the building on Chauncey Avenue to be a permanent home, says Easter. The name of the building was changed to honor the late Sonya Marjerum who served as West Lafayette mayor for 24 years.

“We moved into the building exactly two years to the date that construction began,” she says. “There are so many advantages to this space now. It’s ADA compliant and accessible. Four-fifths of the building space will be focused on parks or city programming and available to the community. And the new City Council chambers will serve as a true home for (the council’s) work. Before there was a sense of impermanence, but we hope this will be our final and forever home.”

City Hall’s first floor now has community space including two dance studios that can also host art programming and other activities. The first floor also houses the City Council chambers and other meeting space. The second floor is home to city staff including the mayor’s office, parks department, clerk’s office and other departments. A customer service desk is centrally located so visitors can easily get the help they need, Easter notes.

And additional community projects are planned between City Hall and the West Lafayette Public Library. Three public spaces will be added that include art pieces that also can serve as road barriers to temporarily block streets for festivals and large gatherings.

Lafayette projects

Lafayette also is completing some downtown projects and making plans for a new 70,000-square-foot public safety building and parking garage. The first public hearing concerning the facility design was held December 16, and the city hopes to begin construction this year with completion planned in 2023, says Lafayette Economic Development Director Dennis Carson.

The facility, which will be on property just east of City Hall at Sixth and Columbia streets, will house the police department and provide parking for city employees plus extra public parking spaces. The multi-story building will include open plazas for public use and be an asset to downtown living, Carson says.

Several Lafayette streetscape projects wrapped up in 2020 that have made downtown more pedestrian friendly and encouraged both investors and shoppers to see the businesses along Main Street as desired destinations. Paying attention to historic preservation and making the area more consumer friendly has paid off.

“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback and people say being downtown is now a better experience, in a safer environment that is more interactive,” says Carson. “We’ve encouraged outdoor dining, which has been so important during the pandemic, and we have more retail than we’ve had in decades.”

While the growth of brick and mortar stores is a surprise in this age of on-line shopping, Carson says there are more clothing and other retail stores downtown than have been seen in years. That trend shows that the investment in improving sidewalks, installing public art, and focusing on local businesses has paid off as people feel more comfortable lingering and shopping downtown.

“We’re very excited about it,” he says. “It’s a testament that people like to experience things (in person). We know it’s been challenging for some of these shops but we think they’ll hold up and do really well when things open up again.”

Provenance

Perhaps the biggest project coming to Tippecanoe County is back across the river on the west side of the Purdue campus. As part of the Discovery Park District, the city of West Lafayette, Purdue Research Foundation and Old Town Design Group from Indianapolis have launched a planned housing development called Provenance.

Work has begun on apartments at the southwest corner of State Street and Airport Road to be followed by condominiums, town homes and single family homes, says West Lafayette’s Easter, adding that commercial and retail spaces are also part of the mix.

According to information from Old Town Design Group, this multiphase project will eventually include walking paths that connect to nearby parks, golf courses, shops and restaurants. The development includes lots for 56 single-family homes and 30 townhomes.

So grab your mask and take a drive around our communities to see the changes coming. While it feels as if our lives are shrinking, there are brighter days ahead with much to celebrate. ★

BY KAT BRAZ
PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

This year marks the 95th anniversary of Kirby Risk Corporation, founded in 1926 when J. Kirby Risk borrowed $500 from his father and joined Otto Keiffer to open the Keiffer-Risk Battery Company in a small, abandoned blacksmith shop in Lafayette. Keiffer left the company within the year and was replaced by George Tweedie. The company became Risk-Tweedie Electric Service, and Risk was able to repay his father that $500 loan.

After Tweedie’s departure in 1934, the company was renamed Kirby Risk Electric Company, expanded into wholesale distributions of electric supplies and moved to a new downtown location in 1941. Through it all, Risk remained committed to a concept the company now refers to as sacrificial service.

The second-generation leader recalls accompanying his father to the company warehouse on evenings and weekends as a child.

“I was fascinated walking down the aisles with all of the different products, parts and equipment,” Risk says. “I didn’t necessarily know their purpose or understand how they worked.

Risk first started working at the company during summers while he was in school. After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in management, he began his career at the sales counter and worked his way up to vice president of sales before he was named company president in 1972 at the age of 30. No stranger to leadership, Risk had already served as president of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

A commitment to community service is another value Risk learned from his father. According to Risk, his parents “left us a legacy of valuing others and having a sincere concern for your fellow man.” Among his many contributions to the community, the elder Risk championed bringing Junior Achievement to Lafayette and the younger Risk participated in the program in high school.

“The cornerstone to our company’s success is a commitment to long-term relationships with our employees and their families, with our customers, and with our vendors,” Risk says. “Equally important is having a presence in our communities. Our employees are encouraged to get involved in their communities, value other people and simply do more than what is expected. My parents lived their lives that way and I just tagged along for the ride.”

Family Business

Eddy Del Real was 4 years old when his father, Jose, opened Del Real Auto Sales. Jose still worked at Alcoa at the time. He’d wake up at 6 a.m. to go to the car auction, report to the plant at 3 p.m. and get off shift at 11 p.m. His three sons, Alonzo, Eddy and Tony, began helping out at the lot as kids, washing cars and performing other odd jobs on weekends or after school. Now all three sons — and their brother-in-law — work for the family business. 

“It wasn’t ever expected of us. We were raised to do what we love,” Eddy Del Real says. “For me, it’s an awesome opportunity. We’ve always been family oriented. We were all brought into the business. We each have investment in it. Dad showed us the ropes and we took it from there to broaden the business and expand it.” 

Since its founding in 1987, Del Real has expanded into three locations. Eddy manages the flagship Del Real Auto Sales in Lafayette; Alonzo runs Del Real Auto Connection on Sagamore Parkway, Lafayette; and Tony opened Del Real Automotive Group in Frankfort.
In terms of his father’s leadership style, Eddy Del Real says Jose’s
approach has always been firm,
but egalitarian. 

“There isn’t really a hierarchy of titles,” he says. “We were all raised as equals. We’ve never really had a boss. My dad has the knowledge, so we would ask him for advice and roll with it. He’s shown us that if you put your time and your investments into the business, you’ll reap the benefits. He’s done well for himself, and we want to continue that legacy.”

Eddy Del Real said one thing that sets the family business apart from other auto dealerships is the way they do business. Because their business carries the family name, the Del Reals are invested in every single sale. The company values stem from Jose’s strong work ethic and belief in transparency of the deal — no gimmicks, everything is sold with a warranty and deal the way you want to be treated. Though his sons manage the day-to-day operations, Jose is still involved in the business. 

“We still go to the auction together,” Eddy Del Real says. “Sometimes we’ll talk business at the dinner table when we’re all together. It’s something that will always unite us. My mom and our wives are the ones that keep us grounded.”

Counter philosophy

Basim Hussain started hanging out at his dad’s place of work when he was still too young to be on the payroll. What kid wouldn’t want to spend all day in an ice cream shop? Sabir Hussain operates three Coldstone Creamery locations throughout Greater Lafayette. Once Basim was old enough, he sought employment at one of his father’s stores.

“He considered applying for other jobs, even interviewed for a few. But they just weren’t for him,” Sabir Hussain says. “The way we provide flexibility to young people in school and sports and other activities, we go above and beyond in recruiting and keeping young employees.”

Basim’s only concern about working for his dad? He was worried he’d be missing out on a real work experience.

“At the end of the day, your dad probably won’t fire you,” Sabir Hussain says. “But Basim gets admonished just like anyone else, and to be honest, a little bit more than others. There’s extra pressure if the owner’s son isn’t in proper uniform.”

Hussain takes a long-term approach in developing his young workers. He looks for opportunities to challenge them to see alternate perspectives. He encourages them to be problem solvers. He guides them in cultivating strong customer relations skills that could be applied to dealing with clients in almost any future career path. Basim, now a freshman at Cornell University, remained at home during the fall
semester due to the pandemic. While enrolled in online courses,
he still worked part-time in his father’s store.

“For all my young employees, I hope there is something they pick up from this job that stays with them for the rest of their life,”
Sabir Hussain says. “I truly believe
it takes a village to raise a young person. My role may not be
counselor or teacher or pastor, but at the same time, it’s not nothing. I’m not just a person who signs
their check.” ★

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV (PAGES 11-17)

A longing for connection in a historic downtown. A desire to share a passion for the arts. The lure of a 19th century family homestead. From urban to rural, and from long-established to brand new, every small business in Greater Lafayette has a uniquely personal reason for putting down roots here. Here are the origin stories for five of them. 

Mad Love Boutique

210 N. Sixth St., Lafayette

store.madlovebb.com

Stephanie and Chris Deckard, owners of Velvet Lotus Photography, lived on Perrin Avenue for nine years before moving to a westside subdivision. “We immediately felt so detached, even with our studio still in town,” Stephanie says. 

Relocating their business from Kossuth Street to the heart of the city, the couple settled into their new digs. Then Stephanie had a brainstorm. “Having clothing to style my clients in felt like a natural shift, without being so overwhelming that I couldn’t work my photography as well,” she says. 

Nearly two years ago, Mad Love Boutique opened next door to the photography studio. In a space that the couple renovated themselves, Stephanie sells women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories among antique furnishings. 

Her favorite offerings: jewelry by Autumn Rose Designs, a mother-daughter team based in Greater Lafayette, and Hiptipico luxury bags, handmade in Guatemala. “All of the textiles and bags are made by female artisans, and that makes my heart happy,” she says. “I’m a proud supporter of BLM, LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.”

When businesses shut down in March because of COVID-19, the couple quickly moved all their inventory online. Chris took photos of Stephanie modeling the clothes, which range in size from extra small to 3XL.

Now that the store has started to reopen, Stephanie says she looks forward to expanding her hours again and seeing some familiar faces. “I love to talk, so if you come in to shop, you can expect a conversation,” she says. 

Wea Creek Orchard

5618 S. 200 East, Lafayette

weacreekorchard.com

Perry Kirkham and his brother were both working in Washington, D.C., when, in 2007, they each relocated to Indiana around the same time. While they got settled, the brothers lived on the family homestead. 

The farmland surrounding the house had been in their family since 1855, and they wanted to continue its agricultural legacy. But, “the fences here had been taken down and we no longer had access to any conventional farming equipment,” Kirkham says. 

“We discussed various options and landed on fruit trees. We formed the orchard in January of 2008, planted 400 fruit trees in April of 2008 and here we are!”

Co-owned by Kirkham and his wife, Lisa, Wea Creek Orchard is located on Lafayette’s south side and sells 19 varieties of apples, four varieties of peaches, and pumpkins. “I like the Akane apples the best,” Kirkham says. “It is a wonderful combination of sweet and tart and is full of flavor.” 

Inside the store are also jellies, preserves, salsas, butters and honey, along with succulents, hanging baskets and sunflowers. The orchard also hosts weddings, on average 27 a year, in the 1869-era barn. School kids also come on field trips. 

“We decided long ago we would never charge to come on the farm, so theoretically anyone can visit and enjoy the property without spending a dime,” Kirkham says. 

“Of course, we hope they don’t.”

Inspired Fire Glass Studio and Gallery 

2124 SR 25, Lafayette

inspiredfire.com

Sharon Owens, a Lafayette native and Indiana University art graduate, fell in love with glassmaking while taking a flame-working class at Purdue University in 1979. After studying the art around the United States and in Europe, she opened Inspired Fire Glass Studio and Gallery in 2002 to share her passion with her hometown.

Her shop, two miles off US 231 on the edge of Shadeland, promotes more than 30 local artists and provides a place for them to work and teach flame-working, fusing and furnace glass blowing to the Greater Lafayette community. Beginner and advanced classes are available, as well as field trips and custom parties. Due to the pandemic, the shop is open for limited hours. A gallery dog, Zing Zang, greets shoppers at the door. 

Since opening in 2002, the Inspired Fire building has undergone several remodels and expansions, including a recent upgrade to the façade and the addition of viewing windows in the gallery so that shoppers can watch artists at work. 

Owens’ personal specialty is crafting vibrantly colored vessels with techniques such as hand-pulled murrini, the making of patterns using long rods of glass that are cut into cross sections. “I draw inspiration from nature, and the glass vessels and jewelry I create are colorful interpretations of transparency and opacity swimming within layers of joy,” she says. 

Blooms and Petals Fresh Flowers & Event Concepts

848 Main St., Lafayette

bloomsandpetals.net

East Chicago, Indiana, native Paula Eve Davis came to Tippecanoe County for college, eventually settling down here with her husband. “I really felt that it was a great area to raise a family, and there were plenty of opportunities. I still feel that way,” says Davis, a master designer, certified balloon artist and founder of Blooms and Petals Fresh Flowers & Event Concepts. 

The Purdue University graduate began her floral career more than 20 years ago, growing and selling flowers at the Lafayette Farmers Market and craft shows. Then she branched out to weddings and proms. “I had flowers all over my home, and eventually my husband decided I needed a retail flower shop,” Davis recalls. “He secretly found the space and leased it. For our wedding anniversary, he brought me the keys to my new shop.”

Davis’ store makes fresh arrangements using flowers from all over the world. “We like dealing directly with our growers to get the most variety and the freshest product,” says Davis, whose business is 70 percent retail and 30 percent event florals. Among her favorite events are celebrations of life and funeral floral tributes. 

This spring, during the height of the shutdown, Davis founded the Good Samaritan Project to repurpose flowers she had preordered for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and prom. She donated bouquets and gift baskets to police departments, fire departments and nursing homes. 

Escape Velocity Brewing Company

405 Sagamore Parkway South, Lafayette

escapevelocitybrewing.com

Jason Behenna began homebrewing in 2007, and by 2015 he was winning awards. When his Irish Stout won Best in Show at the Indiana Brewers Cup in 2016, he and his wife, Heather Howard, began exploring the idea of their own brewery. 

More than two years after moving back to Lafayette, the Purdue grads found a suitable space. As they were readying to launch in March, COVID-19 grounded non-essential businesses. “We have impeccable timing,” Behenna says. 

After starting curbside pickup in April, the couple, along with managing partner Colin Jelliffe, finally opened their tap room doors in May.

Escape Velocity Brewing Company has a five-barrel Blichmann Engineering brewing system, which can produce around 200 gallons. Within the colorful, space-themed environment, patrons can choose from a variety of beers whose names are all space- or rocket-related. 

Their bestselling beer is the Drogue Chute IPA. Another favorite is Behenna’s award-winning Magnificent Desolation Dry Irish Stout. The all vegetarian/vegan menu includes curried chickpea salad on sourdough bread and grilled cheese with either Irish cheddar, pepper jack or Chao vegan cheese. 

It goes without saying that starting a new business during a pandemic is hard. But while Behenna continues to build a following, he hopes locals will support not only him but also his fellow restaurateurs and brewers.

“The pandemic is really hurting the industry, and local support is the only thing that will ensure there are restaurants and breweries to continue … for years to come,” he says.

BY CINDY GERLACH

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

Small Business Saturday is a national movement launched in 2011, designed to get shoppers into smaller locally owned businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Locally, friendly neighborhood businesses partner with Greater Lafayette Commerce and offer specials and swag bags, resulting in a festive holiday shopping atmosphere. 

Small boutique shops offer products that are often local and more specialized, says Richelle Peterson, owner of Richelle in a Handbasket at Market Square. 

“We’re all about gifts,” she says. “We go back to the basics of giving with a purpose.”

At Richelle in a Handbasket, the shopping experience is very low-key and stress-free, very friendly. Customers are always greeted with a warm hello, Peterson says, and the shopping experience is very personal. There won’t be fighting in line or battles over items; instead, people will sit back, enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, and find exactly the gift they were looking for, as Peterson and her staff help customize gift baskets and selections.

“It’s like you’re coming into my house,” Peterson says. “It’s warm, it’s very laid back, very happy.”

Helping customers find exactly the gift they are looking for, and not just settling for what is easy, is part of the shop’s mission, says Peterson. They specialize in customized gift baskets, which can be tailored to meet a customer’s exact needs, thus creating the perfect gift.

“We help people put thought into their gifts,” she says. “We try to make it a little more personal. People can take their time. It’s about the thought — we help with that. We’re here to help, not to push.”

At Boutique LoriAnn, 101 N. Sixth St., the emphasis is on quality and catering to customers’ exact needs, says owner Lori Schlaifer. Holiday shopping in the boutique will be upscale and, again, more personal. 

The shop won’t be as crowded as a women’s clothing retailer at a mall, she says. And because she only orders a very limited number of each item, a customer can be sure that she won’t see everyone she knows wearing the exact same item she buys.

Because her boutique is small, Schlaifer gets to know — really know — her customers, their likes and preferences. When an item comes that she thinks might suit someone, she lets them know. 

“It’s more intimate,” she says. “It’s more personal.”

Down the road at Stall & Kessler’s, 333 Columbia St., the focus is also on personalization and customization, says co-owner Kris Kessler. The shop values all its customers, he says — “We’re excited to see anyone walk in the front door.”

As a specialty business, they do focus on high-end jewelry, and pieces are customized to each person’s needs — everything from earrings, bracelets and necklaces to cufflinks and specially designed rings. People tend to think that means a higher price tag, Kessler says. But that is not necessarily the case. 

Plus, he feels they are selling much more than a mere product.

“We’re selling on a deeper level than most retailers,” he says. “We are selling quality pieces of jewelry that celebrate these moments in people’s lives. I really find the joy and the connection when people come in and are celebrating that engagement or anniversary.

“Yes, what we’re selling is rock and metal. But it’s part of these moments in a lifetime. We really cherish that.”

There are people who might find shopping downtown intimidating, fearful of finding — or, more importantly, not finding — parking, or of stores not feeling welcoming. That could not be further from the truth, say both Schlaifer and Kessler. 

“One of the nice things we have downtown is parking that is 15 feet away from our front door,” Kessler says. “At the mall, it’s a lot longer walk.”

Schlaifer agrees — it’s one of the benefits of her location at the corner of Sixth and Columbia streets, which is surrounded by two-hour parking spots.

“It’s pretty easy to find parking,” she says.  

When people shop in locally owned businesses, much more of the profit stays in town. According to shopsmall.com, for every dollar spent at a small business, about 67 cents stays in the local community. Locally, businesses noted an 80 percent increase in sales on Shop Small Saturday over a regular Saturday, according to Greater Lafayette Commerce. 

Peterson says this is definitely part of the appeal of Richelle in a Handbasket, which proudly features locally made products.

“People shop here because we have Indiana products, a plethora of them,” she says. 

The effects of COVID-19 will certainly affect how people shop this holiday season. Kessler says their store has never been cleaner as they focus on keeping their environment as safe as possible for everyone. 

And Peterson says she has seen a huge shift in how people interact given the limits on how people can be together. She has shipped a lot of gifts so people can send a little love with a gift basket, because people can’t be near those they care about. 

“I think people have forgotten how to be human in their giving,” Peterson says. “A lot more matters. Families, people, neighbors matter. I think it’s brought some humanity back.”

But the biggest benefit of shopping small is the relationships among people. Kessler says he has seen many people turn to online shopping during these days of the pandemic. Stall & Kessler’s is not set up for online shopping. However, he says, their staff can make that work. They were recently able to help a customer purchase a piece of jewelry as an 80th birthday gift — over the phone. It was an accommodation they were happy to make.

“We really appreciate the people who choose to support us,” he says.

Christmas shopping should be fun. Gift-giving should be about the thought and about the experience. Local businesses, Peterson says, are better able to make those connections with customers and make it happen.

“We like talking to people,” she says. “We want people to enjoy shopping and enjoy giving, not break the bank. In today’s world, that matters.” 

Exciting changes for Shop Small 2020

Greater Lafayette Commerce and its Main Street committee are developing a series of scavenger hunts, using the GooseChase app, to promote local businesses this Shop Small season. The scavenger hunts will run through December 31. Participating small businesses will create missions for people playing the games. Players need only download the app on their phones and click the shop small missions.

The scavenger hunts will include missions where participants take photos of special items within stores, photos of the foods they eat, or videos of them making purchases. Players will compete for points; the more missions someone completes, the more points they earn. There will be prizes for top point earners (swag bags filled with gifts and gift certificates from participating businesses). 

To help maintain social distancing the missions will be randomly ordered to drive players to different stores every day. 

“We know our small businesses are gearing up this year to offer consumers unique products and gifts.  We hope the players find the scavenger hunts to be a fun way to get their competitive juices flowing while getting them out to the retailers’ shops,” says Mark Lowe, small business consultant for Greater Lafayette Commerce. 

You can learn more about Shop Small Greater Lafayette at greaterlafayettecommerce.com Or contact Mark Lowe at mlowe@greaterlafayettecommerce.com. To participate in the Shop Small Greater Lafayette scavenger hunts, players can download the GooseChase app at goosechase.com or from the google or apple app stores. 

BY KEN THOMPSON
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION

David Ross’ impact upon Purdue University goes far beyond the football stadium that has had his name for nearly a century.

Ross, a president of the Purdue University Board of Trustees and a prolific inventor, noticed that industry did not have access to Purdue’s knowledge and aid like farmers were provided through the Purdue University Extension Service.

So in the fall of 1930, Ross found a way to get around the limitations created by Purdue’s status as a public institution. With board member Josiah K. Lilly, of Eli Lilly and Co., matching Ross’ $25,000 in starter money (nearly $363,000 in today’s dollars), the nonprofit Purdue Research Foundation was created on Dec. 30, 1930.

“I think the bottom line is he wanted to make it easier for businesses to interact with the university,” says Greg Deason, Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Place Making for the Purdue Research Foundation.

“I think the essence was that he thought this could be a vehicle that would allow the foundation to make and take actions that would benefit the university but could do it rapidly at the speed of business.”

Ross died in 1943 but Deason believes much of today’s PRF was part of his original vision. Deason notes that Purdue Research Park was the third great research park in the world in 1961, following the path of Stanford in 1952 and the Research Triangle Park (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina) in 1959.

“It is most likely he was concerned about creating the framework for which great things could occur,” Deason says. “I think he could have easily, based on the efforts he was making, conceived of clusters of businesses that began to operate near the university so they could benefit from these relationships that he had conceived. In many, many ways I think he could have conceived of (research parks) and I think in addition because of his background as an inventor and an entrepreneur it’s quite likely he could have conceived of a key function that we do where we license our patents. I think he would have come up with many of the things we are doing.”

The Purdue Research Foundation may be celebrating its 90th birthday in 2020 but it has changed with the times. The impetus for change began when former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels became university president in 2013.

“I believe because President Daniels brings the experience he’s had in both government and industry, he has been very helpful and supportive of making sure that the foundation did move into the direction of focusing in on the commercialization of Purdue’s technologies,” says Brian Edelman, who became president of the Purdue Research Foundation in 2017. 

“Before President Daniels’ administration, the foundation really was somewhat of a real estate trust. We still are but … what we do as far as real estate and making building places is no longer the focal mission. We do it to make sure we have what’s needed to commercialize Purdue’s technologies.”

Simply put, the PRF’s mission is focused on improving the world through its technologies and graduates.

“That is why the office of technology commercialization is so core to our mission,” Edelman says. “It’s why The Foundry that helps create the startups around Purdue technologies is so critical.”

The Purdue Foundry’s mission statement says its existence is to help Purdue students, faculty and local alumni move ideas to the marketplace more quickly.

One of those startups is Akonacure Pharmaceuticals, which developed a platform to produce natural cancer therapies. 

Sherine Abdelmawla, a Purdue pharmacy alumnus who earned her Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology in 2007, founded that startup with her husband; both work with The Purdue Foundry.

“They helped us at the beginning to learn all aspects of the business,” Abdelmawla says. “They helped us transition from a technical team to a management team. Perfecting the investors’ pitch. Putting together a business plan. It’s a great resource.”

Abdelmawla says Akonacure’s original investors were all from The Purdue Foundry and it continues to help the startup. “The Foundry doesn’t just connect me with people within the boundary of PRF, they will connect us with all the Purdue alum network,” she explains. “PRF has a big network of investors they can connect you to. They will be helpful throughout the life of the company.

“The best thing about the PRF is you’re almost immediately treated like you’re a part of the family. It feels a lot more personal than a business relationship. We’ll always feel very grateful, very loyal to The Foundry and Purdue.”

Johnny Park calls himself “a major beneficiary” professionally and personally of the Purdue Research Foundation. Park earned bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering at Purdue. He became a research assistant professor in the school as well.

With the PRF’s investment and a grant from the United States Dairy Association in 2008, Park started Spensa Technologies in 2009 with the vision of agricultural innovation that will reduce reliance on manual labor, foster eco-friendly farming and enhance crop production efficiency.

“As a young faculty member who had never started a company and really did not understand many aspects of the business, The Foundry and PRF was extremely helpful in not only mentoring me as an entrepreneur but also connecting the company to all the relevant customers, stakeholders, potential partners and investors,” Park says. “All those connections were very, very helpful.”

Spensa was acquired in 2018 by DTN, which continues to operate Spensa in Purdue Research Park. Meanwhile, Park remains in West Lafayette as CEO at the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network.

“I didn’t think I’d still be here but the opportunity Purdue provided us in this ecosystem was very wonderful,” Park says. “What Purdue has built in this town, the Purdue Research Park and all the office spaces that are available is incredible. At the cost, we’re getting quality. It’s not often talked about but it’s a tremendous value for a startup to have the infrastructure to take advantage of.”

Dr. Byron Pipes, the John L. Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue, had experience in the business world decades before coming to West Lafayette in 2004. As co-founder and director of the Center for Composite Materials at the University of Delaware, Pipes developed an industrial consortium of more than 40 corporate sponsors from nine different nations. Pipes also was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York from 1993-95.

Pipes’ research, involving composite materials used in aviation and technology, is patented through the PRF’s Office of Technology Commercialization. He also took the lead in creating the Indiana Manufacturing Institute (based in Research Park), and is executive director of the Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center.

“It was mutually beneficial for the relationship to happen,” Pipes says. “From my perspective from all the years I’ve spent in leadership and research is that having a place that is almost off campus gave the industry a view that maybe we weren’t so ‘ivory tower.’ Companies are attracted to us because we’re out in Research Park. We’re accessible.

“Whenever I get a company where the high-level people are coming to see me, I make a quick appointment with the president of the Purdue Research Foundation. He explains all about Research Park and what we’re doing to build relationships. It has an effect on them. ‘Wow, you guys are different.’” 

One of the PRF’s newest partnerships is with the city of West Lafayette. Mayor John Dennis uses one word to describe his relationship with PRF.

“OUT-STANDING, with capital letters all the way through,” Dennis says.

Dennis remembers in his first term getting a lesson in what he calls “PRF 101” from then-PRF executive director Joe Arnett.

“It wasn’t just enlightening to me as a newly elected guy, it was enlightening for me as a tool to better understand how to improve relationships with Purdue,” Dennis says. “That was sort of the precursor to some of the great things we’ve been able to do over the past five or six years, including annexation and the explosion of development in the Research Park.”

Dennis uses the recruitment of Saab as an example of how the collaboration between the Purdue Research Foundation and the city has benefited Greater Lafayette.

“We were looking at a way to have an incentive package that would make us stand out amongst all the communities that were competing for a high-end development,” he says. “Purdue was in a position to provide some incentivization, and the city of West Lafayette was in a position to provide incentivization. Also, which is completely unheard of, the city of Lafayette participated in the recruitment of Saab financially. If you look anywhere else in the country, you will never find two cities that are going to do the same thing to benefit one city.”

The State Street Project had modest beginnings before a conversation between Dennis and Mitch Daniels changed the scope of the project.

“We had an urban corridor that looked like it hadn’t been touched since the days of the horse and buggy,” Dennis says. “It basically excluded anything involving Purdue University. The storefronts were ignored, parking was ignored, traffic flow was ignored. It basically inhibited any type of business development.

“Our original plan was to take State Street from University down to the riverfront. Basically, we would spend a few million dollars on it, dress it up pretty and make it more accessible. Hopefully improve our business corridor so that people would be more inclined to utilize it.”

Dennis felt obligated to share that plan with Daniels and his staff. It must have been some presentation because Daniels wanted Purdue to be a part of the State Street Project.

“OK, sure, bring your checkbook,” was Dennis’ response. “By golly, he did.”

“That’s when the project changed from being a local project to being a project that incorporated the university all the way to the point of its furthest west barrier, out to connect what was eventually going to be (U.S) 231.”

Daniels’ enthusiasm for the State Street Project led to Purdue’s annexation by West Lafayette, which when the students are on campus swells the population to more than 80,000.

“Which makes us one of the most densely populated cities in the state of Indiana,” Dennis explains. “That allowed us to give a lot of assurances to developers at getting a quick return on their investment.”

Edelman says Purdue’s nearly $100 million obligation to the State Street Project prompted the PRF to make a $40 million land swap with the university to be able to develop the Discovery Park district and the aerospace district. 

“But we should have been doing that on our own,” he says. “The reason we should have been doing that is because having the land open has led to the expansion that is going on right now at the Rolls Royce building, the building of the Saab plant, the Schweitzer Engineering Labs. The real jobs that are coming to the Greater Lafayette area through that development is huge.”

Those jobs will bring in people looking for high-end housing, which PRF is providing with Provenance, a single-family home development planned for the former Black and Gold athletic fields. 

“When we look to get a development, if we have a developable parcel somewhere in the city or on the west end at Purdue Research Park, people line up because they know they are going to be in good company,” Dennis says. “It makes the recruiting really easy. When it comes to hiring, they will get really high-quality workers.

“We’ve got advanced manufacturing, we’ve got one of the best universities in the country. We’ve got great leadership, Tony Roswarski on the east side and Mitch Daniels as president. We all have a unified understanding of what’s best for this community, not on just the short term but long term. We share resources and work collaboratively together. The Purdue Research Foundation has been pivotal in that.”

Dennis’ vision fits hand in hand with Edelman’s outlook for the future.

“I hope that we can get more captains of industry and captains of capital to land their G-IV jets at the Purdue Airport and visit what we’re building,” Edelman says. “I believe that the very expensive costs of starting a business and having employees on the East and West coast, maybe the false views that the only good ideas come out of the Bay Area or Boston would be shattered if we could get these captains of capital and industry to see what is going on in our part of the prairie at Purdue. 

“What I want to do is get them to land their jets instead of flying over that so-called ‘flyover’ state of Indiana and see what we’re building in the Greater Lafayette area.”

BY CINDY GERLACH

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PURDUE MEMORIAL UNION

From the outside, the Purdue Memorial Union stands unchanged, a testament to the past hundred years. The stately brick structure, a mainstay of the Purdue University campus for the better part of a century, welcomes students and visitors alike, as a place to gather and commune. 

Yet the once-familiar interior is undergoing a transformation. In some ways, it will look much as it always has, with its architectural themes remaining strong and constant. Yet in so many other ways — some obvious, some more subtle — the Union is recreating itself, thanks to a massive renovation project.

And all in the name of Purdue.

The Union, as so many students have experienced it over the past century, is much like its counterparts around the country. There was a wave of student union construction following World War I; these gothic-inspired buildings opened on campuses in the early 1920s as a monument to men and women from these universities who had fought and died in that war.

Pond and Pond, the architectural firm commissioned to build the Purdue Memorial Union, also built student unions in the 1920s at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Kansas.

The Purdue Memorial Union opened its doors in 1924. Shops, restaurants and even a bowling alley, along with offices for student services, are all housed in the Union; the Union Club Hotel opened in 1929 when the building was completed.

The basic function of the Union has not, and will not change, says Zane Reif, senior director of the Purdue Memorial Union. But some intentional rebranding has been worked into the renovations.

“We didn’t have any kind of homage to Purdue,” Reif says. “You didn’t walk in and feel like you were at Purdue.”

The $47 million project was funded in part by a gift from Bruce White, an alumnus and founder of White Lodging, a hotel property management group. An additional gift comes from the Dean and Barbara White Foundation.

The first phase of the project, which includes a renovation of the Union Club Hotel, wrapped up in August. The hotel, whose rooms had felt a little tired and dated, has reopened and now sports an updated, more boutique feel. With 182 rooms, it’s still the largest hotel in Tippecanoe County, says Reif, despite losing about 10 rooms as the space was reconfigured.

The lobby, with its new skylight, has a more open and airy feel about it. With select Purdue-themed memorabilia on the walls, the connection to Purdue is much more evident. All guest rooms have been updated; the fitness center was enlarged and reconfigured. A new lobby bar and a hidden patio add to the amenities guests will enjoy.

And, of course, the hotel is a learning lab, as students in the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program take advantage of the real-life experience of seeing an actual hotel in operation.

Epicureans will delight in the new restaurant, 8Eleven Modern Bistro — the name is yet another Purdue reference, paying tribute to two of NASA’s programs, Gemini 8 and Apollo 11. The upscale menu features an eclectic mix of American dishes with French touches, along with farm-inspired cocktails and local craft beers. And the chef’s kitchen is on display, with large windows allowing visitors to watch food preparation in a space that doubles as a training ground for students.

Bundled with the Boiler Up Bar, which features a bourbon room and signature cocktails, guests will not have far to go to relax at the end of the day.

Inside the rest of the Union, changes are in store. Pappy’s Sweet Shop and the 1869 Tap Room are closed and will not return in those locations, though parts of Pappy’s will return in a different configuration in the Union. 

Some shops and restaurants are moving around. When the food court reopens, it will not feature your typical student union fast food, says Reif. Instead, 11 new concepts are coming, with Asian, Latin and European influences. Included is Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, co-owned by Drew Brees, the first appearance of that eatery in a student union, as well as a dining option operated by Scott Trzaskus, Purdue graduate and owner of East End Grill in downtown Lafayette. 

The main floor of the Union will be updated and restored. But the building will retain its original character and remain true to the architecture, Reif says. 

“It will have a traditional feel, but a modern traditional feel,” he says. “We’re returning as much original stuff as we can.”

The Purdue branding will continue, he says, and the historic arch motif, visible in the windows and also incorporated into the design of much original furniture — some of it still in use — will also remain. 

Terraces are being built along State Street, on the south side of the Union; doors will open from inside, giving the area a trendy yet traditional feel. This will increase space for outdoor activities, making the Union much more of a destination for locals, Reif says. 

Inside, the space will be modernized. Technology will be updated; there will be better restroom placement, including family and gender inclusive restrooms. 

“We will maintain the best traditions of the building while including modern technology,” says Reif.

The project is slated to be complete by January of 2022, Reif says. When the building reopens, visitors will see the same Memorial Union they have come to know and love. But they will see it slightly updated and modernized. It will be more user-friendly to all visitors — more accessible, more welcoming. It will be the perfect space for students and the community alike. And above all, it will have its own identity, Reif says.

BY KEN THOMPSON

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

In a region that has more than its share of locally owned restaurants competing with national chains, it should be no surprise that Greater Lafayette has a mixture of long-time favorite donut shops, two others on the way to earning that status and a newcomer that is growing its clientele.

Mary Lou Donuts

Mary Lou Donuts opened for business in 1961, but the only thing about it that feels close to its age is its mid-century modern A-frame building on South Fourth Street.

That’s because owner Jeff Waldon is always thinking about the future while making the most of the present. What did Waldon see when he purchased Mary Lou’s in 2017?

“That it could be bigger than that little A-frame on Fourth Street,” says Waldon, a former teacher and Lafayette Jeff girls basketball coach. “The people who came before me – Mary Lou Graves, Keith Cochran and especially Brian Freed, who spent 37 years of his life there – 27 years as owner, 10 as a worker. They made that place. All we needed to do was not screw that up.”

Waldon and his son, Courtney, made sure of that by sticking to what makes Mary Lou’s so popular. They make their own glaze, whipped cream filling and icing. 

“It’s a fresher product,” Waldon says. “The more you can make it like home-made, the better it’s going to be.”

COVID-19 affected Mary Lou’s like it has virtually every business in the United States. Closing time is now at 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Mary Lou’s is closed Sundays, and that will remain in effect even when the pandemic guidelines are rolled back.

Mary Lou’s counter remains closed but the drive-thru is doing good business. Even the regulars have found a way to enjoy their coffee and donuts.

“I used to have a 9 o’clock group, a 10:30 group and I had my 1 o’clock guys, motorcycle riders who would come by and eat every day,” Waldon says. “My 4 o’clock group that was there until we closed, and we usually had to kick them out at 5, now some of those people are coming in the morning and sitting in their lawn chairs in the parking lot.”

One of Waldon’s innovations – the food truck – also has been mostly sidelined by COVID-19. The good news is he’s getting ready to roll it back out this fall in smaller communities.

When the food truck hits the road, demand will be high for Mary Lou’s apple fritter.

“It’s the best one ever, anywhere,” Waldon says. “No one makes one like it anywhere.”

Like elsewhere across the country, the glazed yeast donut is popular. So is Mary Lou’s blueberry cake donut. Waldon looks forward to when he can reopen the front doors so he can sell more iced sugar cookies and cut-out iced cookies. Waldon boasts of having sold 15,000 cut-out cookies at Christmas.

“We just started doing blueberry muffins, chocolate, chocolate chip and banana nut chocolate chip,” he says. “Not everybody loves donuts and when you get something for the family, we want to make sure everybody gets something.”

Mary Lou’s will get a boost when the Big Ten Network airs its third season of “Campus Eats.” The production team spent the weekend of Sept. 12 at Mary Lou’s.

If Waldon gets the chance, here’s the message he’d like to send to Big Ten country.

“Wherever you came from, you probably had a favorite donut. And if it’s unfortunate enough to have been one of the big chain donuts, you really missed out. If you have a favorite hometown donut, you are going to go to (Mary Lou’s) and you’re going to forget about all those other places. The thing about our product—and I hear it over and over and over again—is that people will say I’ve never had another donut like this anywhere. The taste, the texture, the size of donut I get, the quality and the price, it’s ridiculous.”

O’Rear’s

This mainstay of downtown Lafayette has been around since the 1920s when William O’Rear opened the bakery. O’Rear’s moved to its current location, 312 N. Ninth St., in 1957.

Greg and Judy Lintner have owned O’Rear’s since 2005, coming from a family that owned a bakery in Rensselaer for 47 years.

“When we came from Rensselaer … we were more of a breakfast roll and cake bakery but we did everything: cookies, brownies, pies,” Greg Lintner says. “You name it, we did it, just like here. The only difference is we do a few rolls compared to a ton of rolls we did in Rensselaer. We are more of a pastry shop with all our cookies, cupcakes and brownies. I like it a lot better.”

Lintner admits that competing with the likes of Mary Lou and Corlew Donuts is difficult since donuts are “90-some percent of their business.”

“Whereas when you come in here you see just a few pans of donuts we make,” he says. “Sometimes what’s so frustrating is you make six or seven pans and sell three. The next day you sell them out and customers ask where are your donuts.

“My mother and father told me from the get-go when I first got into the business, if you can figure out the American public, you have done something that we have not done yet. You don’t know from one day to the next who is coming through that door.”

When customers do come in to O’Rear’s, they ask for pastries, cupcakes, cut-out cookies and regular cookies. Two big sellers are the butter stars and tea cookies.

“Judy makes those two or three times a week,” Lintner says. “She’ll always tell me, ‘You’re not going to believe this but we have to make tea cookies again.’ Just to show you the difference between Rensselaer and here: the red star cookies that we do are a staple here. In Rensselaer, it was strictly a holiday cookie. 

In addition to closing six days a week at 1 p.m. (O’Rear’s is closed on Mondays), COVID-19 has affected business. With the churches being closed in the early days of the pandemic due to Indiana’s stay-at-home mandate, Sundays were no longer one of O’Rear’s most profitable days. 

But a couple of positives did come out of the COVID-19 regulations. 

“Since coming back now, our cakes are even fresher than they used to be,” Lintner says. “Now we make smaller batches, so they are even fresher and more moist.”

O’Rear’s also changed the way it displays its baked goods. 

“One good thing that’s immensely helped is everything is now packaged,” Lintner explains. “Whereas before people almost frowned on the fact that it was packaged. They wanted it from the pan, open aired. Now our shelf life has doubled or tripled because it stays fresher longer.”

Hammer Donuts

The West Lafayette bakery gets the word out to Purdue University students and the public about its product mostly through social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Owner Michael Cho, who started working at Hammer Donuts as a manager, says marketing was a lot easier before COVID-19 sent most of his clientele packing from Purdue housing.

“We lost a few orders due to the impact of this pandemic. We used to have weekly standing orders from a few churches and wedding orders from time to time. However, we are fortunate that we still have the order from Circle K convenience stores, which can keep our business running,” he says. 

The seven Circle K Stores in West Lafayette are now the only places to buy Hammer donuts. The pandemic forced Hammer to alter its sales from retail to a store-to-store business.

Cho believes in the potential for Hammer Donuts’ growth, so much so that he says he decided to take a risk and take over when the previous owner, a partner of Discount Den, was selling it.

Popular items include filled donuts, glazed yeast donuts and cereal topping donuts.

“We are a local business and we try our best to keep everything local,” Cho says. “Our employees are mostly Purdue students. Almost all of them are inexperienced and for many of them, this was their first job. We taught and trained them how to make donuts from scratch.

“We often support student events by donating free donuts. We are a new and growing company, but we are always trying our best to give back to our community.”

Mama Ines Mexican Bakery

Rosa Cornejo is one of 10 children raised by Maria Ines Cornejo in the small village of Salazares Tlatenango in Zacatecas, Mexico.

There, Rosa Cornejo developed her personal philosophy of “everyone else’s ‘can’t’ is my “I can.’”

After moving to Lafayette and establishing herself in the community, Cornejo likely heard people saying “she can’t” when opening the bakery named after her mother. 

What those doubters didn’t realize was that the decision to open a bakery was not made lightly. Rosa and her sister, Livier Alvarez, saw many Mexican restaurants in Greater Lafayette but not many bakers that were serving Mexican bread. That’s as much a staple in the Latino diet as donuts are to Americans.

From a modest beginning, a 1,000-square-foot location on Greenbush Street and Sagamore Parkway, Mama Ines made the big leap into an 11,000-square-foot building in 2014, once occupied by Ryan’s Grill, Buffet and Bakery.

Mama Ines’ authentic holiday Mexican fare of Day of the Dead bread and Sugar Skulls drew attention from the PBS show “A Few Great Bakeries” in 2015. In 2016, Cornejo was cited by the state of Indiana as the Latino Business Owner of the Year.

In addition to Mexican Sweet Bread, the bakery’s most popular items are tamales and burritos, cakes, flan and specialty desserts, cookies, fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Mama Ines also is proud of its wedding cakes, made with only fresh, all-natural ingredients.

Corlew Donut Co.

The apple fritter is also a popular item on the menu at Corlew Donut Co., which has been in business since 1999.

Debbie and Tom Corlew were among the first to see the potential for business along what is now Veterans Memorial Parkway. They’ve been rewarded with a loyal following that indulges in cinnamon rolls, tiger tails, cream-filled bismarcks and blueberry cake donuts.

Corlew Donut Co. is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 11 a.m.

BY JANE MCLAUGHLIN ANDERSON

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

The U.S. Census predicts that the world population will grow to more than nine million people by 2050. To keep up with the growing demand for food with fewer farmers and shrinking farmland acreage, it is estimated that agricultural production will need to double in the ensuing years. Smart farming is not only a good idea; it is imperative. Precision agriculture is the answer to become more efficient, productive, sustainable and affordable to both producers and consumers. Technological advances continue to evolve in agriculture, from fertilizer and irrigation systems, soil mapping and more efficient farm machinery, GPS systems and programmable tractors, to drones and genetic seed engineering. Necessity is the mother of innovation. 

Inari is a privately held company founded in 2016 by Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences innovation firm. Headquartered outside of Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Inari’s goal is to use genetic technology and computational tools to generate step-change products for independent seed companies and, ultimately, farmers. Its business is to provide the best parent seed through gene editing to independent seed companies who, in turn, can create hybrids or varieties for farmers. Inari’s product development center of excellence at the Purdue Research Park was established in November of 2018 and is the world’s first Seed Foundry.

Gene editing is different from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in that it does not necessarily introduce foreign genes into the seed. Targeted gene editing using the diversity of a plant species’ genome can enable farmers to select specific crop varieties that have features to enhance production. 

Since agriculture is a critical industry, Inari continued working during COVID-19. It made recommended social distancing accommodations in labs and the office, but research and development continued. “If anything, COVID-19 reinforced the need for more products to feed the world; products which are better for the environment in terms of being more efficient in their water or fertilizer intake,” says CEO Ponsi Trivisvavet. “We are fortunate to serve during this period of time.” 

“Our seed foundry approach is unique to Inari,” Trivisvavet says. “We start with a computational algorithm to gain genetic knowledge. The second step is gene-editing, and the third step is creating the parent seed that we will provide to independent seed companies. The deep knowledge from the very start gives us a continuous feedback loop from the lab and greenhouse to the field. Together with advanced genomic tools, this allows us to cut down the development time by 70 percent, and the economic costs down 90 percent.” 

This process shortens the time for product development by about two-thirds as compared to traditional breeding products that can take about 10 years to commercialize, saving both time and money. The goal is to give independent seed companies, and ultimately farmers, a way to maximize yield and profit with products that are friendlier to the environment by designing them to be less dependent on fertilizer and water. 

Inari’s expansion to the Midwest was intentional to be closer to the corn and soybean belt. It did a broad search and ultimately chose West Lafayette because of its proximity to Purdue University regarding collaborations with other scientists, technology groups and talent pools. Inari started with 26,000 square feet of space and in one year increased its footprint to about 80,000 square feet, with a greenhouse at Purdue Research Park, plus 80 acres of prime farmland in West Lafayette with two additional greenhouses. Corn, soybeans and wheat are the focus now, with other crops within its sights in the future. 

Hoosiers may not realize that these staple crops provide products that are essential for everyday life, way beyond corn syrup, tofu and bread. Components within the corn plant are found in baby food, beer, bricks, cleansers, coated aspirin, cosmetics, diapers, gas and oil, glues, hand soap, jelly beans, matches, paint and varnish, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, tires, Windex and whiskey. 

Soybean components are found in AstroTurf, paintballs, candles, chewing gum, crayons (1 acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons!), fire logs, ink and wood stain. Wheat components are found in adhesives, beer, cosmetics, hair conditioners, liquid laundry detergents, moisturizers, paper and particle board. Life in America depends on these versatile plants.

The whole process begins in Cambridge with computerized models of the plant’s genetic code. Through computational design, it can go through generations of breeding in minutes. Through technology, it can make changes in the genome. What started on the computer is then created in the lab, then taken to the field for more testing and research. The West Lafayette facility specializes in making precise changes in the plant genome in the lab and regenerating those plants to test in the field. Information is continuously fed back into the process to inform the best changes to make the plant exhibit the desired characteristics that are valuable to farmers. This method significantly speeds up the traditional plant breeding process because farmers don’t have to wait a season to gain knowledge. 

Inari has a third facility in Ghent, Belgium, that specializes in plant research. It is closely affiliated with Ghent University and the VIB life sciences research institute. Altogether, the company employs 160 people. The West Lafayette location has 70 employees and anticipates hiring more in the next three to five years. Inari is a female-friendly company with a female CEO, Trivisvavet, and a balanced leadership team. 

“We are grateful to Purdue President Mitch Daniels and Dean of Agriculture Karen Plaut for their support,” Trivisvavet says. “They have been very helpful, as has the entire community.” Inari hosts Purdue graduate courses for tours and career discussions and science-focused open houses at one of its Purdue Research Park facilities. On their own time, several Inari employees go to local schools to share science and technology with kindergarteners through high schoolers. Inari’s goal is not just to occupy space in the region but also to be an integrated, contributing part of the community. 

“I am very excited about the Inari employees in West Lafayette, their experience, commitment and desire to make an impact in agriculture,” says Trivisvavet.  “I’m extremely encouraged by the positive people committed to the company, the industry, and the community.”

BY CINDY GERLACH

Everyone loves eating out. Perhaps your ideal evening is sitting down to fine dining, with candles and linen napkins, a fine bottle of wine; maybe you like to be perched on a stool across from your favorite bartender, chatting with other regulars. Or maybe your idea of a fun night out is grabbing hamburgers or pizza with the kids. However you do it, it’s a treat to have someone else mix your drink or prepare your dinner and have it brought to your table, served with a friendly smile. 

And suddenly, in March, it all stopped. Under orders designed to help contain the spread of COVID-19, restaurants around the state were forced to close to dine-in customers, relegated only to carry-out. Restaurants quickly had to adapt and change. Now, as they slowly reopen their dining rooms to customers, what does that mean? What changes have they had to make? And what does the future look like? 

Bistro 501 

The popular restaurant on the corner of Main and Fifth streets in downtown Lafayette is not necessarily known for its carry-out menu, though it’s always been an option, says Theresa Buckley who, with sister, Cheyenne, and mother, Mary, owns and operates the restaurant. 

Most people, says Buckley, choose the Bistro for its atmosphere and service. But when forced to shut its doors, having done carry-out, they were quickly able to adapt.

“We had to adjust what we were offering so it would travel well,” she says. They focused on a menu with entrées that would look appetizing when people opened the box. 

Menu changes were made; staff members who had been servers were suddenly delivering meals — anything people could do to get hours. 

Flexibility has been important. In general, Buckley says, they try to be as green as possible and not order a lot of disposable products. But with the carry-out model, they had to change. And change again and again, as food shortages might mean ingredients were not available, or a particular carry-out box or bag was suddenly not available through their suppliers. 

They used the opportunity to unveil the Bistro Market, allowing customers to purchase specialty food items through the store, including dairy and eggs, bakery and breads, produce, butcher and fresh seafood, meal kits, pantry items (dried beans and pasta, deli items) and even household items such as hand sanitizer and paper products. It was an idea they’d been mulling, Buckley says, but with the shutdown, it seemed like an opportune time to try it. Yet it brought up its own issues, as many of the items purchased arrive in bulk, so plans had to be made for repackaging. 

Following a deep cleaning, when the restaurant reopened in June, Buckley had to oversee a number of changes in protocol. The restaurant created a safety promise to its customers and implemented some changes, including one door for entry and a separate door for exits; all restroom doors have foot openers. Customers must have reservations. Employees are screened for their health every day and will be wearing masks, even in the kitchen. Tables are six feet apart, and parties must be six or fewer. Water service will be different, and salt and pepper will not be on the table. 

Buckley is doing everything she can to keep the restaurant safe for both customers and her staff. She knows how much regulars miss sitting at the bar, but that reopening will have to wait until it’s approved. 

It’s an unpredictable time, says Buckley, as she juggles the already challenging job of day-to-day restaurant business with the extra hurdles of life during a pandemic. Like many people, she has had difficulty getting the proper personal protective equipment needed for her employees. And she is sensitive to the needs of people struggling with anxiety and depression during these difficult days. 

The restaurant’s bottom line has suffered, she says; with no Purdue graduation weekend or Mother’s Day brunch, Bistro lost business. With no downtown events, they know their revenues will be down. Ordinarily Bistro would have had its annual Lobster Bake and jazz Thursdays — sadly, not this year. 

“We have a high ratio of high-risk guests,” she says. “It’s a lot to manage, and we’re trying to do so super-respectfully of our staff. We’re not comfortable taking risks with others’ health.”

Folie

Across the street at Folie, Hallie Gorup and her husband, John, were monitoring the situation long before many locals, as John is a local physician and their daughter was studying in Italy last spring. They were tuned in to what was happening with the novel coronavirus; thus, even before the state mandated closures, the Gorups had decided to shut Folie’s doors for a time.

“We were paying more attention than the average person,” Hallie Gorup says. “We decided the respectful thing to do would be to shut down temporarily.”

Many of their staff members are Purdue students, so when the university closed, they left, meaning Folie did not have to deal with layoffs. 

As they pivoted to a take-out model, they dealt with many of the same issues Bistro did, as they tried to adapt a menu that is based on presentation, on a plate, to a box. The menu was scaled way back, and they used the opportunity to experiment with the menu; knowing that volume was down, if food items weren’t a big hit, they had not made quite the investment.

“It’s been a nice challenge for the chef,” Gorup says, as he would try out his creativity with different entrées. “Sometimes it was robust, sometimes it was nothing.” 

When restrictions were lifted to offer wine as a carryout option, that helped boost the bottom line as well, Gorup says. 

As the restaurant reopened, Gorup says the transition back was not too difficult.

“We were never a crowded restaurant,” she says. “And we have a small kitchen staff, which allows for better distancing.” 

Folie has made accommodations to meet the guidelines, which means no bar seating and not filling the restaurant. And while there is a lot more cleaning, Gorup points out that they were already meeting those sanitation standards anyway. Staff members were already washing their hands frequently, and the sanitizing was already happening. Now they’re just more cognizant. 

“Our biggest challenge is not being able to seat parties of six or larger,” she says. “But we’re more than happy to comply. You have to be a part of the solution.”

While the restaurant is not yet overflowing with business, they do have groups come in, pleased that there is someplace to go for a special celebration or an evening out. And they are weathering the storm. Summer has always been a slower time, and there is uncertainty about when large-scale entertaining will be back in full force.

“‘Recovery’ is a generous word right now,” Gorup says. “But I’m not complaining.”

Christos, The Bryant, Red Seven and Café Literato

For the Christos hospitality group, adding extra hygiene standards is just par for the course, says owner Manny Papadogiannis. 

“For us, all the pieces were there — washing hands for 20 seconds, sanitizing surfaces,” he says. “Those are all in the health department guidelines.”

The restaurants have merely upped the work they were already doing. They’ve added hooks to bathroom doors, enabling customers to open them using their wrists; employees are wearing facial coverings. 

Papadogiannis says they’re adhering to the county health department guidelines. But they are also tapping into other resources.  

Customers are encouraged to use apps for reservations or to get their names on a wait list — available through the restaurant websites. 

“Everybody has to step up their game,” he says. “You want to be safe wherever you go.”

Papadogiannis points out that, for all the worries about restaurants, they are much cleaner than other places. In a big box store, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people go through each day. Restaurants have much lighter traffic and they are cleaning so much more often. 

“If you compare the number of staff and customers we have coming in, we can do that with that ratio,” he says. 

“It’s a little bit of an adjustment. But you do what you need to do to get through this. It’s going to take a while. It’s going to be a very long road for the restaurant industry.”

La Scala

La Scala used to be known for its farm-fresh food and Italian fare in its historic downtown Lafayette locale.

But that was before. It closed the doors on its dining room right before the shutdown. 

Owner Kirsten Serrano found herself reeling, trying to figure out what to do as the business she and her husband, Paco, opened 21 years ago was shuttered.

The couple’s first response was to found Community Comfort, a plan to feed the community — because, Serrano says, that’s what she does. With donations, they fed between 1,200 and 1,300 people in one week.

“It was a lot,” she says. They were working around the clock.

But what was next?

“I literally just sat with a pencil and paper one day, and thought, what can we do?” she says. “We have all these assets — a community kitchen, a farm, experience.”

And the answer came to her — not out of pessimism, but out of realism. Because she does not see herself reopening La Scala before the time feels rights. 

Hence, she developed Good to Go, a meal subscription service. It is modeled after many other meal-kit services, except with this one, it’s not just ingredients, but food that is chef-prepared, ready to serve. 

“Our stuff is cooked, it’s ready to go,” she says. “It’s farm-fresh food; we prepare it and deliver it to your door.”

Good to Go is delivered on Thursdays. Depending on your plan, you’ll get entrees, sides, dessert, and an extra surprise — local products, extra produce from the farm or promotions.

As the service grows, they’ll be able to bring back more of their employees. It’s satisfying, Serrano says. Because, after all, feeding people is what she does best. And this venture? It’s helping La Scala stay afloat.

“We’re building a model that can survive a pandemic.” 

Revolution Barbeque

Opening a new restaurant is challenging enough. If your grand opening was scheduled for March 2020? Well, it’s tough to open a new business when the entire country is shutting down. 

But Revolution Barbeque has simply rolled with the punches, says Debbie McGregor. They just turned the opening into more of a soft opening. 

“It didn’t stop us!” she says. 

McGregor runs the new restaurant — an off-shoot, if you will, of Revolution Bakery on Fifth Street — with her daughter, Sarah McGregor Ray (the creative force, her mother says) and her son, Jonathan. Her husband, Geoff, a contractor, has helped with the remodeling of the restaurant on Main Street. It’s a true family endeavor. 

The restaurant was already set up for fast-casual dining, says McGregor. So take-out food was easy enough to accommodate. 

Because they ended up rolling out their business a little slower than they had planned, it allowed them to defer some remodeling in the dining room. And when they did open, they had rearranged the space, removing some tables to factor in distancing requirements.

“Not many people are able to reconstruct their whole dining room,” McGregor says. 

Like all restaurants, they’ve paid attention to hygiene and sanitation standards. But of course, she says, they would have anyway.

“You are cleaning all the time; you’re always washing your hands,” she says. “We always wore gloves.” They just added a few extra steps, such as how they take items to and from the table. 

And, sadly, they had to put away the cute napkin holders they had purchased for the tables — they’ll have to make their debut at a later date. 

McGregor knows that for some people, dining out is still filled with some unease. But she is anxious to make everyone’s experience as painless as possible. For people worried about the exchange of cash or touching a screen to sign for a credit card transaction, she will meet people where they are, at their level of comfort. 

Customers who were already regulars at the bakery had been eagerly anticipating the opening of the new barbeque place, McGregor says. And they’ve all been very supportive. From a promotion through Greater Lafayette Commerce promoting purchasing of restaurant gift cards to generous tips from customers, McGregor has felt embraced by the city.

“It has been working,” she says. “We’ve had good support from the community.”

As restaurants work to keep their doors open, anxious to serve their customers, Gorup says she hopes people will stop and realize how vital these businesses are to the lifeblood of Lafayette.

“They live in the community and they’ve always been very giving. When people need donations, restaurants are on the front lines, the first asked,” Gorup says. “I do hope there is better recognition and support for the restaurant community.”

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

Sporting stained concrete floors, exposed brick, glass-walled conference rooms, and a mixture of bar stools and table seating, MatchBOX Coworking Studio is, as its website says, a “coffee shop mashed up with an office park in an old garage.” It’s also a cross between an open office rental space, a maker studio and a business incubator, all designed to grow Greater Lafayette’s entrepreneurial economy.

Launched in 2014 in an old car repair shop west of downtown Lafayette’s Tippecanoe County Public Library, MBX boasts 11,000 square feet with reserved and open office spaces, conference rooms and a lot of support for its members, including training and networking opportunities. 

“MBX offers a pretty unique vibe and environment for our members,” says Amanda Findlay, MatchBOX managing director. “We also offer members access to the MBX Maker LAB, with laser cutters, 3D printers, and tools and kits for making, prototyping and small-scale manufacturing.”

MatchBOX has evolved over the last six years, says Jason Tennenhouse, executive director. “When we opened the doors, we didn’t know if anyone would come, so at the beginning we were just trying to cast a wide net and educate and survive — classic startup style,” Tennenhouse says. “We have been increasing our acceleration work and productivity steadily since then, and doing some pretty amazing things I think a lot of people don’t realize are happening in Lafayette.”

Making key connections

MBX may still be a best-kept secret among some locals, but not Kirsten Serrano, who co-owns La Scala Italian Restaurant in downtown Lafayette and joined the studio three years ago. “I needed to have a place where I could concentrate on finishing school – nutrition – and do some political advocacy work,” says Serrano, who was pursuing a degree from Bauman College at the time. 

As part of her internship, Serrano conducted a series of nutrition workshops in MatchBOX conference rooms. After graduation, she began seeing clients in the facility. Since then, her nutrition business, Small Wonder Food, has expanded beyond consultations. In 2018, she launched the Food Smarts podcast with local marketing strategist Amie Mullikin. In mid-2020, she published the book “Eat to Your Advantage.” 

MBX has been instrumental in that growth, Serrano says. 

“I have made many key connections at MatchBOX, from my podcast partner to my book publisher and even the person who built my new membership site. I have also attended many great workshops and learning events,” she says. “The staff is just incredible. Every one of them has inspired me or connected me in some way or another.”

A place for quirky misfits

Seasoned entrepreneur Mikel Berger says that MatchBOX is the kind of place that he wished had existed when he started his first company, DelMar Software Development. “I worked from home at first, and it felt like a big leap to sign a one-year or multi-year lease, especially when I occasionally needed another office,” says Berger, a co-founder of MBX. 

Berger’s latest project is Little Engine Ventures, a private investment partnership he started in 2016 with fellow MBX member Daryl Starr. 

Starr, the founder and former CEO of an agricultural company, joined the coworking studio before it officially opened. While Little Engine Ventures has a private office a few blocks away, both men retain memberships at MBX. 

“My membership at MatchBOX has secured several partnerships during the founding phase of Little Engine Ventures. As many members can attest, an invite to meet a prospective person at MatchBOX has a cool factor that makes working with a scrappy startup somewhat less crazy, and more fun,” he says. 

Starr describes MBX members as “quirky and great.” Berger echoes those thoughts, adding, “We at MatchBOX like to think of ourselves as the right kind of misfits. We’re like the junk drawer of economic development projects. Isn’t all the cool stuff that you don’t exactly know where to put in your junk drawer?”

Integrating into Greater Lafayette

Indianapolis transplant Polly Barks says that MatchBOX helped her integrate into Greater Lafayette when she moved here in 2017. Barks, who had launched the website PollyBarks.com while living in Indy, was in the early stages of developing a zero-waste education and consulting business. After taking a five-week course for new and pivoting entrepreneurs, she joined the studio. She now supplements her freelance income as part-time marketing manager for MBX. 

“Doing 100 percent freelance work meant I was constantly at home — too often that meant I was unfocused, and to be honest, probably watching YouTube videos. It was really nice to have a space so I could separate my work life from my home life,” Barks says. “I also really enjoyed the workshops since I could learn — for free — from other members or outside speakers.”

Two other newcomers to Lafayette, Tyler Knochel and Steven Sauder, participated in the first iteration of MBX’s Acceleration Program. Now, they use their MatchBOX membership for meeting with clients of their web development and digital strategy business, HustleFish. 

“The ability to meet with clients in a professional space instead of at a coffee shop or our living room — we wouldn’t do that — is invaluable to us. Beyond that, the community has been huge,” Knochel says. “We’ve been able to do better work thanks to MatchBOX, we’ve gotten new clients thanks to MatchBOX, we’ve clarified our business model thanks to MatchBOX, we’ve been more creative and had better ideas thanks to MatchBOX, we’ve drunk gallons and gallons of coffee thanks to MatchBOX. We have benefited from MatchBOX in so many ways, but ultimately the most important thing MatchBOX provides is community.” 

Supporting businesses in what’s next

Much like the Great Recession of 2008, which sparked the coworking movement in the United States, the first half of 2020 has already been a time of economic upheaval. Findlay notes that some MBX members have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including restaurateurs and professionals who rely on in-person instruction. To respond, MatchBOX staff have added educational programs on concepts such as pivoting and product expansion.

They’ve also shifted to online instructional models. In early March, when cities and states began issuing stay-at-home orders, MBX staff decided to take their Entrepreneur Development Acceleration program online and open applications to participants across the state. The program yielded a record number of applicants, which Findlay attributes to layoffs, furloughs and uncertainty in the job market. The 12-week Venture Development summer acceleration program also was offered online this year.

“Times of crisis and uncertainty are ripe for innovation. When 9 to 5 jobs are threatened by furloughs, or the future of certain industries are unknown, or consumer behaviors shift significantly, people tend to embrace their entrepreneurial ideas or freelancing talents a bit more,” Findlay says. 

“Greater Lafayette will need coworking communities, workshops and acceleration programming now more than ever. Small businesses will need community support, new founders will need guidance. I think MatchBOX is positioned to be a valuable resource for our members and our community businesses as we move forward. We’re really focused on being there for them, for supporting them in what’s next.”

BY CINDY GERLACH

If you think downtown Lafayette is looking picturesque these days, then you’ve been watching its evolution. Over the past decades, while the downtown had its share of charm, sidewalks were looking as if they needed an update, a little tweaking to enhance the ambience. 

Rejuvenating Main Street, a streetscaping program that has been underway for more than 15 years, continues this summer, improving sidewalks, adding gathering places downtown and planting trees.

It’s a beautification project that not only makes the downtown scene more attractive, but it is a boon to business as well. 

Plans for this project date back as far as the late 1970s, says Dennis Carson, economic development director for the City of Lafayette. Funding was made available in the mid-2000s; the first phase of the plan was rolled out in 2005.

So why the need to change the look of downtown? For decades, when people lived and worked near the downtown, it was the major shopping and business center, with retail shops lining the streets, anchored by the Courthouse, with restaurants and movie theaters. It was the shopping and business district. 

The feel of downtown Lafayette began to shift and change in the 1960s and ’70s, as it did in downtowns throughout the United States. With widespread use of the automobile and people moving farther away from the city center into more suburban neighborhoods, a shift occurred. By the 1980s, many businesses had fled to Market Square or the Tippecanoe Mall; single-screen movie theaters — places like the Long Center and the old Mars Theatre — had been abandoned in favor of larger multiplexes. 

Downtowns were in danger. 

But, Carson says, Lafayette’s downtown fared much better than those of other, similar-sized cities.

“Fortunately, even in that time, there was a lot of interest in downtown,” he says. Along with the Courthouse, many law firms and banks remained, as well as the newspaper and other government offices.

So the city took the lead, focusing on historic preservation. Much of the downtown consisted of buildings dating back to the first half of the 20th century, and the city wanted to preserve that architecture, knowing its value. 

“One of the early efforts was historic preservation, to establish the historic district,” says Carson. “They really tried to preserve the architecture we have. We lost some, too, but we’ve been able to preserve a lot.”

But the need went beyond historic preservation and into safety. The sidewalks were so old that many had the WPA stamps, dating them back to the 1930s.

“It got to a point where not only did we need to do it for aesthetics, but there were several safety and ADA issues,” Carson says. 

Thus the streetscape plan for downtown was meant to enhance the district on several fronts.  Clearly, part of the goal was simply to beautify downtown. Sidewalks have been widened, and the corners are larger, with benches added, making it easier for people to gather. 

And with wider sidewalks, downtown restaurants were able to take advantage and add more outdoor dining space. 

Bike racks encourage people to use other methods of transportation. And public art installations add visual interest.

If you’ve walked through downtown, you’ve seen the improvements. These all make downtown more accessible to people with a specific destination or those who just want to walk and browse, soaking up the small-town yet big-city aesthetic. 

“One thing we really want to improve on is the pedestrian experience,” Carson says. “So they don’t park, go into the shop, then get in their car and leave. We want to encourage people to walk the downtown as much as possible.” 

For summer 2020, the project expands to upper Main Street, between 10th and 11th streets. Both sides of 10th Street, from Main north to Ferry, will see the widened sidewalks, striping and tree installation. The next phase will see the same improvements on the south side of Main Street between 10th and 11th, as well as 11th Street between Main and Ferry. The final phase, wrapping up at the end of September, will take the project south on both sides of 10th Street to Columbia. 

The project is paid for through Tax Increment Financing, or TIF districts. Business owners have been asked to contribute to a portion of the project in front of their buildings. 

“There was a little apprehension at first,” Carson says. “But once it was done, everyone was really pleased.”

The energy and enthusiasm associated with downtown has increased over the past few years, with urban living opportunities and more retail and restaurants than ever, says Carson. 

Over time, that value will continue to increase. With the variety of arts and culture opportunities, the festivals, and more shopping and dining 

options, people will continue to see and enjoy the revitalization of the streetscape project. 

“It’s really transformed Main Street,” Carson says. “We’ve gotten a lot of comments; it’s been pretty well received. Over time we’ll see increased property values. It helps, helps maintain these historic structures. It’s been a fun thing and it’s been well received.”

For details on the project, visit lafayettedowntownisopen.com.

While there are about 20 dog grooming businesses in the area, some newer ones focus on strengthening the human/animal bond or providing services such as doggy day care and spa experiences. 

Paul Whitehurst, owner of Pooch Palace Resort, had an epiphany in 2016 when his beloved German shepherd Zoey passed away.

“She was my kid. She was everything to me,” says Whitehurst. “When she passed away … I was at a crossroads. For a long time I’d had this idea in my head to provide an upscale pet resort. I wanted to target other owners who are true pet parents.”

After 18 years in the corporate world, Whitehurst decided to pursue his dream,  and in 2017 on the first anniversary of Zoey’s passing, he opened the first Pooch Palace Resort on Beck Lane in Lafayette. The business was so successful that in February he opened a second location on Sagamore Parkway in West Lafayette. While ruefully acknowledging that opening a new business during a pandemic is not the best idea, Whitehurst says many customers are grateful that the waiting lists for grooming and boarding are shorter. 

Pooch Palace offers grooming, boarding, daycare and training. Dogs boarded there stay in private “hotel” rooms equipped with toddler beds and a television tuned to DogTV. The dogs get five potty breaks each day and absent owners can check in on, and even talk to, their pets through a private Webcam accessed through their phones. 

The business also offers grooming and full or half-day care where dogs play in groups either indoors or out. The outdoor play park features a synthetic turf called Pup-Grass specifically designed for dogs. That means your pet will never come home muddy, Whitehurst says.

The business closed for a while as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up, but it reopened with limited hours and services in April, and then more fully in May. Whitehurst hopes to be back to full capacity by August.

He affirms that one of the reasons his business has been so successful is pet owners are more invested in their furry friends than ever before. But a disruptive family member can bring chaos and tension into a home, so training and understanding is key to living harmoniously with a pet.

That’s where Julie Shaw and her business, Stepping Stone Animal Training, comes in. Shaw has spent her professional career focusing on animal behavior and is one of only 16 board-certified veterinary behavior technicians in the country. After spending many years in private practice and teaching Purdue vet students, Shaw became convinced that dog owners needed help understanding their pet’s behavior and learning how to work with the animal.

“Animal behavior is very complex,” Shaw says. “If owners get the information (they need) early on, it makes a big difference. We are not just treating the dog, but helping the owner understand the world through the dog’s eyes.”

Stepping Stone, located on Teal Road in Lafayette, is dedicated to strengthening and protecting the human-animal bond. To that end, the business offers programs lasting between four and  eight weeks for puppies and older dogs. Puppy classes focus on training the littlest fur balls to be calm, happy and emotionally healthy pets. Small class sizes and academy-educated trainers also help older dogs that need to learn socialization skills and manners.

“All dogs have their own quirkiness and individual challenges,” says Shaw. “We encourage what is positive in them and help identify what behaviors they need to work on.”

Shaw emphasizes that the programs are not daycare, but provide a very structured environment in which the dogs are always learning, while still being allowed to be dogs. 

Lafayette resident Diana Cavanaugh took her Bernese mountain dog, Jojo, to Stepping Stone in 2017, when the puppy was about three months old. The experience was a good one for the entire family and helped them work together and be consistent with Jojo’s training.

“It was great because we were able to get the entire family involved and everyone was on the same page when it came to training,” Cavanaugh says. “The team that worked with us was very knowledgeable and patient.”

While some of Stepping Stone’s services have been curtailed because of the pandemic, the company’s virtual services have taken off, Shaw says. She offers group, puppy and adult classes online that include videos, reading assignments and virtual check-ins each week. 

Shaw is concerned about the many families that have adopted dogs during the pandemic and been home with little structure or opportunity for the pet to be in different situations.  When school and regular work schedules resume and the house is empty, those dogs will likely have problems, she says, adding that puppies need to be socialized in their first eight to 14 weeks. In the spring, Stepping Stone began hosting pandemic puppy parties for dogs 16-weeks and younger. Once a week, the pups come to Stepping Stone for supervised play and interaction with new people and other puppies. Owners can watch the fun on their phones.

Shaw takes an holistic approach to each dog’s welfare, assessing both the animal’s physical and mental health. Some dogs have chemical imbalances in their brains and need medication, so understanding each dog’s behavior is critical, she says.

That holistic approach also informs grooming at Stepping Stone. Shaw calls the service fear-free grooming, and dogs are trained to cooperate with the groomer so that the experience is less stressful. For example, dogs are allowed to jump off the grooming table and come back when they’re ready. Each one receives a report card with suggestions for the owner of behaviors to work on.

“We are the first in the country to offer this,” she says. “You pay more because we are using behavior modification. Pain can be a factor in grooming so we are constantly grading them on their emotional and physical health.”

And another local business is training groomers in Shaw’s methods. Kerri Wagner, owner of Bark Avenue Day Spa on Britt Farm Road in Lafayette, and her staff of five worked with Stepping Stone to better understand animal behavior.

“(All dogs) teach us something,” Wagner says. “I believe all of the dogs that are scared and unable to be groomed … have taught us that dogs really do learn and react to everything so differently than us. Stepping Stone Animal Training has really helped us learn this and is teaching us how to help all the animals with their behavior.”

Bark Avenue groomers don’t usually cage dogs coming in for a bath and a haircut. Open-top kennels are used if necessary; otherwise dogs are together in the grooming room. And if Bark Avenue can’t effectively help a dog that comes in, Wagner sends that dog to a Stepping Stone groomer who helps with behavior modification.

And the word “spa” in the company name is not hyperbole. Pet parents can choose for their furry family member a variety of luxury experiences, including mud baths, blueberry facials with a mini face massage and hot oil treatments. If you live in Lafayette or West Lafayette, a groomer also will pick up your pooch from home and bring the freshly coiffed critter back at the end of the work day.

Good training and behavior bring many positives to dogs and owners alike, but some dog owners face the additional challenge of not having a fenced yard or much time for long walks. For those with high-energy animals, a trip to a dog park may be a real treat.

Dog parks give owners the chance to exercise their dogs and provide socialization with other pets and their humans, says Tracy Walder, director of operations for the Dog Park Association of Greater Lafayette. The non-profit oversees Shamrock Dog Park on Sanford Street near Lafayette’s Wabash River. The facility is supported by the Lafayette Parks Department.

“Shamrock Dog Park provides a secure off-leash area for dogs to interact and release energy,” says Walder.  “Poor dog behavior is often a result of poor socialization and pent-up energy. The dog park helps owners satisfy the needs of their dogs. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog.”

The facility requires a paid membership and has an extensive list of regulations designed to keep dogs and their owners safe and happy. Dogs must be healthy and up-to-date with vaccinations. Members receive a key fob that allows them into the park.

Shamrock Dog Park enjoys good support from some local veterinarians, who help with fund-raising events and provide information about vaccinations and health issues. Two vets write monthly articles for the member Facebook page and volunteer during special events, Walder says. The volunteer board also appreciates the working relationship they have with Buckles Feed Depot and Pet Supplies Plus, Lafayette companies that support the park’s work.

Walder, who owns CritterSitters (an in-home pet care service) and is a founding member of the park, says overall the members are a close-knit community, working to make their relationships with their dogs a healthy part of their lives. 

“Most people are a little apprehensive about the first time letting their dog off leash in the park, and it is rewarding to see other members assure them that it will be just fine,” she says. “Our members find that their dogs are aware when they are headed to the park and are happy to interact with other dogs. People can socialize over a shared interest and also have a sounding board when there are questions about behavior, health, veterinarian or daycare choices.”

Sarah Huber has been going to the park since she moved to Lafayette in 2016 with her dog Hazel. Hazel has since passed away, but now Sarah goes almost every day with her goldendoodles, Juniper and Ike. 

“I look forward to going to the dog park as much as my dogs!” Huber says. “Walking them on leashes, even long walks, doesn’t tire them out. They are running and playing the entire time (at the park) and it brings me such joy to see them both run in big circles across the field and play with other dogs. They just seem the happiest and their best selves at the park. Both can barely contain themselves as we pull up to the park each day.”

And there are other perks. Huber wanted her pets to be comfortable around other dogs and people, so the park gives opportunities for Ike and Juniper to have new experiences. She’s made friends there and says going is a great way to either start the day or decompress after work. 

“I am as happy as the dogs,” she says. “The members are great. When you go, there’s no pressure to talk to people. You can do your own thing, but if you want to chat, it’s a great group of people.”

Huber’s advice to a pet parent who has never used a dog park is to evaluate your own pet’s behavior and take it slow. If you don’t know how your dog might react to other dogs off leash, first try one of the fields that don’t have many dogs. There are fenced areas for big and small dogs, and the park offers a day pass and occasional free play days. Those dates and other information about rules and requirements can be found on the park’s website.

The park closed for more than eight weeks when the pandemic hit, but it opened again toward the end of May. To help ensure safety, communal toys and water containers have been removed and soap has been added at the water stations. Members are asked to abide by social distancing rules, wear masks and bring their own hand sanitizer.

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

Street food in the United States dates back to the late 17th century, when vendors in East Coast cities began selling meals from carts and street kitchens. In the ensuing 300-plus years, food-truck offerings have grown from 19th century chuckwagons to 20th century ice cream trucks and hot dog carts and now to 21st century gourmet restaurants on wheels. 

Today, in towns like Greater Lafayette, a growing number of food trucks can satisfy all but the pickiest of eaters. Here, we feature six vendors along with a more comprehensive list for your culinary journey. Check each website for details.

EMT Food Truck

emtfoodtruck.com

Amber Davis grew up during what she calls the “quick food era, where most of what we consumed involved cans of cream of … boxes or jars of … frozen microwaveable things … powdery mixes of who knows what.” Thankfully, she learned where food really came from by picking vegetables and collecting eggs at her grandmother’s rural home. Now, since 2012, Davis’ EMT (Emergency Munchie Technicians) Food Truck has tended to locals’ homegrown food needs with gourmet vegetarian and vegan menu items, including salads, waffle sandwiches and lemonades crafted from homemade simple syrup and fresh pureed fruit. If you want to kick it up a notch, try the Mac Nugget Poppers, dusted in panko crumbs and fried. “I think mac and cheese is something everyone can get down with,” Davis says. Some menu items are gluten-free. Visit the truck at the West Lafayette Farmers Market, Brokerage Brewing Company and various Greater Lafayette neighborhoods.

Famous Frank’s

facebook.com/famousfranksPU

On most Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights during Purdue University’s academic year, around the corner from the line at Harry’s Chocolate Shop, you’ll find hungry college students waiting to feast on triple-layered grilled cheese, wonton wraps and other fried goodies that pair well with beer. Begun in 1995 as a push-cart business, Famous Frank’s first sold hot dogs, Polish sausages and Bratwurst outside the original Von’s Comic Book Shop. By 2005, owner Frank Farmer had acquired his first food truck, equipped with a fryer for expanding his offerings. Later, while cooking for hungry college men at a local fraternity, Farmer created his own version of Fat Sandwiches, which he describes as “some sort of concoction of mozzarella sticks, fries, steak and sauces all on a hoagie.” For people wanting a gluten-free and vegan option, Frank’s sells falafel wraps from a local restaurant.

The Guac Box

facebook.com/guacbox765  |  wherestheguac.com

Avocadoes seem to be one of those foods that you either love or hate. But even if you’re firmly entrenched in the latter group, you should find plenty to savor at the Guac Box. It’s owned by chef Matt Bestich, who tested his recipes at a Purdue fraternity before purchasing a truck “fully loaded and ready to go” in 2018. Bestich’s truck specializes in modern Tex-Mex tacos named after friends and family, including the Kelly, a taco with creamy queso and crispy shoestring potatoes, and the Nick, with street corn, cotija cheese and guac. All tacos can be made gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan; the chips – which you can get with hand-smashed guacamole – are made from gluten-free corn tortillas. Currently, the truck parks regularly at Brokerage Brewing Company and has been visiting local neighborhoods during the pandemic. “Food trucks are the original curbside service,” Bestich says. 

Gypsy Joe Coffee Shop

facebook.com/gypsyjoecoffeeshop  |  instagram.com/gypsyjoecoffeeshop

Working in a coffee shop years ago, Ashley Huff dreamed of opening up her own place where she could serve brewed drinks with a side of positivity. In 2019, when a deal fell through on a building she had her eye on, Huff decided to take her idea mobile. The aptly named Gypsy Joe Coffee Shop sells brewed coffee, lattes, chai tea, lemonade and freshly brewed iced tea. Sugar-free syrups and non-dairy milks such as soy and almond also are available. Unlike most coffeehouse social media accounts, Huff doesn’t post much about coffee at all, preferring instead to infuse her followers’ feeds with words and photos of affirmation. “You will find daily posts from my heart, so if I can’t reach you with coffee, I hope at least that starts your day off right,” she says. For some joe to go, visit her regularly on State Road 43 just outside Battle Ground.

Puritan Coney Island Express 

facebook.com/puritanconeyislandexpress

Gary Dowell has loved coney dogs since he was a child. Back then, while riding shotgun in his dad’s fuel truck, Dowell would disembark downtown at Lou’s Puritan Coney Island to pick up lunch while his father drove around the block. Later, when he was working at a local gravel pit, Dowell spent his winter months helping out at Main Street Coney, which had acquired the Puritan recipe. When that establishment closed, the owner gave Dowell the recipe for the savory sauce made of hamburger and several spices, which he used to open a food truck business in 2019. A café at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana followed in 2020. While coney dogs made with the 75-year-old recipe are still a specialty, nacho supremes are the number one seller. Customers needing a gluten-friendly option can ask for a hot dog without the bun. 

RTB Chefs

facebook.com/rtbfoodtruck  |  rtbchefs.com

Mac and cheese with pulled pork or brisket? Why not. For smoked-meat foodies – especially those who like to wash down their meals with a pint of local beer – RTB Chefs routinely parks next to Brokerage Brewing Company, selling sandwiches, wraps and salads, most with smoked meat. Owned and operated by Jordan and Krissy Mirick, the business, which launched three years ago, grew out of a catering company in Illinois. “Chef Jordan has worked in a variety of restaurants from high-end fine dining to a local bar and grill,” the couple says. “We always enjoyed creating food to bring people together.” The truck, which also can be found at Murphy’s USA gas station on Veterans Memorial Parkway, has some vegan and vegetarian options. The meats are gluten-free without barbeque sauce. 

Looking for more variety?

Here are some other food trucks in the area:

• Fat Bottom Donuts: facebook.com/fatbottomdonuts
• Frosty Freeze Food Truck: facebook.com/frostyfreezenovelties
• Grilled Chicken and Rice: ordergcr.com
• Igloo On The Go: igloofrozencustard.com
• Kona Ice of Tippecanoe County: facebook.com/konaiceofmidwestindiana 
• L Kora Fastfood: facebook.com/lkora.fastfood 
• Mitchell’s Mexican Food Truck: facebook.com/MitchellsMex
• Porky’s BBQ – Food Trailer: facebook.com/porkysbbqtrailer
• Smolder BBQ: smolderbbq.com 
• Tick Tock Tavern Food Truck: facebook.com/TickTockFoodTruck 

WoJo’s & MoJo’s Grilled Cheese & More, LLC: facebook.com/WoJo-MoJos-Grilled-Cheese-More

BY HANNAH HARPER

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

When Lafayette native Brittany Whitenack started making candles in her spare time, she had no idea that in five years, she would be the founder and CEO of a thriving company on the verge of expansion. In fact, she didn’t even anticipate having more than five employees. But with support from the community (in person and online) and a lot of hard work, Antique Candle Co. has grown to 34 employees who develop, market, make and ship candles all over the United States and Canada.

A graduate of McCutcheon High School and the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University, Whitenack has always loved candles. 

“I would always buy a candle when I went to the grocery store,” she says. 

As a young professional, she bought a $100 candle-making kit as a creative outlet and admits that her first few batches of candles weren’t quite the high-quality products she sells today. “It’s as much a science as an art,” she explains. “I just kept making them and getting better and better.” 

Once she had honed her candle-making skills, she used the business skills she’d learned at Purdue to create a five-year plan for a company; she reached her five-year goal in just over two years. 

“I didn’t plan on all the growth,” Whitenack says. “It just happened. We kept hiring the right people.” 

Due to exponential growth, Antique Candle Co. will be moving to a new facility, hopefully by the beginning of 2021. The company’s new home will be located at 1611 Schuyler Avenue in Lafayette in an old dairy factory built in 1950. At 10,000 square feet, the building is ideal for manufacturing and will provide Antique Candle Co. with a proper loading dock, air conditioning in the warehouse and office space. The $1 million renovations are scheduled to begin as soon as all permits are approved. 

“This new home for the business — right here in Lafayette — will be the very first space that’s all ours, built just for us with everything we need so we can continue to grow in the town we love,” says Jaycie Tierney, brand manager for Antique Candle Co. 

Tierney began as a part-time candle maker while still a student at Purdue. Her part-time job became a full-time job after graduation, and she now has the opportunity to use her degree working for a company she loves. 

“It has been a blessing to grow with this company and work with some of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever had the pleasure to be friends with,” she says. 

“This journey has made me fully understand the importance of supporting small businesses and the hardworking individuals behind the scenes.”

According to Whitenack, the employees at Antique Candle Co. are a constant source of the company’s success. 

“Every single employee here, maybe their job isn’t to make candles, but they know how to make a candle,” she says.  “They know the process. They know the product in and out. This helps with customer experience, social media, all marketing.”

One of Whitenack’s long-time employees is customer service specialist Ed McQuinn. 

“I was Brittany’s first employee, so I have seen us manually stamping a few labels, and making candles on a stove, all the way to where we are now making thousands of candles every day,” he says. 

The thousands of soy candles are each imprinted with a label that says “Made in Lafayette, IN” and include scents such as clean cotton, lavender vanilla, momma’s kitchen and many seasonal scents, including tree farm and pineapple coconut. Antique Candle Co. candles are sold in 400 retail locations in the United States and Canada, including The Homestead in West Lafayette. 

Now entering its sixth year, Antique Candle Co. has seen much success through wholesale and retail business.   

When looking toward the future, McQuinn says he “can’t wait to see what we will do in regards to wholesale, and branching into other markets.” 

Whitenack also attributes a large part of the company’s growth to e-commerce and direct marketing through social media platforms. Antique Candle Co. has a robust Instagram presence where employees post to stories at least 10 times a day to help build relationships with customers. 

“As an e-commerce business and a small business, creating those relationships is so important when we can’t always see everyone face-to-face,” Tierney says. “Despite not meeting most of them in person, many friends get to know our team as individuals through Instagram and other social media.”

And the company treats the relationships they build with candle friends, their customers and social media followers, like those they have with friends they know in their personal lives. 

“At Antique Candle Co., we cherish our community so much and always have their interests in our hearts,” explains Tierney. “Without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

The relational approach to business seems to correlate with Antique Candle Co.’s growth. According to Whitenack, the company has seen the most e-commerce growth in the years where their followers have grown on social media. 

“Our social media is engaging and genuine,” she says. 

Even as many retailers have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Antique Candle Co. has remained true to the value it places on taking care of employees by paying employees throughout the pandemic. The company makes sure that paying employees well is factored into its business plan. 

“I always knew I wanted to pay our employees well,” says Whitenack. “Paying good employees well creates a higher quality product and better work environment.” 

That work environment is something Whitenack and Antique Candle Co. employees hold in high regard.  

“The best part of owning a business is cultivating a work culture that I would want to work in,” she says. 

As Antique Candle Co. prepares to renovate and eventually move into its new space, it will continue to value its employees, customers and quality in its products as the business grows and shines light on the members of the Lafayette community who work hard and find joy in sharing their candle-making talents.

BY CINDY GERLACH

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE PETKOV

Sure, Isaac Childres played some board games as a kid — who didn’t? He may have played games like Sorry or Clue. He even has memories of playing some of these games by himself.

“I have vivid memories of playing Monopoly by myself, moving all the different characters,” he recalls. 

“I was very bored as a child.”

But neither those simple activities, nor his foray into high school board games, could have foretold his future in games. 

Childres is the mastermind behind the popular board game Gloomhaven, described on the game’s official website as “Euro-inspired tactical combat in an evolving campaign.” The game involves collaboration in order to clear out dungeons and ruins in this corner of the world; the game evolves based on players’ decisions and their skills, which change as the game progresses. It has swept the market by storm, with rave reviews from users on sites such as boardgamegeek.com

It might be worth mentioning, too, that prior to designing and developing this game, Childres had another sideline as a career option; he had a few opportunities afforded him when he finished up his doctorate in physics at Purdue University. 

So where did this passion come from? Because it was not instilled in him by weekends playing Dungeons and Dragons when he was in high school, as so many teenagers do. Some kids are self-proclaimed board game nerds; Childres was not really one of those kids.

Growing up in California, Childres did play — some — but it wasn’t his primary hobby. His friends were the ones with the characters and the dice, though Childres may have managed a dungeon or two. 

“My parents were pretty conservative,” he says. “It took some convincing.”

It was during his time at Purdue that Childres became interested in role-playing games. He joined a group that met at the Purdue Memorial Union on Thursday nights, opening his eyes to this world of games.

After spending time with friends playing these sorts of games, he began to think about what it might be like to create his own game. 

“I started thinking about my ideal board game,” he says. “It started as a challenge — can I develop a board game?”

As it turns out, the short answer was yes. The product of his first attempt was a game called Forge War, which its website describes as a game where players are blacksmiths in a kingdom “rife with marauding harpies, cursed dungeons and fire-breathing dragons.” Players must gather ore from mines and create weapons, which they will use on quests. 

Childres launched a Kickstarter campaign, a crowd-funding platform that helps fund creative projects. The game took a fair amount of work — perhaps more work than he had first imagined, as it went through several iterations. It took lots of preparation, and he realized at one point that he would need to hire out the art and design work.  

“How hard can cards be?” he laughs now, recalling his mindset when he started — before he brought in the pros.  

And yet, in the meantime, he still finished his doctorate, knowing that he might not end up using that degree. But he also knew it was something to fall back on. 

“My philosophy was this is going to be a degree that says that I’m smart,” he says; he knew he could always find a job if he needed to. 

When he ventured out with that first attempt into game design, he knew it was a risk. But he wanted to give it a try. He and his wife had that difficult conversation. His first game netted a profit, but not enough to live on.

“Let’s do this for a year, see if I can be successful at it,” he told her. “Then I kind of hit the lottery and came out with the perfect game at the perfect time.”

Board games are nothing new; evidence of prehistoric board games predate the written word. Some games come and go; others — games like Clue, Yahtzee, Monopoly and Risk — have been around for the better part of the last century. These mass-market games are widely popular and commercially successful, available in every big box store. 

But thousands of board games are released each year to more niche markets. These games often require hours to play and have elaborate, complex rules and procedures. Dungeons and Dragons was one of the early examples of these role-playing games, popular among teenagers ever since. 

More complex games, adventures that take five to six hours to play, have become more commercially successful over the past several years; the popularity of mass-market games like Catan and its offshoots show that the market is not yet saturated.

Yet dig deeper, and there are dozens of possibilities, games with elaborate set-ups and back stories. 

“Sometimes you feel like you are in your own secret society,” Childres says. 

After his first attempt, he decided to try again. The result was Gloomhaven, a board game that has been met with glowing reviews. The goal, Childres says, was to create a game that was self-contained, one where users would not have to continually purchase expansion packs in order to continue playing. 

“I don’t like that business model, kind of nickel and diming your customers,” he says. 

The first Kickstarter raised $400,000; his second Kickstarter, three years ago, raised $4 million in just 30 minutes. Clearly, Childres was onto something.

“It’s been a lot more successful than I ever anticipated.”

In the meantime, he lives a quiet life in his Lafayette home with his wife, who is finishing up her degree in creative writing at Purdue. He is working on several other ideas for board games, playing with ideas, seeing what comes of them. 

Childres has been known to pop into Merlin’s Beard, a local shop for board game aficionados, and he still visits the Thursday night group at the Union. These days, the group is made up of mostly Purdue students, with few of his friends still in town. But that’s OK, he says; the group will change, with new people coming and going. 

As will he. When his wife finishes her degree, Childres suspects they, too, will move on from Lafayette. They’ll find a new place to call home, and he’ll find another board gaming group. 

For now, he is pleased with the success of Gloomhaven, happy that he can take his hobby, his passion, and share them with others. 

“It’s been the best job I could imagine,” he says. “I can’t imagine a better fit for me, doing something I love.”

BY RADONNA FIORINI

PHOTOS PROVIDED

They build the roads. They construct the houses. They care for the elderly. They put out fires. They keep your car running. They are the thousands of Tippecanoe County residents who make a living in industry and trade professions, and there is a growing need for more of them.

Current economic drivers make it critical for the community to attract and keep carpenters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers and others in the construction and building trades, says Stephen Snyder, president of the Tippecanoe Building Trades Council, which represents 17 trade associations and unions in nine central Indiana counties.

And many students are suited for careers in such fields as culinary arts, information technology or nursing that require technical training or certification, but they may not be aware of the available options, says Miranda Hutcheson, director of Career and Technical Education at the new Greater Lafayette Career Academy. 

Trades and technical jobs are plentiful and critical to any community’s economic health and Snyder and Hutcheson’s organizations, in cooperation with others, are creating opportunities for students to explore different career paths and have hands-on experience by the time they graduate from high school. 

Some students want to get first-hand experience before committing to a university program, and others want to get into the work force as soon as possible, says Hutcheson. Apprenticeships through the trades council and classes and training through the career academy provide those opportunities, and come at a critical time.

A “perfect storm” of circumstances has led to the current need and cooperative push to interest students in such careers, Snyder says: 

• The population is aging, and many skilled professionals such as plumbers, roofers and sheet metal workers are retiring.

• The construction market is hot and in need of skilled workers.

• Families and students are increasingly concerned about the cost of a college education and paying back student loans. 

“A lot of parents, students and high school counselors are excited about our apprenticeship programs that will lead to a good job without a mountain of debt,” says Snyder. Students willing to work hard can complete a three- or four-year apprenticeship and get a job that pays a living wage, allowing them to buy a home and raise a family.

And students can get a leg up on an undergraduate degree by taking college-level courses for free through the career academy while still in high school, says Hutcheson. She estimates that college-bound students in some fields can save from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 in university tuition costs, and the academy allows students to explore different careers before committing to a course of study after high school.

The first phase of the academy opened last August in the former Lafayette Life Insurance building on South 18th Street in Lafayette. Indiana has long been home to such career centers, and local educators and industry representatives talked about opening one for several years. The pieces fell into place when the building became available and all three county school districts decided to work together to get it up and running, Hutcheson says. Snyder sits on the advisory board of the career academy, as do a number of other local industry partners who help review community needs and determine what programs are offered.

There are 187 students from four local public high schools currently enrolled in half-day academy programs. These juniors and seniors attend regular classes at their schools in the morning and are bused to the academy each afternoon for specialized training. Training in health science, auto service technology, cosmetology, engineering/manufacturing, communications and TV/radio, construction/architecture, culinary arts, information technology, education and public safety currently is offered. 

Some also are placed in the community and get hands-on training with local businesses in such areas as civil engineering, electrical contracting, clinical positions and building and contracting. While the academy is developing lab space for technical training, community partners provide a number of valuable resources, Hutcheson says. For example, students interested in firefighting are able to use the county fire training facility.

“These kids are my trailblazers,” says Hutcheson. “Scheduling is a challenge, but these students can pick up 17 dual credits and three industry certifications,” through the academy before leaving high school. 

Lamont Johnson and Tucker Bogue are two of those trailblazers. Both 18 and seniors at West Lafayette High School, the young men will graduate in May with a high school diploma and a Certified Nursing Assistant certificate, after passing the state certification test. They hope to continue their education and become physical therapists.

“I knew I wanted to help people since I was little,” Johnson says. “I found out about this from my school counselor who knew what I wanted to do in college. Tucker and I have similar passions.”

Bogue became interested in physical therapy after suffering a series of knee injuries playing basketball in junior and senior high and going through rehab. 

“I was 100 percent sure what I wanted to do with my life, but (the academy program) boosted my confidence and ignited what was already there,” says Bogue. “Taking these courses in high school gives you a different outlook earlier in life.”

As part of the program, Johnson, Bogue and more than 25 other students interested in health sciences spend several hours a week at the Indiana Veterans Home. They help the residents with small tasks, visit with them and help out in other ways. They also are learning about the different areas of service at the home, such as the pharmacy and rehabilitation programs. 

“I would never have spent this much time with older people otherwise,” Johnson says. “I’m really learning to respect them and getting to know their unique personalities. We’re helping people who served our country.”

Going to the academy has meant some sacrifice for these young men. While they still have morning classes at WLHS, each afternoon is spent at the academy or the Veterans Home, and they miss eating lunch with friends and hanging out after school.

“But the trade-off is worth it,” says Bogue. “If you have any hunch about what you want to do (after high school) just act on it. I recommend it to anyone interested in these courses.”

The Tippecanoe Building Trades Council also is committed to encouraging the exploration of a career in the trades, says Snyder. Last summer the council and 10 professional trade associations sponsored a free, multi-week summer construction camp for anyone 14 and older. 

Each day participants worked alongside a skilled professional on such tasks as operating heavy equipment, laying brick, welding, finishing cement, installing drywall and painting. Some students signed up for multiple weeks and explored a number of careers. Free lunch and appropriate protective gear is provided, as well. The expo will be offered again this June and July. 

The council also cooperates with local agencies such as the United Way of Greater Lafayette, Greater Lafayette Commerce and Region 4 Work Force Development Board. The promotion of 14 apprenticeship programs offered by area trade associations and unions also is a priority. Those apprenticeship classes are accredited by Ivy Tech Community College and taught at local facilities designed for the specific trade. 

“We have first-rate training facilities for these three- to four-year apprenticeships that include benefits,” and hands-on training, says Snyder. “No one wants to talk about working hard and doing anything but getting a college degree, meanwhile the infrastructure is crumbling. We provide the practical end of things,” he says, adding that without skilled trades and construction workers, a community’s roads will fall into disrepair, new homes won’t be built, buildings will not be maintained and the tools required to keep a community thriving will be missing. 

The council is committed to help train a competent, drug-free, skilled, local workforce to Tippecanoe County businesses and to encourage those professional trades people to be actively involved in community life, Snyder says. 

Josh Kiger, who owns a small home renovation company with his wife, Sarah, agrees that the availability of reliable workers is critical to his success. The Kigers opened New View two years ago and specialize in window, door and garage door installation and repair, and general home renovation. While Josh Kiger had experience in those areas before starting the company, he and Sarah obtained some certifications to make sure they could offer their customers the best service possible. 

The family-owned company employs two people in the winter when demand slows down and five people as the weather warms and outdoor work picks up. The Kigers emphasize clear communication with each of their clients and work to maintain a good relationship throughout each project, Josh Kiger says. But finding quality employees has been a challenge.

“It’s been really difficult,” he says. “Even finding people who are teachable has been hard. We can teach anyone if they’re willing, if they’ll make themselves presentable. Really we’re looking for the simple things.”

Such concerns have been voiced by other business owners, says Hutcheson, and local educators are offering a new certification program to help students learn life skills that will help lead to success in any career.

The Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate (GWEC) program is a state initiative run by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, says Jay Davis, assistant director/career counselor at the Greater Lafayette Career Academy. 

The program, open to all juniors and seniors, began in Tippecanoe County last fall and more than 320 students signed up. A trial run of the program in 2018-19 yielded 45 students who earned the GWEC, he says. Students must become competent in nine academic and work-related areas. Some are subjective — such as persistence, respectfulness and dependability. Some are objective — such as grade point average, few disciplinary issues and meeting all graduation requirements. Students also must complete six hours of community service.

“The GWEC looks great on resumes and job applications and can increase (a student’s) chance of getting job interviews and job opportunities,” Davis says.

The program’s stated goals include:

 • Providing students with an understanding of necessary skills that will help make them employable for in-demand jobs and giving them opportunities to demonstrate those skills while in high school.

• Providing local employers with potential workers who understand the values and importance of responsibility and perseverance in the workplace.

A community advisory council collaborates with local school districts to maintain the program and reward students who obtain the certificate. For example, cooperating businesses might guarantee job interviews to students with the certificate or provide an incentive such as professional mentoring and possible reimbursement of college tuition, according to the program website. 

“The response from the community has been positive to this point,” says Davis. “I believe a realistic goal would be to eventually involve as many as 100 community partners for the GWEC program in Tippecanoe County.”

Interested in any of these programs or opportunities? Learn more at:
• Work Ethic Certificate: glcareeracademy.com/work-ethic-certification
• Greater Lafayette Career Academy: glcareeracademy.com
• Tippecanoe Building Trades Council: unionsbuilditbetter.com
• New View: newview-gdw.com

BY KARIS PRESSLER

The United States Census, the once every 10-year count of those living in the U.S. and its territories, was first taken in 1790.  Now, 230 years later, local leaders are working feverishly to help Greater Lafayette understand that the Census can impact everything from what buildings will be built, to what roads will be repaired, and what resources could be made available to our community over the next 10 years and beyond.

“The things that come out of those 10 questions is amazing,” says Cindy Murray, Lafayette city clerk.  Murray has been meeting with civic groups, organizations and businesses for months helping community members realize how simple and painless participating in the Census can be.

The goal of the 2020 Census according to the U.S. Census Bureau is “to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place.”  Starting this spring, the 2020 Census questionnaire will ask who was living in a home, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, along with the age, sex, ethnicity, and race of everyone identified.  This demographic information will then be used to determine how much federal funding can be allocated to help build and maintain infrastructure and is also used to calculate the number of Congressional seats for each state.

“When a new manufacturer or industry wants to come to our community, they definitely look at the Census to see the demographics, and what our economy is, and the type of folks that are here.  And so, the Census plays a huge role.  It develops our community,” Murray says.

Jeff Zeh, chief operating officer for IU Health Arnett, says that accurate Census data are essential in providing quality healthcare throughout the region since “the Census is the best way for us to have an understanding of the population we serve.”

Zeh explains that knowing demographics related to age, race and ethnicity is important so healthcare professionals can, for instance, actively work to decrease the high rate of pregnancy-related deaths among black women, and effectively treat lupus, a chronic condition that is more common among Asian and Hispanic women compared to non-Hispanic white women.

Census data are also linked to a community’s emergency response resources, as Murray learned when a local Census representative told her that while visiting a rural fire station, a resident shared, “You know, if it weren’t for the Census, we wouldn’t have gotten the federal money to build this firehouse.”

Murray sees the Census’s impact everywhere, even when driving around town.  “People don’t know that they’re actually driving on roads that the Census helped us get the money for,” she says, citing the current construction on Twyckenham Boulevard as an example.  “There’s $675 billion out there that can go to communities, and that can be spent on schools, fire trucks, infrastructure, transportation … And so it is important for people to be counted.”

Jos Holman, the librarian for the Tippecanoe County Public Library, appreciates the Census’s long reach over the past, present and future.  As a librarian, he values the Census for its ability to paint an accurate portrait of America over time but also knows the immediate impact that federal funding can have on a library’s resources, specifically within rural communities.

“Were it not for the Census, smaller rural libraries would not be able to do some of the things that they want to do by way of technology, and technological resources, and services to their community,” he says.

“The hardest part is getting folks to not be afraid,” says Murray, when reflecting on people’s reluctance to participate in the Census.  Although information reported to the Census must by law remain confidential, it remains difficult to convince everyone to participate.

“It’s not unusual for people who are poorer, people of color, and children to be undercounted,” explains Holman.  He continues, “People of color who are in lower economic situations, they’re reluctant to share information … If I’m living in poverty, (taking the Census) is not high on my priority list.  It’s not.  It’s about my next meal, it’s about taking care of my kids, it’s about keeping my job, it’s about paying my rent.”

For this reason, Holman and Murray are collaborating with area organizations such as the YWCA and Greater Lafayette Commerce (GLC) to organize and sponsor events that can teach the public why participating in the Census is vital to the community’s success and its future.  At these events Census workers will also be present to help attendees fill out and submit their household’s Census form.

“It’s not a difficult process,” explains Sana Booker, West Lafayette city clerk.  “It’s not hard to do if we can get people to see the meaning of it … I think one of the things that the Census has not been very good at in the past is explaining why they are important.”

Murray agrees, and she has noticed a shift in how the Census has engaged with the public.  In 2010, Census marketing materials – cups, pens, and bags emblazoned with the Census logo – inundated Murray’s office.  But this time around, Murray appreciates how the Census has focused on making print and online materials available that clearly explain the Census’s purpose and impact.  The Census Bureau also has invested in making the questionnaire more accessible.  This year, for the first time, Census forms can be submitted either online, by mail or by phone.  The questionnaire also will be available in 13 languages.

Murray is passionate about the Census’s direct connection to Greater Lafayette’s future.  “It’s important that everybody participates no matter your age, your race, or ethnicity, your financial status … Because those numbers do count.”

When Booker, a woman of color, holds up a 2020 Census pamphlet and looks at it, she breaks into a wide smile then declares with a hint of awe, “I see me … for the first time.”  On its cover, the pamphlet showcases a kaleidoscope of skin color.  “This feels personal,” she says.

The addition of various skin tones on the Census’s promotional materials is one indicator of how far inclusion in this country has come.

“African Americans were often uncounted because they were not considered human.  And so, when I think about the Census today, and in my lifetime, I should say, it was important to know who was present.  And we were, but we were treated as invisible people.  So, it is important on a very personal level to me that all people are counted.  All people.”  Booker pauses before continuing.  “Everybody counts, every person has a story, and we all have a message.”

The GLC Diversity Roundtable has selected the motto “We all count” for its upcoming community-wide event that will aim to raise awareness and boost Census 2020 responses.  Holman, who’s been a member of the Diversity Roundtable for 17 years, says that this event will celebrate the connection we all have to each other by living in the same geographic region.  “We believe that if we can bring people together based on a Census event … where we do some hands-on things, but we also do some basic education, that is an opportunity to…allow people to join together, to bond,” he says.

“We are not counting things,” Booker shares with conviction when anticipating the impact that the 2020 Census will have on the community.  “We are counting human lives that matter, who are the reason why education matters, the reason why hospitals matter, these are things that serve people.”  And for this reason Booker hopes that everyone will participate in the 2020 Census and celebrate their role in making Greater Lafayette a thriving community that will continue to flourish for decades to come.

Whether you prefer sourdough bread or frosting-stuffed cupcakes, vegan cheesecake or flourless chocolate tortes, Greater Lafayette bakeries offer something for nearly every taste and dietary restriction. After contacting shop owners and asking locals for recommendations — and trying some on our own — we compiled a list of some of the best baked goods around.

Flour Mill Bakery, Rossville

facebook.com/flourmillbakery

Sandra Hufford and her sister, Sheryl, started the Flour Mill Bakery in 1996 in Hufford’s house, “literally in the middle of the cornfield,” she says. While the sisters had not intended to sell donuts, word had gotten around town that a donut shop was opening, and so they added them to the menu. “Donuts have always been our biggest seller,” Hufford says. “We sell approximately 450 dozen per week.” After Hufford’s sister moved on to other ventures, Hufford sold the business in 2016, only to repurchase it three years later. At its current location on State Road 26 in Rossville, the bakery sells donuts, pies, cookies and angel food cakes, along with homemade salads, soups, espresso drinks and deli meats and cheeses. 

Gigi’s Cupcakes, Lafayette

gigiscupcakesusa.com

As a young girl in Wolcott, Indiana, Brittany Gerber loved watching her mom decorate wedding cakes and began dabbling in the art as soon as she was old enough. After attending Purdue University and working in customer service for several years, Gerber purchased the Lafayette Gigi’s franchise in 2019, where she serves up cupcakes, cakes, cookies stuffed with frosting, macarons, cheesecakes, cake truffles and miniature cupcakes. Three gluten-friendly options are on the menu every day, including the GF Triple Chocolate Torte. Custom cakes and vegan options are also available by special order. An annual sponsor of the Cupcake Run/Walk for the Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County, Gigi’s donated 1,248 cupcakes for race participants in 2019. 

Great Harvest Bread Company

greatharvestlafayette.com

Thirteen years ago, Jerry and Janet Lecy were working in a Christian non-profit organization when they decided to buy the local Great Harvest franchise. Within two years, the bakery’s sales had doubled, and the business has continued growing since then. Great Harvest specializes in made-from-scratch breads using flour that is ground in-house with a stone mill. The bakery also offers cinnamon rolls, muffins, scones, cookies and bars, along with fresh granola and sandwiches. “Most of our breads are vegan, the basic bread having five basic ingredients — fresh-milled flour, water, yeast, honey and salt,” Jerry Lecy says. All six of the couple’s children have worked at Great Harvest over the years. 

Mary Lou Donuts, Lafayette

maryloudonuts.com

Started in 1961 by Mary Lou and Steward Graves, Mary Lou Donuts changed hands several times before being purchased in 2017 by Jeff Waldon, who has seen a growth in sales and is considering expansion. The bakery specializes in donuts, cream horns, apple fritters and cookies, and also serves danishes, brownies and cupcakes. The cream horns are vegan. Mary Lou produces several thousand dozen donuts weekly, providing all the donuts for Purdue’s Universiy’s dining halls and retail locations on campus. This fall, the bakery — and its Donut Truck, which regularly visits campus — will be featured on the Big Ten Network’s program “Campus Eats.” 

Scones and Doilies, Lafayette

sconesanddoilies.com

After immigrating to the United States, Sergei Dhe and Natasha Vasili worked in the food service industry while crafting pastries and cakes on the side. In 2014, with their daughters’ encouragement, the couple launched their own business. They currently share a space with City Foods Co-op on Main Street in Lafayette. Scones and Doilies specializes in European-style baked goods using original recipes, including seasonal items such as decorated Easter cookies and Greek Easter bread. “Our goal is to share the same excitement and creativity we have for food with our community,” says Vasili. Signature items include scones, rugelach, biscotti, galettes and specialty cakes. Several gluten-free pastries are regularly available, and gluten-free cakes and vegan items can be made to order. The couple supports the International Center at Purdue University, participating in such events as 2019’s Summer Supper series. 

Smittybread, Lafayette

smittybread.com

If the name of this newish bakery sounds familiar to you, that’s on purpose: This artisanal bread shop pays homage to the old Smitty’s Foodliner, which served customers for five decades at the corner of Northwestern and Lindberg in West Lafayette before closing in 2005. As the story goes, when veteran Journal & Courier editor and reporter Dave Smith decided to turn his breadmaking hobby into a business, he received permission to use an updated version of the grocery’s logo. Ever the wordsmith, Smith gives his bread creations one-of-a-kind names like Amber Wave and Kalamata Olive Pain au Levain, and occasionally blogs on topics like friendship, travel and farmers markets. Along with breads, the shop offers a rotating selection of cinnamon rolls, croissants, Danishes and morning buns, noted on the daily schedule online. If you have your heart set on a particular goodie, however, the shop advises that you call ahead. Smittybread also serves up soups and sandwiches, including the B.E.S.T. (bacon, egg, spinach and tomato) and Farmers Market (ham, salami, provolone and veggies), all made on house-made bread.

Stone House Restaurant and Bakery, Delphi

facebook.com/stonehouserestaurantandbakerydelphi

Bacon-wrapped pastries, anyone? For the Stone House Restaurant and Bakery in Delphi, last year’s Indiana Bacon Festival was the perfect occasion for dispensing more than 800 crème-filled, maple-iced long johns covered in bacon — and that was despite the blistering hot weather. “We don’t let the heat stop us,” says owner Lisa Delaney, who opened the shop nearly 20 years ago after purchasing an existing bakery in town. On regular days, Stone House serves up more traditional offerings, such as cookies, pies and specialty brownies, many based on recipes from Delaney’s grandmother. Sugar- or dairy-free options are available with 24 hours notice. The bakery, which also offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, crafts all of its own sandwich buns, bread and rolls onsite, including its newest addition, dill pickle bread. 

Sweet Revolution Bake Shop, Lafayette

sweetrevolutionbakeshop.com

Passionate about baking since she was a child, culinary school graduate Sarah McGregor-Ray worked in the industry for more than a decade before joining forces with her brother, Jonathan, and her mom, Debbie, to launch a bakery of her own. After selling at local farmers markets and festivals, McGregor-Ray opened a brick-and-mortar bake shop in 2017 next door to the Knickerbocker Saloon. Sweet Revolution offers daily seasonal pastries, quiches and pies, baked fresh with all-natural ingredients. Gluten-free, keto and vegan options are available, including keto vanilla cheesecake, vegan and gluten-free apple cinnamon muffins and flourless chocolate torte. Customers can wash down their treats with cold brew coffee and chai tea, among other specialty drinks. 

Two Guys Catering and Bakery, Brookston and Lafayette

twoguyscateringandbakery.com

Randy Griffin and Chad McFally began their catering business by tailgating for Purdue football games, which eventually led to graduation parties and weddings and then to selling their goods at local farmers markets. When a commercial kitchen became necessary, “those two guys,” as their customers called them, began using the YWCA’s facilities. In late 2019, Griffin and McFally purchased the Klein Brot Haus Bakery in Brookston, where renovations are currently underway. Once reopened, the bakery will serve cinnamon rolls, cheesecakes, cookies, brownies and cakes along with pies and specialty breads made from original Klein Brot Haus recipes. Their specialty item is the Big Daddy, a peanut butter cookie stuffed with a brownie and a peanut butter cup and drizzled with chocolate. If you’re not so hungry, you can get the Little Mama, a smaller version of the same concoction.

BY CINDY GERLACH

For some, a visit to an international grocery store is about acquiring the proper ingredients to create authentic ethnic cuisine. Yet for others, it’s a way to feel at home. 

Jenny Hwang, manager of Hana Market in West Lafayette, says shopping at Hana Market evokes fond memories, where shoppers can be surrounded by the familiar sights and smells that remind them of home. 

“We try to carry lots of food for students,” she says. “They’re far away from home.”

The presence of Purdue University, and its population of international students – one of the highest for a major university in the country – means that grocery stores that cater to that population are plentiful. Yet the stores are also popular for people with an epicurean streak, as it’s possible to get the best possible ingredients for one’s culinary endeavors. The stores feature authentic items – some fresh, some frozen, some ready to eat – and right in your own backyard. 

ALDI

210 SAGAMORE PARKWAY, WEST LAFAYETTE
957 SAGAMORE PARKWAY, LAFAYETTE

Maybe you don’t know that shopping at Aldi is actually a German supermarket experience. This explains why you must pay a deposit, or pfand, when you pick up your shopping cart, which is refunded upon its return. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags; Aldi does have plastic bags, but customers are charged for them – another German practice. 

Aldi, a no-frills supermarket, carries standard grocery items, but many of them are European brands. Its housewares are a hit, but as regulars at Aldi know, you can’t depend on finding items from one week to the next. At Christmastime, Aldi is the best place in town to find traditional German holiday treats, such as mulled wine, or Gluhwein, and chocolate advent calendars. 

ASIA MARKET

2400 YEAGER ROAD, WEST LAFAYETTE

Asia Market caters to multiple ethnic palates. Aisles are clearly labeled, noting food items from Africa, India, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Taiwan. Fresh and frozen meats, rice in bulk, and frozen items are all available, as are spices, sauces and easy-to-prepare foods. Dishes and housewares are also available. 

BETTER WORLD MARKET

402 BROWN ST., WEST LAFAYETTE

Better World Market is hidden just off the West Lafayette levee, tucked in behind Tapawingo Park and Wabash Landing. A fairly large supermarket, it carries a variety of items that cater to its Asian clientele. The store carries a variety of vegetables, from lotus root to Japanese yams. Customers can find everything they need to cook their dishes, such as bulk rice, fresh meat and spices, or they can find easy-to-prepare ramen noodles and frozen items. 

Some toiletries also are available, with translated labels, making it friendly for those unfamiliar with English. 

The store also offers local delivery and free pick-up.  

As a bonus, there is a small restaurant hidden in the back of the store, offering authentic Chinese cuisine. 

HANA MARKET

3457 BETHEL DRIVE, WEST LAFAYETTE

From its inauspicious frontage in a strip mall, Hana Market appears to be tiny. But upon entering, it’s a large space, filled with rows of items that cater to its audience. The store is about 80 percent Korean items, says Hwang, with some Japanese and Chinese items.

It’s a haven for those far from home, Hwang says, a place where they can find familiar items – especially for students, who long for the comforts of home.

“It’s a hangout for them,” Hwang says.

The store offers a variety of grocery items – from staples for cooking to quick items, easy to heat up and prepare, which are popular with students. People can pick up snack items or their daily supplies, such as rice and kimchi. 

The market also tries to keep up with what is trendy, Hwang says, which appeals to both students and U.S. customers, who, thanks to the Internet and social media, have often heard of particular items and are anxious to try them. Currently, very spicy items are en vogue – and Hana is sure to have them. 

People often come in and ask Hwang about particular items that are trending. And she is happy to lend assistance.

“If I’m not busy and someone asks about the recipe, I can explain how to make it,” she says. 

KHYBER SUPERMARKET

237 E. STATE ST., WEST LAFAYETTE

Khyber Supermarket offers a selection of Middle Eastern items. Located near the Purdue University campus, it’s convenient for students and faculty alike. Spices are readily available, as are ingredients for many beloved Middle Eastern dishes. 

OASIS MEXICAN GROCERY

2338 SAGAMORE PARKWAY, WEST LAFAYETTE

This store, on the edge of West Lafayette, offers everything one needs to make authentic Mexican food. From beans and rice to pre-made tortillas, Mexican food lovers can find everything they need. Beverages and specialty sweets are favorites.

Other international groceries:

INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL GROCERY: 1070 SAGAMORE PARKWAY WEST, WEST LAFAYETTE

JALISCO GROCERY: 3315 MCCARTY LANE, LAFAYETTE

LA CHIQUITA: 1440 SAGAMORE PARKWAY NORTH, LAFAYETTE

LA PLAZA: 2100 VETERANS MEMORIAL PARKWAY, LAFAYETTE

LA VILLAGE FOOD MART: 208 SOUTH ST., LAFAYETTE

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SUBARU OF INDIANA AUTOMOTIVE

In 1994, Laurel, Mississippi, native Allen Hodge — who had relocated with his young bride back to her hometown of West Lafayette, Indiana — took a job at a burgeoning automotive factory on the outskirts of Dayton, Indiana. Twenty-five years later, just as Subaru of Indiana Automotive was celebrating the production of it’s 4 millionth Subaru vehicle, Allen’s son, Jon Hodge, followed in his footsteps by stepping onto the 820-acre campus for the first time as a contract worker.

“It was a combination of planning for my future and accounting for my needs at the time. I wanted a job that paid well and I could make a career out of,” says the 22-year-old Hodge, who works for CTI Personnel as a materials handler, delivering parts to the line for his fellow associates to attach to cars.

The young Hodge says that when his number comes up, SIA will transition him from a temporary job to a permanent one. That may happen sooner than he originally anticipated, given the plant’s recent announcement. In February, SIA released plans to invest $158 million in a new service parts facility and transmission assembly shop, which together will generate 350 new jobs for Greater Lafayette. Construction will begin this summer on the service parts facility, a stand-alone building, and the transmission assembly shop, an addition to the plant. “We’re proud to continue investing in Indiana,” says Scott Brand, senior vice president of administration and quality.

Ramping up production

For years now, local auto dealer and advertising icon Bob Rohrman has urged Greater Lafayette television viewers to “Buy Subaru and keep Lafayette driving.” The tagline has a lot of truth behind it: SIA is woven into the community’s fabric, churning out cars, jobs, customers and community service at a time when some automobile manufacturers are struggling to keep the lights on.

The Lafayette plant is Subaru’s only manufacturing facility outside of Asia and currently employs more than 6,000 associates, of which more than 5,000 work in production. When the plant opened in 1989, associates built the Subaru Legacy and Isuzu Pick-up. In the years that followed, SIA continued to produce Subaru models in addition to other vehicles, including the Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport and Toyota Camry.

Since June 2016, the plant has exclusively produced Subaru vehicles. Current cars rolling off the assembly line here are the Ascent, Impreza, Legacy and Outback models for North America.

SIA executives project that the plant will build 410,000 cars over the next year. Production levels, in fact, have tripled over the last 10 years, says Brand, and the announced expansion will help the company meet increased customer demand.

Loyal customers

When it comes to car buying, loyalty is key, according to the data analytics firm J.D. Power and Associates: Local drivers will return to buy or lease from the same manufacturer and will recommend the brand to friends and family members.

In the firm’s first-ever loyalty survey in 2019, Subaru ranked highest among mass market brands — and highest overall — with a loyalty rate of 61.5 percent, edging out even the highest-ranked luxury car, Lexus, which topped out at 47.6 percent.

Loyalty and popularity ratings underscore the support of local Subaru drivers like Drew Hallett, a web programmer at Purdue University who shares a Forester with his wife. “It was the best value midsize SUV and seemed to have the most spacious interior,” Hallett says of the car, which they purchased as a pre-owned vehicle.

Hallett, who recommended the Subaru Ascent to his parents when they were car-shopping recently, says he’s had “zero problems” with his SUV: “No single car can do it all, but the Forester comes close.”

For Purdue University graphic designer Sarah Anderson, who had a toddler when she purchased her Forester several years ago, safety was her top priority. “I had done a lot of research and narrowed it down to two options that I really liked,” she says. “We ended up going with the Subaru Forester because of the local reputation and resale value.”

Like many Subaru drivers, Anderson says she loves her car. “I’ve only had a couple small issues, and the team at Subaru have been fabulous to work with,” she says. “It’s a dependable car that gets my family where we want to go safely — with good gas mileage.”

When it came time for her parents to replace their SUV, Anderson convinced them to purchase an Outback. Now, she says, “They even come to Lafayette for service visits.”

Safety, Environment and Community

For safety-minded buyers like Anderson, features such as adaptive cruise control and pre-collision breaking are innovations that helped the company earn top honors in Kelley Blue Book’s most-trusted brand competition every year from 2015 to 2019. That focus on safety extends to the plant floor as well. In February, SIA was recognized with a Governor’s Workplace Safety Award from the state of Indiana for a 2019 internal awareness campaign that contributed to an 80 percent reduction in slips, trips and falls from the previous. year.

Over the past 30 years, the plant also has achieved several environmental milestones. SIA was the first U.S. auto plant to become smoke-free, earn an ISO 14001 Certification for Environmental Management, be designated as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, achieve zero landfill waste and earn an ISO 50001 Certification for Energy Management, according to Craig Koven, communications and external relations manager.

Those successes are likely routed in the strong work ethic of SIA’s employees, who undergo a stringent hiring process and rigorous training, and are governed through Kaizen, a system of continuous improvement that emphasizes personal discipline and teamwork.

Associates bring that team spirit into the community with them by volunteering with Wabash Center, the Imagination Station and other local causes. In turn, the SIA Foundation issues grants for capital projects in arts, culture, education, health and welfare in Tippecanoe County and beyond. Given that nonprofits help spur economic activity, that’s another way that SIA keeps Greater Lafayette driving.

By Angela K. Roberts.

More than a century and a half ago, when people rode their horses to town and brought baskets to hold their purchases, Greater Lafayette residents began gathering in downtown Lafayette to buy products such as cured meat and fresh fruit directly from farmers. Today, this historic downtown Lafayette Farmers Market, which has been in continuous operation since 1839, is one of our four seasonal retail marketplaces in Greater Lafayette. From bath salts to barbecue and from mushrooms to marigolds, local markets – just like the ones of the 19th century – offer farm-fresh and small-batch goodies along with the chance to meet the people who create them.

Lafayette Farmers Market

lafayettefarmersmarket.com

Fifth Street between Main & Columbia. Runs May through October, Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Organized by Greater Lafayette Commerce, the historic Lafayette Farmers Market is known primarily for its abundance of fresh produce, as well as flowers, plants, baked goods and to-go meals, along with specialty items such as wildflower honey, beer jelly, botanical bath salts, handcrafted jewelry, herbal medicinals and hand-sewn baby clothes. Bring your reusable bags and shop to the tunes of local artists playing folk, rock, country, blues and jazz. A vendor list can be found on the website, which also features a chart showing produce currently in season and a fruit-and-vegetables quiz for kids.

Purdue Farmers Market

lafayettefarmersmarket.com

Memorial Mall on the Purdue University Campus. Opens July 2.

Organized by Purdue Campus Planning and Sustainability in conjunction with Greater Lafayette Commerce, the Purdue Farmers Market features around 25 vendors each week, including the Purdue Student Farm, operated by the College of Agriculture. Pick up local fresh produce, herbs, plants, fresh-cut flowers, meat and baked items as well as prepared foods, and pick a comfortable spot to have your lunch. Through the market’s passport program, you can collect stamps when you visit market vendors and return to the Campus Planning and Sustainability booth to spin a wheel for zero-waste prizes. Email sustainability@purdue.edu or visit the market to sign up for a weekly newsletter.

West Lafayette Farmers Market

facebook.com/westlafayettefarmersmarket

Cumberland Park, 3001 N. Salisbury Street. Runs May through Octoboer, Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Nestled among the ball courts of Cumberland Park, the dog-friendly West Lafayette Farmers Market is organized by the City of West Lafayette. It features around 50 vendors each week with fresh produce, baked goods, handmade items such as soap and jewelry, food trucks and wine from two local wineries. As you shop, sip and eat, listen to live music and visit information booths, where you can learn about community happenings.

Carnahan Hall Winter Market

lafayettefarmersmarket.com

Market Square Shopping Center, 2200 Elmwood Ave., A6, Lafayette. Runs November to April.

The new indoor market, which debuted in January and is sponsored by Carnahan Hall, Greater Lafayette Commerce and Market Square Shopping Center, brings together local shopping enthusiasts with merchants in chillier months. Some vendors are scheduled for the entire season, while others are only there on select days. Collectively, they offer faux leather earrings, barbecued meat, local honey and maple syrup, herbal medicinals, custom woodworking, natural skin care products, homemade dog treats, fresh bread, organic produce, art, jewelry, cosmetics, handmade baby items and vegan cheese.

BY CINDY GERLACH
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY TIPPECANOE ARTS FEDERATION

“Grow the arts”

It’s a simple motto — and one the Tippecanoe Arts Federation undertakes with the utmost gusto.

The Tippecanoe Arts Federation (TAF) serves as a regional arts partner, one of 11 in the state. As the center of a 14-county district, TAF is the umbrella organization and helps advocate for these 14 counties, many of which are rural, providing educational opportunities in visual, literary and performing arts, outreach programs for underserved communities and underserved youth, and funding for operational expenses for fellow arts organizations in the region.

TAF dates back to 1976, when it was determined broader support for the arts locally was needed, says Tetia Lee, TAF’s executive director. In its nascent period, TAF was actually just an arts calendar, a way to list everything that was happening in one place. 

“It was a way to support other arts organizations,” Lee says. 

As its mission and vision grew, the organization changed accordingly, supporting various types of programming. TAF found its home at the Wells Memorial Library, just north of downtown on North Street; at the time, the library was transitioning out of the building. 

The current board has adopted the simple mission statement — “It’s something short and sweet that the board members can remember,” says Lee. 

“We work within that mission,” she says. “We’re allowed to be creative, to think outside the box.”

“We can play to the resources in the community really well,” says Ann Fields Monical, TAF’s chief operating officer. 

The Regional Arts Partnership is a network of 11 regions throughout the state. Under the purview of the Indiana Arts Commission, the regional partners work to enhance the delivery of arts services and to move the decision-making closer to the community and its arts consumers. Region 4, the largest geographically, serves a population of more than 525,000 and has served in this capacity since 1997. 

And it’s a huge undertaking. With such a large geographic area, needs are widely variant, Lee says. 

“Rural counties’ needs are so much different than organizations in Tippecanoe County,” she says. 

The work focuses on engagement, education and sustainability. TAF helps groups assess their needs. But how those are addressed changes. 

Because, says Lee, every community benefits from the vitality of the arts. Whether it’s arts education, public art displays or performances that draw in tourism, the arts are vital to the survival of a community. 

TAF has more than 200 arts partners. These member organizations use TAF as their hub, as these are often small groups with no physical home — or the resources to have one — so TAF provides them with meeting space, a mailing address and help with marketing and publicity. 

“The majority of our organizations are smaller, with budgets less than $25,000 who are looking to expand,” Lee says.

Member organizations range from large groups such as the Lafayette Symphony, Carnahan Hall or the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering, to much smaller, more obscure groups and many individuals. Even a group of fly fishermen.

“That doesn’t sound like the arts,” says Monical. “But they make these beautiful lures.

“That tells you how much stuff is going on. So many different groups.”

One of the ways TAF is looking to the future is by the remodeling and expansion of its physical space. The nearly century-old Wells Community Cultural Center had been showing signs of age. So TAF undertook a major restoration project — a project that was handled very deliberately and thoughtfully. The timing had to be right in terms of financing the project and finding public support. It was a process that took nearly a dozen years.

The result is a stunning interior renovation of the old library. The stacks were removed to reveal an entire back wall of windows, opening up the space, allowing for a much-needed smaller performance venue, as well as updated gallery space and staff offices. 

The building’s footprint remains unchanged. But every inch of the building has been renovated, with the lower-level rooms being given the same treatment, with a full overhaul. Each of the four rooms has been redesigned with a distinct purpose — a dance studio, arts studio, recording studio, meeting room — yet each can be used for multiple purposes, to create, interact and learn. The smallest meeting room was given a wall of glass to make it feel less claustrophobic.

The state-of-the-art recording studio is a major coup. Funded by a grant issued to the Songwriters Association of Mid-North Indiana, the studio will serve as a teaching tool for both recording artists and engineers; it also will be a space for people to record projects, from interviews to podcasts to spoken word performances. It will open up opportunities for education and collaboration within the songwriting and recording community. 

The final touch to the building was when the stolen outdoor lights were returned. The bronze lights, stolen last summer and sold for scrap, were reconstructed, Monical says. A mold was  found to recreate a missing part, and the lights were completed and returned to their rightful home in front of the building, albeit with tighter security, in December.

Having more space is key to the future of TAF, Lee says. As the renovations progress — this was Phase I of a three-phase project — it will live in the space and evaluate how it works before progressing to the next steps. 

“We hope to expand,” says Lee. “What that looks like is changing.” 

Each year, TAF hosts its annual fundraiser, The Taste of Tippecanoe, which brings arts together with tastings from area restaurants. It shows off the best of the area, from food to visual art to performances of all kinds. 

TAF is instrumental in getting art to the people in the communities it serves. Currently, it oversees a variety of programs, including: 

• The after-school arts program, with classes for kids in elementary up through high school
• Visiting artist program, which reaches underserved communities
• An instrument lending program, providing students with musical instruments, allowing them to join band or orchestra
• Gallery space for art exhibits
• Sponsoring gallery walks, which open up nearly 30 downtown Lafayette galleries
• Wabash Walls, a public art initiative to rebuild and beautify the Wabash Avenue neighborhood, one of Lafayette’s oldest
• Mural Art Initiative, a collaborative educational outreach program that serves at-risk or underserved youth, helping to beautify community areas and promote the benefit of public art installations in the community.

As the umbrella organization, TAF has a broad mission and goals, as they help advocate for the benefit of public arts, for education. Every day, Lee says, they live that motto of “Grow the Arts” — in all the glorious ambiguity that wording allows.

BY AMY LONG
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY VISIT LAFAYETTE – WEST LAFAYETTE

On a hot, dusty afternoon in late summer, Jason Behenna took a break from refinishing the floors of a 2,800- square-foot space tucked into a small strip mall next to the popular Lindo Mexico restaurant, at 405 Sagamore Parkway South in Lafayette, to talk about his new business.

On this particular day, the spartan space, with its construction clamor and drywall debris, was rather stark and uninviting. But it was also rife with possibility: a blank slate ready to be filled. The space has been vacant for the better part of a decade, but Jason and his wife, Heather Howard, envision a bustling brewpub where Behenna can brew his award-winning stout, among other beers, and a small kitchen will serve up vegetarian and vegan fare. 

Behenna’s space could be a metaphor for the local craft brewing scene: at one time a rather lonely landscape, but recently coming into its own. 

His brewpub, Escape Velocity Brewing Company, due to open in early 2020, will be the sixth craft brewery to open in Lafayette-West Lafayette, and the fourth since only 2017, following Brokerage Brewing Company in West Lafayette, Thieme & Wagner Brewing Company in downtown Lafayette, and Teays River Brewing & Public House, on Lafayette’s south side. 

Bolstered by state legislation that has increasingly favored small breweries through the years, a swell of consumer support for locally owned and operated businesses, and the general public’s growing taste for a wide range of high-quality, full-flavored beers, the local boom mirrors a national trend. 

According to the Brewers Association, a nonprofit trade group, the number of craft breweries in the U.S. (defined for association membership as small, independent operations producing less than six million barrels of beer annually) has nearly doubled in four years: 7,346 in 2018, up from 3,814 in 2014. (The legal definition is much narrower in Indiana, where the law caps small brewery production at 90,000 barrels per year.)

“You’ve just seen an explosion in the last 10 years of breweries opening up,” says Greg Emig, who opened Lafayette’s first brewpub, the Lafayette Brewing Company, more than two decades ago.

Without controlling corporate interest, independent brewers can experiment and innovate, using traditional ingredients to interpret historic styles of beer and adding nontraditional ingredients for originality and flair. Over time, “consumers became more interested and aware of the breadth and flavor of differing beer styles,” Emig explains.

“Chains are trending down,” observes Jeff Burnworth, who worked for Buffalo Wild Wings for 17 years before launching Teays River Brewing in 2018. “People want to see that their money is staying local and see people in their communities succeeding.” 

A long time coming

But the recent surge of local microbreweries and brewpubs is not so much an explosion as a slow burn that sparked nearly 30 years ago.

After graduating from Purdue in 1986, Emig was an avid homebrewer through the early ’90s when he first conceived of the Lafayette Brewing Company as a craft brewery and restaurant – at a time when Indiana law prohibited beer production facilities to sell their product on-site. 

Together with Jeff Mease, who would eventually open the Bloomington Brewing Company, Emig lobbied the state legislature for a bill that would grant retail permits to small breweries. The bill passed on the first go-round, Emig says. “People didn’t really know what the concept was, so there was no real opposition to it.” 

On Sept. 17, 1993, LBC was granted Indiana’s first small-brewers retail permit. The brewpub opened that very day. 

“That piece of legislation opened some doors,” says Emig, who notes that the microbrewery trend really flourished in Indiana through the 1990s, with about 20 brewpubs opening across the state.

“Our mission was really to educate people about the variety and quality of beer that was out there,” Emig says. While most of the country was drinking one or two styles of mass-produced American lager, “there were 50 styles of beer that people just had no idea about, and we wanted to introduce them.”

But, Emig says, the number of brewpubs actually slumped through the early 2000s, in part because the brewery trend took off before quality-control measures could catch up, leading to a market of not-so-great craft-brewed beer. Consumers lost interest, and brewpubs across Indiana, with a few notable exceptions, were forced to close.

“This shakeout left a solid core of breweries that understood the necessity of producing a quality product,” says Emig.

LBC was one of those core breweries. An anchor on Lafayette’s Main Street for more than 25 years now, the roomy interior includes a bar and an all-ages dining room with a full menu. Day to day, LBC offers up to 15 beers, all made in-house – from the easy-drinking Star City German-style lager to the Black Angus English-style stout with notes of chocolate and roasted coffee – and a range of specialty and seasonal beers. 

But in part because of the “shakeout” that Emig describes, LBC was the only craft brewery in the Lafayette area for 15 years – from its start in 1993 until Chris Johnson opened People’s Brewery in 2009. 

Johnson actually honed his craft under Emig’s direction. He started as a keg cleaner at the Lafayette Brewing Company and quickly worked his way up to LBC head brewer, a position he held for seven years.

“We noticed that there wasn’t much craft beer being produced that was being put out into the community,” says Johnson, who focused his business on brewing classic American ales and German lagers for distribution to area package stores and restaurants.

Within months of opening the brewery, Johnson also opened the People’s Tap Room in a small space at the front of his building, with seating for a handful of people – intended as a place where customers could try different beers and fill their growlers for carry-out.

By 2013, business was booming, and People’s underwent an expansion that doubled the facility’s space to 11,000 square feet and expanded the taproom, which now opens up to a patio, accommodates about 80 patrons inside and out, and hosts game nights, live music and local food trucks throughout the week. 

Johnson notes that the latest craft brewery craze has taken off right under his nose. When he started working at the Lafayette Brewing Company in 2000, Indiana had only 12 microbreweries. Nine years later, when he launched People’s, it was the 27th brewery in the state. Today there are 170 microbreweries across Indiana.

A burgeoning scene

After graduating from Purdue in 1998, Brian Russell spent about a dozen years on the West Coast, where he attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, then worked as a chef and pub consultant around Portland, Oregon. When he returned to his hometown of West Lafayette in 2011, he says, he looked around for a place to grab a beer on a Saturday night, but was surprised that there weren’t a ton of options outside of the college-town watering holes close to the university.

A few years later, Russell discovered a column by James Fallows in The Atlantic magazine, detailing “Eleven Signs a City Will Succeed.” The first 10 or so signs were no-brainers. Successful cities, Russell read, focus less on divisive national politics and more on community issues; invest in public-private partnerships; and are located near large research universities. But number 11 on the list was unexpected: “Successful cities have craft breweries.”

“A town that has craft breweries also has a certain kind of entrepreneur,” Fallows wrote, “and a critical mass of mainly young customers.”

It was a lightbulb moment for Russell. “We thought there’s space in the market for a craft brewery in the bar scene in West Lafayette,” says Russell, who partnered with his wife, Laura, and his sister and brother-in-law, Stacy and Dustin Grove, to open Brokerage Brewing Company on Sagamore Parkway in West Lafayette in late 2017.

“We now joke that we are West Lafayette’s oldest brewery,” Russell laughs. “It’s funny and true at the same time.” 

With 40 seats inside, the Brokerage taproom is already so popular – and crowded – that a multi-phase expansion is in the works that will double the size of the brewery, and then add a kitchen and an all-ages dining room sometime this summer, if all goes as planned. 

Within months of Brokerage’s debut, other craft breweries also have established themselves.

Brian and David Thieme opened the Thieme & Wagner taproom on Lafayette’s Main Street in early 2017. David began brewing bock beer from an old family recipe the following year. The father-son owners are descendants of Frederick A. Thieme, who, with John Wagner, established a brewery at the corner of Fourth and Union streets in Lafayette in 1863. At the turn of the century, Thieme & Wagner was one of the largest and most successful breweries in the state, but it was forced to cease beer production with Prohibition in 1918. 

Today, the 50-seat Thieme & Wagner taproom sits above the basement space where David brews six different beers, from an American lager to Thieme’s signature bock. The taproom also offers selections from other local and regional microbreweries, as well as a full bar and a light menu.

In early 2018, Jon Hodge and Burnworth, who had both worked for Buffalo Wild Wings for years, opened Teays River Brewing & Public House on South Ninth Street in Lafayette. Besides a brewery and a taproom, the establishment also comprises a full bar with wine on tap, a broad outdoor patio and an all-ages restaurant with an open kitchen.

“We wanted to be creative and unique and do things that weren’t really happening in Lafayette,” Burnworth says. “Lafayette is still a small town but we wanted to bring some of the cosmopolitan ways of a bigger city, but still keep it in a small-town atmosphere.” 

And then there’s Escape Velocity, which enters the scene this year. If a new craft brewery in Lafayette is no longer groundbreaking news, the fact that this establishment is, according to its website, the only all-vegetarian restaurant in Lafayette and Indiana’s only all-vegetarian brewpub makes it pretty special. 

The sum of its parts

Not one of the local brewery owners feels that the market is crowded. They don’t see the new businesses as competition. Rather, they welcome newcomers and embrace a kind of fellowship. And they say they have more than enough customers to go around.

“There’s still a great opportunity for more brewers in this city,” says Behenna, of Escape Velocity. “It’s nowhere near saturated for a city this size. It’s kind of like the Starbuck’s model. When are there too many Starbucks? When one of them opens and it’s not busy. It can be the same with brewers.” 

Behenna also points out that each local brewery has its own neighborhood that it serves, and its own niche that it fills. 

LBC offers family dining and a huge upstairs event space, and Teays takes pride in its innovative lunch and dinner menus. 

Thieme & Wagner pays homage to old Lafayette with a historical brew, while Brokerage, at barely two years old, celebrates its standing as the most established westside brewery. Escape Velocity fills a void east of Sagamore Parkway as it embraces a space-age theme.

You can run into any package or liquor store from the north side of Chicago to the south side of Indianapolis and bring home a six-pack of People’s to stash in your fridge, or you can head to any one of the taprooms and meet the brewer face to face. 

What ties these places together is a devotion to the community and a drive to be part of something bigger than what each individual brewery can be on its own.

The local brewers all seem to know each other, and they know what everyone else is working on – not because they compete, but because they collaborate. “There’s a camaraderie between small breweries that you don’t see in a lot of other industries,” LBC’s Emig says. 

All of the local brewpubs and taprooms offer friendly gathering spaces where everyone is welcome. If they have space, they also feature live music and monthly game nights. Brokerage even puts on a Sunday evening “Beer and Hymns” casual worship event. 

And while these happenings, of course, are intended for fun and fellowship – the business model for any bar or restaurant – they also are opportunities to educate customers about craft beer.

The local brewers understand that they are brand ambassadors. If one brewer can get one person interested in craft beers, then more brewers can get more people on board. “The more brewers the better,” Emig says. “The more awareness of what we do, the better it is for everybody.”

Over the summer, for example, Johnson, at People’s, teamed up with the Lafayette Aviators baseball team to present Thirsty Thursdays at Loeb Stadium. At People’s Patio along the first baseline, fans could buy beers not just from People’s Brewery, but from other local and regional breweries, as well, including LBC, Brokerage and Teays River.

“The craft industry is a little bit different when it comes to competition,” Johnson says. “It’s a friendly business.” 

“Rising water raises all ships,” Behenna says. “We’re becoming a brewery destination for people to drive to Lafayette to try all the breweries. The more of us there are, the more of a community there is, and the more of a destination we can be.”

BY JANE MCLAUGHLIN ANDERSON
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION

“A lot of communities claim to be focused on the needs of business, but this community proves it.”

Built so they would come, Purdue University-affiliated Discovery Park District landed Swedish-based Saab as a major aeronautic manufacturing facility in May. It’s a perfect match.

Saab, an acronym meaning Swedish Aeroplane Company Limited, has been making fighter planes since 1937 and is heavily invested in the defense and security industry. According to Saab’s website, its strategy for growth in new markets is to pursue excellence through technology, research and cooperation.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels had the vision to capitalize on Purdue’s strength in aerospace engineering research, intellectual capital and the university’s airport to create an ecosystem that would bring in industry-related businesses.

Saab will invest $37 million and hire up to 300 employees to make fuselages (the central body of an aircraft) for T-X advanced jet trainers developed by Boeing and Saab for the U.S. Air Force. Hiring will start in 2020, Job ramp-up will occur between 2021-2026.

Paul Moses, assistant vice president at Purdue Research Foundation, helps serve as matchmaker for major corporate and university partnerships. “Each company has its own reasons for wanting to engage with Purdue. Usually, it’s tied to some desired technical expertise or workforce development,” he says.

“We work to help them build bridges to the many experts on campus, our licensable intellectual property or patents, and of course, the bright young minds who will become their employees. We also help international companies and their employees assimilate into our community.”

When asked why Greater Lafayette was attractive to Saab, Moses cited that Saab appreciated that the community (Purdue, Purdue Research Foundation, and city, county and state leaders) all worked together to answers its questions, provide meaningful incentives, and helped them understand and acquire its needed workforce. Supported by the cooperation of Indiana’s pro-industry ecosystem, Saab found the perfect partners for its next chapter. As an added bonus, West Lafayette reminded Saab officials of Linköping, the Swedish city in which Saab currently does most of its airframe manufacturing.

Initially, Saab will focus on building airframes to fulfill the U.S. military contract of producing at least 351 jet trainers for the Air Force. According to a Purdue press release, Saab will also collaborate with the university to expand research and development within possible areas of sensor systems, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Purdue also has areas of expertise in trusted microelectronics, hypersonics and cybersecurity that Saab or other interested companies can consider employing.

“A lot of communities claim to be focused on the needs of business, but this community proves it,” Moses says. “When companies come, they feel the sincerity of our local leaders. They experience how truly collaborative we are. They see the quality of our existing workforce and our commitment to developing it further. They learn about the expertise available and the bright young minds being turned out by our world-leading educational institutions. When you combine all that with the affordability of our great quality of life, it makes our community among the most compelling of places to consider locating a business.

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS

Lana Beck, a bright, inquisitive second-grader at Mintonye Elementary in Lafayette, was born into a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) family. Her parents are university administrators with degrees in science, and a grandfather and an uncle are biomedical engineers.

Between visits to family members’ research buildings and bedtime readings of books such as “Rosie Revere, Engineer,” Lana’s parents make a point of exposing her to all things STEM during her off-school hours. When it came time to schedule Lana for summer camp in 2019, it was only logical to mix in stints at Straight Arrow and Boiler Kids Camp with a week at Super Summer, sponsored by Purdue University’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute. 

As Lana and her classmates explored the theme of “Discovery through History,” examining the role of ancient civilizations on the modern world, they employed their STEM skills to develop a Mayan calendar, discover how a solar oven works, and create an aqueduct out of cardboard.

The verdict? Lana loved it. “I have wondered if it was the novelty of it, but it was certainly her favorite [of the three camps]. And she liked the other two,” says her mother, Kaethe Beck, operations director for the Purdue University Life Sciences Initiative. “She came home one day looking for us to translate her message that she wrote using hieroglyphs after they learned how to make their own paper. She was just thrilled to have a secret language and to know how paper is made.”

For several decades, the GERI program, part of Purdue’s College of Education, has provided enrichment activities for academically, creatively and artistically talented youth. Super Summer offers programming for kindergarten through fourth grade in not only STEM subjects but also social studies, art and language arts. The Summer Residential Camp has similar offerings for students in fifth through 12th grades. GERI is one of many programs in the Greater Lafayette area designed to open local students’ minds to the possibilities of STEM education, and ultimately, careers. 

A STEM-based economy

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics play a key role in our nation’s economy. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, employment in STEM occupations — which Pew broadly defines as including not only computer science and engineering, but also healthcare — grew from 9.7 million in 1990 to 17.3 million in 2016, outpacing the nation’s overall job growth. Those statistics are especially relevant in areas such as Greater Lafayette, where industry and healthcare reign. 

While Purdue University may be the top employer in Tippecanoe County, seven others on the top-10 list — including Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc., Caterpillar Inc. and Wabash National Corp. — are manufacturers. The other two are IU Health Arnett Hospital and Franciscan St. Elizabeth East. Search the online want ads for the area, and you’ll find postings for engineers, factory technicians, registered nurses and certified nursing assistants, all of which require various levels of STEM skills.

“The local economy here is heavily manufacturing based, and we’re trying to address that,” says Miranda Hutcheson, director of the new Greater Lafayette Career Academy (GLCA), which opened in August in the old Lafayette Life building on 18th Street across from Lafayette Jefferson High School. “Almost every industry right now needs employees; we hear that almost every day.”

Pathways to success

GLCA, a cooperative effort that includes Lafayette School Corp., Tippecanoe School Corp. and the West Lafayette Community School Corp., is designed to prepare students for both college and careers. Students attend their home schools for a half-day either in the morning or the afternoon and spend the rest of their time at the academy. Credits at the academy count toward a diploma from their home schools. 

Local schools offer some beginning career and technical education courses, says Laurie Rinehart, director of guidance and assistant principal at Lafayette Jeff. However, GLCA is providing “more advanced courses and more advanced experiences to connect them with the next step, whether it’s the workforce or going to trade school or college,” she says. Through such programs as advanced manufacturing, computer science and nursing, academy students can earn industry certifications, dual credits or both. 

Coursework aligns with the new Graduation Pathways program, approved by the Indiana State Board of Education in 2017, in which Hoosier students create their own roadmaps to preparing for life after high school. Those pathways took effect last fall for incoming high school freshmen.

Hutcheson describes the pathways as on- and off-ramps on an interstate. “Whatever your educational attainment goal is or career goal, you can get off the ramp if needed and then get right back on if that’s what you choose,” she says. Students with industry certifications can enter the workforce immediately or spend two or four years in college before using that certification on the job. Others may work for a while, then attend college. Those who earn dual credits can go right on to college or delay their postsecondary education for a while. 

All GLCA classes are designed to be as hands-on as possible, both on- and off-campus. Aspiring medical assistants, for example, will attend labs where they learn skills such as checking vital signs, giving injections and charting patient progress. After graduation, they will complete an externship at a local healthcare facility.

Some students may discover that they don’t enjoy what they’re studying. That’s actually a valuable learning experience, Hutcheson says: “It’s a win for us if a student says, ‘This is not for me.’ We’ve eliminated that from a student’s future career options.”

STEM competence and confidence

Beyond the career academy, many other local initiatives are designed to build STEM competence and confidence. Greater Lafayette Commerce, for instance, sponsors CoderDojo, a free computer science club in which kids aged 7 to 17 learn programming from computer science professionals. Programs average 30 students at each of the two locations, says Kara Webb, workforce development director. Last fall, GLC planned to add two more locations to the monthly lineup.

GLC’s annual Manufacturing Week showcases STEM career possibilities available here in the Greater Lafayette region. More than 3,34o students signed up for last year’s event, which ran Sept. 30-Oct. 4. High school students toured manufacturers, seeing the workforce in action and learning what type of training would prepare them for industry careers. Middle schoolers attended a daylong expo, exploring stations focused on design, production, distribution and support services, such as nursing and cybersecurity.

“We highlight that manufacturing has numerous career pathways, not just production,” Webb says. Elementary students attended a half-day manufacturing awareness workshop, learning about lean manufacturing, quality, teamwork and the effect of manufacturing on people’s lives. 

Across the river at Purdue University, K-12 STEM programs abound. Purdue’s Women in Engineering offerings, for example, include after-school programs such as Imagination, Innovation, Discovery and Design (I2D2) for kindergarteners through fifth graders and Innovation to Reality (I2R) for sixth to eighth graders.

“Children are being exposed to STEM education in their formal school settings already, so what we do is really intended to be a reinforcement of that exposure,” says Beth M. Holloway, assistant dean for diversity and engagement in the College of Engineering and the Leah H. Jamieson Director of Women in Engineering. A fundamental part of WIEP’s programming is engaging current engineering students, particularly women, to serve as role models to youngsters.

Starting early

“For our programs that are targeted to seventh to 10th grades, we also do sessions for parents that address ways to encourage their child’s interest in engineering in particular, and STEM in general,” Holloway says. “Course expectations are covered there as well.”

Middle school is an ideal time to begin planning for high school, Rinehart says. In fact, she and her colleagues at Jeff are talking to eighth grade parents about the career academy so that interested students can plan their schedules accordingly. 

“They’re over there a whole half day. Not all students can do that,” Rinehart says of the GLCA students. “These conversations have to start with our kids in middle school, in eighth grade and freshman year; we have many students who want to go but can’t fit it in their schedule.”

For parents like Kaethe Beck, it’s never too early to start preparing her children for the future. “I can expose her to many different things and let her choose what interests her, reinforcing that she can explore any one of these disciplines in a capable, confident way,” she says of her daughter Lana.

And regardless of whether Lana pursues a career in STEM or in another discipline, lessons like those at Super Summer are equipping her with important life skills, Beck says. 

“I think children are inherently curious,” she explains. “It’s the what, why, how that kids always want to ask about anyway. In my mind, STEM fields address those questions in a number of ways, but most importantly, give you the tools to think critically about any type of problem you’ll encounter in life.”

BY JANE MCLAUGHLIN ANDERSON
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The timing couldn’t be better. Just as Purdue University and Greater Lafayette were envisioning a new generation of high-tech companies for the Discovery Park District, Purdue alumnus Edmund Schweitzer III came back to campus. His original intent was to honor his alma mater with a $1.5 million endowed professorship in electrical and computer engineering, and to donate an additional $1.5 million to support Purdue’s power and energy research area, now named Schweitzer Power and Energy Systems. 

“Last fall Purdue Research Foundation and others honored Ed and his wife, Beatriz, for their contributions,” says factory manager Jake Church. “As that story unfolded, it inspired Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) to build a facility near campus, and the project took off.” 

The 100,000-square-foot plant across from Rolls Royce is indeed taking off and will be up and running in early 2020.

Edmund O. Schweitzer III is truly a renaissance man. Having received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1968 and 1971, he worked out West for the government for five years before deciding to pursue a doctorate degree. He received his Ph.D. from Washington State University in 1977 in Pullman. While teaching at WSU and raising a family, he founded Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in his basement in 1982 to build digital relay devices for power systems to replace the cumbersome and unreliable current mechanical devices. It was revolutionary engineering for electrical protection at the time; he received a patent for the first microprocessor-based digital relay, one of his 200 patents in the field. Because of it, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2019. Academic. Inventor. Entrepreneur. Philanthropist. He is a man of vision with the ability to make it happen.

“The mission for the company is to make electric power safer, more reliable, and more economical,” Church says. “With that goal, it opens the door to customers who need safe and reliable high-speed control of their power systems like electric utility companies, hospitals, universities, and virtually any entity that needs reliable power.” The West Lafayette plant will make recloser controls. These devices control reclosures that act as high-voltage electric switches that shut off the flow of electricity on a power line when trouble occurs due to wind, lightning, falling trees, animals, among other things. 

“We are excited to manufacture SEL technology so close to some of our Midwestern customers (Duke, Indianapolis Power & Light and Tipmont), but it’s also an opportunity to be close to Purdue University and collaborate with them,” says Church. “You can’t put a price on the synergy created by partnerships between the community and the university.” SEL’s manufacturing plants are located in Pullman, Washington; Lake Zurich, Illinois; Lewiston, Idaho; and now West Lafayette. SEL products are used by virtually every U.S. electric utility and are protected power systems in 164 countries around the world. Moving to West Lafayette is a game-changer for the growing Discovery Park District with win-win benefits for the company, community and university.

Church is among the first of 30 employees of the 100 percent employee-owned company to make the move to Indiana. “All volunteered and applied for the transition. They’re eager to come and are so excited to make Greater Lafayette their home,” he says. SEL will ramp up hiring from there with a projection of eventually 300 employees, with manufacturing jobs coming first and research and development and engineering to follow. 

“We’re thrilled to work with Greater Lafayette Commerce and others here to get the word out as needed. Purdue Research Foundation and GLC offered to help incorporate our people into the community, including our spouses,” Church adds. “It’s a testament to the community, with so many different parties involved at different points, whether it was PRF and staff, GLC helping with logistics, both mayors’ offices very supportive and eager to help us get a safe, good building constructed, and county commissioners to help with the workforce. Everyone has been topnotch — very welcoming, professional and supportive. We’re thrilled to be building this business here.”

BY ANGELA K. ROBERTS
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GREATER LAFAYETTE COMMERCE AND TIPPECANOE ARTS FEDERATION

When Henry Leavitt Ellsworth, the first United States Patent Commissioner, published a booklet in 1838 touting the agricultural advantages of a new town in Indiana’s upper Wabash River valley, his efforts likely constituted the first-ever marketing campaign for Lafayette, Indiana, population 3,000.

“The county of Tippecanoe, in which Lafayette is situated … embodies and is immediately surrounded by some of the most beautiful prairies and plains of Indiana,” the Connecticut native wrote. “The rapid increase of the town of Lafayette, from a settlement of scarce ten years ago, is truly astonishing, and can be accounted for only by the extreme felicity of its position.”

In the 182 ensuing years, the combined population of Lafayette and its twin city across the river to the west — which began with the settlement of Chauncey in 1860 — has swelled to more than 194,000 residents, by latest estimates. Back then, agriculture was king; now the key industries are education, manufacturing and healthcare. And while both towns began with only a few streets and a handful of homes and businesses, today Greater Lafayette encompasses a vast area containing historic and brand-new neighborhoods, high-quality school corporations, parks and trail systems, two hospitals, a world-class university and a regional community college campus.

Now, a new coalition seeks to make Greater Lafayette even greater by bringing a unified approach to marketing efforts aimed at increasing the talent pool, spurring new business development and enhancing community pride.

Creating prospects

Seven local entities — the City of Lafayette, the City of West Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Visit Lafayette-West Lafayette, Purdue University, the Purdue Research Foundation and Greater Lafayette Commerce — have come together to form the Greater Lafayette Marketing Coalition (GLMC). Its aim is to promote the area as an ideal place to live, play and work.

 “We work very well as a community here, with the cities and the county and Purdue and Ivy Tech. Overall, we have a strong economic climate,” says Tony Roswarski, Lafayette’s mayor. “But we understood that to continue to be globally competitive, we needed to look at how do we market ourselves in a new way? How do we look at the world for attracting new businesses here, to keep existing businesses competitive, to finding skilled labor?”

The ultimate goal of the campaign is twofold, says Scott Walker, CEO of Greater Lafayette Commerce: one, attracting more residents to the community, and two, attracting more businesses.

“We’re not necessarily trying to create more visitors,” he explains. Instead, coalition members want to convert visitors to prospects. “How do we get them to think, ‘How do I bring my business here, because I see how businesses are growing and thriving here?  Or how can I move myself and my family here, because I’ve really enjoyed my time in the community?’” 

Work-live-play strengths

To lay the groundwork for a cooperative marketing effort, GLMC partnered with Ologie, a Columbus, Ohio, agency that spearheaded Purdue University’s “Makers, All” campaign several years ago. The agency conducted face-to-face meetings with more than 125 residents, business leaders, hiring managers, Purdue University faculty, administrators and students, area non-profits and city and county employees.  It also developed an online community survey that yielded responses from more than 1,500 individuals.   Local hiring managers and business owners also participated in online discussion boards. 

Among the key insights: A connection to family is often what draws residents to the area and what keeps Purdue University graduates here. Additionally, Lafayette and West Lafayette may have distinct personalities, but thanks to their collaborative spirit, the two cities are often seen as one. Finally, despite its challenges, Greater Lafayette has a variety of work-live-play strengths, including employment opportunities, shared public spaces and high-quality public schools. 

Where community thrives

All of this adds up to the core message that Ologie developed: “Greater Lafayette is where progress, creativity and community thrive, so that you can live expansively.” 

For job seekers, Greater Lafayette is a hub for diverse and state-of-the-art industries, which translates to unlimited professional opportunities, according to Ologie’s messaging guide. For visitors and residents looking for entertainment, the area offers a variety of arts, culture and tech opportunities, which provide memorable experiences. For people seeking a sense of belonging, Greater Lafayette is a close-knit and prosperous community, the Ologie team notes, which leads to greater personal fulfillment for its citizens.

The campaign’s optimistic messages resonate with officials like Tom Murtaugh, Tippecanoe County commissioner. Born and raised here, he’s been delighted with changes in recent years, particularly the revitalization of downtown areas.

“When I was in college, downtown was desolate. There was an adult bookstore on the courthouse square. At night there was nobody downtown. To think that in 30-some years, that has completely turned around: investment in the downtown corridor, the MARQ project and the project by City Hall,” he says of the renovation of the Morton Community Center for West Lafayette city offices. “There’s a great history and a great future for this community.”

Working well together

As the campaign progresses, coalition officials will track progress. They’ll be looking for positive changes in audiences’ perceptions of Greater Lafayette as well as positive economic outcomes, such as new residents and businesses. 

“A growing economy is a thriving economy. Property and tax values depreciate, so you’re constantly having to create new investment,” says Walker. “There’s no such thing as status quo. Alternatives to growth are decline.” 

Demand for new houses drives new residential development, Walker adds: “We know what happens when the capacity expands over demand. That’s what the Great Recession was. Fostering that demand is really important; it provides assurance for developers.”

As West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis notes, Greater Lafayette is already seeing a housing boom. “We just approved the Provenance development on State and Airport Road in August. These will have wonderful housing options including apartments, condos and single-family houses. West Lafayette and Greater Lafayette as a whole is clearly a popular place to live because houses don’t stay on the market for long, but more are being added and will continue,” Dennis says. 

Several new businesses have also announced moves to or expansion in Greater Lafayette in the past year, including Saab, SEL (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories), Inari and Zeblok. 

“The reason this is a great place to do business is because it is a great place to live. Our schools from kindergarten through Ph.D. are some of the finest in the country, our arts scene is robust and innovative, we have a growing culinary culture, our housing stock is wide-ranging and within reach for our residents,” Dennis says. 

“And finally, one of the main reasons Greater Lafayette is so great is that we all work together. It sounds cliché, but it’s what makes us, on both sides of the river, such a great success.”