2018 Excellence in Innovation Award Winner Highlight – Mid-West Metal Products

On Wednesday November 14th, The Innovation Connector celebrated innovation within our community at our Excellence in Innovation Awards Dinner. Five businesses were recognized for showcasing innovation in their day to day business activity. One of those five businesses are highlighted below.

Mid-West Metal Products

Steve is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Mid-West Metal Products Co., Inc. located here in Muncie.  Steve received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Indiana University.

 

Since he began his career with Mid-West Metal in 1975, Steve has witnessed many changes in the steel and metal industry including the emergence of foreign outsourcing and the entry of big box stores and online sales to the retail marketplace.  As most of you might know, Mid-West Metal Products is the leading provider of PET HOMES in the United States.  Although Mid-west Metal Products had implemented robots into their manufacturing processes, they were still forced by their main customers to open manufacturing operations in the Far East.  This was a very difficult time for Steve and the Mid-West Metal team.  The thought of moving their production operations overseas with the potential loss of employment in the Muncie community was hard for them to swallow.  However, with the future of their business on the line, they had no other choice than to follow their customers’ demands.

 

So Steve and his team continued their focus on utilizing their highly experienced and talented team to innovate what could be done next. As stated on their website, “All our products are distinguished by innovative design and construction. Equally innovative is how our Dog Crates, Small Animal Modular Habitat Systems, Birdcages, Pet Enclosure Furniture, Pet Bedding, and Accessories fulfill very specific needs regarding pet comfort, health, and well-being. And the innovation doesn’t stop there. By also innovating our processes, we’re able to pass the cost savings made possible by production efficiencies on to our customers in the form of lower prices.”

You can learn more about Mid-West Metal Products by going to their website. https://midwestmetal.com/

2018 Excellence in Innovation Award Winner Highlight – Muncie Journal

On Wednesday November 14th, The Innovation Connector celebrated innovation within our community at our Excellence in Innovation Awards Dinner. Five businesses were recognized for showcasing innovation in their day to day business activity. One of those five businesses are highlighted below.

Muncie Journal

Mike Rhodes (left) was awarded a 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award for showcasing innovation in his business.

MuncieJournal.com has become a source for positive news about Muncie and Delaware County and launched on July 1, 2015 as a product of Woof Boom Radio, LLC.

Even though MuncieJournal.com only publishes stories about Muncie and Delaware County, viewership is continually growing (up 30% last year) and vast. The Top 10 cities with the most consistent viewing activity of MuncieJournal.com include: Muncie, Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Chicago, Anderson, Yorktown, Louisville, Fort Wayne, and NYC.

Muncie Journal’s primary focus is to highlight positive news in the areas of education, economic development and quality of life in Muncie and Delaware County, IN.

Mike Rhodes is the publisher and managing editor of MuncieJournal.com. Rhodes is a Ball State graduate with degree in journalism and has lived in Muncie since attending Ball State.  Rhodes has also played a key role in kicking off other community website initiatives in the community, including the very first website and corporate intranet launch for Ball Memorial Hospital.

Rhodes is currently putting the final touches on a project that will enable Muncie Journal stories to be read out loud by Amazon’s Alexa enabled devices.

You can learn more about the Muncie Journal by visiting their website. http://www.munciejournal.com/ 

2018 Excellence in Innovation Award Winner Highlight – Accutech Systems Corporation

On Wednesday November 14th, The Innovation Connector celebrated innovation within our community at our Excellence in Innovation Awards Dinner. Five businesses were recognized for showcasing innovation in their day to day business activity. One of those five businesses are highlighted below.

Accutech Systems Corporation (ASC)

Adam Unger (left) was awarded a 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award for showcasing innovation in his business.

Adam Unger is President of Accutech Systems Corporation (ASC), and has been working with ASC since 1999.  Prior to becoming President, his roles included:  Inside Sales, Director of Marketing and COO.  Adam is responsible for setting the vision for the company and developing long-term strategic initiatives.  Adam leads the internal executive team and outside board of advisors.

Accutech Systems Corporation is a software solutions company serving the wealth management industry.  With their team serving over 250 clients, they believe that wealth management is more than just tracking numbers, it is about relationships and they believe relationships are about service. ASC was founded in 1987 and currently has 75 employees with twenty of those employees hired on in 2018.

Accutech takes the bureaucracy out of doing business and brings trust back into the equation.  They partner with their clients by providing technology and services focused on making great things happen for other people.

You can learn more about Accutech Systems Corporation by visiting their website. https://www.trustasc.com/

2018 Excellence in Innovation Award Winner Highlight – Amber’s Beauty School

On Wednesday November 14th, The Innovation Connector celebrated innovation within our community at our Excellence in Innovation Awards Dinner. Five businesses were recognized for showcasing innovation in their day to day business activity. One of those five businesses are highlighted below.

Amber’s Beauty School

Brooke and Brian Shrieve were awarded a 2018 Excellence in Innovation Award for showcasing innovation in their business.

Amber’s Beauty School has served the community both as a cosmetology school and a destination for people in search of great salon services since 1936. The school is proud of its heritage and family ownership that spans several generations. When you visit either as a student or a customer, you’ll feel that family feeling that is so valuable to all.

In May of 2008 Brian, a third generation Shrieve, and his wife Brooke, purchased the school. Being a young couple they have made many great changes. It has a contemporary new look with innovative training and services.

“We’ve seen a great deal of change over the years. And while we stay up to date on the very latest styles and trends, we’ve never changed our commitment to providing a high-quality, hands-on education to our students, and excellent products and services to our customers”.

You can learn more about Amber’s Beauty school by visiting their website. https://www.ambersbeautyschool.com/