Broin changes name to Poet (03/31/07)

The nation's largest dry mill ethanol producer, Broin, has changed its name to Poet LLC. The change was made by the company in order to strengthen its communications, unify its several companies under one brand and better reflect its current position, according to CEO Jeff Broin.

Poet is the parent company of Premier Ethanol LLC being constructed southwest of Portland.

Broin said officials wanted a name that would reflect the unique nature of the organization.

The new name affects several organizations that make up Broin Companies including Broin Management which will be known s Poet Plant Management, Ethanol Products to be Poet Design and Construction, Dakota Gold Marketing which will now be Poet Nutrition, and Broin Enterprises which will be known as Poet Research Center.

New poles

New utility poles installed recently by Indiana Michigan Power Company for several miles along Ind. 67 will hold upgraded transmission lines.

The new lines will conduct 69,000 volts of electricity to help power the Premier Ethanol plant, I&M community relations manger Jim Riggle said this week. The new poles will also hold the current distribution lines at 12,000 volts for residential transmission. The old utility poles will be removed, he added.

Receives rating

Troxel Equipment Co. LLC., Bluffton and Huntington, has attained Gold Star certification from John Deere for the fourth year by successfully completing the company's Gold Star Performance Standards Program.

The program honors dealers for their commitment to excellent customer service, facilities, continuing education and innovative solutions.

Dealers are evaluated every year against more than 40 measurements and check points.

Wagner certified

The Indiana State Coroners Training Board has announced that Paulette Wagner, deputy coroner with Jay County, has been certified as a medicolegal death investigator.

The training course provides the deputy coroner with knowledge in all aspects of death investigation.

Indiana is the first state in the U.S. to require that all deputy coroners become certified.

Applications available

Non-profit organizations throughout Indiana are invited to apply for the 2007 Indiana Achievement Awards, an annual program that offers a $10,000 cash prize to each of six organizations considered to be among the most effective statewide.

Now in its eighth year, IAA will recognize organizations in three categories: Impact, innovation, and sustainability, within two budget levels, above and below $1 million. All registered 501(c)3 organizations in the state are eligible to apply.

Entries must be received by April 30. For an application or more information visit www.sycamorefoundation.org or call (317) 208-4845.

Series set

The Portland Area Chamber of Commerce will host the professional development series, "Building Your Sales Service," April 24, May 1, May 8, and June 12.

Presented by Tim Hartigan of Wells Business Development, the three two-hour workshops will focus on filling the sales funnel, winning at sales, and creating opportunities through customer service.

Stress for success will be held June 12, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Joe Constance will be the facilitator.

The sessions will be held at the Community Resource Center, 118 S. Meridian St., Portland.

To register contact the chamber at (260) 726-4481.

Awards meeting set

The eighth annual Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce membership meeting and awards dinner will be held April 12 at the Geneva Community Room in the Pyle Building.

A social time begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

This year the theme will highlight the history of the former Geneva railroad station with guest speaker, Larry Macklin, executive director of Adams County Economic Development Corp.

The annual awards will be presented for Citizen of the Year, Business of the Year, Industry of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

Reservations should be made by April 9 by calling Geneva Town Hall at (260) 268-7251.

To meet

The East Central Indiana Human Resources Association (ECIHRA) will hold its April membership meeting on Wednesday, April 11, at the Horizon Convention Center, 401 S. High St., Muncie.

Susan Farren, compensation, benefits and HRIS manager for Cardinal Health System, will present, "The Changing Retirement Environment."

Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. with lunch at noon and the program at 12:30 p.m.

Make reservations by noon Friday, April 6, by sending an e-mail to [email protected]<.

Call before you dig

Embarq reminds the construction industry, gardeners or anyone working in their yard to protect residents by calling before digging or disrupting the ground in any way.

By calling before you dig, anyone disturbing the ground can protect themselves from physical harm, potential litigation, and will protect the community from a disruption of 911 emergency services, according to Jim Hansen, senior vice president of Network Services at Embarq.

Call (800) 382-5544 before you dig, Embarq officials caution.

Simulcast set

"The Influence Index," a maximum/impact simulcast will be presented Friday, May 11, at the Asbury United Methodist Church, 204 E. Arch St., Portland.

Registration is underway for the day that is expected to deliver a day of leadership training.

More than 80,000 business leaders across the country will take part in the training and renowned athletes, authors, and leadership experts will be featured at the event.

Tickets are available at the Asbury church office, at the Portland Area Chamber of Commerce or First Merchants Bank.

Business expo set

The Winchester Area Chamber of Commerce will host a home and business expo on Saturday, April 21. The event will be held at the Randolph County 4-H Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There is no admission charge.

To conduct inspections

American Electric Power, parent company of Indiana Michigan Power, will conduct aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission lines by helicopter in Indiana and Michigan during the month of April.

Aerial patrols are routinely performed to visually inspect power lines as part of the company's effort to maintain the reliability of the transmission grid.

The patrols are scheduled to begin in Indiana on April 2 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday and conclude in late April.

Hires director

Ivy Tech Community College has hired Vearl Turnpaugh to administer the activities of the $1.8 million U.S. Department of Labor grant awarded to the college by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

The grant, awarded to Ivy Tech for a partnership between Ivy Tech and Purdue University, targets transportation-related advanced manufacturing and will provide training for 550 workers in seven Indiana cities. It will also be used to develop a new statewide advanced manufacturing curriculum to help ensure a steady of supply of trained workers.

Stocks slip

Wall Street retreated Friday, the last trading day of a turbulent first quarter, The Associated Press reported.

Investors displayed nervousness on news of U.S. economic sanctions against China and rising inflation.

Stocks had initially climbed after data showed a rise in consumer spending and growth in Chicago-area manufacturing. But in late morning trading, they reversed course when the Bush administration detailed economic sanctions against China to protect American paper producers from unfair Chinese government subsidies. The news caused the dollar to weaken, raising concerns in the market about the U.S. currency's status as an investment vehicle - one of the factors behind the market's big drop in late February.

Also causing wariness among among investors, the Commerce Department reported earlier Friday that core inflation rose in February at the fastest rate since August. The inflation barometer that excludes energy and food shot up by 0.3 percent in February, leaving core inflation rising by 2.4 percent over the past 12 months. "It's stubbornly above the Fed's comfort zone," said Scott Merritt, U.S. equity strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management.

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