July construction tops $1.2 million

Building permits for construction totaling more than $1.2 million were issued during July, led by improvements being made to Portland’s Hudson Family Park.
The City of Portland was issued a permit for $416,000 in construction at the park, including construction of a concession building, improvements to the amphitheater stage, playground equipment, a shelter and additional trail work.
A total of 36 permits totaling $1,266,015 were issued to:
Leon Muhlenkamp, 6089 East 500 North, Portland, grain bin, $26,000; Michael Louch, West 800 South, Redkey, barn, $100,000; Larry Kunkle, 4120 South 700 East, Portland, barn, $35,000; Mike Timmerman, 6825 South 325 West, Ridgeville, storage building, $33,000; Steven Muhlenkamp, 5843 East 400 North, Portland, barn addition, $17,000; Thomas and Joyce Young, 1333 S. Meridian St., Portland, fence, $4,700; Edna Wall, 1104 W. Arch St., Portland, fence, $225; Karen McFarland, 155 S. Meridian St., Pennville, fence, $1,200; City of Portland, Hudson Family Park, 509 S. Wayne St., Portland, park structures, $416,000; Norman McCowan, 1497 West 150 South, Portland, pond, $20,000.
Anita Springer, 6674 East Ind. 26, Portland, pond, $500; State of the Heart, 1237 West Ind. 67, business signage, $3,000; Robert Breymer, Atty., 123 N. Meridian St., Portland, business signage, $290; Norm’s Place, 224 W. Lincoln St., Portland, business signage, $100; Dan and Stephanie Bruggeman, 6311 East 200 North, Portland, new home/garage, $200,000; Jacob D. Graber, 4367 East 600 North, Bryant, new home, $45,000; Robin D. Ray, Briar Patch Bar and Grill, 190 S. Washington St., Pennville, business renovation/remodel, $50,000; Jeremiah and Heather Abbott, 310 E. Main St., Portland, pool, $2,900; Ron Elliott, 7735 South U.S. 27, Portland, residential addition, $12,000.
James and Alice Bruggeman, 6150 North 550 East, Bryant, residential addition, $15,000; Jeremy and Ashley Knapschafer, 6700 North 375 West, Bryant, residential remodel, $120,000; Brian Stofra, 1230 Boundary Pike, Portland, residential addition, $25,000; Jim Wright, 3540 East Ind. 26, Portland, enclosed porch, $20,000; Sylvester Sell, 6163 North 550 West, Pennville, porch addition, $1,000; Ray Brown, 3223 North Ind. 1, Pennville, covered deck, $1,500; James Cook, 4060 S. Boundary Pike, Portland, pool deck, $600; Randy Rains, 2251 Brookview Drive, Portland, deck, $14,000; William Speed, 610 E. Water St., Portland, storage building, $2,000.
Devoss Trucking, 6791 South Ind. 1, Redkey, garage, $15,000; Byron Blankenbaker, 7845 West 300 North, Pennville, pole building, $8,000; Dave Schnitz, 4134 East 500 North, Portland, pole building, $38,000; Heather Morehouse, 2051 West 650 North, Bryant, pole building, $9,000; Rayma Frankenfield, 121 West 200 South, Portland, storage building, $3,500; Michael Slusser, 6501 East 200 North, Portland, garage, $12,000; Matt Armstrong, 710 W. Walnut St., Portland, garage, $7,500; David Shaver, 5222 West 400 South, Portland, garage, $7,000.

Lutheran buys
Brooklyn Medical Associates, a group with physician locations in Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas, was recently purchased by Lutheran Medical Group.
The buy-up will bring 24 doctors, two nurse practitioners, a physician’s assistant and 171 support staff under Lutheran’s management.
Lutheran manages Bluffton Physician Services and other northeast Indiana groups and is in competition with Fort Wayne’s Parkview Health to control local doctor’s groups in the area.

Job fair
Sixty-five business including 10 manufacturers will be attending the 2010 Sixth Congressional District Job Fair at Ball State’s Worthen Arena Tuesday.
The job fair, supported by U.S. Rep Mike Pence (R), will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Area manufacturers including W&M Manufacturing, Portland; Littler Diecast Corporation, Albany; and Productive Concepts Int’l, Union City will be exhibiting at the fair. For more information, visit Pence’s Web site at mikepence.house.gov.

Tyson sustainability
Tyson Foods Inc. released a sustainability report available online that highlights the companies operation during the 2008-09 fiscal year.
The report noted some accomplishments including a reduction in the amount of water used per pound of produced product, construction of a plant to convert inedible fats and greases to energy, reduced road transit incidents by 19 percent, and donated more than 75 million pounds of food to food banks.
The company also pinpointed goals of further decreasing water usage by 10 percent, producing up to 75 million gallons of fuel, donating food to hunger efforts.
The company also plans to support non-food source renewable energy projects. Tyson struggled when feed prices increase, which may have been in part an effect of corn-based bio-fuel initiatives throughout the nation.
The report can be viewed at the Tyson Web site by visiting www.tyson.com/corporate/sustainability/2010/sustainabilityattysonfoods.asp.

Welcome signs
The Jay County Chamber of Commerce is encouraging local businesses to post “Welcome” signs at their locations to welcome attendees to the inaugural Kustoms of America Car show taking place this weekend.
The Kustoms show began Friday and will run until Sunday at 3 p.m.

New COO
Allegheny Technologies Incorporated named Richard J. Harshman president and chief operating officer effective Aug. 1.
Harshman, who most recently served as executive vice president of finance since 2003 and chief financial officer since 2001, will have operating responsibility for ATI’s high performance metals, flat-rolled products and engineer products business segments as well as strategic sourcing, information technologies, investor relations and ATI’s trust investment council.
ATI is parent company of Portland Forge.

Program funded
A regional rural revolving loan fund has moved into its second phase, thanks to a $75,000 check from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The fund is intended to assist rural small businesses in Jay, Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Madison, Randolph, and Rush counties.
It’s a collaborative effort by the Indiana Small Business Development Center and Energize-ECI.
Businesses interested in learning more about the progam should contact Vickie Bevans, at the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center in Muncie at (866) 576-7232 or (765) 282-9950.[[In-content Ad]]