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Companies to Watch: Company ProfilesCollege and university enrollment issteadily growing across the U.S. andso is the demand for safe andaffordable student housing. Annex Student Living, LLC is challenging the traditionalcampus dormitory lifestyle by developing units with innovative features such as privatebedroom suites with attached bathrooms and dedicated high-speed Internet access.AT A GLANCE:Annex has nearly 1,500 beds in various stages of operation in the Midwest, with severalhundred more already under contract. Annex has added three Indiana and two Ohioproperties to its portfolio in the last 12 months and expects to double total assets by2016.Location: IndianapolisIn 2014, Annex launched a construction management division in order to manageprojects from concept to student occupancy. In 2015, in-house construction managementwill result in four times the amount of revenue from the prior year.Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/1The company’s goal is to develop and acquire student living communities and mixed-usedevelopments at regional campuses, community colleges and Division II and III institutionsto serve the housing needs of students while delivering a Division I experience.www.annexstudentliving.comBlue Pillar is a leading provider of facility “Internet ofThings” (IoT) and energy management solutions forcomplex single-site and centralized multi-site facilities.Blue Pillar’s visionary approach has made it a pioneer intackling the issues that impact facilities today – shrinkingbudgets, rising energy prices, and aging core electrical and mechanical infrastructure.AT A GLANCE:Blue Pillar has created an equipment monitoring solution that offers customers a fulltested, production-ready software product they can use and benefit from in just weeks.Location: IndianapolisIn October of 2014, Blue Pillar launched its suite of connectivity, energy and centralizedenterprise facility management solutions, empowering executives to recover value fromstranded assets and reduce power-loss risk, while improving energy efficiency acrossmulti-site facility systems and enabling demand response programs.42Kyle Bach, CEOCurrent leadershipsince 2009Founded: 2009Primary business:real estate and rental and leasingFull-time equivalent employees:8 in 2014; 12 expected in 2015Tom Willie, CEOCurrent leadershipsince 2013Founded: 2006Primary business:management of companies andenterprisesSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/0Today, more than 255 of the most critical, complex and geographically-dispersedfacilities across health care, government, higher education and other industries use BluePillar to manage their energy and power systems.Full-time equivalent employees:40 in 2014; 60 expected in 2015Creek Run LLC Environmental Engineering is afull-service consulting firm that provides environmental andengineering services throughout Indiana and surroundingstates at petroleum and industrial facilities. Services rangefrom basic site inspections to design and implementationof engineered remediation systems to risk-based closurestrategies within a variety of regulatory programs.AT A GLANCE:Chief Operating Officer Jason Lenz recently earned his Ph.D., and his published researchon geography and engineering geology has been presented at conferences. Thisincreased Creek Run’s footprint and brought an unprecedented level of expertise withinthe environmental community in Indiana.Location: MontpelierAn example of Creek Run’s dedication to customer service occurred when a clientencountered development opposition due to the proximity of the site to the WellheadProtection Area of the municipal water supply system. Creek Run’s plan went above andbeyond safety, human health and environmental impact regulations, and the station isnow a state-of-the-art facility.Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 4/0www.bluepillar.comJason Lenz, chiefoperating officerCurrent leadershipsince 1993Founded: 1993Primary business: scientific andtechnical consulting servicesFull-time equivalent employees:44.5 in 2014; 48.5 expected in 2015www.creekrun.comBizVoice/Indiana Chamber – September/October 2015
Michele Meyer founded Creative SolutionsConsulting, Inc. (CSCI) in 2002 after clocking300 hours of overtime to turn a failing projectaround for a large consulting company, whoseonly recognition for her achievement was to send her a coffee mug. Now CSCI is anaward-winning consulting firm specializing in financial management and informationtechnology solutions for federal, state and commercial customers.AT A GLANCE:The company’s rapid growth began in 2007 when a contract with the federal governmentcame along for a project that was in disarray. CSCI stabilized the entire project within thefirst 90 days and never missed a deadline over the ensuing four-year program.Location: IndianapolisIn 2011, CSCI had an opportunity to grow into the government financial managementsector. Congress had mandated the Department of Defense prepare audit-ready financialstatements by 2017, which meant government agencies would require contractorassistance. CSCI took the unprecedented approach of hiring blended teams ofaccountants and information technology analysts and programmers, eliminating the needto divide audit support into segregated areas of responsibility. Financial management isnow the company’s fastest-growing service area.Fort Wayne-based Design Collaborative is an architectural,mechanical and electrical engineering, and interior design firmserving clients in higher education, health care and corporatemarkets. The mission is simple – to improve people’s worlds.An innovative tool used to do that is Revit, which allows engineers tocreate a three-dimensional model of a design rather than a twodimensional drawing. This fully integrates all systems into the digitalreality that can be updated to respond to future development or upkeep.Current leadershipsince 2002Founded: 2002Primary business: informationtechnologySites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/0Full-time equivalent employees:80 in 2014; 97 expected in 2015www.csciconsulting.comAT A GLANCE:Pat Pasterick,presidentCurrent leadershipsince 1994Founded: 1992Location: Fort WayneThe company began with two architects and an engineer who chose Fort Wayne as theirhome in the early 1990s. It has woven itself into the city’s fabric ever since. DesignCollaborative was part of the development of Parkview Field, home of the Tin Caps anda catalyst of downtown Fort Wayne’s recent revival. Design Collaborative is part of a newproject underway that will bring the first mid-rise development to the city’s skyline in 30years, and the company continues its involvement in further riverfront and historical areadevelopment.Primary business: architectural,engineering and related servicesEnsuring the right patient gets the righttreatment at the right time is the focus of DKPierce & Associates, Inc., a managementconsulting services provider for biopharmaceuticalcompanies whose drugs are used for catastrophic diseases. Its “bread and butter” serviceis monitoring health insurance company actions to manage cancer and rare diseasetreatments and reporting that information to clients that sign up for annual subscriptionsto track their drugs.AT A GLANCE:There are currently more than 700 treatments in development for different cancers, andeach requires support once approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Coining itselfa “small giant,” DK Pierce & Associates has embraced a niche of providing differentiatedexpertise and services related to cancer and rare disease treatments.With a leadership team that has more than 125 years of cumulative experience, thecompany also owns and manages DKP Compass , a proprietary database that housesinformation across Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, and allows clients to createreports in real time.44Michele Meyer,presidentSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/0Full-time equivalent employees:44 in 2014; 51 expected in 2015www.designcollaborative.comDenise Pierce,presidentCurrent leadershipsince 2000Founded: 2000Location: ZionsvillePrimary business: managementconsulting servicesSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/6Full-time equivalent employees:18 in 2014; 24 expected in 2015www.dkpierce.netBizVoice/Indiana Chamber – September/October 2015
Fineline Printing Group, a privately-held,minority-owned business, is one of the leading providersof commercial print, fulfillment and marketing servicesin the Midwest. With a manufacturing facility inIndianapolis, more than 60 employees and state-ofthe-art print production equipment, the company serves clients in education, health careand medical management, non-profit and government.AT A GLANCE:When the digital age called for adaptation, Fineline re-invented its business model from aproduct manufacturer to a communications service provider. The company built customdigital storefront technology that allows clients 24/7 access to online documentmanagement and print on-demand services, including ordering, inventory, fulfillment andbrand management tools that empower them to manage cost, inventory and have controlof their own projects. Fineline employees can now focus on strategic print consulting.Founded: 1981Fineline has also innovated new ways of ensuring data integrity and protection during theproduction process. Through the automation of online orders, the company has increasedits client service representative capacity by nearly 12.5 hours per week.Current leadershipsince 1981Location: IndianapolisPrimary business: manufacturingSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/0Full-time equivalent employees:67 in 2014; 71 expected in 2015www.finelineprintinggroup.comIn each of the last four years, Gibson, a regionalinsurance broker and risk management servicesfirm, has exceeded aggressive growth plans andposted record profitability. Harnessing technology,mobile, cloud, big data and social networking, thecompany has a strategic quest to bridge the gap between marketing and technology todrive growth.AT A GLANCE:Employee Benefits Advisor, an insurance industry magazine, featured Gibson on the coverin May 2015 for the progress made in social media usage for marketing.Location: South BendGibson is 100% employee owned and ranks in the top 1% of independent agencies inthe nation. The company’s transparent, fee-based compensation structure sets it apart inan industry where the standard is percentage of premiums paid.Looking to the future and realizing many young professionals don’t intentionally pursuecareers in insurance, the company created a team-based selling model where newrecruits are teamed with seasoned professionals to perpetuate years of institutionalknowledge and create the next generation of young leaders.The numbers speak volumes about the success ofGuidon Design Inc. – achieving an averagerevenue growth of 115% each year, creating 27high-level professional jobs since its founding andwinning more than 40% of all projects pursued.Guidon Design is a growing multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firmspecializing in health care, government, education, municipal and urban in-fill projects.46Richard Miller,owner andpresidentTim Leman,chairman and CEOCurrent leadershipsince 2010Founded: 1933Primary business: finance andinsuranceSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 4/0Full-time equivalent employees:105 in 2014; 116 expected in 2015www.gibsonins.comAT A GLANCE:Luke Leising,presidentCurrent leadershipsince 2011Founded: 2011Guidon Design is committed to sustainability with more than 70% of the firm’s technicalstaff LEED accredited. It has secured roles on high-profile projects such as the DowntownTransit Center, Monument Circle and Deep Rock Tunnel project.Location: IndianapolisTwo years after its founding, Guidon leadership took a leap of faith and became the leaddesigner for a two-tenant office space in a former warehouse. Anticipating future growth,the company provided a discounted design fee in exchange for a reduced lease rate tobecome one of the two tenants. This initiative provided an office space the firm can growinto with capacity for 27 staff.Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/4Primary business: architectural,engineering and related servicesFull-time equivalent employees:22 in 2014; 25.5 expected in 2015www.guidondesign.comBizVoice/Indiana Chamber – September/October 2015
In 1987, Hudec Woodworking, a customarchitectural millwork provider, was founded toservice small, quick-turn specialty contracts. The firstside jobs were plastic laminate projects for variousgeneral contractors, architects and owners. The firstproduction shop was the two-car garage at the residence of president John Hudec’s parents.AT A GLANCE:The company’s growth since then has been most impressive. In 1996, Hudec built itspresent 30,000-square-foot facility and has since undergone several renovations tosustain growth. The company purchased its first computer numerically controlled (CNC)equipment, bringing new levels of production and capabilities. The technology hasresulted in better consistency of parts and has enabled Hudec to cut complex shapes in afraction of the time of older methods.Founded: 1987Despite the economic downturn in 2008, Hudec was able to keep its doors open andmaintain its workforce. Since 2010, Hudec’s annual revenue has doubled and grownsteadily each year. In 2014, Hudec was recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the nation’sfastest-growing companies.M&M Holdings I, Inc. subsidiaries Heavy Duty Trucking andDelcar, Inc. (doing business as Rock Transport) serve the localIndiana construction industry with tri-axle dump truck haulingservices. The companies haul dirt, sand, gravel and salt tocustomers throughout Indiana.Heavy Duty Trucking recently expanded its business operationsto include semi-tractors and trailers for hauling general freight over the road throughoutthe Midwest, Northeast and Southeast.Current leadershipsince 1987Location: GriffithPrimary business: constructionSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/0Full-time equivalent employees:31 in 2014; 38 expected in 2015www.hudecwoodworking.comAT A GLANCE:William Meador,presidentCurrent leadershipsince 2013Founded: 1996Location: IndianapolisLast year, Rock Transport opened a temporary Louisiana office to help rebuild levees thatwere damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The project provided additional winter work toIndiana residents who otherwise would have been laid off.Primary business: constructionIn 2014, both companies added GPS tracking technology with real-time information toall trucks to better manage business and customer relationships.Full-time equivalent employees:79 in 2014; 89 expected in 2015Mesh Systems LLC delivers Smartproducts for companies looking toquickly bring novel solutions tomarket. The company’s turnkey systems connect products using the devices, software,communication frameworks and “Internet of Things” (IoT), which is the backbone of allSmart products.AT A GLANCE:Mesh Systems developed its own cloud-based IoT platform, MeshVista, enablingcompanies to transform traditional products into Smart products that instantly connect,monitor, analyze and control remote devices. It is a component-based platform thatenables Mesh Systems to design a Smart system specifically tailored to an industry needand bring it to market quickly.One example is a coffee-maker manufacturer that, with this technology, can embed acellular component within coffee machines and have a real-time view into performance,maintenance needs and vital statistics, ensuring the highest possible uptime of the machine.Earlier this year, Mesh Systems was honored with the 2015 IoT Evolution Product of theYear Award from IoT Evolution magazine, the leading publication covering IoT technologies.50John Hudec,presidentSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/1Richard V. Baxter,Jr., co-founder,president and CEOCurrent leadershipsince 2005Founded: 2005Location: CarmelPrimary business: computer systemsdesign and related servicesSites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/1Full-time equivalent employees:N/Awww.mesh-systems.comBizVoice/Indiana Chamber – September/October 2015
An example of a good problem: A manufacturerwins a large contract that requires increasedproduction; however, the company needssupplemental labor to handle the project. MSInspection & Logistics, Inc. (MS-IL), a lightindustrial staffing agency in Indianapolis, recruits, trains and qualifies workers that can beplaced in a facility at a moment’s notice to meet demand, while also handling thepaperwork and human resources needs.MS-IL has developed a metrics business model that is based on lower margin but higherretention of associates, as opposed to the higher margin, larger turnover model. Thecompany sustains growth by offering associates monetary incentives based on tenure. Theresult: Customers receive a more consistent and productive workforce and associatesearn higher wages.MS-IL is one of the fastest growing staffing agencies in the Midwest and one of the fastestgrowing minority- and woman-owned businesses in the country.Perceivant was founded to help organizationsutilize their data to reduce risk, cut costs andimprove quality. Organizations that don’t havebig budgets or information technologydepartments can gain rapid insights from their data in a simple, secure and affordable way.Data Dojo, Perceivant’s cloud-based, HIPAA-compliant data analytics platform, canprocess terabytes of structured and unstructured data from any source in real time,correlate it and deliver it to data scientists and decision-makers in a readable format.Leticia Snoddy,CEO/founderCurrent leadershipsince 2001Founded: 2001Location: IndianapolisPrimary business: other services(except public administration)Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 5/4Full-time equivalent employees:113 in 2014; 121.5 expected in 2015www.ms-il.comAT A GLANCE:Brian Rowe,founder and CEOCurrent leadershipsince 2012Founded: 2012Location: IndianapolisIn addition to technology, Perceivant provides a complete analytics service, including ahosted analytics infrastructure, Business Intelligence (BI) visualization tools, and datascience consulting and integration services.Primary business: scientific andtechnical consulting servicesWith the acquisition of key clients last year, Perceivant established a presence in healthcare, wellness, finance and education, opening up new avenues for products andservices. Perceivant’s technology partnerships open up a new target market: clientslooking to integrate, complement and expand their current data analytics technology.Full-time equivalent employees:10 in 2014; 15 expected in 2015Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 1/1www.perceivant.comNothing goes to waste at Pioneer Packaging LLC,a company specializing in pallet building andservices. Any materials that are left over from aproject are either resold or recycled into livestockbedding. Pioneer Packaging produces and recycles several million pallets and producesabout 40 million pounds of livestock bedding annually.AT A GLANCE:The company offers new, recycled, combination and heat treating (for export) pallets,warehousing, trailer rentals and freight service. It manages customers’ pallet inventoryand keeps multiple trailers full on its lot. If a customer has an empty trailer, Pioneerdelivers another load the next day.Founded: 2003In response to the company’s growth, the owners purchased three large formerproduction plants to manufacture products and maintain high inventory levels forcustomers. Almost all raw materials, works in production and finished inventory areindoors at all times, an anomaly in the wood pallet industry.Sites in Indiana/elsewhere: 2/0Pioneer Packaging was recently featured on the cover of Pallet Enterprise magazine for itsinnovation in recycling waste into usable product.52AT A GLANCE:Susan Kohler,presidentCurrent leadershipsince 2003Location: PortlandPrimary business: manufacturingFull-time equivalent employees:91 in 2014; 98 expected in a Chamber – September/October 2015
Renaissance Administration LLC is thel
insurance broker and risk management services firm, has exceeded aggressive growth plans and posted record profitability. Harnessing technology, mobile, cloud, big data and social networking, the company has a strategic quest to bridge the gap
