Profiles in Business 2015

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PROFILES IN BUSINESS • July 2015 • fwbusiness.com • ©KPC Media Group Inc. Page 3

When you visit Shaffer Multime-dia’s website, www.shaffermultimedia.com, the first thing that people notice is the companies tagline, “Collaborate. Construct. Connect.” Odd for an event & media production service? Perhaps. It might sound like it belongs in an entirely different industry all together.

But President John Shaffer is not only aware of this, he thrives on introducing new elements into the industry itself. “The tag line was the best way to describe that our company will collaborate with our clients on ideas, not dictate on how it’s always been done before. We will specifically construct a stage look, if desired, to your event. Not just use scenic elements we have “in stock”. By doing this, and more, the goal is to help your company & their message connect with the audience.

Some of Shaffers’ clients that have come to realize this advantage, include; General Motors, Aunt Millie’s Bakery, Foellinger Foundation, & FTW Audi-Porsche just to name a few. They also work with a number of non-profit organizations offering discounts that assist them in keeping reasonable budgets, while producing a high caliber event.

“You’ll notice another motto with our company as well”, John states. “Connect with a company that connects with you”.

“One of my priorities is not only that

we all have a friendly helpful disposition, but that we always work on understanding what’s most important to our clientele, and give them plenty of creative options”. “Our team is comprised of experienced individuals, with backgrounds not only in corporate events, but theatre, A+ artist touring technicians, studio recording & mechanics.”

If you’ve been an attendee at functions they have directed, you have seen this practice in action. Shaffer Multimedia have built a 9’ “tree” prop that sprouted out of the stage and motor cross “jumps”. They have used giant stretch fabrics & “disproportioned” LED walls for video projection. Projection mapping is certainly in the lineup as well, but it doesn’t stop there.

“We once hid audio speakers under cocktail tables for an event, because putting them on speaker stands just didn’t make sense with the layout. It not only made for great audio quality because you didn’t have the driver of the speaker in line with a microphone. Also the esthetics were great and we had attendees wondering where the audio was coming from.”

CEO Brigette Sofio-Shaffer while being a sounding board & helping to contrive out of the box thinking, often times needs to look after what CEO’s do and place financial requirements into the plan.

“We have many vast ideas that we want to accomplish. We’ve done notable projects for incredible clients, but we’re still growing and those big ideas depend on strategic evaluation.”

Without a doubt Shaffer Multimedia achieves a commendable job at your

conventional audio-visual set up as well, big or small. They also produce video & voiceover production for training, meetings, fundraisers, and advertising.

Shaffer Multimedia is a proud member of NFIB, Greater Fort Wayne, Visit Fort Wayne, Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce, & various AVL associations.

Contact Shaffer Multimedia for your next event or production demand, and Collaborate, Construct, and Connect!

Shaffer Multimedia

Media & more with Shaffer Multimedia

One of my priorities is not only that we all have a friendly helpful disposition. But that we always work on understanding what’s most important to our clientele, and give them plenty of creative options. — John Shaffer

Shaffer Multimedia260.749.6449www.shaffermultimedia.com

Services Provided: Audio, Video, Lighting event conception & management, media production, AVL consulting & installation.

John Shaffer and Brigette Sofio-Shaffer.


No new kid on the block, Indiana Signworks has recently lit up the local sign market. Parent company Indiana Stamp has made signs since the 50s. Over time, new capabilities were added, such as sublimating and wide format digital printing. With the purchase of Mid-America Sign in 2014, a quantum leap was made- giving the company the ability to manufacture even the largest exterior signs in-house. The new division was rebranded to become Indiana Signworks, and has recently been moved into its own building near Indiana Stamp in Interstate Industrial Park.

Focus on Customer ServiceCEO Tom Beaver, son of co-founder

Millard Beaver, talks about competi-tive advantages. “Indiana Signworks brings the same product quality, timely communication, and dependable service to our full-service sign business, which we have delivered locally, nationally, and internationally with our Indiana Stamp product lines for over 65 years.”

From logo wear and promotional products to large pylon signs, there is now one shop for sign-related brand execution. The vertically-in-tegrated company is unique in the region, and customers appreciate dealing with a single experi-enced sign vendor, which ultimately streamlines communication and increases their bottom line.

Importance of CommunicationIndiana Stamp and Signworks

employees know that customers appreciate clear communication, which means asking the right questions and understanding customer expectations.

President Olivia Warner, who is Tom Beaver’s daughter, points out, “Indiana Signworks might be the sign experts, but the customer is the expert about their company and their brand vision. We provide products that help tell the customer’s story — the way they want it told. We strive to exceed expecta-tions, keeping customers in the loop as the project progresses. Especially for larger-scale jobs, clear communication is essential. With multiple projects running simultaneously at different locations, you have to be willing to go the extra mile to make sure everyone stays on the same page.”

Tradition meets TechnologyCustom products, an engineering

mindset and a can-do attitude further set the team apart and have been a hallmark of the company from day one.

The next time you are in the market for any type of sign-related product, let our experienced and friendly staff help.

Indiana Signworks

Indiana Signworks lights up the midwest sign market

We are dedicated to providing the highest quality product at a fair price, and doing so in a friendly and engaging manner,” notes Bill Collins, VP of Operations and Plant Manager. “We are known around town as a company who will work with the customer to get the job done. That’s important.”

Indiana Signworks 1319 Production Road Fort Wayne, IN 46808 Tel. 260-407-4165www.indianasignworks.com

Services Provided: visual brand execution, custom sign solutions, sign installation and maintenance, interior & exterior sign manufacturing: ADA & Braille, wayfinding,

monument & pylon signs, dimensional & channel letters, construction signage, industrial signage, stencils, custom awards & recognition products, donor walls, bronze plaques, awnings, banners & flags, digital message centers, digital graphics, trade show graphics, wall-vehicle-window- & floor graphics, name badges & name plates, ad specialty products & logo wear.

Small business is the backbone of the American economy. We are proud to be a part of the local business community and are grateful to all of our customers.

Our experienced team can fabricate signs to any specifications. We have the knowledge, creativity, and flexibility to get the job done.


Committed to supporting business

growth in Fort Wayne, First Federal

Bank continues to expand their business

lending team to meet demands. First

Federal Bank entered the Fort Wayne

market nearly a decade ago and has plans

to open a third office on St. Joe Center

Road. “Fort Wayne has been an area

of growth for us and has allowed us to

create great opportunities to build new

relationships with business owners. We

are committed to supporting the Fort

Wayne area,” said Phil Bundy, Senior

Vice President, Market Executive.

In addition to expanding their

footprint, First Federal Bank has also

added two commercial team members to

help support the growing needs of Fort

Wayne.

Parry

Leavell

joins First

Federal Bank,

as a Vice

President,

Commercial

Lender, with

over 15 years

of banking

experience and

is responsible

for handling

accounts and

managing

finances for

mid-sized

businesses.

Leavell earned

his bachelor’s

degree from

Purdue

Univer-

sity – West

Lafayette and

his master’s

degree from

Indiana

Wesleyan

University. He

is active in the Fort Wayne community

as a member of the Serra Club of Fort

Wayne, Building Contractors Association

(BCA), Junior Achievement and United

Way of Allen County. In the surrounding

area, Parry is involved in the Knights of

Columbus and Immaculate Conception

Parish , he is a board member of the

National Automotive Truck Museum of

the United States and Vice President of

Bridgewater Community Housing Associ-

ation, all in Auburn, Indiana.

Also joining the commercial lending

team is Assistant Vice President, Business

Banking Specialist, Traci Bohdan. She

comes to First Federal Bank with nearly

20 years of business banking experience

and specializes in providing banking

solutions for businesses with borrowing

needs up to $250,000. She earned her

degree from Indiana University - Purdue

University Fort Wayne and is involved in

the Fort Wayne community as a member

of the Allen County SPCA, United Way,

Junior Achievement and Big Brothers Big

Sisters.

First Federal Bank offers unique

opportunities for businesses to advance

their day-to-day operations with cash

management and lending solutions. “We

are conscious of the needs of the Fort

Wayne community and have designed

a streamlined lending process for small

to mid-sized business customers and

continue to pursue digital solutions to

add convenience for our clients,” said

Leavell. As a community bank, First

Federal Bank has many of the digital and

traditional services offered by competing

national banks, such as remote deposit

capture, Certificate of Deposit Account

Registry Service (CDARS) and fraud

prevention, allowing them to be an

attractive alternative, but offer with the

service of a community bank

First Federal Bank

Rapid commercial growth for First Federal Bank

First Federal Bank is a $2.2 billion company that has been established since the 1920’s.

Offices for First Federal Bank are located on 9909 Illinois Road and 1595 W. Dupont Road. For more information about business banking services go to First-Fed.com.

By offering a wide variety of services, we are a crucial partner to businesses,” said Bohdan. “We pride ourselves in providing one-on-one attention and unique solutions for businesses of all kinds. It is a joy to alleviate the burden of banking for business owners and to watch their businesses thrive.

First Federal Bank is located on 9909 Illinois Road and 1595 W. Dupont Road.


When asked, 9 out of 10 Hoosiers would say they prefer to live out their lives in their own homes. The question that is not often asked is “how?” In Northeast Indiana, the answer for the past forty years to maintaining independence as you age-in-place has been Aging & In-Home Services.

Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, Inc. (AIHS) is the Area III Agency on Aging as designated by the U.S. Administration on Community Living and the State of Indiana. AIHS is the primary resource for older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers, and a funder of services including support for the Councils on Aging in their nine county service area: Allen, Adams, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley.

In 1974, AIHS was established as Northeast Area III Council on Aging as part of the national movement to provide community social services for older persons. The landmark legislation, known as the Older Americans Act, created the aging network which to this day continues to be the major vehicle for organizing and funding of services to older adults. In 1994, the organiza-tion’s name was changed to Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, Inc. to better reflect the scope of responsibility and services. In 2003, AIHS moved from a rental space into their own building at the current location, 2927 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne. President & CEO Connie Benton Wolfe

was hired in May 2010. On July 01, 2012, Allen County Council on Aging merged into AIHS. President & CEO, Connie Benton Wolfe states “Our mission has remained the same throughout our history, and our vision is clear – we are the major resource, and we will be a catalyst for innovation for older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers, to achieve optimal quality of live – safe and independent in their own home.”

Early on, Benton Wolfe established a set of Board-approved Strategic Organi-zational Priorities to identify gaps in need, as well as trends in the market-place, and set targets for positioning the agency to move forward in the healthcare marketplace. Achievements from those priorities include integration of evidence-based programming into all service areas, academic research partnerships including funds from the national Patient-Cen-tered Outcomes Research Institute, care transitions pilot project with one hospital now scaled up to 10 hospitals as well as skilled nursing facilities in 30 counties and funded by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and success in contracting with third party payers. Foremost in each annual set of priorities is an emphasis on strengthening core services to demonstrate a commitment to wellness and healthy aging in their region.

In 2014, AIHS touched the lives of over 57,000 individuals through three avenues of support: planning for services, providing services, and funding services. AIHS is a community resource providing services at no cost or low cost with special emphasis on those vulnerable popula-tions with the greatest economic or social need. However, AIHS is responsive to the needs of older adults, persons with

disabilities, and their caregivers regardless of their income. Services are provides on a fee-for-service basis to those who exceed the income guidelines of the funding sources. Care Coordination services are also available on a fee-for-service basis to employers wishing to provide on-site support to employed caregivers.

Their 40 years of service will be celebrated at an Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, October 28th, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Parkview Mirro Center for Research & Innovation. “The Annual Meeting is our once-a-year opportunity to bring together members of our service area for the specific purpose of celebrating our significant partners in accomplishing our mission. We will take this opportunity to look back at our four decades of service and forward to the future of aging-in-place.” This year’s featured speaker will be Joan Lunden, former host of “ABC’s Good Morning America” and author of a forthcoming biography “Had I Known: A Memoir of Survival.” For more informa-tion, contact AIHS at 745-1200 extension 226.

Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, Inc.

40 years of service in Northeast Indiana

Aging & In-Home Services of Northeast Indiana, Inc.2927 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne260.745.1200www.agingihs.org

Our mission has remained the same throughout our history, and our vision is clear – we are the major resource, and we will be a catalyst for innovation for older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers, to achieve optimal quality of live – safe and independent in their own home. — Connie Benton Wolfe, CEO

Years of service to Northeast

Indi

ana


The team at Delivra has truly mastered

the art of conversation.

Delivra is a digital marketing company

helping businesses have more conversa-

tions with their customers in order to sell

more services.

In 1999, Neil Berman started the

company from his kitchen table, hoping

to get involved in the booming Internet

and email business.

This hope bloomed into Delivra, a

digital and email marketing partner for

companies wanting to sell more of their

products but

are stuck on

where to start

the conversa-

tion. Whether

a business

needs

assistance

with design,

marketing

strategies

or software,

Delivra is

a one-stop

shop for any

marketing

needs.

“It’s a great

company to

work for,”

said Andrew Alexander, a business

development manager at Delivra. “In fact,

we’ve been voted the last five years in a

row as one of the top 100 companies in

Indiana to work for.”

Not only is Delivra successful as a

company, but it continues to grow with

plans to open an office in Louisville,

Ky. this fall. Plans are also in motion to

open several more offices in Michigan,

Indiana and Kentucky with the ultimate

goal to expand their reach throughout the

Midwest region.

The focus of the work is primarily

email marketing.

Email marketing, through permis-

sion-based emails, is what makes the

company unique, said Kurt Sanders,

a business development manager for

Delivra.

“There are a lot of companies out

there that do what we do but the biggest

difference is the personal feature we put

on it,” Sanders said.

Here’s how it works:

• Employees listen. The team at

Delivra listens to their clients to fully

understand direct and immediate needs.

The email marketing consultants meet

with clients to understand specific

marketing goals and pain points.

• Delivra applies its three-step process.

The recipe for success is clear: listen,

formulate and implement. After a free

phone consultation, a client success

manager is assigned to the client to

ensure solutions and results. The email is

designed to successfully relay the message

to customers and generate higher sales.

• The company delivers support.

Delivra is an “above and beyond” type

shop. The support team is there 24/7

online or by phone to make sure clients

are satisfied and at ease.

“For a lot of companies, you’re treated

like the smallest fish in the largest

ocean but, for us, we want you to feel

like you’re the largest fish in the worlds

smallest pond,” said Sanders.

The company has roughly 400 clients

with various needs and goals in mind;

Delivra is there to provide the solutions.

Looking toward the future, the team

at Delivra is looking to expand and grow

locally. The company is already on track

this year to double the amount of emails

sent from people using its services, said

Sanders. Last year, the company sent out

one billion emails.

That’s right, one billion.

Delivra

Delivra wants to have a conversation

“Our goal is to be as competi-tive as we can in the market that we’re in, but also be as helpful as we can to clients and help them grow,” Sanders said.

Delivra3217-B Stellhorn Rd.Fort Wayne, IN 46815Phone: 260.494.1707Toll free: 844.253.4838

Andrew AlexanderSteven Dilmore

Kurt Sanders


Deborah Schroeder, owner of FERN

LLC, never thought to start her own

business but, when she was told she could

increase the value of organizations, the

stars aligned.

“Someone once told me that when I

enter into a position, I increase the value

of that role to the organization,” Schroeder

said. “I took that to heart, and today I

lead FERN with that same mentality — do

something that adds value to other organi-

zations.”

Schroeder is the chief human resource

officer at FERN LLC, which is a human

resource consulting agency dedicated to

offering services and assistance to startup

or existing businesses to achieve objectives

and help them perform at the highest level.

Schroeder started the company in 2011,

putting together business and marketing

plans while establishing a client base and

gaining a positive reputation within the

community.

Schroeder has 16 years of experience in

the field of human resources and continues

to gain experience, helping companies with

various needs.

“I’ve discov-

ered that

there’s truly a

need for HR

support within

businesses,”

she said. “If a

company doesn’t

have a human

resource depart-

ment, it’s easy to

contract services

with us as partic-

ular needs arise.”

For organizations that choose not to

bring on an HR professional full-time,

FERN assists on an as need basis. It all

begins with organizational priorities,

whether it ties to reducing employee

turnover, ramping up employee account-

ability, leading employees through organi-

zational restructure, increasing communi-

cation, generating employee engagement

in the company mission, finding the right

person for the job or identifying retention

strategies that work for you.

It all begins with a conversation.

Following a complimentary two-hour

consultation centered on specific HR

needs, the company works with businesses

to customize necessary services designed

to cater to the organization. Examples of

services provided for past clients include:

• Staffing a startup company with 27

statewide employees;

• Conducting an HR audit for a

non-profit organization;

• Designing an office manager position,

interview questionnaire and an onboarding

plan for a financial services agency;

• Designing a resume for an entrepre-

neurial event planner;

• Providing career transition strate-

gies for a successful manager seeking a

different field;

• Writing and presenting management

training for a nonprofit organization;

• Writing employee handbooks and

employment-related policy for a quality

oversight company; and

• Designing and implementing a perfor-

mance enhancement program with an 84

percent success rate in bringing mediocre

performers to the level of satisfactory

performance in 90 days, saving the

company over $160,000 in turnover costs.

The services aren’t limited. FERN is

there to fill a niche.

For Schroeder, it’s vital to first meet

with the client and base the services off the

client’s specific needs and end goals.

“Many times I’ll sit down to talk with

people and they’ll say, ‘This is what

we need,’ but really, before you satisfy

that need, there’s this one over here, let

me help you fill that need first,” said

Schroeder.

It’s all about growth and enhancement.

Future plans are for FERN to become

certified as a women-based enterprise

in Indiana as well as work more with

businesses to improve their condition and

add value to organizations.

FERN

Maximizing value through human resources

For Schroeder, it’s vital to first meet with the client and base the services off the client’s specific needs and end goals.

FERN3201 Stellhorn RoadSuite C-127Fort Wayne(855) [email protected]

Deborah Schroeder


Point, snap and pay– Allied Payment Network Inc. makes bill paying a convenient, stress-free process.

Ralph Marcuccilli, president and CEO of Allied Payment Network, started the company in August 2010 with the hope to provide bill payment services to the financial industry as well as financial institution customers.

Marcuccili started his career working at Star Financial Bank for 20 years, with his last 10 years as chief informa-tion officer. While working at Star, Marcuccili’s leadership in operations and technology led the industry in several cutting edge technology developments, one being the first check imaging implementations in the country. He also co-designed one of the first electronic statement delivery systems for customers to receive bank statements via email.

“While at Star, I really saw an opportunity with bill pay processing and that’s when I left and started Allied,” Marcuccili said.

Allied has become a leader in the financial industry by providing innova-tive, customer-friendly solutions to bill paying using smartphones.

Allied invented the first mobile photo bill pay system in January 2013, allowing financial customers to take a picture of their bill and then make a payment.

“In developing the bill pay system, I recognized the opportunities with mobile and it becoming a big part of banking, so we started re-evaluating that as part of the online bill pay system,” Marcuccili said.

Since then, Marcuccilli made it his mission to deliver customer-friendly, quality products to financial companies in order to make their customer’s lives easier.

And it’s working.The next step after development

was to seek out community banks and credit unions to implement online bill payment services through Allied. Currently, more than 50 banks and credit unions use the services, Marcuc-cili said.

For those unfamiliar with picture pay, it works like this: users grab their smartphone to snap a photo of a bill (water bill, credit card bill, etc.) then the software, developed by Allied, reads the information off the statement such as the account number and, then, makes the payment.

The mobile bill pay process is just that simple - take a photo of your bill and complete the payment. Not only can customers pay bills using the picture pay program, they can pay all the bills at once on one platform.

The program also keeps track of the payments. Allied is a cloud-hosted service, so customers are able to have an archive of any past bills.

For the future, Allied is working to make the mobile bill pay system even easier for users. The team at Allied is currently working on a feature for the phone that takes the photo automat-ically. All the customer has to do is point.

“It’s all about staying up on the technology and making it easier for the user,” Marcuccili said.

Coming up on five years as a company, Allied has 13 employees with the hopes to hire a few more before the end of the year to continue to grow and reach innovative heights.

Allied Payment Network, Inc

Innovation is key to success for Allied

Allied has become a leader in the financial industry by providing innovative, custom-er-friendly solutions to bill paying using smartphones.

Allied invented the first mobile photo bill pay system in January 2013, allowing financial customers to take a picture of their bill and then make a payment.

AlliedNortheast Indiana Innovation Center3201 Stellhorn RoadFort Wayne, IN 46815260-399-7400


Trinetica Inc. is in the solutions business, but they have to be aware of a problem first.

While company employees were not present when issues within the natural gas and fracking industry were voiced at a conference, the Fort Wayne-based company’s clients were. Having already benefited from the custom software development and web design firm’s solutions, the clients made the connec-tion for Trinetica at the conference.

Several years ago, Trinetica struck a partnership with major telecommunica-tions company Qualcomm that allows it to develop software to transfer data such as load information over radio equipment already installed in transport trucks. The integration software was pushed to one carrier and then another. The carriers realized the benefits of automatically transferring data from cabs.

Fast forward six months. Those carriers attended a national conference where energy companies raised a need for the development of software that would allow automated data transfer, including

dispatching reports and invoicing.“My carriers raised their hand and

said, ‘We’re already doing it,’ and within a day they were calling me to see this software and see what it does,” said Chad Lowe, Trinetica’s CEO.

Word-of-mouth is a beautiful thing.Since September 2012, Trinetica’s

OSM Pro fleet management software has revolutionized the industry and been a solution that the company prides itself on.

The beauty of OSM Pro, and really Trinetica, lies in its simplicity for the client, Lowe said.

Gone are the days software companies would push clients into a licensing fee, then batter them with additional costs for programming changes. Trinetica includes a service fee inside each per-load fee that includes changes needed to be made to the system. With no quotes and no time estimates, Trinetica applies adaptations where applicable and pushes them out to each carrier automatically, so business process changes are fluid and made real-time with information stored in a centralized location.

“The hardest part is selling the company on that notion because nobody is used to a software company running like that,” said Lowe. “There’s no nickel-and-diming, there’s no additional cost to the software and they get what they want.

“We’re providing a service, but you’re gaining all the benefit.”

And Trinetica is feeling the results.Trinetica is currently in negotiations

with the country’s third-largest natural gas producer to push out its OSM Pro fleet management solution. If signed, Trinetica’s reach will grow from six carriers to 50 overnight, Lowe said.

“It’s going to grow exponentially,” said Lowe.

It’s all part of the plan at Trinetica, where Lowe said the business plan is to hear where businesses can improve and build solutions for them.

“We want someone to come to us with an idea and allow us to figure it out,” said Lowe of Trinetica, which employs two at its offices inside the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center at 3201 Stellhorn Road. “We’re trying to make sure the customers we deal with get exactly what they want before they ever pay a dime for us.”

It’s a solutions-first business model that’s working out.

Trinetica

Software firm focuses on solutions

There’s no nickel-and-di-ming, there’s no additional cost to the software and they get what they want.

Trinetica3201 Stellhorn RoadFort Wayne, Indiana 46815 (260)487-3220www.trinetica.com



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Profiles in Business 2015