The Chamber SceneHUNTINGTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
305 Warren Street • Huntington, Indiana 46750 • (260) 356-5300 • www.huntington-chamber.com • February 2018
Huntington businessman Cory Reber has always seen the poten-
tial for the local Lime City Manufacturing plant, and was employed
there from 1992 to 2005. The opportunity to purchase Lime City
came to Cory, and on December 29, 2017, he and wife Mandy be-
came the owners.
Local leaders and the employees of Lime City are very excited
about the sale. Keeping a local business under local ownership and
management is the desired result for a business in any community.
All but two of the current employees who work at Lime City
worked there when Reber was there.
Lime City had its start under the direction of Lawson Zent in
1941. The business was purchased by Warren Rider in 1962 and
Randy Rider in 1989. The Rebers purchased the business from
Rider. Lime City does business nationwide and also ships to Mex-
ico.
Fifteen employees are guided by the leadership team of Cory and
Mandy Reber, owners; Mark Shultz, controller; Kevin Teusch,
product/materials manager; Mark Featherston, warehouse manager;
Lisa Smart, resource manager and Jill Christman, customer service
at Lime City. They are best known for their production of aftermar-
ket automotive radiator and gas caps, steel that goes into industrial
wire brushes and dust covers for driveshafts. Also manufactured
are terminals, brackets, shallow drawn components, interior support
brackets, mold inserts, small laminations and assemblies.
According to Shultz, Lime City’s business is mainly tier two au-
tomotive. It also serves industries such as agriculture, appliance,
electrical/electronics, plastic molding, rubber molding,
medical/healthcare, audio component, consumer electronic, gov-
ernment defense, office systems, food equipment, recreational ve-
hicles, transportation and more.
Cory Reber graduated from Huntington North High School. He
continued his education and became a tool and die maker. Reber
owns two automotive service businesses in Huntington County
along with Lime City. Mandy Reber assists him with his businesses,
and is also the executive director of the Parkview Boys and Girls
Club of Huntington County. Mandy studied at Purdue University
and has been with the Boys and Girls Club since October of 2005.
The Rebers plan to continue the services Lime City has provided
to customers over the years. Lime City has a comprehensive quality
system that includes Statistical Process Control (SPC), quality as-
surance and control systems to assist in meeting or exceeding major
industry standards and a complete quality manual available for re-
view. The well-staffed and equipped tool department will continue
to develop, maintain and produce tooling to support the manufac-
turing process. Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided
Machining (CAM), Wire EDM and CNC Machining are used at
Lime City.
The business keeps a large spare parts inventory readily available
to meet customers’ needs. Cold rolled steel, aluminum, hot rolled
steel, stainless steel, red metal, alloy steel, coated metal, high
strength low alloy steel and most ferrous and non-ferrous metal are
some of the materials utilized by Lime City employees.
Services at Lime City include production assembly, drilling, tap-
ping, welding, de-burring and parts cleaning/burnishing and tool
and die repair. Other available services include production assem-
bly, heat treating, powder coating, plating, E-coat, painting, phos-
phating and dacrotizing The benefits experienced by customers of
Lime City include more efficient vibratory tumblers, computer con-
trol for consistent processes, automation, control of a process rather
than outsourcing it, efficient delivery, excellent quality/finished
products along with reduced cost.
Lime City Manufacturing is located at 1470 Etna Avenue and
can be reached at (260) 356-6826 or fax: (260) 356-3427. More in-
formation can be found at the website: www.limecitymfg.com.
The Huntington County Chamber of Commerce congratulates
the Rebers on their acquisition and thanks them for keeping a local
business locally owned!
Local couple purchase Lime City Manufacturing
Shown in the photo is the leadership team at Lime City Manufac-
turing. Front row, from left, Jill Christman, customer service; Lisa
Smart, resource manager; Mandy and Cory Reber, owners and
Mark Shultz, controller. Back row includes Mark Featherston, ware-
house manager and Kevin Teusch, production/materials manager.
Page 2 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce February 2018
FEBRUARYBusiness of the Month
Mettler Agency
Mettler Agency, 616 N. Jefferson Street, was named Chamber Business of the Month
for February by the Chamber Ambassadors. Mettler Agency is owned and operated by
Tom and Dave Mettler.
Mettler Agency has been a longtime staple in the Huntington community and is in its
third generation of ownership. Mettler Agency has been a member of the Chamber for
many years and is always willing to give back to the community. The Chamber thanks
Tom and Dave Mettler and the entire Mettler Agency team for their commitment to the
Chamber and the community of Huntington.
Shown on the front row holding the banner is Staci Mathias, Habitat for Humanity and
Chamber Ambassador and Kris Whitted, commercial lines customer service, Mettler
Agency. Second row, from left are Darlene Stanley, JJ’s, Chamber board; Theresé Met-
tler, secretary-treasurer and Dave Mettler, vice president, Mettler Agency; Chris Camp,
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Chamber board; Terry Miller, Real Living Ness
Bros, Kerry Beaver, Lime City Title Services, Steve Godfroy, Perfection Wheels, all
Chamber Ambassadors; Ben Davis, Parkview Huntington Family YMCA, Chamber board
and Tom Mettler, president, Mettler Agency. Standing behind the counter are Shelly Mc-
Cutcheon, agent, Megan Alberts, partially hidden, customer service agent, both from
Mettler Agency; Jessi Brown, Huntington City-Township Public Library, Danielle Shaw,
Bippus State Bank both Chamber Ambassadors; Robin Carender, customer service
agent, Mettler Agency; JoDeane Knowles, TCU, Chamber Ambassador; Brandi Shock-
ney, agent, Mettler Agency; Kolby Rosemeyer, First Merchants Bank and Chamber Am-
bassador and Mike Hartburg, DeLaney Hartburg Roth & Garrott and Chamber board.
Third House Legislative Session at
library Saturday, February 10The Huntington County Chamber of Commerce will host a Third House Legislative
Session at the Huntington City-Township Public Library Saturday, February 10 from
10 a.m. to 12 Noon. The library is located at 255 W. Park Drive.
The session will feature State Senators Andy Zay and Travis Holdman along with
Dan Leonard, 50th District State Representative; Mayor Brooks Fetters and County
Commissioner Larry Buzzard. Those in attendance will hear from the elected officials
about city, county and state government activities. A question and answer session will
follow.
The moderator for the session will be John Niederman, president, Pathfinder Serv-
ices. The session is free and the public is invited to attend.
Board of Directors
2018
Chairman of the Board
Steve Petry
W.A. Zimmer Company
Chairman of the Board-Elect
Randy Warner
Randal J. Warner CPA, LLC
Treasurer
Sonya Foraker
Parkview Huntington Hospital
Assistant Treasurer
Darlene Stanley
JJ’s
Immediate Past Chairman
Ryan Lemon
Novae Corporation
Amy Johns
Clear Elevation
Ben Davis
Parkview Huntington Family YMCA
Chris Camp
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems
Eric Fawcett
Bippus State Bank
Erin Covey
MetroNet
Jerry Reid
Continental Structural Plastics (CSP)
John Garrott
Beacon Credit Union
Kay Schwob
Huntington University
Mike Hartburg
DeLaney Hartburg Roth & Garrott LLP
Trace Hinesley
Huntington County Community School
Corporation
STAFF
Steve Kimmel
Executive Director
Angie Garcia
Office Administrator
February 2018 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce Page 3
Shown in the photo are graduates of the Learning Center’s second Industrial Maintenance
class including Scott Poe, Trever Teusch, Joseph Pence, Jason LaPan, Travis Hamilton,
Chad Wilson, Johnathon Karst and Augustine “Tony” Arellano.
Second Industrial Maintenance
class graduates from LC
The Learning Center, 2201 N. Jeffer-
son Street, celebrated the second Indus-
trial Maintenance class graduation on
Monday, January 22. Eight employees
from the area graduated from the class.
The Ivy Tech Industrial Maintenance
Skill-Link Training Program had eight
students, representing Bendix Vehicle
Commercial Systems, LLC.
All participants in the 26-week course
earned the OSHA 10 training certifica-
tion. Students also had the option to earn
a Manufacturing Skill Standards Council
(MSSC) certification and an Association
of Technology, Management and Applied
Engineering (ATMAE) certification. The
course covered a variety of topics, includ-
ing safety, total productive maintenance,
basic measurements, precision measure-
ments, statistical process control, quality
control tools and print reading.
Funding for the course came from a
combination of Skill-Link training dollars
from Northeast Indiana Works and the
Huntington County Office of Community
and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant.
For more information on classes, call
the Learning Center, call (260) 356-2858.
Industrial Maintenance
class to be held during dayA daytime Industrial Maintenance class will be held at The Hunt-
ington County Community Learning Center (The LC), 2201 N. Jef-
ferson Street, beginning Tuesday, February 13. The classes will take
place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This 26-week course provides students with the entry level skills
necessary to work within the manufacturing industry as an entry
level Industrial Maintenance Technician. Students will be intro-
duced to basic terminology and technology as it relates to Safety,
Electricity, Motor Controls, Fluid Power, Manufacturing Processes,
Welding, PLC’s and Robotics. The class will focus heavily on
hands-on skills with students using on-line modules between class
meetings to prepare themselves. The LC still has a few openings
for those interested in taking the classes.
The LC is also forming an evening CNC course, slated to begin
in mid-February. The CNC class will be held on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, and there are still a few opening for students to take the
class.
For more information, contact The LC at (260) 356-2858 or visit
their website at http://huntingtonlearning.org/.
Region’s economy more diverse,
employs more at higher average pay
Source: Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly
It’s been a little more than 10 years since the nation went
into the most serious recession most of us can remember. The
latest full-year data available from the Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics shows northeast Indiana has more than fully recovered
from it.
An analysis of BLS data for the 11 counties of northeast In-
diana by the Community Research Institute at Indiana Univer-
sity-Purdue University Fort Wayne shows the region’s 2016
economy was more diverse and employed more people at sub-
stantially higher average annual pay than during 2006, the last
full year before the recession.
A gradual expansion that started in June 2009 brought an end
to the 18-month Great Recession, which the National Bureau of
Economic Research said began in December 2007 and lasted
longer than any downturn since World War II.
By 2016, the region’s total employment had grown about 1
percent to 352,467 from 350,350, and its average annual pay
had risen about 21 percent, to $41,539 from $34,467.
As a percentage of total employment, manufacturing shrank
by close to 2 percentage points as the service sector grew by
close to 3 percentage points, while only slight changes were
noticed in the local, state and federal public employment sector
and the “everything else” sector.
Page 4 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce February 2018
Staci MathiasResource Development Coordinator
habitatgfw.com
2020 E Washington Blvd
Suite 500
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
tel (260) 356-7425
Boren gifts $1 million to HUHuntington University an-
nounced it has received a $1
million gift from Leland E.
Boren of Upland, Indiana. The
gift will support continued aca-
demic program growth in the
Haupert Institute for Agricul-
tural Studies and other initia-
tives described in Faith
Forward 2022, HU’s strategic
plan.
“A gift of this magnitude en-
ables Huntington University to
remain strong as an institution
focused on educating and
equipping men and women to
make an impact in this world
for Christ,” stated Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, HU president. “Mr.
Boren’s faithfulness to support Christian higher education re-
flects his long-held personal values, and continues the legacy
he and his wife began many years ago of investing it forward
in the lives of young people and our community.”
Boren currently serves as chairman and chief executive offi-
cer of Avis Industrial Corporation, a parent company of 11
wholly-owned subsidiaries located in the United States, Mex-
ico, Canada and United Kingdom. He is also president of PHD,
Inc., with manufacturing operations in Fort Wayne and Hunt-
ington, along with a location in Germany. Boren’s specific in-
terest in the Haupert Institute for Agricultural Studies stems
from his personal experience as a farmer. In 1965, the Borens
established LeLaLo Farms in Upland, and also maintain cattle
operations in Rush Springs, Oklahoma. For 50 years these
farms have been active in nature preservation and crop and ani-
mal production. Boren was also an instrumental donor for
Huntington University’s Ware Crop Science Production Facil-
ity.
“I believe in the mission of Huntington University and have
confidence in Dr. Emberton as she leads the university into
great success in the years ahead,” said Boren.
Boren’s generosity is well known in Indiana as he and his
late wife LaRita have been long-time supporters of Christian
higher education to help train the next generation of business,
community and church leaders.
February 2018 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce Page 5
Crisis Hotline (260) 530-76761344 Maple Drive (260) 356-9681
“Providing Support to Youth and
Families in Huntington County”www.ysbofhuntingtoncounty.org
State seeking nominations
for the Governor’s Century
and Half Century awardsThe state of Indiana is ac-
cepting nominations for the
Governor’s Century and
Half Century Business
Awards, which honor
Hoosier businesses that have
remained in operation for at
least 100 or 50 years, respec-
tively, and have demonstrated a commitment to serving the
community.
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb will recognize award winners and
present a commemorative certificate during a ceremony at the
Indiana Statehouse in the spring. Applications are due by Feb-
ruary 16.
Qualifying criteria is as follows: The business must have had
continuous operations in Indiana for more than 50 or 100 years
by December 31, 2017. The business must have participated in
the same line of work for the duration of its operations. If dif-
ferent, an explanation of the evolution into the current business
must be provided on the nomination form. The business must
have had its base in the state of Indiana since it was founded.
Not-for-profit corporations and hospitals are not eligible. The
business must recognize, acknowledge and agree that it is in
full compliance with the Indiana Secretary of State, Depart-
ment of Revenue and the Department of Workforce Develop-
ment by signing the application. The business must not have
previously received a Century or Half Century award from the
state of Indiana. Previous Half Century Award recipients may
qualify for a Century Award. Eligible companies are encour-
aged to complete the online application.
Visit the Indiana Economic Development Corporation
(IEDC) website at https://iedc.in.gov/programs/century-and-
half-century-awards for additional details or to fill out the ap-
plication.
Page 6 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce February 2018
Heritage Days looking
for its corporate sponsorEach year in June the Hunt-
ington Heritage Days Festival
takes place and is sponsored by
a business from the Huntington
community. The business se-
lected for this sponsorship is
featured on each piece of infor-
mation associated with Her-
itage Days and offers that
business a tremendous opportu-
nity to promote itself for ap-
proximately the three months prior to Heritage Days.
The sponsoring business reaches over 50,000 people with its
name on the official logo: billboards, stationery, brochures,
buttons, banners, news releases, newspaper and radio advertis-
ing. The sponsorship is determined by silent auction with a
minimum bid of $1,500. The bids are to be made by written
proposal on the official sponsorship form and submitted to the
Chamber of Commerce by Friday, February 23, 2018. The
highest bidder is considered the sponsor of Heritage Days.
If you are interested in becoming the corporate sponsor for
the 2018 Heritage Days, you can find your sponsorship form
included with this newsletter.
Indiana Wage Laws at HR meetingThe topic for the HR/Professional Development Group meeting
in February is “Indiana Wage Laws – What’s New.” Mike Hartburg,
left, and Rick DeLaney, attorneys at DeLaney Hartburg Roth &
Garrott will speak to the HR/Professional Development Group on
Friday, February 9. You do not need to be in human resources to
join in on this informative meeting, but an RSVP is required.
Hartburg and DeLaney will discuss some of the new, proposed,
and talked about laws for the State of Indiana. This is a meeting
that not only HR directors should attend, but those owning and
managing small businesses should also attend.
If you would like to learn more about the Indiana Wage Laws,
RSVP to [email protected] or by calling the of-
fice at (260) 356-5300 by Wednesday, February 7. The HR/Profes-
sional Development Group meeting is free but there is a $10 cost
for lunch.
305 Warren StreetHuntington, IN 46750
Presorted
Standard
U.S. Postage
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Huntington, IN
Permit No. 194
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Mark Your
Calendars
Third House Legislative SessionSaturday, February 10, 10 a.m.
Huntington City-Township Public Library
Public Invited
Childcare/Preschool Provider TrainingPurdue Extension Office of Huntington County
Monday, March 5, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
1340 S. Jefferson Street - $5 per registrant
Peter and the StarcatcherMarch 8, 9, 10 & 15, 16, 17; 7:30 p.m., matinees 10 & 17, 2 p.m.
Huntington University Merillat Centre for the Arts
Heritage DaysWednesday, June 20 through Sunday, June 24
Around the community.
For A Complete Calendar of EventsVisit our website at www.huntingtoncountychamber.com
PROFESSIONAL JANITORIAL
SERVICE, INC.Industrial and Commercial Cleaning
Since 1985
SAFEGUARD SERVICES, INC.Security Guard and Patrol Service
Since 1962
430 Warren Street Huntington, IN
(260) 356-4726