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Jester Promotions LLC: Keeping promotions on the cutting edge Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise

Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise Back in days of old, jesters were the eyes and ears of the power brokers. “They knew everything the king knew,” said Rick Atkins, co-founder of Jester Promotions LLC, a specialty advertising company. That’s the know-how Atkins said he brings to the table: up-to-the-minute knowledge about the latest trends in promotional activities and where his clients can get the best price for their items. He toyed with naming the…

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TAWN PARENT Commentary: This is no time for Hoosier hysteria

Some big decisions this spring have not made me particularly proud to be a Hoosier or a resident of Indianapolis. Sure, we got funding for a new stadium and a convention center expansion. That will bring more visitors to our community, and it says we care about sports and tourism. And glory hallelujah! We finally got daylight-saving time, the economic benefits of which are unproven. That says we care about being like everyone else, whether it makes any sense or…

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SPORTS: ‘Our’ future extends beyond Marion County line

NOBLESVILLE-That Gov. Mitch Daniels, aboard his RV-1, was caught in the daily late-afternoon I-69, State Road 37 traffic snarl and was a half-hour late for his Hamilton County town meeting here last week represented a theme of his presentation. We are no longer a city, but a region. With that in mind, Our Man Mitch has been venturing to the counties contiguous to Marion, pitching the pending 1-percent food and beverage tax that will supply a small-emphasis on small, an…

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Trouble brewing at Market Square: Confidence wanes as partners bail

Deciding who will build and pay for a new sports stadium and expanded convention center has drawn plenty of scrutiny in recent months, diverting attention from the redevelopment struggle in our midst: the so-far illfated attempt to erect housing and retail space at the former Market Square Arena site. Though the stadium drama is yet to play out on the west side of downtown, it’s time for some answers regarding this high-stakes east-side project. The project team picked by the…

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Events colossus in Lucas’ sights: Sunshine Promotions founder pursues Clear Channel unit

The Indianapolis executive has alerted the Texas company of his interest and lined up preliminary financing, according to Craig Pinkus, a partner with Bose McKinney & Evans representing Lucas. “All I’m going to say is, the expression of interest is not a frivolous expression, and there are substantial preliminary arrangements,” Pinkus told IBJ. “This is not an effort of some kind to get attention and waste people’s time.” The unit’s parent, San Antonio-based radio giant Clear Channel Communications, announced in…

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Feed store offers unique product mix: Retailer remains a Wanamaker institution, despite having numerous competitors

Wanamaker Feed and Seed Feed store offers unique product mix Retailer remains a Wanamaker institution, despite having numerous competitors Pig noses, pig ears, cow hooves, wind chimes, jackknives, horse feed, bottled water, Indiana-dipped candles, carousel bird feeders-the inventory at Wanamaker Feed and Seed runs an interesting gamut. And owner Jim Trimble knows what to add, because he takes the time to know every customer and find out exactly what is wanted. (The first three items are for dogs to chew…

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VIEWPOINT: Arts are a good investment for business

This summer, there are two red-letter days for the arts and cultural scene as well as our city and state: the official opening of the new home of the Herron School of Art on the IUPUI campus, which was set for June 3, and the dedication of the Indianapolis Art Center’s ARTSPARK Aug. 21. These events are only two of the many activities in 2005 that will help position Indianapolis as an arts and cultural destination, a goal set by…

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BEHIND THE NEWS: Chicago Express bidder in several court tangles

I n d i a n a p o l i s real estate executive Edward Okun had a low profile in business circles here before he splashed into the news two months ago as the winning bidder for ATA Holdings Corp.’s Chicago Express Airlines. Two weeks later, however, he yanked his offer, valued at $3 million to $4 million. The reversal added to the air of mystery surrounding Okun, a 54-year-old Carmel resident. A closer look at Okun, president…

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New providers fill up the market for air-rescue services: Indiana sees growth spurt in helicopter transport firms

Medical helicopters are filling the skies over Indiana in an unprecedented growth spurt that has sparked a heated debate about overuse and quality of care. A market once dominated by not-forprofit Clarian Health Partners’ LifeLine program has seen three out-of-state companies plant seven new helicopter bases in central and southern Indiana over the past few years. PHI Air Medical Group Indiana, a subsidiary of Phoenix-based PHI Air Medical Services, opened bases in West Lafayette, Anderson and Columbus last year. They…

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JOHN KETZENBERGER Commentary: Time is ripe to heal racing rift

Roger Penske strode alone through Gasoline Alley 90 minutes before this year’s Indy 500. With 13 wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, The Captain certainly knows how to get his drivers around the famed Brickyard. In the next line of garages, a crowd of race fans and media gathered before doors numbered 12, 13, 14 and 15 where Rahal Letterman was encamped. Rookie phenom Danica Patrick arrived on a golf cart and disappeared quickly into the relative calm before the…

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SPORTS: No checkered flag for IRL, but it’s leading the race

The Indianapolis 500 is back, so we are told and at least we should hope. While television ratings didn’t blow through the roof, they at least climbed out of the basement by posting a 40-percent increase and putting in the rear-view mirrors that evil NASCAR event later in the day. Officials proclaimed with pride that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was “almost a sellout” for the big race, which, not that many years ago, would have been an indictment, not a…

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Up to the challenge: Stadium project leader has been here before

John Klipsch didn’t necessarily set out to take control of one of the largest public-works projects in Indianapolis history, but he prepared for it nonetheless. “My degree is in counseling,” he said with a wry smile. “This is how my career has evolved over the years.” So here he is, two months before work is scheduled to begin on a $900 million stadium construction and convention center expansion project, relying on his professional experience and personal dedication to get the…

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SPORTS: ‘Slow’ ride ’round oval makes your heart race

One of my favorite jokes goes like this: In the forest one day, two turtles were involved in a head-on collision. The only witness was a snail. When the forest police arrived to investigate the accident, they asked the snail to describe what he had seen. “I can’t,” said the snail. “It all happened too fast.” Speed is a relative thing. And, like the snail, that’s my challenge in recounting my recent experience at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which involved…

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Reebok takes heat over flap about apparel: Suit and tie excluded from NFL clothing contract

When new San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan was told he couldn’t wear a suit and tie on the sidelines because of apparel manufacturer Reebok’s contract with the National Football League, some said Tom Landry and George Halas rolled over in their graves. To be sure, the late NFL coaches known for their suits and ties wouldn’t appreciate the mandate from Reebok, which manufactures much of its licensed goods on Indianapolis’ east side and has suffered a public relations black…

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Local tourney to test new blue tennis courts: RCA Championships hopes to enhance fan experience

The RCA Championships is preparing for its biggest on-court change since the local tennis tournament replaced clay with hard courts in 1988. As part of a branding campaign led by the U.S. Tennis Association and U.S. Open, courts at the Indianapolis Tennis Center are being repainted from the traditional green to an eye-catching blue. The courts will be resurfaced and repainted-at a cost of $25,000-the week of July 4, just in time for the RCA Championships July 16-24. The RCA…

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After 5 years, USTA ready to serve up 96th Street HQ: Raymond James, First Merchants sign on as tenants

The locally based Midwest division of the U.S. Tennis Association is preparing to break ground on a 25,000-square-foot headquarters and hall of fame building on East 96th Street after five years of planning and courting tenants. The two-story office building was first conceived in 2000, but has been held up more than four years by a search for other tenants during a soft office market. The organization recently scored two tenants, Florida-based Raymond James & Associates Inc. and Muncie-based First…

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NOTIONS: An idyllic day dressed in ‘Blue Velvet’

Years ago, my wife and I registered our sons, Austin and Zach, for the Bank One 500 Festival Rookie Run. In what became an annual tradition, we’d drive the boys downtown early on the appointed Saturday in May, pick up their T-shirts and racing numbers, and wait for their age group to be called. At the appointed hour, Austin and Zach would line up with scores of other kids, run a few blocks up and back Meridian Street, and receive…

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Staff departures don’t derail IRL’s marketing efforts:

Despite the departure of two key marketing directors, the Indy Racing League has continued full throttle with its initiative to raise drivers’ profiles. Director of Driver Marketing Chris Bowers and Director of Brand Marketing Jayme Sabo departed earlier this year. That leaves two of the four director positions in the department vacant. John Griffin, Indy Racing League vice president of public relations, insists the departures are not a sign of instability in the series’ marketing ranks. “I don’t think it…

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Heartland Golf Cars and Equipment Co.: Golf cars have become hot commodity Local firm has ridden the trend to profitability ram said. He credits solid financing at startup as key to the success of Heartland. To anyone interested in starting a business, he

ram said. He credits solid financing at startup as key to the success of Heartland. To anyone interested in starting a business, he advises, “Don’t go into it on a shoestring. You have to have a business plan and be committed to working long hours. It’s not only working harder, it’s the workmanship, too. It may sound like an old cliché, but it’s very true.” * Golf cars are no longer just for sport. These electric- or gasoline-powered cars may…

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SPORTS Bill Benner: IRL vision falls short for driver on outside looking in

This will be the 10th Indianapolis 500 since the split-or chasm, or Grand Canyon-wide divide-in American open-wheel racing, and there is no question that the Indy Racing League and CART/Champ Car continue to suck the exhaust fumes of NASCAR. They lag well behind the taxi-cab series in crowds, television ratings, media coverage and corporate support. Why the knuckleheads who rule both open-wheel circuits stubbornly continue to go their own way is way beyond me, but I suspect the reason can…

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