By: Mike Rhodes— In 1930, H.J. Lehman began his heating and electrical business in Muncie. He located on East Main St. in the heart of the downtown area. Mr. Lehman soon became a pioneer in home heating conversion from coal to natural gas. Muncie residents were very pleased to rid themselves of the daily chore of stoking their basement furnaces and cleaning the ash residue. H.J. Lehman soon found he needed to expand. He purchased a welding shop on West…
By: Knapp Supply— Knapp Supply’s long history goes back to just after the Civil War. After being honorably discharged from the Union Army in March 1864 for injuries that he suffered at the Battle of Chickamauga, Captain Alexander A. Knapp moved to Union City, Indiana. In 1871, Capt. Knapp was elected to the Union City Council, where he oversaw the construction of the Union City Waterworks. With the completion of the Union City Waterworks, demand for plumbing supplies was great. …
By: Mike Rhodes— There’s no better gift to give a loved one than a beautiful Heidi J Hale piece of custom, handcrafted jewelry. Every piece of Heidi J Hale jewelry is designed and handcrafted by an army of thirty skilled metalsmiths, artisans, and craftspeople from their downtown Muncie location. Even though they operate from Muncie, with their popular online store, Heidi J Hale Designs is a global operation. As of this writing, the Heidi J Hale Facebook page has amassed 668,889…
By: Amy Evans— A few years ago, Tony & Amy Evans decided to start planning for retirement. For some, that might mean adjusting their 401K. For the Evans’ that meant buying trees. Evans Pines Nursery sits on 40 acres 2 miles NW of Albany, Indiana. Everything they grow is in containers and everything they grow stays green year-round. Evans Pines Nursery specializes in growing fast growing trees for privacy screens and windbreaks. Currently they have Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Blue…
By: Kristina Clemens— In an industry where 96 percent of new firms go out of business within five years, Clemens Home Solutions has grown and prospered for more than two decades. Certainly, a good deal of this success has come because construction is in the blood of Shawn Clemens, the company’s owner and founder. Passionate about building things for as long as he can remember, Shawn has been actively working on home construction sites and remodeling projects since he was 12…
By: Mike Rhodes— It’s springtime again, and you know what’s coming—hours and hours of mowing your grass, tending to your landscaping, and mulching your flower beds, over and over again. For some people, those activities are enjoyable. For others, it can be a grind. After our long winter and “polar vortex” type temperatures, most of us want to get outside and do fun things with our friends and family. Like spending time on the golf course. Or firing up the…
By: Karen Bullock— In today’s world we are constantly bombarded with advertising and promises from every direction. You have many choices when it comes to your home comfort needs. Why choose Bullock Heating & Cooling? Jeff Bullock started his company in 1979 with a $300 station wagon full of tools and a vision to create a company that would provide a needed service to homeowners in this area. Many things have changed over the last 40 years, but our dedication…
By: Art Van Furniture— Art Van Furniture was started in 1959 by our founder Mr. Art Van Elslander (Yes, there is a Mr.Van). We are now a part of the #1 furniture and mattress store in the Midwest. We are the same family owned/operated business you have shopped with in Central Indiana for over 40 years. Our buyers travel the globe to find and design the most stylish furniture – and we make it all affordable for midwest families. We have…
By: Jamie Faulkner— Do you remember how twenty years ago, we were hesitant to use online banking? Many of us feared the internet and we could never imagine having our banking available and accessible via the internet. Surely, it’s not secure. Surely, my information isn’t safe. Fast forward to today and we’re talking about technology like asking Alexa for the balance of your checking account. (Alexa is Amazon’s virtual assistant which can hear your questions and give you answers.) As…
By: Stacey Shannon— Muncie, IN—Tuesdays through Saturdays, you’ll find Andy and Amy Shears at Muncie Map Company, located downtown at 111 E. Adams Street, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The couple work together to maintain a store that features items either about Muncie or made by folks in Muncie. And, as the name suggests, they also offer a wide variety of maps along with freelance art and graphic design services. Andy, who has a PhD in cartography, got tired of…