Business

By Victoria Meldrum, Ball State CBER— MUNCIE, IN — Registration is now open for the Indiana Economic Outlook, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Horizon Convention Center. In its 30th year, this popular event for the Muncie business community will offer breakfast, an economic forecast for the state and nation by Ball State University professor Michael Hicks, and a panel discussion on the challenges facing Indiana manufacturing firms with keynote panelists Steven Smith and Scott Buehrer. The Center for Business and Economic Research, a unit in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University, has organized the annual Indiana…

By  Schnee M. Doyle, I&M Communications— MUNCIE, IN—Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is gearing up ahead of this weekend’s forecasted snow, single-digit temperatures and below-zero wind chills. I&M knows that our customers rely on us for safe, reliable power and an outage is not convenient at any time, but especially not during cold and snowy conditions. I&M crews and trucks will be ready to safely and quickly respond amid the frigid temperatures if outages occur. I&M works year-round to prevent outages by replacing aging equipment, analyzing data to find issues before an outage occurs and trimming trees that can damage power…

By Stacey A. Shannon— MUNCIE, IN—For nearly 80 years, Tom Cherry Muffler has been a Muncie institution for auto repairs. But, it also has a deep-seated history in racing. The shop itself came out of Tom Cherry’s racing career. An avid racer himself, Cherry participated in one of the first races on the beach at Daytona and was involved in the early days of NASCAR racing. When he wasn’t racing, Cherry ran a speed shop out of his garage for a few years before opening the location at 321 W. 8th Street in 1946. In the early days, Cherry custom-built…

By Stacey A. Shannon— MUNCIE, IN—The end of the year is the season of change for Amazing Joe’s and its owners, Mike Robinson, Chad Massoth and Nick Grams. The trio – with more than 50 years of combined restaurant experience – started prepping for the opening of the original Amazing Joe’s in Muncie at the end of 2007. The first restaurant opened early in 2008. Then in November of 2010, the restaurant was doing well enough to open a second location in Columbus, Ind. Both restaurants had years of success behind them when the trio opened the more upscale Adams…

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief— MUNCIE, IN—Each year, November is designated as National Veterans and Military Families Month. During the month of November, MuncieJournal.com will be publishing Letters To Veterans, written by students from Burris and Muncie Community Schools. We will be publishing one letter each weekday. This year’s Letters to Veterans special feature is sponsored by Sam Pierce Chevrolet.       Sam Pierce Chevrolet 12401 West County Road 550 South Daleville, IN 47334 Phone: 765-387-4287 https://www.sampiercechevy.com/  

By Katy Maggart— MUNCIE, IN— The Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce held their 131st Annual Dinner & Awards on Tuesday, November 18. Six awards were presented, and a new chair of the board of directors was installed. The Spirit of Small Business Award was presented to an individual(s) who own and/or operate a small business in the greater Muncie area. The award finalists included Enterprise Plumbing and Intersection. This year’s award recipient was Enterprise Plumbing. The Economic Impact Award was presented to an individual, organization, or company that has made significant contributions to the economic well-being of the greater Muncie…

By Michael Bianski, I&M Communications— FORT WAYNE – Ahead of Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday, Nov. 19, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is sharing simple ways to spot and stop scams to keep you safe. Criminals often attempt to pressure customers into paying “unpaid bills” to avoid disconnection. These scams affect both homes and businesses. As of November 2025, I&M has received more than 300 scam reports from customers. “We understand how stressful and unsettling it can be to receive a call threatening to disconnect your power,” said Katie Runkle, vice president of Customer Experience and External Affairs. “By knowing…

By Farmhouse Creative— MUNCIE IN—The end of the year can feel like a sprint. Holiday orders, year-end reports, planning for next year, and still trying to make it home in time for dinner. For small business owners and entrepreneurs, it’s easy to lose steam right when the finish line is in sight. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to crawl your way through December. With the right focus, you can finish the year feeling proud, prepared, and even a little bit refreshed. Here’s how: 1. Reflect Before You Rush Before diving into next year’s goals, take a moment to…