POSTMASTER:TIMELY MATERIAL. PLEASE EXPEDITE.

Celebrating 19 Years of Service

JULY 2013 Vol. 19 No. 7
Published and Owned by Schaffner Publications, Inc.

Standard Mail U.S. Postage Paid Tiffin, OH 44883 Permit #88

The Business Voice of Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties

INSIDE THIS MONTH

Ask the Man Who Owns One. ................ 2 IT: Big Brother?........... 6 INSURANCE: Cyber Security............ 9 HR: Top Three Things Employees Want. ...............11 CHAMBER CALENDAR......15 ESTATE: Portability of Exclusion ........18 SALES: FBRs...............19 Affordable Care Act Provisions. .......21 Well-Booked Business..........22

Art Glass Redefined at the Milan Museum!

By Ann Basilone-Jones Executive Director Milan H. Museum The Milan Museum will unveil the year-long, multi-phase renovation of its acclaimed art glass collection this summer. The renovation includes pieces from the Robert Mowry Collection, more than 1,500 pieces of Tiffany, Lalique, Steuben and Dominic Labino. See the new multimedia display of how art glass is created and experience a collection unparalleled in our area. It has been a long process, renovating the space from the ground up, making a new home for the beautiful collection. Pieces from every major studio will return to view this summer. Included in the renovation are the new local history exhibits, pattern glass exhibit and antique firearms exhibit. The Milan Museums campus is located just steps from the birthplace of Americas greatest inventor, Thomas A. Edison. The exhibit buildings include: The Newton Decorative Arts Center features furniture, silver and ceramics from around the world View the sounds of early crafts and trades in the Sisty Blacksmith Shop and Carriage Shed See home life of the American past in the 1843 Victorian Sayles House Discover the center of community and commerce in the Lockwood General Store See the great inventors extraordinary innovations and other town treasures in the Galpin House local history rooms View the newly renovated glass wing which has objects that comprise one

Focus

on

Milan

and

Willard:

See MUSEUM, Page 3

Submitted by Ricky Branham Executive Director, WAEDC Willard has always been a community of hard working people and successful industries. The people and industries of Willard believe in our community and this is evidenced by the supersize projects that are taking place and on the plans for more to come. These projects will have a positive impact immediately and will benefit future generations for years to come. Willard is unique in the fact that residents and businesses work together to improve the quality of life of the community in a big way for such a small community. Companies and industries like CSX, MTD, Pepperidge Farm and RR Donnelley are always willing to step-up and make a difference whenever
Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Milan Chamber of Commerce

Willard: Building Boom

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Were a proud member of the following:
Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce Elmore Chamber of Commerce Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce Genoa Chamber of Commerce

they see an opportunity. So what is all the big news? The supersize news is that Pepperidge Farm will be expanding to the tune of $93 million dollars! They will be creating over 50 new full-time positions in Willard! If all of that wasnt big enough, the expansion will almost double the current size of their factory by adding new cracker (Goldfish) lines. On June 20, 2013 Pepperidge Farm had a groundbreaking ceremony with Denise Morrison, President of Campbell Soup, Irene Change Britt, President of Pepperidge Farm and Ohio Governor John Kasich in attendance to welcome and celebrate the news. The award of this expansion came from Campbell Soup and Pepperidge Farm to

See BOOM, Page 5

Vermilion Chamber of Commerce Willard Area Chamber of Commerce

Huron Chamber of Commerce Huron County Chamber of Commerce

Oak Harbor Area Put-in-Bay Chamber Chamber of Commerce of Commerce Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce Erie County Chamber of Sandusky County of Commerce

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July 2013

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"Ask the Man Who Owns One.

By Jeffrey H. Bryden Editor One of our readers was telling me about the importance of using current customers as referrals for her business and she reminded me about this article from a previous year. I dont think the thoughts offered then have grown old, do you? JHB Ask the Man Who Owns One. Some of you may remember this advertising slogan. It was used by Packard automobiles back in 1929 and is considered by many to be a classic. It was the proud, but daring, challenge of a company willing to take its chances. Dont take our word for it, they were saying, ask one of our customers. While today the headline would be considered a bit sexist, this bold challenge worked well over 80 years ago, and the campaign became a legend. Today, would you feel comfortable putting your business fate in the hands of your customers, allowing them to speak for your company? Testimonial advertising often tries to do this. Instead of using talking heads or celebrities to tout their products, many companies use real customers in their promotional efforts. This has the advantage of adding third-party credibility, of allowing the ads recipient to feel that the claims made are more believable. A great source of testimonials is often found in your mailbox (or e-mail box) with letters from satisfied consumers. They, hopefully, have all kinds of nice things to say about you, your people and your products or services. A seemingly easy task. But take care. First, make sure the claims your customers are making are true and easily defensible product claims. Your dry cleaning service is so good, I lost 50 pounds, met a wonderful person, got married and we now have three children and live in a big house in a nice town. Could be an actual statement from a real customerbut most likely not good for your use. A good test is would your lawyer allow your company to make the claim? Or, my favorite test: would you feel comfortable making it to your Mom? Next, make sure the people you plan to use reflect the demographics and images of your target audience. Make sure the audience can relate to the spokesperson: Yes, thats me all right. Thats how I feel. Those are the problems I have. Or, Yes, thats how I want to be/feel/ look. Those are the kind of people Id like to have as friends. Young women might have a hard time relating to claims made by older men for example. (Though Im not necessarily sure the reverse is true.) Trying to fit your spokesperson to your audience can be a hit or miss thing if you use only one person at a time in your ad or commercial. Best advice is that group or multi-person testimonial ads are best with a diverse group of people to cover all the bases. A third bit of advice is to make sure the testimonials you select, which may be important to the consumer penning the praise, flattering to

you and legally defensible, are important benefits to the rest of the consuming public. Make sure you and your advertising staff try out these wonderful statements on other real people before you go too far. Test not only the statements importance, but also its believability. People might believe that someone said it, but they dont believe the claim, or they might doubt that persons ability to make such a claim or judgment. Fourth, try to use REAL, real people. Too often it seems, advertisers have uncovered great comments and testimonials, then decided that the person making the claim wasnt good-looking or polished enough to represent their product. So theyve picked actors and then superimposed legalese like actor recreation of actual statement or other wishy-washy disclaimers. While legally correct, this can dilute the message and be distracting too. I always wonder How bad did Mrs. Alice J. of Spokane, Washington look -- to have to be replaced by this actor portraying her and mouthing her words? And while wondering this, Ive missed the message. Am I alone in this? BONUS: Listening to your customers can also be a source of new product or new service ideas. Reports indicate that Arm and Hammer, worried with declining sales of its Baking Soda core product, finally paid attention to hundreds of consumer letters received over the years extolling the odorabsorbing qualities of the product. Voila! Is there a refrigerator in America that doesnt have a box tucked away in the back corner? The story is told of how Avon researched its consumer correspondence files to find people praising its Skin So Soft lotion not for its softening ability alone, but for the way it seemed to protect from insect bites on family vacations. Ta Da! New Avon Skin So Soft Insect Repellent was born. In summary, let your prospects hear from your happy customers. Your best advertising copy will probably come from them.

The Business Voice of Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca Counties

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Publisher JOHN SCHAFFNER JEFFREY H. BRYDEN jbryden@ncbj.net DAVE KAHLER dkahler@ncbj.net KRISTA CHEEK kcheek@ncbj.net ROBIN QUESADA accounting@thebeacon.net TODD GARDNER todd@thebeacon.net MARK SCHAFFNER marks@thebeacon.net BRUCE DINSE Editor Director of Sales Sales Representative Accounting Manager Layout &Graphic Design Circulation Manager

Law You Can Use: Ohio Law Allows Property Exemptions in Bankruptcy
Q: Im getting ready to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Can I keep any of my property after bankruptcy? A: Yes. Exempt property refers to property the debtor in bankruptcy can keep. For example, you can keep cash of up to $450 (the cash-on-hand exemption) and household goods worth up to a total of $12,250 (the household goods exemption), as long as no one particular item is worth more than $575. The theory behind these exemptions is that, as a debtor filing bankruptcy, you need to keep some property to emerge from bankruptcy with your financial fresh start. Even though bankruptcy is federal law, these two exemptions are set forth in Ohios state statutes. Q: Do I get to keep my home after bankruptcy? A: If your mortgage is current and the house worth less than what you owe the mortgage lender, you can usually keep your home. Even if there is

NorthCoast Business Journal is owned and published monthly by Schaffner Publications,Inc., and is mailed free to chamber of commerce members in a five-county area: Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Seneca counties. The editorial deadline is the 25th of each month, with the advertising deadline the end of each month. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the expressed, written consent of the Publishers. We welcome submissions from readers in the form of letters, articles or photographs, although we reserve the right to edit and condense any articles submitted. Submissions should be sent to the editor at the above address. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope if you would like an item returned. We prefer material (copy &photos) to be submitted electronically.

See BANKRUPTCY, Page 5

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July 2013

Fisher-Titus Medical Center and The Bellevue Hospital Launch Affiliation with the Countrys No. 1 Heart Hospital, Cleveland Clinic
Fisher-Titus Medical Center and The Bellevue Hospital today announced an affiliation with Cleveland Clinics Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. The affiliation will bring world-class heart care to area residents and provide greater access to Cleveland Clinics academic, clinical and research best practices in cardiovascular and thoracic care. While each organization remains independent, the affiliation with Cleveland Clinics Heart and Vascular Institute strengthens all elements of heart and vascular medicine and thoracic surgery to provide the highest level of cardiovascular and thoracic care to the sixcounty region served by FisherTitus and The Bellevue Hospital, MARTIN said Patrick J. Martin, president and CEO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center. The affiliation is the result of a comprehensive study and assessment of the current level of cardiovascular and thoracic services available to residents in the two hospitals service areas, according to both Martin and Michael K. Winthrop, president and CEO of The Bellevue Hospital. The study, which began over one year ago, revealed a need for expanding these services to provide a higher level of care for area residents in their own communities. Since then, leadership teams from both hospitals have been working with Cleveland Clinic officials to develop a program to meet those needs. This is another great example of the long-standing relationship between our two independent community hospitals working together on initiatives to benefit our patients and communities, said Winthrop. In the past, Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital have worked together to recruit specialty physicians in pediatrics, urology, neurology, WINTHROP and plastic surgery who serve patients in both our service areas and at both our hospitals. This new affiliation provides us the opportunity to bring word-class heart and vascular care and a comprehensive thoracic surgical program to our patients. The two hospitals serve a combined six-county region which includes Erie, Huron, Lorain, Richland, Sandusky and Seneca counties. This affiliation brings these communities four new physicians and Cleveland Clinics best practices and reputation in heart and vascular care, including: A heart program that has achieved the U.S. News and World Reports No. 1 ranking for 18 consecutive years. An internationally renowned vascular surgery and endovascular program that offers comprehensive services for carotid artery disease, aortic aneurysms, poor circulation to the legs, and all types of vascular disorders, including peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis. Comprehensive thoracic surgical services for the treatment of diseases of the lung and esophagus, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung failure, and esophageal cancer. New treatment techniques and technologies for cardiovascular and thoracic diseases are emerging rapidly, and this affiliation will make the latest advancements in care much more accessible to patients of FisherTitus and The Bellevue Hospital, said Bruce Lytle, M.D., chairman of the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland LYTLE Clinic. In addition to our physicians on the ground in the hospitals, well be working collaboratively to continually improve the quality of cardiac, vascular and thoracic care available in North Central Ohio. Cleveland Clinic will provide training and protocols on dealing with all types of medical situations while integrating the newest technologies and innovations. Cleveland Clinic will also be sharing best practices related to the various sections within cardiology, vascular surgery and thoracic surgery. Local patients will have greater access to surgical clinical trials, treatment protocols and additional research opportunities offered through Cleveland Clinic at the two local hospitals. Working with Fisher-Titus and The Bellevue Hospital, Cleveland Clinic will hire and employ a physician team initially including two cardiologists, a vascular surgeon and a thoracic surgeon who will work in the hospitals and live in the communities they serve. These physicians will begin seeing patients in September 2013. The Cleveland Clinic physicians will augment and complement the physicians who are currently providing heart and vascular care to area patients, and will work with clinical support teams employed at Fisher-Titus Medical Center and The Bellevue Hospital, said Suzanne Inglis, assistant vice president of nursing at Fisher- INGLIS Titus Medical Center. About Fisher-Titus Medical Center Fisher-Titus Medical Center, a 99-bed non-profit community hospital, provides comprehensive medical services including hospital care, outpatient and diagnostic services, transitional care, long-term care, assisted living, and home health care for 70,000-plus residents in Norwalk, Huron County and the region. With a dedicated and talented staff of employees and an outstanding team of physicians representing 35 medical specialties, FisherTitus has earned numerous national recognitions for clinical quality and patient care. The Medical Center is accredited by Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) and also isa Fully Accredited Chest Pain Center, a Primary Stroke Center and a Level 3 Trauma Center. Over the past decade the Medical Centerinvested $200 million in capital equipment and facility expansions, became the nations first all-digital smart community hospital in 2010 and was named among Healthcares Most Wired in 2012. For more information, visit www.fisher-titus.org. Like us at www.facebook.com/fishertitusmedicalcenter. About The Bellevue Hospital The Bellevue Hospital is a locally owned, not-for-profit hospital, committed to offering patients the most advanced technology and medical treatment possible while providing the highest level of personal care in our beautiful hospital. The Bellevue Hospital is located at 1400 West Main Street in Bellevue, Ohio and is one of the largest employers in the city of Bellevue with over 400 employees. The Bellevue Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, Mammography Quality Standards Act and the American College of Radiology and certified by the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation. In 2012 the hospital was recognized with the Outstanding Patient Experience Award by HealthGrades and was ranked in the Top 5% of hospital nationwide for the fifth year in a row, and the only hospital in Ohio to receive the award for the past five consecutive years. The Bellevue Hospital proudly continues its 96-year tradition of Caring for the Communities We Serve. Visit us at www.bellevuehospital. com and like us at www.facbook.com/TheBellevueHospital. About Cleveland Clinic Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nations best hospitals in its annual Americas Best Hospitals survey. More than 3,000 fulltime salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, more than 75 Northern Ohio outpatient locations, including 16 full-service Family Health Centers, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2012, there were 5.1 million outpatient visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 157,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 130 countries. Visit us at www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.

July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

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Mercy Willard Hospital Is Preparing for the Future

Mercy Willard Hospital is preparing for a future of growth and opportunity. Many changes have occurred in the last year at Mercy Willard. Last fall, Mercy Willard implemented CarePATH and welcomed a general surgeon. Mercy Willard celebrated its one year anniversary in the new facility in May. This spring, Mercy Willard welcomed a second cardiologist to Mercy Cardiology Specialists. CarePATH One Patient. One Record. In October of 2012, Mercy Willard installed a new system that lets providers enter your health information into a single electronic health record. Its called CarePATH. PATH stands for Patient-centered Access to Team-based Healthcare. It keeps all of your health information in one place for easy access by your medical team. CarePATH replaced paper records, and your providers and nurses update your medical chart on a computer. This system allows Mercy to provide even higher quality, safer care to our patients wherever they receive care in a Mercy hospital, when visiting a Mercy provider or in a Mercy Emergency Department. CarePATH is a product of Epic, an industry leader in providing clinical information technology. New General Surgeon Mercy Willard welcomed Michael Schell, MD, a general surgeon, to the Mercy family. Dr. Schell earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. He completed general surgeon residencies at the University of San Francisco East Bay in Oakland, CA and at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. New Facility Celebrated One Year Anniversary Mercy Willard hospital relocated to the new hospital on May 6, 2012. The new hospital enhances the patient experience through a variety of improvements, including: private patient rooms, a helipad outside the emergency department, MRI suite, digital mammography, a greatly expanded and more efficient Surgical Suite, an attractive Outpatient Service area as well as easy access to support provider and physician offices. The new hospital enables Mercy Willard to continue to introduce advances in technology and services, supporting our commitment to delivering high quality care. Patients and visitors enter Mercy Willards new home with ease from U.S. 224 onto Neal Zick Road. Easy-to-read signage directs patients to the emergency department entrance, located at the side of the facility. New Cardiologist Your cardiac health is important to Mercy. We know you count on Mercy to provide convenient cardiology care. Mercy Cardiology Specialists welcomed Dr. Stephen Lenehan to the Mercy family in May. Dr. Lenehan brings 25 years of cardiology expertise to Mercy. He earned a medical degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, completed an Internal Medicine Residency and Internship at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and completed a Cardiology Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Capital Campaign for New Hospital The Mercy Willard Foundation conducted A Legacy of Compassion, A Commitment to Community For more information about Mercy Willard Hospital, capital campaign in support of the new hospital. The visit us online at mercyweb.org or like us on Facebook Foundation Board, Hospital Board of Trustees,1 at www.facebook.com/mercywillardhospital. NCBJ_FBC_06_13.pdf 6/26/13 10:43 AM Physicians, staff and volunteers set the tone for the campaign, raising $500,000. The Foundation then turned to the community and raised an additional $700,000 for a total of $1.2 million raised in support of the new hospital. Fundraising continues to be the focus of the Foundation to support continued growth of the hospital. For more information on how you can make a difference, contact the Foundation office at 419-964-5105.

Mercy Volunteers Grow New positions became available for volunteers when the new hospital opened. As a result the volunteer staff grew from 40 to nearly 70 volunteers! Volunteers assist in the gift shop, front lobby, second floor information desk, clinics and more. For more information about volunteering, contact Audrey Ginter, manager of development and volunteers at 419.964.5105.

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BOOM, from Cover
the Willard plant because they believe in three things about our Willard facility: that great products come from our Willard Pepperidge Plant; in the leadership of Rick Sheppard, Plant President, and Jeremy Jones, Human Resources Manager, and in all the employees who work hard every day to make the plant a success; and in Willard and surrounding communities. Work has already started on the project and will be completed in 2015. Pepperidge Farm provides quality jobs to local residents and Governor Kasich said it best when he said that Pepperidge Farm will continue to promote within and provide ample opportunities for people in the Willard community for years to come! Willard City Schools is currently moving forward building their $52 million ($31 million from grant funding) Pre-school through 12th grade building that will open around the fall of 2015. The new school will be located on the current campus, which will allow for the majority of kids to still be able to walk to school. The new school will be able to serve our kids with the best of education and technology for many-many years to come. Also, the newly remodeled and recently dedicated Robert L. Hass gymnasium will be able to be kept, as this gymnasium holds a special place in the heart of Willard residents. The football field and track will be left in there current locations. However, the tennis courts, baseball field, and softball field were moved to a new sports complex, which is located off of Dean Street and Crestwood Street in Willard. The sports complex is currently open and features a walking path open to residents. The City of Willard offers many family activities throughout the year to promote a higher quality of life. There are several recreation programs including: A successful Festival in the Park; a

North Coast Business Journal

weekly concert series in the park sponsored by Pepperidge Farm; little league baseball; summer swim club; Easter and Halloween activities; and several facilities available for public use. The main City Park on Willard West Road has recently been updated with some new playground equipment and new obstacles have been added for the skate park. The Willard Soccer Complex on Keefer Street features 12 acres and is being utilized by kids of all ages. The City of Willard was recently recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA for 33 consecutive years. Also, CSX recently donated and planted 50 trees in conjunction with the Willard Tree Commission. The City also boasts having programs like a school resource officer, the Annual Bike Rodeo, and participates in the Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. Willard City Manager, Brian Humphress, takes a lot of pride in working to improve residents quality of life. If you have any questions, please call Brian at 419-933-2591. Think about this: Over $200 million dollars will have been invested in Willard during one of the hardest economic times in Americas history ($44 million by Mercy Willard Hospital in 2012; $14 million by Willows at Willard in 2012; $93 million by Pepperidge Farm/Campbell Soup to be completed in 2015; and $52 million by Willard City Schools to be completed in 2015). I do not know of any other city the size of Willard in Ohio that has had this kind of influx of money during these tough economic times. This will not only be good for Willard but also for Huron County because businesses will be more apt to look at Willard and our surrounding area to call home. If you are a new business or looking to expand, I personally invite you on behalf of the City of Willard to check out Willards Industrial Campus.

July 2013

Pepperidge Farm utilizes one building as their Flexible Packaging Center, and the local MTD plant also utilizes space in the 100,000 square foot warehouse facility within the Industrial Campus. A 56,000 square-foot building has been built and is available for occupancy. In addition, there are four lots available to build your light manufacturing operation and/or warehouse. The City of Willard has a strong infrastructure and can provide you with all the utilities necessary to make your business a success. Willard also has ample water available at low cost. The City of Willard, Willard Area Economic Development Corporation, the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations work hard to ensure a positive business environment and quality of life in Willard. Willard has a beautiful park system, multiple churches, several family activities and events throughout the year, and is only three miles away from Holiday Lakes, which offers 12 miles of shoreline. Willard can serve and meet your business needs, please contact the Ricky Branham, executive director of the Willard Area Economic Development Corporation (WAEDC), at 419-935-1888 or by email at willardareachamber@yahoo.com. Don Graham, Graham and Associates, currently serves as the President of WAEDC, and can be reached at 419-933-2081. Ricky Branham serves as the current executive director of WAEDC for over two years and serves as the executive director of the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce for over four years. He is a graduate of Willard High School, North Central State College and Malone University. He and his wife, Victoria, reside in Willard with their two young sons a newborn baby girl.

BANKRUPTCY, from Page 2

no mortgage, you may be able to keep your home if it is worth less than the amount of Ohios homestead exemption. This exemption is now $132,000, assuming your house is held in only one name. If your house is held jointly by you and a spouse, the exemption is $264,000. If your house is worth more than what you owe the lender, you may be able to keep your home so long as the equity does not exceed the applicable homestead exemption. The homestead exemption only applies if you or a dependent of yours is living in the home. This means that you cant apply the homestead exemption to a property that you own, but rent out to others. Q: Are there any catches? A: Yes. The law was changed on March 27, 2013. Before then, the exemption was much lower only $21,265 for a house held in one name. The new law says the higher exemption of $132,000 applies only to claims arising after March 27, 2013. It is unclear exactly what this means. Lets say, for example, that one of your creditors has a judgment lien on your house that was filed before March 27, 2013. That creditor may claim that the old law (with its homestead exemption of $21,265) applies or that no homestead exemption applies. The trustee appointed in your bankruptcy case also may argue this, which likely will mean that the court must decide which law applies in your case. This is why it is very important for you to consult with a bankruptcy attorney to see how the new law will apply to your situation. Q: Do the changes to the Ohio exemption law affect any other property? A: Yes. Another change to the law makes it clearer that you can keep an IRA account when you file a bankruptcy. Some brokerage firms offering IRAs require their customers to pledge their IRAs as collateral to secure any amounts the customers might owe to the firm, but Internal Revenue Service regulations do not allow this. Some bankruptcy trustees were taking the position that any pledge of the IRA for collateral negates its exempt status, which would allow the bankruptcy trustee to liquidate the IRA for the benefit of creditors. The change in Ohio law is intended to

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July 2013

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Big Brother?
By Denao Ruttino With all the chatter about privacy and g o v e r n m e n t monitoring in the news I have been in a number of conversations recently where friends, clients and colleagues have expressed their opinions, concern and general curiosity about the abilities of our government and others to see what we are doing online. The news stories referencing the Stored Communications Act (SCA), Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Boston Marathon Bombing videos, etc. have brought our reasonable expectation of privacy to the forefront of our minds again. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for Internet Service Providers to be asked

IT
are readily available to help you understand a few options that are out there. I do suggest you understand the legal implications, if any, of using them. As a side benefit of reading this, you may be better informed about the possibilities that exist from a technological perspective as it relates to your privacy as well. Monitoring Information in transit Sniffers fall into a category of tools that allow visibility and recording (capturing) of computer traffic in transit. In essence, think of these as computer network wiretapping tools. While there are many commercial tools available, WireShark is a common sniffer that is available for download if you feel inclined to see or capture traffic going across your network. There are a few caveats, but you would be amazed to see how much you can learn by capturing some conversations. Under the right circumstances, you can read email, see websites that are being accessed and you can even record phone calls and play them back. This is why many sites ensure that all traffic you send is encrypted. It does not prevent anyone from capturing the traffic, but it does mean they would need a method of decrypting the messages to read them. Monitoring Computer Systems Computer monitoring software from companies like Awareness Technologies, SpectorSoft and NetVizor are mostly marketed and sold to organizations for employee monitoring. In general, you can monitor EVERYTHING that is happening on the computer including seeing screenshots, logging keystrokes (bank login information for example), etc. There are a number of situations where businesses feel the need to utilize this type of tool to detect or combat issues including theft, data breaches and lack of productivity. They are very effective and pretty much work as advertised. They are also usually undetected by the average user. Increasingly, these tools are becoming smarter and able to block outgoing information like data fitting the pattern of a social security number for example. In most cases, this information is uploaded to a web site so multiple systems can be reviewed from the comfort of one online dashboard. Smartphones So, lets talk about all of those cool features on your new smartphone. GPS, Camera, WiFi, Emails, Texting, Calendars, Chat applications and such are great to have. Just keep in mind that all of these features may also be accessed by someone else. Applications like StealthGenie, mSpy, MobileSpy, etc. are all commercially available and run $100-$200/year in general. They are marketed and sold primarily to parents, businesses and people looking to learn more about the external dynamics of their relationships. The primary features are the ability to see all calls, review messages of all types, location tracking, Internet usage monitoring, viewing of pictures and videos, recording of calls and even recording of surroundings. This is exactly what it sounds like; meaning one could use a spouses phone as a remote listening device to hear the conversations that are taking place in a private room without their knowledge. Of course there are heated arguments on both sides of the monitoring debate. On one hand you can say monitoring is evil/unethical and if you dont trust the person you are monitoring, they should not be in that position (employee, spouse, child going to prom) and on the other hand you may justify it by an employers concern of a data breach, or even how would I feel if my spouse/child was in an accident and I could have identified where they were and what they were doing but simply chose not to? In summary, if its electronic, it can most likely be monitored. When I was a child, my mother advised Never write anything down that you are not willing to have the whole world read someday. While I believe that conversation was related to laundry and my written expression of affection for a female classmate, the digital age has not devalued the lesson in any way. Anyway, thats why god gave us steganography.but alas, that is detectable too. Denao Ruttinos background includes numerous advanced technical certifications, a Bachelors degree in IT (security), as well as numerous courses in the areas of business and entrepreneurship.

to provide information to a governmental or law enforcement agency as part of a criminal investigation. Even today, I hear No way Im using a computer for banking or even emailwhat stops people from reading my private information? I normally respond with not much sotell me more about that thin sheet metal box with the red flag that you have out by the road again? Anyway, if you are truly passionate about the government and privacy, you may also want to review U.S. Postal Regulation(39 C.F.R. 233.3) or spend some time on epic.org. To be clear, this is not an endorsement, just information. I am not a lawyer or politician so I will leave debates in those contexts to those who are much better qualified to participate in them. I will instead use the opportunity to focus on providing some information about free and commercial applications that

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

Willard Area Chamber of Commerce

Submitted by Ricky Branham Executive Director, Willard Area Chamber of Commerce The Willard Area Chamber of Commerce continues to support Willard and the surrounding area in many ways. The primary undertaking of the Chamber is to let the community know that the Willard Area has almost every type of product and service available. We want people to look at home first for what they need and desire before looking elsewhere. The mission of the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce is to promote business, economic growth, and development along with improving the quality of life in the Willard Area. The Chamber sponsors a lot of area events including two annual banquets. The 22nd Annual Banquet was held in January and featured information and forecasts concerning local industries. This year the program included Willard City Schools, Mercy Willard Hospital, CSX, MTD, RR Donnelley, and Pepperidge Farm. The 21st Annual State of the City Address was held in April and the main speaker was the Willard City Manager, Brian Humphress. Don Graham, President of Willard Area Economic Development Corporation, also gave an update on new things happening in the community. The Chamber of Commerce plays a vital role in improving the quality of life in the Willard area by hosting and sponsoring events including: Martin State of the City Address; new business ribbon cuttings or anniversary ribbon cuttings (Congratulations to Tractor Supply in Willard on their recent Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting and on becoming a Chamber Member); and free North Coast Business Journals for your business. If you are interested in joining or would like more information, please visit our website at www. willardareachamber.com or email: willardareachamber@yahoo.com or by telephone: 419-935-1888 or by mail: PO Box 73 Willard, OH 44890. Ricky Branham serves as the current executive director of the Willard Area Chamber of Commerce for over four years and also serves as the executive director of the Willard Area Economic Development Corporation for over two years. He is a graduate of Willard High School, North Central State College, and Malone University. He and his wife, Victoria, reside in Willard with their two young sons and a newborn baby girl.

Luther King Jr. Celebration, Arbor Day Contest, Scholarship Awards, Festival in the Park, Annual Golf Outing for Scholarships, Back Pack for Kids, Hispanic Heritage Festival, Kiddie King and Queen, and the Annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Parade. The Chamber in conjunction with its sub-committee the Downtown Business Association (DBA) held the 4th Annual Cruisin Willard Car Show sponsored by Sharpnack II ChevroletBuick. This years event attracted more community members than ever before who came to see all the fabulous cars/trucks/motorcycles. The Chamber works with the City of Willard so that historical downtown Willard streets can be utilized the day of the event to give the car show a unique feel. Please mark your calendars for the 4th Annual Train Show to be held in historical downtown Willard on September 13-14, 2013. The Willard Area Chamber of Commerce is essential to the success of Willard economically. We strive to take the Chamber to the next level by

allowing our members opportunities to get their name out through various forms of marketing. We offer our members: a complete business information listing on our up-to-date website; direct referrals from calls made to the Chamber office and cell phone; a monthly newsletter with up-to-date area information; the opportunity for your business to put your flier with our monthly newsletter; the director attends area meetings on your behalf to make sure the businesses voices are heard; opportunities to attend Chamber meetings, Business After Hours, the Annual Banquet, and the Annual

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www.ncbj.net

EHOVE Career Center Facility Project Update

On June 5, EHOVE Board of Education members, administrators, staff and representatives from the Poulos & Schmid Design Group, John Hancock & Associates, and the Adena Corporation gathered to mark the beginning of the previously announced facilities project with a groundbreaking ceremony. This is an exciting time for EHOVE, said EHOVE Board President Dr. Paul Lockwood before the group prepared their shovels to begin the project. Were digging into our dreams today to bring EHOVE into the 21st century with state-of-the-art science classrooms and facilities to give our high school and adult education students the educational opportunities that they deserve.The goal for this important project is clear: provide high school and adult students with the most up-to-date learning environment in the timeliest and most economical means possible for our taxpayers. This project is narrowly focused and only addresses EHOVEs immediate programming needs and provides the latest training programs for in-demand jobs right here in our local area. EHOVE has developed a plan with Poulos & Schmid Design Group to build a structure that will connect two existing buildings on campus. The 66,700 sq. ft. new and renovated area will house 12 high-tech classrooms, 5 state-of-the-art science labs, a new multi-purpose room, 5 flexible spaces for use by the community and staff, technology training and support areas, student study areas, as well as reconfigured office spaces for the Adult Education Department and the District Administration. This

space will be furnished with the latest equipment for our high school and adult students. To see close ups of the images, go to www.EHOVE.net. The cost of construction is capped at $8.41 million under the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) agreement that was signed with EHOVEs construction manager at risk (CMR), The Adena Corporation. The CMR form of bidding was made possible by recent regulatory changes that reformed the construction rules for publically funded projects. The project has been funded by the issuance of Certificates of Participation (COPS) in the amount of $7.5 million. The EHOVE Board of Education has also set aside $1 million in the

Permanent Improvement Fund. No new levies were requested to fund the project. The next time that EHOVE may be on the ballot is for a 0.5 mill operational levy that will expire in 2014. That levy was first passed in 1979 and has been renewed in 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009.Bidding various aspects on the project is currently underway. Adena is handing the bidding process for the district and will award contracts to the successful bidders later this month. Construction will begin immediately after contracts are awarded. Completion of the project will be phased in with the first areas ready for students and staff by early spring 2014. The entire project is scheduled to be completed by June 1014.EHOVEs goal is to work extensively with local construction professionals and suppliers on this project. This will create jobs for local workers. Boosting our local economy has always been one of our priorities. Our continued partnership with local businesses will be enhanced with the updated facilities, said Lockwood. It will ensure our students have the latest training, equipment and skills necessary to meet the needs of our area employers. Modern facilities will be a boost to our local economy and will create jobs and in this tough economy, who doesnt want that?As the project progresses more information will be released via www.EHOVE.net and www. Facebook.com/EHOVEworks. Photos from the groundbreaking are also available at these sites. The front row: (L-R): Joshua Fox (Poulos & Schmid Design group), George Poulos (Poulos & Schmid Design group), Diane Streeter (EHOVE Board member), Kevin Asher (EHOVE Board member), Ralph Ritzenthaler (EHOVE Board member) , Dr. Paul Lockwood (EHOVE Board President), Carole Kuns (EHOVE Board Vice President), Barbara Butcher (EHOVE Board member), Janet Tuttle (EHOVE Board member), David Jenkins (EHOVE Director of Operations), Sharon Mastroianni (EHOVE Superintendent), Larry Hanneman (EHOVE Treasurer), Alex Etchill from John Hancock & Associates, Glenn Guttenberg (Adena Corporation Construction Manager at risk).

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

Insurance
Bring Your Own Device: Is a BYOD Policy Right for Your Company?
Submitted by: Mark T. Reilly More and more employees especially the y o u n g , technologically savvyare no longer satisfied with companyissued tools to get the job done. Known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), businesses are finding that employees want to swap company equipment in favor of personally owned devices, such as laptops, tablets or smartphones that they are more comfortable using. BYOD can be a money-saver for companies, reducing the amount spent on hardware and software purchases, maintenance and the cost of training employees to use the equipment. Especially for rapidly expanding companies, allowing personally owned devices could save them thousands of dollars in upfront IT hardware costs for new employees. With BYOD, employees buy and maintain their own equipment. Companies can choose to compensate them by subsidizing or reimbursing their purchases, or offering flexible work schedules and the ability to work remotely. In addition to saving money, BYOD can be effective for recruiting and retaining staff. With the freedom to choose the technology they are more comfortable working with, employees are more productive and satisfied with their jobs. While BYOD saves some companies money, others could end up spending a lot more. Businesses that require the standardization of their applications, hardware and operating systemsmeaning that some equipment must be integrated with otherscould actually increase IT management costs if personally owned devices were added to the mix. Adopting BYOD exposes companies to two major risks: IT security risks and data loss. This alone may be enough to compel a company to ban BYOD altogether. Are these risks worth the benefits? IT security threats are serious; however, this doesnt necessarily mean you should forgo adopting BYOD. Your IT department can help mitigate the risks with the following: Keeping track of which devices are corporate-issued and which are employee-owned Installing digital certificates on each personal device so it can be authenticated before the employee uses it to log in to your network Ensuring that the companys Wi-Fi network is able to handle the increased number of Wi-Fi devices that access it so that it wont negatively affect the networks performance Creating an Acceptable Use Policy, defining the rules for what employees should and should not do when they access your network, regardless if they use company computers or personally owned devices Crafting a BYOD Policy In deciding whether or not to adopt BYOD, focus on protecting your data and mitigating the risk of a data breach. Work with your IT department to create a BYOD policy that includes: Installing remote wiping software on the employees personal device in case the device is lost or stolen. Inform employees that remote wiping may cause their personal data, such as pictures and contacts, to also be erased Educating and training employees on how to safeguard company data when they access it from their own devices Informing employees about the protocol to follow in case their devices are lost or stolen The bottom line? A well-written cyber security policy means little if its not enforced. Review your policy and your enforcement measures. For more information about Cyber Security, please contact Mark Reilly at 800-848-2788 or visit www. divinsurance.com.

BANKRUPTCY, from Page 5

make it harder for the bankruptcy trustee to assert that an IRA can be liquidated in bankruptcy in order to satisfy creditors. Q: What else should I know about bankruptcy exemptions? A: One of the many issues that arise when applying bankruptcy exemptions involves insurance policies with cash surrender value. If you own a policy that insures your life and the beneficiary is your spouse or children, then the policys cash value is exempt. This means that you can keep the policy if you file a bankruptcy. However, if the policy beneficiary is someone else who is not your dependent, or if the policy is on the life of your child, then the policy is not exempt. This means that the trustee can cash the policy in for its cash surrender value and distribute the proceeds to your creditors. In a bankruptcy situation, many other issues involving exemptions arise. Your bankruptcy attorney should be able help you sort out these issues. This Law You Can Use column was provided by the Ohio State Bar Association. It was prepared by attorney Julie E. Rabin, a principal in the Cleveland firm of Rabin and Rabin LPA. Articles appearing in this column are intended to provide broad general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific legal problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.

Submit stories for the North Coast Business Journal by e-mailing jbryden@ncbj.net

10 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

quickly toward a career goal. Programs also include growing industries such as bioscience/bioproducts, advanced energy and technology, and aerospace and aviation. EHOVE high school and adult students immediately enter the job market with industry credentials to make good wages in the workforce or to go on to college, post-secondary training or an apprenticeship. They get a head start and graduate equipped with choices to continue their education with knowledge in their chosen field, start their career, or do both at the same time. Many EHOVE programs even include college credit that transfers to a college or other higher learning institution. Career tech programs are working to make the transition of credit seamless. Throughout the school day, over 100 EHOVE students attend college classes at the BGSU Firelands campus. About 25% of them take advantage of the free transportation EHOVE provides between campuses. EHOVEs adult education programs assist local citizens looking to dive into a training program to start a new career or take a refresher course to improve their skills to advance in their current jobs. These programs range from two-week certificate classes to longer term credentialing programs. Program areas include business and computers, trade and industry, culinary, cosmetology, allied health, public safety and customized training opportunities. Certain programs, like the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant program, offer an Associate Degree to its graduates; EHOVE Adult Career Center and Lorain County Community College work in partnership to allow graduates to earn an Associate Degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from Lorain County Community College. A full array of special interest classes is also offered. A catalog of course offerings is mailed to the tri-county residents twice a year, and is available electronically on the districts website. Decades ago, career tech programs were considered an alternative to college. Today, career tech education at EHOVE is a choice that students make in order to move quickly toward their career goals. Many are surprised at the significant incorporation of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) into career tech education, and that todays career tech students (including those at

www.ncbj.net

EHOVE Career Center High School and Adult Workforce Education

By Ben Chaffee, EHOVE Career Center Director of Adult Education As Ohio struggles with high unemployment, career tech education is part of the solution. Career Technical Education (CTE) schools, like EHOVE Career Center, educate Ohio high school students and adults for high-skilled, high-tech jobs that are going unfilled. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that by 2014, approximately 45% of all U.S. jobs will into a skills gap, requiring more than a high school diploma, but less than a bachelors degree. Yet, only 25% of the workforce will be qualified to successfully perform these jobs. CTE fills this gap. EHOVE ensures that career tech education is competitive and in tune with local economic and student needs. Though career tech is part of public education, it is a program of choice for high school students and their parents. Because career tech relies on voluntary student enrollments and the ability to place students into high-demand occupations, EHOVE is responsive to the needs of business and industry partners, who often help design classes, and provide instructors and the opportunity for work-based learning experiences. Multiple education pathways that emphasize high quality career and college readiness are provided through a career tech education. EHOVE is a leading career tech school that serves over 775 high school students in 16 local school districts throughout Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. EHOVE students are given the opportunity to take challenging academic classes in a customized and relevant curriculum, and gain hands-on training and real world experience to prepare them for college, an in-demand, specific career. Our community benefits economically through the relationship many EHOVE programs have with local business and industry. With a choice of 24 different training programs in the areas of healthcare, technology, public service, education, hospitality, industry and skilled trades, an EHOVE career tech education is a choice to move more

EHOVE Adult Career Center Surgical Tech student Joey Butcher-Patterson (Monroeville) explains the opening of sterile supplies during an open house for EHOVE Health Tech high school students during Surgical Technology week. Butcher-Patterson is a graduate of STEP UP, a grant-funded program that features a holistic approach to allow people in our community to focus on an individual educated and career plan by gaining confidence, basic employability skills, time management and studying techniques. EHOVE) must meet the same academic requirements as all high school students.EHOVE students also benefit from project-based, hands-on and innovative teaching methods and experiences. Career tech education programs also serve students with disabilities or those at risk of dropping out of high school. Furthermore, the transition from high school career tech programs to the corresponding adult education credentialing program is relatively seamless; many students take advantage of this opportunity to quickly advance themselves to a credentialing program that leads to gainful employment. As a school of choice, EHOVE must constantly keep up with trends in industry and education in order to remain competitive. To stay in tune with the ever-changing landscape, EHOVE has recently added in-demand training programs of forensic science, global business management and exercise science & rehab therapy to the high school, and occupational therapy assistant and industrial technician to adult education. Work experience prepares students for college and a career. EHOVE offers work-based learning opportunities to help students explore what options their career field has to offer, experience what will be required in their career field, discover how college and academic courses apply in their career field, build their resume and possibly secure an internship or job opportunity while in school or after graduation. Career-driven and college-bound students who qualify can choose a work-based learning experience (internship, job shadowing, regular employment) related to their EHOVE career tech program that replaces part of lab time during the school day. These opportunities give students the chance to learn a variety of skills by expanding the walls of classroom learning to include the community. By narrowing the gap between theory and practice, Work-Based Learning creates meaning for students. See for yourself what EHOVE is, and what EHOVE does for the community, through your choice of several online resources. Start at the school website located at www.EHOVE.net to learn about each of the high school and adult training programs, as well as firsthand accounts of our students experiences. From there, youll find direct links to connect with EHOVE via: EHOVE Connection Video blog website by EHOVE students Facebook Latest announcements and photos, the place to ask questions Twitter Quick updates and links to student news YouTube Videos of students in action and the latest campus events For more information about EHOVE Career Center, go to www.EHOVE. net or call 419-499-4663.

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

11

Human Resources The Top Three Things Employees Want!

By Steve Krisfalusy Having spent over 20 years in the Human Resource field and being a c o r p o r a t e headhunter, I have had the opportunity to ask this question to hundreds of people: What are the most important top 3 things to you in regards to the company you work for? Not surprising, their responses were 90+% identical whether their background ranged from COO PHD in the sciences or skilled trades. With todays staffing crisis, and it will only get worse over the next 5 years, I thought it would be helpful to share those thoughts with you along with some suggestions. The top 3 can vary in priority depending on the individual and their situation but almost always they fall into the top 3. Compensation: Everyone states they want to make more money. For the employer, if the employee is only there for money you can never give them enough. Most want to be fairly compensated for what their responsibilities are; their level in the organization; and based o n their years of experience or level of expertise. At the root of all of this is usually the employees life style and taking care of their family. When the compensation does not meet those needs problems tend to arise. At the same time, it is also up to the employee to increase their abilities & value for greater compensation. Where do you start in discovering where your people stand on this issue? A great place to start is to actually have a face-face conversation with them and talk about some of their personal challenges. At the same time, coach and advise them on ways you feel they could increase their value and how you might help them. I assure you that even if no additional compensation comes from these conversations, the employee will feel like you really care, they will work smarter & harder which will affect your bottom line. Culture: Today, especially with the upcoming Millennium generation, culture is very important to them. An interesting exercise I have done over the years is to obtain the various opinions from a variety of employees in a company as to what their opinion or description was of the culture at their company. Almost 50% of the time, that opinion varied greatly from the owners opinion. There were usually some common definitions but often the employees & owner differed greatly after that. I suggest you attempt that same exercise to dig deep into your employees definitions. The owners goals for a culture may be genuine but in reality it is the management staff that has the most impact on what the real culture is. This is and will be a critical factor for every business from small to large and doing some investigation may pay big benefits. Having an impact and receiving recognition: Again, the Millennium generation places high value on their ability to have an impact on the organization. Sometimes this is more important than compensation for this generation that does not like to do busy work. Making people feel good about accomplishing a task or project will pay huge dividends and the best part is that it is free. The down side of this is that usually giving people recognition is not easy. Human nature drives many to find fault versus what they did well. For example: someone may have done a good job on something but maybe took longer than you would have preferred. Can you guess what is often said? By adopting a more formal recognition program throughout the company you will help keep it on the radar screen and make a difference in your culture at the same time. Although I hope you learned a lot from this article, the most important thing that I hope you learned is that the Human Capital factor of your business is and will be more important for the future than ever before. Raising the value of HR practices will pay big dividends to your bottom line. Steven Krisfalusy/Beringer Group helps hundreds of businesses increase the value of their leaders and people and even with only 10 employees the benefits can be directly measured on the bottom line.

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12 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

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Croghan Bancshares, Inc. and Indebancorp Enter Agreement for Croghan to Acquire Indebancorp and National Bank of Ohio
Croghan Bancshares, Inc. (Croghan) (OTCQB: CHBH), the holding company for Croghan Colonial Bank, and Indebancorp, the holding company for National Bank of Ohio announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Croghan will acquire Indebancorp in a stock and cash merger transaction. Shareholders of Indebancorp will be entitled to elect to receive for each Indebancorp common share either $55.00 in cash, 1.630 shares of Croghans common stock, or a combination of cash and stock, subject to the overall consideration being 70% stock and 30% cash. Based upon the previous 20 day average closing price for Croghan of $34.40, the transaction is valued at approximately $28.9 million. The merger is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization. National Bank of Ohio operates four full-service branches in Oak Harbor, Port Clinton, Oregon and Curtice, Ohio and two Loan Production Offices in Perrysburg and Fremont, Ohio and has approximately $219 million of assets and $188 million of deposits. When the transaction is completed, Croghan will have approximately $850 million in assets and $718 million in deposits. The merger will enable Croghan to expand in the Ottawa, Wood and Lucas County, Ohio markets. Subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, the transaction is anticipated to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2013. At that time, National Bank of Ohio will merge with and into Croghan Colonial Bank and National Bank of Ohios offices will become branches of Croghan Colonial Bank. Excluding one-time merger expenses, the transaction is expected to be accretive to Croghans earnings per share in the first full year of combined operations. On a pro-forma basis, Croghan is expected to remain wellcapitalized under all regulatory definitions. Rick M. Robertson, President and CEO of Croghan, said We believe the combination of Croghan Colonial Bank and National Bank of Ohio is a win-win for shareholders and customers of both banks. Both banks have a proud history of community and customer service; our plans are certainly to maintain that community bank approach in all of our markets. Dean Davis, Chairman of National Bank of Ohio indicated that, This is a merger of two quality financial institutions with similar cultures and philosophies. We believe that this transaction will benefit the shareholders of both companies. From a community and customer standpoint, this transaction will be very beneficial. National Bank of Ohios customers will have access to a broader array of products and services and we will have a significantly larger lending limit, but with the customer service of a community bank. Robertson added National Bank of Ohio has done an excellent job building the bank to its current position, and we want to continue the positive momentum. This is an excellent strategic fit for Croghan Colonial Bank. Pursuant to the transaction, Croghan has agreed to appoint two directors from the Indebancorp board of directors to serve on the boards of both Croghan Bancshares, Inc. and Croghan Colonial Bank.

Grand Re-Opening Held for Emilys GSE

The Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Emilys GSE located at 4062 E. Harbor Road in the Knoll Crest Plaza. Representatives from the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce congratulated Emily Baumert on her grand re-opening and commitment to the community. Emilys GSE Jewelers opened on October 1, 2012 after Emily Baumert purchased the store from Roger and Linda Velliquette. Emilys GSE has spent the winter working hard to find new jewelry and giftware lines. They have repainted the store and have removed most of the old decor, displays and some showcases. Emily Baumert said The store definitely has a different feel and were really excited for people to come out and see the changes. My hope for the re-opening is to meet some new faces and introduce my store to some people who may not realize that were here. Pictured left to right: Laura Schlachter, President of the Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce; Shannon Baumert, Rusty Baumert, Jody Skinner; Emily Baumert, owner; Rose Szczepanski, Nancy Czerwony, Tim Szczepanski, and Myra Prokop, Secretary of the Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

13

Marketing and PR Department at Magruder Hospital Earns National Recognition

Magruder Hospitals Marketing and Public Relations Department recently received national recognition earning both a Gold and Silver Aster Award. The Aster Awards, one of the largest national competitions of its kind, is hosted by Marketing Healthcare Today Magazine and Creative Images, Inc. This elite program recognizes outstanding healthcare professionals for excellence in their advertising/marketing efforts. The marketing/pr departments campaign on patientOEMncbjHALFPAGE04_13.pdf satisfaction earned both a Gold and Silver 1 4/5/13 6:54 PM Aster in the billboard and ad categories. The themes for the creative pieces were Take Away My Fear and Make Me Feel Better, acknowledging the reasons patients rank Magruder as one of the leading hospitals in the nation for patient satisfaction. We are extremely honored to have received these awards along with our graphic designers from AHA creative. This campaign was a great team effort and we are very proud of the final campaign results, said Elisabeth Brand, Magruders Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Awards were issued for entries that received top marks from a diverse panel of judges, placing award winners in the top 16% of the nation for advertising excellence. Judging criteria included creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality and overall appeal. Nearly 3,000 entries from across the United States as well as Canada and South America were considered in the 2013 entries. To date, the marketing team at Magruder has earned 4 national awards, including a Gold Addy from the American Advertising Federation.

Tiffin 419-447-1104 Fremont 419-332-6931 Sandusky 419-625-1256

14 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

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Schedel Gardens Receives Foundation Award

The Ottawa County Community Foundation announced its 2013 grant awards last Friday and a fading program was infused with new life at the Schedel Arboretum & Gardens just outside Elmore. For many years we were able to plant a beautiful display of mums lining the driveway and past the manor house, but recent years with budget cuts drastically reduced the number of plants we could afford and last year we only did a couple of beds. according to the executive director of the gardens, Rod Noble. Chrysanthemums are popular fall flowers because of their bright colors and ability to withstand frosts often well into November. The gardens, which close each year on October 31, had been a destination for visitors from the area and beyond just to see the mums planted there that at times numbered over 1,000. Thanks in part to the OCCF grant, the SA&G again expects to have the display for all to enjoy beginning about mid-September.

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

15

Chamber Calendar for July

Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
10 25 Chambers Annual Golf Outing Green Hills Golf Course. The Committee to Grow Bellevue Open Air Market 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. 25 Executive Meeting Chamber Office 10:00 am 17 Main Street Port Clinton Walleye Festival Committee Meeting 8;30 am at MSPC Office 18 Main Street Port Clinton Board Meeting 8:30 am at MSPC Office 23 Workshop 8:30 am Ida Rupp Public Library 25 Main Street Port Clinton Promotion Committee Meeting 8:30 am at MSPC Office

Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce

3 Annual Independence Day Celebration 5p-11pm, Riverfront

Erie County Chamber of Commerce

12 Aug Business BEFORE Hours 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Camp Sandusky, Rte. 101 1 Business BEFORE Hours Amish Trails, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Rte. 250, just south of Rt. 2.

14 Port Clinton Community Band Log Cabin, 6:30p-7:30pm 18 27 28 Board Meeting 7:30am, Chamber Building Downtown Farmers Market 9am-1pm Kraemer Park Mark Wilkins & Deb McGee Classic Trendz Log Cabin-6:30-7:30pm

Sandusky County Chamber of Commerce

10 Regional Business After Hours, 5:00 7:00 p.m., Bierkeller Pub., 600 Southwest St. Bellevue 15 Chamber Foundation Board Meeting, 1:30 p.m., Chamber office 23 Finance Committee Meeting, 12:15 p.m., Chamber office Executive Committee Meeting, 1:00 p.m., Chamber office

Huron County Chamber of Commerce

10 18 20 Membership Committee, 8am, Chamber office Regional Business After Hours, Bierkeller Restaurant, 600 Southwest St., Bellevue, 5-7pm, in conjunction with Sandusky County Chamber and CVB. Safety Council Kickoff meeting, 11:30am-1:00pm, Norwalk High School, 350 Shady Lane Dr., RSVP required. This is a CEO event. Business After Hours for the whole family Summit Motorsports Park, Blue Suede Cruise, Special Tickets available at the chamber office, special VIP tent, parking, Call the office for details

Port Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce

8 9 First Shot Ceremony 10 am - Camp Perry Main Street Port Clinton Design Committee Meeting 8:30 am at MSPC Office

11 Main Street Port Clinton Organization Executive Meeting 8:30 am at MSPC Office 12 Port Clinton Area Chamber Sunset Cruise on the Jet Express 7:00 pm call for tickets Port Clinton Area Chamber Benefits Committee Meeting 8:30 am at Chamber Office

Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Services

9 Aug Ribbon Cutting Padrones Pizza Gather at 10:45 am. Picture & ceremony at 11:00 am. 870 W Market St., Tiffin, Ohio. 1 Ribbon Cutting Miracle Ear @ Fabrizios Gather at 8:45 am. Picture & ceremony at 9:00 am. 676 Miami St., Tiffin, Ohio.

Marblehead Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

18 Business After Hours Hosted by: Camp Runinmuck 5:00 to 7:00 pm

15 Port Clinton Area Chamber Board Meeting 8:30 am at Chamber Office

16 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

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New Healthcare Law

July 2013

17

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18 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

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Estate
Douglas Gildenmeister Senior Vice President, Investments Raymond James For married individuals who died in 2011 or in 2012, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the 2010 Tax Act) added a new portability provision allowing a surviving spouse to use any unused applicable exclusion amount of a deceased spouse for gift and estate tax purposes. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the 2012 Tax Act) permanently extended portability of the unused applicable exclusion amount between spouses. Portability of the exclusion between spouses and an increase in the basic exclusion amount would seem to make estate planning easier for many estates. Planning before portability Prior to the 2010 and 2012 Tax Acts, many married couples with estates that were greater than the applicable exclusion amount would set up an A/B (or A/B/C) trust arrangement. The first spouse to die would transfer an amount equal to the applicable exclusion amount to the "B" or credit shelter bypass trust. The B trust could benefit the surviving spouse and their children, but the B trust would be designed to bypass the surviving spouse's estate. The balance of the estate would be transferred to the surviving spouse, either outright or using an A marital trust. In some cases, a "C," "Q," or QTIP marital trust was also used if the first spouse to die wanted to control who received the marital trust property at the second spouse's death. With a typical A/B trust arrangement, there would be no estate tax at the first spouse's death. The B trust portion was protected by the applicable exclusion amount of the first spouse to die, and the A trust portion qualified for the marital deduction. The A trust would be includable in the second spouse's estate, but would be protected (at least in part) from estate tax by that spouse's applicable exclusion amount. The A/B trust arrangement insured that neither spouse's applicable exclusion amount was wasted. In some cases, especially if the married couple's combined estates would exceed the total amount of both spouses' applicable exclusion amounts, the spouses' planning would also attempt to equalize estates in order to use both spouses' applicable exclusion amounts, avoid higher graduated tax rates on the surviving spouse's estate, and reduce total tax on both estates. In other cases, especially where the combined estates were less than the applicable exclusion amount, the first spouse to die might simply transfer everything to the surviving spouse and defer estate tax (if any) to the second spouse's death. Planning with portability

Portability of Basic Exclusion Amount between Spouses

If you're planning today, you could transfer everything to your spouse and, if you die in 2011 or later, your estate can elect to transfer your unused applicable exclusion amount to your surviving spouse. Your spouse will then have an applicable exclusion amount equal to the sum of his or her own basic exclusion amount and your unused applicable exclusion amount, which your spouse can use for gift or estate tax purposes. For example, if your estate transfers your $5,250,000 unused applicable exclusion to your surviving spouse, who also has a $5,250,000 basic exclusion amount, your spouse then has a $10,500,000 applicable exclusion amount to shelter property from gift and estate tax in 2013. The new portability provision would seem to make planning easier, and there may be far less need to use A/B trust arrangements. But there are a few potential pitfalls to watch out for. If you are predeceased by more than one spouse, the unused applicable exclusion of an earlier spouse could be lost. That is because you use the unused applicable exclusion amount (if any) of your last deceased spouse. This may be another factor to consider when planning for remarriage. The unused applicable exclusion amount that you transfer to your surviving spouse is not indexed for inflation after you die. If the property you transfer to your spouse appreciates after your death, the value of such property in your spouse's estate could exceed your unused applicable exclusion amount and could result in estate tax. With an A/B trust arrangement, appreciation on property in the B trust would be sheltered by your applicable exclusion amount. In order to make the unused applicable exclusion election, an estate tax return will need to be filed even if estate tax is not owed. What is the applicable exclusion amount? The applicable exclusion amount is the amount that can be sheltered from federal gift and estate tax by the unified credit. The applicable exclusion amount is equal to the sum of the basic exclusion amount of the surviving spouse and the unused applicable exclusion amount of the last deceased spouse. In 2013, the basic exclusion amount is equal to $5,250,000. Using the applicable exclusion amount now Even with portability, it may be useful to take advantage of the increased applicable exclusion amount by making gifts now that can reduce your taxable estate. Some reasons for using the applicable exclusion amount now might include: There are family members or individuals other than your spouse that you would like to provide for during your lifetime. The applicable exclusion amount could be used to shelter gifts to such persons from gift tax. (Consider also lifetime gifts that qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion, currently $14,000 per donor/donee, or as qualified transfers for medical or educational purposes. These gifts are not taxable and do not use up your applicable exclusion amount.) Tax laws can always change. In the future, the available applicable exclusion amount may be less, portability may not be available, and tax rates may be higher. Appreciation on gifts you make is removed from your gross estate. For example, if you made a gift of $5,250,000 now and the property doubles in value to $10,500,000 in the future, the $5,250,000 of appreciation would be removed from your gross estate. On the other hand, such property will not receive a stepped-up (or stepped-down) basis at your death for income tax purposes. If you would like to benefit your grandchildren and later generations, it may also be useful to use your $5,250,000 generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption now. The GST tax exemption is not portable between spouses. Applicable exclusion amounts will often be used with generation-skipping transfers to protect the transfers from gift and estate tax. State death taxes can be saved. Most states do not have a gift tax. Making a gift can remove the property from your estate for state death tax purposes. Also, state exclusion amounts may be different than the federal applicable exclusion amount and may not be portable between spouses. Consult a tax or estate planning professional familiar with the laws in your state. For many of the same reasons discussed above, it might also be useful to have your estate use all of your applicable exclusion amount at your death rather than transfer the unused exclusion to your spouse. For example, it might make sense if there are persons other than your spouse that you would like to benefit prior to the death of your spouse. In some cases, it may be useful to use A/B trust arrangements. Estate plans and documents Estate plans and documents written prior to the 2010 and 2012 Tax Acts may no longer carry out your intended wishes because of the new portability provision or the increased basic exclusion amount. Your trusts and wills should be reviewed to see if they still meet your needs. For example, if you have an estate of $5,250,000 and an A/B trust arrangement that would fund your credit shelter trust with the applicable exclusion amount, would you want your B trust to be funded with the full $5,250,000, with nothing passing to your spouse (other than whatever

See ESTATE, Page 20

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

19

Sales
FBR's
By Roger Bostdorff What the heck are FBRs? When sales people attempt to sell, many only use the F. But customers do not buy the F but rather the B and R. When I am working with a client and he wants and needs sales assistance we always discuss Feature Benefit Results. I ask the client to tell me why a prospective customer should buy his/her product or service. Inevitably the customer takes me through an interesting scenario; most of the time the client focuses on the features of the product or service (the F) as opposed to the benefits. Customers do NOT buy features they buy the benefits that the features will allow the customer to reapa.k.a. the results. Put your product in front of you or at least a picture of it. How long is it? What color is it? What is it made of? What do you or your customers call it? How fast is it? Etc. These are features. Now next to each feature can you identify how that feature can help or benefit the customer using your product? You cannot assume that the customer can connect the dots that a specific feature correlates to a benefit that is important to that customer. For example, the new car is economical. This new car delivers 30 miles to the gallon. That is probably a pretty easy feature that can correlate to a benefit/result. If your current car only gets 20 miles to the gallon, and you drive 30,000 miles/year you will be purchasing 500 less gallons of gasoline. If the gas price is $3.75/ gallon you have saved $1,875/year. The more economical car is the feature but the resulting benefit is an additional $1,375 in your pocket that will allow you to purchase something you want but currently cannot afford. When someone goes to Home Depot to buy a hammer, he is not focused on the hammer but rather the project he wants to build. When he buys a drill he is focused on the hole that needs to be created for his specific project to be completed. What is the benefit someone is buying when they purchase a wrist watch? Was the first thing that popped into your mind something along the lines of "the ability to know what time it is? If so, you fell into the Feature/Benefit trap that we often fall into when we develop our promotional materials and sales presentations. A feature is an attribute or characteristic of your product or service. And a benefit is the value of the characteristic or attribute to your prospective customer. So in the example above, a feature is "keeps accurate time" and a benefit might be "prevents you from being late to meetings or important events. We too often promote features when it is benefits that our customers are buying. Please take a look at your advertisements. Are they focused on feature, feature and feature? Or do your ads identify what benefit is delivered by your features? When your salesman talk to customers are they discussing features or do they ask enough questions to understand why the customer is looking to purchase a product or service. If they understand why the customer is looking to purchase they will also understand what benefit your product or service can deliver to this potential customer. Remembercustomers do NOT buy features they buy benefits that provide positive results or value!! If you have a Business or Sales question please email me at Roger@ B2Bsalesboost.com and I will provide an answer to your question at no charge via email. Roger Bostdorff is the President of B2B Sales Boost. He spent over 30 years with IBM in sales and sales management. B2B Sales Boost is a consulting company helping organizations improve their sales and overall business processes. He is also available for business speaking engagements. You can find more regarding B2B Sales Boost on the web at www.b2bsalesboost.com or calling 419-351-4347. If you would like to receive the B2B Sales Boost Newsletter please send an email to sales@ b2bsalesboost.com

Stephen P. Lenehan, MD, FACC Cardiologist

Count on care with compassion. Count on Mercy.

Your cardiac health is important to Mercy. We know you count on Mercy to provide convenient cardiology care. Mercy Cardiology Specialists welcomes Dr. Stephen Lenehan to the Mercy family. Dr. Lenehan brings 25 years of cardiology expertise to Mercy. He earned a medical degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, completed an Internal Medicine Residency and Internship at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and completed a Cardiology Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. For your convenience, Dr. Lenehan is accepting patients at Mercy Cardiology Specialists Tiffin and Mercy Cardiology Specialists Willard.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lenehan, call Mercy Cardiology Specialists Tiffin at 419.455.7480 or
Steven Bruhl, MD, MS Gregory Vigesaa, MD

Mercy Cardiology Specialists Willard at 419.964.5080.

Mercy Cardiology Specialists Tiffin 45 St. Lawrence Dr. Tiffin, Ohio

Mercy Cardiology Specialists Willard 1100 Neal Zick Rd. Willard, Ohio

Learn more at mercyweb.org.

Member of Mercy Medical Partners

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2011 Mercy

20 July 2013

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ESTATE, from Page 18
interests your spouse might have in the B trust)? Or might you want to transfer the $5,250,000 to your spouse who would be able to use your applicable exclusion amount to protect the $5,250,000 from gift and estate tax? But what if the basic exclusion amount is reduced or portability is not available? Your documents and plans may need to be revised to reflect the tax changes and any uncertainty for the future. Flexibility to deal with future changes is key. Everyone's situation is unique and the issues are complex. To help guide you through these opportunities and uncertain times, consult an experienced estate planning attorney The new portability of the applicable exclusion amount between spouses and an increase in the basic exclusion amount may make estate planning easier for many estates. Your estate plans and documents may need to be revised to reflect these tax changes, as well as any tax changes in the future. Flexibility

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to deal with future changes is key. This information was developed by Broadridge, an independent third party. It is general in nature, is not a complete statement of all information necessary for making an investment decision, and is not a recommendation or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Investments and strategies mentioned may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC does not provide advice on tax, legal or mortgage issues. These matters should be discussed with an appropriate professional. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/ SIPC

Firelands Cardiac Diagnostics Receives Echocardiography Accreditation

Firelands Regional Medical Center Cardiac Diagnostics has been granted a three-year term of accreditation in Echocardiography in the areas of Adult Transthoracic by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). Accreditation by the IAC means that Firelands Regional Medical Center Cardiac Diagnostics has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The IAC grants accreditation only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death in the United States. On average, one American dies every 39 seconds of cardiovascular disease disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Early detection of life threatening heart disorders and other disease is possible through the use of Echocardiography procedures. IAC accreditation is a seal of approval that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of Echocardiography. Firelands Regional Medical Center Heart Center offers an experienced team of cardiac specialists including surgeons, interventionalists and cardiologists. Surgical procedures, including open heart; full service cath lab with intervention; diagnostic testing; and cardiac rehabilitation are part of the broad range of advanced cardiac services provided by these specialists. In addition, Firelands Regional Medical Center provides a Heart Failure Clinic, Cholesterol Clinic, is an American Heart Association Mission Lifeline Heart Attack Referral Center, accredited in heart failure, and a Certified Chest Pain Center. Firelands Regional Medical Center Heart Center provides complete heart care, close to home. For more information about the Firelands Heart Center, visit firelands.com/heart.

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

21

Accounting & Taxes

Key Business Provisions of the Affordable Care Act
By Jeff Rosengarten, CPA, CFE Payne, Nickles and Company While many of the provisions of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 have already been effective, there are a number of far-reaching provisions that will begin in 2014. Following is a summary of the provisions of this Act that impact employers. Grandfathered Health Plans. I will start with information on health plans that were in existence on March 23, 2010. These grandfathered plans are exempt from many of the legislation's provisions affecting a plan's health insurance coverage as long as they do not do anything that causes them to lose their grandfathered status. However, the following key provisions do apply: 1. No Annual or Lifetime Dollar Limits. Effective for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, no lifetime limits on the dollar value of certain benefits (i.e., essential health benefits) can be established. No annual limits on the dollar value of essential health benefits can be established beginning after 2013. However, for plan years beginning before January 1, 2014, a restricted annual dollar limit can be established, as long as it meets certain guidelines. 2. Prohibition of Rescission of Coverage. Effective for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, an individual's coverage cannot be rescinded once the individual is enrolled in the plan unless he or she commits a fraudulent act or intentionally misrepresents a material fact, as prohibited by the terms of the plan or coverage. 3. Extension of Dependent Coverage. Effective for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, a health care plan that offers coverage for dependent children must continue to offer the coverage until the child reaches age 26. The child, if otherwise qualifying, must continue to be offered coverage by the parent's health plan even if he or she does not qualify as the parent's dependent for income tax purposes. However, for plans years beginning before January 1, 2014, grandfathered plans do not have to offer coverage to a child who has not reached age 26 if that individual is eligible to enroll in an employersponsored health plan that is not a group health plan of a parent. 4. Prohibition of Pre-existing Condition Exclusions. Effective for plan years beginning on or after September 23, 2010, no exclusions for a pre-existing condition can be imposed on any individual under age 19. The ban on pre-existing conditions applies to all individuals effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014. 5. No Excessive Waiting Periods. Effective for plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2014, for group health plans and group coverage, the waiting period (i.e., the period before an individual is eligible to be covered for benefits under a plan) CANNOT exceed 90 days. 6. New Reporting Requirements. Generally, beginning in September 2012, plans must begin providing applicants, enrollees, and policyholders or certificate holders a summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) that conforms to standards set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Grandfathered plans are limited in the modifications they can make while maintaining their grandfathered status. Before a current plan makes any changes in benefits offered or increases premiums, the plan sponsor should obtain guidance to ensure the plan does not lose its grandfathered status unintentionally. Small Employer Health Insurance Tax Credit. Effective for tax years beginning in 2010-2013, the Affordable Care Act provides a new tax credit for small employers that pay a portion of the health insurance premiums for their employees. To qualify for this new credit, an employer must employ less than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees during the tax year (not including the owner and certain other related parties), pay average annual FTE wages of less than $50,000 per employee, and pay a uniform percentage of the health insurance premiums (that is at least 50%) for employees who enroll in the employersponsored health insurance plan. The credit is a percentage of the nonelective employer-paid premiums. The full credit amount (35% for businesses; 25% for tax-exempt entities) is available to employers that have 10 or fewer FTEs with average wages of $25,000 or less. As the number of employees and the average wage amount increases, the credit decreases. The small employer health insurance credit is claimed on the employer's income tax return as an offset to both regular income taxes and alternative minimum tax (AMT). Generally, any unused credit can be carried back for one year and forward for 20 years to offset income taxes. In addition, after 2013, eligible small employers who purchase health insurance coverage for their employees through the small business health options program (SHOP) of a state insurance exchange will be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50% (35% for tax-exempt entities) of the employerpaid premiums for health insurance for two years. If you pay any portion of your employees' health insurance premiums, we encourage you to contact your tax advisor to see if you meet the uniform percentage payment criteria (which is very confusing) to qualify for the credit. Additionally, employers with a large employee turnover, or with part-time workers, may find calculating the number of FTE employees and the FTE average annual wages daunting. I suggest working with your tax advisor to assist you in determining if you qualify for this credit. Simple Cafeteria Plans Available for Small Employers. Many small employers have not established cafeteria plans for their employees because they cannot meet the cafeteria plan nondiscrimination requirements, which can be harsh. To make it easier for small employers to provide qualified cafeteria plan benefits for their employees, the Affordable Care Act established simple cafeteria plans. For tax years beginning after December 31, 2010, certain small employers (i.e., those that employed on average 100 or fewer employees during either of the two preceding tax years) may establish a simple cafeteria plan. These simple cafeteria plans are deemed to meet the applicable nondiscrimination rules by satisfying certain minimum eligibility, participation, and contribution requirements. Additional Medicare Tax for High-wage Earners. Generally, the Medicare portion of FICA taxes is 2.9%, with the employer and employee each paying 1.45% on all earnings subject to FICA (i.e., there is no earnings limit). Beginning in 2013, the employee portion of the Medicare taxes is increased by 0.9% on wages over $200,000 ($250,000 for married filing jointly and surviving spouses; $125,000 for married, filing separately). An employer is required to withhold and remit the additional tax for any employee to whom it pays at least $200,000 in FICA wages. Similarly, the Medicare tax imposed on self-employment income in excess of the previously mentioned thresholds will be increased by 0.9%. Therefore, self-employed business owners will need to adjust their quarterly estimated tax payments to account for this increased tax. Penalty for Employers Not Offering Affordable or Adequate Health Insurance Coverage. Beginning in 2014, certain applicable large employers (i.e., generally those who had an average of at least 50 full-time equivalent employees in the previous calendar year) that do not offer health insurance coverage for all full-time employees (and their dependents), or offer health insurance coverage that is unaffordable or does not provide a certain minimum value, must pay a penalty if the employer is notified that any full-time employee is allowed or paid either a premium assistance credit to purchase health insurance in the individual market through a state insurance exchange or a costsharing-reduction subsidy to help with out-ofpocket expenses. Any penalty paid under this provision is not deductible as a business expense for federal income tax purposes. Although only full-time employees must be given the opportunity to enroll in affordable health insurance coverage, to determine if an employer is an applicable large employer (i.e., has on average at least 50 full-time employees), the full-time equivalent value of the

See ACCOUNTING, Page 23

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North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

The Well-Booked Business

By Cathy Allen One of the first people to endorse Sheryl Sandbergs fantastic book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (summarized in this column last month) was Marcus Buckingham, another author whose books have appeared in this column over the years. If there is an overarching theme the two thinkers share, it is that all of us are happier and more productive when we pursue goals that spring from within and when we spend our days undertaking activities we have a unique talent for. Both authors say that the world of work is different for women than for men, and offer strategies for professional women looking to increase their level of success while simultaneously improving their quality of work life. I have found both authors immensely helpful as I build my consulting practice and I am certain that anyone who has ever struggled to balance what they must do with what they want to do will benefit as well. Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham. One Thing Productions, 2009. SUMMARY: The guru of strengths-based working and living now focuses his considerable intellect on the unique needs of the women in his readership. If women are particularly troubled by the need to "have it all," then perhaps the time has come to figure out exactly what "it all" is. To Marcus Buckingham, we can shape our lives for the better by selectively and intentionally drawing in people, events, and activities that energize and inspire us. But first, we have to identify those things and learn how to hold on to them. The book is about how to do that. KEY LEARNINGS: An appearance on Oprah, followed by thousands of heartfelt messages on the discussion boards, got Buckingham thinking about the difficulty so many women experience in achieving self-efficacy, the feeling of living life engaged from our core. As equality of opportunity increased over the last few decades, female happiness did not. The social science is in: the higher our education and economic status, the bigger the happiness gap between men and women. There are two primary stressors in a modern woman's life: too many choices to make and too few helpful men. Having more opportunities than ever can lead to paralyzing indecision and to anxiety and regret over options not taken. And while some men are wonderfully supportive and responsible, too often the division of labor at home and work is uneven. Multitasking is possible for only a very few. For the rest of us, performance drops, while stress and depression increase. Buckingham isn't Buckingham without a good acronym, so he says one can tell a strong woman by identifying the SIGNs: S = Successful. She feels capable and has outlets for what she does well. I = Instinctive Anticipation. She looks forward to each day. G = Growing and Learning. She is gaining skills and experiencing flow. N = Needs Fulfilled. She is satisfied. Our lives are ours to design, so how do we create a life that strengthens us week after week? Practice. Determine which activities bring the SIGNs of life, and shift more time to them. Our loved ones can lead us in the wrong direction, as can our own thoughts. It is therefore best to focus on our feelings. A "strong moment" is one that contains positive emotions energy, enthusiasm, excitement, optimism. The trick is to "catch" or notice those moments and then "cradle" them by putting our attention on them. By nurturing the things we identify as our strengths, we are naturally building more positive emotion into each day. Buckingham describes nine life roles that emerge from his personality research over the last 20 years - Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher, Weaver. The online test he provides will reveal to each reader their lead role as well as their supporting role. This information should make it easier to catch those strong moments. Undertaking the effort to identify our strong moments will pay off big - but only if we accept what we learn about ourselves and take steps to make wise decisions. Those of us who are most bound by the expectations of others or who have lost touch with ourselves will find it most difficult to honor who we are. In the end, those who place their trust in their own feelings, and offer what they are good at with increasing regularity, will live stronger. "Balance" is over-rated. A better goal is a life weighted in favor of strong moments across all roles. By placing our attention on that which energizes us, we can multiply the positive effects. Too often, we instinctively focus on weakness, on what appears to be lacking, either out of fear or because we are endeavoring to solve a problem. But positive attention and visioning is a strong force. The final section of the book is given to question-and-answer style discussion of various tactics Buckingham recommends for building a more strengths-oriented life in relationships, parenting, and more. Heres some suggested tactics for a stronger career: Our true vocations are discovered by paying attention to the activities we enjoy and organizing our work lives, more and more over time, around those. Prospective employers (and clients) are always glad to know what really motivates us. Dont be shy of sharing. When stagnation at work is the problem, procrastination is the enemy. Start implementing little changes today. If you are happy where you are stay! None of us should strive for more, more, more just because others think we should. Know yourself and use that knowledge to make choices that strengthen you in the immediate term, without regret and confident that every strong moment lived prepares us for a strong response when life is unpredictable. TOOLS: Another Buckingham book, another online self-assessment of our strengths. This one is free even to those who didn't buy a book: www. StrongLifeTest.com. Local Consultant Cathy Allen celebrates her life-long love of books at www. WhatIsCathyReading.com. She invites visitors to download her two-page summaries, comment on her blog, or connect to a fabulous network of independent booksellers.

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

23

Firelands Auxiliary Continues Tradition of Fundraising

The Firelands Regional Medical Center Auxiliary recently made a donation of $58,650 to Firelands Regional Medical Center for the purchase of needed equipment to serve the patients of Firelands Regional Medical Center. The donation was used to purchase: Four automated external defibrillators (AED) for Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services sites in Bellevue, Upper Sandusky, Willard and Port Clinton. AEDs are used to restore a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. Patient kits for Happiest Baby on the Block classes. The Happiest Baby program is a national curriculum and is taught by a certified instructor in which parents learn a step-by-step approach to quickly soothe the fussiest baby. Security Access System for Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services in Sandusky. This system provides added security for the staff as well as extra protection of areas that contain confidential information. Portable Ultrasound machine for the Cardiology unit. The machine will be utilized to provide easy venous access for critically ill patients. Equipment and software for the Speech Therapy department to assist inpatient rehabilitation patients who are learning to overcome speech and cognitive disorders. We are very thankful for the time and dedication that the Auxiliary members provide to Firelands Regional Medical Center, says Martin Tursky, President & CEO of Firelands Regional Medical Center. We also appreciate the patients, community members and employees who support the Auxiliarys fundraising efforts. Sharon TuriniKent, president of the Firelands Regional Medical Center Auxiliary shares, The Auxiliary is pleased to be able to provide this type of assistance. Its comforting to know that the funds the Auxiliary provides to Firelands makes a difference in the lives of numerous community members, friends and family.Proceeds from items bought at the Firelands Regional Medical Center gift shop, special-fundraising events, and donations make it possible for the Auxiliary to purchase equipment for the hospital. The Firelands Regional Medical Center Auxiliary has a history of support and commitment to the hospital and its patients. The group's membership is composed of more than 165 dedicated women and men promoting community awareness and interest in the hospital. If you are interested in becoming a Firelands Auxiliary member, please call 419-557-5469 or visit firelands.com. ultimately bear this tax in the form of higher premiums passed on by insurers. Employers will be responsible for the tax if coverage is provided by employer contributions to HSAs or Archer MSAs. Employers will be responsible for calculating the excess benefit amounts and reporting those amounts to the applicable insurer. Employers that currently offer generous health benefits (especially if the benefits are to the owners and related persons) should carefully analyze their plans to see if changes are needed to avoid having plans that will be subject to this tax. Additional guidance will be issued on this excise tax (and in fact, additional legislation may change some of these provisions). As noted above, some of the Affordable Care Act provisions apply to all businesses, while other provisions only apply to employers once a certain employee threshold (generally, 50 full-time employees) is met. Due to the fair reaching impact and complicated nature of many of the provisions, I highly suggest consulting your tax advisor to begin reviewing the implications of the Act and begin planning as soon as possible. (Authors note: This article is not intended to offer professional tax advice. Please consult your tax advisor.)

Old Fort Banking Company Receives 5 Star Rating

Bauer Financial has awarded The Old Fort Banking Company a fivestar "Superior" rating for the seventh consecutive quarter. Old Fort's most recent five-star rating is based on March 31, 2013 financial data. Star ratings are assigned on a scale of zeroto-five stars with five-stars being the strongest, and are based on the current overall financial picture of the bank. The rating represents an independent analysis of the financial institution's safety and soundness. The five-star rating indicates that Old Fort Bank is financially sound and has the resources to deal with a variety of adverse economic conditions. The rating also indicates that Old Fort is among the top in the nation when it comes to capitalization, asset quality, profitability, liquidity, and risk. Bauer Financial is the nation's leading independent bank rating firm and they are an unbiased third party that has been well respected by regulators, bankers and consumers for their fair evaluations since 1983. No bank pays to be rated, nor can any institution avoid being rated.

ACCOUNTING, from Page 21

hours worked by part-time employees must be calculated and added to the employer's number of full-time employees. This calculation can be challenging. Additionally, the rules for determining full-time status can be confusing for certain variable-hour employees. Annual Certification of Coverage to the IRS and Covered Employees. After 2013, employers that provide health insurance coverage through an employer-sponsored plan must provide information statements regarding certain health insurance coverage to the IRS and to the covered employee. Excise Tax on High-cost Employer-sponsored Health Coverage (Cadillac Plans). Beginning in 2018, a nondeductible 40% excise tax will be levied on so-called Cadillac plans. These plans are employersponsored health plans with annual premiums (i.e., excess benefits) exceeding $10,200 for self-only coverage and $27,500 for any other coverage. Slightly higher premium thresholds apply for retired individuals age 55 and older who are not eligible for enrollment in Medicare or entitled to Medicare benefits, and for plans that cover employees engaged in high-risk professions. For coverage under a group health plan, the 40% excise tax will be imposed on insurance companies, but it is expected that employers (and their employees) will

Sprouse Insurance Earns Senior Partner Designation

Sprouse Agency Inc. has earned the Senior Partner designation from Grange Insurance, placing the agency in an elite group. This honor places special status upon independent agencies that sell Grange products based on their experience, professionalism and superior performance. Grange only sells its products through independent insurance agents because they offer the best local insurance guidance, represent a variety of companies to find the best fit or each individual, family or business and support the community where they live and work.

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Law You Can Use: What You Should Know about Telephone Solicitations from Charitable Organizations
Q: My elderly mother receives a lot of phone calls from professional solicitors asking her to make donations to charities all across the country. Some are groups we have never heard of before. Her number is on the National Do Not Call Registry. How can I get these phone calls to stop? A: Many people are surprised to learn that the Do Not Call Registry does not apply to charitable fundraising. Registering your home telephone number with the National Do Not Call Registry will not prevent charities from contacting you. However, charities must keep a record of people who have asked not to be contacted again, so you can ask not to be contacted in the future. Charities also must honor Do Not Call requests sent in writing. Q: Does Ohio law regulate professional solicitors who are hired to raise money for charitable organizations? A: Ohio law requires such solicitors to identify themselves clearly as professional solicitors and state the name of their firm as well as the specific charity theyre representing at the beginning of each call. Q: If I ask to be placed on a Do Not Call list during a call from a solicitor hired by a charitable organization, will my request be honored? A: If, during the call, you ask to be placed on a Do Not Call list, your request must be honored whether the caller is a staff member, volunteer or solicitor for that charity. Given the number and the variety of lists being worked, removal of your name might take a few weeks. Solicitors must relay your request to the charity and then the charity is responsible for sharing the information with any other solicitors it might hire. Q: Can I ask to have my name removed from more than one charity at the same time? A: No; there is no way to remove your name from the lists of multiple charities simultaneously. In other words, there is no legal requirement for a professional solicitor to remove your name from the lists of all the charities he or she may represent. Q: Are professional solicitors regulated by Ohio law? A: Yes. Professional solicitors and charities asking for donations must meet a number of legal requirements and, of course, are prohibited from misrepresenting themselves or their intentions. For example, some solicitors may try to intimidate the elderly by using aggressive tactics, falsely claiming the consumer pledged or gave a gift previously, or using names that sound similar to those of other well-known organizations. Q: Are there things I should be aware of when dealing with donation requests? A: Always be wary of sharing bank, credit card or other personal information with an unknown or uninvited caller. Scammers are always looking for opportunities to steal financial data or even identities. Also, its also a good idea to ask questions or request written information before donating. If a solicitor calls claiming to represent a particular charity, find out how much of your donation the charity will actually receive. Contact the charity directly and confirm that a fund-raising campaign is underway. See if family members or friends are familiar with the charitys work and whether its a solid, reputable organization. Review online evaluations of charities from watchdog groups at sites such as www.charitynavigator.org, www. charitywatch.org, and www.bbb.org/us/charity/. You can also see a charitys 990 return filed annually with the Internal Revenue Service at www.guidestar.org. Finally, its wise to prepare a giving plan that identifies the causes and charities you choose to support. By approaching charitable giving in a thoughtful, organized fashion, youll be prepared to make decisions in line with your priorities when you receive requests for donations. Q: What can I do if I have concerns about charitable organization solicitations? A: If you have concerns about charitable solicitations, please contact the Ohio Attorney Generals Office or file a complaint by calling 800282-0512 or by visiting www.OhioAttorneyGeneral. gov. This Law You Can Use column was provided by the Ohio State Bar Association. It was prepared by Beth Short, who is part of the Ohio Attorney Generals Charitable Law Section. Articles appearing in this column are intended to provide broad, general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific legal problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.

Law You Can Use: Board Members for Charities Should Know Legal Responsibilities
Q: I was just asked to serve on the board of a local charity that I have been supporting for years because of its great services. What should I know? A: Serving on the board of a charitable organization enables the staffs, volunteers and charity donors across the state to enhance the quality of life in all our communities. The job is demanding, but also rewarding, and is a vital function. Becoming a board member for a charitable organization means more than merely accepting an honorary title or helping a charity that contributes positively to the lives of people in the community. When you become board member, you will be taking on an important job with specific legal responsibilities. Q: What questions should I ask before agreeing to serve on a board? A: You should ask how the board operates, whether job descriptions are available and what you will be expected to do. Examine past board meeting minutes, financial reports, by-laws and policies. Find out whether the charity carries liability insurance for its directors and board members. Ask to see the organizations annual filings with the IRS and the Ohio Attorney Generals Office. The contents of these documentsor the lack of documentationcould signal potential problems or indicate how much work must be undertaken to properly establish and operate a governance structure for the organization. Q: Does the Ohio Attorney Generals Office investigate charitable organizations when wrongdoing is suspected? A: Yes. The Ohio Attorney Generals Charitable Law Section regularly receives complaints about lax controls and misuse of funds at charities. It launches investigations when problems are suspected or discovered, and the office has broad authority to take action to protect or recover charitable assets. Board members who scheme to defraud donors or charities may face civil as well as criminal actions to recover lost resources. Complaints can be filed online at www. OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov, mailed to the Charitable Law Section at 150 E. Gay St., Columbus, OH 43215, or people can call 1-800-282-0515 to report any suspicious charities or solicitations. This Law You Can Use column was provided by the Ohio State Bar Association. It was prepared by Beth Short, who is part of the Ohio Attorney Generals Charitable Law Section. Articles appearing in this column are intended to provide broad, general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific legal problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.

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On The Move Grieger Achieves IV Falknor Achieves Certification Renewal Board Certification
Brenda Falknor, RN, COHN, Assistant Director, Corporate Health at Firelands Regional Medical Center, has successfully met all requirements for board certification as a Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) through the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. Certification in occupational health is recognized as an indicator of expertise and leadership and represents a broad knowledge of the discipline and its application to promote the health and safety of workers. About 65% of the nurses who are employed in occupational health settings are board certified. Approximately 6,800 certified occupational health nurses are in active practice. Achievement of certification is a distinction that is acknowledged across the occupational health and safety disciplines. Brenda Falknor has been with Firelands Regional Medical Center for over six years and has over 38 years of nursing experience. She is a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist, Medical Review Officer Assistant, a Drug Screen Collector Instructor, and Breath Alcohol Technician. Mary Brown Grieger, RN, CRNI, Infusion Nurse at Firelands Regional Medical Center recently received IV Certification renewal through the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC). INCCs credentialing program was established to increase positive patient outcomes and to enhance the specialty of infusion nursing. IV certification validates a nurses knowledge and experience in the specialty of infusion therapy. Certification attests to a nurses knowledge and experience in nine core areas of infusion center nursing. Meeting recertification requirements demonstrates current knowledge regarding pharmaceutical, technical and clinical developments. Mary Grieger has been an employee of Firelands Regional Medical Center for 23 years and has over 30 years of nursing experience, 10 of which are specifically in infusion Therapy. She is a member of the Infusion Nurses Society and participates in providing education to Firelands staff nurses regarding best practices for IV therapies. She resides in Port Clinton with her husband, Dan, and has three children

NOMS Healthcare Begins Self-Service Patient Check-in

orange, antibacterial tablet, which is given to patients upon arrival to their appointment to help make the check-in process easier for patients. Patients will enter health history, demographic and insurance information. Insurance eligibility is verified immediately and co-pays can be collected via credit /debit card. In addition, all practice and HIPAA forms can be signed electronically. Returning patients simply verify all information.

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On The Move
Sandusky County REACH Program Recognition

Goodwill Appoints New Board Members

Goodwill Industries of Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties has appointed three new members to its Board of Directors. Goodwill provides training and job services to persons living with disabilities and disadvantaging conditions in north central Ohio. The $9 million nonprofit agency employs 320 people at its manufacturing centers in Fremont and Sandusky, seven area retail stores and the Sandusky administrative office. Brian Allen, UBS Financial Services Vice President of Wealth Management, brings more than 20 years experience in finance to the Goodwill board. He holds a BS in Business Administration with a major in Finance from Ohio State University. He currently serves on the City of Sanduskys Finance Committee, and coaches for the Bay Area Soccer League. He and his wife Kristen live in Huron with their five children. Greg Frisch, retired Operations Manager, worked in manufacturing for more than 40 years with Whirlpool Corporation in Clyde. He serves as a Trustee for the Sandusky Yacht Club, where he enjoys boating

Randy Stockmaster (left) receives a certificate of appreciation commemorating their 10-year partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County from REACH program coordinator Jim Miranda The Chamber of Commerce of Sandusky County and the Chamber Foundation of Sandusky County honored Program Partners who have supported the REACH career education program for as many as ten years at their tenth annual REACH Review and Recognition Luncheon held recently at Elmwood HealthCare Center at the Springs in Green Springs. The Chamber sponsors the REACH program, while the Chamber Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization, serves as fiscal agent. REACH utilizes a curriculum that was developed by the Ohio State University-Marion Department of Education that incorporates lessons such as; Habits and Attitudes That Make Good Workers, Jobs That Match My Talents and Interests, Communication, Teamwork, Equal Opportunity and Making Decisions. Business Partner Consultant representing area businesses go into fourth or fifth grade classrooms one class period per month throughout the school year to share their work experiences, outline types of jobs at their facilities in particular and to introduce the students to the world of work in general The REACH program was launched in 2003 in seven classrooms at Green Springs, with the financial backing of four Financial Partners and with the involvement of Classroom Consultants from three different Business Partners. The program has expanded over the years so that in the 2012-2013 school year some 700 students were reached by classroom consultant from 26 Business Partners in 29 classrooms in 12 different schools throughout Sandusky County. A total of approximately 5,000 students have participated in the REACH program since its inception. Highlights celebrated at the luncheon included participation for all ten years by Business Partners Memorial Hospital and First Financial Bank (and predecessors), Memorial Hospital and the United Way of Sandusky County as ten year Financial Partners and Green Springs School as a ten year Education Partner. Other milestones were nineyear participation by Luckey Farmers, Woodville, Sandco Industries, Fremont and Elmwood HealthCare Center at the Springs. For further information about the REACH program contact Jim Miranda at 419-332-1591, or reach@ scchamber.org. Information is also available at the Chamber web site, www.scchamber.org

and the Lake Erie Islands. He and his wife Connie reside in Sandusky and have two adult daughters. Kay Reiter, Executive Director of the Sandusky County Economic Development Corporation, has worked with the Sandusky County Manufacturing Communities in realizing an average annual capital investment of $59 million over the past 7 years. She has served on the NW Ohio Regional Economic Development Association; Ohio Economic Development Association; Ohio Energy Sector Partnership Committee; Area 7 Workforce Investment Board and Executive Committee; Terra State Community College Board of Trustees; Sandusky County Law Library Council; Sandusky County Transportation Improvement District Board; and Sandusky County Township Association. She is a member of the Fremont Rotary Club and a Sandusky County Regional Planning Commissioner. A graduate of Fremont City Schools and Bowling Green School of Nursing, Kay now resides in Ballville Township with her husband Dale. They have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

Edgewood Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center Announces 5 Star Rating

Edgewood Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center is proud to announce that it has recently received a Five Star quality care rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It is a nationwide initiative to develop and measure quality care in skilled nursing facilities. A facilitys overall Five Star rating incorporates ratings in three categories: survey results, quality measures and staffing levels. Under the new system, five stars means a nursing home ranks "much above average. We are very excited that we have sent over 30 patients back their homes this year through our Homeward Bound Rehabilitation programs, Kaye Lipstraw, Director of Nursing stated. Edgewood Manor is proud of our loyal employees and the compassionate work they do with our residents, their families and our community. Edgewood Manor will continue to deliver the highest quality care to our residents. We are family serving families. Edgewood Manor provides extensive health care services. The center focuses on short term reanimation services helping individuals transfer from hospital to home, long term care and outpatient therapy.

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July 2013

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EHOVE adds New Team Member

EHOVE Adult Career Center is pleased to welcome a new member to the team. Laura Dowdell has come on board as the new Assistant Director of Adult Education. A lifelong resident of Rochester, Dowdell is a graduate of New London High School. She also earned a Bachelors in Special Education from Ashland University, a Masters in Guidance Counseling from Cleveland State University, and administrative licensure from Ashland University. Dowdell brings ample experience with her to EHOVE,

On The Move

having worked as an Intervention Specialist, Guidance Counselor, Elementary School Principal and, most recently, as the Adult Education Supervisor at Lorain County JVS. Her duties at EHOVE will commence on July 1 and include finance, human resources, program development and supervision. In her spare time, Dowdell is a 4-H Advisor for the Brighton Buckeyes and volunteers with the youth program at her church. Dowdell is married to Paul Dowdell, a New London Elementary teacher and local farmer. They have four children: John-14, Lily-11, Adele-6 and Adam4.

Memorial Hospital Welcomes New Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging

On June 24, Nathan Egbert, M.D. started as the medical director of diagnostic imaging at M e m o r i a l Hospital. Dr. Egbert will provide medical expertise for the hospitals comprehensive imaging services, which include CT, digital mammography, MRI, x-ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, PET, as well as other services. Dr. Egbert is board-certified by the American College of Radiology. He earned his medical degree from The University of Toledo and completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Michigan, where he served as chief resident. He ncbj1111AHAC.pdf AM previously served 11/2/11 as a 11:18:48 night radiologist for Huron Valley Radiology in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Dr. Egbert is excited to join Memorial Hospital and the local community. My family and I are looking forward to becoming part of the Memorial and Fremont families, he said. Having grown up in Northwest Ohio, it is exciting to have the opportunity to come back home and become active members of the Fremont and surrounding communities. Memorial Hospital is a non-profit, community-based health care provider that has served the Sandusky County area since 1918. The hospital is a state-of-the-art medical center with more than 150 physicians and nearly 500 employees. The hospital provides a comprehensive range of services, including the surgery, obstetrics/ pediatrics and intensive care, as well as hospice and occupational and mental health services. For more information, visit memorialhcs.org.

EHOVE Instructor Selected as Outstanding Educator

branding.
its not just for the big ranchers anymore.

EHOVE Health Tech Instructor Fay Felske (center) with Health Tech students Hannah Sampson (left) and Tiffany Horning (right) both from Norwalk HS EHOVE Health Tech Instructor Fay Felske has been selected by SkillsUSA as one of five Ohio recipients of the Outstanding Career Tech Educator Award. SkillsUSA is a nationwide student organization that is offered to EHOVE students enrolled in many of the career tech training programs. It provides students with opportunities to participate in competitive events, fundraisers, community service projects and social chapter activities. Felske was presented with her award at the SkillsUSA State Competition. She has attended many local, regional, state and national competitions with EHOVE students during her role as SkillsUSA Advisor for the last eight years, although shes been involved with the organization for a total of 11 years. She was honored to receive the award and appreciates the nomination.

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On The Move First Niagara Names Veteran Philip L. Rice Ohio Market Executive, Corporate Banking
Rice will oversee a Cleveland based team of experienced corporate bankers, which currently includes James V. Cannella and Anthony J. DiMare, focused on developing commercial banking relationships with middle market firms located in Ohio. Rice is a life-long Ohio resident who started his 30-year banking career with National City Bank in Cleveland as a management trainee and ultimately was Executive Vice President for National Citys Regional Corporate Banking line of business serving middle market relationships across Ohio and the Midwest. Rice has a background in corporate banking, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, all derived from relationship banking activities. Subsequent to National Citys acquisition by PNC Financial Services Group, he served as PNCs Executive Vice President West Markets. Were pleased to add a seasoned leader with strong ties to Northeast Ohio to First Niagaras corporate banking team, said Todd C. Moules, Western Pennsylvania Regional President at First Niagara. Having spent the majority of his over 30-year career at National City, Phil has deep industry experience, market knowledge and a relationship approach that make him a perfect addition to First Niagaras talented team. The addition of a new middle market commercial banking team, dedicated to serving Northeast Ohio, is a natural extension of the companys established commercial lending efforts in neighboring Western New York and Western Pennsylvania markets and is consistent with the companys strategic focus on prudent and disciplined credit underwriting in markets where the growth potential exceeds that of the national average. First Niagara, a regional bank with $37 billion in assets headquartered in Buffalo, continues to make credit widely available to businesses across the communities it serves, organically growing average commercial loan balances by double-digit rates for the past 13 consecutive quarters. First Niagaras team of highly experienced Clevelandbased bankers will help middle market customers with a wide range of corporate lending needs, including working capital loans, equipment term loans and leases, acquisition financing, asset-based lending, and commercial real estate loans. In addition to working directly with corporate customers, the new Ohio team will partner with client companies existing capital sources.

Magruder Hospital Hires Ohio Business College New Chief Financial Officer Hires Shelisa Johnson
Magruder Hospital recently hired Ronald Weiner as VicePresident of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. He replaces Todd Almendinger, who was recently promoted to President & CEO of the hospital. Weiner graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Business Administration and went on at Ohio University to earn his Masters of Business Administration. Prior to Magruder, Weiner was the Director of Reimbursement and Payer Integrity for Genesis HealthCare System in Zanesville, Ohio. In this position he was responsible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement analysis, cost reporting, managed care contracting, cost accounting and third party payer adjudication and analysis. During his career he has worked with State and Federal Legislators on hospital wage index and Medicaid Managed Care issues and is Chairman of Ohio Hospital Association's (OHA) Bureau of Workers Compensation sub-committee. Weiner has served as a board member for the OHA Finance Committee, Muskingum Valley Health Centers, Genesis Finance Committee and the Quality Care Partners Finance Committee. He is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Associaton. Weiner commented on his recent move to Magruder. "My attraction to Magruder was the opportunity to become the CFO of a smaller, community-oriented hospital that is recognized as a leader in patient satisfaction, and is on the cutting edge with its implementation and use of health information technology. It certainly helped that all of this was in Port Clinton, an area my wife and have enjoyed over the years." He and his wife Sandy have one grown son, Ronnie, who lives in Gahanna, Ohio and a daughter, Carolyn Ann, who is deceased. Ron and Sandy will be permanently relocating from New Albany to Port Clinton over the summer. Ohio Business College (OBC) and Vice-President Theresa Fisher are pleased to announce the recent hiring of Shelisa Johnson to the position of Career Services Director. Her job responsibilities will include assisting students and graduates with job placement in their field of study, in addition to instructing an externship class. She will work with local employers to fill open positions with qualified graduates, and also to find mutually beneficial externship sites so that OBC students can spend their final months of study earning valuable job training. Johnson has extensive experience, working in Erie and Lorain counties for the past 17 years as a Juvenile Probation Officer and Counselor. Shelisa is a graduate of Elyria High School and has lived in Sandusky since 2000, alongside her husband of 11 years, Aswad Johnson, and their two children. She received her B.A. in Criminal Justice Studies from Kent State University, and earned a M.A. in Family Studies at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. We are pleased to have Shelisa join our Ohio Business College team, Fisher said. She brings with her years of experience and customer service which will be beneficial to our students and graduates in finding jobs in their field of study. Johnson added that she is pleased to be on board and is looking forward to meeting with students and employers alike. I enjoy connecting with people and connecting them to needed resources, especially if it will help them to succeed, Johnson said. When the time comes for hiring motivated, professional employees to fill crucial job openings, let Shelisa Johnson and Ohio Business College do the work. Call her today at (419) 627-8345 ext. 2225, or visit OhioBusinessCollege.edu for more information about the different degrees, diplomas, and classes that OBC offers. Ohio Business College is located at 5202 Timber Commons Dr. in Sandusky.

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July 2013

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On The Move
The Sandusky State Theatre Names David L. Taylor as Executive Director
Steve Dice, the Sandusky State Theatre Board President, today announced the hiring of David L. Taylor, of Dallas, Texas as the new Executive Director. Taylor assumes his duties next week. Taylor was formerly the General Manager of the Majestic Theatre in Dallas and was the Director of the McKinney (Texas) Performing Arts Center prior to his current assignment. David has the right combination of experience and enthusiasm our Board was seeking, explained Dice. We had many well-qualified applicants for the position and after two interviews with our Search Committee, Board and community members, Mr. Taylor rose to the top. Taylor has experience in all aspects of theatre management. An Illinois native, Mr. Taylor has a B.A. from the University of Illinois-Springfield and is a member of several arts organizations. Returning to the Midwest has been in my long-range plans and joining an organization like the State Theatre will fulfill many of my personal goals, said Taylor. The Sandusky area has a jewel with the theatre downtown, on the Bay and I plan to continue building upon the great foundation that is already in place.

Back Row: Bill Back, MD, Robert Secor, MD, James Rosso, MD, David Jump, DO Front Row: Evillo Domingo, MD, Nancy Verhoff, MD, Alison Winans, PA-C, Alicia Rendon, CNP

Trust the expert, caring hands of Mercy providers.

Mercy is committed to providing accessible and convenient primary care services. Mercys primary care providers are dedicated to providing quality medical care to the community, and meeting their patients medical needs. Patients have the option of choosing from five convenient office locations and eight providers. To find out how you can become a Mercy Primary Care patient, please call one of the five office locations.
Mercy Primary Care Willard 1100 Neal Zick Road 419.933.2811 or 419.935.6761 Mercy Primary Care Greenwich 65 W. Main Street 419.752.1811 Mercy Primary Care New Washington 202 W. Mansfield Street 419.492.1300 Mercy Primary Care Shiloh 21 W. Main Street 419.896.3844 Mercy Primary Care Plymouth 25 Spring Street 419.687.5781

Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Acquires Intellectual Property Assets from Buderer Drug Company
Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IMMY) today announced it has completed the acquisition of intellectual property (IP) rights related to certain proprietary innovations from the compounding pharmacy operations of Ohio-based Buderer Drug Company. The acquisition allows Imprimis to pursue the commercial development of these proprietary innovations and also provides Imprimis with a right of first refusal on additional Buderer Drug Company intellectual property and drug development opportunities. Buderer Drug Company, which has served the needs of patients and physicians in Ohio since 1878, is a compounding pharmacy member of PCCA. This IP acquisition is the first to emerge from the Imprimis-PCCA relationship. "Buderer Drug Company is a leading compounding pharmacy organization in the United States, and we are extremely pleased to announce this asset purchase," said Mark L. Baum, Imprimis CEO. "This new relationship, which could lead to up to three new development programs, is a good example of our plan to begin to leverage our agreement with PCCA into proprietary IP that may ultimately lead to the FDA approval of new medicines to address unmet patient needs. We are in the process of preparing filings with the USPTO related to the acquired assets and intend to communicate with the marketplace with more specificity in the near-term. Ultimately, we intend to develop and commercialize any drug development assets we decide to pursue by utilizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The 505(b)(2) pathway has the ability to significantly reduce both cost and duration of the FDA approval process, bringing quality medications more quickly to patients who need them."

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North Coast Business Journal

the student is a leader of a band, preparing a painting for a lobby of a building, designing a webpage, creating graphics and animations for a client, or preparing a recording for a new album, they are a business person, said Michael Shirtz, Dean of Business and Creative Arts at Terra State. So often those parts of the creative careers are overlooked as schools focus on the students artistic development, and not the entrepreneurial side of their jobs. It is important that our students understand how to develop themselves as a small business owner and know how to work and operate in the business community. Bill Auxter, Director of the Ohio Small Business Center at Terra State said he is looking forward to helping the music and art majors explore the possibilities of starting their own businesses. Traditionally students are trained to take jobs as opposed to make jobs, he said. Through this entrepreneurial training, they will discover the opportunities, requirements and responsibilities of selfemployment." The collaboration with the SBDC and Terra States music, digital and fine arts

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Terra States Music and Art Students Study Business for Career Success
This fall, music and art majors at Terra State Community College will begin receiving a healthy dose of Business Basics along with their musical and artistic studies. In the past, Terra State has introduced students to leadership and management concepts through production training of the colleges various concerts and music and art festivals. Now, music and art students will officially go through business training through the Ohio Small Business Development Center to prepare them to be successful for the workforce of today and the future. The Ohio Small Business Development Centers Network is the premier technical assistance program for Ohios small businesses. The network is provided through a partnership between the Ohio Development Services Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and selected Ohio chambers of commerce, colleges and universities. The Ohio SBDC at Terra State serves pre-venture and existing small business owners in Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca counties. Its mission is to help people start, sustain, and grow their businesses. Whether programs begins many new steps the college is taking to expand its business programs and developing studies in entrepreneurship. As the college continues to be a progressive institution in training students directly for the workforce, it looks to ensure students studying the artistic fields leave Terra State with the skills to be successful in a regional, national and global economy. Terra State is combining the expertise of its academic people and its small business resource on campus to provide realistic training for our students, said Jack Fatica, Vice President for Academic Affairs. Upon completion of the program, students should be prepared to productively use their knowledge and skills in the workplace and society. Terra State offers degree programs in fine arts, digital media, animation, graphic web design, music performance, music technology and recording arts, music business, jazz and American music studies and the first two years of music education. Students in these programs will now receive basic business training through the SBDC. For more information about Terras music, fine arts and digital media and graphic arts programs, call the Business and Creative Arts Division at 419-559-2233. CUTLINE Arica Pfrisch, a music business major from Sandusky, produces a festival concert at Terra State.

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North Coast Business Journal

July 2013

31

On The Move Christine Simmons Promoted to Vice President

Michael C. Spragg, President and CEO of The Old Fort Banking Company, is pleased to announce the promotion of Christine Simmons to Vice President of Treasury Management. An experienced banker with over 28 years in the financial industry, Christine has excelled in growing new business, expanding existing business relationships and introducing new products and services to our business portfolio. We value and

recognize her outstanding service with this appointment," stated Spragg. "Christine continues to set the bar higher, providing our clients with products, services and solutions to enhance their business," commented Mark Malone, Executive Vice President. A graduate of Tiffin University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, Simmons has continued her education by attending industry related programs.

Marketplace Business To advertise call Dave at 419-734-4838

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32 July 2013

North Coast Business Journal

www.ncbj.net

Art Maines

Ellie Polter

Maria Sanchez

Dr. Traci McCaudy

Every patient. Every day. Every encounter.

At Memorial Hospital, our emergency care team delivers high-quality care in the safest manner possible, without exception. We deliver the best possible care to every patient, on every day, at every encounter.

EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS. EXCELLENT SERVICE.

I

Trauma-certified nurses Board-certified emergency care physicians On-staff physician specialists in fields such as critical care, pediatric infectious disease, orthopedics, pediatrics, pulmonology and many others

Nationally recognized x-ray, CT, MRI and other imaging services 24/7 nationally accredited laboratory services Stroke care, personal injury care and much more

To read about the emergency care experiences of these community members, visit

memorialhcs.org/patient-stories