Syracuse woman leads small business of the year

Sep. 16—INDIANAPOLIS — Syracuse business owner Anna Haldewang garnered statewide attention this week when her business, InsightTRAC, was named Innovative Small Business of the Year by the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

On Monday, Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a proclamation declaring Sept. 13 — 17 as Small Business Week in Indiana, celebrating the more than 529,000 small businesses in Indiana and the more than 1.2 million Hoosiers they employ.

"This week, we recognize the small businesses driving our state's economy forward," Holcomb said in a provided statement. "The state is placing an increased focus on supporting Indiana's entrepreneurial companies, and with their persistence and entrepreneurial spirit, small business owners are creating careers and opportunities vital to every community across all 92 counties."

In concert with Holcomb's proclamation, the IEDC recognized nine Hoosier small businesses that have worked with the Indiana Small Business Development Center, a program of the IEDC, to start, grow or pivot their small businesses.

The awards, presented in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week, honor the achievements of the entrepreneurs and small businesses and their contributions to help grow Indiana's economy and strengthen communities across the state.

THE 2021 HONOREES

—Innovative Small Business of the Year: InsightTRAC (Syracuse)

Founded by Haldewang in 2017, InsightTRAC provides on-site robotic pest removal and data tracking services to help almond growers better manage and optimize their yields, the IEDC news release states. The product provides real-time orchard insights and provides growers with an autonomous winter sanitation solution for what is currently a manual process.

In addition to InsightTRAC, the eight other Indiana small businesses recognized by the IEDC this week include:

—Community Impact Small Business of the Year: Crossroads Solar Enterprises (South Bend)

Founded by Patrick Regan and Marty Whalen in 2019, Crossroads Solar Enterprises is a solar module manufacturer for residential, municipal and industrial scale applications, certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Founded on a core social mission, the company employs individuals who have served time in prison, providing them with equal opportunity, living wage with benefits and labor skills to reenter the workforce.

—Entrepreneur of the Year: Donte Wilburn (Lafayette)

Donte Wilburn, owner and operator of Premier Detailing and Wash LLC, founded his business in 2011 with the goal of providing high-quality services built on servanthood and trust. The company expanded operations to a second location in Kokomo in 2020, and in 2021, Wilburn and managing partners purchased Legacy Courts, a sports facility that has been in operation for six years, to build a safe space for Lafayette youth.

—Family-Owned Small Business of the Year: Fischer Farms (St. Anthony)

Founded by Diana and Dave Fischer in 2004, Fischer Farms is a natural meat producer providing premium, local, sustainable products to Hoosier families and restaurants. The sixth-generation, family-owned farm has expanded to meet the demand for local, fresh products.

—Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year: bNutty Peanut Butter (Portage)

A minority- and woman-owned business founded by Joy Thompkins and later joined by Carol Podolak, bNutty Peanut Butter is a gourmet peanut butter producer offering a variety of flavors and gift baskets. What started as a fundraiser for youth soccer in 2014 has grown into a robust manufacturing operation with multiple production lines and a national customer base.

—Rural Small Business of the Year: High Performance Alloys Inc. (Tipton)

Founded by Russ Kirchner in 1984, High Performance Alloys Inc. manufactures and distributes super alloys and super stainless steels to serve the needs of the aerospace, chemical processing, oil-gas, medical and food processing industries. With locations in Tipton and Windfall, the company employs more than 60 Hoosiers and serves a global customer base.

—Start-Up of the Year: Saaslio (Indianapolis)

Founded by John Harden, Saaslio is a data insight software designed to help IT-managed service providers understand their client software-as-a-service systems and their security implications. Since launching in March 2020, Saaslio has participated in gener8tor's gBETA startup accelerator and secured six early adopter partnerships around the country.

—Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year: MidAmerica Safety Solutions (Evansville)

Founded by Jeff Klump in 2017, MidAmerica Safety Solutions is a traffic control safety company providing on-site traffic management for work sites in the Evansville, Bloomington, Indianapolis and Cincinnati areas. As a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Klump and his team hire veterans, retirees and veteran spouses through local organizations.

—Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year: Starlight Spirits & Wines LLC (Borden)

Founded by Dana and Jan Huber in 2001, Starlight Spirits & Wines LLC is the company responsible for the regional distribution of Huber wines. Part of Huber's Orchard, Winery, and Distillery, the company is an agritourism destination in southern Indiana.

John Kline can be reached at john.kline@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240315. Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN.