FLORENCE – Most family-owned small businesses do not survive into the second generation because of breakdowns in communication and trust among family members. That’s the assessment of Steve McLemore, the engagement director for the Goering Center for Family and Private Business. He contends family conflicts, not monetary issues, are the biggest villains. “The hard stuff is the people stuff,” he…
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Butler Explains FC Cincinnati Challenge to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Kevin Butler faces the task of building a base of rabid FC Cincinnati soccer fans who don’t recognize geographical boundaries. He left ESPN for a job as chief branding officer for FC Cincinnati. His charge is marketing, public relations and outreach that creates a one-community brand. His challenge is the Ohio River. “What blows my mind is this…
Read MoreBeth Long and New Day Achievement
FLORENCE – Horses don’t lie. They don’t mask their feelings. They don’t talk back or judge you if you pour out your innermost thoughts. And, they’re loving, caring and sensitive. “We use that natural relationship as a mirror to help people overcome their relationship problems,” says Beth Long, founder and CEO of New Day Achievement Program. New Day offers equine…
Read MoreMayor Whalen Gives Annual Report to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Senior housing is popping up everywhere, Mall Road is rebounding and a community plaza is almost ready to go. That’s the good news from Florence Mayor Diane Whalen. The bad news is the heroin epidemic rages on, unabated. The mayor presented her annual update on the city’s well-being at the Florence Rotary Club on Monday, Sept. 25. The…
Read MoreWeinberg Introduces Ronald McDonald House to Rotarians
FLORENCE – Mike Weinberg says the Ronald McDonald House is much more than an affordable place to stay for family members with critically injured youngsters at Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “We’re not just a shelter,” Weinberg said. “We provide all the things people are missing from home. “It’s important to us that the families feel comfortable and happy … that…
Read MoreTravel Tools for the Tech Savvy Commuter
FLORENCE – Didn’t expect the highway construction delay on southbound Interstate 75 over the weekend? Should have checked the Weekly Road Report for District 6 on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet website at http://transportation.ky.gov/district-6. Didn’t anticipate that accident that backed up Mt. Zion Road (KY 536)? Could have accessed the WAZE app you can download from the Kentucky Transportation website. That’s…
Read MoreAviatra Accelerators Visits Rotary
Florence, Ky. – What’s in a name? The change in name from Bad Girl Ventures to Aviatra Accelerators personifies a new growth strategy for the seven-year-old women’s business accelerator in Northern Kentucky. The name change signals an expanded emphasis on attracting new clients, opening new markets and “encapsulating who we are,” said Angela Ozar, the organization’s market manager. “Our mission…
Read MoreWillis Music Comes to Rotary
Florence, Ky. – Need to rent a musical instrument because your child wants to try out for the high school band? Willis Music will rent you the instrument at reasonable cost, repair it and replace it if lost. What about sheet music and lessons? Willis publishes a huge music catalog and arranges lessons at three locations in Ohio, one in…
Read MoreRotarians Meet the Boone County Distilling Company
Florence, Ky. – The inclination for the Boone County Distilling Company came from a casual conversation between friends over adult beverages. The inspiration came from a bit of “forgotten history.” After Josh Quinn and Jack Wells sipped on the idea of making their own brand of bourbon, they googled “Boone County bourbon,” as Quinn tells it. He found a research…
Read MoreCVG and Amazon Drive Boone Economic Growth
Florence, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University’s top economic analyst expects Amazon’s $1.49 billion expansion of its e-commerce operations in Boone County to impact industry growth, air cargo operations and salaries for workers positively. “Greater Cincinnati is one of the top ten e-commerce hubs in the United States,” said Janet Harrah, senior director of the NKU Center for Economic Analysis and…
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