business journal march 2010

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Lima Delphos Wapakoneta Ottawa www.SuperiorFCU.com Phone (419) 223-9746

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Commercial

RealEstate 5,6

Money/

Investment 7-11

Marketing/

Branding 12-14

Occupational

Health 15-16

THE

March 2010

BusinessJournalOF WEST CENTRAL OHIO

InternetServicePr

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byNorthWestNet

Inc.

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Ceative business thrives in rural location

INSIDE

Brand It MarketingCommunications is located out-side the village of Rockford, Ohio.At one time Rockford would havebeen an unlikely place to grow amarketing, advertising and designbusiness because of its rural loca-tion in the heart of Mercer Countysrich agricultural community, but itisnt as unusual as one might think.In this age of modern technologyits really not an issue, in fact itsa perfect location for the businessowned and operated by Pete andTwyla Hayes. Rockford is home,it may not be the rst place mostpeople would think to look formarketing or a design company,

but were denitely changing thatimage.

Together, Pete and Twyla haveextensive educational backgroundsand work history in graphic design,print production and advertising.Combined the Hayess bring over50 years of experience to the busi-ness.

Their business has grown overthe last ve years and the ser-vices they offer to their clients haveevolved as well. When we startedin 2004 we concentrated on brand-ing and what that meant to design,advertising, print production andweb site creation. We have expand-ed our services to include a more

complete package for our clients,said Pete Hayes, co-owner. Weconduct brand strategy consulta-tions for new businesses and brandtraining sessions for existing com-panies. A real focus for us since the

TheBusinessJournal

405N.MainSt.

Delphos,OH45833

PRSTDSTDU.S.Postage

PAIDLima,OHPermitNo.286

2010 awardsfor Cotterman & Company

Beginning February 2, Blanchard Valley Rehaband Sports Medicine will be located in the newWest Cascades Professional Ofces at 1721 MedicalBlvd., Suite B in Findlay, next to the Findlay SurgeryCenter.

BVH Rehab and Sports Medicine offers physical,occupational and speech therapy, as well as athletictraining and sports medicine services for all ages.

Regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday with early, late and emergent appoint-ments available.

Open houses will be held on Thursday, February 11

from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and featuretours, demonstrations and light refreshments.

For more information, call 419.425.3199 or visitwww.bvhealthsystem.org.

Sidney, OH Industrial Property Brokerswas formed in 2005 by Principal and Broker TimEchemann, CCIM, SIOR, a real estate professionalwith more than 25 years experience in industrialsales and leasing. Prior to starting the rm, heserved as vice president of sales and marketingfor Miller Valentine Brokerage in Cincinnati. Hepreviously managed the Dayton ofce of Ostendor-Morris Colliers.

Recently, the company aligned with CORFACInternational, an international association of leadingentrepreneurial and privately held commercial realestate service providers. This new alliance nowgives IPB the opportunity to provide clients withglobal access to available property opportunities.

BVH Rehab and Sports

Medicine moves to new facility

Industrial property brokers

expands its reach

During 2009, CottermanRoong earned several awards andhas surpassed impressive mile-stones in the roong industry. Welead Duro-Last sales in Ohio and

was the 13th largest contractor inthe nation. Cotterman achievedan Elite Master Contractor sta-tus with Sika Sarnal. SikaSarnal also nominated two ofCottermans installations, Ft.Loramie Elementary School andFairlawn School, for a NationalProject of the Year Award. Thewinner will be announced laterthis month. Firestone BuildingProducts awarded us with a Partnerin Quality Award.

Cottermans inspection ratingwith Carlisle Syntec average rat-ing is 10 out of 10, which is impec-

cable. We have attained our 630Perfect 10s ratings with Carlisle.Cotterman received Carlisles ESP2009 award for the second year ina row for our Excellence in Single

Ply, one of the most prestigiousawards in the roong industry.ESP status is given out annuallyto a small percentage of Carlislesmost dedicated and profession-ally minded applicators. Over 25million sq. ft. of warranted singleply roong systems have beeninstalled by our company over thepast 32 years. Cottermans hasalso been nominated for the BetterBusiness Bureau Eclipse IntegrityAward for 2010.

View of our Corporate Ofce in

SeeBRAND-IT, page 12

See IPB, page 3

See COTTERMAN, page 4


2/16

2 TheBusinessJournal March2010

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March2010 TheBusinessJournal 3

Distributedin13counties...ALLEN,AUGLAIZE,DEFIANCE,

HANCOCK,HARDIN,HENRY.LOGAN,

MERCER,PAULDING,PUTNAM,

SHELBY,VANWERT,WOOD

Business

Journal

THE

of West Central OhioVolume 18, No. 3

Publisher Donald R. HempleContributing WritersJeffrey Gitomer

Advertising Donald R. HempleThe Business Journal is mailed to the top business leadersin the 11-county region of West Central Ohio. Although infor-mation is gathered from sources considered to be reliable,the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot beguaranteed. Information expressed in The Business Journaldoes not constitute a solicitation for the purchase or sale ofany products.

Copyright, The Business Journal of West Central Ohio, 2006,All rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written per-mission of editorial, photographic or other graphic content inany manner is prohibited. The Business Journal is publishedmonthly at 405 N. Main St., Delphos, OH 45833

Contact Us

Telephone 419-999-4762

Don Hemple 419-695-0015 ext. 138

Marilyn Hoffman 419-695-0015 ext. 131

Vicki Gossman 419-695-0015 ext. 128

toll free 800-589-6950

Mail 405 N. Main St., Delphos, OH 45833-1598For information concerning news,advertising and subscription e-mail us at:

[email protected] [email protected]

www.businessjrnl.com

HOGE * Post-Frame Buildings* Remodeling

* New Homes

NEW KNOXVILLE, OH 45891www.hoge.com

PH# (419) 753-2263

HOGE LUMBER

COMPANY

419-224-6980visit us at www.tjpaintingandrepair.com

Full ServicePainting Contractor

AND REPAIR CO. COMMERCIAL

INSTITUTIONAL

INDUSTRIAL

RESIDENTIAL

Industrial PropertyBrokers specializes inindustrial leasing andsales throughout WesternOhio and the urban areasof Cincinnati, Dayton,Columbus and Toledo. Thecompany has a satelliteofce in the Toledo area andalso covers Eastern Indiana.

We believe that joining

CORFAC International willprovide our company withaccess to premier network-ing, educational and tech-nological resources, saidMr. Echemann, principal ofIndustrial Property Brokers.In turn, our clients willbenet by the new aflia-tion and access to resourc-es, resulting in an expandedcustomer base and increasedmarket share.

IPB clients have includ-ed Honda, Campbell Soup,Alcoa, Union Camp, PaulSherry, Pioneer Standard,Electronics, Nestle, MiamiValley Steel, UnitedTechnologies, GeneralMotors, Airstream, RobertRothschild Farm, Stuart

Lichter and Workow One.Mr. Echemann said IPB

completes several referraltransactions per year, bothinbound and outbound withfellow SIOR brokers andCORFAC rms in variousmarkets, Echemann noted,So the afliation withCORFAC International wasa natural next step.

Industrial PropertyBrokers has a stellar reputa-tion as the premier indus-trial brokerage rm inWestern Ohio and EasternIndiana, said CORFACInternational 2010 presi-dent Owen Rouse, who isalso a senior vice presidentand director of capital mar-kets with Manekin, LLC/CORFAC Internationalbased in Columbia, MD.

The combination of theIPBs industrial expertiseand CORFACs globalplatform and powerful mar-keting resources will betterserve the rms clients, aswell as provide the localmarket knowledge neededto fulll the requirements of

inbound referrals.CORFAC International is

one of the largest commer-cial real estate services orga-nizations in the world andcelebrated its 20th year in2009. U.S.-based CORFACis comprised of privately heldentrepreneurial rms servingmore than 150 markets in TheAmericas and internation-

ally through alliances in theUnited Kingdom. CORFACInternational invites rms to

join the organization basedon geographic markets andthe ability of the rm torespond to the requirements

of clients and colleagues forservices.

Industrial PropertyBrokers is a premier fullservice real estate compa-ny offering sales, leasing,investment analysis, tenantrepresentation, and proper-ty management throughoutWestern Ohio and EasternIndiana. The company

is located at 213 N. OhioAve., Sidney, Ohio andalso maintains an ofce inNapoleon, OH. For moreinformation visit www.industrialproperty.biz orcall 937-492-4423.

A1 InvestigationsA Full-Service Detective Agency

EmployeeTerminationStandby & Surveillance

WorkersCompensationInvestigation FMLAAbuse

(419) 229-1955

114 N. WestSt.,Ste 204 Lima, OH.www.a1investigations.net [email protected]

IPB (Continued from page 1)

Stanley R. Clemens Appointed to CitizensNational Bank Board of Directors

Citizens National Bank announcedthe appointment of Stanley R. Clemensto its board of directors at the month-ly meeting held on January 26, 2010.Along with the other members, he willbe responsible for oversight of businessdevelopment, regulatory compliance,

community relations and bank profit-ability.

In 2008, Clemens started ClemensConstruction Group, whose projectsinclude new home construction andlight commercial projects. Clemens hasbeen selected as the contractor for theupcoming 45,000 square foot GreenHouse project for Mennonite HomeCommunities of Ohio. President andCEO of Citizens National Bank, J. Michael Romey commentedthat, As a prominent member of the Bluffton community, Clemenswill provide the board with a good perspective of this region.

Clemens received a bachelors degree from Bluffton College,with a masters degree in mathematics from Indiana University anda doctorate degree in mathematics from the University of NorthCarolina. He has been a shareholder at Citizens National Bank since1984.

Clemens and his wife, Joenita, have four children and reside inBluffton.

With offices in Bluffton, Celina, Elida, Findlay, Lima, Spring-field and Van Wert, Citizens National Bank has assets totaling morethan $565 million and has been serving the communities of WestCentral Ohio since 1920.

CLEMENS

Sprint Names New Local District Managerin Lima

Kari Chadd deemed local Sprint expert for all wireless needsLIMA, Ohio (February 5, 2010) Sprint today announced the intro -duction of Kari Chadd as the district manager for local Sprint storesin northwest Ohio, southern Ohio and Vienna, W.Va. As district man-ager, Chadd is responsible for all in-store sales, as well as

business-to-business interactions.Chadd has been with Sprint for seven years and was promoted

from Regional Sales Operations Manager. Before that, Chadd heldRetail Store Manager & Indirect Regional Manager positions. Priorto joining Sprint, she served as a district sales executive for FedExand Paycor.

We are thrilled to have Kari as the face of Sprint for our storesin northwest and southern Ohio and West Virginia, said Joey Holi-baugh, general manager at Sprint in Ohio and West Virginia. Herknowledge, experience and customer service skills make her a greataddition to the local community.

Chadd oversees local Sprint stores including:3215 Elida Rd., LimaStop into any Sprint store to hear about Any Mobile, Anytime

which gives Sprint customers unlimited calling while on the Sprint

network to and from any wireless phone in the United States, regard-less of

carrier


4/164 TheBusinessJournal March2010

AIP offers a full range of

servicesWarehousing Distribution

Transportation Pick and Pack Freight Management

Transloading

300 Industrial DrWapakoneta, OH 45895

419.738.9211

www.aiplogistics.com

What do we do?

Manpower, proudly serving the West Central Ohio Area for over 30 years!

Contact Manpower to see what we can do for you.

1921 Havemann Rd 1706 South Main St 2320 Harding Highway 1576 West Michigan StCelina, OH 45822 Bellefontaine, OH 43111 Lima, OH 45804 Sidney, OH 45365

419.586.9888 937.592.7220 419.227.1970 937.492.3756

What do you do?

Temp-to Hire Training

Assessment Services

Staffing Permanent Placement

Professional/Technical

HR Services

Kathy SuttonPartner/Manager

Your Culligan Man

Since 1979

If you are consuming more than 25gallons of bottled water per month,we may be able to save you moneywith point of use, bottleless watercoolers!

750 Bellefontaine Ave., Lima, OH 45801

419-228-6161 800-947-4147

Are you getting the most from yourwater treatment equipment?

25%-40% SAVINGSIN OPERATIONAL COST

Call to ensure that your commercialequipment is running at peak efficiency

and to learn about additional savings on: energy use water use

service costs drinking water cost salt delivery service brine reclaim

Minster, OHCotterman Roong received an

award from Duro-Last for leadingOhio in sales & quality of installationin 2009. Cottermans have installedover 8.5 million sq. ft. of Duro-Lastmembrane since we became an Elite

Master Contractor in 1998.Services: Re-Roof - New

Construction Sheet MetalFabrication

24/7 Emergency Repair Service GPS Roof Drawing Infrared Scanning Service

Energy Efcient Roong Systems Roof Inspections Preventative Maintenance

Programs Roof Snow Removal Green Roong Systems

Cotterman Roong would like the

opportunity to bid on your next roof-ing project or roof repairs, pleasegive me a call to set up your freeroof evaluation along with a full roofreport. 1-800-713-3190

419.628.3713 Corporate Ofce937.433.8268 Dayton Ofce614.307.2383 Columbus Ofce419.234.1340 Cellwww.CottermanRoong.co m

[email protected] Our Customers Since

1978

Sales Service Leasing

880000--335544--77994466

I-75 & SR 65, Lima

www.ssvolvo.com

Warehousing Services

ContractorPublicWarehousing PickandPackOperations OrderFulfillment ProductRecallCapable SchedulingandReplenishment InventoryControl andManagement AIBSuperiorRatedFacilities

Value Added Services

ReverseLogistics ProductRepair andRepackaging

ProductInspection andTesting LightAssembly andManufacturing Labelingand SecurityTagging ReturnGoodsManagement BarCoding/RFIDApplication

Sidney Warehousing Inc.1250 N. Vandemark Rd.

Sidney, OH 45365Phone: 937.498.1164 Fax: 937.498.4746

www.sidneywarehousing.com

A Full Service Distribution CenterWith over 2.5 million square feet of floor space under management, SidneyWarehousing can work with you to meet your specific warehousing need.

Cotterman (Continued from page 1)


5/16March2010TheBusinessJournal 5

Commercial Real Estate

1042 S. Washington St., Van Wert

Listing #: 175Listing Agent: Bob Gamble

Phone #: 419-605-8300Lock Box: NoSquare Feet South Building = 8,576

North Building = 5,400East Building = 3,750

Legal Description: VW Corp. SD 325-1, 324-1, 324-2, 324-3Lot Size: 4.68 acreHeating: North & South Buildings - Heated

East Building - UnheatedAir Conditioning: Central Air in Office area of South BuildingTaxes per Year: $6,932Assessments: $74/year

Description: The south building has beenused for a showroom and offices as well aswarehousing of parts. The north buildingwas utilized to service and maintain farmequipment. The east building is for ware-housing and storage. The outstanding loca-tion on US Rt. 127 and diversity of poten-tial uses make this a unique offering with agreat investment opportunity.

INFORMATION HEREIN BELIEVED TO BE ACCURATE BUT NOT WARRANTED.

ANY APPLIANCES THAT STAY ARE NOT GUARANTEED.

Bob Gamble, RealtorBee Gee Realty

& Auction Co., Ltd.122 N. Washington St., Van

Wert, Ohio 45891Business: 419-238-5555

Fax: 419-238-4912Mobile: 419-605-8300

www.BeeGeeRealty.com

$450,000

Location is the key to success in businessLocation, location, location is the key to success

or failure for many businesses. Where you locate

your company depends on its industry (serviceor manufacturing), number of employees, rate ofgrowth and target market, among other variables.

Here are some tips to help insure your move willbe successful.

1. Put yourself in your customers shoesIf you have a retail business, you need premises

where customers will walk past. Test your potentialchoice by standing outside the premises on days thatare likely to be busy for the business and on dayslikely to be quiet. If your business deals with special-ized goods, you will not need to be so close to yourcustomer base. Consider if competitors are based inthe same area too many will mean you may strug-

gle for business, and too few may mean there isntenough demand for your business in that area.2. Dont rely on measurements from estate agents

or landlordsMeasure the property/premises yourself. If the

area is less than you have been told, this could meanyou can pay a lower rent. Dont forget to factor inrunning costs into the total price, as well as anyalterations or improvements that may be necessary.

3. Be flexibleIf you are renting office space, consider the

number of employees you have, and whether youplan to take on any more in the near future. Then

work out what space each person will need anopen plan office will give you more flexibility in the

long-term.4. Justify every inch of spaceSpace costs money, so make sure you plan and

can account for what you are using. If you are payingfor unused space, consider renting it out, or sharingto meet the costs. If your premises require you to payfor a service charge, ask for a detailed breakdown,to ensure you are not paying a charge on parts of thebuilding that are not in use.

5. Visit the property several timesIts a good idea to look at the premises a number

of times on different days and different times of theday. This will give you a more informed view of dec-oration, heating, lighting, noise insulation and other

businesses that may operate in the same building.6. Negotiate lower rentIts always worthwhile trying to negotiate a

lower rent, especially if you are planning on tak-ing out an extended lease. If there is a lot of vacantproperty around in your chosen location, try askingfor a rent-free period of three, six or twelve months.Similarly, if the premises you have chosen needrepairs, ask for a rent-free period or discount untilthese are carried out.

7. Make good use of technology - try hot-deskingThis is where employees set up office at an

available desk. When theyve finished working, they

move on and leave the desk available for someoneelse. This offers you flexibility and enables you to

factor in one desk for use by several employees atdifferent times, or by employees who work mostlyfrom home, but who may need to pop into the officefrom time to time.

8. You dont have to have dedicated premisesWith advances in communication, its now pos-

sible to run a business without having dedicatedpremises. A virtual business removes two majoroverhead expenses: rent and employees, and it canbe a cost-effective way of testing the water beforeestablishing your business any further.

9. Serviced offices check the pricing structurecarefully

Go through everything with a fine tooth comb and

make clear exactly what services you want to use andfor how long. Ensure you find out what the notice

period is. Check out the contract thoroughly, to ensurethere are no hidden extras. Dont be afraid to ask fora weeks free trial if they want your business, theyshould be willing to let you try out theirs first.

10. Working from home? Project a professionalimage

First impressions count, so think about how youwill answer the phone use your company name, oryour name in full. If you expect to receive a largenumber of calls as part of your business, it is worthinvesting in a separate line and number dedicated toyour business calls. If you need to set up appoint-ments or meeting with customers, you can hire outready-to-use meeting rooms.


6/166 TheBusinessJournal March2010

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS

FANTASTIC

DISTRIBUTI

ONFACIL

ITY

26,250sq.ft.

106,000sq

.ft.divisib

le

DeGraff, OH 40,000 SF Bluffton, OH75,000 SF

Jackson Center, OH32,562 SF

West Street, Lima, OH9,800 SF

Buckeye Road, Lima, OH277,306 SF

Fourth Street, Lima, OH106,000 SF (divisible) & 26,250 SF

Lima, OH10,000 - 258,000 SF

Van Wert, OH122,200 SF

Montford Ave., Ada, OH50,000 SF

Cridersville, OH63,742 SF (divisible)

U.S.33

21,600 sq. ft.

58,200sq

.ft.

Bellefontaine, OH58,200 SF & 21,600 SF

Celina, OH10,000 - 35,761 SF

All information furnished is from sources believed to be reliable, and is subject to error, omissions, change ofterms and conditions prior to sale, lease, or financing, or withdrawal.

(937) 492.4423www.industrialproperty.biz

Bellefontaine, OH 115 acres (divisible)

Bellefontaine, OH 21.92 acres (divisible)

Cridersville, OH 10 acres

Deance, OH 4 lots (fully developed)

Napoleon, OH 1 - 32 acres

LAND LISTINGS

Northwest 11th St., Richmond, IN100,000 SF

Recently Sold/Leased 120,000 SF - Sabina 68,000 SF - Minster 55,000 ST - Washington CH 26,000 SF - Greenville 20,400 SF - Deance 27,000 SF - Bellfontaine 8,000 SF - Lima 5,040 SF - Piqua 3,200 SF - Lima

Under Contract 30,130 SF - Faireld 5,355 SF - Sidney

RESULTS!

Tim Echemann, SIOR, [email protected]

Steve [email protected]


7/16

March2010TheBusinessJournal 7

Money/Investment

Member FDIC

Your business financial

needs are our concern.

We want to be your bank.

www.e-fnb.com

PANDORA 102 E. Main St. 419.384.3221

BLUFFTON 112 Cherry St. 419.358.5500

FINDLAY 1630 Tiffin Ave. 419.429.6000

Follow us today at www.twitter.com/e_fnb

By Edward JonesMatthew North, Financial AdvisorIf you already have a Roth IRA, youre

aware of its biggest benefit: Your earningsgrow tax free, provided you meet certainconditions. If you dont have a Roth IRA,you may want to consider one and it maybe easier for you to do just that in 2010.

Before we get to the reasons why 2010may be your year to open or convert to aRoth IRA, lets look at some differences be-tween Roth and traditional IRAs. If you owna traditional IRA, your contributions may betax-deductible, depending on your incomelevel. But whether you can make deductiblecontributions or not, your earnings grow ona tax-deferred basis, which means your mon-ey can grow faster than it would if it wereplaced in an investment on which you paidtaxes every year. On the other hand, RothIRA contributions are never tax-deductible,but your earnings grow tax free, as long asyouve held your account at least five yearsand you dont start taking withdrawals untilyoure at least age 59.

Furthermore, unlike a traditional IRA, aRoth IRA does not require you to start tak-ing distributions when you reach 70. Con-sequently, youll have more flexibility andfreedom when it comes to making with-drawals.

If you have a traditional IRA, you mightbe thinking its a good idea to convert to aRoth IRA because tax free sounds better thantax deferred and, all things being equal,tax free would indeed be better. However,its not quite that simple. If you convert your

traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, youll have topay taxes on those traditional IRA earningsand contributions that had previously goneuntaxed. If you do convert, youll be betteroff if you use money held outside your IRAto pay the taxes. If you simply take moneyfrom your IRA, youll obviously lower thevalue of your IRA and, if youre under59, you may have to pay an additional 10%penalty on the amount you withdraw to paythe taxes.

In the past, many investors have beenprohibited from converting their IRAs dueto either their tax filing status or their in-come. Under previous rules, you could con-vert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA onlyif you were married and filed a joint returnor were a single filer, and your modified ad-justed gross income (MAGI) was $100,000or less. But starting in 2010, you can con-

vert funds to a Roth IRA even if your MAGIis over $100,000. You will also be able toconvert to a Roth if you are married and fileseparate tax returns.

And thats not the only piece of goodnews regarding your conversion ability. Asmentioned above, you will have to pay taxeswhen you convert to a Roth IRA. A conver-sion is usually reported as income for thetax year the conversion takes place. How-ever, in 2010 only, your conversion amountwill be split and reported as income for taxyears 2011 and 2012 unless you elect to re-port the entire conversion amount on your2010 taxes. You may find that spreading thetaxes over two years can make the conver-sion more affordable.

In any case, consult with your tax advisorbefore converting from a traditional IRA toa Roth. If done correctly, such a conversioncan potentially make a big difference in yourultimate retirement lifestyle.

New year means new opportunitiesfor Roth IRA conversion


8/16


RETIRING?

Dont let t

your retireBy rolling it over into anIRA, you may delay payingtaxes on your distribution.

Call or stop by today fordetails.

Mark W. Allman107 South Main St.

P.O. Box 208

Bluffton, OH 45817

(419) 358-2622

888-358-2622

Debora M.2444 Cable Co

Suite A

Lima, OH 4580

419-222-4517

866-227-4517

Lindsey N. McGinnis3077 West Elm St.Suite A

L:ima, OH 45805

419-222-5271

888-222-5271

Chad F. Metzger1103 Gardenia Dr.Suite 1

Wapakoneta, OH 45895

419-738-4849

866-738-4849

Jeff Dieringer201 West High St.

St. Marys, OH 45885

419-394-9865

866-394-9865

Frank Dietz140 East Lake St.

P.O. Box 283

Lakeview, OH 43331

937-843-4729

866-843-4729

Randy J. Elsass136 West Spring St.

St. Marys, OH 45885

419-394-2381

800-582-2123

Danielle Gilroy2631 North Broadway Ave.

Sidney, OH 45365

937-498-1101

800-755-4942

Scott R. Hershberger1800 North Perry St. Suite 101

Ottawa, OH 45875

419-523-3675

800-353-3675

Heather R. Allmam1018 Ralston Ave.

Suite 104

Defiance, OH 43512

(419) 782-2119

Dustin R. Brooks206 N. Main St.

Ada, OH 45810

(419) 634-9104

Linda Bee1257 Shawnee

Lima, OH 4580

(419) 224-3587

866-224-0356

Mike Burkholder814 N. Locust St. Ste. 1

Ottawa, OH 45875

419-523-5185

877-523-5187

Ross M. McCain404 Hamilton Rd. Suite 3Wapakoneta, OH 45895

419-738-9658

800-995-0247

Ron Michel107 South Main St.Bluffton, OH 45817

419-358-2622

888-358-2622

Andy North1122 Elida Ave.Delphos, OH 45833

419-695-0660

800-335-7799

John Yoder106 South Second St.Coldwater, OH 45828

419-678-3252

866-678-3252

Christopher P. Mohler409 Myers RoadCelina, OH 45822

419-586-9911

888-590-9960


9/16


xes take a bite out of

ment plan distribution

Gary M. Compton1910 West Robb Ave.

Suite 18

Lima, OH 45805

419-222-7194

877-222-7194

Leert

David M. Lotz2304 Harding Highway

Lima, OH 45804

419-222-6886

800-998-3176

Jaye E. McCain3077 West Elm St.

Suite A

L:ima, OH 45805

419-222-5271

888-222-5271

Michael J. Martin2447 South Main St.

Findlay, OH 45840

419-427-1934

866-427-1934

Dick Denning217 East Market St.

Celina, OH 45822

419-586-1687

800-551-0713

cherRoad

5

Ryan J. Lindemann707 Fox Road Suite 300

Van Wert, OH 45891

(419) 238-5581

800-755-4763

www.edwardjones.com

Member SIPC Your Business & Financial Services Headquarters

The Ottoville Bank Co.

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Loans Checking

Savings CDs IRAs more

As an investor, you might wonder what the new year has in store for you. Whileeconomic and market forces are, as always, somewhat unpredictable, the overall outlookis generally favorable and by making the right moves, you can further improve yourchances of making 2010 a good year for your portfolio.

And one of the best moves you can make is to stay invested. If you had jumped outof the market during the long downturn from late 2007 through March 2009, you wouldhave missed quite a rally. In fact, the Dow Jones Industrial Average staged a consider-able comeback from its March lows, climbing 61.1 percent in 2009. The S&P 500 rose66.7 percent off of its low.

Still, its unlikely that well experience returns in this neighborhood for 2010. Al-though we may see reasonably strong growth in corporate earnings a key driver ofstock prices stocks are no longer as undervalued as they were when the rally began.

However, although we still face some significant issues, such as high unemploymentand tight credit, most experts predict that the economic recovery will continue in 2010,though not at a sizzling pace. And a growing economy is usually good news for inves-tors.

Of course, despite the potentially favorable investment environment, theres alwaysthe possibility of bumps in the road. To protect yourself, consider taking these steps:

Stick with buy and hold. Despite some claims that buy-and-hold is no longer aviable investment strategy given todays volatile markets, it worked pretty well for thoseinvestors who were patient enough to ride out the bear market. Continue looking forquality investments and holding them until they no longer meet your needs or until thefundamentals of the investments themselves change.

Own some short-term investments. During the long bear market, short-term in-vestments, particularly cash, held up better than most other assets. Yet many investorshad too little cash in their portfolios. Dont make that mistake. Keep an appropriateamount of cash for your age, income level, risk tolerance and long-term goals.

Consider adding fixed-income investments. By owning some fixed-income ve-

hicles, such as bonds, you can help reduce the effects of volatility on your portfolio. Andif you hold your bonds until maturity, which is often a wise move, you can rely on themfor a source of steady income. As always, make sure you understand the risks beforeinvesting.

Watch for changes in investment taxes. In the coming year, the tax rate may in-crease for long-term capital gains and stock dividends. If that happens, you may needto review your investment mix. However, even if the long-term capital gains rate rises,youll still likely be better off holding quality investments for many years, thereby giv-ing them the time to potentially overcome short-term price volatility. And even if taxesrise on dividends, dividend-paying stocks, with their ability to provide both income andgrowth potential, can be a valuable part of your portfolio. (Keep in mind, though, thatcompanies may reduce or eliminate dividends at any time.)

No one can say for sure what 2010 will bring to the investment world. But by pre -paring your investment strategy for a range of possibilities, and by making changes asneeded, you can make this a year of progress toward your important financial goals.

Smart InvestmentMoves for 2010


10/16


Metzger Financial Services

Lynn R. Metzger Matthew L. MetzgerMartin R. Hopkins

Financial Strategies

Personal Business

1333 North Cable Road Suite A-1 Lima, Ohio 45805419-225-6067 Fax:419-225-6105www.metzgerfinancialservices.com

Guarding your wealth for seniors

Dont scramble your eggs

when investingBy Jeffrey D. Voudrie, CFP

Financial advisors have been preachingthe use of portfolio diversification to reducerisk for years. Unfortunately, the way most

do it leaves your portfolio vulnerable! Readon to find out how to properly diversify yourportfolio.

Weve all heard that its not wise to put allof your eggs in one basket. For safety, we aretold that it is better to divide our eggs amongseveral baskets because if one gets dropped itisnt going to break all our eggs. Wall Streetrefers to this as diversification.

Many people think that if they own morethan one investment that they are diversified.Others think that diversifying means that theyshould not keep all of their money with oneinstitution or the same advisor. This isntdiversification.

The egg analogy doesnt accurately reflectthe underlying reasons for diversification.There are many different risks we face. Thereis market risk, interest rate risk, credit risk andinflation risk, just to name a few. The purposeof diversification is to help you reduce yourexposure to all of these risks, not just one ortwo of them.

Theres no such thing as the Perfect

Investment. EVERY investment has risks andrewards. Combining investments with differ-ent risks and rewards can result in the rewardof one offsetting the risk of another.

Heres a simplified example. Many retireesrecognize that there is greater risk of losingtheir principle when investing in the stockmarket then there is in a Certificate of Deposit(CD). As a result, many choose to avoid thestock market all together.

Neither CDs nor a stock market invest-ment are perfect. The reward of CDs is their

stability. But they arent designed to protectyou from inflation risk. A stock market-basedinvestment is designed to protect you frominflation risk but it lacks the stability of theCD.

Thats where diversification helps.Spreading your money among both CDs andstock market-based investments is a way toreduce the risks associated with each. Doingso reduces the overall risk of your portfolioand increases the probability that you willachieve your goals.

Spreading your portfolio between CDs and

stocks wont adequately protect you from allthe risks you face. Portfolios should be divid-ed among cash, bonds, real-estate and equities,further sub-divided into different classes andthen the classes into different investments.Many advisors do this but thats where they

Is Your Retirement Plan

On Track?Slumping markets may have derailed your portfolio - but there are measures you

can take to stay on course. Our dedicated professionals can help you develop a

personally tailored plan designed to reach your long-term retirement goals.

Please contact us today for a complimentary consultation.

Member FINRA / SIPC

Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, an independent broker/dealer, and are not insured by FDIC, NCUA or any other

financial institution insurance, or government agency; are not deposits or obligations of the financial institution; are not guaranteed the financial institution; and are subject to risks,

including the possible loss of principal.

Virginia

SteinkeFinancial Advisor,

RJFS

Fulton, Henry, Lucasand Wood Counties

Investment ServicesDivision of Farmers & Merchants State Bank

Independent of RJFS

Beth A.

LienauFinancial Advisor,

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Defiance and WilliamsCounties

800.451.7843

See INVESTING, page 11


11/16


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stopand fail.Most advisors fail to properly diversify a

portfolio by strategy. If your entire portfoliois based on the same strategy then yourentire portfolio is exposed to the risks asso-ciated with that strategy.

Probably 98 out of 100 advisors will tellyou that the Buy and Hold strategy is theonly successful way to invest in the stockmarket. Doing so puts YOU at risk. Thatswhy so many investors suffered losses of30-50% or more between 2000 and 2002.

The problem wasnt the type of investment,the problem was the advisor failed to diver-sify your portfolio by strategy.

There are many different strategies avail-able. Im not sold out to any single strategy.Just like investments, each strategy has

strengths and weaknesses. Thats why Idiversify clients between different typesof investments AND different underlyingstrategies.

Ill use a Buy and Hold strategy, but Iwill offset its risks with a proprietary strat-

egy designed to significantly reduce stockmarket losses. I use traditional investmentsbut I also find other ways to meet my cli-ents needs. I develop different strategiesto meet different needsdiversifying alongthe way.

For instance, one of my high-incomestrategies uses a type of investment unfa-miliar to most advisors (because they cantearn a commission on them). To reduce risk,its diversified among 20 individual invest-ments. Three of them lost money in 2005

one lost 29%! The other 17 more thn madeup for that, though, with 7 having gains over40% each. As good as this strategy is, Illonly use it for a portion of a portfolio.

Diversification can be used to reducethe specific risks your portfolio faces. Use

different categories, classes and individualinvestments. And make sure that you usemore than one strategy. Doing so will helpyou protect what you have and make itgrow.

Investing (Continued from page 10)

According to research, those businesses seeking theadvantages of being perceived as having greater resources, beinga leader and being more experienced should utilize the strategyof larger, more colorful, more frequent advertising.


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Occupational Health

How things change!When I started work in the mid

1960s very few poeople were awareof occupational health. Obviously, the

workplace environment had advancedsomewhat since the days of Bounderbyin Dickenss Hard Times, but thenetwork of rules that were designed tosafeguard people in their employmentwas, by the standards of today, under-developed.

If we look at the current situationwe see that there has evolved a consid-erable range of regulations governingthe workplace, and a massive growthin occupational health services. Thepurpose of this article is to give you abrief overview of the many topics thatcome under the general heading of oc-cupational health.

There are a number of reasons forthe development of the workplace regu-lation, but fundamentally, it seems thatthere has been a general acceptance thatpeople should be able to go about theiroccupations without fear of sustain-ing or illness through their workplaceconditions. At the same time there isan acknowledgement that the safer theenvironment in which people work,the more efficient they will be, and themore they will contribute to the profitsof the enterprise. After all, if a person isinjured at work the incident itself willcause disruption to the other membersof the workforce, and the person in-

jured is likely to be unable to work fora period. Such disruption and absenceinevitably reduces the efficiency of theorganisation, causing consequent re-duction in profitability.

The legal framework that lays downthe system of occupational health regu-lation that we now enjoy was developedin response to the points mentionedabove, much of the legislation arriving

on the UK statute book through the Eu-ropean Union.

The areas covered by occupationalhealth regulations encompass every as-pect of the working environment. Forinstance, the Health and Safety legisla-tion, which is overseen by the Health &Safety Executive, is designed to protectpeople from damage to their health orsafety as a result of their working ac-tivities, whilst the fire regulations existto protect people from the fire hazardsthat may be present in their workplace.

Then there are the risk assessments,which are required to be carried out pe-riodically by employers to ascertain anydangers in the workplace and assesswhether they have taken adequate mea-sures to avoid injuries being sustained.

The aspects of occupational healththat I have mentioned above are just afew elements of a multi-faceted subject,and the necessary compliance with oc-cupational health legislation places abig responsibility on the business com-munity.

Never fear, however!There are a large number of diverse

occupational health services availableto help you, for example in the formof consultancies, trainers or providersof Occupational health services. Theeasiest way to access these resourcesis through an an online OccupationalHealth Services Directory The OHSDirectory is the first comprehensivelyavailable source of information that iseasily accessible to employers, humanresources and occupational healthcareprofessionals who work in the field ofemployee health. It provides a gate-way to these and many more services,and thus provides a valuable facility forthe business community.

Occupational Health - what is it?

The West CentralOhio Regional HealthcareAlliance (WCORHA) offers

Occupational Health servicesat multiple clinic locationsoperated by St. Ritas MedicalCenter, Joint TownshipDistrict Memorial Hospital,Mercer Health CommunityHospital and Van WertCounty Hospital. In additionto our clinical OccupationalHealth services, we also offera variety of Safety programs,including mock OSHAinspections, OSHA 10 and 30hour classes, and OSHA 300

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business journal march 2010

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