Chamber speaker urges business leaders to get involved in solving community problems
SOUTH BEND ― The president of Bloomington-based Cook Group and Cook Medical urged a room full of business people to get more involved in solving problems in their communities.
Pete Yonkman was the keynote speaker Thursday at the annual Salute to Business program presented by the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce at Century Center. Rather than sitting on the sidelines, businesses have the resources and the knowhow to help solve problems that are facing every community, he said.
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Rather than just complaining about not being able to find employees, Cook has helped about 300 employees gain their high school diplomas by working with the Goodwill Excel Center. Paid as full-time employees, the workers split their day between duties at Cook and duties in the classroom.
The family-owned company, which employs about 7,000 Hoosiers, also has worked to solve housing-shortage issues by connecting with economic development officials, the USDA as well as local banks and developers to build 90 new homes in Spencer.
“We can’t solve the problems alone, we can’t do it by ourselves,” Yonkman said. “But we do have the ability to get the right stakeholders around the table. When we call, people tend to show up.”
In addition, businesses have the ability to amplify issues of importance and bring skills and resources needed to help solve those problems by working with government agencies and non-profit organizations.
“If business isn’t at the table, one of the legs of the stool is missing,” Yonkman said. “It’s incredibly important that business be involved as being part of that solution.”
In Indianapolis, Cook partnered with Goodwill by building a contract manufacturing facility in one of the poorest neighborhoods at 38th Street and Sheridan Avenue in Indianapolis that aims to bring employment to the community while also partnering to solve other problems, such as the lack of a grocery store, among other things.
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The 15,000-square-foot grocery store, which should be ready to open this summer, will be owned by the community, he said, adding that they’re also looking into helping solve issues such as drugs, housing and education.
Momentum is moving in a positive direction with Eskenazi Health planning to open a $50 million primary health facility to serve the area.
“People are beginning to feel an energy and positivity that they didn’t feel before,” Yonkman said, adding that the ultimate goal is to restore the vibrancy with jobs and amenities so that people want to move back into the area.
“If you recognize the power that we have to make significant change, even if it’s just one neighborhood one person at a time, we can do it,” he said to a packed house of nearly 1,000. “But we have to choose to do it.”
Awards for businesses and individuals
As part of the program, the Chamber also presented its annual awards for businesses and individuals who have made significant contributions to help boost the community through investment, job creation and service.
EVS, an employee-owned company that produces emergency vehicle seating, received the Chamber’s small business award. Founded in 1993, the company has quadrupled in size over the past six years and announced plans last year to build a new 50,000-square-foot facility in South Bend, adding 11 employees. The business produces seats for emergency vehicles.
Erik Johnson, who founded J2 Marketing in 2009, was presented the outstanding young business leader award. Besides starting the marketing firm, Johnson is owner of the Garage Arcade Bar in the East Bank neighborhood and is involved in a variety of organizations, such as the Potawatomi Zoo.
Four Winds Casino won the economic impact award for the 23-story hotel, spa and conference center it built next to its casino in South Bend. The new hotel and conference center is expected to create 350 to 400 new jobs and attract thousands of visitors to the area.
Anne Feferman, vice president of commercial and business deposit services for Teachers Credit Union, won the top award for women business leaders because of her business achievements, her service in the community and helping other women realize their leadership potential. Among other things, she’s president of Leadership South Bend Mishawaka, serves on the governance committee of the South Bend Community Schools Public Education Foundation and is a board member of United Way of St. Joseph County.
And Dick Nussbaum, a partner in the South Bend law firm Sopko, Nussbaum, Inabnit & Kaczmarek, won the distinguished business leader for his contributions to the area business environment and personal involvement and commitment to the community. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Nussbaum was general counsel for the late Joe Kernan when he served as lieutenant governor and governor and spent more than a decade serving South Bend, among other things.
Email Tribune staff writer Ed Semmler at esemmler@sbtinfo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend business leaders urged to help tackle community problems
