Sitel Group is planning to locate an office in Fishers, bringing up to 350 jobs to our city by the end of next year. Sitel is a tech company focused on customer experience.
The Miami-based firm plans to locate near 121st Street and Cumberland Road, investing more than $4 million to lease and equip a 42,000-square-foot facility. Sitel is describing the Fishers location as its new Midwest hub. the company plans to be fully operational in the new Midwest location later this fall.
“Sitel choosing Indiana to establish a Midwest hub is a reflection on our state’s strong economic climate, thriving business community and talented workforce pipeline,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger, in an agency news release. “This company operates all over the world and had a number of options for growth even here in the Midwest. We’re extremely grateful to welcome them to Indiana, where hundreds of Hoosiers will benefit from the quality career opportunities this expansion will create.”
Sitel describes itself as a global firm, employing 75,000 people across 27 countries and is hiring and training for claims adjusters in Fishers. Interested applicants may apply online. Information on upcoming career fairs will also be posted online.
“Fishers is a great city, and the caliber of talent within the community is what excites us the most about opening our newest flagship customer experience center here,” said Mike Small, CEO – Americas, Sitel Group. “When I took on the role of CEO – Americas, I knew we needed to revamp our contact center strategy to ensure we were servicing our clients in the best possible way. This meant identifying key markets that not only complements our business plan but communities in which we can plant roots and create a positive economic impact. For one of the largest financial services and insurance companies with whom we work, central Indiana is the prime location.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Sitel up to $2.25 million in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Fishers will consider additional incentives.
“Sitel’s global presence and commitment to community will be a welcome addition to Fishers business community,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Our shared core values in entrepreneurship and innovation make today’s announcement more than establishing their Midwest flagship operations, but also a new partnership in our efforts to make Fishers a smart, vibrant and entrepreneurial city.”
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Crash Team is investigating a single-vehicle crash that left one person dead.
Deputies were sent to the area of Southeastern Parkway and Connecticut Avenue in the far southeastern part of the county shortly before 9:20 p.m. on Sunday on the report of a motorcycle crash just south of the intersection.
According to an initial crash report, deputies believe Charles H. Theobald IV, 45, Fortville, was southbound on Southeastern Parkway on a 2010 Harley-Davidson XL 1200 and failed to follow a curve in the road. The motorcycle left the pavement down an embankment where it struck a tree, causing Theobald to be ejected from the bike. Medics applied first aid treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Toxicology test results are pending. Theobald was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. There were no witnesses to the incident. Anyone with information pertaining to the crash should contact the Crash Team at (317) 773-1872.
The Hamilton County Commissioners unanimously approved several amendments to the county’s animal ordinance at its Monday meeting.
The amendments include new temperature guidelines to protect animals from extreme weather conditions. They also more clearly define “adequate” food, water, shelter, space, ventilation and veterinary care as it pertains to domesticated pets. New definitions and penalties have also been added for backyard breeders, puppy mills, and animal abuse and neglect.
Heirbrandt
“For me this was a pretty easy ‘yes,’” said Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt. “Our chambers were packed with more than 100 people this afternoon, nearly all of them in favor of the amendments. The overwhelming support of our citizens tells me these changes were long overdue.”
Hamilton County last updated its animal ordinance in 2006. Last winter some voiced concerned about the safety and well-being of animals left outside during a bitter cold snap. The commissioners assembled a committee from the Humane Society for Hamilton County and Hamilton County Animal Control Office to reevaluate the ordinance, introduce new guidelines, and more clearly define ambiguous language.
“We believe this is a precedent-setting ordinance,” said Rebecca Stevens, president and CEO of the Humane Society for Hamilton County. “We’ve done our due diligence to develop an ordinance we feel could serve as a best practice for other communities. In fact, we’d like to see this same ordinance adopted by all the cities and towns in Hamilton County.”
The ordinance will be enforceable in unincorporated areas of the county when it goes into effect Nov. 15, 2019. The ordinance, along with an FAQ section, can be found at hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
The spirit of Krissi Davis could be felt in The Mill Tuesday night.
he Noblesville volleyball team paid tribute to the woman who brought the Millers to new athletic heights during the 1980’s, and doing so while being an exceptional teammate, person and representative of Noblesville. Davis passed away on Saturday, but anyone attending the volleyball match knew she was in the building.
The volleyball players and coaches wore gray t-shirts that said on the back “KMD” and the number “42,” the number Davis wore when she played basketball for Noblesville. The players also wore tributes on their shoes and hair ribbons.
The tribute was deeply personal to Millers coach Jill Almodovar, who was teammates with Davis on both the volleyball and basketball teams during the 1986-87 school year. Almodovar, then Jill Lyon, was a freshman and Davis was a senior.
“It’s every young kids’ dream to be on a team and look up to somebody like Krissi,” Almodovar told the Reporter Tuesday morning. “Krissi was the poster child of Noblesville.”
Davis and her Miller basketball teammates became the queens of Noblesville in 1987, as they completed an undefeated season. The Millers went 27-0 and finished things up on Feb. 28, 1987 with a state championship, beating Anderson Highland 47-38 in the final game. Davis scored 12 points and pulled four rebounds.
Noblesville athletic director Leah Wooldridge played for the Highland team, and remembers the battles with the Millers not only in the state championship game, but in the regular season, as both teams were members of the Olympic Conference then. The two of them also played together in AAU basketball.
“Krissi was one of the most fierce competitors I ever played with and against,” said Wooldridge. “She was hard nosed and had an impeccable work ethic. Off the floor she was one of the nicest human beings I have ever met. She was a jokester and enjoyed life to the fullest. It was my honor and privilege to know, play against, and with Krissi. She will go down as one of the best to ever play the game; we lost a great one.”
Davis finished her career as a Miller with 1,269 points, placing her fifth on the all-time scoring list. She was also Noblesville’s first girl Indiana All-Star, and went on to be inducted in both the Noblesville High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. (Davis is actually in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame twice, as the 1987 state championship team is also an inductee.)
Before the state championship basketball game, Davis was part of another historic occasion for the Millers. She led Noblesville to its first-ever sectional championship in volleyball on Oct. 25, 1986. The Millers beat defending champion Carmel 15-10, 16-14, with Davis hitting 14 kills and making four blocks. She was a four-year letter winner in volleyball.
\
“She was smart, loyal to the program, did everything correctly,” said Almodovar. “She was exactly what you wanted to be. The bigger thing for me, personally, was that Krissi and me had a very large bond. She took me under her wing. Krissi was somebody that probably has taught me how to be a winner. How to be a good friend and how to love. She embodies those things and she taught me those things.”
Almodovar said that the bond between her and Davis “has never gone away.”
“Krissi’s that kind of friend that it doesn’t matter when you see her, everything’s the same when you see her,” said Almodovar. Time doesn’t matter. And every teammate that I’ve spoken to about this, we’re all brokenhearted. Every coach that’s coached her.”
Davis went on to play college basketball at Notre Dame, where she scored 1,194 career points (placing seventh on the all-time list) and was a four-year letter winner and two-year MVP. She also received the Byron V. Kanaley Award, the most prestigious honor that can be presented to an Irish senior athlete.
A Sunday tweet from the Notre Dame women’s basketball team featured a quote from Irish coach Muffet McGraw, who noted that Davis was part of her first class. McGraw became the Notre Dame coach in 1987, Davis’ freshman year.
“On the court, Krissi was a very competitive and intense player, but off the court, she was a lot of fun to be around,” said McGraw. “She had a great sense of humor and you could always count on her to diffuse a pressure situation with a witty or sarcastic comment. She was a good friend to everyone who knew her and she will be missed by the entire Notre Dame family.”
The Noblesville girls basketball Twitter account posted that the team was saddened by the loss of Davis. “She was one of the greatest athletes to ever put on a Miller uniform,” the tweet said. “As great as she was an athlete, she was an even better person.”
After graduating from Notre Dame, Davis returned home to Noblesville, where she was a 25-year employee and part owner of Davis-Haslam Inc. She also helped the next generation of Miller athletes.
“Krissi coached with me for two years,” said Almodovar. “The relationship that we had as players just bled right into what we were doing as coaches. Krissi’s a competitor, and Krissi’s a go-getter and Krissi embodied everything we want – I still do things that she would do. I still stop myself from doing things because of her.”
Almodovar said that when you’re in Krissi Davis’ tribe, “you’re in it forever.”
And that’s how long Krissi Davis will be remembered in Noblesville: Forever.
The Noblesville volleyball team paid tribute to Krissi Davis before its match Tuesday with special t-shirts, and also had tributes on their shoes and hair ribbons. (Kent Graham)
The winning chefs speak to the crowd. At the podium, Jung Gyu Kim, “Chef John,” and his brother Jung Min Kim, “Chef Kim” – right of them, Carlos Salazer…to the far right, Leisha Berg
When the Fishers Test Kitchen opens in November, there will be three chefs taking orders. The first three were announced at the Fishers IoT Lab Tuesday night.
Here’s a quick rundown on all three:
Chefs John & Kim
Jung Gyu Kim, “Chef John,” and his brother Jung Min Kim, “Chef Kim,” specialize in Korave Korean BBQ, but also plan to serve such dishes as barbecue beef poutine and barbecue chicken rice bowls.
Chef Leisha Berg
She brings a Southern California background and will pair Midwestern favorites with California flavors in items such as honey-Sriracha chicken wings or pulled pork sliders with a pineapple barbecue sauce.
Chef Carlos Salazar
A 2008 Chefs Academy graduate, he’s been a chef/partner at Rook, an Asian-inspired restaurant on Virginia Avenue in Indianapolis. Chef Carlos will be tapping into his Filipino heritage for his Lil Dumplings global street food restaurant, but don’t be surprised to see chili dogs on the menu as well.
A large crowd welcomed the first chefs to The Yard at Fishers District. The Test Kitchen will be located in a building shared with Sun King Brewery, located just north of the Hyatt Hotel.
IoT Lab founder John Wechsler (left) and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness talk before the chefs announcement
Jolene Ketzenberger stands at the door of the under-construction Fishers Test Kitchen
The Fishers Test Kitchen is very much a construction zone, but that doesn’t bother Jolene Ketzenberger. The well-known Indiana food journalist has been involved in the concept for a number of years, and watching it come to life brings a wide smile to her face.
When The Yard development was first announced as a largely culinary center, Mayor Scott Fadness said residents had been telling him for some time that Fishers lacked a restaurant culture. The mayor’s response was to create a large area centered on food – The Yard.
The Fishers Test Kitchen has been a center of The Yard concept from the very beginning of the Thompson-Thrift project. Chefs will be able to experiment with different concepts as they rotate in & out of three serving areas. The Test Kitchen will share dining space with the Sun King brewery space in the same building, near the Hyatt Hotel that is also under construction.
The chefs chosen for the Test Kichen will be offering a wide variety of food, based on my talk with Ms. Ketzenberger, as she gave me a tour of the facility.
I had the opportunity to have a short conversation (mini-podcast) with Jolene Ketzenberge when visiting the construction site Tuesday morning. You can find the link to that mini-podcast below the following pictures.
This is where the chefs will be serving up meals
This is the dining area, to be shared between the Test Kitchen and Sun King brewery
The City of Fishers has entered into a third supplemental agreement with the local Fishers firm RQAW for project management services connected to the State Road 37 reconstruction that broke ground Monday morning. This new agreement cannot exceed $2.048 million, the same figure contained in the second supplemental agreement between RQAW and the city. The agreement was approved by the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety Monday. For more details on this supplemental agreement, use this link.
The board also approved a road cut on Allisonville Road just south of 146th Street, allowing Vectren to bore a gas line main serving the Overlook subdivision. This will close one lane of traffic for 2 days 9am-3pm. Traffic will be routed to the right turn lane during construction.
Finally, the board said yes to an agreement with state transportation officials for $1.4 million in federal funding for a roundabout project planned for 106th Street and Hoosier Road. The feds will provide 90% of the funding, with the city chipping-in 10%. Construction is expected in December, 2022.
Social media lit up around Central Indiana beginning Saturday evening over a massive traffic jam around Conner Prairie. The final Symphony on the Prairie concert of the season was last Saturday, and the crowd was far above what anyone connected to the concert expected.
That led to massive traffic congestion between 116th Street and 146th Street on Allisonville Road, and roads leading into that area.
Fishers city spokesperson Ashley Elrod issued the following statement Monday afternoon:
“Saturday’s Symphony on the Prairie attendance was a record crowd that exceeded capacity of the venue. On duty Fishers Police personnel assisted Conner Prairie once traffic conditions deteriorated. The City of Fishers intends to work closely with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Conner Prairie to ensure changes to current processes and procedures to prevent this from occurring again.”
Even Conner Prairie CEO Norman Burns could not reach the concert Saturday night. Here is his Twitter message posted Sunday:
“Last nights concert at #ConnerPrairie exceeded everyone’s expectations in traffic and attendance. Like many, I was unable to make it into the concert and felt the same frustrations. We aim to work with the city of Fishers and the ISO to make the experience better for the future.”
Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Symphony wants to offer fans a peace offering after the traffic issues with Saturday night’s concert. The symphony is willing to help you get tickets to any show at the Hilbert Circle Theatre this year (excluding IPL Yuletide Celebration), a 2020 Kroger Symphony on the Prairie concert or come up with another solution that might fit your needs. For more details, contact the symphony box office at 317-639-4300 any weekday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Rich Block, Fishers City Council President, speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony
I hadn’t been writing my local Fishers news blog long when the three Hamilton County Commissioners entered a conference room to brief local officials about an idea to alleviate the crushing rush hour traffic tie-ups on State Road 37. The idea was to design the highway much like Keystone Avenue in Carmel….roundabouts for east-west thoroughfares and underpasses for the north-south highway.
Those in the room years ago agreed this needed to be done, but SR 37 is a state road, so state officials would need to be persuaded. It took years and Hamilton County Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt said he had made “thousands of phone calls” and attended “hundreds of meetings” before this project was finally funded and approved at the state level.
Monday morning, many prominent Hamilton County officials were on hand for the ground breaking ceremony at the southwest corner of State Road 37, on the grounds of Lockhart Cadillac. The only person key to the project not at the ceremony was Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, who was under the weather.
Fishers City Council President Rich Block filled-in for Mayor Fadness, praising the many governments coming together to make this project happen.
“While major road construction isn’t easy on any of us, the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience,” Block said prior to breaking ground. “At the end of this project, we’ll have a major thoroughfare that allows for safer pedestrian access, enhanced access to business and will alleviate the congestion we see here on nearly a daily basis.”
“We’ll get through this (construction period) and when it’s done, it’ll be a transformational project that will change the whole east side of Hamilton County,” said Heirbrandt.
Fishers City Engineer Jason Taylor tells LarryInFishers that motorists will only deal with lane restrictions in the area of 126th Street and SR 37 for the remainder of 2019. Sometime in 2020, east-west traffic will be blocked along 126th Street at SR 37. This part of the construction is scheduled to be complete in winter of 2020, with an east-west roundabout in an overpass at the highway and an underpass in place for north-south traffic.
Here is the remaining construction schedule, per the City of Fishers:
146th Street: begin Spring 2020, complete Winter 2021
131st and 135th Streets: begin Fall 2020, complete Fall/Winter 2021/22
141st Street: begin Spring 2021, complete Fall/Winter 2021/22
The City of Fishers, under an agreement with state officials, will manage the construction. Roundabouts are to be constructed for east-west traffic on 131st & 141st streets, and traffic signals will be installed on 146th Street overpass.
Part of the money funding this plan will go to a marketing plan named 37Thrives, assisting businesses along the construction area while the work is underway.
“We have been actively participating in the 37Thrives Business Stakeholder Group for the past 14 months, “ said Lindsay Walters, Vice President, Lockhart Cadillac. “With any large project like this, you face anxiety as a business owner. The direct connection to information and collaboration through 37Thrives helps us minimize that and pro-actively plan ahead.”
County Commissioners (L-R) Mark Heirbrandt, Steve Dilinger & Christine Altman talk about the project prior to breaking groundIt was a Who’s Who of Hamilton County officials breaking ground, with the exception of Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, who was under the weather
After being out of town most of Labor Day week, it is very good to be back home in Fishers. While I was away, the biggest story by far centered on ILEARN test scores released by the Indiana Department of Education. As I reported September 5th, HSE Schools rated highly compared to most schools around the state, but did see a drop in the scores compared to last year’s ISTEP testing. I had been led to believe HSE Administrators would have some comment on these local scores when publicly released, but apparently there was a change and no comments have been provided. Perhaps that will happen at this Wednesday’s HSE School Board meeting.
Speaking of the next school board meeting, Superintendent Allen Bourff is scheduled to provide the board an update on possible plans to build a larger Durbin Elementary at another location in that area. Let’s see what the latest developments hold on the future of Durbin.
Monday morning this week a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to kickoff reconstruction of the State Road 37 corridor. The project will begin at 126th Street and SR 37, which is where the groundbreaking is set to happen. LarryInFishers plans to be there.
Tuesday evening, the Fishers Test Kitchen will announce the first chefs to be chosen for the Yard development, allowing new chefs the chance to experiment in culinary experiments, without opening their own restaurants. The Yard will begin opening restaurants and other shops toward the end of this year.
There are other items this week that could create some Fishers news. In the meantime, thanks for reading LarryInFishers.com!
