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TRENDSOF 2014

www.businessjrnl .com

Business JournalOF WEST CENTRAL OHIO

THE

February 2014

The Regions Business Publication

INSIDE

50 manufacturing positionscoming to Greenville 2

Tips for social advertising 3Are your meetings a waste of time? 6

Tech Trends 7Much More!

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2 The Business Journal February 2014

News From Around the Region

Noble, Montague and Moul welcomes BlackburnThe law firm of Noble, Montague and

Moul, LLC of St. Marys is pleased to an-nounce Alyssa Blackburn has joined the firmas an associate.

Blackburn, a 2005 graduate of MemorialHigh School, earned her bachelor of arts andscience degree from Bowling Green State

University, where she majored in interper-sonal communication with a specializationin promotions and advertising and is a 2013graduate of the University of Toledo Schoolof Law.

While attending the University of Toledo,Blackburn was an active member of the Stu-dent Bar Association, Pro BonoCommittee chair, law fraternityPhi Alpha Delta treasurer andreceived numerous awards forpublic service. She has passedthe Ohio Bar examination, hasbeen admitted to practice in thestate of Ohio and is a member ofthe Ohio State Bar Association.

Blackburn will be engagedin the general practice of lawwith Noble, Montague andMoul, which was founded inSt. Marys in 1946 by EdwardS. Noble. Other members of

the firm are Kraig E.Noble and Jeffrey P.Squire. Eldon E. Mon-tague and John F. Moulare of counsel to thefirm. Edward S. Nobleis retired.

The firm concen-trates its practice inestate planning, realestate, probate law,domestic relations andsmall business plan-ning. Blackburn

Over 50 jobs are expected to be created when Precision Fab Inc. (PFI) begins opera-tions.

50 manufacturing positions coming to Greenville Andrew Farley joinsOld Fort Bank

Mark B. Malone, Ex-ecutive Vice Presidentand Chief Lending Offi-cer of The Old Fort Bank-ing Company, is pleasedto announce that AndyFarley has joined OldFort Bank as Vice Presi-dent and Senior Com-mercial Banker. Andysexpertise in commercialbanking, along with hisdedication to and knowl-edge of the Western Ohio business communityfor over 25 years, will provide additional depthto our current team of bankers. We are pleased

to welcome Andy to our staff and look forwardto his contribution in growing our market pres-ence, stated Malone.

In his new role, Andys responsibilitieswill include the development of new com-mercial banking relationships in the WesternOhio and Lima markets, as well as promot-ing the Banks presence in economic, civic,cultural and charitable activities in the com-munity. Farley stated, I am excited to bringthe premier banking services of the Old FortBank to the Western Ohio business commu-nity and proud to be part of a locally ownedand managed community bank. The newLima Commercial Loan Production Office islocated at 545 West Market Street, Suite 305.Office Phone: 567-712-7523.

GREENVILLE An 87,000-square-feetmanufacturing facility, the former CadillacGage building, is about to go back into fullproduction. The Canadian company basedout of Ontario, Canada is expanding opera-tions into the facility at 5963 Jaysville-St.Johns Road in Greenville, Ohio. Over 50 newmanufacturing positions are expected to becreated according to Albert Wiebe, ManagingPartner with the new owners, PFI (PrecisionFab Inc.). PFI builds metal racking for theautomotive industry and has serviced Toyota,Honda, BMW and the Big 3. The companywill be called PFI, USA and will be buildingautomotive part racks that are used to ship carparts from the Tier 1 suppliers to the assem-bly line.

Wiebe says they are based out of Aylmer,

Canada, which is a small town located midwaybetween Detroit and Toronto. This new plantin Greenville allows us to expand so we canbetter serve our customers by having a secondplant in the Midwest, where many of them arelocated. Greenville appealed to us because ofits small town atmosphere with its big cityconveniences, stated Wiebe. Greenville willbenefit them due to its central proximity toEast Liberty and Cincinnati, Oh; Lexingtonand Louisville, Ky; and Evansville, IN wheremost of their customers are located.

Tim Echemann of Industrial PropertyBrokers, who brokered the deal, stated thatthis was the perfect fit for this company.The former Cadillac Gage building pro-vided PFI with a heavy amount of amenities.This building gives them three 5 ton cranes,heavy power, air make-up systems and manymore features; while also being located in avery vibrant community, stated Echemann.Ken Abbott, Office Manager with PFI, USAstates, I am very optimistic of the futureof PFI, USA. We highly anticipate a sig-

nificant growth of the company by the endof 2014. Abbott also commented that thecity of Greenville offers various incentives,this along with the fact that the owners havemany acquaintances in the area, and the fa-cility is very accommodating in meeting ourneeds; makes Greenville an excellent loca-tion for us.

PFI expects some production to be upand running by the end of February and befully utilizing the entire facility by the end of2014. PFI recognizes that it is important tobe as diversified as they can be; so they areplanning to introduce a new product line inthe steel building market. They intend to pro-duce steel produts for the agriculture marketas well.

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February 2014 The Business Journal 3

BusinessJournal

of West Central OhioVolume 23, No. 2

Publisher: Jess McPheronContributing Writers

Jeffrey Gitomer Advertising: Jess McPheron

The Business Journal is mailed to the top businessleaders in the 13-county region of West CentralOhio. Although information is gathered from sourcesconsidered to be reliable, the accuracy and com-pleteness of the information cannot be guaranteed.Information expressed in The Business Journal doesnot constitute a solicitation for the purchase or saleof any products.

Copyright, The Business Journal of West CentralOhio, 2006, All rights reserved. Reproduction or use,without written permission of editorial, photographicor other graphic content in any manner is prohibited.The Business Journal is published monthly at 405N. Main St., Delphos, OH 45833

Contact Us

Telephone 419-999-4762

Jess McPheron 419-695-0015 ext. 129

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For information concerning news,advertising and subscription e-mail us at:

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General News1. Know your audience. Who & where

are they? There is no sense investing inFacebook advertising if your target audienceis predominently on Twitter or Pinterest orLinkedin. To create a successful advertisingcampaign you need to be advertising to youraudience, where they spend time online!

2. Set a budget before starting. You maythink $5 per day is cheap, but it can quicklyadd up if you arent careful. Did you knowyou have to add an end date on your cam-paign? You dont want to leave it as the de-fault ongoing. Setting and maintaining a

budget helps as you determine the ROI gainedfrom a specific advertising campaign.

e. Advertise with something your audi-ence wants. Your ad must prompt them toclick. Try a question as your headline. Offera freebie or discount a much needed service.Give them a reason to click on your ad andlearn more.

4. Know your advertising terminology.There are a lot of terms when it comes to so-cial advertising - CPC, PPC, impressions, etc.Give yourself a refresher on these with a fewof these resources:

Back to Basics: Social Advertising 101Back to Basics: Social Advertising Re-

porting LingoFacebook Ads Glossary: References of All

Important Terms (Infographic)5. Track your campaign. This is VERYimportant. Check daily to see how the ad isperforming. Document the number of impres-sions and clicks. Is it working with your tar-get audience? If not, switch up the targeting.Tracking your campaign lets you know if thead is successful and if it was worth the invest-ment.

2014: The year advertising gets personalAs we enter 2014, advertising is shiftingin many ways. One thing that is not chang-

ing, however, is ads themselves. Consumersare exposed to hundreds of ads per day acrossseveral touch points. Unfortunately, the ma-

jority of those ads are still of no interest tothe consumer. This will be the year marketerslearn how to truly activate the data they didntknow what to do with in 2013. Consumer be-havior data, coupled with location data willprovide actionable information so marketersconnect with customers thanks to real timeinsights never before utilized.

While 2013 was all about harnessing data in 2014, advertisers will learn how to acti-vate their data and make it actionable and per-sonal. Look for two major trends in 2014 thatwill: a) help marketers reach who they want,when they need and on the touch point thatwill deliver the best results; and b) give totalcontrol to the brand in every stage of an adver-tising campaign. The shifts in the use of dataas well as planning and buying mechanismswill alter the overall advertising process in fa-vor of the brand and the consumer.

Marketers Will Glean InformationFromWell, Everything

The Internet of Things, once just an in-teresting academic idea about interconnectedgadgets, widgets and appliances, is arriving

sooner than most people think. Whether itswearable technology like a fitness band thattracks quantified self data, a refrigerator thatcan make grocery lists or in-car navigationsystems with roadway sensors, theres a limit-less range of technologies under the Internetof Things umbrella that are offering brand ad-vertisers access to richer consumer data andnew channels that can be used to power futurecampaigns.

The benefits the Internet of Things offersto advertising are two-fold. Advertisers willbe able to deliver more personalized ads toconsumers actively in the market and lookingfor a specific product or service. These newtechnologies will give marketers a better un-derstanding of the characteristics that make anindividual valuable to them, in real time.

On the flip side, consumers will alsobenefit from the relevancy in advertising theInternet of Things delivers. For example,a consumer will receive an ad for runningshoes, as they are running on a treadmill, oran advertisement for light bulbs will appearon a home automation device after a lightbulb burns out. Consumers will continue tosee ads, however the ads they see will be per-sonalized to them and delivered in the rightmoments, eliminating ad waste and cuttingout pointless noise.

Delivering to a Customer AnywhereOpportunities for new data will keep roll-ing in for marketers this new-year. Mobile adcampaigns will start to leverage comprehen-sive analytics to hyper-target existing custom-ers in real-time and identify avenues to con-nect marketers with their next customers ontheir most trusted device.

In 2014, brands will utilize location-baseddata harnessed from consumers checking intotheir favorite retail store or restaurant and so-cial logins on mobile devices. Location dataallows marketers to take personalization toa brand new level. Alongside data alreadygained from a consumers online behavior,brands can send targeted ads as a consumergets closer in proximity to the physical storethey have already expressed interest in. Moreand more consumers are turning to mobiledevices as their primary screen, creating thatmuch more data marketers can use.

The data harnessed from the innovativetechnologies that make up the Internet ofThings, and the new capabilities to locate acustomer and deliver content depending ontheir proximity will prove invaluable to mar-keters in the years to come. However, with allthese additional avenues coming online, thecomplexity of ad buying can seem muddled ifmarketers are not using the ideal tools.

5 top tips for social advertising in 2014

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4/124 The Business Journal February 2014

Tech trends for 2014: The risk in BYOD offices Its enough to make a company lose its

app-etite. From January to July of this year,718,000 malicious and high-risk apps weredistributed on the Android mobile platformalone, according to JD Sherry, vice presi-dent of technology and solutions at com-

puting security firm Trend Micro in Irving,Texas. Thats more than double the numberof Android-based malware apps discoveredin all of 2012.

This is the new open-door reality thatgives nightmares to IT chiefs--and its only

getting worse. Already, more than half ofthe U.S. adult population connects to theinternet through a smartphone or tablet, and60 percent of businesses allow employeesto access company networks via their per-sonal devices under a strategy known as

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Why?The efficiencies offered by a mobile workforce are too great to pass up, and movingthe cost of access to the employees is too

Technology

See TECH TRENDS, page 5

Equipment and software investment expected to grow in 2014Investment in equipment and software is

expected to grow 3.1% in 2014 as economicconditions solidify and business confidence

continues to recover, according to the Annu-al 2014 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S.Economic Outlook released today by theEquipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.

Equipment investment is expected togrow across most verticals, as underlyingeconomic fundamentals continue to im-prove. Overall in 2014, growth is forecastto be mixed, with some sectors outperform-ing others. The Foundations report, whichis focused on the $827 billion equipmentleasing and finance industry, forecasts 2014equipment investment and capital spending

in the United States and evaluates the ef-

fects of various related and external factorsin play currently and into the foreseeablefuture. The report will be updated quarterly

throughout 2014.William G. Sutton, CAE, president of theFoundation and president and CEO of theEquipment Leasing and Finance Association,said, Looking into 2014, businesses will bemaking financing decisions in a dynamic en-vironment. While the threat remains that pol-icy uncertainty could negatively impact theU.S. economy and capital investment, poten-tial stability in the federal budgeting processand an increase in GDP growth will drive updemand for equipment finance.

Highlights from the study include:

The U.S. economy is expected to grow

3.0% in 2014, the fastest pace since the2008-09 recession. Assuming there is a solu-tion to the current budget discussions, eco-

nomic growth will be driven by a number ofpositive factors. Specifically, a strong hous-ing market recovery, falling natural gas pric-es, robust auto sales, record high householdwealth, steadily improving credit availabil-ity, and improving employment. However,these positive trends are counter-balancedby high oil prices, slow international growth,moderating fiscal consolidation and the con-tinued threat of policy uncertainty.

In 2014, more dependable economicgrowth will help to generate stronger overallinvestment in equipment and software. Ad-

ditionally, a rising interest rate environment

could induce companies to lock in lowerrates. Overall, these trends could yield apositive for the equipment finance industry.

Trends in equipment investment include: Agriculture equipment investment isexpected to remain weak on a quarter-to-quarter basis, and is projected to decline by4% in 2014.

Computers & Software investment isexpected to continue growing at the currentbelow average rate. Annual growth shouldbe in the 2% to 4% range during Q4 of 2013.

As expected, construction equipmentinvestment declined in Q3 of 2013, falling2.8% year-over-year. After reaching record-levels of investment in 2013, this vertical

See EQUIPMENT, page 5

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juicy a cost savings to ignore.Android apps accounted for 79 per-

cent of all smartphone malware last year,according to security firm F-Secure. ButApples iOS isnt entirely in the clear.While Apple doesnt release malware fig-ures, Sherry points to 2012 reports thata handful of products that had made itthrough the App Store approval processturned out to be carrying nefarious soft-ware.

The potential for damage this brings to abusiness with a BYOD policy is somethingRizwan Hussain knows all too well. As vicepresident of sales at AllRounds, a Bay Areastartup that provides private capital ana-lytics and automation, Hussain managed ateam of reps who were constantly on the go.In order for his employees to hit their salestargets, they needed constant access to theAllRounds IT infrastructure, which allowedthem to do everything from e-mailing pros-pects to issuing contracts.

The problem I have with BYOD is se-curity, Hussain says. Most personal de-vices have a range of user-installed apps.How am I supposed to know if any of them

are malicious and can hurt my network?Then theres the whole storage issue. Whereexactly is our companys data being storedwhen some-one uses their own device, andwhat about the security risks if someoneloses their phone or its stolen?

Forward-looking IT pros are in the pro-cess of mapping out a new set of rules forBYOD. This can start with implementinga companywide policy that addresses ac-ceptable and unacceptable device use andprovides details of excluded apps, dataownership and scheduled IT access to thedevice for updates. Those same pros arealso pushing for encryption of all filesstored on or accessed by a personal device,either through the phones encryption pro-gram or through a third-party app such asTextSecure or RedPhone. Another option isto mandate that employees use a tool likeDivide, which creates a fully functioningworkspace within the device that providesgovernment-grade security and protectionfor the business.

Defensive maneuvers aside, Sherrywarns that the big question with BYOD isnot if your employees phones will be in-fected but when.

(Continued from Page 4)

Tech trendswill likely decline by 5% to 10% in 2014.

Industrial equipment investment accel-erated to 5.0% annual growth in Q3, and isexpected to maintain a steady growth trendgoing forward. Employment, new orders,and earnings data point to a positive 2014.

Medical equipment investment grew inQ3 but the sectors leading indicators sug-gest little to no growth going forward.

Transportation equipment investmentsaw modest growth in the third quarter, andimproving indicators point stronger momen-

tum over the next six to 12 months.The Foundation produces the Equipment

Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlookreport in partnership with economics andpublic policy consulting firm KeybridgeResearch. The annual economic forecastprovides a three-to-six-month outlook forindustry investment with data, including asummary of investment trends in key equip-ment markets, credit market conditions, theU.S. macroeconomic outlook and key eco-nomic indicators. The report will be updatedquarterly throughout 2014.

(Continued from Page 4)

Equipment

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6/126 The Business Journal February 2014

Meeting Facilities

The Business JournalDistributed in 13 counties...

ALLEN, AUGLAIZE, DEFIANCE,

HANCOCK, HARDIN, HENRY. LOGAN,MERCER, PAULDING, PUTNAM, SHELBY,

VAN WERT, WOOD

Are your meetings a waste of time?CEO shares tips for encouraging productive collaboration

In survey after survey, meetings getknocked by everyone from employees tosenior executives as being among the big-gest waste of work hours.

In one poll, by Office Team, 45 percentof senior executives say their firms wouldbe more productive if they banned all meet-ings at least one day a week!

The problem that often occurs be-yond the obvious, like lacking a clear agen-da is the underlying current of competi-tion that each person brings to the table,says Berny Dohrmann, chairman andfounder of CEO Space International, andauthor of Redemption: The CooperationRevolution, (www.ceospaceinternational.com).

Competition pulls people apart; co-operation brings them together. Signs thatcompetition is causing unproductive meet-ings include one or two people dominatingthe floor; individuals touting their achieve-

ments; people consistently failing to con-tribute their ideas because they fear beingcriticized or ridiculed.

The drive to compete is so ingrainedin most of us, we often dont recognize it,Dohrmann says.

We get it culturally. We learn it inschool. Its often reinforced within our ownfamilies as were growing up. We have tobe aware of that and identify the culture wewant, then set about creating it begin-ning with our meetings.

Cooperative meetings yield far betterresults, he says. People working togethertoward a goal are more efficient, moreproductive, and even happier. The grouppulling together toward the same goal willachieve that goal far more quickly thanindividuals each pulling in opposite direc-tions, Dohrmann says.

How can you turn competition intocooperation and wasted meetings into

fruitful gatherings? He offers these sug-gestions:

Begin instituting culture change byrewarding cooperative behavior. Whensomeone makes a suggestion that canhelp another individual or department,publicly acknowledge and praise thatteamwork. Encourage inter-departmentalinterest, empathy and even personal bondsby allowing employees from one area toshadow employees from another. Remindeveryone that when one department suc-ceeds, everyone succeeds. Look for manag-ers and employees who tend to be naturallycooperative and enlist them as mentors andleaders to encourage and spread the newculture.

Identify and curb competitive be-havior in meetings. Avoid discouragingthe behavior with tactics that rely on pub-

lic criticism, scorn or ridicule. Rather, setegalitarian standards, such as time limitsfor each person to speak, and stick to them.When someone strays off topic, discernwhether he or she is sharing a potentiallyvaluable idea or seeking a personal com-petitive advantage (i.e. by laying blame,self-promoting, etc.) before steering himback on topic.

Participation is essential to coop-eration. Require everyone to participatein meetings. Circulate the agenda in ad-vance wit the stated expectation that eachattendee will come to the table prepared toaddress at least one item even if its notan item within their area of responsibility.Participation is a key component of a coop-erative work group and making it the normis often as simple as getting everyone intothe habit.

Ohio Medical Campus adds new RadissonRadisson has announced the opening of the 212-room

Radisson Hotel at The University of Toledo, 3100 GlendaleAvenue in Toledo, Ohio, on The University of Toledo Medi-cal Campus.

Hotel amenities include access to complimentary high-speed wireless Internet throughout the hotel, a fitness center,direct access to The Morse Wellness Center, an indoor pooland whirlpool, a 24-hour business center, and 14,000 squarefeet of flexible meeting and event space. The hotel offers avariety of room types from king guestrooms, to junior and

presidential suites. Onsite dining is available at 31 Hundred,offering modern American cuisine created with fresh re-gional ingredients, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The hotel is conveniently located in the center of Tole-dos metropolitan area and 11 miles from Toledo ExpressAirport. Nearby is the Seagate Convention Center, ToledoZoo, Fifth Third Field Mud Hens Stadium, Owens Com-munity College, Toledo Botanical Gardens and Levis Com-mons Town Center.

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Trends changing meeting venuesTodays meeting hosts need some space.

But not just any space: They want it eco-friend-ly and well-lit, with cozy seating and top-notchtechnology at their fingertips. Planners are de-manding rooms and layouts that cultivate cre-ativity and connections so they can get measur-able results on their expenditures. They wantspace thats user-friendly, inspiring, and, aboveall, not boringand facilities are delivering.Here are the top meeting venue innovations of2012:

1. ResidentialIf meeting space fools you into thinking

you could be in a well-decorated home, hotelsare doing something right. Instead of sterileand corporate looks, venues are configuringand furnishing meeting space to be relaxingand homey. One central element of this moreresidential look is cozy furniture. Its a morecomfortable atmosphere to relax and take ininformation, says Peggy Roe, vice presidentglobal operations services for Marriott Hotels &Resorts. Venues cant add couches and easychairs fast enough. Some are going extra-ca-sual with ottomans and even beanbag chairs.(Can recliners be far behind?) We really lookedat making sure there was an addition of softseating, says Erin Wade, director of cateringsales for Starwoods New York hotels. Somegroups dont want a formal boardroom. Theywant it to be more interactive and laid back.They dont want the boring meeting room.They want a hipper design, says Lana Trev-isan, corporate director of food and beveragefor Gansevoort Hotel Group. At the GansevoortPark, Trevisan says the Blue Room is popularwith meeting planners who like its white leatherbanquettes and anti-boardroom look.

2. Niches for NetworkingVenues are developing pre-function space

that includes small areas for two or three at-tendees to gather during breaks. Building onthe belief collaboration fosters creativity, hotelsare responding to organizers need for spaceto facilitates this. At a recent managementconference for its own executives, Marriott In-ternational partnered with furniture companySteelcase to create a variety of prototypes inthis vein. One had a long, high table with tallstools and plug-in recharging docks for deviceswhere up to 10 participants could gather. Tyinginto the residential theme, seating was heavyon couches, easy chairs, and beanbags thatwere modified to offer back support. Theseseats were grouped in clusters surrounding lowtables. Another prototype: a modernized phonebooth where attendees could make cell phonecalls in relative quiet and privacy.

3. New Technical EquipmentMore hotels are outsourcing A.V., which

does have an effect for the buyer becausetheres better quality, says Bjorn Hanson, deanof the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospital-ity, Tourism, and Sports Management at NewYork University. The number of pixels, its thebrightness of lights on projectors, the ability totie sound into whats on the screen. All of theseelements combine to create a richer experiencefor presentations as well as videoconferences.

Starwoods Wade says the company workedwith tech providers Cisco and Tata Communi-cations to develop what it calls TelePresencesuites at 16 of its properties, which allow for avideoconference in a boardroom setting withhigh-definition video.

4. More Control of LightingWere already using iPads for everything

else under the sun, so it makes sense venuesare using them to let planners control lightingand sound from within meeting rooms. We canrun lighting, A.V., the entire building from ouriPad, says Kristin Kurie, president of Wilder-man Group, a company that manages a trio ofmunicipally owned conference facilities in theSoutheast. A.V., room temperature, and light-ing are controlled in-room by the user, saysChristopher Kelly, principal at urban conferencecenter brand Sentry Centers. At every oppor-tunity, we try to make it user-friendly. Giving ameeting planner the tools to change the roomenvironment on their own helps with productiv-ity. I think a big part of what meeting plannersare looking for is a little bit more inclusive pack-ages, rooms that are equipped with monitors orprojectors, says Oliver Ferry, regional direc-tor of entertainment sales for Morgans HotelGroup. Some venues also are making use ofnew LED technology for decorative lighting.Starwoods Wade says at one of the brandsproperties, LED light panels let planners toraise or dim lights, and even change its colors.

5. Natural LightVenues are acknowledging that it can be

soul-deadening to spend a full workday withoutknowing if its sunny or raining outside. Theresa productivity factor from the natural light, Ku-rie says. New properties and renovations areadding more windows in order to incorporatemore daylight into ballrooms, breakout rooms,and break spaces. One of the key things wewanted to do is create meeting space thats veryinteractive and engaging, says Tristan Dowell,director of Hyatt Hotels & Resorts boutique Andaz brand. The function space in the Andaz5th Avenue in New York has floor-to-ceiling win-dows. The greater incorporation of natural lightalso stems from the growing number of venuesbuilt or retrofitted to be LEED-compliant. Op-erators and sales managers say more plannerswant to hold events in environmentally friendlysettings, and natural light is one of the few vis-ible hallmarks of a green building.

6. New NamesHotels are rechristening their meeting rooms

to emphasize the flexibility of space and getaway from dull connotations elicited by nameslike Ballroom A. Marriott Hotels & Resorts dubsits large ballrooms great rooms, while HyattHotels & Resorts Andaz brand refers to meet-ing rooms as studios. The Starwood Hotels &Resorts brand W uses both terms. The nomen-clature is intended to highlight the fact that thesespaces fit the kind of nontraditional meeting for-mats organizers are using to a greater degree.Designers are trying to find ways to appeal tosocial [events] as well as meetings, says NYUsHanson. By emphasizing something about theroom with a name that reflects something spe-

cial about the space, that becomes a premiumroom, he says.

7. Urban Outdoor SpaceWhy should resort destinations have all

the fun? Big-city hotels are adding patios, ter-races, and other outdoor areas groups canuse as break areas during the day and as re-ception space in the evening. The majority ofour rooms have an outside space, says Gan-sevoorts Trevisan. Weve incorporated that alot into our meeting spaces. She says whenmeeting planners see the outdoor spaces, theyrealize it can be a great way to keep groupsenergized over the course of a long day. At the Andaz Wall Street in New York, an adjacentpatio is popular for groups seeking space for areception or coffee break that gets them out ofthe building and into the fresh air. People wantmore of an engaging experience in the meet-ing space, Dowell says. The W New York hastwo spacious terraces on the 17th floor off thepresidential suite.

8. Open KitchensSome of the best parties start and finish

in the kitchen, says Dowell. With that as thestarting point, Andaz has built open, operationalkitchens within the function space of severalproperties. It becomes a part of your event,he says, and engages attendees on a deeperlevel. At the Andaz 5th Avenue, two large openkitchens are situated in the center of the meet-ing space. The Andaz West Hollywood has aprep kitchen integrated within its function area,and a meeting space at the Andaz LiverpoolStreet in London has an open kitchen as wellas a wine cellar. Watching the chefs at workencourages people to talk to them and askquestions and sparks conversation between at-tendees, as well. We want to have that level ofinteraction in everything we do, Dowell says.

9. Eco-Friendly Spaces Although its long been a priority for certain

socially and environmentally minded groups,the desire for green meeting space seems tohave finally gone mainstream. More plannersare seeking LEED-certified or eco-friendly ven-ues. According to the 2012 American ExpressMeetings & Events Global Forecast, 73 percentof meeting planners have an increased inter-est in hosting greener meetings. I think clientshave an expectation that the buildings will beenvironmentally friendly, says Kurie. LEEDcertification is the gold standard in terms ofverifying a venues earth-friendliness, but ret-rofitting existing space can be challenging andexpensive.

As a result, companies have been search-ing for other ways to quantify and measure avenues environmental impact. Hilton World-wide has a program called LightStay that ana-lyzes the economic impact of 200 operationalpractices, from food waste to air quality. It alsoprovides a meeting impact calculator that tellsplanners what the environmental impact of theirevent will be at a particular property. AmericanExpress Meetings & Events is working withGreen Hotels Global on what the company callsan environmental reporting program that mea-sures the environmental effects of meetings.

No boring ballrooms: From beanbag chairs to balconies, meeting space is getting reimagined

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ConstructionTop five commercial construction trends for 2014

See TOP FIVE, page 9

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Its looking like the commercial construction in-dustry ended 2013 on a high note. According to the U.S.Commerce Department the value of construction put in place

for November 2013 was at an annual rate of $934.4 billionwhich is a 5.9% increase from November 2012 and a 1%increase from the previous month. This is the highest it hasbeen since March 2009 and reflects the eighth straight monthof increases. The employment numbers for November 2013from the Bureau of Labor Statistics were also good with17,000 construction jobs gained for the month and unem-ployment in the industry dropping down to 8.6% from 9% inOctober. That brings the total construction employment 5.85million and marks the highest number of employees in theindustry since August 2009. Numbers for December on con-struction spending and employment will both be available at

the end of the week.As we bid adieu to 2013 and say hello to 2014 I thought

wed break out the old crystal ball to see what trends will

shape the commercial construction industry in this NewYear. These predictions are based on what Ive seen and readthis year and theres nothing too crazy or out there on thelist. For example, I dont think that robot construction work-ers are going to replace humans or that 3D printed buildingsare going to dominate the industry in 2014. So without anyfurther delay heres the list in no particular order.

1. Green & Sustainable ConstructionWeve discussed in the past on this blog how green con-

struction is no longer some fad being pursued by a handfulof architects, contractors and owners. Green and sustainable

construction has grown exponentially over the past coupleof years and will continue to do so in 2014. Everything fromthe construction of NFL stadiums to retail stores are going

green. I would hazard a guess that a majority of all construc-tion projects will incorporate some aspect of green construc-tion whether its using sustainable building materials, incor-porating renewable energy or implementing water or energyefficiency solution. Not only will there be an increase ingreen construction for new buildings but there will also bean increase in greening renovations in existing buildings.

Other things to look forward to on the green construc-tion front is the introduction of more green building productscoming to the market with an emphasis on being sustainable,healthy and made from recycled materials as well as a battlefor supremacy in the green building rating systems betweenLEED and Green Globes. The General Services Administra-tion recently approved Green Globes as an alternative ratingsystem to LEED and the Green Building Initiative, whichruns Green Globes, recently named Jerry Yudelson as theirnew president. LEED certification has been all but bannedfrom use in public state construction projects in places likeAlabama, Georgia, Maine and Mississippi due to lobbyingby the timber, plastics and chemicals industries because ofLEED standards that place an emphasis on the componentthat go into building materials and how they are sourced.(Green Globes is much more lax in this department.) 2014will definitely be the year we see the battle for top greenbuilding rating system heat up.

2. Modular & Prefabricated Construction

With projects like the Broadway Stack be-ing completed last year and the Atlantic Yards B2Tower starting to take shape modular constructionis really going to take off in 2014. Already fairlycommonplace in the United Kingdom and through-out Europe, modular construction has many ben-efits that are enticing to owners and developers.Construction costs and time of project delivery canbe greatly decreased using modular construction.Modular units are constructed in a warehouse or

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factory in an assembly-line fashion similarto the auto industry and all building compo-nents can be integrated into the construction.They are then transported to the constructionsite and hoisted into place using cranes andthe units are joined together. Constructingthe modular units in a controlled environ-ment eliminates delays caused by weatherand also provide a safer work environmentsince it eliminates having employees work-ing at height. Modular construction also hasthe added benefit of providing stronger andmore durable structures since they have to bebuilt to endure transportation to the site andbeing lifted into place. Modular constructioncan be applied to a range of building typesfrom hotels and high-rise apartments to hos-pitals and office building.

3. Increased Technology UsageTechnology is going to impact the con-

struction industry in a multitude of waysin 2014. Building Information Modeling

(BIM) is going to have greater imple-mentation not only from design firmsbut will also be utilized by more contractorsduring construction and by owners using theBIM for management of completed build-ings. Mobile technology will have a greaterpresence on the jobsite. Expect to see a lotmore tablets, smartphones and laptops be-ing used on the construction site to bettermanage projects, increase productivity andkeeping workers safe with mobile applica-tions and software as a service (SaaS) usingcloud technology. Thanks to the internetof things expect to see more in the way ofbuilding system integration. The implemen-tation of building automation solutions thatallow all building components to communi-cate with each other to provide better energyefficiencies and reduce waste will increase.Not only will these systems be able to gatherand assimilate data but they will be acces-sible to monitor and control remotely fromanywhere in the world.

4. Renewable Energy

Net zero energy buildings are going to bethe next big thing in green and sustainableconstruction so renewable energy is going tobe a major player this year. Solar energy willlead the charge but also look out for geother-mal and wind energy to be more prevalentas well. Advances in renewable energy tech-nology continue and allows for more cost-effective solutions to hit the market. Thesolar market is worth billions annually andthat number will continue to increase yearover year especially with costs continuing tofall. The Solar Energy Industries Associationclaims that solar panel costs have dropped60% from the beginning of 2011 to about themiddle of last year. Solar technology is beingincorporated into all kinds of building mate-rials from windows to shingles and a host ofother building-integrated photovoltaics.

5. Continued GrowthThe commercial construction industry

will continue to recover as the countryseconomy continues its recovery. Construc-tion spending should continue to increase

throughout the year with more constructionstarts occurring. Not all areas of the countrywill see the same levels of growth in the con-struction industry. Much like last year someareas will see gradual improvements whileother areas of the country will see more rap-id growth. The industry should continue tosee the addition of jobs throughout the yearwith the unemployment rate continuing todecrease. This is not to say that there wontbe a hiccup or two like in 2013 where therewere a couple of months with job losses. Theone roadblock to the continued growth in theconstruction industry is the skilled workershortage the industry is facing. When the re-cession hit a lot of workers left constructionand found employment in other industries.As the construction industry continues to re-cover a solution to the skilled worker short-age will have to be found.

There are lots of good things to look for-ward to this year in commercial constructionand I hope everyone has a successful andprosperous 2014.

Top five(Continued from Page 8)

How immigration reform can save the construction industrySecond-generation contractor Stan

Marek explains how the Department ofHomeland Securitys (DHS) audits of 1-9Employment Vertification Forms has cre-ated labors cash economy.

The new norm in our industry is to avoid

the risk of I-9 audits and limit hourly pay-rolls that require documentation by hiring asubcontractor or labor broker who suppos-edly pays the men and follows the laws. Thisdoes not happen in the majority of cases, butits rarely caught because auditors investi-

gate payrolls instead of payables, which iswhere the brokers hide their crews.

Marek says a sensible immigration bill isthe first step toward breaking U.S. employ-ers dependency on undocumented workersand helping rebuild Americas middle class.

Identify the workers who are here, andrequire their employers to pay taxes. If thatdoesnt happen soon, I fear the industry myancestors helped build will see its middle-class legacy fade away completely and be-come nothing but a ticket to poverty.

Nonresidential construction spending returns to normal after government shutdownNonresidential construction spending

grew 0.6 on a monthly and yearly basis inNovember 2013, according to the Jan. 2release by the U.S. Census Bureau. In No-vember, spending totaled $583.436 billionon a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis.

Construction activity bounced back inNovember, due in part to the end of the fed-eral government shutdown and an accompa-nying return to normalcy, said AssociatedBuilders and Contractors Chief EconomistAnirban Basu. Nonresidential constructionspending was up 2.3 percent on a season-ally adjusted basis compared to September,which makes a better comparison becauseOctober was so unusual.

The recent acceleration in economicactivity sets the stage for a much better2014, both for the broader economy and thenonresidential construction industry, saidBasu. We can expect nonresidential con-struction spending to expand during the firsthalf of the year.

Seven of the 16 nonresidential construc-tion subsectors posted spending increases inNovember:

Religious spending grew 0.6 percent forthe month, but is down 5.6 percent from thesame time last year.

Education-related construction spendingexpanded 0.2 percent for the month and isup 1.3 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Commercial construction spending grew4.5 percent in November and is up 17.4 per-cent on a yearly basis.

Communication-related constructionspending expanded 10.9 percent for themonth but is down 10.7 percent comparedto November 2012.

Office construction spending was up2.6 percent in November and is 5.6 percenthigher than the same time last year.

Construction spending in the power cat-egory grew 3 percent on a monthly basis butfell 21.4 percent on an annual basis.

Manufacturing construction spendingexpanded 0.6 percent in November and isup 14.4 percent compared to the same timeone year ago.

Spending declined in nine nonresidentialconstruction subsectors in November:

Public safety-related construction spend-ing fell 0.3 percent, but has grown 2.5 per-cent on a year-over-year basis.

Amusement and recreation-relatedspending was down 0.6 percent on a month-ly basis, but has expanded 5.5 percent fromthe same time last year.

Conservation and development spendingwas down 4.7 percent for the month, but isup 0.1 percent for the year.

Lodging spending fell 0.2 percent on amonthly basis but is up 31.2 percent on ayear-over-year basis.

Water supply spending declined 3.7 per-cent for the month but is 2 percent higher

than the same time last year.Health care-related construction spend-

ing was down 2.8 percent for the month andis down 0.3 percent for the year.

Sewage and waste disposal-related con-struction spending declined 8 percent forthe month and has fallen 5.9 percent on a12-month basis.

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TRENDS Some views are very broad like

stocks continuing to do well because of

solid corporate earnings, low inflation andlittle pressure to raise wages given how highunemployment remains. But other views arebased on stories that could play out for farlonger than five years.

Production of oil and gas in the UnitedStates, for one, is expected to be stronger infive years. This is based on proven reservesand new drilling techniques. Saying whatwill happen in six to 12 months in this in-dustry, though, is always difficult: A pipe-line could explode, turmoil in the MiddleEast could impact prices, or regulation inWashington could cost companies moremoney. Longer term, the issue is supply anddemand.

The mobile technology sector is anotherlonger-term play. Marty Sass, chariman andchief executive of M.D. Sass, said paymentprocessors like PayPal were set to increasetheir processing of payments online butalso to reach more into retail stores. And,of course, more of everything is moving to

mobile devices, and companies are going tolook to profit from that.

In other industries, like airlines and tele-

vision broadcasting, consolidation is goingto make stronger companies over the me-dium term. These are industries that havegone from horror shows to very compellingplays, Mr. Sass said.

RISKS There are plenty of risks to the medium-

term view. Kate Moore, United States chiefinvestment strategist for J. P. Morgan Pri-vate Bank, said her clients generally hadconcerns about three big themes.

They worry first, she said, about howmuch higher equity prices can go. Afterfour and a half years of prices going higher,they ask her when the rally is going to end.This is where well walk them throughcorporate fundamentals and show thembalance sheets and how margins can besustainable, she said. We find that mostvaluations are below 10- to 15-year histori-cal norms.

The two other worries are what willhappen to China and Europe. With China,she said, the concern is that the countryseconomic growth is going to slow and dragdown the global economy. There are some

areas of the market, particularly in the re-source space, that have overcapacity, shesaid.

Michael Tiedemann, chief investmentofficer of Tiedemann Wealth Management,said he saw China as one of the two bigquestions over the next three to five years.

(The other was how tighter rules on banklending and the Federal Reserves gradualend to buying bonds will play out.) He isnot confident that China will be able tohandle its transition from an export-basedeconomy to a more balanced one smoothly.

Were not predicting its going to gobadly, but along the way perhaps there willbe conflicting signals, he said. And thatcalls for investors to be prepared for somevolatility.

The questions about Europe revolvedaround whether the Continent had gottenover its problems. Theyre either con-vinced that Europe is going to grow stronglynext year because theyve seen an apprecia-tion of assets, Ms. Moore said. Or theyrevery skeptical about institutional change andthe capability to bring together so many dif-ferent countries for cohesive change. (Herview is some place in the middle, she said.)

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Let pop-ups crop upAs fans of temporary tattoos and non-

permanent hair dye can attest, sometimespeople want to try a new look without mak-ing a commitment. It was in that spirit of ex-perimentation that PNC opened an orange-and-blue pop-up branch on the sidewalk of

a busy Atlanta outdoor mall last summer.Having recently expanded into the re-gion, Pittsburgh-based PNC used the pro-table pop-up branch as a way of plantinga brand flag in a high-traffic hub, saysTodd Barnhart, executive vice president ofbranch banking at PNC.

The 20-by-8-foot steel container,dressed up with, windows, flatpanel moni-tors, a walk-up ATM and other comfortsof a bricks-and-mortar branch, served asan eye-catching ambassador for the com-pany. Two iPad-wielding employees helped

Several banks are testing smaller foot-print branches, but probably few havebeen as small as the one PNC openedJuly 30 in a 20-by-8-foot steel containerstationed for four months at an Atlantashopping center.

customers open new accounts an apply forpersonal loans while providing referrals formortgages and other products.

People are naturally inclined to respondto innovation, Barnhart says of the un-usual temporary branch. For us it was re-

ally intriguing to see how open people areto discussing their financial well-being andengaging with us on the street on a day whentheyre out to shop or eat lunch.

PNC is still evaluating the results of thepilow branch, which closed in November.One early takeaway, according to companyofficials, is the benefit of keeping extendedhours. The pop-up branch was open sevendays a week and kept the lights on until 7:30p.m. on weekdays.

Temporary branches may become partof a larger trend as banks look for ways to

cup back on overhead without neglectingcustomer service, according to Sherief Mel-eis, a partner at management consulting firmNovantas.

The premise for t his is basically thatbranches are too expensive, Meleis says.The transportable pop-up branches are away to get the perception of conveniencemuch more cheaply.

Compared with the more familiar idea ofmobile branches, pop-ups impart a greatersense of stability, says Ethan Teas, a princi-pal at Novantas. A pop-up branch is morepermanent in terms of both the feel itdoesnt have wheels on it, so theres not theawkwardness of a mobile branch and interms of intention, Teas says. A mobilebranch is something you bring to a farmersmarket. A pop-up branch might be thereonly three to six months, but its got an ad-dress, so to speak.

Pop-ups also can enable banks to reachcustomers in disaster areas. AustraliasCommonwealth Bank cited its experienceworking with customers in the state of Vic-toria after bushfires devastated the region in2009 as the inspiration for its decision lastyear to refashion shipping containers intobranches that could be loaded onto a truckand deployed quickly in an emergency.

The ability to have a pop-up presencecan be equally handy during special ev entsof a more positive nature. The Olympicsare six weeks, but you dont want to buildsomething permanent, Meleis says.

So you take the idea of going to the cus-tomer rather than waiting for the customerto come to you. - Sarah Todd

First Federal Bank continues to grow andbe successful not only in the Allen and VanWert county areas, but throughout northwestOhio, southeast Michigan and northeastIndiana. In fact, First Defiance FinancialCorp., the parent company of First FederalBank, has grown to $2.14 billion in assets.

In 2013, First Federal serviced over15,800 loans locally and assisted over 2,600clients with new mortgages. First Fed-erals philosophy of local people and localdecision-making continues to run how wedo business, said Greg Allen, First FederalBanks Southern Market President. Ouremployees not only work in this communi-ty, but they live here. And we truly believethe community and First Federal Bank arebetter together.

Looking forward to 2014, First Federalwill be focusing on several new projects.First Federal Bank will be opening a 33rdoffice located at 9909 Illinois Road in FortWayne, IN. The bank will continue to growits online presence with new banking op-tions to help clients have access to their ac-counts anytime, anywhere. In addition, thebank is adding a Business Banking segmentto cater to small to medium-sized business-es, as well as four full-time Private Bankersto provide robust financial solutions to highnet-worth clients.

We are very proud to remain focusedon providing superior service to clients andthe community by always improving and

creating new products and services to suitcustomers needs, said Allen. We are alsohonored to be a fundamental part of the Al-len and Van Wert County communities.

First Federal Bank continues to give backto the community with $216,000 donated tosupport local charities and community or-ganizations. The Delphos staff, along with

all of the Banks offices, serve in leadershippositions in many service organizations andactively support their local communities.

First Federal Bank currently has 32 full-service offices and 42 ATMs throughoutnorthwest Ohio, southeast Michigan.

First Federal focused on givingback to community it serves

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But Dean Tenerelli, European stockfund manager at T. Rowe Price, said thatEuropes continued recovery was linked towhat happened in China, which for yearswas bolstering companies around the worldwith its demands for goods.

I come across a lot of businesses wheretheyre disappointing because that frothisnt there anymore, he said. The miningcompanies are cutting capital expendituresby 25 percent and that trickles through toall the companies that make that stuff andto the banks that were financing all of that.I even picked it up at beverage companiesthat have missed their numbers because theChinese demand for cognac is declining.

THE VALUEIs looking out even five years still too

short for long-term investors? Surely, oildrilling is going to be happening in NorthDakota for a decade or more.

Keith Banks, president of U.S. Trust,said looking out 10 years was too long formost clients to think about, but five yearswas a great time frame to spot what hecalled the mega-trends where people madesubstantial wealth. These trends run overmany years and offer a sustained opportu-nity for people to participate, even if theymiss the very start of the trend.

The world isnt an on/off switch, Mr.Banks said. It is a dimmer switch.

One of the main benefits of the longerview is it smooths out the noise that can cropup in just one year. I have more confidencein looking ahead five years than I do oneyear, said Katie Nixon, chief investmentofficer at Northern Trust Wealth Manage-ment. And I think most strategists feel thesame. The short term is so uncertain and canbe impacted by a lot of noise, while in thelong term, markets are very fundamental.

Any three- to five-year forecast typical-ly relies pretty heavily on some mean rever-sion assumptions I believe this companyis relatively undervalued versus the marketor its peers, Mr. Tiedemann said. We havefive-year forward views on asset classes andprojections. At the core of those is our five-year expectation of G.D.P. growth, inflationand where we believe the 10-year Treasuryyield will be at the end of five years.

In other words, the medium term may bemore accurate, but projecting it is still diffi-cult. Yet it is such a stabilizing view that canhelp people through the anxious moments ofany year. Our advice is, Dont time, dont

chase and dont react, said Karl Wellner,president and chief executive of Papamar-kou Wellner Asset Management. We wantour clients to think and plan ahead. Its verysimple. But people kick themselves formaking the same mistakes over and over.

There are worse New Years resolutions.

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