'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Welcome to "The Hub with Michael Allen," the podcast that dives deep into the stories of community leaders and business owners who are making a difference. Join your host, Michael Allen, as he uncovers the untold narratives, challenges, and triumphs of those shaping their communities.
In each episode, Michael sits down with remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. These community leaders are passionate, driven, and committed to creating positive change. Whether they are activists, educators, philanthropists, or civic officials, they all share a common goal: to build stronger, more vibrant communities.
"The Hub" also showcases the journeys of business owners who have turned their dreams into reality. From small-scale startups to well-established enterprises, these entrepreneurs share their insights, experiences, and lessons learned along the way. Michael delves into the unique challenges they face, the strategies they employ, and the impact their businesses have on the local economy and society at large.
With engaging conversations and thought-provoking discussions, "The Hub with Michael Allen" provides listeners with valuable takeaways, inspiration, and actionable ideas. Each episode offers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who are actively shaping the fabric of their communities, providing a roadmap for listeners who want to make a difference in their own lives and surroundings.
Tune in to "The Hub with Michael Allen" and join the conversation as we explore the stories of community leaders and business owners who are leaving an indelible mark on the world around them. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and empowered to take action. Together, we can create a better tomorrow for everyone.
Sponsored by Manpower Richmond.
'The Hub' with Michael Allen sponsored by Manpower Richmond
Ep. 12 | Local Business Insights: Michael Allen and Duke Hamm at Ink & Ale, New Castle
On this episode of The Hub with Michael Allen, sponsored by Manpower Richmond, Michael sits down with Duke Hamm at the Ink in Ale in New Castle, Indiana.
When local legend Duke Hamm swapped the buzz of the Chrysler assembly line for the hum of his own business ambitions, he began a journey that would redefine what it means to be an entrepreneur in New Castle, Indiana. Our latest episode peels back the curtain on Duke's remarkable transformation from a laborer to a linchpin in the local economy, as he reminisces about his formative years, the pivotal moves that launched his career trajectory, and the community that fueled his endeavors.
Our conversation with Duke takes us through the textures of downtown Newcastle, where the echoes of the past blend with the vibrant thrum of present-day commerce. We uncover the synergy between historic preservation and economic innovation, featuring the renaissance of iconic structures like the Hub building and the birth of new hotspots, such as Ink and Ale and Kai's Creation Bistro. Dive into the heart of local business development, spearheaded by community champions like the New Castle Main Street group, and discover how small business leaders are sculpting a dynamic future for this cherished Hoosier town.
Michael Allen from Manpower. We are a national brand, yet locally owned franchise. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That's why working with Manpower is a smart, cost-effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition. We'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing, customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community-invested partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help contact Manpower today. Hello and welcome to the Hub powered by Manpower of Richmond, Portland and, today, Newcastle. And I am your host, Michael Allen. And here on the Hub we interview local businesses, community leaders, various special guests, and our mission is to share and spotlight unique and untold stories of companies, organizations and people who are making a difference in our community. So today I am with Duke Ham and we are recording here at one of Newcastle's newest restaurants called Ink and Ale, and Duke is a Newcastle native and local entrepreneur. Duke, welcome to the Hub.
Speaker 2:Welcome. Great to have you here at the Hub building in Inconel Brewhouse and thanks so much for letting me join in today, Michael yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, you know it's interesting, this building that we're in is called the Hub, and when I first became familiar with it, it really gave me the idea for this podcast. So Duke's not mad, he's not upset, but we stole the name from him, to be honest, just to get full credit. So, anyway, thanks for joining with us today. We've known each other for a little over a year, I'd say, and we've been talking about this day for several months, and I'm happy that it's finally going to happen right now. And so, before we go into it, just share with us a little bit, with our followers, a little bit about yourself, kind of where you grew up, your family maybe where you went to college, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Fantastic. I'm born and bred in Newcastle, indiana, graduated from high school here, love Newcastle. All my family parents, grandparents, great-grandparents are all from Newcastle area. Lots of great rivalry with the Richmond Red Devils. And then went to Butler Butler graduate and moved around a good bit, come back and forth to Newcastle over the years. And Kathy and I moved back about a dozen years ago to Newcastle and then got involved with various businesses like we're sitting in today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, I guess you know it has to maybe some follow up on that. But we have a tradition at the Hub and it's asking everyone that comes about their first job. So being involved with manpower staffing we like. So tell us about what. Would you like your very first job where you got a paycheck, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Okay, so I can't count my grandpa's farm cutting the weeds out of the corn because he didn't give me a paycheck 20 bucks. But my first job, believe it or not, was at the Chrysler in Newcastle, the Chrysler plant, and it was the summer after my senior year and I thought I was a rich man because I made more than enough money to pay for my freshman year at Butler, believe it or not, in 1977.
Speaker 1:So that was an assembly plant right. Were they assembling cars Not?
Speaker 2:assembly, but they did like dies and knuckles and axles.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right. So what did they have this kid out of high school doing?
Speaker 2:The first two weeks it was working at the night shift and we cleaned out from under the machines the old greasy, the metal shavings, that metal shavings and things and uh, believe it or not, about 30, 40 percent quit the first two weeks. They didn't want to do it they gave you that job first, but then then I worked on the knuckle line which is around the tires. Okay, metal knuckles, feeding them into the machine.
Speaker 1:So I've been in a lot of manufacturing companies over the year where they were doing machining and shoveling metal shavings and stuff. That's kind of back-breaking work it was.
Speaker 2:It's hard. I was the smallest guy so I got to go in the best places, yeah you went in the nook and cranny, that's right.
Speaker 1:So how much do you remember what you made an hour?
Speaker 2:You know I made it was like $6.58 an hour or something like that, but I also was working 48, 56 hours a week so far of everyone I've interviewed, you've made the highest wage for your first job.
Speaker 1:So far they've been in the $2 to $3 range. So now I understand how you're able to help pay for Butler. So you're talking about different jobs that you did and, if I remember from when we spoke before, one of your first jobs here was working for Herff Jones Out of college.
Speaker 2:Yeah, out of college I have an accounting degree. Yeah, and worked for the ring company Herff Jones, the Poma company, at their corporate office in accounting.
Speaker 1:Right, well, I just remember that from high school that Herff Jones rep would come and we would pick out our class rings and whatever. So what were you doing? For were you?
Speaker 2:you weren't doing that, or were you doing something? I was doing corporate accounting, detail like accounting work at the corporate office, and eventually I was a credit manager. So I'd go out all over really the country Philadelphia, chicago and count ring inventories to make sure they weren't being reported correctly stolen, making sure our reps paid their bills.
Speaker 1:Does that company still exist? I mean, I don't think either. One of my kids got a class ring. They weren't interested in it, but I mean, do they still do that At?
Speaker 2:that time I believe we were the biggest in the United States, but is it Johnson's or something like that? Another ring company is bigger than Huff Jones these days.
Speaker 1:Okay, so tell me a little bit about when you started to kind of venture out on your own, your own businesses and so how, where did that kind of all first start?
Speaker 2:And I would say you know I was an accountant but I'm not that much of a detailed person I liked. I wanted to work for growing companies and I worked well with the sales people and the manufacturing, the working people. But where I really learned a lot was with a company called Browning Ferris Industries and it was a Fortune 200 waste company the second biggest in the world and learned a lot about business. I learned a lot about people. I learned a lot about trash and landfills, yeah, but I was with them for about 11 years and really learned to love business. Growing business strategy I love strategic growth is what I really love. Being entrepreneurial, right.
Speaker 1:So tell us a little bit about kind of where you're, what you're involved in today and kind of how those different things got started and uh, the company I was cfo for, elgin fastener group out of batesville, uh, sold out to private equity about 13 years ago.
Speaker 2:Okay, and as we sold out to private equity I pretty much knew as CFO I probably wouldn't be around very long and so Kathy and I's plan we lived in Batesville at that time was to move back to Newcastle. The family and love in Newcastle, sure, kids, we were empty nesters at that time and so even before I was let go a seat as CFO, we had actually gotten with Susan Neal, local realtor here, okay, to show us some houses, and started to plan to move back to Newcastle and I knew I really wanted out of corporate America. I was in my close to my mid-50s and wanted to start some type of business that helped small companies one business owner type companies, maybe two to strategically grow their business or help them sell or buy another business, because I had a lot of experience through my accounting CFO days.
Speaker 1:Okay, and so is that how you got involved in Focal Point Is that am I getting that right?
Speaker 2:Yes, you are. So as I was no longer CFO, I had a good exit experience package, so to speak, in time. So I researched. I was looking for strategic uh materials. Uh do cam. Strategic planning didn't have a lot of uh behind it and it might today but maybe thank you, but uh, that's where I found focal point. It's a franchise uh, there's about 150 in the United States. Okay, and it was very aligned with what I wanted to do Great training, great support, and I've been with them now into my 12th year.
Speaker 1:Okay, and just real short, being associated with Focal Point or having a franchise of it. You do personal coaching or business coaching, right? Yes, so that's, and they provide you with the tools that kind of helps you do that, along with your own personal experience and life experiences.
Speaker 2:You got exactly right. As you know a lot about franchises and what they can provide and the resources beyond myself.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then. So that's one part of what you do. Another significant part would be, mrs, which is on your shirt there. So how did you get into heating and cooling business?
Speaker 2:Yes, and anyone that knows me well knows I am a absolute zero mechanically and anything like that. I was helping a friend of mine, mostly through golf. Darrell Gross here locally started an MRS and I was helping to prepare him to sell his business. And another man I was coaching with a long time, james Hamilton. We identified him to buy the business and he's like well, I need a business partner to come in with me, 50-50. And so I ended up buying MRS with him and we're very different. He's more operational and understanding there and I'm more strategic marketing financial accounting side.
Speaker 1:And then I guess, if I'm kind of fitting all the pieces together properly about, was it two years ago you bought the building, this building?
Speaker 2:almost two and a half.
Speaker 1:Yeah, two and a half years ago and this building that we're in was part of the courier times yes, which is the newspaper in newcastle which still exists, yes, and, like in a lot of communities like Newcastle or Richmond, they're not printing their own paper anymore, but they still have a small, I guess, presence within the community, which still exists in this building. Yes, but it was scaling down quite a bit. Yes, you know, like where we're at now used to be where the printing presses were correct, so you saw this build. How did this building come up for your interest in maybe being invested into it initially?
Speaker 2:Yeah, great question and Kyle York's a younger man who I'd done some coaching helping buy a business, and so we started looking to buy a building downtown. I love this Courier Times building because when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s there was 100 people here. It was 24-7 paper boys and some girls. It was just full of activity and life. And I love the building because it's somewhat different. It was built in 1962 and so we started looking at it about four years ago. Okay, and there was some negotiations around environmental concerns from the Inc here and it took about a year to work those out. But that's where my interest and love of this building and my vision and goal was to bring this building back to life, where there's people like yourself and Manpower, kim Colleen, people coming in and out of this building all the time.
Speaker 1:So that's part of how I met Duke is that Manpower. We opened up an office looking for a place to put an office and we were introduced to the hub, which is this building, and we found a really great place that we're very happy with. As far as our office. Tell us about all the. I mean there's more. I mean Ink and Ale is, at the time of recording this, about three weeks old. Yes, so, and this takes up some significant space. Yes, but there's other businesses in this building as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we now have in the hub. First, I got to give credit, that name came from our Main Street leader. Director Kerry Barrett actually came up with the hub name and it stuck. Kerry Barrett actually came up with the hub name and it stuck. And we now have 10 businesses in here, from Whole Heart Communications, christy Regal, to a man who works remote in one office, the Courier Times. My son has the Press Coffee Shop.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:That's about a year and a half old now. Focal point another focal point coach has an office here. Village creations here.
Speaker 1:So village creations is like a boutique. Yeah, yeah, you call, okay, yes, and there's manpower, of course, manpower of course.
Speaker 2:And man. Is it great that Manpower would be interested in downtown Newcastle. That's how much downtown Newcastle has evolved. And last but not least, we actually have a tattoo artist in this building that does scheduled tattoos.
Speaker 1:I'm still working on my design before I get one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I haven't quite got one yet. You'll be the first to know because you'll see me in the chair.
Speaker 1:You really, from my experience with you, you really enjoy promoting the lifeblood of downtown Newcastle, if I'm saying that right, yes, and you have a lot of passion for business and what impresses me is that you have passion for your own businesses, but you're also a really good cheerleader for the other ones that you don't have anything to do with financially. You don't have any personal stock in it. So you know, tell us about some of those businesses and you know just what's going on in downtown New Castle that you're excited about, and some of that.
Speaker 2:Maybe some mention some of the businesses that have started up and that you're excited about and I really got excited about downtown New Castle really through I mentioned her before Kerry Barrett and the New Castle Main Street group. It's ale Main Street group. It's a national Main Street is a national organization and a lot of great work for years has been done through that Main Street organization. I've been fortunate enough to Thank you.
Speaker 1:A little free advertising, that's an incentive for us to finish this off really well.
Speaker 2:So I got involved, privileged enough to be on the board and current president of the board, but that's got me involved throughout the historic district, which is very important in downtown Newcastle and so many new vibrant businesses, like Kai's Creation Bistro just started across the street. Great food, great partnerships. Blue River Taproom a little over a year ago down at 11th and Broad. 1822, dance Studios, now downtown. Primo's been downtown for seven or eight years now, I believe, but there's just so many CJ's candy I'm going to forget a lot, right.
Speaker 1:And forgive us for not plugging everybody. It's not intentional. Yes, yes, 65-year-old brain.
Speaker 2:I understand, but there's so much energy downtown. We've got a $2 million preserving grant through the state and okra department in at the state level, and so also I have to thank the city, the mayor of the county there's so many people to thank and the business owners and building owners who have taken the risk to step up. There's also been grants available through our redevelopment corporation. I can go on and on, as you owners who have taken the risk to step up. There's also been grants available through our redevelopment corporation. I can go on and on. As you can tell, I can ramble on and on about all of it.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, we opened up our office at kind of early winter last last year. We kind of waiting for the spring to kind of have our grand opening, which our open house, which was actually just yesterday. But I've just been impressed with just the spirit of people encouraging us. You're a great cheerleader, but there's other people that are like you that want to see businesses succeed, and we kind of had a number of what we hoped would show up yesterday, and way more than that showed up, you know and and uh, so that was super encouraging. And it's tough starting a new business, you know and and you kind of want the spigot to turn on right away and it just doesn't work that way and uh. But uh, yesterday was kind of a reinforcing moment for us that we were really happy with the decision to come here and and we have a lot of really high hopes for having an office, you know, here in Newcastle.
Speaker 2:And Michael, I want to give you a very shameless and well-deserved plug for Manpower, because our general manager for Ink and Ale Brewhouse, brandy, came through Manpower and she is fantastic and we owe that and lots of gratitude to you and Kim and Colleen and everybody involved. She's fantastic.
Speaker 1:So I mean we've covered a lot of stuff. It seems like we've just been rolling right along, but I guess, kind of wrapping things up, kind of what are you excited about right now? That's going on, or even looking just a little bit further, what are some of the things that you're excited about for next year, because we're almost through the halfway point of this year already.
Speaker 2:Can you believe we're already there? Time flies. Obviously continued development. Hopefully we can develop. A couple of the bigger, older buildings downtown Kind of on my radar right now, just from a community viewpoint in Henry County become involved, involved. There is a building built out in Memorial Park and it's been called the Expo building. We're not changing the name to the 4-h Center okay, because that's more accurate. And getting that bill, getting the old Sears building bought from that organization and hopefully develop.
Speaker 1:There's a couple other buildings involved with that and obviously growing the the businesses uh, in downtown newcastle and especially we need people to come out and support all these different uh businesses in the downtown area and also just throughout the whole community. Yes, yes, I appreciate you coming on today. Is there anything else that maybe we didn't hit on that you think would be noteworthy for our followers?
Speaker 2:Well, I think the biggest thing is there's some axe throwing over there, michael. Okay, if you want to throw an axe, maybe you want to throw one at me or my picture as we go along.
Speaker 1:But thanks so much for having me here and thanks so much for you and manpower to be here in newcastle, indiana well, it's our pleasure and I'm glad you mentioned that, because, uh, this is quite a unique venue here this, this restaurant and and the vibe here and, uh, like duke mentioned, it's kind of unique. There's's ax throwing here and and he has a kind of a really cool golf simulator in here and there's a spot to kind of have a own little private little gathering if you want to here. So there's just lots of neat things in this, in this building here and in specifically in Econale. So, if you have a chance to Google Econale Newcastle and come and check out this place, it's just really cool.
Speaker 2:And I better add one more thing, not to cut you off, but I cut you off. I have eight different additional business partners in Incanale.
Speaker 1:This is very much a partnership that I play a very small part in yeah, so you're just one of a whole group of people who are totally invested in making this go, so I'm sure they appreciate hearing that and uh, so we're going to cut out by getting into our reward into this. Uh, what I understand is outstanding carrot cake. So as we sign off, we're going to take a little bite into here great idea and Michael. Awfully good.
Speaker 2:Oh, that is good, that is good. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, michael.
Speaker 1:Michael Allen from Manpower. We are a national brand, yet locally owned franchise. We are familiar with the challenges businesses face. It's tough recruiting and retaining qualified employees. That's why working with Manpower is a smart, cost-effective solution. Our entire focus is talent acquisition. We'll manage your hiring and training and provide ongoing, customized support. Since 1966, we have been your community-infested partner, uniquely positioned to help eliminate the hassles and save you time and money. Let us help. Contact Manpower today.