A Business Brief in the Sept. 18 edition of The Voice-Tribune listed local companies that are finalists in Martha Stewart’s 2014 American Made Competition. Three companies were omitted: Art Eatables, Bourbon Barrel Foods and Misc. Goods Co. More information on the companies and voting is available at marthastewart.com/americanmade.
Robin Miller Announced as New Main Street Association Executive Director
The Main Street Association has announce that Robin Miller has been hired to serve as the Executive Director for the organization. Carol Hensley will retire after serving for 14 years as the Executive Director.
Miller has over 15 years of diverse experience with several local organizations. Her career in the local community has included working at the Home of the Innocents, The Kentucky Science Center, and the Advertising Federation of Louisville, among others.
Miller and Hensley will co-lead the Main Street Association until the end of 2014, at which time Carol will fully retire.
The Main Street Association is a collective voice that promotes and advocates the uniqueness of the neighborhood and the diverse historic, commercial, cultural, residential, and educational assets of Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky.
To support its numerous services and events, The Main Street Association sponsors the annual Progressive Dinner, held this year on Oct. 10. This event showcases new and “happening” places on the Main Street Corridor; each location is paired with one of the four courses of fine food and drink. Tickets are available on line at www.mainstreetassociation.com.
Planet Fitness Announces Plans For Middletown Location
Planet Fitness has announced that plans are underway to add a seventh Kentuckiana location in Middletown.
The new health and fitness facility will extend Planet Fitness’ footprint into Eastern Jefferson County at the corner of Shelbyville Road and Urton Lane. Construction plans are pending, but project managers believe the club will be open approximately April 1, 2015.
The Middletown location is expected to be approximately 23,000 square feet and will be open and staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The club is expected to employ four to eight full-time workers and 16-20 part-time team members.
The Louisville franchise also operates Planet Fitness clubs at 7450 Jefferson Blvd.; 3560 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy.; 5138 Dixie Hwy. (scheduled to open Jan. 2015); 3181 Central Ave. (scheduled to open Early 2015); 516 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN and 3527 Grant Line Rd., New Albany, IN.
Founded in 1992 in Dover, N.H., Planet Fitness is now the fastest-growing full-size health club franchise in the United States, and has revolutionized the industry with a combination of extremely low prices and a unique, friendly, and hassle-free environment called the Judgement Free Zone.
Volunteers Needed For Festival of Trees & Lights
Volunteers are needed for the 2014 Festival of Trees & Lights, to be held Nov. 14-16 at Slugger Field.
Individuals must be at least 14 years old to volunteer. Positions will be assigned at time of check-in. Multiple shifts are available each day.
Volunteers are needed in the following areas:
Nov. 10 – 12: event set-up – assist in setting up festival exhibits
Nov. 14 – 16: greeters – greet attendees and take admission tickets; children’s activities – set up, tear down and assist kids with activities; Sweet Shop, Secret Santa, Sales Desk & Floor Sales – assist with sales
Nov. 17: Pick-up and delivery - help pack and deliver holiday items; event tear-down – assist in taking down festival exhibits
To volunteer, please sign up at childrenshospitalfoundation.volunteerhub.com.
A limited amount of trees and wreaths are still available for decoration. If you are interested in becoming a tree designer, complete an application at www.kosairchildrenshospital.com/treedesigners.
For additional questions, call 502.629.8060.
Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the neuroscience and neurosurgery program at Kosair Children’s Hospital.
Security Benefit Named to Top Life and Health Insurer Group
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company (SBL), a leader in the U.S. retirement savings market, has been named to the 2014 Ward’s 50 ® group of top performing life and health insurers.
The recognition honors SBL for achieving outstanding financial results in the areas of safety, consistency and performance over a five-year period (2009-2013).
Ward Group is a trusted leader of benchmarking and best practices services for the insurance industry. For the last 24 years, Ward Group has analyzed nearly 800 life health insurance companies in the United States on an annual basis and identified the top performers in each segment. Each of the top 50 companies is awarded the Ward’s 50 Seal, and the company names are listed as the Ward’s 50top performers for the year. Each Ward’s 50 company has passed all safety and consistency screening tests and achieved superior performance over the five years analyzed.
Security Benefit Life Insurance Company is a 122-year-old Kansas-based insurance company, which in recent years has become one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. retirement market. Through a combination of innovative products, exceptional investment management and a unique distribution strategy, Security Benefit has become a leader in a full range of retirement markets and wealth segments. To learn more about Security Benefit, visit www.securitybenefit.com.
Massage Envy Raises Over $600,000 to Arthritis Foundation on “Healing Hands For Arthritis Day”
The four Louisville-area Massage Envy Spas participated in the “Healing Hands for Arthritis Day” on Sept. 17, raising money for the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.
Clinics donated $10 for every service (massage/facial) hour that day. Massage Envy Spa nationally donated $603,148 from services alone.
Additionally, each clinic has been holding fund raising events for the past six months, including bake sales, raffling off gift baskets, playing Jenga for a dollar amount a pull and donations for chair massages.
The Springhurst clinic raised $4,600, and the St.Matthews clinic raised $2,100.