State honors firms

INDIANAPOLIS — Three Seymour businesses were honored for longevity and community service at the Statehouse on Wednesday during the annual Governor’s Century and Half Century Business Awards ceremony.

Gov. Mitch Daniels presented representatives of Graessle-Mercer Co. Inc. with a Century Award and Kovener’s Korner Ice Cream Store and Pardieck’s Inc. with Half Century Awards.

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and Mitch Roob, secretary of commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., joined Daniels in honoring all of the Indiana companies for their commitment to the state.

“Simply speaking, building a business takes drive, business acumen and sometimes a little luck. Building a successful company which spans decades and generations, however, is a truly special accomplishment. It is my honor to recognize Hoosier entrepreneurs who have left permanent marks on their communities through their homegrown enterprises,” the governor said.

The Governor’s Century and Half Century awards honor Indiana businesses that have remained in operation for 100 or 50 years or more and have also demonstrated a history of community service. More than 1,300 companies from across Indiana have been recognized during the 19-year history of the awards.

uGraessle-Mercer Co. Inc. was founded in 1904 as The Graessle Calendar Co., a maker of perpetual calendars. The firm soon discovered its niche making college yearbooks. The family owned company now offers a range of publication and commercial print services and products, including annual reports, catalogs and magazines.

uKovener’s Korner Ice Cream Store was founded in 1949 in a former Seymour gas station as Jackson County’s first soft-serve ice cream store. For the next 40 years, all the ice cream flavors and products — including its chocolate malt — were mixed and made in the store. In almost every respect, the business has remained unchanged in 60 years.

uPardieck’s Inc. started as a farm implement sales and service company in Seymour in 1948. The company transitioned into residential heating and cooling sales and service work in the late 1950s and then expanded into commercial HVAC sales and service. The company is the oldest York furnace dealer in Indiana and is now focused on the designing, building and re-engineering of HVAC systems for churches in south central Indiana.

Nominated by individuals or organizations within the same community, the Governor’s Century and Half Century awards honor Indiana’s well-established companies and their outstanding contributions to the economic growth and prosperity of the state, according to the IEDC.