Speaker 1:
Welcome back to another episode of our community. I'm your host, alfredo Diamond. I'm here with a special guest today. Co-president BNF Plastics, justin Scheiben. Justin welcome. Hey, good morning. Thanks for having me on, man, it's a pleasure. I'm so excited to have you here. I got some questions I've always wanted to ask you and looking forward to sharing it now on this podcast, so awesome man, let's just jump right into it. You know, tell me, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:
Sure, yeah, Born and raised here in Richmond, Indiana. I'm a Red Devil. Yeah, Went off to college, went to Manchester College for four years and then came back here. My wife and I did the same. Jody came back here and got into you know. Our careers got started, got married. We have two kids, Carson and Caitlin. They're both going to seat in Catholic here in Richmond, Indiana, right now and just sort of, you know, establish ourselves back here in Richmond.
Speaker 1:
Now at Manchester. What did you major in there?
Speaker 2:
So business and accounting.
Speaker 1:
Okay, yep, okay. And then what brought you back to? To this area.
Speaker 2:
So you know, just being being from here coming back to Richmond Richmond holds a special place in in you know my heart families here, you know that's a big thing and just to be a part of this community we really love and enjoy being back here in Richmond.
Speaker 1:
Okay, what was it like off at Manchester? Have you noticed any resemblance in that area versus our area?
Speaker 2:
So it, north Manchester, Indiana, reminds me of like in Oxford, ohio, real small town, college town. So it really really couldn't compare it to I guess you can consider Richmond, a bigger city than than there. So it was more rural, you know, not a lot of things to do. If you wanted to do anything you had to go to Fort Wayne or something like that. But small, small school, small town, feel so it was nice, so so when you came back, what, what were you into?
Speaker 1:
I mean what did you go right into the workforce? I mean, what did you do?
Speaker 2:
So, yeah, so I had started along in landscaping service back as soon as I could start driving and I had family members sort of run that while I was away and then I always had a summer job when I came back and actually I kept that long business for almost 15 years. So that brought me back, got me started. You know, I could get a paycheck right right out of college, right. And then I got into some sales and actually started at BNF Plastics doing sales out of college. Yeah, so I'm there. I worked there for a short stint and then got out and got in. You know, I dabbled in some restaurants, got into law enforcement for a short period of time, for three years, and then actually had the opportunity to go back to BNF Plastics.
Speaker 1:
So you know we got something coming. I'm really, I'm really passionate about sales. I did not know that you were in sales and you spent how long in sales.
Speaker 2:
So, gosh, I've been in sales right since I've been out of college. Wow, pretty much.
Speaker 1:
So there was already a connection there with BNF Plastics. I was trying to put all that together. Okay, we'll come back. Come back to that in a little bit. So, when you think about our community, what are a couple of your favorite things about this community that attracted you?
Speaker 2:
So it's Small enough, but big enough, if that makes sense, right, I can tell you. I had a customer in this week and he's from Atlanta, georgia, and he, you know I pick him up. It's a 30 minute drive from the Dayton Airport, right, we go through the east side of town and he's just looking around. He's like, gosh, you got everything you guys need here, right, you know. And he's asking me the population how big? And we're driving through the different neighborhoods in the areas, just showing him around, and I get to my office and he's looking. I said yeah, I said I can, I can walk, go get my haircut. I have all these, you know, lunch options I could walk to. And and he was asking me how long it takes to get every rest. I said 10 minutes. He said so you have all of this 10 minutes from your office. Yeah, I said absolutely yeah. I said that's why I love about this small town, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
And you know, as I'm showing clients and meeting clients, I want to relocate here and things like that. And this one, one of the things people don't realize is that we I call it like a hub location. Yeah, you can take it, you can live here, take advantage of our, our, our lower property taxes, the amenities we do have here, but you're only 45 minutes from Dayton yeah Hour, from Andy hour, and 15 from Cincinnati. You can have that, that larger city lifestyle, and still come back here and enjoy, enjoy this.
Speaker 2:
Exactly yeah, I feel like it's a very attractive location, yeah.
Speaker 1:
So you know you think about this area and so a couple of things. Like you have any favorite spots you like to go to. Like if, if you could talk to someone that's thinking about moving here, like your, your ideal day you get off work, you know what would you might do for dinner or a date or something like that. Right, well, I think you have tons of options.
Speaker 2:
It depends on, you know, if you want to go to a sports bar or you want to go, you know, find Italian or a little bit more upscale restaurant, you have all of those options here, right yeah. Or if you just want to hit a normal chain, you know we have multiple restaurant franchise chains around here. You know there's a lot to do. There's, you know, multiple gym options, multiple golf courses. You know, for this small town, you know you, you have Erlum College here, you have IUE, you have Ivy Tech. I mean a lot of small towns don't have all these different options here.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
And and it's, they're a gym.
Speaker 1:
Hey, you're making a great guess here. You're going right into the next segment here, where I'm going to jump right into our, our Rose City, hot and ready, cold and steady.
Speaker 2:
Sure.
Speaker 1:
We'll have a little bit of fun. Justin, you've already mentioned several locations, but just for those out there. So how this works is kind of like a just a little game. I'm going to just rattle off, you know, like a like a topic, and you tell me what comes to mind first, or a few different options. You tell me which one stands out to you and talk about why. Sure, okay, so the first one. You know we've got several parks in this area. What's what's part comes of mind and why.
Speaker 2:
You know I grew up Glen Miller. You know, when I was a kid they had a zoo there, yeah, so I remember that.
Speaker 1:
We were young, very young, very young.
Speaker 2:
So you know that's the first park that would stick out my mind. Definitely go there. It's peaceful, you know you can take your kids to the playground. You can rent out shelters. You know you can go hang out by the pond. You know there's tennis courts there. You know just the scenery, being able to walk around it and the history of it, right, and it's. It's just a really nice place to go, peaceful place to go. Yeah, go for a run.
Speaker 1:
I don't know if you can fish there still or not, but you used to be able to fish in a pond, yeah, so all right. So if you had to change to get dinner, where would you go?
Speaker 2:
Well, like I mentioned earlier, you have so many different options. My kids love like Texas Roadhouse, I'm more of a Italian gallows guy old Richmond Inn for fine dining. You know Red Front's the new popular spot If you want to go watch games. That's been sort of our go-tos.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, you know I'm new at golfing and I suck, but I love it. There's nothing like being out there and you know it's just peaceful. You were with your friends and making some new connections and you know it may have a couple of beers, something like that. I'm falling in love with it. How long have you been in golfing?
Speaker 2:
Oh gosh, I try.
Speaker 1:
How long have I been trying?
Speaker 2:
to golf. Yeah, yeah, probably maybe 12, 13 years, something like that, really picked up the club. I was more of a baseball, basketball, football guy growing up, but I have a. Our son, carson, is just eight up with golf. So, yeah, he plays a lot and he's already beating me, so it's which doesn't say a lot, but you know it does for a 13 year old kid.
Speaker 1:
We got several golf course here, so what's one comes to mind for you?
Speaker 2:
So you know we play a lot at the Elks and Four Steals Country Club. So you know I consider the Elks. You know if you want a game, you go out there. They have, you know, a lot of play out there. You can go out there with your buddies. It's a little bit more wide open, it's long, but definitely go out there and have a good time. They have a nice place to hang out. And then you know, if you want a challenge you go to Four Steals. Yeah, If you definitely want to challenge. But you know the course was built in 1927 at Four Steals and so you know there's a lot of trees and a lot of hills, right, so it's a but it makes it fun and interesting. So I would say you know I play there a lot and we go up to Highland. Yeah, you know Highland's a nice place, it's really grown.
Speaker 1:
We got several golf. I mean you got Cambridge City Liberty. I mean you got five or six golf courses within 20, 30 minutes.
Speaker 2:
Exactly yeah, Lots of options around here.
Speaker 1:
Are you in the pizza? I'm a big pizza guy, as you can tell Do you eat pizza, oh yeah, what would you recommend for a good pizza?
Speaker 2:
Oh, gosh, you got to go with Macarius. Yeah, that's our go-to spot. And then, you know, right up there with Pizza King. You can't go wrong with Pizza King. Everyone that leaves town always comes back and goes. You know, we have relatives in Florida who every time they come back we go straight to Claire's Pizza King.
Speaker 1:
Hey, yeah, I had an uncle that would freeze them and ship them back to Texas. Uh-huh, he had to have his Pizza King. Sure, we've got several colleges around here, you know, you know, you got you think of Erlum, ivy, tech, iu, east. Are you partial? Or anyone, or what comes anyone of those come to mind to you?
Speaker 2:
Well, you know, my wife's a graduate of Erlum. She went off to Albion for a couple years and then came back and finished her degree at Erlum. So you know we're still involved with some alumni events and certain things there. Iu East I got some dual credit when I was in high school there so I went there for, you know, a semester. And then Ivy Tech we've been fully involved with, you know, chad Bolzer up there.
Speaker 2:
He and Brady Jackson yeah they get us involved up there and we just love what they're doing and you know, being Ivy Tech and what we do at B&F, we can work together on certain things and certain projects, and so that's really helped out a lot.
Speaker 1:
So what are a couple of projects or one in particular you're working on right now that you could share with us?
Speaker 2:
So just Within our organization, we're in the process of just updating all of our equipment, trying to get the most efficiency out of what we have right now. We're looking at purchasing some new equipment to get into some newer markets. So that's exciting, right, and maybe expand our business a little bit. But first things first is we're just trying to be the most efficient with what we have right now. We have 120 employees and we're running three shifts most of those lines, seven days a week right now.
Speaker 1:
You have any positions open now.
Speaker 2:
So we do and it's kind of all over the board, I'd say. A few years ago we were really struggling, but I feel like we have a really good core of people right now, a great team, and so we've been very fortunate in that aspect.
Speaker 1:
Now I have an idea, but I want to know from you what exactly is B&F and what do they do there.
Speaker 2:
We started in the mid 80s as a sign and graphics company and like your real estate signs and things like that, and then slowly over time got into the extrusion business where we started doing about 15% of our businesses. Your truck mudflaps that you see going down the road on Simi's. So yeah, we make them out of rubber and plastic. And then we also, you know, we hot stamp the company logos on the flaps as well.
Speaker 1:
Oh wow, oh wow. And so you have. Is there like stiff regulations. You got to stay with work within. How was that stuff?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and it's pretty standard. Yeah, it's industry wide. And then we're also into gosh. You know, what's nice about us is we don't have all of our eggs in one basket. We're pretty spread out in the different markets. Whether it's RV automotive, you know we sell into retail. Or you know wall paneling and things like that we sell to. You know guys who are out there just routing parts out, thermo forming parts. You know we sell a lot through distribution throughout the country. So we have hundreds and hundreds of customers that are selling our sheet, stocking our sheet, and it's just a business that we've continued to grow over the years.
Speaker 1:
Wow and I look forward to continuing seeing you grow. You're doing some amazing things. I know you've got a partnership and working with Kevin in there. What marketing and website design things like that. It's just so cool to see that. I'm so sick. Cool to see that for you man. You've always been a solid dude with me. Cool dude man.
Speaker 2:
I was just thinking. I said gosh, we probably go back to middle school, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Seeing where you are. You know, and I think I'm probably I'm probably a year older than you. It's inspiring man, so I'm very proud of you Once you know that Well, thank you. Same back to you. Thank you, bro, and so so let's I'm excited Like I can't wait let's jump into that. So how did I see the connection? Now? You were in sales in your, you know, in prior role before BNF did a couple of other things, had an opportunity, I would imagine. How did this come about co-president being in plastic so sure?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, when I went back to BNF plastics approximately 13 years ago, I was really good friends with the new owner. He had bought the owner from the previous person and so I got involved. You know it was tough for me to. You know I had just started a career in life I was in law enforcement for three years and he had an opportunity to purchase the company. We talked and, you know, asked if I would come back and do sales again, and so I jumped right in and then, a few years later, I was slowly working my way up as far as getting some ownership stake and into the company and then, unfortunate set of circ*mstances, he passed away a couple of years ago and then so Mike Hager and I bought the company from the estate.
Speaker 1:
Wow, so, with the entrepreneurial spirit that I have and you know my average is where I want to go I want to know. So I mean, how much was this sale? I mean how much does he have to raise? And I mean, are you okay with that? Like I really want to know. It's a lot. Yeah, I probably can't. Where does his money come from?
Speaker 2:
I probably can't, you know, get into the details of that. We had already been in the process of buying out the company, okay. And then, so you know, we had a buy-sell agreement and things like that. So you know, with us it was just a matter of you know, he knew the future of the company and knew that we were going to take it over eventually, right? So when it all came about, it just made sense. We had established good relationships with our, with our bankers, our attorneys, everything. So it was, you know, pretty cut and dry situation. You know unfortunate situation. You know nothing that was planned or anything like that. You know.
Speaker 2:
But we, just Mike and I, we've just grown the company In the last 13 years probably, yeah, three or four times from where it was, and it's just a matter of it. We always joke about it. You know, mike comes from the manufacturing side, I've come from the sales side, so we make a great team, right, and it's just because I don't know how to say no and I always joke about that. If you were to call in and ask me, you know, for something, I I say yes, and then I take it to Mike and production and say, can we do this and they're like no, and I'm like well we gotta figure it out, right.
Speaker 2:
And that's it. That's that seems to be kind of how we've grown our business and and that's what's nice, and, like I said, you know being in so many different markets say you know automotives down, it seems like another market just picks up and makes up for it, and that's that's where we've seen our growth and continue to.
Speaker 1:
You know, grow together, build together, wow we can talk about growth, we talk about some of your partnerships with the community and give them back. So what are any specific organizations that BNF is, you know, kind of taken to that they, they have, they kind of help support?
Speaker 2:
I mean sure, yeah, kind of dab on a lot. We try to support anything and everything. I've really tried to focus on our employees and what they're involved with first, but we're a huge supporter. Girls in Cairntown, okay, shout out, girls ain't yeah they're doing a great job out.
Speaker 2:
You know down there and everything that they're doing and we love to, you know, support what they're doing there. We're involved with the Blue Angel Fund and the Blue Angel funds through Richmond Police Department and so we raised money. John Meredith and I started this a few years ago to where we raise between 10 $15,000 a year with a group of other business leaders to help officers when they're out in the field and they see a need. You know whether they're at a house or something or need to you know get a hotel room for somebody, that there's a checking account there that they can use funds from. You know whether it's feeding a family or doing anything that they see a need for out in the community and they go through it, which is great. So we, every year we have raised money.
Speaker 2:
We just yeah, we just recently Todd Barker, who was longtime Sheriff's Deputy on the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, is now at Indiana University Police Department.
Speaker 2:
We he called me and said, hey, I know you, I know you do a lot with police departments and he said I know you love dogs, right? So he said we're starting this therapy dog program and you know, within Indiana University, you know you want to come up and meet Officer Skibbin and her canine therapy dog, honey, and so we went up there. Yeah, so we went up there and met and I said, you know what, I'll get a group of business leaders again together and we met at my office and she did a present, officer Skibbin did a presentation for us, and so we raised just short, I think, $7,000 for her to help her program build to where eventually you know I use could have their own therapy dog, and so the more we get the word out on that program and you know what she's doing it in and I think it really helps. I mean it just her explaining the service calls and in how much, you know, the students and the staff benefit from just her being on the campuses, you know, across the state has really been beneficial, and so that's a program that I think we want to get involved with and really help out, and I believe she's coming here yeah, you're at 14.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so, kevin, you're connected, you'll learn a little bit more about her and what and what she's doing. So we're anxious to hear that and get the word out about her program.
Speaker 1:
I'm excited about that, one of things. Gonna be a fun show as well, thank you. Thank you for that connection there too. So I want to backtrack a second. So the Blue Angel Fund can you is there any examples that come to mind that you can kind of share any stories or yours is like man, this is why I'm a part, this is why I want our company to support this. Like, do you have any specific examples or stories to take out the mind where you know the funds went to work and helped our family?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, so I think it originally started when, with Officer John Lackey, who's retired now, he was on an accident scene where I believe a mom had passed away and it was right before Christmas and she had four or five kids right and so they didn't have Christmas presents, so they took those funds and bought Christmas presents for for all the kids, because you know, they had just lost their mother and a horrible vehicle accident. Special.
Speaker 2:
Yeah yeah, and so you know it. Just it comes around and it's more about community policing as well. You see some kids out riding their bikes around the Dairy Queen by a ice cream cone or something. You know it's. You know, it's just all about the community policing side of things.
Speaker 1:
Could you share a memorable moment or experience from your involvement in the community?
Speaker 2:
Um, as far as gosh, there's so many I you know, just being a part of this community and being involved. You know I try to make myself available or, you know, interact with everyone, all kinds of organizations, whether it's different events or different outings and stuff. So I can't think of one that comes to mind specifically, but you know you may be able to. You've probably been at some of those as well.
Speaker 1:
Do you have any advice you would give someone that's that's on the outside looking in like they don't know where it started? Hey, I need to. I want to make a difference in the life of kids or a nonprofit Any advice you would give somebody that they can jump in and help her?
Speaker 2:
Oh gosh, you know you have so many organizations tonight I don't really want to name one specifically because you know, because they're all great. I mean, gosh, like I mentioned, girls Inc already in the Boys and Girls Club and everything that they're doing right now in the community. And then you have, you know, like Habitat, which is another great organization and what they're trying to do, and you know, dan Girls, over there now and he's trying to build everything that's going on there. You know there's just so many nonprofits around here that are trying to do you know circle, you hope center. I mean, if you ever get a chance to take a tour down there, my goodness, you know to to understand how many people they are feeding on a daily basis and you know the different connections and you know the donations that they receive. You know is huge in this community.
Speaker 1:
You're definitely involved in the community and it shows and the company, your company, and support the growth of your company and you and some of the organizations you name, you know. With all that in mind, you know you think about our community. Where would you like to see all this go or head in the next five years? Where can you see?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I mean, I think we need to continue to grow and I think we need to figure out what our youth is interested in, what you know. Do we need to bring tech companies to town? Do we need to bring engineering companies to town? How can we keep our youth here in Richmond, indiana? I think that's our first thing right, trying to figure out to where we can grow this population. You know, you drive through this town. I mean it's a gym, right, I mean, and everyone says, you know, talks about what it used to be, or continue to grow it. You look at the depot. If you look at downtown now, look at what we're doing, and you know the people that want to support it. And you know, I would just love to see this town continue to grow.
Speaker 1:
Right now and where things are headed. You know I'm putting on the spot here just okay, but everybody's in the hot seat here. So when you think about our community and if you can give it a report card, a letter grade A through F, what letter grade would it be and why?
Speaker 2:
You know I'm not trying to call out any city officials, or, or, you know, really get after anybody, because I think you could go. If you talk about, you know, all the nonprofits and everyone that's involved in boards and stuff, you, you, you'll go with an A right. But then you know, if you want to talk construction or road closures or something, then you want to you know take that down a little bit. No, I, I love the growth, you know. Let's just say a, b right now. Okay, if that's fair enough.
Speaker 2:
And there's opportunity to improve. It's fair, but it's not bad, right yeah.
Speaker 1:
You're not right in the middle there. Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 2:
Very fair response yeah.
Speaker 1:
So you know, wrapping up Justin, and even great to have here today. So you think about you, know anyone that's your day to day life, supporting you. Is there anyone out there that you wanna give a shout out to? An organization, family friend? Co-worker staff member, you know.
Speaker 2:
Definitely have to give a shout out to my family, my wife, jody, and two kids you know mentioned earlier, carson and Caitlin. They keep us busy. Carson's involved with golf and basketball, as I mentioned, and then Caitlin's heavily involved in horses. She rides quarter horses, so that keeps us busy on the weekend. Back to my wife she's a fourth generation owner of her business Dwyer Family Memorials Shout out to Jody.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, that's here in town. And then you know my team at BNF. If it weren't for my whole team at BNF, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. I depend on a lot of people there and in the seven day work week sometimes and the long hours and the things that we do and the travel, you know, it all comes together and I'm proud of the team there.
Speaker 1:
Wow, that's awesome, man. Again, you're a great dude. I'm glad you were able to take time on your busy schedule to meet with me today. Oh yeah. I appreciate that, buddy I'm glad I got to hear your side of the stories and, man, I just wish you continued success and keep growing your business and growing yourself.
Speaker 2:
Same to you. I appreciate it. Thank you, man, thank you, thank you. I'll see you next time.
