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Marathon Insurance Services
 An ECMC Success Story!

June 1, 2010--The Entrepreneur Center announces that Marathon Insurance Services has relocated to its new downtown location! After getting started at the ECMC, they recently purchased the office building at 218 West 4th Street in Michigan City to house their growing business.  They started out in a small office at the ECMC, which they quickly outgrew, and needed more space in the building.  When they outgrew that space they knew it was time to move on. "The Entrepreneur Center gave us the opportunity to develop our team and customer base. We were able to benefit from the resources provided by the Center and being there helped us create network for other services such as marketing and technology", said owner Linda McKinney. Marathon Insurance Services is an Auto, Home and Commercial insurance agency that represents a wide range of insurance companies ensuring that they provide the best coverage for you, your family or your business. Stop by their new location and let them show you how they can take care of all your insurance needs!


Cottage Connections moves from Entrepreneur Center to new Headquarters!!

                                     



May 1, 2010--Michigan City

The Entrepreneur Center Michigan City proudly announces that Cottage Connections has relocated from the Center to a new location at 113 York Street in Michigan City. This 6500+ sq ft facility was previously occupied by Collins Caviar Company.  Cottage Connections, owned by Cindy Scheuchner and Deanna French, is a full service property management company specializing in both vacation rentals and long term leases, and will be adding a new element to their business which will include catering through “Emma’s Eats.”


The company had been a tenant in the Center for two years and successfully grew to the point where they need more space. “The Entrepreneur Center gave us the opportunity and resources to get our company up and running. We are thrilled to be able to move into this new facility and would not have been able to do so without the support provided by the Center” said Cindy.


“On behalf of the Entrepreneur Center, we are proud to have been able to assist Cottage Connections during its first two years. This success story is a fine example of what the Entrepreneur Center can do to assist new and growing businesses in La Porte County. This success fulfills the purpose and mission of the Center.  We are looking forward to more of these successes in the near future” said Bob Schaefer, Executive Director.


Congressman Joe Donnelly Visits the Entrepreneur Center Michigan City

April 7, 2010--Michigan City


The Entrepreneur Center held a press conference for the Congressman to discuss the highlights of the jobs bill. 

Points in the job bill are:
  • All companies would be eligible for a tax credit for hiring a new worker in an economically distressed area.  All 12 Second District counties would qualify.
  • The job creation tax credit would refund 15% of new wage costs in 2010 and 10% of new wage costs in 2011.
  • “Economically distressed” would mean for employers in counties with an unemployment rate of 8.5% or higher (same threshold as states that receive extra unemployment benefits).
  • Available only to employers who expand the part of their payroll subject to Social Security tax, ensuring that workers aren’t laid off in order to hire new workers to obtain the credit.
  • Available quarterly in order to encourage quicker hiring.
  • Makes research and development tax credit permanent.
  • 50% bonus depreciation allows a business to invest in equipment and speed up its depreciation, allowing businesses to more quickly recover their capital expenditure costs.
  • Enhanced expensing allows small businesses to immediately write-off up to $250,000 in qualified investment for capital expenditures such as machinery, equipment, and business software.
  • Permanent extensions allows for stability in planning among companies.
  • China currency manipulation.
  • Co-sponsor of H.R. 2378, The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio.  H.R. 2378 which neutralizes the negative effects of misaligned foreign currency by allowing affected American industries seek remedies under current trade laws;
  • Uses publicly available data and methodologies to determine the misalignment in a transparent way;
  • Applies a fair and predictable standard for currency misalignment;
  • Creates an incentive for foreign governments to cease their unfair mercantilist trade practices and a deterrent against similar abuses in the future.
  • Original  cosponsor of H.R. 3308, The SAVE Act, introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina.  
  • The SAVE Act protects American jobs by expanding E-Verify.
  • The bill increases investigative abilities of ICE by employing more agents and makes grants available to certain local law enforcement agencies. The bill also expedites the processing and removal of illegal aliens by expanding detention capacity and increasing the number of Immigration Judges.
  • The bill utilizes new technology and infrastructure to secure the border and expands anti-smuggling enforcement programs.