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Jo Ellen

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Real estate investment trusts buck slump predictions: REITs outperforming major stock market indexes so far this year; Simon, Duke and Kite doing well locally

For the second quarter, the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Composite Index posted a return of 13.52 percent, boosting its year-to-date return to 4.9 percent. For the quarter, that’s more than three times any of the other equity indicators, the highest of which, the Russell 2000, posted a 4.32-percent return. The Russell 2000 also has the second-highest year-todate returns at 5 percent. Real estate investment trusts are due for a downturn, according to many stock analysts, but they’ve…

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Safety Resources Inc.: Safety pays off for ex-engineer Clients look to local firm for training, advice

Clients look to local firm for training, advice Robert Baldwin repeatedly describes his business as keeping people safe and alive. At Safety Resources Inc., that translates to making sure workplace policies and practices meet or exceed government standards and clients’ employees are trained in the safest ways to work. That can mean anything from the proper operation of heavy construction machinery to the right floor wax to reduce slip-andfall accidents. After several years as a chemical engineer, Baldwin, 50, saw…

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Narrow Gate Media LLC: Brothers help others sell via the Web They’ve developed a template that can be tweaked to create unique sites

“People would always tell me I had the personality and social skills that made me a good salesman,” said Vaught, who, with his older brother Tim Vaught, founded Narrow Gate Media LLC in January 2000 in Indianapolis. For example, when Tom Vaught bought a motor scooter for his paper route, all his friends wanted to ride it, and he let them-in exchange for delivering the newspapers. “They got to ride the scooter and I still collected the money” from the…

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Jester Promotions LLC: Keeping promotions on the cutting edge Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise

Advertising specialty firm also always on the lookout for inexpensive merchandise Back in days of old, jesters were the eyes and ears of the power brokers. “They knew everything the king knew,” said Rick Atkins, co-founder of Jester Promotions LLC, a specialty advertising company. That’s the know-how Atkins said he brings to the table: up-to-the-minute knowledge about the latest trends in promotional activities and where his clients can get the best price for their items. He toyed with naming the…

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Heartland Golf Cars and Equipment Co.: Golf cars have become hot commodity Local firm has ridden the trend to profitability ram said. He credits solid financing at startup as key to the success of Heartland. To anyone interested in starting a business, he

ram said. He credits solid financing at startup as key to the success of Heartland. To anyone interested in starting a business, he advises, “Don’t go into it on a shoestring. You have to have a business plan and be committed to working long hours. It’s not only working harder, it’s the workmanship, too. It may sound like an old cliché, but it’s very true.” * Golf cars are no longer just for sport. These electric- or gasoline-powered cars may…

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