Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
INDIANAPOLIS – Patoka Lake Marina and Winery co-owners Stephen Bartels and Heather Setser were honored for their work in tourism with the Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award Monday.
The award was presented by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Destination Development Corporation during an awards presentation at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.
From beginning as a simple operation in 1998, and becoming a year-round destination today, Bartels and Setser consistently demonstrate extraordinary commitment to supporting Indiana tourism. Located in Dubois County, Patoka Lake Marina and Winery draws thousands of visitors each year to enjoy the beauty of southern Indiana.
Although they are running a business, Bartels and Setser have always held family close and treat their customers and employees as such.
“Tourism is an integral part of Indiana’s economy,” said Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Indiana is fortunate to have so many tourism venues like Patoka Lake Marina and Winery providing great opportunities to play and stay. Places and spaces are key parts of ‘quality of place,’ but it is our people that truly make Indiana a more attractive destination.”
After Patoka Lake Marina and Patoka Station were up and running, Bartels and Setser constructed floating cabins, the first of their kind in Indiana, and silo suites. They have since continued to expand, offering wine cruises in the summer and fall, opening Patoka Lake Winery in 2016, Patoka Lake Brewing Company this past September, breaking ground on a 28-room hotel and preparing to break ground on Old Homestead Distillery following the completion of the hotel before the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
“Our goal is to make this area year-round,” said Setser. “That’s been our goal since we first started. Everybody comes here to have a good time, and we want to help them with that and make memories, family memories.”
“Our employees are the key to our business,” said Bartels. “Our philosophy is we want to exceed people’s expectations. There are expectations when you come to a facility like ours, and if we can at least exceed them a little bit all the time, people are happy.”
“We are fortunate to have passionate people and business owners like Steve Bartels and Heather Setser in our region that continue to invest in our growing tourism landscape,” said Kristal Painter, COO of Discover Southern Indiana. “These investments not only provide additional assets that will draw visitors to our community, but they also provide jobs and quality of life opportunities. Their vision has turned Patoka Lake into a year-round destination which supports numerous other businesses in the three counties that the lake sits.”
About the Will Koch award
The Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award is presented annually and is the highest tourism honor given by the state. The award is named for the late Will Koch, long-time owner and president of Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.
Visit Indiana and the Koch family established the honor to pay tribute to Koch’s many meaningful contributions to tourism, business and society, recognize outstanding accomplishments in economic and community development through tourism and showcase the economic importance of Indiana’s tourism industry.
Nominations for the Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award are submitted by community leaders and members of Indiana’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry. A panel reviews submissions.