Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
From Main Streets to industrial parks, entrepreneurs can be found in every corner of Indiana, taking risks with bold startups and adapting their businesses to changing needs.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation released its 2025 Entrepreneurship Indiana Yearbook Nov. 20, spotlighting Hoosiers driving the state’s economic momentum.
Several entrepreneurs from the Radius Indiana region are featured in the yearbook. They include a pretzel company that dates back to 1858 and an ice cream business started when the owner was still in high school. These businesses represent Orange, Dubois and Greene counties.
The entrepreneurs were invited to an unveiling of the 2025 yearbook earlier this week in Indianapolis, where Gov. Mike Braun welcomed and saluted the entrepreneurs for turning ideas into enterprises.
“Entrepreneurship is more than a pathway to economic prosperity — it’s the embodiment of freedom, creativity and hope,” he said.
Three of the profiled business owners are from Dubois County.
“Dubois County has a long and proud history of entrepreneurship, and these three businesses are outstanding examples of that tradition. Huntingburg Mechanical, Mom Water, and Tell City Pretzels have each grown into industry leaders while staying rooted in the values and work ethic that define our region,” said Angie Sanchez-Hostetter, executive director of the Dubois County Chamber of Commerce. “Their innovation, resilience, and commitment to excellence continue to move Dubois County – and Indiana – forward.”
Here are a few excerpts from the profiles in the 2025 Entrepreneurship Indiana Yearbook.
Battery Innovation Center – Greene County
Launched in 2013, the BIC is shaping the future of energy storage. The BIC’s mission is built on three pillars: early stage development of advanced batteries, battery testing and evaluation and workforce development and education. Over the past five years, the BIC has trained more than 1,500 people through its foundational familiarization class.
BIC President and CEO Les Alexander told the IEDC that Applied Research Institute, Energy Systems Network and Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane and Purdue University are among the partners that have contributed to the center’s continued growth and success.
Huntingburg Mechanical Inc. – Dubois County
In 2024, the Kerstiens family purchased an HVAC and plumbing company to add to the family’s homebuilding and integrated property management company, Premier Property Management in Jasper.
In the IEDC’s profile of Huntingburg Mechanical, President Ruger Kerstiens said in the first year alone, revenue exceeded expectations by 42% and is on track to increase by another 20% this year.
Hometown Scoops – Orange County
Sadie Padgett was 11 when she made her first sale selling frozen yogurt at a dirt bike race. By the time she graduated from Orleans High School, Sadie had opened a walk-up ice cream shop in downtown Orleans and added a 30-foot trailer. With help from her father Larry and other family members, she manages 15 employees from March to September. In 2023, the state named her an ice cream ambassador and she traveled to St. Louis and Louisville.
This year Hometown Scoops launched ice cream Advent calendars, which have been a hit with customers. The business also started a walking group to promote the Monon South Trail, which runs through Orleans.
Mom Water – Dubois County
Sales of Mom Water have exploded since the brand launched in 2021, growing from sales of 38,000 cases a year to selling 1 million cases a year. Jill and Bryce Morrison started Mom Water – a fruit-infused vodka water, as an alternative to carbonated, sugary drinks. Their products are now sold in 40 states. Based in Ferdinand, the continued growth has allowed the Morrisons to quit their day jobs and focus on Mom Water, which recently introduced a new line, Dad Water, a tequila-infused drink.
Tell City Pretzels – Dubois County
Sandy and Brad Smith got into the pretzel business when Sandy couldn’t find Brad’s favorite snack in the store. After learning Tell City Pretzels had stopped production, the Smiths decided in 2009 to resurrect this iconic Indiana business that was founded in 1858. They soon learned that Tell City Pretzels had legions of fans.
Sandy shared with the IEDC the business has grown from a six-foot chest freezer to a 2,000 cubic foot walk-in freezer. Brad told the IEDC the couple took their biggest risk in 2022 when they added a soft pretzel. The risk has paid off. Today, Tell City Pretzels are sold in pubs, stadiums and restaurants.
