On July 18, 2019, Little Engine Ventures (“LEV”) acquired AgVenture D&M from Mike Davis and Mike Mullen. AgVenture was founded in 1983 in Kentland, Indiana. The regional seed business prioritizes product development, agronomic research and information systems to help farmers achieve maximize economic yield. “Our business is evolving to better serve farmers now and into Read more about Little Engine Ventures Acquires AgVenture D&M[…]
A blog post entitled “Spending Your Life” is probably a bit extreme. But what choice is more extreme than how you choose to allocate your time? Despite the fact we did not acquire a company this month, June 2019 has been a doozy. Maybe the tidal wave of ramifications caught up with me? Perhaps I Read more about Spending Your Life[…]
In stand up comedy and jazz, the participants act and react according to a few simple rules. (1) accept actions of the other contributors and (2) maintain rhythm. Perhaps there are other rules like staying around a particular topic or remaining in the same key, but generally those rifts are more akin to guidelines of Read more about Improvisation[…]
Local mead and cider maker to join neighborhood craft brewer. On May 20, 2019 New Day Craft merged with Fountain Square Brewery. Both brands established themselves in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, the brands ship packaged craft beers, meads, ciders, and spritzers across Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and most recently New York City. Read more about New Day Craft Merges with Fountain Square Brewery[…]
by Daryl B. Starr What is “capital allocation?” Why is understanding the first principles of this discipline important? Allow me to pontificate. Investment is a choice to bear uncertainty with an intention to realize a profit. The actions that proceed from this choice are allocation. Allocation is defined as resource assignment for a given purpose. Read more about Principles of Capital Allocation[…]
On May 9, 2019 the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC) awarded Little Engine Ventures (LEV) the Impact award for the Hoosier Heartland region. Monty Henderson, Regional Director, nominated the investment partnership for their role in preserving and growing small businesses in the region. LEV utilized the ISBDC to conduct market research on various industries Read more about Indiana Small Business Development Center Recognizes Little Engine Ventures for Impact[…]
Attending the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting was a bucket list item of mine. This year, I rented a house on VRBO and then figured out how to get there. What I learned was that waiting in line for two hours was near pointless… I still wound up in the second balcony. I also took Read more about Review of BRK AGM 2019[…]
Congruence is beautiful. Form and order your thoughts. Fix your beliefs and test. Set forth words and speak. Act in accord. Can these be ordered differently? Which comes first? Do you believe and then act? Or, do you begin acting, form a habit and begin to believe? What of your speech? Do you believe and Read more about Beliefs, Words, Actions[…]
I spoke with the matriarch of a family business yesterday. She received numerous mailers from Little Engine Ventures over the last couple of years. Eventually, she decided to explore further. She started by holding on to one as a reminder. She then surveyed her husband: “Dear, how would you rank your job satisfaction?” To which Read more about Uncertainty and Profit[…]
Little Engine Ventures (LEV) acquired 100% of Skydive Indianapolis from Indiana Skydive Center on April 19, 2019. Skydive Indy was founded and owned by Bob Dougherty. Dougherty launched the business more than 30 years ago from Greensburg, IN. The business was relocated to Frankfort, IN after a tornado hit the Greensburg airport. Skydive Indy is Read more about Little Engine Ventures acquires Skydive Indianapolis[…]