APOLLO DESIGN TECHNOLOGY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Facilities Manager
- Facilities
"Baling hay and picking up rocks" on the family's farm were his earliest responsibilities - Ben Melvin has been well acquainted with hard work. His technical talent led him to a now 40-year career in the manufacturing sector and the position of Facilities Manager at Apollo Design Technology. Known for his uncanny knack of "making repairs to almost anything mechanical," he works hard to make it look easy. "I'm deliberate about the job I do," he explains. "I make sure the job is done in a timely fashion and done right."
Away from work, he can be found on his motorcycle or "chilling and grilling" at his home on the lake. Placing the utmost importance on "my faith and my family," Ben fully appreciates the joys of being a husband and father. "My family is the best," he says. "My wife is totally awesome in every category. We have identical twin daughters who have been an absolute blessing in every way to us." He also dotes on two small canine "lap companions" who are "totally opposite but exactly the same in so many ways."
Holder of an industrial maintenance degree from Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and a member of the Apollo team since 2003, he previously handled machine repair for a nationally known steelmaker. Not one for wasted motion, his career aspiration as a boy baling hay was to be "successful." Early on, he took to heart what he calls the best advice he ever received: "If you don't have time to do it right the first time, you don't have time to do it again."
Job Titles:
- IT Director
- Member of the Management Team
Back in the days of disco, long before there was a computer on every desk, much less a device in every hand, Bill Harrison was acquainted with the now-pervasive technology that has revolutionized business, personal interactions, the cultural landscape and everyday life. "I've been working with computers since 1979," he casually remarks. In other words, he was comfortable with arguably the greatest invention since the wheel before most of us could even imagine its implications. Today, as IT Director for Apollo Design Technology, Bill's job is to continue his work.
A member of the Apollo team since 1996, Bill is focused on "leveraging technology to help us be more efficient and processing data to help us make smarter decisions." With tongue firmly in cheek, Bill also claims to work magic. "When somebody calls me to check out something that isn't working, I find that it is magically fixed when I get there." He also has a disappearing act. He vanishes away from work and stays out of cell phone range on vacations, but his volunteer activity provides a clue to his whereabouts. Bill is with Acres Land Trust, "an organization devoted to preserving nature for us city folks to explore."
After studying computer science at Purdue University, Bill had two decidedly low-tech but characteristically "green" jobs in his pre-Apollo days. He worked on a mowing crew for a lawn care firm and was a bartender at an inn atop Vermont's Mount Equinox.
When she was a child, Brandi Hite dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Standing only five feet tall, she is the ideal size to tumble weightlessly within the compact confines of a space station for weeks and months on end. At the same time, she is deeply rooted on terra firma. Her nickname is simply "Mom," and her first job as a teenager was not in the starry void of space but watering plants and trees for a landscaping company. As a Customer Care Manager with Apollo Design Technology, Brandi brings both her grounded approach and skyward inclination to her work with our clients.
Proud of her strengths - "organization and determination" - Brandi aims to "get the job done the way it should be done" every day. Away from work, she says "being a great mother, wife, sister and daughter" are her priorities. "I can't stop talking about my boys and their playing baseball," she enthuses. You can find her "at the baseball diamond watching my boys play during the summer." As she puts it, "the best thing to spend with your children is time." In the fall and winter, the family - including two Labradoodles - huddles up to "watch the Indianapolis Colts and root for Indiana University Hoosier basketball."
Holder of a secretarial degree from International Business College, Brandi worked for a nationally known accounting firm before joining the Apollo team in 2000. Difficult to peg, this focused Customer Care Rep and devoted "baseball mom" is also a serious KISS fan!
"My motto is, ‘You bring the miracle and I make it happen,'" Brett says. "I want clients to think of me for any and all of their projects. The most rewarding part of my job is when I can hear the smile on the other end of the phone. That's when I know it was a job well done!" Brett joined the sales team at our company in 2000. He started selling in the late 1990s but claims, "I began my sales career from the time I left the womb. It's just my personality." Gregarious and "competitive, but in a friendly way," Brett muses that if fantasy were reality, "I would be a detective and one step ahead of everyone else."
Intense and active away from work, too, he can usually be found on a hiking or mountain bike trail, golf course or "hanging in my garage ‘man cave.' I love to keep in shape, so most days I'm throwing weights around or on the cardio machine." Winner of a citywide Fort Wayne table tennis tournament, Brett says, "I'm a sports junkie. I love playing and watching most sports, and I'm loyal to three teams, no matter how they perform year-to-year: the Indiana University Hoosiers basketball team, New York Yankees and Oakland Raiders."
Holder of a bachelor's degree in business administration from Indiana University and a supporter of the ACRES Land Trust, Brett's choice for the product that best combines design and functionality is Speed Stick® deodorant. He's a kidder and may be pulling our leg, but it's a well-observed if unusual selection.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Shipping Manager
Jeff Peterson, Shipping Manager for Apollo Design Technology since 1996, has a short, simple, highly effective work philosophy: "No mistakes." Jeff describes his better half as his "lovely wife" - a flowery compliment from such a taciturn man - and nothing gives him greater joy away from work than washing his car! He jokingly says he has a degree from "Ben & Jerry's Scoop U," describes mowing his lawn as his non-profit activity and says the best advice he ever received was "save your money." He's been doing that ever since his first job in a meat market.
Job Titles:
- Chief Innovation Officer
- Member of the Management Team
The view from 10,000 feet is a well-worn phrase denoting a high-level perspective. Many people claim to have a birds-eye view of the competitive landscape; Joel proves it, literally and figuratively as a private pilot and entrepreneur.
Joel and his wife Keersten started Apollo Design Technology®, Inc. in the basement of their home in 1992. It was a modest beginning that has grown into a triad of thriving start-ups. In addition to Apollo Design®, Joel owns Blue Pony, and AVID Labs®, LLC. All three companies boast first-rate talents.
Exercising his knack for change and looking at things differently, Joel's endeavors have won multiple awards for product innovation and customer service, as well as 5 patents.
Joel attended Purdue University and is an active member of his church community. He is a devoted husband and proud father of three sons and three grandchildren.
Joel shares, "Truly exceptional products balance on a knife's edge of design and functionality." A believer in the Golden Ratio and an admirer of Dieter Rams, he believes design and innovation are what drives success.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- President
An entrepreneurial free spirit, Keith says owning several businesses before joining our team at Apollo Design Technology, has enhanced his appreciation of the company's growth "from a dozen employees in a small, rented space to a well-staffed, mature corporation serving the world from its third facility." Keith feels his years as an ornamental blacksmith turned machine shop owner prepared him to face challenges "with imagination, gusto and perseverance." He is especially proud of the company's multiple Dealers' Choice Customer Service awards from the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). It was presented to Apollo Design from 1999 through 2006, every year it was available.
Keith does not rest on his laurels, however, on the job or raising his family. "I've been blessed with a loving wife and two awesome daughters, reminding me each day there are no dull moments," he says. "We've been active in 4H, Girl Scouts, youth groups and mission trips with our church, high school marching, jazz and pep bands, winter drum line and theater." He also enjoys hunting, fishing, metal detecting, wine making, historical reenactments and volunteering within the music and theater arts department at his local high school.
Holder of a associate's degree in English from Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, Keith has been informally recognized as one of "the MacGyvers" of the entertainment lighting industry, helping create the magic behind concert performances, theme park rides and even the Olympic Games.
Uncommonly self-aware, Kimberly Muller knew she wanted to pursue a business career when she was still in middle school. "As a child," she explains, "I first wanted to be a teacher, but quickly realized that I wouldn't enjoy being around children all day!" Kim stayed true to the direction she envisioned in eighth grade and was never diverted by daydreams of tennis stardom, although she is a talented player and won awards from age seven through college. Instead, she graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with bachelor's degrees in both accounting and business administration, joining Apollo Design as a Staff Accountant in 2015 after first working as an Accounts Payable Specialist for an auto parts manufacturer.
Of her role with Apollo, Kim says, "I enjoy the challenge of critical thinking," adding, "I'm passionate about best practices to make procedures easier and efficient." Among her co-workers, she is known for having a keen eye for inventory analysis, keeping cycle counts, problem solving and organizing. Away from work, she unwinds by spending time with friends and family, meeting with her church group and finding new places to eat. She also enjoys taking to the road with her husband, even if it's only a bike ride or a weekend trip. She can also be a homebody, catching up with her TV shows and movies. "I don't think I could give up Coca-Cola or Netflix," she admits."
A born accountant, Kim cites the economic benefits of imaginary super powers. "I would want the powers of invisibility and teleportation," she muses, "so I could travel anywhere and not pay for transportation!"
Hailing from a large, closely bonded family, Mary Harrison was practically destined to serve a Customer Care role at Apollo Design Technology. "I love working with people and hearing their stories," she says, and her empathy developed early. With seven brothers, a twin sister, 25 nieces and nephews and assorted aunts and uncles, she knows how to get things done while working with a large group of people. She also knows how to be heard above the din, earning the nickname "Motor Mouth." Moreover, she says, "We are practically our own non-profit group. There isn't a weekend when you aren't at someone's house helping with something!' She volunteers at church and contributes to the Wounded Warrior Project as well as Riley Children's Hospital.
Away from work and other obligations, "My husband and I love to go walking in the woods and explore new places. I'm always losing him because he walks fast where I walk aimlessly taking photos of everything." Married for more than 25 years, she calls her husband "My soul mate." Their son lives in Los Angeles and edits movie trailers and their daughter works with a veterinarian. Both are "Smart just like their dad." Two dogs - one small and one imposing - round out her immediate family.
Mary holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Indiana Purdue University at Fort Wayne and before joining the Apollo team was a Senior Sales representative for a nationally known delivery firm and "wore a lot of hats" for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. The Hula-hoop champion for three straight years in grade school, she longed to become a firefighter or helicopter rescue pilot. Most girls didn't share those dreams, but, "My parents taught me I could do anything."
Although it's early in her career, Melissa Montes is an old hand at customer service. Before she joined Apollo Design's Customer Care team in 2016, her previous employer was a mall clothing store. A teenager when she began there, Melissa earned promotions that found her opening and working at other stores for the chain. Apparel stores generally have high turnover, but her work ethic and organizational skills set her apart. "I'm most passionate about helping a company grow and improve," she says. "I'm someone who likes to get things done and won't stop until I'm finished. I need to stay busy and I have a knack for being organized."
Away from work, Melissa enjoys hiking trails at Indiana's state parks, playing volleyball and spending time with her large and close-knit family. "I started playing volleyball when I was nine, and still play, usually on teams with my sister and other family members," she says. The youngest of four children, Melissa spends most Sundays "enjoying delicious Mexican food" at family cookouts. "Whenever we're together, all we do is laugh." What's her guilty pleasure? "I could never give up pizza - ever."
Holder of a bachelor's degree in business management and business marketing from Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), Melissa's childhood ambition centered on man's best friend. "I always wanted a dog, but my parents would never let me have one," she explains. "My love for dogs made me want to be a veterinarian." A few years later, she and her mother were visiting a home giving away puppies. "The owner handed me one and told me to take it home. I didn't know what to do and neither did my mother." Today, the Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix, Sophie, is a beloved member of the family.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Management Team
Although a successful wrestler though high school and college, Nick's secret athletic ambition was to star on the gridiron. Indeed, his childhood dream was to play in the National Football League. However, the numbers he so expertly manages today worked against him then. "I stopped growing at 5 feet 6 inches," he explains, "so I decided to take up accounting." Or, better put, he picked up the ball and ran with it in a field better suited to his talents. In a career spanning over three decades, he led finance and information technology teams at five leading firms before joining Apollo Design in 2014.
A passion for continuous improvement and problem solving for profitability marks his professional life, balanced by a devotion to his family and community service in his personal life. He would rather spend a weekend playing outdoors with his grandson Dominic - "quite possibly the cutest child in the Midwest" - than watch football or hockey, which he also enjoys. Proud of his family, Nick says his wife is "the best second grade teacher in the midwest" while his children are building successful careers. His oldest daughter is a marketing professional, his son is a glass artist pursuing a fine arts degree, and his youngest daughter shows great promise as a photographer and film maker.
Holder of a master's degree in business administration (MBA) and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Bowling Green State University, Nick serves on the board of directors of one nonprofit organization and the finance committees of four others. He supports the Brighton Center in Newport, Kentucky, which helps provide food, shelter, housing, childcare, job training and addiction recovery to more than 80,000 women. He feels the product that best combines design and functionality is "the original iPad®," which wedded "sleek, attractive design" with "disruptive technology."
As a Customer Care Representative at Apollo Design Technology. "I do what is right for the customer, make every effort to do it right the first time and rarely sugarcoat anything," she explains. Her no-nonsense approach was honed in a quarter century of various roles in the banking industry - retail, training, recruiting and managing branch operation - before joining Apollo in 2008.
"Rach," as she is known around the office, or "Ra" in more informal settings, is rightfully proud of her "two wonderful daughters," both of whom enjoy "successful careers" and are "amazing moms." The proof is in their offspring: "I think my grandkids are pretty awesome, too," Rachel says, "and my husband - of course!" Most evenings and weekends, she attends her grandchildren's soccer games and dance shows.
If she could be endowed with any special power, she would choose the ability to see into the future. She didn't have to psychic, however, to foresee her career in banking and her current role at Apollo. Although Rachel has come a long way since her first job as a waitress while still in high school, she observes that she has "always worked with the public." She was destined to take the bull by the horns and deliver customer care!
Job Titles:
- Customer Relations Specialist
An award-winning and by her teammates' acclaim "awesome" shortstop in her softball playing prime, Rita LeFavour brings her diamond-honed skills to her role as a Customer Relations Specialist for Apollo Design Technology. As anyone from the sandlots to the pros will tell you, shortstop is one of the most demanding defensive positions. More hit balls go to the shortstop than any other player and agility is essential. Just as she handled sharply hit grounders, Rita fields tough questions with ease. "I love helping people," she says. "It really excites me when I have to investigate a problem and then find the solution."
She has been with Apollo since 1999, the year after her sister succumbed to breast cancer. Ever since, "Reet" has been a volunteer with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer to help raise funds for research. "I want to make certain her two daughters won't lose their lives to the disease like their mother did," she explains. "I also want to keep her memory alive so her four children, grandchild and future grandchildren never forget her." She calls her ceaseless efforts "my sister's legacy."
Holder of an associate of arts degree from Ball State University, she has 30 years of experience in customer service and management positions, including her first job at a regional fast food chain. "I made 90 cents an hour and worked extremely hard," she remembers. "I also ate a lot of French fries!" Away from work and her volunteer activities, the one-time softball standout enjoys golf, rooting for the Chicago White Sox and cavorting with her two beloved Labrador retrievers.
Job Titles:
- Art Director
- Member of the Management Team