Local Sources
Dubois County Free Press

Sen. Mike Braun

JASPER — Sen. Mike Braun, a former businessman who built a company into a national industry leader in his hometown, was honored this week in the 2023 JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame.

Braun will be inducted in April.

Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana and Dentons Bingham Greenebaum announced Braun and the late Raphael Ackerman as the 2023 JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame Laureates at a press conference Thursday. Laureates will be inducted into the JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, April 13, at The Huntingburg Event Center.

The announcement was made by assistant vice president and campus dean of VUJC Christian Blome. “Mike Braun and Raphael Ackerman are the kinds of role models we need for our young people and for the area’s future business leaders,” he said. “These laureates live out the promise of a servant leadership that creates opportunity, fosters creativity and not only creates success but, more importantly, builds a community that flourishes.”

The JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame honors members of the Dubois Business Community who exhibit strong vision, innovation and inspiring leadership and who are visionaries within their respective industries. A crystal eagle symbolizing the spirit of free enterprise is presented to each laureate. A monument with a citation and image of each laureate will also be displayed at the Dubois County Museum.

The annual breakfast event raises funds for the Dubois County Junior Achievement program and increases awareness of the program.

Laureate committee member Al Mihajlovitz commented that they are only scratching the surface on the depth of potential Dubois County laureates with their eighth annual selection announcement. He pointed to the many successful entrepreneurs that turn that success into support for their communities and other up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

“Dubois County is a unique county,” he said.

Braun is an entrepreneur with great vision. He started working at Meyer Body Company in 1981, bought half interest in 1986 and became sole owner in 1994 with only 15 employees, in Haysville, with about 21,000 square feet of warehouse space and an office in a mobile home. Now there are over 1,400 employees, in 48 states and in Canada, with over 4 million square feet of warehouse and office space in 89 locations across the country. Over 25% of the space is in Jasper, employing about 450 locally.

He is also owner of Meyer Logistics, a sister company that services all Meyer customers plus third-party warehouse and transportation needs, owning their own fleet. Their sales increase averaged 20% a year since 1981. Challenging times were in the 80s with high-interest rates and the 90s with a very competitive market, and Braun made sound financial decisions with a diversified business plan. In 2008-2010, when many competitors closed their doors, Braun’s vision for Meyer Distributing enabled them to diversify, acquire and expand, positioning them as one of the top distributors in the nation. They received the coveted SEMA “Distributor of the Year Award” in 2010, 2015 and 2017 and received many nominations and industry awards from various manufacturers.

Braun was courageous to self-insure his employees in order to reduce their health care costs. Meyer has not had a premium increase for their employees in the last 15 years. He has shared this success with anyone who will listen. He built the family business, treating employees as family. Braun would say a major accomplishment is that three of his four children will continue the family business, and its future is in good hands.

Braun graduated from Wabash College in 1976 summa cum laude in economics and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was the first class of entrepreneurship offered at Harvard Business School, where he graduated in 1978 with an MBA. This class and business degree gave him the courage to think and act differently from his peers, moving back to his hometown to start his own business, a very unusual move.

Braun’s hobby of forest management has also turned into a business. He buys timber ground for investment. This includes tree planting, and timber stand improvement, along with hunting and fishing on these properties. He and a friend were awarded the Charles Deam and Pioneer Forestry awards for woodland management. Braun is a member of the Nature Conservancy, Indiana Woodland Owners Association and Quail & Upland Game Alliance. In 1979, Braun co-founded Crystal Farms Inc. which expanded over the years to become one of the largest turkey operations in the tri-state.

Braun is a mentor to many who want to start their own business, are in a financial bind, need succession planning or want to know about Meyer’s health plan. He takes the time to meet and discuss as a confidante. He has inspired leaders in the community with his common sense and fiscal approach. He has inspired youth, having coached youth baseball, basketball and soccer.

Braun’s community service includes Jasper, Dubois County, the state of Indiana and this country. He served on the Greater Jasper Consolidated School Board for 10 years. He was elected state representative for District 63 from 2014-2018. Braun is now serving as a U.S. senator. He overcame huge odds in beating two U.S. congressmen to win the primary and then won the election over an incumbent, where incumbents win 85% of the time. He serves on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, Agriculture, Budget, and Appropriations & Aging Committees. Braun has the honor of being elected the first U.S. senator from Dubois County and in 2021, had the most bills passed of any U.S. senator.

Braun was recognized as an outstanding JHS alumnus in 2008 for his leadership and involvement. He received the Dubois Strong Entrepreneur Award. He was an Eagle Scout, president of his high school class and president of the student body at Wabash College. He is on the Conexus Indiana Logistics Council Southwest, and the Mid-State Corridor Development Corp. Braun is a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Joseph Parish. Braun is married to Maureen and they have four adult children and six grandchildren.