By Joe Slacian of The Paper
WABASH,IN. After 10 weeks, the Small Business Revolution in Wabash drew to a close Thursday night with music, food and drink.
Robert Herjavec and Amanda Brinkman spoke to about 150 people gathered at the Honeywell Center Plaza to celebrate the completion of filming for an upcoming web series filmed in Wabash.
Herjavec, a host on TV’s “Shark Tank,” noted that the people in Wabash are extremely special and are one of the reasons that the city won the Small Business Revolution to win the prize package sponsored by Deluxe Corp.
“I went out for a run and people would honk and wave,” he said.
Brinkman, who lives in Minnesota, said that whenever she would return to Wabash over the last 10 weeks, she felt as if she were returning to her home.
“Wabash could very well be the greatest city in the world,” she said.
For winning the contest, Deluxe Corp. contributed $500,000 in goods and services to businesses around Wabash. Six businesses – Schlemmer Brothers, The Eclectic Shop, Thriftalicious, Harry’s Old Kettle Saloon, Ellen’s and Filament Tattoo Co. – received special attention from the group.
Deluxe also paid to have a park placed at the corner of Wabash and Canal streets, at the site of the former Mammoth Building, and it also paid for new signage that have been placed around the downtown area.
Following the celebratory remarks, which also saw Wabash Marketplace Inc. receive a $20,000 donation
and Visit Wabash County a $10,000 donation from Deluxe, Herjavec and Brinkman led the group in a champagne toast.
Matt Tedder of Austin, Texas, a recording artist who appeared on season 10 of the NBC-TV show The Voice, performed a free concert on the Plaza to wrap up the evening.
