Dubois County Business Hall of Fame inductees celebrated

Junior Achievement celebrated 40 years making an impact in the area educating young people about financial and business issues and inducted two area business leaders into the newly christened Dubois County Business Hall of Fame Thursday.

Dubois County’s Business Hall of Fame laureates, Robert Ruckriegel of SERVUS! And Arnold F. Habig of Kimball International, and their families were honored at the 7:30 am breakfast held at the Huntingburg Event Center.

The event attended by approximately 350 Dubois County business and community leaders included an induction ceremony with video vignettes about each laureate’s life, outlining their entrepreneurial and business accomplishments.

Beth Sweeney, Anchor and Reporter for 14WFIE, served as emcee for the event.

Ruckriegel is the chairman and founder of Servus! – formerly BR Associates. The company operates over 150 restaurants and employs over 3,500 people in four states. He has been heavily involved in charitable organizations in the community.

He remarked about the honor of receiving the award. “What an honor. What a thrill, but sort of unbelievable. Only a part of me is accepting this,” he said. “The rest goes to the many people that have worked for the company.”

The common theme running through both presentations was the fact that both men started from humble beginnings and built up their businesses by taking care of the people they served.

Habig, who died in 1999 at the age of 91, was instrumental in growing Kimball International to its global position and forming Springs Valley Bank & Trust in Dubois and Orange counties. The Kimball International-Habig Foundation has given over $12 million to charitable organizations.

Habig started the Jasper Corporation in 1950 with just an idea, which grew into Kimball International over the years.

His son Doug Habig accepted the award. “I’m sure if Dad were here he would be deeply honored at this award,” Habig said. “And he’d be honored on one hand because of the Junior Achievement vision of the focus on the development of young people.”

Habig spoke of his father as an innovator who brought great people together to accomplish much.

Stan Jochum, who assisted in bringing Junior Achievement to Dubois County, was also honored during the event with an award for his vision in starting the organization in the area that is thriving in Dubois County today.

Proceeds benefited Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana in Dubois County; a member of JA USA, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future and make smart academic and economic choices.