Venue on Vine: Bringing her vision to life

The number of bookings scheduled for December and through 2026 appears to confirm Ashley Werner’s split-second decision to open The Venue on Vine and ADW Design earlier this year.

Several factors were at play as Ashley took that first step back in June after stopping by Emerald Greens to pay for the desserts they had provided for her youngest son’s graduation.

Her sister-in-law, who was with her, pointed out The Vine.

“I didn’t even know this existed,” Ashley said.

The Vine is a former Indiana Furniture building owned by Todd Fromme. He operates his company, Universal Technologies, which is headquartered there, and has transformed the large building into spaces for several local businesses—about 20 in total so far.

Ashley had been wanting to start a decorating business for a while, but said she hadn’t been sure how to move it forward. She had a house full of decorations, expanded by what she had done for her oldest son’s wedding in March, and was looking for a place to put them and to create some momentum for her business aspirations.

“I really needed to get the decorations out of my house because we were literally drowning in them,” she explained.

After paying for the desserts, she saw Barry Dunlop outside hauling off some cardboard and asked him about The Vine.

Barry took her inside, and as soon as Ashley stepped inside, she saw the potential. The open floor was primarily used for inventory storage. However, Todd had renovated the area, installing updated windows and a polished concrete floor. Old pieces of machinery and his expanding collection of antique cars provided a grungy, classic backdrop to the space.

It had been used to host events before, but with his own business, Todd wasn’t actively seeking another project. Ashley was, and she saw what it could become.

“I was like, ‘This is amazing. This is what Jasper needs,'” Ashley said.

She asked Barry to introduce her to Todd right then. After meeting him, she pitched him on converting it into an event space she would operate and use for her decorating business.

Todd wasn’t quick to embrace the idea; he was concerned about the additional responsibilities he might have to take on, but Ashley persisted. Over a few weeks, she presented him with a vision and a plan.

“She came in with a four-inch binder with a plan,” Todd said, impressed by her vision.

There is a display sitting behind the bar that Ashley and her family built for the event venue. It’s a vision board Ashley has used to sell clients on using The Venue on Vine — even though it’s somewhat unfinished at this point.

Between her charisma and passion and dedication, it’s hard to imagine that just like these clients who believe in what that vision board represents, Todd could have held out from allowing Ashley to move forward with her dream.

“He said, ‘No one’s ever come to me with all of this stuff,'” she explained. “But I was so serious, I wanted him to believe in me.”

Todd recognized the unique venue he could offer — he has hosted two events there. And word was spreading about the potential. Ashley provided a key component to moving forward: a dedicated manager.

And he finally said, “Okay, let’s do this.”

Todd’s vision for a rejuvenated, nearly 100-year-old factory in this historic area of Jasper that has become a place that people can enjoy and use continues to evolve.

It’s obvious that Ashley is bold, but that boldness stems from the confidence she has in her dedication to whatever she puts her name behind. It’s why her husband, Matt, never questioned the business venture.

“I just came home and told him we’re gonna open a venue. It’s gonna be amazing,” she explained. “And he’s never once questioned it. He just knows that whatever I do, I’m gonna do it 100 percent.”

For many years, that passion has been placed on her two boys, Mitchell and Max. She dedicated herself to being the mom who was completely invested in her sons. Now, Mitchell, 23, is a lineman at Daviess-Martin County REMC and Max, 19, is in college at the University of Southern Indiana. There’s a vacancy in her life that needs to be filled, and in a way, all the energy she put into raising her kids is now being applied to her clients at Jasper’s newest venue.

Since Todd gave the go-ahead, Ashley, with the help of her family, has been investing in creating her vision for the venue. “In two months, we’ve built this bar, hung all the lighting, painted all the interior,” Ashley goes down the list of items they’ve completed, including restoring a chandelier they found choked in weeds in an Indianapolis lot.

“We had to pay money for this thing they were going to throw in the trash,” she joked.

The restored chandelier now highlights the balcony doors of the second-floor bridal suite.

Chairs and tables are arriving, her ADW Design office is full of motivational posters, family pictures and decorations. Bookings are coming in. At least 25 so far in 2026, and a couple this month. Her first major event is a special Dueling Pianos fundraiser for Holy Family in January. Todd is blown away by how things are going so far.

Her vision for the Venue on Vine continues to evolve as she balances investment and growth, just as any business does. Her goal is to create a metropolitan experience that incorporates the industrial elements of the factory with the elegant tables and antique cars to build this canvas of what she calls industrial modern. .

“They (future clients) are going to be blown away by this space,” she said, adding that it appeals to a wide range of guests. “Wives that have come here have to go get their husbands to come see this place.”

While she offers decorating as part of the venue package, clients are not required to use her services. “But if you need me, I already know the space,” she said. “I know what works in here.”

That split-second decision has helped her fully step into who she has always been.

“My whole life, everybody said, ‘You’re in the wrong field.’ And, I picked the safe job because I had two kids, and I just wanted to make sure I had a job,” Ashley said. “I didn’t trust myself to do it. But now that they’re off and doing their thing, it’s like, I need to do this. This is something I have to do.”

Even though the boys have grown up, they still motivate her.

“The biggest thing that made me jump is those boys. I don’t want them to ever see me down,” she said. “I want them to know, it doesn’t matter what age you are. It doesn’t matter where you are in life. If you want something bad enough, you have to put in the work and you have to keep going. No excuses.”

If you are interested in learning more about The Venue on Vine, Ashley recommends contacting her by phone at 812-630-7774. You can follow her on Facebook here and Instagram here.