Show notes
On today's show I sat down with Tod Minnich, president and CEO of Honeywell Arts and Entertainment in Wabash, Indiana, a nonprofit that has grown from the historic Honeywell Center into a multi-venue quality-of-life engine for a town of about 10,000. Minnich traces the legacy of thermostat inventor Mark Honeywell and the community center he founded in the 1940s, the 1994 performing arts expansion, and his own arrival in 2003 to stabilize finances and expand programming from 12 concerts a year to about 50 pre-pandemic. Minnich explains acquiring and renovating key properties, including the Eagles Theatre, Honeywell House, the 13-24 Drive-In Movie Theater, Charley Creek Inn, and the Clarkson House, emphasizing philanthropy, hospitality, and community revitalization through arts access like Arts for All, drawing participants from counties across the state. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast. You are going to learn about: - The Legacy of Mark Honeywell - How the Honeywell Center and Honeywell Arts & Entertainment Drive Visitors to Wabash - Honeywell's Arts for All Program Thank you to our partners: Greek's Pizzeria Check out these great clips from the show: 01:13 Guest Introduction: Tod Minnich, Honeywell Arts & Entertainment 02:35 Honeywell Origins Story 04:10 Community Center Legacy 06:36 1994 Expansion and Big Acts 09:07 Tod Joins and Stabilizes 11:27 Growth Playbook 13:12 Saving the Eagles Theatre 17:02 Cook Cup Renovation Win 20:00 Eagles Today Arts for All 21:54 Honeywell House Revival 26:09 13-24 Drive-In Expansion 26:55 Saving the Drive-In 27:19 Throwbacks and Sound Setup 28:14 The Hard Economics 29:57 Quality of Life Pitch 31:43 Scaling Beyond Wabash 32:29 Eagles Renovation and Pandemic 33:04 Charley Creek Inn Revival 36:24 Ford Meter Box Legacy 39:48 Arts Academy and Clarkson House 41:34 Arts as Community Soul 43:45 Programs and Regional Reach 47:09 Visit Wabash Weekend Pitch 49:17 Rapid-Fire Indiana Round 53:51 Final Thanks and Where to Find More Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.