The Principal Partner ProfilesRobert G. “Bobby” Clark Bobby Clark is the founder and CEO of The Clark Croup. The Clark Group is best known for The Kentucky Directory GOLD BOOK, the Who’s Who in Kentucky government, education and business since 1988. The Clark Group is now known for one of its newest publication — The Kentucky Almanac and Book of Facts (First Kentucky Almanac in more than 150 years). The Clark Group now publishes books for other authors: The Little Red Book of Everyday Heroes by Sylvia Lovely; The KET Story: A Personal Account by O. Leonard Press; Common Sense and Foreign Policy by John Stempel and more! In the summer of 2009, The Clark Group will publish Rich Tradition by Voice of the Wildcats Tom Leach. The book will highlight “How Rich Brooks revived the football fortunes of the Kentucky Wildcats. Bobby is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and a Masters Degree in Public Administration. The Clark Group was co-publisher of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky’s 20th Anniversary Magazine and the Lincoln Bicentennial Magazine. TCG was also the publisher of the Kentucky Association of Economic Development’s 40th Anniversary magazine. This project a profit share arrangement that returned profits of almost $25,000 to KAED. TCG published the Business Technology Section of the Journal of Commerce and Industry (now called The Goods) published by the Kentucky Manufacturers Association for approximately five years . TCG also published their monthly newspaper for 5 years and the Kentucky General Assembly Blue Book. Bobby serves as President of a non-profit called Kentucky Student Ventures Corporation (KSVC). KSVC focuses on education, training and mentoring, so we can develop and encourage the necessary entrepreneurial skills of Kentucky high school and college age students to create and operate successful student-run small businesses. Student entrepreneurs will be marketing and creating family and organizational history books and will be a source for “coffee table” book projects which will be published by Clark Legacies, Ltd. KSVC also managed two new and innovative “green” summer youth programs funded by federal stimulus funds. The Bluegrass Goes Green program served fifty-seven 16-24 year old participants in developing community “go green” plans for eleven central Kentucky counties. The other program is called Green Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (GEL-IN) and had more than 130 youth participants in the eight county area surrounding Hardin County-Elizabethtown, KSVC web site is www.kystudentventures.org. In 2002, The Clark Group received the Associated Industries of Kentucky's Small Business Industry of the Year Award and was a finalist in the Lexington Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year in 2003. Bobby is a small business advocate since 1994 serving in state and national positions. Bobby was delegate to the White House Conference and appointed one of the first 50 small business owners in the country to serve one Region IV Regulatory Fairness Board (Chair, Vice-chair and member for six years). Bobby was appointed to the SBA National Advisory Council appointed by Kentucky’s Governor to first chair of the Kentucky Commission on Small Business Advocacy. The Clark Group managed the Lexington office of the McConnell Technology & Training Center (MTTC) for five years and Bobby was co-manager. In this capacity, Bobby became a RAB certified Internal Auditor in ISO 9001 and TS 16949. Bobby served as lobbyist for PacifiCorp, an international power and energy company. In that capacity, he provided strategic consulting and economic development support services in Kentucky in PacifiCorp’s attempt to lease power plants in western Kentucky. Bobby also provides business development services for a fast growing technology company based in Covington called TiER1 Performance Solutions. Bobby served as Marketing Director of the Coal Journal, a national coal industry newspaper for two and one-half years. Bobby has more than 27 years experience in and around state and local government. He also is the past President of the Bell Court Neighborhood Association—an historic neighborhood in Lexington, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
John H. Clark IV John Clark was the founder and owner for 27 years of a unique custom manufacturing company, Midland Communications Packaging, Inc. specializing in custom loose leaf ring binders, index tabs, manuals, catalog covers, presentation cases, point of purchase displays, tool pouch packaging and various other presentation packaging used in promoting or developing new products or services. The company specialized in combining production processes and materials like silk screen printing, foil stamping, die cutting, color digital printing, offset printing and vinyl heat sealing, vacuum forming, flow-molding, flexible PVC film, polyethylene, polypropylene, other plastics, paper, fabrics, and woods to develop innovative and unique presentation products for its customers and clients. Intimately familiar with marketing, new product development and engineering, import/export sourcing, budgeting, finance, distribution, HR, Quality processes and re-engineering and related profit and loss statements (P&Ls), balance sheets, or related metric reporting. Demonstrates strong leadership and community involvement in nonprofit organizations through board of director participation. EXPERIENCE | Beneke Wire Co. (Board of Director) | 2010 | | The Clark Group (Board of Director) & Co-Founder Clark Legacies, LLC | 2009 | | Jielong USA Art Printing Company/Shanghai, China Exclusive Kentucky Territory Representative | | The Port Valdez Co.—a land holding & development company President—a closely held family owned company in Valdez, Alaska | | | TouchPoint Printing Solutions /Berman Printing Company New Business Development | 2007-2009 | | American Printing House for the Blind History Book Project coordinator & production management | 2007-2008 | | EAC Industries dba Compton Presentation Systems Director of Marketing & Development | 2006 | Midland Communications Packaging, Inc. (Sold to EAC Industries) Founder President & CEO | 1979-2006 | | Vivid Impact Corporation Partner & Chief Development Officer (significant stockholder) | 1998-2001 | | St Bernard Coal Company, division of Buddeke Coal Co. President (new product development—Coalog) | 1978-1979 | | Designers Stewart & Winner Account Representative | 1977-1978 | Reynolds Foley Company Sales Representative | 1975-1977 | Price Weber Associates Sales Representative | 1972-1975 |
Over the years he developed several strategic alliance relationships under the concept and registered trademark—Partners in Innovation® one of which helped pioneer the innovative Indigo direct to press digital printing technology now owned and marketed by Hewlett-Packard. Was a significant owner of Vivid Impact Corporation (aka Image Printer) a medium size ($12 million sales) commercial printing company in Louisville, KY. While at Vivid Impact, teamed to develop and market a high resolution four color process dry erase board product called Vivid Board ™ using the die sublimation decorating (printing) process by partnering with key suppliers. As president of St. Bernard Coal Company, developed and branded new low sulfur burning fireplace CoaLog® to be sold and distributed through discount stores. Developed costing structure, all packaging, graphics, point of sale displays, marketing brochures and various other promotional materials. Patent Assignment. Patent rights have been assigned to John H. Clark IV personally for ChoroGrip™ branded products. The Original ChoroGrip was developed for the choral music industry to aid in holding sheet music binders in one hand or uniformly for choral group presentation. The ChoroGrip Ring Adapter is a plastic device that will hold un-punched music scores, folded sheets, etc. in the same ring binder along with punched materials—see web site www.chorogrip.net. John was significantly involved in the development and education of the Louisville business community in the QuBE Recognition Awards or Quality processes though GLI then the Louisville Metro Chamber of Commerce. This effort helped to establish at the time one of five internationally known chapters of the Centers for Quality of Management or CQM in Louisville, Kentucky. EDUCATION BAFA University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico Major: Fine Arts, Studio emphasis in photography and History of Photography 27 Years developing and growing a small graphic communications and custom manufacturing business—Midland Communications Packaging, inc. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Louisville Visual Arts Association Board of Directors (2004 to current) Rotary of Louisville (2003 to current) Bourbon Baroque Louisville’s Period instrument Ensemble (Current), Center for Non-Profit Excellence Board of Director (1999-2006), member GLI/Greater Louisville Inc. (1979-current), Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce (board of directors 1985-93, past president 1992-93), Member GLI CEO Roundtable (1990-current), Member S&ME section PIA/GATF, Printing Industry of the South (PIAS), Director/Officer Binding Industries of America (BIA) (1990 to 02—president 2001-02); member Screen Printing & Graphic Imaging Association (1979-current); The Port Valdez Company Board of Director (1996-current); YMCA/Center for Youth lternatives/Project Safe Place, Board of Management Executive Committee (1986-93); Humana Hospital-Audubon Board of Trustees (1987-90); member of the Kentucky Literacy Commission (1989-92); Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce, member Total Quality Transformation Council Steering Committee (1990-96) and Director/Vice President of Area Council #3, (1994); Member Kentuckiana Continuous Improvement Network (KCIN); Brinly-Hardy Company Board of Director (1994-98); Member President’s Roundtable (John Mulder, President) Louisville Presbyterian Seminary; Past Board of Director for Kentucky Quality Council (KQC); Chairman of Louisville Chamber QuBE Quality Process (1990-98); Leadership Louisville Class of 1987. Recognition: Jeffersontown Small Business Person of the Year (1989), Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce President’s Award (1990), Jeffersontown Chamber of Commerce Gold Award (1993) inaugural Louisville Chamber of Commerce CEO Strategic Planning Class (1989), Leadership Louisville recognition for service (1987), various industry awards of excellence from the Binding Industries of America (BIA) and the Screen Printing Association International now called the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA). Currently John and his wife Gretchen are soon to start refurbishing The Daniel Rudy House in Windy Hills St. Matthews, Kentucky. The 200+ year old stone farmhouse is on the National Register, dates back to the early 1790’s. It is believed to be one of the oldest stone houses in Kentucky. It has been in the Clark family since 1950.
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