Every Wednesday, Michael Wiedmann puts the pedal to the metal on Main Street.
It’s a race to the finish line – but likely not the way you’re thinking.
“As soon as I get off the van, I clock in and go to work,” he said.
In this case, the pedal Wiedmann pushes fills hundreds of meshy sock birdfeeders with birdseed. The work happens at MainStreet Marketing Enterprises (MME), LLC. It’s a social enterprise venture run by nonprofit The ARC of Boone County, a Regions Bank community partner empowering people with disabilities and special needs to achieve their maximum potential at work and in life.
Since 2017, Wiedmann has worked alongside nearly 50 teammates building Mr. Canary Co.® birdfeeders and additional products distributed to retailers all over the country.
“Michael has really soared in our program,” said Pam Verbarg, executive director of The ARC of Boone County in Lebanon, Indiana, about 30 miles northwest of Indianapolis. “He’s detail oriented and very methodical in his work. And he’s very, very dependable.”
Wiedmann will tell you the job perks – including social connections and physical activity – complement the paycheck.
“I like to move my body around, and it’s nice to get paid for it, too,” he said. “Instead of me going to a health club and paying membership fees, I get a workout here.”
Observe the assembly line at MME, LLC, and you soon discover it mirrors many others.
Nathaniel O’Dell notes that’s by design.
“We’re creating processes for continual improvement so that even if our team members remain at the same workstation, they’re able to grow past that,” said the director of MME, LLC.
O’Dell’s role with the organization is personal for two reasons:
- His own career path with Mr. Canary began as a college student.
- His older brother was diagnosed with an intellectual disability.
“What attracted me to Mr. Canary was its social mission,” O’Dell said of the entrepreneurship project. “At the same time, my brother was experiencing difficulties obtaining work. Our family was essentially going it alone finding a job placement that would offer him the dignity of work and a willingness to accommodate the few accommodations he needs.”
After graduation, O’Dell officially went to work for Mr. Canary, serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
And when the owner decided to retire and sell the company in 2023, she knew just who should take it over – their longtime manufacturing partners.
“It was a natural opportunity for The ARC of Boone County to acquire the Mr. Canary brand and write its next chapter,” said O’Dell.
With O’Dell moving into MME’s director role as part of the deal, that next chapter included drafting something even bigger: a sustainable and more competitive wage model.
“When we were making the transformation, we wanted to make sure each person had a chance to apply for any workstation,” said O’Dell. “They might be ones we’d expect; they might be ones that completely surprised us.”
After making their choice, team members are evaluated every 60 days with a focus to elevate them to the next pay level.
Pam Verbarg, executive director of The ARC of Boone County (left), and Nathaniel O’Dell, director of MainStreet Marketing Enterprises, LLC, work with Wiedmann and 50 onsite clients through the organization’s workforce program. The ARC conducts additional workforce programs and offers a host of client programs, services and resources.
“We’re helping them look at what they’re doing and whether they’re achieving their goals,” explained Verbarg. “We then coach to help them build speed and accuracy. It’s about helping them build their earning potential.”
The model is working, with productivity levels among the group soaring 150 percent in the past year.
And with workers earning those additional wages, Regions Bank associates have been sharing insights to help them achieve their financial goals as well.
For a year-plus, Financial Wellness educator Donna Medina has taught monthly Regions NextStep® classes on saving, credit, smart money habits and more to ARC of Boone County clients. Schiela Peña, Regions’ Disability Services and Outreach manager, and Financial Wellness trainer Keren Treme have also presented two Money Basics for Life sessions.
Wiedmann, who’s flourished in MME’s model, is grateful for what that extra earning power means.
“It allows me to have a larger deposit in my savings account, to stash money away for a rainy day,” he said.
That’s motivated Wiedmann to do even more.
“To his credit, Michael is always telling me, ‘Hey, as soon as you have more work, let me know,’” said O’Dell. “He’s ready for more shifts.”
O’Dell is grateful he can rely on Wiedmann to keep things humming – not only with filling the Mr. Canary feeders, but also with other projects MME, LLC takes on.
“Michael is always able to pick right back up where we left off with any project,” he said. “He’s one of our go-to people who make sure we get things done right and get them done quickly.”
Observing Wiedmann in action is inspiring for everyone at MainStreet Marketing Enterprises.
“Seeing people do things nobody ever thought they could do is the best part of my job,” said Verbarg. “People have been told all these years they can’t do things. And now, we’re telling them, ‘You can figure it out; we’ll help you get there.’ We’re changing a mindset.”
