A perk of producing Evansville Business magazine’s six issues each year is getting an inside look at the people, places, and things that make the Tri-State so unique. Of what we featured this year — requiring many photo shoots — many images stood out on the page. From fast cars and animal cameos to sharp business interiors, these 10 pictures are some of our staff’s favorite frames from Evansville Business stories in 2025.
It’s A Zoo Out There!
It’s never a dull day on the job at Evansville Business, as we discovered in January while tagging along with Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden’s veterinary staff for a behind-the-scenes story. This in-the-moment image captures the teamwork of Lisa Merrick, veterinarian Sam Bradley, and Kristine VanHoosier — distracting, scanning, and operating equipment — as they perform an ultrasound on Feather the ostrich.
Flying In Style
Glass-lined, comfortable yet chic, and loaded with amenities, the Hafer-designed United Companies Air Center rolls out the welcome mat for pilots and passengers traveling through Evansville Regional Airport’s fixed-based operator. “There may be bigger ones at the bigger airports, but none of them are better right now,” United Companies Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer Doug Petitt told Evansville Business for a February/March story.
Revved Up
Quality and care have made family-run D-Patrick, Inc. — co-owned by brothers-in-law Mike O’Daniel and Ray Farabaugh — a longtime destination for automobile shoppers, as reported in this April/May cover story. The company’s Green River Road campus includes a sleek showroom dedicated to a range of new Porsches that drivers can customize to their tastes.
Leading Lady
ERA First Advantage Realty owner Janice Miller has helped thousands of buyers find new homes — in 2025, she welcomed Evansville Business to her home for the June/July cover story. Positioned outside her front doors and styled in cool colors and her signature red frames, Miller’s portrait encapsulates the calm, poise, and warmth that have become her trademarks.
Street Sweep
Beautifying our city means more than picking up litter — although Downtown Evansville’s street-cleaning trike is a cute mascot for that. For a spring feature story on efforts that make Evansville shine, we positioned Clean and Safe Team contractor Andrew Rodenberg and Keep Evansville Beautiful Executive Director Nick Iaccarino on a colorful, sun-drenched block of Main Street.
Making A Splash
As the daughters of late Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari owner Will Koch, Leah Koch-Blumhardt and Lauren Koch-Crosby grew up playing, then working, at the amusement park. Since the sisters represent the next generation of the family-owned business’ leadership, their August/September cover story photo shoot took place on a bridge over the Bahari River, with the newer addition Cheetah Chase water coaster and signature wooden coaster The Voyage rising behind them.
Leadership Legacies
When it comes to photo shoot backgrounds, Young & Established, Inc.’s colorful murals are tough to beat. For an October/November profile on executive director and first-term city council member Courtney Johnson, he stood among painted portraits of Black leaders like Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, late rapper Tupac Shakur, late civil rights leader Malcolm X, and former pro football player Colin Kaepernick.
Styled To The Max
This may appear to be a routine hair appointment, but cosmetology student Emily Futrell is packing serious street credit. For an October/November feature on training programs that go beyond the classroom, Futrell displayed her Student Stylist of the Year skills — earned at a 2025 national competition by the American Association of Career Schools and L’Oréal Professional Products Division — on guest Felicity Elkin as The Salon Professional Academy cosmetology instructor Abby Turpen observes.
Wow Factor
A wide lens was needed to capture the beauty of Woods & Woods’ renovated office for a fall cover story. What once was a church’s sanctuary is now a case management department for the veterans-focused law firm, with pews gone and two stories of cubicles in their place.
High Five!
New University of Southern Indiana President Steven Bridges posed for a cover shoot for the December/January issue, but of all the images included in the feature story, this moment, caught by USI’s Photography and Multimedia team, makes us smile. Known for being close with his family, Bridges made sure to give each of his grandchildren a high five as he approached the stage to begin his October inauguration ceremony.
