In the 2012 primary election, Republican voters chose Rick Flohr over Tony London by a 58% to 42% margin as a Bartholomew County commissioner.
But while celebrating his victory eight years ago, Flohr predicted voters had not seen the last of London.
Eight years later, he was proven right. London defeated two primary opponents in June, and ran unopposed last month to succeed Flohr. On Jan. 1, he will become the new county commissioner representing District 3 that includes Jackson, Wayne, Ohio, Sandcreek and Rockcreek townships.
So what advice would the outgoing commissioner give London as he becomes one of the chief executives of Bartholomew County government?
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
“I don’t think Tony needs any advice from me,” Flohr said. “His college major was political science. Tony is also very well spoken, so I think he has all the tools he needs to do very well in this job.”
When asked what he thinks of Flohr, London made it clear the respect was mutual.
“While I told Rick in 2012 that I don’t like losing, I also said it makes me feel better to know that I lost to him,” London said. “I’ve known Rick’s family for a long time, and I knew the job would be in good hands. Rick has done a fabulous job and has been a wonderful commissioner.”
Laughter and sorrow
When those who have worked with Flohr in county government are asked about the retiring commissioner, many first cite his sense of humor, which is often self-deprecating to avoid offending others. One example came on Dec. 14 when county clerk Jay Phelps publicly extended his appreciation to Flohr for his service to the county.
“I thank you for that,” Flohr replied. “But you know they pay me far more than I’m worth.”
Another commissioner, Larry Kleinhenz, also exhibits his own brand of humor. But Kleinhenz said the two have also experienced the same tragic and heartbreaking experience. Kleinhenz’s son, Caleb, died in March, 2011, while Flohr lost his teenage son, Jared, in the early fall of 1995.
“That experience helped shape Rick, greatly increasing his understanding of individuals and family situational loss,” Kleinhenz said. “Jared would be proud of the way his father represented the taxpayers and the Flohr family.”
A separate quality that has provided a positive impact on Flohr’s performance in county government stems from his years as an owner of Product Engineering Co. (PECO), according to county administrator Tina Douglas.
Selfless service
Commissioners’ chairman Carl Lienhoop describes Flohr as “fair and generous,” adding that he doesn’t believe Flohr has ever passed an unfair judgement as a commissioner over the past eight years.
An example emerged after Flohr served over a year on a committee looking into new regulations for confined feeding operations for livestock.
As a farmer, Flohr admits privately and confidentially that he did not personally like government telling farmers what they can or cannot do with their own private property.
But when it was time to vote on regulations proposed by a majority of committee members, Flohr supported them. When questioned about his decision, Flohr said it was his duty as a commissioner to do what is best for the majority of people — even if he doesn’t personally agree with those measures.
There’s another quality mentioned by Kleinhenz, Lienhoop and Douglas during separate interviews regarding the outgoing commissioner. All three said Flohr has an exceptional ability to handle personnel issues.
“Frankly, I’m not very good at that,” Lienhoop said. “That’s not a popular position at times. I know Rick has had to hire and fire people throughout his career.”
There have been a few times where Flohr felt he had to get tough. That includes the day when he fired a department head who refused warnings to remove derogatory comments posted in a public area.
However, Flohr says he believes his eight years in government has taught him to become more compassionate with employees.
Highs and lows
From his own perspective, Flohr says the greatest challenge he faced during his eight years in office began in August, 2015, and continued through March, 2017. During this period, the county’s entire Information Technology (IT) department would eventually resign. Most of this ordeal took place while Flohr was serving as chairman of the county commissioners, he said.
The possibility of hackers, as well as irreparable breakdowns, weighed heavily on Flohr’s mind until two specialists from Sharp Business Systems — Danny Harmon and James Smith — were contracted to keep the IT department functioning, he said. Eventually, Scott Mayes was hired as the county’s permanent IT director, and the Bartholomew County Council approved competitive compensation that has allowed Mayes to maintain a stable IT staff.
As far as his greatest joy as a commissioner, Flohr cites “getting to know a lot of people that I never would have crossed paths with before,” he said.
What’s ahead
When Flohr became a county commissioner, he was already planning his retirement as an owner of Product Engineering Co. (PECO) in 2014.
But what he didn’t know when he left the company was how much his tooling and machining firm had become a part of his identity, he said.
“Whatever you do for a living, it kind of becomes a part of who you are,” Flohr said. “If you retire, you lose that part of you. You are not who you use to be, so to speak.”
So in January, 2019, as he worked as a farmer and commissioner during the day, Flohr went back to work for PECO on a second-shift basis. It’s something that Flohr says he loves doing, and has no current intention of leaving.
While he has no plans to completely retire, Flohr has earned flexibility with his work schedule. He said he’s looking forward to vacationing with his wife, Debra, at such places as Branson, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Rick Flohr” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Retiring as: 3rd District Bartholomew County commissioner after two terms.
Age: 70
Occupation: Farmer. Retired as co-owner of Product Engineering Company (PECO) in 2014, but rejoined the company in 2019.
Education: Graduated from Columbus High School, 1968; attended Indiana State University
Family: Debra. Blended family includes four children and nine grandchildren.
Community involvement: Nearly 50 years as a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church
[sc:pullout-text-end]
