Billings Business April 2017

5 MINUTES WITH

BRIE RIPLEY

YELLOWSTONE PUBLIC RADIO

GAME ON! Rocky Mountain Game Nomad provides mobile video entertainment

SPECIAL REPORT SCORE CHAPTER HELPS ENTREPRENEURS

APRIL 2017

Billings Business 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101-1242

CONTENTS April 2017

An indispensable business resource

FEATURES

Game on!............................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Mobile video game trailer is a hit at parties

New location.................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Aspinwall Mountain Wear is in a new location

24 Hour Emergency Flood & Fire Restoration Services

On the Cover Rocky Mountain Game Nomad owner Kent Nunberg and his son Jackson, 18, pose for a portrait outside their mobile game trailer.

Photo by BRONTE WITTPENN/Gazette Staff

COLUMNS

10

Commercial & Residential

Chamber News......................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Flood or Fire, we will restore your property from beginning to end.

Economic Development

.................................................................................................................................

Dena Johnson: Protect your intellectual property John Brewer: New science building will help employers, students

The Entrepreneur Inside............................................................................................................................................... 17 Allyn Hulteng: In business, if you don’t adapt, you die.

Complete Reconstruction

The Nail Institute’s graduates move on to stable careers. Page 18 BILLINGS BUSINESS EVERY MONTH

From the Editor..............................................................................................................................................................................4 By the numbers.............................................................................................................................................................................5 The local economy at a glance

Five Minutes with................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Brie Ripley

Business Briefs........................................................................................................................................................................42 Success Stories...................................................................................................................................................................... 43 The Listings.................................................................................................................................................................................. 44

Five Minutes with Brie Ripley Page 12

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April 2017

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April 2017

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the editor

B RACKET BUSTED ?

APRIL 2017 • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 6

NAIA TOURNAMENT STILL ENTERTAINS

mike gulledge tom howard COPY EDITOR chris jorgensen GENERAL MANAGER dave worstell PUBLISHER

EDITOR

SALES

ryan brosseau shelli scott ADVERTISING COORDINATOR spencyr knatterud ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

By TOM HOWARD

Washington.

Seating in the arena’s lower level was pretty ith defending champion Villanova, 2015 much full. Scores of spectators milled around the champion Duke and perennial contender promenade, and some spectators even filtered into Louisville all sent packing after a wild first week the upper decks as Lewis-Clark State College and in the 2017 NCAA men ‘s basketball tournament, I Vanguard did battle. Admittedly, MetraPark has started compiling a list of potential uses for a piece experienced bigger, rowdier crowds at many high of paper that quickly devolved into my “What was school basketball games. But this was a decent I Thinking?” bracket. turnout for a Monday night game featuring two I started out with the best of intentions, devot- out-of-town teams. ing a few hours The crowd was polite, and cheers went up for researching the both teams, although chants of “LC! LC!” echoed odds and trying to through the arena as the game wore on. Frontier identify potential Conference champs Lewis-Clark State grabbed upsets. I brimmed an early lead and never relented. Brooke Litalien’s with confidence four 3-pointers sparked the Warriors as each square was Meanwhile, cold shooting doomed Vanguard, filled out. which had earned a spot in the semifinal by beatBut then the ing. The 65-41 win earned Lewis-Clark a spot in games started. the championship game against Oklahoma City, It occurred to which played in the title game in three of the preme that the sheet vious four years. carrying my useCongratulations to the Oklahoma City Univerless picks might sity Stars, who beat Lewis-Clark 73-66 Tuesday make a good liner for a bird cage, except I’d hate to in the championship expose such gross ineptitude to an innocent creaBillings rolled out the red carpet for the tournature. It could make good packing material for the ment, and it has been fun seeing how the comcardboard box containing an unworn Villanova munity has embraced 770 players and coaches jersey. But there was no need, as the box went back from 32 teams. Local businesses, organizations to Amazon without ever being opened. and individuals adopted teams, and players visited Instead, I decided to use the sheet as tinder and schools, spreading the message about the imporwatched wistfully as its burning embers wafted up tance of dedication and cooperation. the chimney.

And the best part? The tournament returns Better luck next year, Coach K. next year.

That small bonfire was cathartic, but it turns out my taste for basketball was far from being quenched. I decided to head down to MetraPark on a rainy spring solstice to catch some action at the Wells Fargo NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at Rimrock Auto Arena.

The lower parking lot was crammed with license plates from Montana, Idaho and

W

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April 2017

SUBSCRIPTIONS Billings Business is mailed each month to area business owners, managers and decision makers.

To subscribe for $19.95 per year, please send payment, name, business name, mailing address and phone number to: Billings Business 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101 ADVERTISING FFor retail advertising call Dianna Russiff, 657-1495; Milt Lang, 657-1257; Joe McGinnis 657-1599. Advertising deadline for the May 2017 issue is 5 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2017.

NEWS If you would like to submit a news tip, story idea, announcement about your business or press release, please email it to: editor@billingsbusiness.com website: www.billingsbusiness.com Information published herein does not reflect the opinion of Billings Business. Contents are the property of Billings Business.

By the numbers

• Personal • Business • Real Estate • Agriculture

Local and regional economic trends King Avenue 655-2700

Hilltop & Main 896-4800

Shiloh & Grand 655-3900

Downtown 655-2400

EXPORTS FADE

14th & Grand 371-8100

stockmanbank.com

Worden 967-3612

National park visitors

Airport boardings

1M

7

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

6

In ten thousands

8

In hundred thousands

The U.S. remained a net exporter of coal in 2016, but the export market continued to show weakness. U.S. coal companies exported 60.3 million tons in 2016, down 13.7 million tons from the previous year. That’s less than half of the 125.7 million tons exported in 2012.

6

5

4

3

2

4

1

Billings housing starts

2

0

New single-family home building permits 60 50

0

40

40

30

24

30

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Bozeman

Aug. 2016 to Jan . 2017

10

10

0

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Oct 2016 to Feb . 2017

Jan.

0

Feb

Aug. 2015 to Jan. 2016

Oct 2015 to Feb. 2016

2017

Ag prices Montana Beef Cattle

5

200

(per bushel)

Sept

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Aug. 2016 to Jan . 2017 Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Aug. 2016-Jan. 2017 Aug. 2015-Jan. 2016

Source: Montana Department of Transportation

3

100

2

50

1

0

Aug. 2016-Jan. 2017 Aug. 2015-Jan. 2016

4

3 1

Jan.

5%

150

2

Dec.

Unemployment

(per cwt.)

4

Aug.

Aug. 2015 to Jan. 2016 Source: National Park Service

Montana winter wheat

Nov.

Aug. 2016-Jan. 2017 Aug. 2015-Jan. 2016

Aug. 2016 to Jan . 2017

2016

Oct.

Missoula

Glacier National Park

YTD Through Jan. 31

Source: City of Billings

0

Aug.

Yellowstone National Park

20

20

Sept.

Billings

45

50

Aug.

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Aug. 2015 to Jan. 2016

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

0

Aug.

Sept.

Montana

Oct.

Nov.

Yellowstone County

Dec.

Jan.

U.S.

Source: Montana Department of Labor and Industry

April 2017

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GAME ON! Mobile video game business provides thrills for parties, gatherings

BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

Kent Nunberg speaks to a group of boys and girls outside the game trailer on 2704 Virginia Lane.

By TOM HOWARD On a spring-like Saturday in February, Wright Edwards sat shoulder to shoulder with a dozen friends, some of them gripping video game controllers and furiously punching buttons.

“Hey, look!” the blond 7-year-old said, pointing to a large TV screen in front of him. “I won!”

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April 2017

Asked whether he was having fun at his birthday party, Wright nodded his head enthusiastically. The darkened trailer where he sat was filled with delighted giggles intermixed with beeps, boops, explosions, screeching tires and other distinctive sounds of video games being played.

Outside, three girls assembled in front of a TV monitor and began dancing to an animated video featuring the likeness of

South Korean singer Psy, whose music video, “Gangnam Style,” took the music world by storm in 2012.

“I’m too old to dance,” one boy said after he was invited to join the girls.

Throughout the party, Kent Nunberg, owner of Rocky Mountain Game Nomad, and his son, 18-year-old Jackson, scurried in and out of the trailer. They got kids started with a new game or offered point-

ers on how to operate a controller.

“Wright and his sister play games on iPads but we try to limit their screen time,” said Hollis Edwards, Wright’s mother.

“We do not own a game console at our house. This was a special treat for him.”

Rocky Mountain Game Nomad, a mobile video game parlor, represents a new twist in party entertainment. The business is geared toward a wide variety of

Photos by BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

A group of boys play video games inside the Rocky Mountain Game Nomad trailer during a birthday party on 2704 Virginia Lane on Saturday, February 18.

gatherings, such as birthday parties, fundraisers, church gatherings, corporate events and tailgate parties.

Instead of hiring a clown who twists balloon animals or booking a party at a skating rink, parents now have the option of bringing video games to where the party is being held.

Nunberg spent months researching business opportunities, and launched the Billings business last fall after taking delivery of the trailer.

Industry information shows that Nunberg’s business is plugged into a broad and

enthusiastic market. The Entertainment Software Association reports that more than 150 million Americans play video games, and 42 percent of those participants play at least three times per week. By comparison, 103 million Americans ride bikes regularly, and 25 million Americans are golfers.

After taking delivery of the trailer last year, Nunberg was looking for a way to introduce the business to the public.

Please see Game On, Page 8

Rocky Mountain Game Nomad owner Kent Nunberg and his son Jackson, 18, pose for a portrait outside their mobile game trailer.

April 2017

7

From left, Jack Ryan, 8, and Wright Edwards, 7, play video games on the Rocky Mountain Game Nomad on 2704 Virginia Lane.

Game On From 7

“We asked if we could participate in the tailgate area at Rocky Mountain College,” he said. “It was mainly to get exposure to the public, but it was a hit.”

Nunberg’s website, www.rockymountaingamenomad.com, lists around 30 different video games. Many titles, such as

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April 2017

Wii’s “Just Dance” and “Lego Star Wars,” are geared toward pre-teens. Adult titles include “Call of Duty” and “Gears of War 4.”

Parents can control what kinds of games their kids play even before the video trailer comes for a visit, he said.

“If a mom is booking a party for a son and she doesn’t want him playing anything for teens or adults, she can designate that when she makes the booking,” Nunberg said.

The trailer is climate controlled and self-

supported. Electrical power is provided by a portable generator. The business serves any place within 80 miles of Billings.

Nunberg said he was looking for a fun and different type of business when he decided to purchase the trailer from Rockin’ Rollin’, a North Carolina company that put together the trailer. Before making the purchase, he consulted with a number of other purchasers from around the country, and all provided favorable recommendations.

Under the arrangement, Nunberg bought

BRONTE WITTPENN, Gazette Staff

the equipment outright, without paying a franchise fee. He also had the flexibility to choose his own name for the business, and the company provided assistance with the graphics that wrap the trailer’s exterior.

Lori Schmitt met Nunberg at a Rocky tailgate event. The first party she booked was so popular that she decided to book two more.

“It’s a real highlight for the kids. Kent is very good about making sure the games are age appropriate,” Schmitt said.

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April 2017

9

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MUST BE PROTECED FROM THEFT

By DENA JOHNSON and JENNIFER WEBBER

IP should be a priority for every business owner no matter the size.

DENA JOHNSON is regional director of the Small Business Development Center at Big Sky Economic Development.

Contact her at 406-254-6014 or dena@ bigskyeda.org

“Intellectual property crime in the United States and abroad threatens our public safety and economic well being,” reports the Department of Justice.

What does this mean for Main Street businesses? Are they at risk? Or is intellectual property (IP) protection only a concern for larger companies? The answer? IP should be a priority for every business owner no matter the size. Your company should “protect the programs and systems that support what makes your company successful and unique.” Federal Bureau of Investigation.

We interviewed attorney Jennifer L. Webber of WEBBERpllc (www. webberpllc.com) to learn more.

What is IP? IP is a broad term that encompasses legal rights granted to creators for an idea reduced to tangible form. Examples: An invention that is a product or process (patent); a

word or design identifying the source of goods/ services (trademark); an original work of authorship such as a computer program (copyright); or proprietary data, such as a formula, that would cause a business to lose competitive advantage if made public (trade secret.)

What is most important for a small business owner to understand when it comes to IP? It’s value. Intellectual property may be sold, assigned, and licensed.

Therefore, owners must consider a business succession plan beyond their own estate plan as IP rights and related value may extend beyond the life of the business owner.

What is the biggest misconception surrounding IP that you see with small companies?

Failing to seek out IP protection because they think it doesn’t apply or is too expensive. Owners must learn more about IP so they understand their

“common law rights” in addition to federal rights granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (www.uspto.gov) and the U.S. Copyright Office (w w w. c o p y r i g h t . go v).

They then should develop a budget and plan to prioritize and protect their IP. What are the ramifications if a company

does not protect its IP? Protecting IP is, in part, an assessment of whether your IP infringes another’s. In the trademark context, clearing a proposed mark helps to determine whether the mark infringes an existing mark for the same or similar goods or services. Failure to search has multiple consequences,

including having to entirely rebrand in addition to lengthy litigation.

The Small Business Development Center at Big Sky Economic Development sponsors a monthly class, “IP for Entrepreneurs”, taught by Ms. Webber that focuses on selecting trademarks and business names. Call the center to learn more.

TRADEMARK THURSDAY

Selecting and Protecting Your Company Brand

Lunch & Learn Join the SBDC and Jennifer Webber of WEBBERpllc Learn the ins and outs of obtaining a business name, trademarks selection and protections, and intellectual property guidelines.

TO REGISTER: Call (406) 254-6014

Space is limited so please call to reserve your spot.

You must register a minimum of one day in advance.

COST:

$25.00 cash or check payable to the SBDC. Fee includes lunch.

Please let us know of any allergies or dietary restrictions.

DATES: April 6th, 2017 / May 4th, 2017 / June 8th, 52017 TIME: 11:30am to 1:00pm LOCATION: The event will be held at Big Sky Economic Development,

222 N. 32nd St., Suite 200 (2nd floor) in the Granite Tower building.

222 N 32nd Street, Suite 200 Billings, MT 59101 www.bigskyeconomicdevelopment.org

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disa-bilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact Big Sky EDA, 222 N. 32nd St., Billings, MT 59101, (406) 254-6014.

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April 2017

networking

events

Upcoming Chamber/ CVB Functions More details and RSVP: www. billingschamber.com or call 245-4111

April Business After Hours

Wednesday, April 12, Big Sky Pet Resort, 2922 Millennium Circle 5-7 p.m. Cost is $8.

MSUB SCIENCE BUILDING IS CRITICAL TO FILLING WORKER SHORTAGES

An expanded and renovated Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building is an imperative for our community and workforce.

John Brewer, CAE, is president and CEO of the Billings Chamber of Commerce. Contact him at (406) 8693720 or John@ billingschamber.com

Billings is Montana’s city. We are the state’s business center, the regional center for health care, and Eastern Montana’s hub for educational advancement.

To maintain our regional leadership role and continue to prosper economically, we have to grow our talent pool, and no industry is more in need of workers than health care.

Solutions are being acted upon through BillingsWorks and Montana State University Billings. MSU Billings is a cornerstone and an unsung superstar of our community through opportunities created in students’ scientific research, field experiences, graduate, honor and online programs, a new RN to BSN program, and an “intent to plan” notification for an Occupational Therapy program which has been sent to the Board of Regents.

The most important project to impact education and to address our health care worker shortage is the MSU Billings Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building. Our community needs to support this project through words, actions and dollars. Not just because the current science building was built in 1947 and needs renovation and expansion to bring it to a 21st century learning and research facility, but because the students need a world-class learning environment so when they graduate they are a welltrained and fully prepared workforce. That workforce is mainly here as more than

Impact of MSU Billings Some statistics on MSU Billings and its impact on the local economy:  192 GRADUATES WITH ALLIED HEALTH AND SCIENCE DEGREE LAST YEAR  BILLINGS CLINIC AND ST. VINCENT HEALTHCARE EMPLOY MORE THAN 400 MSUB GRADUATES  MSUB CONTRIBUTES $86 MILLION TO YELLOWSTONE COUNTY ANNUALLY  MORE THAN $175 MILLION IN PERSONAL INCOME RESULTS FROM MSUB  MORE THAN 140 BUSINESSES IN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY HAVE MSUB GRADUATES WORKING FOR THEM

85 percent of MSUB alumni remain in Montana and the surrounding region after graduation.

An expanded and renovated Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building is an imperative for our community and workforce.

In 2016, 192 students graduated with a degree in the Allied Health and Science professions. Our two hospitals, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare, currently employ more than 400 MSUB graduates. More are needed.

In 2013, the Legislature appropriated $10 million for

this building with a required match of $5 million. Because of current building cost inflation, $18.4 million is now required. The Foundation has $11.5 million in hand, including the legislative appropriation. The capital campaign is revitalized and has picked up speed with $250,000 being raised in the last three months. The MSUB Foundation staff is actively raising the rest of the funds through a welldeveloped campaign plan seeking grants, corporate sponsorships, and targeted

Presented by:

May Business After Hours

Wednesday, May 10 Beartooth Harley-Davidson, 6900 S. Frontage Rd. 5-7 p.m. Cost is $8.

2017 Chamber Ag Tour

Friday, May 12 Spend the day exploring Agriculture! $55/person includes meals and beverages

asks among select donors.

The economic impact from MSU Billings is significant:  MSUB contributes $86 million to Yellowstone County annually  More than $175 million in personal income results from MSUB  The operation of MSU Billings provides an increase of $36.5 million in investment spending in the state and regional economy

 More than 140 businesses in Yellowstone County have MSUB graduates working for them.

Workforce development and education is intertwined and dependent on each other. The product of a strong education system is a productive workforce. The University is committed to providing the workforce for Billings and surrounding areas. We need to be committed to them.

Lucky in Ireland Join the Chamber this fall in Ireland, November 4-12, 2017.

Just $3,399 for 9 days, 7 nights including hotels, meals, day trips, airfare from Billings and more.

Book Today! Early bird rate expires April 29th.

BillingsChamber.com

April 2017

11

Brie Ripley

Her sound judgments help tell the story

By TOM HOWARD Brie Ripley searches for diamonds by sifting through audio files that might stretch for hours if played nonstop from beginning to end.

Ripley’s quest is to unearth audio gems: quotes, phrases or sounds that can educate, surprise, shock or entertain the listener. Ripley does her word mining as a news anchor and reporter for Yellowstone Public Radio.

In addition to reporting stories and reading them on the air, Ripley relishes production, the process of ushering a story from concept to finished product.

“Producing for public radio is different from reporting,” Ripley said. “Producing is art in disguise. You get to have all these elements that are creative decisions: Where do we start in time and how do we have the most honest representation of truth in that moment? To take a thing like that and create it in a different dimension through audio editing is like poetry for aliens.”

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Ripley’s interest in radio was likely influenced by her father’s eclectic tastes in programming.

“I was a backseat baby,” she said. “My dad listened to everything from talk radio from NPR affiliates to Bill O’Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and sports talk from ESPN. ‘Car Talk’ was always on, and ‘This American Life’ was the first introduction I had to the storytelling experience.”

Ripley said she got into radio almost by accident while attending the University of Washington. “The UW job boards advertised for a production assistant for a new daily twohour show on KUOW, ‘The Record,’” she said.

Ripley grabbed the opportunity and ventured enthusiastically into the world of radio journalism. Here, she talks about a career that blends straight-up news gathering and the art of storytelling.

Q: It sounds like you dove right in to the deep end of the pool. Correct?

A: My assignment supervisor, Arwen Nicks, became the most important person for me and my professional development. She constantly made herself available when I had questions. I was learning quickly and pretty soon I had these ideas. She was always thinking about ways for me to make money and learn new things.

I would edit a two-hour piece of audio, find the beginning and the end, and make it into a self-contained piece. I got to where I could get the job done in 30 minutes, and then in 15 or 20 minutes. I learned how to be a freak about details and always double- and triple-check my work. I loved

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April 2017

learning audio editing. It was like when you’re drawing or watching a good movie. You’re bending time.

Do you remember your first big breakthrough on the radio?

It was very special the first time I heard my name on the air. It was about four weeks into being there, and a long-time host, Marcie Sillman, decided to include my name in the show credits.

Do you remember the first story you reported?

KNKX had poached Arwen about nine months into my internship. They were launching a regional storytelling show called “Sound Effect” and they asked her to create it. I begged to be her intern, so I followed her over there. She gave me the opportunity to pitch for the themes of each episode. One theme was about sports. It was called: “For the Love of the Game.”

I made this story about quiddich. It was all of these adults running around a Capital Hill soccer field, pretending to be wizards playing a made-up game from the mind of J.K. Rowling. I wasn’t compelled to do that story for any reason other than the fact that I knew the rules of quiddich because I had read Harry Potter growing up.

A lot of radio involves condensing stories into short segments. But you have a knack for long-form radio stories. Is that a goal at YPR? Being able to think about things in a longer form, that passion for poetry: It’s a challenge.

It’s easy to listen for the moment when you know someone is really communicating. It’s like a tuning fork is in them. You just listen for it, then I build my scripts around that. I’m listening for that resonance, the point where they sound like their true self.

You have shared one of your ongoing projects: www.tiemytubes.com. Are you still working on that?

It was part of my agreement with Yellowstone Public Radio that I would continue to work on it.

CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff

Coal ash disposal creates challenges RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Shipping containers full of coal ash from China, Poland and India have come into the U.S. through the Port of Virginia as foreign companies find a market for the same industrial waste that America’s utilities are struggling to dispose of.

Critics call it a missed opportunity. Coal ash is treasure as well as trash, useful for projects from roads to concrete to wallboard.

They want Virginia to mandate more recycling of the ash that’s already here, threatening to contaminate water sources or create an environmental disaster.

“We have millions of tons of this sitting along our riverbanks,” said Travis Blankenship, former government affairs manager for the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “Why in the world would we be importing it from other states and countries?”

The nation’s shift away from coal for electricity has reduced the supply of fresh coal ash, forcing industries that depend on it to look farther afield. Some turn to companies that have figured out how to reprocess ash discarded years ago in pits and ponds. Others look overseas.

The Port of Virginia handled just one shipping container of coal ash in 2015, from India. Last year, there were about 22, from China and Poland. It all went on to Ohio and Wisconsin, according to a port spokesman who didn’t know the final destinations. Meanwhile, more ash has been trucked in from other states for concrete production in Virginia.

Coal ash is an umbrella term.

It includes bottom ash, which settles in boilers; fly ash, a powdery material captured in exhaust stacks; and synthetic gypsum, a byproduct of smokestack “scrubbing.”

These materials can be had for several dollars a ton if trucked directly from a utility to a factory or job site. They’re more expensive to obtain in a useful form after decades underground or underwater. That makes foreign imports economically viable.

Nationally, there are more

LARRY MAYER/Gazette Staff

Recycled coal ash, fracking and coal mining equipment were among items on display during Energy Day at MontanaFair.

than 1,100 coal ash dumps, many unlined. In 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency classified coal ash as nonhazardous, partly to avoid a “stigma” that might discourage proper containment and recycling, the agency said.

The EPA stressed that this waste, with heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead, must be properly managed to avoid risks to human health.

“We have two children who have been poisoned by this,” Dan Marrow, who lives near a coal ash pond in northern Virginia, told lawmakers last month.

Marrow is convinced a power station pond tainted his well and caused his daughters’ health problems. Dominion Virginia Power recently agreed to hook residents up to public water lines.

Marrow says that’s an admission of guilt; Dominion says it’s being a good neighbor.

On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that arsenic is flowing out of a separate Dominion coal ash site in violation of the Clean Water Act, but imposed no fines after

finding no threat to health or the environment.

Dominion is closing 11 ponds containing around 29 million cubic yards of ash at four Virginia power stations to comply with EPA rules. It’s been proceeding largely by treating and releasing the water, consolidating some ponds and capping the remaining dry material. The company insists its process is safe.

Meanwhile, the ash has real value, and technology to reprocess it is already being used.

“We can ... take the material that would be an environmental liability and transform it into something that has a beneficial use,” said Jimmy Knowles of The SEFA Group, which partners with utilities in South Carolina and Maryland to recycle both old and new ash.

SEFA competitor Separation Technologies can do the same thing.

“When I tell friends and family what my company does, they think we would have hundreds of these facilities around the country,” said Tom Cerullo, of the

Boston-based company.

But utilities are slow to embrace change, and recycling lacked a catalyst until recently, Cerullo said.

A 2008 spill in Tennessee drew attention to coal ash storage. In 2014, a pipe ruptured at a Duke Energy plant in North Carolina, polluting the Dan River with miles of sludge.

A federal investigation found Duke allowed coal ash dumps at five power plants to leak toxic waste into water supplies. Duke pleaded guilty, agreeing to pay fines and restitution. North Carolina now requires recycling as ash ponds close.

“We could do the same thing in Virginia. I think the reason we’re not is Dominion’s resistance to pursuing what is an emerging industry standard,” Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Greg Buppert said.

Dominion spokesman Rob Richardson suggested recycling the decades-old stuff would be prohibitively expensive, but said Dominion hasn’t fully analyzed the cost.

Recyclers see long-term savings in avoiding landfill maintenance and monitoring. Concretemakers, meanwhile, can make their product cheaper and more durable by replacing some cement with fly ash.

“We’d like to use fly ash in every yard we produce,” said Eric Misenheimer, at Chandler Concrete Co., which operates dozens of North Carolina and Virginia plants.

Virginia mandates fly ash as an additive in transportation department projects, but ash production has been declining since around 2008, according to the American Coal Ash Association. Chandler has turned away foreign providers because of supplies from SEFA, Misenheimer said.

“Obviously, when we have a shortage, we have a hard time filling those obligations. Last year was pretty tough for us,” said Morgan Nelson, of S.B. Cox, another Virginia concrete-maker.

After Democratic Sen. Scott Surovell learned about the foreign imports, he proposed requiring Dominion, the state’s largest utility and biggest contributor to Virginia politics, to recycle a minimum amount of ash annually. That bill failed, but another measure of his survives and got a boost Wednesday from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. It would deny closure permits until after the utility tells regulators more about its ash impoundments, including recycling plans and clean-closure options.

The Republican-controlled Legislature stripped the requirement that permits be contingent upon this information. McAuliffe restored it and returned the amended bill to legislators, saying such information has to be shared before a permit is issued to restore public confidence.

Thirty-one percent of Dominion’s freshly burned ash was recycled last year, Richardson said.

On average, U.S. utilities recycled 52 percent in 2015, the latest year with available data, according to the ACAA. No one tracks how much ash arrives at ports nationwide, though the ACAA is starting to try.

April 2017

13

Chinese manufacturers nervous about Trump’s threats of tariffs

By BLOOMBERG NEWS Higher labor costs and stricter regulations keep nudging Eric Li’s glass factory in southeast China toward insolvency, even though his lampshades are on the shelves at Home Depot. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariff on his goods may be the final shove.

Three of the four furnaces at Huizhou Baizhan Glass Ltd.’s dusty plant sit dormant, and the workforce making lampshades and vases for export to the U.S. has been slashed to 150 from about 1,000 just a decade ago. Profit margins are shrinking, and Li said the company started by his Taiwanese father in 1991 is hanging by a thread.

“If there’s a tariff, it’s game over for us,” said Li, 42. “We don’t have the ability to take on extra costs.”

Thousands of small- and medium-sized factories in China face the same predicament, with some owners considering shutting down or selling out if Trump slaps a levy on Chinese products that he said could reach 45 percent. These makers of clothes, toys and household goods fuel the $462.8 billion annual flow of exports to the U.S. but aren’t cash-rich, making it harder for them to take the tariff punch or pivot their operations toward Southeast Asia.

“Smaller companies tend to be focused and not diversified like big players are,” said Karel Eloot, a senior partner at McKinsey & Co. in Shanghai. “They would be the most exposed and dependent on whatever happens with U.S import duties.”

Trump has accused China of unfair trade practices and currency manipulation, and he pledged as a candidate to address both issues if elected. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a Bloomberg Television interview on March 1 that measures will be announced “as soon as we have a proper case prepared.”

The administration’s rhetoric has softened since, with one of Trump’s top economic advisers, Steve Schwarzman, saying the president will likely temper his criticisms of China.

A tax at the top end of Trump’s campaign proposal may trigger an 87 percent decline in Chinese

14

April 2017

Andy Wong

In this Aug. 5, 2010, file photo, a container is loaded onto a cargo ship at the Tianjin port in China. American consumers and businesses would pay, literally, if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on his campaign pledge to slap big taxes on imports from China and Mexico.

exports to American consumers, Kevin Lai, the Hong Kong-based chief economist for Asia at Daiwa Capital Markets, estimated during the campaign.

China could retaliate with its own tariffs on American products such as Boeing airplanes, iPhones and soybeans. U.S. businesses in China also could face tax or antitrust probes.

“There’s too much at stake for both countries to engage in a trade war,” said Eddy Li, president of the 3,000-member Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong. “Although we are concerned about such a scenario, we also feel optimistic.”

Any Trump tariff likely could be absorbed by multibillion-dollar makers of iPhones and Nikes such as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd., respectively.

Yet it could swamp smaller enterprises already struggling to withstand China’s rising wages, social-insurance mandates and tighter environmental-protection

laws. Private companies, most of which are small and mediumsized, generated about 45 percent of the nation’s exports in JanuaryFebruary, according to Chinese customs data.

During the past decade, the cost of manufacturing in China increased to about 85 percent of that in the U.S., said Steve Maurer, managing director for consulting firm AlixPartners in Shanghai.

As a result, Chinese goods are becoming more expensive. Producer prices in February surged 7.8 percent, the fastest pace since 2008 and lifting the outlook for global reflation.

Lung Cheong Group, which Hasbro Inc. confirmed is a supplier for the toy manufacturer, already moved almost all production lines to Indonesia to escape China’s higher costs, Chairman Lun Leung said. Seventy percent of the group’s revenue comes from U.S.-based customers.

“Even a 10 percent tariff increase will make it difficult for Chinese factories to cover their

costs,” Leung said. “If they stay, they just plan to sell their factories at a good price and end their businesses.”

At Baizhan Glass, salaries tripled to 7,000 yuan ($1,014) a month, and the profit margin per lampshade has halved to as low as 10 percent from nine years ago, said Eric Li, who started working in the family business in 2001.

Li sells his products to Westinghouse Lighting Corp., and they go to Home Depot Inc., he said. A representative for Home Depot said Westinghouse is a current supplier for the home improvement chain. Lowe’s Baizhan Glass has annual revenue of about 20 million yuan.

“They can’t expect to pass the tariff on to us,” he said.

Other manufacturers in Huizhou are inching toward the cliff. Jia Yang Industrial Co., which makes plastic exteriors of audio speakers for brands including JBL and Harman, is starting to shut down in phases, owner Bosco Chang, 34, said.

Wages rose to 8.50 yuan an hour from 3.30 yuan during the past decade, and the number of employees concurrently declined to 80 from 500.

The factory generates 10 million yuan in annual revenue, half of what it made in 2008, said Chang, whose father formed the company in 1993. Ninety percent of revenue comes from the U.S. Chang would relocate to his home Taiwan if he could, but the factory that assembles the speakers also is in Huizhou. Plus, there are potential Trump-related costs associated with other locations.

Trump abandoned the TransPacific Partnership, which would have lowered tariffs on exports from Taiwan and Southeast Asia, and is looking to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, meaning a likely increase in tariffs on products made in Mexico.

“There is no safe place,” Chang said. “We have to go with the flow, and the flow is uncertain. So, I’m giving up.”

Aspinwall Mountain Wear moves to heart of downtown retailing scene

By TOM HOWARD A move to 103 N. Broadway has put Aspinwall Mountain Wear into the thick of the downtown Billings retail scene.

Lucy Aspinwall said the business had outgrown its former location at 2911 Third Ave. N. The new location, which formerly housed the Catherine Louisa Gallery, provides more space and a more prominent presence that’s drawing foot traffic.

“Downtown Billings is doing a better job of encouraging shopping,” Aspinwall said, mentioning other recent arrivals to downtown, such as the new Joy of Living store located on Broadway just across the street.

Three years after the business was founded, Aspinwall’s outdoor-oriented clothing is now being sold in 60 stores across the state. Besides numerous momand-pop retailers, two of Aspinwall’s big wholesale customers include the sporting goods giant Scheels and Xanterra, which sells merchandise in national parks. The downtown store adds a retail component to the business, as does an online store: www.aspinwallmountainwear.com Many of Aspinwall’s products sport Montana-themed logos, with the state’s familiar outline. But the company’s

own branded gear, featuring a logo with a stylized “A” often arranged within a mountain setting, is getting more attention as well.

At the new store, Aspinwall-branded merchandise has been selling on par with the Montana-themed gear, said Aspinwall, who owns the business with her husband, Derek.

“When we started, Derek was serious about developing the Aspinwall brand,” she said.

The store appeals to the younger demographic.

“Our most frequent customers are 18 to 35,” Aspinwall said.

Players and fans who traveled to Billings for the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament were among the first customers to come through the door when the new store opened.

“The Billings Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Billings Alliance and Joy of Living sponsored teams. They came here looking for souvenirs to send back home,” Aspinwall said.

The new Aspinwall store has rugged design, featuring lots of recycled wood and weathered metal siding.

Derek Aspinwall did the lion’s share of the renovation and construction, Lucy Aspinwall Mountain Wear has opened at 103 N. Broadway. said.

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STRATEGIESfor success

H ere ’ s how brick and mortar

stores still make sense

Interestingly, this owner always hired an intern or two from the local university, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester.

Joe Michels, Ph.D., P.E., C.P.I., is principal of Solomon Bruce Consulting LLC. Contact him at 406-672-6387 or at solomonbruce. com.

16

April 2017

The topic of this month’s article was the question that several employees asked a business owner late last week when talking to one of our consultants.

The news media had reported that Sears, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Dillard’s, Gander Mountain, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus had either shuttered stores, filed for bankruptcy or in some other form or fashion had reduced their brick and mortar presence.

These employees were justifiably concerned about their jobs—was the small, local business going to be next? The business owner said, “No, we are going to be around for a long time.” But afterwards he called us for some counsel and guidance — not believing that she had really told the truth, but at the same time, had not lied to her staff.

As we reviewed her business operations, we found that indeed, she was in a strong position to continue to survive and very possibly increase her sales and profits.

Ummm, how was that possible?

Well, this business owner had a great brick and mortar presence in the community in which she is located. Active in the community, she is a member of the local chamber of commerce, gives generously to a variety of community causes and events and in fact, hosts a wine and cheese tasting event twice a year in her store. Located in a prime downtown location, where foot traffic is very good, this business owner decided many years ago, that she could not and would not fight with the big box stores. She recognized that good customer service,

a caring and dedicated staff along with a great product mix were the keys to success. Yes, her products are more expensive — one could find similar, but not the same products — at big box stores for less. However, what you could not find at the big box store is the caring customer service, the desire to always fulfill the customer demands, no matter what those demands are, and a genuine interest in the community in which she was located.

This business owner was active in her national trade association, attending national meetings held throughout the year in places such as Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada and Los

Angeles. She always took at least two employees with her whenever she attended a national conference. This owner’s logic was that by taking two employees, they would be able to meet other business owners, see how other similar placed businesses handled their operations as well as learn some new tricks that she may not have known.

Interestingly, this owner always hired an intern or two from the local university, one in the fall semester and one in the spring semester. She ensured that they were well paid, about $17 per hour, because she wanted the best talent available. These interns, “digital natives” in

today’s world, made a big difference on her website and social media presence.

Each intern always came with a wide variety of ideas that they had either heard in school, experienced on the web, or saw enacted in some other part of the world.

The result—a “killer” website that showcased many of the products in the brick and mortar location, but also provided for a much greater selection of products that were not in stock in the brick and mortar location.

The result — increased sales, happier customers, and increased profits.

What have you done to compete in today’s world? If you are in a bricks and mor-

tar location, how are you competing with the online digital native, the millennial customer that is more comfortable ordering everything online than coming into the store? Do you have a rich website that showcases all of your products, allows you to showcase more product than you have in the store? If your customer service is caring, empathic and genuine, we can assure you that business will continue to grow and increase. If you don’t have these characteristics in your business, today is the day to begin thinking about how you might incorporate them so that you remain competitive in today’s business world.

The Entrepreneurinside

I n business , if you don ’ t evolve , you die The good news is the newer firms are more nimble. The bad news for these firms is that their days are numbered, unless they continually innovate

Allyn Hulteng is principal and co-owner of Rebel River Creative, a firm specializing in brand development and strategic marketing.

Contact her at www. rebelrivercreative. com

It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.

The world of business is in a constant state of evolution. That’s nothing new.

What is different is the velocity at which new technologies and economies of scale are emerging, impacting businesses of every size – sometimes with dire consequences.

Vijay Govindarajan, a professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, researched corporate mortality rates from 1960 through 2009. His findings showed mortality rates rising – and the reason why. According to Govindarajan, the trend isn’t because businesses established prior to 1970 are failing, but because newer businesses are dying more quickly.

“The good news is the newer firms are more nimble. The bad news for these firms is that their days are numbered, unless they continually innovate,” he wrote.

Success redefined When I started down the road to entrepreneurship, it was important to define what success would look like.

Growth is often pointed to as a mark of success. But in this economy, size does not seem to be a particular advantage.

Thus, instead of pushing for growth we opted to create scalability. Our “team” includes vendor relationships with high-level professionals who are the best in their field. We don’t need to hire for every specialty, we just need to have solid relationships with experts.

This approach offers a bonus for our clients. Hav-

Darrin Klimek

ing a corral of talented individuals enables us to handpick the best team for each individual project. It’s also efficient, flexible and one of the ways in which we’re embracing adaptability.

A lesson in evolution Back in the 1970s, who would have predicted that landline telephones would become extinct? Or that the Encyclopedia Britannica would one day cease publishing? Now pause for a moment to consider the next three years. What technologies or changes to the competitive landscape might impact your business? To be sure, your business will be disrupted. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

Alas, no one has a crystal ball. But the “hunker down

and wait for the storm of change to pass” strategy is a direct route to failure.

A better action plan is to expect change, be willing to adapt and look for ways to benefit from change. At the core of this strategy is making your organization more nimble. Here are some key steps to get started.

1. Be decisive. Good business decision-making is fundamental to every strong business. Practice making good business decisions more quickly.

2. Observe. Pay close attention to what is going on within your business and in the world. Information can provide an early alert to both opportunities and challenges. Monitor news and business topics using a tool such

as Google Alerts.

3. Be willing to redirect.

Fear can be paralyzing. Be prepared so that when a change does occur which has the ability to impact your business (it will) that you respond quickly and appropriately. Speed and confidence are imperative.

4. Become scalable. Refine your business so that you can quickly scale up to take on more work, or scale down when needed.

5. Avoid single point failures. What happens if you lose a key customer? What if your primary product becomes obsolete overnight?

What happens if revenues drop 15 percent? Review your business diversity so that success isn’t dependent on one or two components.

6. Practice being frugal.

By avoiding excessive outlays of money when business is good, you position yourself to better weather downturns in the economy.

7. Be a leader. Managers tell people what to do and when to do it. Leaders create a vision and a roadmap for the team and empower team members to work toward the goal.

Five Ways Small Companies Can Out-Innovate Big Corporations 1. Speed of execution 2. Fast access to business resources 3. Team environment 4. Company-wide innovation support 5. Innovation metrics Source: www.entrepreneur.com/article/239936 April 2017

17

SPECIAL REPORT: ENTREPRENEURS TRENDS, FORECASTS & PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES

By TOM HOWARD

CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff

Owner Gracia Barr looks over student Stephanie Victoria’s work on Sandy Young’s nails at the Nail Institute, a local school for nail technicians.

Nail Institute’s grads land new careers; SCORE advisers provide marketing help 18

April 2017

Jordin Grigsby of Wibaux is well on her way to opening her own nail salon. Not only will the new business generate income, it will also provide an opportunity for Grigsby to develop her artistic talents.

“I always loved art during high school, and I decided I wanted to do something creative,” Grigsby said as she painted intricate designs on an array of artificial nails. Hand decorated nails are a trendy fashion accessory for many women, and Grigsby has been perfecting her technique.

One advantage of owning her own business will be the freedom to set her own hours, Grigsby said.

Job opportunities abound for new graduates of the Nail Institute.

“We have a 100 percent placement rate when people come out of school here,” said Gracia Barr, owner of the Billings school whose graduates are trained to become state-licensed nail technicians.

Barr, a licensed cosmetologist, has worked in the beauty industry for 16 years. After purchasing the school about a year ago, she decided that her marketing strategy could use a boost.

CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff

Students Maria Viera, center, and Christi Shadow work on each other’s nails as student instructor Teri Burrows looks on at the Nail Institute.

One place she turned to involved seeking advice from SCORE, a nonprofit organization whose counselors provide free mentoring services to owners of small businesses.

The Billings SCORE chapter is going through a revitalization after having gone dormant a few years ago. SCORE officials point to the Nail Institute as one of several successful businesses that have received guidance and support from the program. In January, SCORE picked up seven new clients, and efforts are under way to help even more, said Bob Hughes, chapter

co-chair for SCORE. “They helped out with marketing,” Barr said. “We were kind of stuck on how we get people to find us.

Our location (2689 Overland Ave.) is kind of tucked away and we were trying to decide where to put our advertising dollars.”

Beckett, a Wanda SCORE volunteer, provided advice on how the business could use social media to improve its marketing reach.

“They were just wanting different ideas for how to get the word out,” Beckeett said. “I talked to them about just doing some things on

social media, and I gave em a couple of webinars that SCORE has put together on social media.”

Nail Institute students come from all walks of life.

Some are fresh out of high school. Others work in seasonal jobs and are looking for another job to fill their summers.

“A lot of our students are people who say they’re looking to do something they’ve always dreamed of doing because they’ve had it working behind a desk,” Barr said.

The Nail Institute’s program typically lasts for 12 weeks and features up to

400 hours of instruction, as required under Montana law. Barr said the program can also be tailored to fit the Please see Nails, Page 20

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Billings SCORE volunteers eager to help businesses grow

By TOM HOWARD Tim Donahue understands that most businesses have much in common, whether the owner is running a hair salon or a construction company.

Cash flow, marketing, personnel issues, adapting to technology or general economic conditions are just some of the issues that business owners must deal with on a regular basis, said Donahue, who volunteers with the non-profit organization SCORE and serves as a mentor for business owners.

Donahue reminded fellow SCORE volunteers at a recent meeting that they should scratch

below the surface when analyzing a client’s business. A doctor can often prescribe medication for a patient who is experiencing high blood pressure. But simply treating the symptom doesn’t necessarily address the underlying problem of what caused that symptom to present itself, he said.

Likewise, in business, “You always have to ask yourself, is that a problem, or is that a symptom?”

Donahue said.

The Billings SCORE chapter is in the midst of a reorganization, and SCORE chapter officials want business owners to know that its experienced business mentors are eager to help out.

Michelle Johnston, who retired as Montana SBA director in 2011, is back visiting Montana cities as SCORE’s state director, a volunteer position. So far, she has been encouraged by what she has seen as SCORE chapters work to improve their visibility.

Johnston said the Billings SCORE chapter has a long history of providing valuable advice to the owners of small businesses.

“If you find a mentor that meshes with the protégé, that builds the relationship, and it will become an ongoing mentoring relationship,” Johnston said.

Since 1964, SCORE mentors have helped more than 10 million

business owners start and grow businesses.

The organization was originally known as Service Corps of Retired Executives, but now goes by the more recognizable acronym SCORE. These days, many SCORE volunteers are still actively working.

In addition to one-on-one consultation, SCORE also provides local and online workshops to help small businesses achieve success.

By logging on to www.score.org, business owners can request a face-to-face mentor, find a local chapter and workshops, download free templates and other tools and register for free live webinars.

Billings SCORE volunteers are: Chairman-Robert Hughes, Vice Chair-Ryan Browne, TreasurerPaul Hagen, Administrator-Evelyn Halvorson, Ben Graves, David Pals, Frank Kelley, Frank Hemphill, Mike Keene, Nathan Matelich, Timothy Donahue, Wanda Beckett, Debra Keller, Ron Kensey, Patrick Murphy.

The billings SCORE office is located at 402 N. Broadway on the first floor of the Stockman Bank downtown office. The phone number is 406 927-7640. The email address is billings.score@ scorevolunteer.org. the Billings SCORE chapter is also on Facebook.

Student Jordin Grigsby works on nail art at the Nail Institute.

Nails From 19

licensing requirements of other states. Students from Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota have attended.

Artificial nails — which include gels and acrylics — have become a favored fashion accessory for many women. Events such as the Next Top Nail Artist competition promoted by “Nails Magazine,” have helped boost the popularity of highly decorated nails, Barr said.

“Most people don’t realize when they go to a nail technician how much goes into what we do,” Barr said. “Even when you come out of a school, it takes at least 100 sets of artificial nails to perfect the basic skills.”

20

April 2017

Brushes at a station at the Nail Institute.

PHOTOS BY CASEY PAGE, Gazette Staff

Falling beef prices to Need Computer equipmeNt benefit consumers disposal?

By CHICAGO TRIBUNE

CHICAGO — Brush the snow off that grill and get ready for a grilling season that could be prime for butchers and beef eaters alike.

Retail beef prices on average have been slowly but steadily declining from historic highs two years ago that were largely the result of a yearslong drought in cattle country. The beef industry has rebounded in a big way: This year is expected to be the largest commercial beef production year since 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Add to a competitive grocery industry and, eventually, some decent weather, and beef prices could be just right for consumers this spring and summer.

“We’re going to see some of the most aggressive advertising for beef cuts of all types because (retailers) are striving to not just be competitive with their profits, but they’re also competing for market share,” said Lance Zimmerman, manager of research, analysis and data for Cattle Fax, a beef industry research group.

“The consumers are going to win and the consumers are going to win in a big way this year,” Zimmerman said.

Some might say it’s about time. As the beef supply has replenished in recent years, the drop in cattle prices has outpaced the decline in retail beef prices.

Consider the average steer price for 2016 was about $121 per hundred pounds of meat, its lowest since 2012 when it was about $123, according to the USDA data.

But the 2016 annual average for all fresh beef retail prices — a composite value of beef cuts used to estimate the average retail value of total beef production — was about $5.73 per pound, significantly less than $6.03 in 2015 but still an increase of more than 22 percent from $4.69 in 2012.

That’s in part because retailers have taken the opportunity to recoup some of the profits lost two years ago, Zimmerman said.

But rising per capita incomes in the U.S. and a strong export market for American beef also have kept demand high.

Those retail price figures also don’t reflect savings through advertisements, Zimmerman said. Beef advertisements in particular are considered key in driving foot traffic for the four major grilling holidays — Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Deflationary food prices have led consumers back to the meat counter, accord

ing to a recent Food Marketing Institute report titled “The Power of Meat.” And while shoppers still consider price per pound the top consideration, they’re also increasingly shopping for attributes they consider to be healthier or more sustainable, such as organic and grass-fed beef, the report said.

At Pete’s Fresh Market, a family-owned grocery chain in Chicago, meat buyer Paul Vassilakis said he’s already planning his advertisements for grilling holidays. Despite the gradual lowering of beef prices in recent years, there’s still week-to-week volatility for certain cuts, Vassilakis noted. For example, prices for “middle meat” cuts, which include skirt steaks, recently “skyrocketed.”

But Vassilakis believes there will be plenty of good deals for shoppers this summer.

“I think it’s going to be a good year,” Vassilakis said.

Already, meat counters have enjoyed a sales boost from the unseasonably mild winter. A recent snowstorm notwithstanding, grills in Chicago have been remarkably free of snow cover. That doesn’t affect beef prices, per se, but it does put people in the grilling mood.

“It’s kind of amazing when you get a 70-degree day how many people will come in here for steaks, burgers, brats,” said Otto Demke, owner and head butcher at Gepperth’s Meat Market in Chicago’s Lincoln Park community area, a shop that’s been in business for more than 100 years.

When temperatures touched 70 last month, Demke estimated his sales on such items were up about 20 percent. Still, he kept his expectations in check for this coming summer.

“Sure, we’ve had a great winter, but what happens if we have a (bad) spring and summer?” Demke said.

At Butcher & Larder, beef prices aren’t subject to the fluctuations of the commodity market. All of the beef comes from La Pryor Farms in Ottawa, Ill., and generally costs more because it’s produced locally, butchered fresh and marketed as being higher in quality.

But head butcher Rob Levitt’s business is no less immune to weather and the whim of those who enjoy grilling. Leavitt hopes a favorable winter was a glimpse of what’s to come.

“In Chicago, the mentality is that winter is oppressive, so any excuse to get the grill out is a good thing, even if (the unseasonably warm weather) is a little terrifying,” Levitt said.

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SALESmoves

C reating a M aster M ind

G roup will pay big dividends You have problems, issues, and concerns.

Do you think you’re the ONLY person facing your issues and concerns?

JEFFREY GITOMER is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling.

Reach him at 704-333-1112 or email salesman@ gitomer.com

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April 2017

Perhaps the most powerful principle Napoleon Hill wrote about, and certainly the most enduring, is the Ninth step toward riches: Power of the Master Mind.

The idea of a Master Mind group was created, put forth, and expounded upon

by Napoleon Hill in his two classic books, Think and Grow Rich, written in 1937, and “How to Sell Your Way Through Life, written in 1938.

If you want to have a better, easier, more fun, more productive, less frustrating, more bountiful, and more profitable life: Create a Master Mind. A Master Mind group can help you and your business succeed far better and far faster than you can on your own.

Hill defines Master Mind as, “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

In other words – people working together in harmony to get to “best answer,” “best response,” “best ideas,” or “best strategy” to any situation or issue.

You have problems, issues, and concerns. Do you think you’re the ONLY person facing your issues and concerns? Come on, really now? My bet is that every one of your colleagues and connections have exactly

the same issues. So, eh, why are yours reoccurring?

Why didn’t that deal go through? Why aren’t your calls getting returned? Why are you having a challenge to set a meeting? Why are you having major blockage to get to the decision-maker? Huh? Why? Because you have not yet created your own Master Mind. A group of peers facing the very same issues in their life.

Hill stresses and uses the word POWER in conjunction with MASTER MIND. Hill says, “POWER may be defined as ‘organized and intelligently directed KNOWLEDGE.’ Power refers to ORGANIZED effort, sufficient to enable an individual to transmute DESIRE into its monetary equivalent.

ORGANIZED effort is produced through the coordination of effort of two or more people, who work toward a DEFINITE end, in a spirit of harmony.” He goes on in all capital letters to say, “POWER IS REQUIRED FOR THE ACCUMULATION OF MONEY! POWER IS NECESSARY FOR THE RETENTION OF MONEY AFTER IT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATED!” Hill says, “POWER comes from accumulated and organized knowledge.”

That’s what the Master

Mind helps build. He also says, “If POWER is accumulated and organized knowledge, let’s examine the sources: INFINITE INTELLIGENCE. This source of knowledge may be contacted through the procedure described in chapter 6, with the aid of Creative Imagination.

ACCUMULATED EXPERIENCE. The accumulated experience of man or woman, (or that portion of it which has been organized and recorded), may be found in any well-equipped public library. An important part of this accumulated experience is taught in public schools and colleges, where it has been classified and organized.

AND EXPERIMENT RESEARCH. In the field of science, and in practically every other walk of life, people are gathering, classifying, and organizing new facts daily. This is the source to which one must turn when knowledge is not available through “accumulated experience.” Here, too, the Creative Imagination must often be used.

Knowledge may be acquired from any of the foregoing sources. It may be converted into POWER by organizing it into definite PLANS and by expressing those plans in terms of ACTION.” WHO SHOULD YOU ASK TO JOIN YOUR MASTER MIND? Smart, positive, suc-

cessful people that you know and trust. People with BOTH wisdom and knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge and experience applied. Someone you respect.

Someone willing to be open and contribute.

A Master Mind has to be content-rich, to the point, value-based dialog – and it’s each participant’s responsibility to bring their gold to each meeting, and share it freely.

FREE GITBIT: If you want more information on this AMAZING and underused business and sales building process, go to www.gitomer.com and enter MASTERMIND in the gitbit box, or check out my Master Mind here.

TRAVEL&leisure

T ravel and L eisure : B asic E conomy A irfare comes with strings attached

By BILLIE RUFF

Passengers traveling in Basic Economy cannot use the overhead bins for storage.

They can only place carry-on items under the seat in front of them

BILLIE RUFF is owner of Travel Cafe. Reach her at travelcafeonline. com

To give customers more flight options for their most price-sensitive customers, in 2012 Delta Air Lines introduced their Basic Economy Airfare. Since then, United Airlines and American Airlines (soon to fly non-stop between Billings and Dallas Fort Worth) have joined and added these discounted but ultra-restrictive airfares to many markets. As I see it, Basic Economy Airfares are in place to allow major carriers to compete with low-cost carriers.

Basic Economy Airfares are offered on a select number of bargain basement seats that offer fewer perks than a traditional coach ticket. However, the restrictions include complete non-refundability and non-changeable travel reservations (except within 24 hours of completing the reservation). Airfares vary between markets, and some Basic Economy Airfares can be as little as $25.00 lower than standard advance-purchased coach airfares.

Passengers traveling in

Basic Economy cannot use the overhead bins for storage. They can only place carry-on items under the seat in front of them. That means a very small carry-on bag is requisite. If the bags do not fit, passengers must check the bag for a handling fee and luggage fee. United makes an exception for travelers with Elite status who can use the overhead bin space.

Currently basic economy maximum carry-on bag dimensions are: American: 18 x 14 x 8 inches United: 17 x 10 x 9 inches Unlike United and American, Delta’s basic fare does not prohibit larger carryons and allows overhead bin use. However, Delta’s Basic Economy passengers will probably be among the last to board, so the bins will likely be full. Delta’s passengers with Elite status will not be able to enjoy priority boarding or free checked bags.

And with further restrictions, Basic Economy passengers cannot select a seat in advance of arriving at the airport. That almost guar-

antees middle and rear-aircraft seating for Basic Economy passengers.

Travelers know that nothing is simple when it comes to airfares. Now that major U.S. carriers have split economy seats into three

parts; basic economy, standard economy and enhanced economy, the days of searching only for the cheapest flight will be over, or at the very least, very complicated for many travelers. Checking airfare prices now in-

cludes not only the airfare itself, but what the airfare price includes. So, be sure to check the fine print before completing your purchase if you want flexibility in your travels.

Safe travels!

April 2017

23

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CONSTRUCTION, INC.

April 2017

25

special advertising section

Lasting Legacy Assisted Living EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF CARE

By Marlisa Keyes Photos By l arry Mayer

Lasting Legacy Assisted Living’s newest home is adjacent its original facility. They are connected by a courtyard that includes a gazebo.

Lasting Legacy Assisted Living recently expanded and doubled its square footage by opening a second newlybuilt home on March 1.The structure is located on the same site as the original facility at 1636 Inverness Dr. in the Heights.The new building improves on the first with updates in bathing features and adjusted counterheights in the en suite bathrooms.

The homes’ handicap accessible entryways face one another.

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April 2017

special advertising section Owners Berni Brown and Chad Green’s mission at Lasting Legacy Assisted Living is to enrich resident lives by providing care for those who can no longer care for themselves.

The two met when Green’s grandmother lived in an assisted living home formerly owned by Brown, a registered nurse and CNA trainer.

They share a commitment to providing compassionate care.

Learning from experience, the partners’ business plan limits the number of residents in their facilities.

“We have a small, intimate setting,” Brown said.

That commitment makes it possible to be aware of what’s going on with each resident, said Lauren Sanford, manager of the original facility built in 2015.

Residents are known by name, not a number.

“We get to know them as grandpa and grandma,” she said.

With a second residential facility, Lasting Legacy doubled the capacity for residents.

trim on the exterior, is a mirror image of the first facility. The owners used the same architectural plans from the original project; the plans were designed by Ackerly-Hurlburt & Associates.

A wide handicap-accessible main entryway accesses the communal living space.

The room is designed with enough clearance for people to move safely whether using a cane, walker or wheelchair. Large floor-length windows provide natural light and room for mobility-challenged residents to wheel their chairs up close to see outside.

High ceilings set off by dark-stained beams and luxury plank flooring create an elegant setting that includes a sitting area with a fireplace, a dining table to the right, and a large kitchen alcove.

Impermeable quartz is used on the galley-style kitchen’s countertops. A low counter facing the dining room separates the spaces.

Each home has 16 handicap-accessible rooms with private walk-in showers.

Three rooms are double and 13 are singleoccupancy.

A NEW ADDITION

NEW FEATURES

Lasting Legacy is located at 1636 Inverness Dr. at the intersection of Wicks Lane in the Billings Heights.

The homes sit on a 1.37-acre lot separated by a white gazebo and courtyard that come to life in spring with music and art-related activities amid raised vegetable gardens.

“The second phase was part of the (original business) plan as well,” said Green.

The new 8,000-plus-square-foot home, with HardiePlank siding and brick

Improvements to Lasting Legacy’s second phase were made based on what was learned from the first home, Brown said.

Her favorite addition is a remotecontrolled bidet toilet in the central bathroom. After the first home was built, Brown saw one on a trip to Europe and was convinced it would benefit residents and caregivers.

The bidet has controls for water pressure and angle, and includes a dryer.

It’s especially useful because most

Congratulations

Lasting Legacy

Congratulations to

Lasting Legacy

from your friends at

Chad Green

Berni Brown

Jason Hinch

Lasting Legacy

Lasting Legacy

Yellowstone Bank

Banks of Service since 1907

MEMBER FDIC

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April 2017

27

special advertising section residents admitted to assisted living homes are in their 90s and incontinent. People are staying in their homes as long as possible, rather than leaving them in their 70s and 80s as they used to do, she said.

“When you get a 90-year-old who can’t bend, it’s a great feature,” Brown said.

The bathroom also includes a hydraulic lift chair for easier access to the bathtub.

Some residents have not taken a bath for a long time because getting in and out of a bathtub is difficult and unsafe.

Another feature is a chair that can move a resident from a wheelchair to the conveyance and into the shower.

With each home, staff discovers new ways to improve the building’s features.

“If we built a third one, it would be different yet,” Brown said. “You get very intentional when you build your second home.”

RIGHT ON TIME

What makes the project stand out isn’t about the construction process; it has to do with the owners’ philosophy about assisted living homes and the people he worked with, said contractor Steve Muller of

Christianson & Muller Construction.

Muller’s father lived in a large nursing facility without the standards of Lasting Legacy Assisted Living, he said.

“The degree of care was in no way what they get (at Lasting Legacy),” Muller said.

“It’s a lot more personal.”

With Brown’s experience as an RN and Green’s enthusiasm for providing excellent care, the focus is on making things better for residents, Muller said.

The residents’ needs are put first, with Brown looking for ways to make living experiences safer, easier and better through improvements to bathing or showering, he said.

Green said second-phase construction went well by using the same financing and building crews from the first project, including Jason Hinch of Yellowstone Bank and Ackerly-Hurlburt & Associates.

It took nine months to build the second structure. Ground breaking took place in June 2016, and the project went well until the snow hit in early December—although by then crews were able to work inside, Muller said.

“We’re pretty well on schedule,” Green

THANK YOU lAsTiNg legAcY FOR leTTiNg Us Be PART OF YOUR NeW FAciliTY

Above: The homes each have three double-occupancy rooms.

Below: The central bathroom in Lasting Legacy’s new building includes a wheelchair-accessible shower and hydraulic lift chair.

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April 2017

special advertising section said. “(Christianson & Muller) have been great to work with.”

Muller said he and his business partner, David Christianson, make supporting the local economy a priority.

“We worked with a lot of good people,” Muller said. “We buy local and use as many local subs as possible.”

SPECIAL CONNECTIONS

Enriching peoples’ lives means offering extra touches for residents and their families, Brown said.

Lasting Legacy has a four-to-one resident-to-staff ratio; quick response for daily and medical needs; routine on-site care by doctors, a physician’s assistant, dental hygienist and occupational, physical and speech therapists.

Two cooks make three meals a day from scratch. Residents wake when they want to and share their life stories at the dining room table while cleaning peas harvested from their garden.

Brooke Wagner, a music therapist, comes every two weeks. Music is tailored to residents’ interests.

“She gets them engaged,” Brown said.

“She is phenomenal.”

A robust Facebook presence keeps family members informed about Halloween and Mardi Gras parties, an appearance by Santa Claus, and spa days, Sanford said.

It’s a conversation starter for families.

When a resident arrives, a student volunteer from Skyview High School conducts an interview guided by a Lasting Legacy booklet. It includes questions about their life as a child, Biblical views, favorite restaurant and family genealogy.

After a resident’s passing, a document with the resident’s photograph on the cover is given to the person’s family.

The business was named with that concept in mind – that people want to leave a legacy for their family, Brown said.

“Life doesn’t have to stop when you go to assisted living,” Sanford said.

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The business will host a grand opening on Friday, April 14 from 1 to 5 p.m., and Saturday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit lastinglegacy.us or connect to their Facebook page.

The living room includes four recliners with lift capabilities. Luxury plank flooring is sanitary, durable and reduces the likelihood of falling.

Congratulations

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special advertising section

Bauer & Clausen Optometry AN EYE-CATCHING CONSTRUCTION

By Tara Cady Photos By BronTë WiTTpenn and L arry Mayer

Bauer & Clausen relocated March 9 to 100 Brookshire Blvd.

When Drs. David Bauer and Robyn Clausen took over the optometric practice inside Lamplighter Square, the goal was to expand their business when the lease expired. Nine years later, the newly-built property at 100 Brookshire Blvd. gives Bauer & Clausen Optometry even more room to grow.

Bauer & Clausen’s unique letters-as-glasses logo make up the front entrance’s door handles.

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April 2017

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The front desk is the centerpiece of the lobby, equipped with an accent wall and modern décor.

We are proud to be part of the team.

Looking forward to your success at your new location.

Congratulations Bauer & Clausen!

Only 1 open unit still available.

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April 2017

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special advertising section For nearly a decade, Bauer & Clausen Optometry had no signage for its Lamplighter Square location.

“A lot of people didn’t even know we existed,” said Dr. Robyn Clausen, co-owner of the optometric practice with husband, Dr. David Bauer. “There was no street view.”

Now in a new professional corridor less than a mile down the road, Bauer & Clausen Optometry has outdoor signage, distinguishing it from neighboring businesses.

Bill Hanser developed the 52,000-plus-square-foot subdivision off Central Avenue on the West End. Bauer & Clausen Optometry owns two-thirds of the 12,000-square-foot building at 100 Brookshire Blvd.

“Bauer & Clausen will be a good fit and a good addition to the neighborhood,” said Hanser. Neighboring businesses include Brewer Dental, Brewer Orthodontic, Tyler Technologies, Little Horn State Bank, and Full Circle

Counseling Solutions. Only 4,700 square feet of Class A residential professional office space remains available in the development.

BUILDING THE TEAM

With the help of Yellowstone Bank’s Zack Dunn, who referred Bauer and Clausen to Hanser, the building plans were finalized in late July. They broke ground in August with a six-month construction timeline. Studio 4 Architects, Jones Construction and subcontractors made the process seamless.

“Communication was great. The process was remarkably smooth,” Bauer said.

Bauer & Clausen Optometry closed for three business days to prepare for a March 9 re-opening in the 7,200-square-foot space. The business was able to relocate all of their furniture from Lamplighter Square between snowfalls. Weather didn’t impact construction, despite Billings’ harsh winter.

“We were able to continue through the A row of four consult tables occupies the west side of the lobby, with wooden display cases of glasses lining the wall.

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April 2017

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406-655-1200

special advertising section exceptionally rough winter this year,” said project manager, Bryce Terpstra, of Jones Construction. “It goes to show how well our team worked together. We made it very efficient.”

A CLASSY CLINIC

When walking through the automated and handicap-accessible glass doors at the office entrance, there’s an elegant feel.

The front desk takes center stage, uniquely shaped into a nearly-complete hexagon with a Cambria solid surface top and plastic laminate paneling. An accent wall with the company’s insignia is the backdrop, centered between two sets of three cutout shelf blocks and contrasted against a textured white wall. Fresh flowers and modern décor featuring Bauer & Clausen’s unique glasses logo fill the shelves.

Bauer thinks the building’s exterior is deceiving.

“Our architect did a really good job,” he said.

At left is a waiting area with a coffee station and flat-screen TV. At right are four tables with room for two optical consultations each. Wooden display cases line the west wall with various frames available for purchase. Groupings of glass and metal lights hang from the tall ceiling.

Canvases of photography specially made for Bauer & Clausen by photographer Nikki Schaubel take up the extra space in the lobby area as well as the hallways near the exam rooms.

Bauer & Clausen brought existing “still trendy” furniture with them. The goal was for more space to move around; the interior design was an added bonus to building a new office.

“It’s spread out enough that there’s a better shopping experience,” Clausen said.

“I think (clients are) really surprised about the size, the feel and parking.”

Five employees in various roles shared a third the size of what space is now available to reception alone. Billing and insurance professionals have their own

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Clients are able to wait in comfort when picking out a new pair of glasses.

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April 2017

special advertising section room for making private phone calls.

“We had them packed in as sardines (before),” Clausen said.

Melissa Asbeck, insurance and billing specialist, says employees don’t have to be so creative with where to find storage anymore.

“Even the patients have more space to spread out,” she said.

ELBOW ROOM

Nearly tripling the square footage of their previous location, Bauer & Clausen is able to hire a third optometrist and have room for a fourth, if desired. The optometric center hired Jessica Forsch as its third specialist.

More space means easier patient flow, too.

Clausen says that one extra provider means that an entire family could be seen in one visit if they are willing to see three

different optometrists.

With more exam rooms and designated areas for contact lens training, patients can stay in their rooms as they wait to be seen. Clients getting their eyes dilated have their own seating as well.

“We don’t have to take patients back to the waiting room,” Bauer said. “We can have longer time with patients.”

With regard to eye care, Bauer & Clausen doesn’t fall into a cookie-cutter approach.

“We really customize their prescription to how they’re using them,” said Clausen. That means if a client regularly drives at night or uses a computer, the prescription will be catered to their needs.

And with that new prescription, a patient will be able to see not only the intricate interior design of their eye doctor’s office, but the far-off views of the Rims from within the lobby area.

Congratulations to

Bauer & Clausen

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David Bauer, Robyn Clausen, Bauer & Clausen Bauer & Clausen

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Trucking industry slowly adapting to in-cab video cameras

By MIKE FREEMAN The San Diego Union-Tribune (TNS) SAN DIEGO — Steve Mitgang occasionally sits down with commercial truck drivers for coffee and doughnuts, asking them what they think of having video cameras in the cab to monitor their driving.

“They feel like in the next few days or months, there’s going to be a passenger vehicle that is going to strike them, and they are going to be falsely accused for that incident,” said Mitgang, chief executive of San Diego’s SmartDrive Systems, which makes video-based telematics. “Post-crash litigation as related to commercial transport is out of control.”

That sentiment highlights why there’s a growing acceptance of on-board video in commercial truck fleets to help reduce liability, cut fuel costs and train drivers to be safer on the road.

The two market leaders in video monitoring of commercial truck fleets are based in San Diego — SmartDrive Systems and Lytx, the maker of DriveCam. Both privately held companies posted significant growth last year as more transportation firms adopt video-based telematics. These subscription services use on-board video and software to not only document what happened in accidents but also pinpoint bad driving habits such as speeding, hard braking or rapid acceleration.

“Over the last two years, the market has really turned in the direction where everybody recognizes the value of clouded connected cameras on vehicles, particularly commercial vehicles,” said

We are focused on changing behavior of drivers so they become as skilled as the can be in a really complex environment where distracted driving is really an epidemic. — Steve Mitgang, CEO, SmartDrive.

Brandon Nixon, chief executive of Lytx.

Besides video, Lytx and SmartDrive also collect reams of sensor data from trucks and their surroundings — giving them a rich situational database of the interplay between vehicles on the road.

That data eventually could be tapped to write predictive algorithms for selfdriving vehicles.

“If you talk to these companies, they’ll tell you they are developing a lot of knowledge about how vehicles perform and interact, so they are going to be a key to the development of autonomous vehicles,” said Clem Driscoll, head of industry research firm C.J. Driscoll & Associates.

“I don’t know if that is really true. It may be.”

SmartDrive Systems, which has raised $150 million in capital since it was founded in 2004, said it posted 94 percent yearover-year subscription growth last year and nearly 400 percent growth over the last three years. Recent new customers include TMC Transportation, Interstate Distributor Co., Alabama Motor Express, BCP Transportation, National Carriers

and WTI Transport.

The privately held company does not release exact numbers. Industry research firm Frost & Sullivan estimates that SmartDrive’s video telematics system is installed on 75,000 vehicles for 12 percent market share. It employs 550 worldwide, including about 130 in San Diego.

“We are focused on changing behavior of drivers so they become as skilled as the can be in a really complex environment where distracted driving is really an epidemic,” said Mitgang. “It isn’t necessarily about the commercial driver. It’s about those who are around them.”

Lytx, founded in 1998, is bigger. It booked 101,000 new subscriptions to its DriveCam video monitoring system last year, bringing its total commercial fleet install base to more than 400,000 vehicles.

Frost & Sullivan pegs Lytx’s market share at nearly 65 percent. Lytx employs 450 worldwide and about 300 in San Diego.

About a year ago, Lytx was acquired

by Chicago private equity firm GTCR for

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April 2017

more than $500 million. Nixon said Lytx will be closing in on $200 million in revenue in 2017.

At $200 million in revenue, Lytx would be in the strike zone of attractive initial public stock offerings, Nixon acknowledged. But he said the goal of company is to grow a “significant, stable employment entity in San Diego.”

The adoption of video in commercial trucks is being driven by fleet operators and insurance companies trying to manage risk, according to analysts.

“The customer that SmartDrive and Lytx have tend to operate really heavy vehicles or they are transporting people,” said Driscoll. “So in either case if they get in an accident, there is going to be damage and there is going to be potential liability.”

The video-in-the-cab market is getting more competitive, with rivals ranging from new Internet of Things providers to traditional, non-video automotive telematics firms adding video in the product line-ups.

But both SmartDrive and Lytx note that they’ve continued growth despite the additional competition because fleets want full-service systems that identify risk and improve driver performance.

Market penetration remains relatively low, with just 22 percent adoption of telematics for the roughly 25 million light, medium and heavy duty trucks in North America, according to Frost & Sullivan.

“We are both organized to go after larger enterprises,” said Mitgang, referring to SmartDrive and Lytx. “That said, video should help any business of any size.”

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39

BETTERbusiness

C omplaints , and how you handle them , matter to your business Never ignore a complaint.

Treat the customer with genuine respect and take the issue seriously.

DAN BUCHTA of Missoula is Marketplace Director for Better Business Bureau Northwest.

Contact him at dan.buchta@ thebbb.org

40

April 2017

During one of my visits with a BBB Accredited Business, I struck up a conversation with a business owner who regularly coordinates large events for her customer base. She told me her last event required high-end catering for 650 people. Of the 650 people served, only one had an issue with the food.

The plate was sent back to the kitchen and a new one was promptly brought out.

The result was a satisfied customer. But what if the customer was not so easily satisfied?

As I visit with businesses in our community, I’m often asked about customer reviews and how to handle customer complaints. One small misstep in a business’s transaction with a consumer can have disastrous results, especially if the business and consumer can’t work things out on the spot.

In this day and age, consumers have the option of sharing their experiences —both good or bad —online. Whether it’s on their favorite social media account or through a site that allows consumers to post unchecked negative reviews about your business. In instances where they prove they had a transaction with your business and feel that what was promised was not delivered, they may choose to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

So, what do you do if you receive a negative review online? While you can’t please everyone, manag-

ing negative feedback is essential for your business’s growth and improvement.

The poor handling of a customer’s grievance can be one of the easiest ways to destroy an otherwise impeccable reputation.

Consider these facts: For every customer who bothers to complain, 26 others have remained silent, according to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs.

Customers tell an average of nine people about good experiences, but tell 16 people about poor experiences, according to a 2011 American Express survey.

More than 90 percent of unhappy customers will not willingly do business with you again, according to Lee Resources.

Nearly 95 percent of customers will give your business a second chance if you handle their complaint promptly and successfully, according to the Jim Moran Institute.

These statistics demonstrate that complaints — and how you handle them — do matter to your business.

So, what should you do when you receive a complaint?

1. Acknowledge Never ignore a complaint. Treat the customer with genuine respect and take the issue seriously. Empathy and a sincere willingness to listen will go a long way toward making the customer feel validated and appreciated.

George Doyle

It can be difficult to successfully resolve a complaint on social sites; in those cases, direct the customer to a medium where you can help resolve the matter, such as your direct e-mail address or phone number.

2. Apologize Say you’re sorry. This is not an admission of guilt — it is common courtesy, and it’s what every customer wants to hear.

If the customer is being unreasonable or rude, don’t respond in a demeaning or dismissive manner. Instead, remain calm and positive and don’t take the matter personally. Oftentimes, if you put yourself in the customer’s shoes, you’ll realize that you would be just as upset as he or she is.

After apologizing, refocus away from the emo-

tions and get to the situation at hand by asking how you might help resolve the issue.

Keep in mind that problems are opportunities to rebuild trust.

3. Analyze Complaints often contain insight. Listen to the customer’s feedback and let them educate you. The customer should be part of the solution, not viewed as part of the problem.

Next, ask clarifying questions. Before you can resolve the complaint, you must understand exactly what went wrong and what the customer wants. If it’s not clear what he or she is seeking, involve the customer in your resolution decision-making through phrases such as, “What do you think would be fair?”

4. Act

Time is of the essence. An unhappy customer wants the problem to be fixed immediately, so responding to him or her with a resolution is a priority.

If it’s not possible to remedy the situation right away, explain the steps you will take and give the customer a timeframe.

On occasion, a customer may be in the wrong, or the problem is a result of his or her own misunderstanding.

In those cases, politely inform or correct the customer without placing blame or criticizing. If you go about this graciously, the customer will be empowered by the knowledge you impart on him or her.

5. Appreciate Invite the customer to verify that you have resolved the issue. Even if it is obvious that the situation has been corrected, the customer will appreciate the fact that you care enough to follow up.

Express your sincere appreciation to the customer for giving you the opportunity to understand and remedy the situation. This will ensure the interaction ends on a positive note.

It’s worth mentioning that when you respond to someone’s negative review or comment online with an effort, others see it and it gives you credibility. Finally, reviews aren’t all negative. When you do receive a positive review (and I hope you see many), be sure to thank the reviewer.

A RE VERBAL CONTRACTS WORTH THE PAPER THEY ’ RE PRINTED ON ?

Getting to trial is expensive, timeconsuming, and takes away from the parties’ ability to otherwise earn a living

It is often said in Montana that “a person’s word is their bond” or that “a handshake is as good as a written contract.” The people who say those things, however, have probably never experienced the expense of litigating a broken verbal contract. In those types of “he said, she said” cases, the expense of litigating can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. From a dollars and cents perspective, is the cost of litigation worth the benefit of saving a few dollars by not having a written contract? In this lawyer’s view, defi nitely not.

Verbal contracts are enforceable in Montana, but the party claiming there is a contract has to show: 1) the parties had the capacity (i.e. mental ability) to enter into a contract; 2) consent of these parties to the terms of the contract; 3) a lawful object; and 4) sufficient cause or consideration (i.e. money). Section 28-2-503(1) of the Montana Code states that if a party

performs the conditions of a proposal or accepts the consideration offered with a proposal, then that party has accepted the proposal.

In addition, Section 28-2503(2), M.C.A. states that a person who voluntarily accepts the benefits of a transaction consents to the obligations arising from it, assuming he knows, or ought to know, the facts pertaining to the transaction.

Too often, the biggest problem with verbal contracts is determining exactly what is part and parcel of the contract. When there has been a history of dealing, or course of conduct, between the parties, the terms of the contract might be easier to discern.

When the contractual relationship is new, however, it is more difficult. One party will generally disagree with the other party’s statement of the terms of the deal.

It is this disagreement over the terms of the verbal contract that makes litigating these cases so

expensive. When the parties disagree over the deal’s terms, only the judge or the jury can determine what the terms of the deal actually were. Getting to trial is expensive, time-con-

suming, and takes away from the parties’ ability to otherwise earn a living. In contrast, having a contract drafted that includes all the promises, obligations, and agreements of the parties

is relatively inexpensive.

So, while a handshake may still constitute a valid contract in Montana, it might make more sense (and save money in the long run) to have a written one.

ERIC NORD is an attorney with Crist, Krogh & Nord, LLC. Contact him at 406-255-0400.

April 2017

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Business Briefs Local Commerce at a Glance

Union local earns honor

have announced the winner of the 2016 Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award, Montana Resources, LLC. A local labor union based in “Montana Resources is a leader Helena has won the 2017 National among exporters in Montana and Association of Construction Boila great example of a business ermaker Employers national safety contributing to the success of our award. Local 11 of the International state,” Bullock said. “I appreciate the Brotherhood of Boilermakers, a opportunity to highlight and thank construction lodge which upgrades Montana’s thriving manufacturing and maintains the Colstrip Power industry and export economy.”

Plant, had a perfect record for 2016, Montana Resources operates an with zero lost time injuries and zero open pit copper-molybdenum mine compensable injuries. in Butte, as well as crushers and a The award was presented March concentrator facility where raw ores 6 at the Boilermakers’ annual Con- are processed into high-quality copstruction Division winter conferper and molybdenum concentrates. ence at Marco Island, Florida. Jess Operating in Butte since 1986, LaBuff, Local 11 business manager the company employs more than 350 and secretary-treasurer, accepted full-time personnel. The company’s the national award on behalf of the international sales accounted for allocal’s members. most half of its total revenue in 2016, “I’m proud of our members for making it one of Montana’s leading earning this award,” said LaBuff. international exporters.

“Working with zero injuries is The Exporter of the Year Award something we strive to do on every was presented by Governor Bullock job. A safe workplace is a partnertoday at the Manufacturing and ship. It shows that our members International Trade Day luncheon at are conscientious in doing their job, the Montana State Capitol. Govand the contractors are also doing ernor Bullock also presented the their job by providing a safe work Manufacturer of the Year Award to environment.”

WestPaw Design in Bozeman. WestNACBE’s membership includes Paw Design has been instrumental more than 90 contractors involved in encouraging manufacturing and in industrial construction and main- business growth in the Gallatin tenance and employing members Valley. of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers.

Kinetic Agency

Mt. Resources is top exporter

Gov. Steve Bullock and the Montana District Export Council

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April 2017

emonies in Bozeman on March 4.

It marks the fifth year in a row that national judges recognized Kinetic with Montana ADDY awards for exceptional creative and marketing work for clients.

The Billings agency won its gold ADDY for a photography campaign for Road Adventures, an Ohio company that offers customized camping adventures across the U.S. The project now moves to regional competition.

The project team included Kinetic owner/principal Dana Pulis, creative director and photographer Josh Wirth, account executive Kelsea Schreiner, and account planners Erika McLaughlin and Marci Reno.

Kinetic, which Pulis founded in 2007, also won three silver ADDYs in the statewide competition coordinated by the Ad Club of Great Falls.

A video produced for Billingsbased Home Science Tools earned a silver ADDY for Pulis, Wirth, copywriter Anne Holub, account executive Kendra Fike and account planner Linsay Foley.

The team of Pulis, Wirth, Schreiner, McLaughlin, and copywriters Holub and Steve Prosinski won silver in the sales kit/product information sheets category for work with Loenbro Motorsports of China Grove, N.C. It is a division of Loenbro, an industrial construction and services company headquartered in Great Falls. reaps honors The team of Pulis, Wirth, SchBILLINGS, Mont. – The Kinetic reiner, McLaughlin and Prosinski Agency won four 2016 American won silver in the sales kit/product Advertising Awards, including a gold information sheets category for a medal for photography, during cer-

project for Loenbro Instrumentation & Electrical, a Loenbro division based in Glenrock, Wyo.

ed property,” said Aaron Hargrove, managing director, Greystone Real Estate Advisors.

Local apartments change hands

Work comp rates down

Greystone, a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company based in New York, announced its Real Estate Advisors group closed the sale of Rose Park Plaza Apartments, a 112-unit affordable housing community in Billings. Greystone’s Aaron Hargrove, Eric Taylor and David Garcia represented both the buyer, Capital Realty, and the seller, Rose Park Plaza Partners, Ltd., RLLLP, in the transaction.

Rose Park, constructed in 1981, is a 100 percent Project-Based Section 8 and Low Income Housing Tax Credit community with 65 percent of units at 50 percent Average Median Income and 35 percent of the units reserved for residents at 60 percent AMI. A sales price was not released.

The renovated community offers residents a number of amenities including covered parking and playgrounds, and is within a few blocks of Rose Park and its swimming pool, tennis courts and sports fields. Given its ideal location and condition, Rose Park Apartments has a less than 1 percent vacancy rate with a waiting list.

“Affordable housing properties provide an advantageous investment opportunity, but they require an incredible amount of knowledge in tax credits and experience with the unique qualities of income-restrict-

The Montana State Fund has announced a 5 percent drop in workers’ compensation rates for the 2017-18 policy year.

“Montana is trending in the right direction on work comp and I’m optimistic about the impact the State Fund reduction will have on Montana businesses,” said Auditor and Commissioner of Securities Matt Rosendale. “The more we continue to improve the climate for doing business in Montana, the more jobs and prosperity Montana businesses can create.”

The average overall 5 percent rate decrease will apply to any policy with an effective date in Policy Year 2018 (July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018).

The Montana State Fund currently insures approximately 26,000 Montana businesses and other organizations.

“We’ve seen improvements in worker safety in recent years, but there’s still more to be done,” Rosendale said. “The more we can create a culture of safety in the workplace and reduce the number of Montana workers who suffer from injuries, the more we can reduce work comp costs.”

The last rate increase was in 2006. Since that year, rates have remained flat or decreased every year and have now been reduced by a total of 44 percentage points.

Business Briefs Success Stories Recognizing People Local and Commerce Achievements at a Glance

Foundation adds members

position, which includes personal banking, customer relations, new accounts and business developRiverStone Health Foundation ment. He most recently served as a announces the addition of new personal banker for a regional bank members to its Board of Directors. in Billings.

Greg Wing was affiliated with StillYonts earned his bachelor of water Mining Company before his business administration degree in recent retirement. Brady Hoiness is business management from the UniVice President with PayneWest In- versity of North Dakota. He is active surance. Deborah Anspach was most in the community, participating in recently the attorney with Medical American Cancer Society’s Relay Legal Partnership, a collaboration for Life and will also be involved between Montana Legal Services in various Stockman Bank related and RiverStone Health. Spencer activities.

Larsen serves as financial advisor Yonts is located at 1405 Grand with the Yellowstone Group, Morgan Avenue and can be reached at (406) Stanley Wealth Management.

371-8104.

They join board officers Steve Stockman hires Wahrlich, chair; Mary Hernandez, treasurer, and Rob Hunter, secretary. credit officer Additional board members include Hiram Williams has joined Dr. Allen Blackford, Michael DenStockman Bank as a credit review nis, PhD., Dr. Benjamin Marchello, officer. His responAlex Martin, Joann Powell, Dr. Bob sibilities include Wilmouth, and RiverStone Health credit review of CEO John Felton. agricultural, commercial, consumer Yonts joins and real estate loan Stockman Bank portfolios to assess WILLIAMS Nathan Yonts credit quality. has joined StockWilliams earned man Bank as a his bachelor of science degree in consumer loan business administration with minors officer for Stockman in applied agriculture and accountBank Grand Avenue. ing from Montana State University His responsibilities Northern. include adminisYONTS He is located at 2700 King tering installment Avenue and can be reached at (406) loans, lines of credit 655-2471. and home equity loan portfolios, Museum board along with assisting clients with adds Bratsky their financial needs.

The Board of Directors at the NaYonts brings more than six tional Cowboy & Western Heritage years of banking experience to the

Museum announced the appointment of native Montana resident Butch Bratsky to the Associate Board, as well as two additional Associate Board Members and one new Full Board BRATSKY Member.

The National Cowboy Museum’s Board of Directors’ objective is to oversee and direct management in fulfilling the Museum’s mission and purposes. The Museum’s business and affairs are managed by its Board of Directors; they also set policy and strategy as well as provide oversight and decisionmaking guidance.

“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Bratsky to the National Cowboy Museum’s Associate Board,” said Chief Financial Officer and Interim President and CEO Gary Moore.

“Butch encompasses the great history and culture of the American West and brings abundant experience, knowledge, and leadership to an ever-evolving Board.”

Bratsky currently works at Stockman Bank, where he has been for nearly 25 years. He served as the president and is now a director for the Holding Company. He’s also a real estate broker in Montana and Wyoming and has former experience in farm and ranch management among other professional involvement. Bratsky has 35 years of banking and finance experience and seven years of management and sales.

HR group names board

The Yellowstone Valley Chapter Society for Human Resource Management 2017 board members are: Jan Knutson, human resources director at Youth Dynamics, PHR/ SHRM-CP board president; Deby Murch, executive administrator at Valley Federal Credit Union, PHR/ SHRM-CP president elect and past president; Sherri Lynn Houston, business development manager at Employment Source, co-VP of membership; Rachel Meech, M.Ed, director of client services and solutions at It Starts With Me Health, CHES foundation director and co-VP of membership; Ryan Callan, M.S., HR business partner at Associated Employers, SHRMCP certification chair; Paula S. Miller, WHP, wellness and safety coordinator at RiverStone Health; Pat Reuss, M.S., healthcare professions career coach at RiverStone Health, co-VP of programs; Tonya Rose, HR generalist at Alternatives Inc., PHR/SHRM-CP treasurer; Capri Foseid, associate services representative at Food Services of America, workforce readiness advocate; Heather L. Thompson, BAHM, DM, business and human resource faculty at City College, SHRM-CP college relations chair; Sylvia Noble, human resources at miCare, LLC/EBMS, ACC VP of marketing; Kim Parks, benefits and compensation, human resources at RiverStone Health, diversity director; Sherry Daniels, sales executive at PayneWest Insurance, LUTCF

recognition chair; and Doug Van Zee, health enhancement at West High, webmaster.

$1M Roundtable honor for French

Glenn E. French, CLU, ChFC, CASL, RICP, a financial adviser at Northwestern Mutual, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable, FRENCH an international, independent association of nearly 19,000 leading life insurance producers. MDRT is a coveted career milestone that indicates sales and service achievement and is a highly recognized mark of excellence for life underwriters. Members must meet strict ethical and production requirements to qualify.

French provides expert guidance and innovative solutions for a variety of financial needs and goals. He has earned the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers Quality Award and National Quality Award.

French is an active delegate of the Financial Rep Association for Northwestern Mutual and a member NAFA. Kristen Sanders has recently joined Northwestern Mutual, as an assistant to French. A native of Glasgow, Sanders earned her bachelor’s degree from Montana State University. She has previously worked for Lifetouch National School Studios.

April 2017

43

Bankruptcies Billings area petitions filed in U.S. Bank- Feb. 1.

Lezli Dawn Kelly, 714 Avenue B, Feb. 23. W., Feb. 18. ruptcy Court, Feb. 1-28, 2017. Addresses are Larry Charles Jessen, Willow Robbyn Chapter 13 Shelly Deann Foos, 273 Bohl Ave., Feb. in Billings unless otherwise noted.

Jessen, 21 Prince Albert Drive, Feb. 10.

Robert A. Dupree, Anita C. Dupree, 833 24.

Chapter 7 Lisa Joy Lehner, 1740 Augsburg Drive, Bench Blvd. No.1, Feb. 2.

Thor David Sand, 935 Bench Boulevard, Kimberly Janell Belcourt, 4324 Phillip, Feb. 23.

Scott L. Netz, Holly J. Netz, 3211 38th St. Feb. 27.

Residential building permits RESIDENTIAL BLDG Properties LLC, Hanser Construction Co., $270,925 PERMITS FEBRUARY 3447 Prestwick Road, New Single Family Solberg, Steve, Infinity Homes LLC, $206,840 2983 Copper Bluffs Cir6121 Autumnwood Drive, Sam Nelson, Cougar Con- cle, Bob Pentecost Construction, $249,900 struction, $350,000 2929 W. Copper Ridge 3065 W. Copper Ridge Loop, Bob Pentecost Con- Loop, Bob Pentecost Construction, $305,900 struction, $279,900 5240 Frontier Drive, 1831 Island View Drive, Wells Built Homes Inc., Mccall Development Inc., $127,930 $180,260 3022 W. Copper Ridge 5044 Amherst Drive, Loop, Infinity Homes LLC, Hanser Construction Co., $252,140 $194,270 2603 Bowles Way, BCJM Properties LLC, Hanser Co., New Two Family $159,590 2971 Copper Bluffs Cir 1411 Columbine Drive, Billings Mt 59106|Cop6004-093 Bob Pentecost Trailhead Builders Inc., |Bob Pentecost Const New $288,845 5302 Denali Drive, Wells Sfr $250,000 2526 Bowles Way, BCJM Built Homes Inc., $255,860

1209 Cook Ave., San5234 Frontier Drive, Wells Built Homes Inc., chez, David R. and Phyllis, $400 $255,860 541 Wigwam Trail, Remodel Single/ Bradley, James A. and Teresa M., $3,000 Duplex/Garage 2505 46 St. W., Capser, 1448 West Lane, La- Todd and Erica, Rocking furge, Arlynn L. and Carla JR Services LLC, $20,000 L., Lynnrich Inc., $3,255 708 Wyoming Ave., 5120 Amherst Drive, Kurth, Terri J., Kurth InGayvert Construction terior Design Consulting, Inc., Home Base Renova- $19,520 tion, $39,000 2021 32nd St. W., MCS 557 Park Lane, Gerharz, Properties LLC, V.W.C. John P., Big Sky Exterior Inc., $14,500 Designs Inc., $2,000 2213 Meadowood St., 1817 Forest Park Drive, Dahlberg, Toby C. and Cochran, Kenneth P. Jr. Tanya L., Win-Dor Indusand Donna, Freyenhagen tries, $2,000 Remodel SinConstruction Inc., $13,000 gle/Duplex/Garage 1448 West Lane, La1031 N. 32nd St., Carlfurge, Arlynn L. and Carla son, Aimee L., $1,000 3141 E. Copper Ridge L., Lynnrich Inc., $3,255 Loop, Lynnrich Inc., 5120 Amherst Drive, $2,090 Gayvert Construction

BUSINESS IS LOOKING GOOD. TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL 406-657-1298

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Inc., Home Base Renovation, $39,000 557 Park Lane, Gerharz, John P., Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $2,000 1817 Forest Park Drive, Cochran, Kenneth P. Jr. and Donna, Freyenhagen Construction Inc., $13,000 3157 Marguerite Blvd., Carroll, Jeffrey A. Trustee, Kovash Construction LLC, $2,000 3024 Fourth Ave. S., Peters, Mark E. & Jacqueline, Groundswell, $2,550 2028 Lewis Ave., Kelly, David W. and Amanda A., $1,000 1512 Mustang Valley Drive, Mark and Alesia Fowler, $6,000 1424 Emma Ave., Jeff Wald, Gerald Anderson Family, $7,000 4635 Stone St., Brush,

Kathleen M., K-Designers, $8,591 5506 Bobby Jones Blvd., Stanley, Barbara T., C’s Construction Of Billings, $4,336 4440 Ryan Ave., Wilson, Allen L., Bud Lee, $6,900 3530 Timberline Drive, Frewin, Curtis L. and Darcey C., Advantage 1 Construction, $77,500 4622 Elk Ridge Trail, Granite Peak Builders LLC, $34,000 2104 St. Andrews Drive, Chirrick, Terry D. and Margaret J., Christianson & Muller, $12,000 840 El Rancho Drive, Fry, Calvin, $1,000 There were 33 Fence/ Roof/Siding residential permits issued in February.

Billings Business 401 North Broadway Billings, MT 59101

Business licenses FEBRUARY BUSINESS LICENSES Next Level Property Services Inc., 671 Garnet Ave., 325-2888 Smart Home Pros Inc., Orum, Utah, 877-479-1670 MJA Roofing, 204 Prickett Lane, 208-8793 Handyman Rescue, 1910 Gleneagles Blvd, 672-3454 KRCK Management, 1327 Main St., 200-2231 Dailey Brothers Flooring Solutions, 305 S. 38th St., 850-7130 Custom Tile Solutions MT, 1829 Wicks Lane, 698-1932 Tint Billings Inc., 902 Central Ave., 690-7664 Alarm Control Systems Inc., 3124 Ave. F, 764-4454 Joanne Duncan, 1007 Victory Ave., 696-1753 J&C Hood Exhaust Cleaning Service Inc., 1503 Linda Lane, 256-6507 Eagle Energy USA Inc., 27 N. 27th St., 867-3400 Bruski’s Bail Bonds, Lewistown, 366-0457 Steven Juarez Construction, 319 S. 39th St., 694-4498 Brandi’s Lash Lounge, 15 N. 26th St., 909-859-4244 MSR Construction, 473 Blackpool Trail, 320-1938 J. Marble Co., 2615 Woody Drive, 534-9404 Drop Irrigation, 284 Westchester

Square N., 861-4229 TFC Billings JL2 LLC, Midvale, Utah, 801-278-4688 Bogart Construction, Irvine, Calif., 949-453-1400 Lancarello Enterprises LLC, 1219 Frost St., 794-1978 RNB Masonry, Joliet, 670-2714 Jackson Dean Construction, Seattle, 206-832-2900 Outlaw Customs, 131 Brickyard Lane, 591-3751 Advanced Contracting Services LLC, 791 Revolution Ave., 534-2115 Allied Control & Mechanical, Laurel, 628-8886 Noble Design Group, 1906 Songbird Drive Grizzly Sports Auto Sales, 3635 Montana Ave., 969-2225 Hgetailers, 1906 Songbird Drive Doing in Faith, 117 S. 36th St., 530-409-9097 Choice Payment Solutions, 4004 Third Ave. S., 697-2870 Northern Aquascapes, 117 S. 36th St., 530-391-9420 Dustin’s Repair, 851 Radford Square W., 702-0930 Motivated Lawn Service, 10391/2 Howard Ave., 598-1791 Lowe Law Group, 1925 Grand Ave., Suite 200, 801-917-8500 Dynasty Roofing, 21 Custer Ave., 969-1980 Central Electric Inc., Lewistown, 538-3786

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Hardee’s #1506319, 556 Main St. Redmond Marketing, Shepherd, 697-6324 Residential Roofing LLC, 187 Norris Court S., 839-0084 Trophy Class Exteriors, 921 N. 25th St., 465-9281 Journey Counseling PLLC, 1215 24th St. W., Suite 130 Jason Eckart Inspections Plus, 1721 Venus Circle, 702-5098 Platinum Style Mobile Detailing, Shepherd, 598-5998 HTI Polymer Inc., Woodinville, Wash., 425-487-8911 C&T Inflatables LLLC, 3806 Pioneer Road, 698-5683 G&C Enterprises LLC, 530 First Ave. N., 860-2253 MT, 1132 N. 26th St., 694-3551 Mitchell Appliance Repair LLC, 2903 Oakland Drive, 598-3590 Montana Turf Works, 1331 Holiday Circle, 672-0550 Ostermiller Construction, 2847 Bitterroot Drive, 245-4198 Highmark Homes, 1711 Sagebrush Road, 671-4960 Paulson’s Media Blasting, 4925 Powmer Road, 670-1260 Then And Now Videography, 2214 Maple St., 861-3051 Another Man’s Treasure, 1535 Cook Ave., 259-8520 Wayne’s Services, 540 Custer Ave., 855-4251 Ridgeline Renovation LLC, 1504

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Linda Lane, 696-8329 Rice and Moseley Inc., 436 Wicks Lane, 371-5510 Tobacco Hub, 2340 Grand Ave., 969-2859 Montana Rear Window, 1516 Chesapeake Lane, 655-4825 Matt Caudill Construction LLC, 10230 Pryor Road, 698-4847 Shop Steve Susie Kate, 3766 Donna Court, 479-926-6528 Zen, 1500 Poly Drive, 307-3494842 Montana Employment Consultants, 975 Solita Drive, 647-1507 Andre’s Painting Service, 2141 Burnstead Drive, No. 23A, 491-0989 Western States Electric Inc., Roberts, 794-6133 Garton Photography, 3921 Cambridge Drive, 690-9055 Abbott Plumbing, 6845 Sandysprings Circle, 812-0660 Limitless, 2616 Old Hardin Road, No. 40, 208-2469 De Novo Tattoo & Social Club, 2731 Sage Ridge Road, 671-2849 Man Cave Custom Crafts, 6303 Grand Ave., 200-4467 CMG Construction LLC, 6611 Trade Center Ave., 655-1892 Askin Construction LLC, Laurel, 690-5666 Final Touch Construction Cleaning LLC, 5005 U.S. Highway 3, 200-0400

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April 2017

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Montana patents Below are listed U.S. patents issued to Montana inventors Jan. 31-Feb. 21, 2017. For assistance in patent filing, call Billings patent attorney Antoinette M. Tease at 406-294-9000.

David R. Munter of Condon: Apparatus and method for distributing a tarp over a cargo on a truck load bed. 9,555,696, Jan. 31.

Peter A. Roos, Randy R. Reibel, Brant Kaylor, Zeb Barber and William Randall Babbitt, all of Bozeman: Precise broadband frequency modulated laser. 9,559,486, Jan. 31, Montana State University and Bridger Photonics Inc., Bozeman.

James Palakovich of Bozeman; Jeffry Eigeman of Alpharetta, Georgia; Charles Edward McDaniel Jr. of Seattle; Michael Maringas of West Palm Beach, Florida; Sridhar Chodavarapu of Suwanee, Georgia: Virtual agent proxy in a real-time chat service.

9,559,993, Jan. 31, Oracle Internatinal Corp., Redwood Shores, California.

Dean Folkvord of Three Forks, and David Yakos, Stephen Sanford and Joel Switzer, all of Bozeman: Fluid management device for exercising athletes.

9,560,887, Feb. 7, Folkvord Products LLC, Three

Forks.

Michael D. DeGrandpre of Missoula; Todd Martz of Aptos, California; Andrew Dickson of San Diego: Titration method using a tracer to quantify the titrant. 9,562,881, Feb. 7.

Allan G. Kern of Red Lodge: Rate-based multivariable control with assurance. stability 9,563,184, Feb. 7.

Ronald Brent Kandarian of Kalispell: Stabilizer for lower dental appliances.

9,566,139, Feb. 14.

Wendell Guthrie of Missoula: Compositions and methods for enhancing the efficacy of contraceptive microbicides.

9,566,232, Feb. 14, EVOFEM Inc. Thao Ngo of Shakopee, Minnesota; Kathleen Kresge of Minneapolis; Michael Kane of Pewaukee, Wisconsin; and Scott Patrick Simon of Billings: Systems and methods for using pulmonary artery pressure form an implantable sensor to detect mitral regurgitation and optimize pacing delays. 9,566,442, Feb. 14, Pacesetter Inc., Sylmar, California.

Kevin J. Negus of Philipsburg and James A. Proctor of Melbourne Beach, Florida: Hybrid band radio with adaptive antenna arrays. 9,572,163, Feb. 14,

CBF Networks Inc., Santa Clara, California.

Danile W. Price of Loveland, Ohio; Sora Ree, Cory G. Kimball, Jeffrey D. Messerly and Micahel R. Lamping, all of Cincinnati; Timothy G. Dietz of Terrace Park, Ohio; Ashvani K. Madan and Foster B. Stulen, both of Mason, Ohio; Donna L. Korvick of Mainevill, Ohio; William E. Clem of Bozeman; Jacqueline C. Aronhalt of Loveland, Ohio; William D. Dannaher of Suzhou, China; John B. Schulte of West Chester, Ohio; Danius P. Silkaitis of Seattle and Stephen J. Balek of Springboro, Ohio: Surgical instrument with orientation sensing. 9,572,592, Feb. 21, Ethicon EndoSurgery LLC, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

William J. Ritter of Bozeman: Boot binding system with foot latch pedal.

9,573,043, Feb. 21.

Paul Beard of Big Fork and Jeffrey Walker of Champaign, Illinois: Optical spread spectrum detection and ranging.

9,575,185, Feb. 21, Horizon Hobby LLC, Champaign.

Kristin Precoda of Mountain View, California; Horacio Franco of Menlo Park, California; Jing Zheng of Sunnyvale, California; Michael

Frandsen of Helena; Victor Abrash of Montara, California; Murat Akbacak of Palo Alto, California; and Andreas Stolcke of Berkeley, California: Method and apparatus for adding new vocabulary to interactive translation and dialogue systems. 9,576,570, Feb. 21, SRI International, Menlo Park.

David Andrew G. Lea of Vancouver, California, and Kevin J. Negus of Philipsburg: Radio with asym-

metrical directional antenna sub-arrays. 9,577,700, Feb. 21, CBF Networks Inc., Santa Clara, California.

Kevin J. Negus of Philipsburg and James A. Proctor of Melbourne Beach, Florida: Method for installing a backhaul link with multiple antenna patterns.

9,577,733, Feb. 21, CBF Networks Inc., Santa Clara, California.

Kevin J. Negus of Philipsburg: Back haul radio with antenna array and

multiple RF carrier frequencies. 9,578,643, Feb. 21, CBF Networks Inc., Santa Clara, California.

Rod Herrick of Whitefish and Jared. W. Shapell of Kalispell: Ornamental design for a spur handle bursting head. D779, 572, Feb. 21, RODDIE Inc., Columbia Falls.

Dean G. Grommet of Whitefish: Ornamental design for a staircase.

D779,681, Feb. 21, Acutech LLC, Columbia Falls.

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Commercial building permits FEBRUARY COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS

Addition 123 S. 27th St., Yellowstone Health Partnership, Dick Anderson Construction, $1,011,150

Fence/Roof/Siding 1140 Main St., Galarneau, Gordon D. Jr. and Rinda, All Seasons Roofing, $796,205 516 S. 18th St. W., Centennial Enterprise (Etal), Timberman Construction LLC, $14,000 3839 Grand Ave., Joe Dringle & Dorothy Dringle, Lennick Bros., $4,500 1125 Maggie Lane, Steel, Ronald J. & Nadine A., Lennick Bros. Roofing & Sheeting, $15,000 191 Bohl Ave., Bohl Properties LLC, Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $125,000

331 Bohl Ave., Bohl Properties LLC, Big Sky Exterior Designs Inc., $125,000 200 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 202 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 204 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 212 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 214 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 218 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899 216 Brookshire Blvd., Brookshire Village LLC, Cornerstone Exteriors Inc., $32,899

New Hospitals/ Institutions 123 S. 27th St., Yellowstone Health Partnership, Dick Anderson Construction, $6,932,675

New 3+ (Multi Family) 336 Sioux Lane, HAB Development Corp., Fisher Construction Inc., $321,046 332 Sioux Lane, Red Fox Apartments LLLP, Fisher Construction Inc., $400,456 340 Sioux Lane, HAB Development Corp., Fisher Construction Inc., $321,046 334 Sioux Lane, Red Fox Apartments LLLP, Fisher Construction Inc., $400,456 342 Sioux Lane, HAB Development Corp., Fisher Construction Inc., $341,046 344 Sioux Lane, Red Fox Apartments LLLP, Fisher Construction Inc.,

Barnett Opticians, $75,000 $400,456 313 N. 28th St., Taj Prop346 Sioux Lane, HAB Development Corp., Fisher erties LLC, Langlas & Assoc.

Construction Inc., $360,088 Inc., $348,000 145 Alderson Ave., Great Remodel Plains Gathering, $20,000 2825 Third Ave. N. Miller, 3333 Second Ave. N., Trois LLC, Western States Emerling, Tom, Bauer Con- Fire Protection Co., $9,300 struction, $15,000 1142 Grand Ave., 1142 514 S. 37th St. Latin Grand LLC, Action Electric American District Council, Inc., $5,000 $30,000 24 S. 29th St., Seal, Levern 284 Southview Drive, D., Koinonia Housing ConCity Of Billings (Airport), struction, $15,000 2800 10th Ave. N. Dea$20,000 2290 King Ave. W., Prop- coness Medical Center Of erty Tax Dept. 69, Jackson Billings, Yellowstone Electric Dean Construction, $148,297 Co., $24,647 2290 King Ave. W., Prop3928 Victory Circle, IRETerty Tax Dept. 69, Interstate Olympic Village (MT), DutConstruction Group Inc., ton Construction, $23,000 3924 Victory Circle, IRET$54,757 1221 28th St. W., Springs Olympic Village (MT), DutVI at Billings LLC, Lynnrich ton Construction, $23,000 103 N. 28th St., Yurko Inc., $51,266 1346 Monad Road, Indus- Properties LLC, $1,000 trial Gas Distributors Inc., 300 S. 24th St. W., Rimrock Owner LP, Bogart Comtech Inc., $35,491 2203 Broadwater Ave., Construction Bath & Body Schied, S.H. and Delores, Works, $225,000

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332 S. Plainview St., PA Prospect LLC, $30,000 100 Brookshire Blvd., Hanser Capital Holdings LLC, Hardy Construction Co., $225,000 1335 Golden Valley Circle, West Grand Retail Partners LLC, Jones Construction Inc., $100,000 300 S. 24th St. W., Rimrock Owner LP, Hardy Construction Co., $8,000 316 N. 26th St., Revx-694 LLC, EEC Inc., $33,000 1202 W. Wicks Lane, State Of Montana, $25,000 175 N. 27th St., SFH II LLC, Kenco Enterprises Inc., $5,400 637 Anchor St., Billings Heights Post #6774, $25,000 1233 N. 30th St., Sisters Of Charity Of Leavenworth, $25,000 2825 Third Ave. N., Miller Trois LLC, $22,500 2900 12th Ave. N., Sisters Of Charity Of Leavenworth, Capital Development Inc., $10,000

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