Columbia Business Times - August 2013

August 2013

Entertainment through the Ages

Where Columbians drink, drank and had a good time throughout history Pg. 28

The Bianchi Cup international pistol championship Pg. 46

Oh my God, like, Shoes Pg. 36

Downtown Gets Lucky’s Pg. 22

Yum! Chicken

Zaxby's coming to Columbia Pg. 43

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 7

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From the Publisher

Editorial Chris Harrison, Group Publisher ChrisH@BusinessTimesCompany.com Sarah Redohl, Managing Editor SarahR@BusinessTimesCompany.com Katrina Tauchen, Copy Editor Katrina@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Guns, Ammo & Liquor ›

It is an obvious statement: Columbia is full of smart people who are dedicated to seeing our city thrive.

Many of you have likely heard of the NRA Bianchi Cup. My simple analogy to describe this annual event is that it’s the Kentucky Derby of competitive pistol shooting. Competitors from all over the world flock to Columbia every year and have been doing so since 1978.

Contingents from Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and all corners of the United States converge in Columbia and the surrounding area to compete.

And, if you compare the estimated economic impact of two other well-known events in Columbia, the NRA Bianchi Cup is a significant player.

Photo by The annual economic impact on Columbia of the Taylor Allen Show-Me State Games is estimated at $15 million; the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival hovers around $4.5 million and the NRA Bianchi Cup, $3 million. This event significantly impacts our local businesses while bringing the attention of the competitive pistol shooting community to our city. It began here in 1978, and it has remained here because of MidwayUSA’s investment as a title sponsor and CEO Larry Potterfield’s desire to keep the event in Columbia. Sure, it’s a great sponsorship for MidwayUSA’s marketing efforts, but it also has a huge benefit to our restaurants, our hotels and our local gun retailers.

It was a smart move.

Couple this smart and strategic investment MidwayUSA made in the NRA Bianchi Cup with the tax incentives given to gun manufacturers through legislation (HB 630) and the direct efforts of state representatives such as Caleb Rowden to attract gun manufacturing business to Missouri, and you have something that can have a real impact on our local and state economy.

Brainstorming with several local legends in the nightclub/bar scene for one of this month’s features had me on the verge of a residual hangover. Although most of my time outside of the office is spent coaching and watching my kids play sports, it didn’t take too long to remember a few of my old haunts. CBT’s managing editor, Sarah Redohl, takes a look back in time to revisit some of the nightclubs/bars that were considered the hotspots of the day. Although we can’t cover them all (many were left off the list due to space limitations), we touched on some of the most popular — then and now. So grab a drink, and enjoy reminiscing about your old hangouts.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

We love feedback, good and bad, so if you would like to share your thoughts, don’t hesitate to email me at: chrish@businesstimescompany.com Thank you for supporting the CBT. Best,

August 2013

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All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Entertainment through the Ages

Where Columbians drink, drank and had a good time throughout history PG. 28

The Bianchi Cup international pistol championship PG. 46

OH MY GOD, LIKE, SHOES PG. 36

Downtown Gets Lucky’s PG. 22

Chris Harrison, Group Publisher

Yum! Chicken

Zaxby's coming to Columbia PG. 43

Larry Potterfield holds a pistol from his personal collection. Photo by Anthony Jinson.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Columbia Business Times and ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com strives to be Columbia’s leading source for timely and comprehensive news coverage of the local business community. This publication is dedicated to being the most relevant and useful vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas among Columbia’s business professionals.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 11

About The Last Times What People Are Saying say take a moment to ’s] I just wanted to uly [J in e icl art IT e “thank you” for th thoroughness and your CBT. I appreciate light on this problem. ine a ther to willingness to sh ion can work toge Hopefully, the reg — Jim Gann, SBTDC . find some answers

I absolutely love the cover of the July issue.

It’s inspiring to see how hard high school kids/ entrepreneurs are working.

— Kari Dowell, WilliamsKeepers LLC

Online responses to our July issue MU Law Library @MULawLibrary

2 Jul A nice write up of a #MizzouLaw alum's business RT @davetownsendesq: Thanks @ColumbiaBiz for the great article. http://columbiabusinesstimes.com/19059/2013/06/30/....

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David Townsend @davetownsendesq 2 Jul Thanks @ColumbiaBiz for the great article. columbiabusinesstimes.com/19059/2013/06/30/the-underwriters/# … from Columbia, MO

Jeff Branscom @jeffreyowen8 2 Jul Great piece about two #CoMo high school students and their healthcare #startup columbiabusinesstimes.com/19044/2013/06/30/boys-2men/ … via @ColumbiaBiz

What’s going on around the office Hardest-Working Women

Tigers on the Prowl

Do you have an especially hard-working colleague in your office? Be sure to check out the August/September issue of Columbia Home magazine, where seven of Columbia’s hardest-working women will be honored for all the late nights, early mornings and hard work in between.

Ten life-size fiberglass tigers painted by 10 local artists, supported by 10 local businesses and benefiting 10 deserving charities will be scattered around Columbia until Oct. 13, when they will be auctioned off at The Crossing.

Take a look at your favorite tigers in our new video segment, “CBT Around Town.”

Write to CBT editor Sarah Redohl at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com

D. Joseph Meyer, MD PhD

www.MeyerSpineMD.com 305 N. Keene, Ste. 105

877-442-9686

Call now to schedule a consultation! columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 13

August 2013

Vol. 20, Issue 2 columbiabusinesstimes.com

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Entertainment Through the Ages Columbians know how to have a good time. Take a look at Columbia’s top places to drink and be merry throughout history

32 Booked Local venues attract big acts to our small city.

Contributor Kaylen Ralph looks into the art of booking big music.

36 Oh my God, like, Shoes So many new shoe companies are cropping up in Columbia. What’s behind the startup scene’s foot fetish?

43 Yum! Chicken Greg and Cheryl Jarvis bring Southern chicken chain Zaxby’s to midMissouri.

Departments

11 From the Publisher 13 Letters to the Editor 17 Movers and Shakers 18 Briefly in the News 21 A Closer Look 22 Business Update 25 P.Y.S.K. 27 Opinion 54 Nonprofit Spotlight 57 Technology 59 Celebrations 60 Deeds of Trust 61 Economic Index 62 Business Licenses 63 By the Numbers 64 7 Questions 66 Flashback

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Guns & Money

SOLD!

With the world’s premier action pistol championship in Columbia’s backyard, Sarah Redohl follows the money and what it means for mid-Missouri.

Comedic columnist Jill Orr says it straight: how to make a sale and break a sale in the world of retail.

Most Eligible Bachelorettes

need a few good Men Columbia Home is looking for 7 eligible bachelors to let us play matchmaker to the city’s 7 most eligible bachelorettes.

What would make this even better?

Join our eligible bachelorettes for an evening of food, music and fun!

We’re making it a PARTY!

When: Thursday, September 5, 2013, 6-9:30 p.m.

Where: Les Bourgeois Winery’s Bistro Who: For everyone who believes in love

Purchase your tickets a for a night of fun with the Most Eligible Bachelorettes at: www.ColumbiasMostEligible.com Don’t want us to match you up? Join us for night of mingling, fun and romance anyway!

If you’re single and want to participate in our speed dating event, please go to the event website to apply.

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Movers and Shakers ›› Professionals grow, serve and achieve

house

landeck

Redig

›› Holly House House, a 15-year veteran of the banking industry, has been promoted to AVB/ internal auditor at Midwest Independent Bancshares Inc. A graduate of Columbia College, House completed the Certified Community Bank Internal Auditor program in 2007.

›› Rachel Grant Grant, a May graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in parks, recreation and tourism, has been hired by the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau as marketing coordinator. She will act as a liaison between the bureau and the bureau’s media-buying and marketing firms.

›› Trent Stober HDR, an architecture, engineering and construction services firm, hired Stober as client service manager for its water and natural resources group. A professional engineer with more than 20 years of experience, Stober has opened HDR’s new Columbia office, which joins the company’s eight other offices in the state.

›› Eva Valencia and Ryan Ziegler

›› Gina Damico Landeck The Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau named Landeck convention services manager. Previously the special events coordinator for the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, Landeck will now sell Columbia as a meeting destination to event planners in the sports, government and corporate markets. ›› Matt Redig MBS Textbook Exchange has promoted Redig to product manager of marketplace services. An MBS employee since 2001, Redig is a veteran of Iraq and a graduate of Columbia College’s MBA program.

Ziegler and Valencia have been named senior tellers for the Downtown and West Broadway branches of Boone County National Bank, respectively. Senior tellers are the operational leaders of branches and also help other tellers when needed. ›› Amanda Dunwoody U.S. Cellular promoted Dunwoody to business development manager for Columbia. Dunwoody, who has been with the company for 13 years, will provide customer service to small- and mediumsized businesses and aid local retail stores in developing small-business solutions. ›› Ben Stolle MidwayUSA promoted Stolle to Web usability manager. Since joining MidwayUSA in 2009, Stolle has served as a Web designer and a website and usability analyst. In his new role, he will continue to optimize the company’s website and will create new processes for the site.

➜ Are you or your employees

making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news to editor@ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com

grant

Stolle

›› Dan Farnen Following a national search, True Media has hired Farnen as U.S. media director. A graduate of MU, Farnen brings 17 years of experience in advertising, including time at Anheuser-Busch, where he directed multiple award-winning promotions and partnerships. Most recently, Farnen was at Chicago advertising agency Draft FCB, where he planned communications for brands such as Coors and Miller Lite. ›› Boone County National Bank Promotions Quesha Combs, Levina Summers, Amanda Moreland, Holly Smith, Kristen Monteer and Brittany Hicks were promoted to teller II. ›› Ashley Elfrank Elfrank was promoted to consumer banking representative at Boone County National Bank. Elfrank will be part of the floater pool, a group of consumer banking representatives who move among the bank’s branches and fill in wherever needed. ›› Tony Bavuso The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation has named Bavuso as its new executive director, the foundation’s third director since it began 53 years ago.

Previously the foundation’s chief operating officer, Bavuso brings 15 years of experience to his new position. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 17

Briefly in the News

›› A rundown of this month’s top headlines

Missouri ranks #6

Missouri ranks sixth in the nation in the increased number of residents with a college degree, according to a report released in June by Lumina Foundation.

In 2011, 36.4 percent of the state’s population had a college degree, up from 34.9 percent in 2008. However, even with these gains, Missouri lags behind the national average of 38.7 percent.

fourth Amendment

$7.1 billion Smithfield Foods, whose subsidiary Premium Standard Farms operates 63 hog farms and nine large-scale CAFOs in northern Missouri, has agreed to be acquired by Chinese firm Shuanghui International for $7.1 billion, pending approval from regulators.

160,13,29,90

Federal cuts to Medicare payments have triggered layoffs and cutbacks at some of the state’s largest health care providers. BJC HealthCare announced it will lay off 160 employees, including 13 workers at the Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. MU Health announced similar cuts, reducing hours and pay for 29 employees and eliminating 90 unfilled positions.

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Jessica Kempf, president of the Columbia Board of Realtors, publically called for the City of Columbia to rescind a new law that would require landlords to disclose “all tenant information” to city authorities investigating code violations at the June 17 City Council meeting because it violates the Fourth Amendment rights of tenants.

June 13 At their June 13 meeting, the University of Missouri System curators voted to extend employee benefits to “sponsored adult dependents,” a category that includes samesex partners of employees.

‘blue light’ safety app A group of MU business, journalism and computer science students have created an application that allows users to directly signal police if they are in danger. The app, called Safe Trek, works by allowing the user to press a button when they feel unsafe. If the user lets go of the button, he or she must then enter a code, or the app will directly contact the police dispatcher; the user can then speak directly with the police or have his or her movements tracked.

The app was developed for a Windows 8 development competition held by the Reynolds Journalism Institute at MU. The Safe Trek app won the competition, and the team that created it, made up of students Zach Beattie, Natalie Cheng and Zach Winkler, received a Microsoft tablet and a trip to the Microsoft headquarters in Washington state.

Retiring Brady Deaton, the chancellor of the University of Missouri, announced June 12 that he will retire, effective Nov. 15. Deaton has been MU’s leader since 2004 and has been at the university since 1989. He will remain involved with MU by acting as chancellor emeritus with a focus on international development and will continue to reside in Columbia.

Under Deaton’s leadership, MU experienced a period of unprecedented growth.

Enrollment rose by almost 30 percent, and 21 new buildings were added to the campus. The university also moved to the Southeastern Conference, a step up from the unstable Big 12 Conference.

What’s happening

Rotaract steps up

No More old boys’ club The Missouri Legislature has more women and more middle-aged members than before, according to a report released by the Institute of Public Policy in May. According to the report, the main factors behind this shift are the state’s redistricting in 2000 and the implementation of term limits in 2001 and 2003 for the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively. Term limits have forced out career politicians, and the turnover has opened up more seats for women and younger Congress members.

However, there has been no notable growth in the number of minority legislators, whose numbers are proportional to Missouri’s minority population.

Citizen Jane Film Fest returning Passes have gone on sale for the sixth annual Citizen Jane Film Festival, which takes place Oct. 4 to 6. The female-centric film fest has two levels of passes: the $100 Insane Jane pass, which allows holders to reserve tickets ahead of time for all films and attend all festival events, and the $60 Plain Jane pass, which grants one ticket to every film playing.

New artwork at Boone County National Bank Boone County National Bank recently exhibited new artwork from two local artists in the Bank Lobby Gallery of its downtown location.

One of the artists, Kerry Hirth, specializes in pastel representations of music, born from her synesthesia; the other, Laura Beth Konopinski, creates glass sculptures that draw on the relationship between human emotion and animal behavior.

The Columbia chapter of Rotaract, a service organization for students and professionals younger than 30, has decided to sponsor the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture’s Planting for the Pantry program. So far this year, more than 300 servings of fresh produce have been donated to help those in need.

(Fiberglass) tigers on the loose Ten life-size fiberglass tigers, all decorated by local artists, have been let loose for Tigers on the Prowl, a benefit for 10 local charities, that kicked off June 21 in the Dillard’s wing of the Columbia Mall.

The event will culminate on Oct. 13, when the tigers will be auctioned off at a party at The Crossing church. All funds raised will go to the 10 charities, including Central Missouri Honor Flight and True North. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 19

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motion motion

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[

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Serving Columbia since 1957!

A Closer Look

New Businesses in

Columbia

›› A quick look at emerging companies

1. John Deere Landscapes

3. Aqueous Vapor

5. Lincare Inc.

The company that wants you to give your land area the best care with the best products and services made it a little easier for midMissouri by opening a location in Columbia.

This wholesale landscape supply company, which has locations throughout the United States and Canada, is now located at 1808 Burlington St. The store mainly offers wholesale products such as tools, fertilizer and equipment. John Deere Landscapes provides products that can help landscape areas from your home to a golf course. Not only can the available products help give your outdoor area a new look, but they can also help with pest control.

Proprietor: John Deere Landscapes Inc. Phone: 573-814-3471

Aqueous Vapor carries a wide selection of eCigarettes and accessories and offers a tobacco-free alternative to smoking. At Aqueous Vapor, located on 601 E. Business Loop 70, you can find kits, e-liquid tobacco, chargers and more. E-liquid flavors include smoked plum, piña colada and cinnamon apple. With a range of options, Aqueous Vapor holds everything you need for customizing your electronic smoking experience. Stop by Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

Proprietor: James F. Yeager Sr. Phone: 573-825-1955

Medical equipment and care are what this business provides. With a goal to give patients a greater quality of life and more than 1,000 locations across the United States, Lincare opened a new location this year at 5900 N. Tower Drive, Suite J. The company offers oxygen systems, infusion therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation and respiratory care. Whether the patient wants a better life or to be eased from any suffering, Lincare Inc. finds a way to address the individual’s needs. Lincare aims to provide the care that a patient deserves and desires, no matter the specific case.

Proprietor: Lincare Inc. Phone: 727-530-7700

4. Impressions by Sue Ann

6. Dexter’s Broaster Chicken

2. Jose Jalapeños This restaurant is another location to put a stop to all of your Mexican food cravings. The eatery opened at 3412 Grindstone Parkway and replaced what was Galactic Fun Zone. On the outside of the building, you’ll be greeted by a sombrero-sporting jalapeno with a smile, and on the inside, a sight just as welcoming will greet you. The bright, open atmosphere and diverse array of dining options make it a perfect spot for any group looking for lunch or dinner. Seafood and vegetarian options are also available. Visit during happy hour, when you can enjoy a range of margarita flavors.

Proprietor: Fresco Jalapeños Inc. Phone: 573-825-6334

This new store is an ideal place to find items to make over any room in your home or office. Located at 804 Old N. 63, Impressions

by Sue Ann specializes in selling furniture, gifts and home accessories. Find items to spice up your den or decorate your living room. From lamps to wooden chairs, tables to decorative vases, Impressions by Sue Ann has an item for your taste. Impressions by Sue Ann is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments can also be scheduled if you’re looking for a personalized time to shop.

Proprietor: Sue Ann Herigon Phone: 573-424-2338

This spring, Columbia welcomed a new chicken restaurant on Vandiver Drive. Along with dining in, Dexter’s Broaster Chicken provides takeout, delivery and catering options. The restaurant is in the Vandiver Village shopping area at 711 Vandiver Drive, Suite A. Broaster is a chicken company based in Wisconsin that allows distributors to serve to supermarkets, restaurants and other food-service locations. Chicken is cooked in a special Broaster Co. pressure fryer and is seasoned and marinated using a specific Broaster recipe, which allows for a unique and tasty dining experience.

Proprietor: Dexter Fitzgerald Phone: 573-447-7259 CBT

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2 ➜ Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 21

Photo by Whitney Buckner

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Business Update

›› Transformed, trending and up-to-the-minute

Downtown Development

Groceries at a Crossroads

Poised at the corner of Providence and Broadway, Lucky’s Farmers Market

By Vicki Hodder brings a much-needed grocery store to the center of town The Lucky’s Farmers Market slated to open this fall in downtown Columbia will be a first, both for the company owner and city shoppers.

Its opening will launch a new chain of natural foods stores that Lucky’s website says will eventually span six states. Lucky’s shoppers will enjoy a wide selection of both mainstream and natural foods — such as “never-ever” meats that contain no antibiotics or growth hormones and hundreds of different cheeses — in a large full-service grocery at the center of town.

Columbia business leaders say Lucky’s renovation and reuse of the shuttered Osco Drug building at 111 S. Providence Road will help meet a need in the city’s core highlighted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s designation of three downtown census tracts just east of the site as a “food desert.”

And Lucky’s might accomplish far more. Local development officials believe the grocery store will lure more young professionals downtown, now largely populated by students. That addition to downtown Columbia’s residential character could, in turn, act as a catalyst to redevelopment in the area, says Patrick R. Zenner, Columbia’s development services manager.

“This is the catalyst,” Zenner says. “I would suggest that Lucky’s market is one of multiple catalysts that can occur on the west side of downtown.”

Organic, locally grown The roughly 42,000-square-foot natural foods market on which those hopes are centered will be “wild with produce,” Lucky’s President Bo Sharon says. Covering nearly a fourth of the market’s floor space, the produce section will be the largest and most affordable in town, Sharon adds.

Store plans also call for a coffee shop, a natural living department, an outside patio and terrace and a liquor store along with other full-scale grocery store amenities. Although traditional foods will be

for sale, the Boulder, Colo.-based company’s focus is on organic, natural and locally grown foods.

Sharon says the Columbia store, currently undergoing a complete interior renovation, will be the first Lucky’s Farmers Market to open, with

idential base. Already, new student apartment buildings have added thousands of temporary residents — and potential shoppers — to the area during the past few years. By adding convenient, walkable access to a full-service grocery store, Lucky’s is helping create a total living environment that officials expect will draw older residents and eventually swell downtown’s population. Zenner sees Lucky’s paving the way for a growing downtown population of retired people, an opportunity that’s currently largely untapped. If older people who don’t want to have to drive can easily walk to a downtown grocery, they might move to the area to enjoy proximity to cultural activities, parks and medical facilities, he says.

A catalyst for downtown a second scheduled to open by the end of the year in Columbus, Ohio. The chain’s competitive edge?

“The prices are the differentiator,” Sharon says.

“We’re trying to appeal to folks who are looking to improve their health without spending any more money.”

Jay Lindner, president of Forum Development Group in Columbia, says Lucky’s will draw shoppers from the entire city, and he believes the store’s size and wide range of offerings, plus its fairly central location, will broaden its appeal.

Mike Brooks, president of Columbia’s Regional Economic Development Inc., also points to the proposed grocery store’s easy access to Broadway Street and Providence Road. Standing at the crossroads of two primary city roads, the site “is about as convenient as you can get,” he says.

The location is convenient for downtown pedestrians as well as motorists, Zenner points out. It’s a distinction that he and Lindner say will draw young professionals to Columbia’s downtown and diversify and strengthen the core’s res-

Whatever the exact makeup, Zenner believes Lucky’s will strengthen the downtown residential base. “You will see that increase in the permanent population as a result of services becoming more easily accessible,” he says.

And that may well trigger a whole host of other changes downtown. Public improvements, such as park upgrades, may follow the flow of residents and further enhance the downtown living environment. The end result of downtown’s increased population density may be further development.

“I think that not only does this Lucky’s grocery create a catalyst to encourage people to come downtown because they have services that are available to them,” Zenner says, “but it also may provide an opportunity to spur redevelopment of maybe sputtering properties.”

With the new grocery store, Sharon aims at shoppers of all ages: “young, retired, however it looks.” And though Sharon considers downtown the new Lucky’s core market, he does hope to bring in buyers from the entire city.

“The beauty of this site is we’re accessible to all; we’re sort of the center of town,” he says. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 23

Meet Merrill and David Horner, Jr. of Columbia. They recently obtained an SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri to purchase their dream business, Dairy Isle and Grill located on Main Street in Steelville; the “Floating Capital of Missouri�.

An SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri is one of the best financing options for small and growing businesses. An SBA loan can help you finance an entire business, equipment and fixtures, business real estate and much more.

Meet our SBA Lending Division team, from left to right: Karin Bell (Vice President), Keith McLaughlin (Senior Vice President), Crystal Morris (Administrative Assistant), Mark Claypole (Assistant Vice President).

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P.Y.S.K. Person You Should Know

James Alabach Owner, Michaelanne Inc.

Age:

48

›› Job description: I’m a real estate developer. My work consists of leasing/developing existing retail real estate investments to enhance their value. Beyond working on my own investments, I work with landlords to lease their retail space and/or consult on future commercial retail developments.

›› Why I’m passionate about my job: If you are willing to work and find them, the opportunities in commercial retail real estate are out there. You have to be able to pass on many deals before you find the one that will work for you. The time spent working on retail real estate opportunities, in most cases, is very fulfilling.

›› Years lived in Columbia: 29

›› What people should know about this profession: You have to have a lot of patience and be able to think on your feet.

›› Original hometown: St. Louis

›› What I do for fun: I enjoy walking with my wife, Melissa, riding my mountain bike, playing mandolin and fly fishing.

›› Education: B.S. in environmental sciences, University of Missouri ›› Professional background: Until this spring, I spent 26 years working for The Kroenke Group leasing and developing commercial retail real estate.

Photo by Anthony Jinson

›› A favorite recent project: James River Commons Shopping Center located at the southwest corner of James River Freeway and Campbell Avenue in Springfield, Mo. Sam’s Club, Walmart Neighborhood Market and Academy Sports all anchor the development.

➜ Professional background: Alabach spent 26 years working for The Kroenke Group leasing and developing commercial retail real estate.

›› A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: Craig Van Matre. Craig is a local business attorney. He has been great with counseling my personal business along with retail real estate development projects for many years. Craig’s integrity is impeccable. He’s a wonderful person, and I admire him greatly.

›› Family: I have a wonderful wife, Melissa, whom I truly admire. (Melissa raised our boys.

Once the boys were older, she started a successful retail store with her friend and partner Mary Stauffer. The store, Tallulah’s, is in downtown Columbia.) I also have two great sons: Logan, 16, who plays lacrosse and enjoys culinary endeavors, and Tyler, 15, who plays football and wrestles; both Logan and Tyler are avid fly fisherman. ›› Most people don’t know that I: In the early 1990s, I took mandolin lessons from Lee Ruth. ›› Accomplishment I’m most proud of: Having developed a large (80-acre) retail real estate project that took more than five years to complete.

The project was completed on budget and met our partnership pro forma returns. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 25

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Roundtable › Al Germond

point-of-view

Building the Four Gateways The idea of having the City of Columbia assume proprietorship of certain streets presently under the aegis of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department came up recently in a discussion about building downtown “gateways” at four principal entrances to the central business district.

Al Germond is the Aside from Interstate 70 host of the Columbia and U.S. Highway 63, ColumBusiness Times bia should own and maintain Sunday Morning the lesser numbered and letRoundtable at 8:15 tered highways now controlled a.m. Sundays on KFRU.

by MoDOT. Ideally under this He can be reached at plan, MoDOT would cede ownal@columbia business ership and maintenance of the state’s lettimes.com. tered and numbered roads — Providence Road for example — to the city. MoDOT would then pay the city an annual sum identical to what it spends for its own forces and equipment to maintain the roads it presently controls. Obviously, it’s a bookkeeping exercise fraught with plenty of delicate issues to go around.

This might be the city's solution to the ongoing conundrum over Providence Road and its Grasslands neighbors. Because MoDOT owns the ball, the bat and the glove in this little stickball game of highway planning and construction, the state agency can flout what the city wants the road to look like while it struts down the road joyfully chanting, “My way!”

Perhaps the flustered city’s next question should be: “How much do you want for Providence Road?”

or the troublesome Downtown Loop a few years later — that have thankfully evaporated. Whatever they end up looking like, Columbia’s gateways are certain to be the butt of ridicule, jokes and satire for years to come.

Downtown Columbia appears to be thriving rather well now, but there are a bunch of picayune things that should be taken care of first. Ah, but if

Ah, but if the custodians of downtown Columbia insist on building four gateways, let them go for it with alacrity! … Supersize them with an elevator so visitors can ascend to the top to gaze across College Town, U.S.A… the custodians of downtown Columbia insist on building four gateways, let them go for it with alacrity! Let’s replicate Denver’s Mizpah Gate that greeted visitors to the Mile High City as they emerged from Union Station.

Columbia should build the four gateways. Supersize them with an elevator

Who’s in control?

Highway ownership gets us back to a recent discussion by the Downtown Community Improvement District to build the four gateways; MoDOT comes into the picture at two of them: Providence Road and College Avenue. Gateway proponents say design flexibility would be enhanced if the city assumed control of designated portions of those two streets now owned by MoDOT. Money to build The Mizpah Arch, named for the Hebrew word for welcome, faced Denver’s downtown and greeted rail passengers the four gateways would come from an existing for 25 years. half-cent sales tax, so anyone who spends money downtown really has a stake in this. so visitors can ascend to the top to gaze across College Town, U.S.A., just as visitors to the City of Light can observe Paris from the heights of the Arc Many of us roll just our eyes every time something like this comes up. It de Triomphe. CBT reminds us of once lauded projects — the downtown canopy 45 years ago columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 27

Photo by Anthony Jinson

28 \\\ AUGUST 2013

By Sarah Redohl

Where Columbians drink, drank and had a good time throughout history Long nicknamed as “College Town, U.S.A.,” Columbia boasts an impressive number of young adults (and young-at-heart adults) wanting to go out on the town for a good time. And though it is different from how it was 50 years ago, one thing remains: The city’s bar culture has continued, and will continue, to prosper.

Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, most drinking establishments in Columbia were “3.2 Beer Joints,” with an alcoholic volume limit of 3.2 percent. Considering that a regular beer’s alcoholic volume hovers around 5 percent, and some heavier beers now reach the alcoholic heights of 8 percent and more, 3.2 percent might sound like little more than water to some of today’s beer drinkers. But at that time, there weren’t many other options.

In fact, Columbia didn’t have liquor by the drink until 1968. Dick Walls, of Boone Tavern and Heidelberg fame, was among the first to have a hard liquor license. Jerry Bethrow, a former owner of Booches, recalls that by about 1977, there were only a dozen or so places downtown with liquor licenses. Booches itself didn’t have a license to serve liquor until 1982. Now, downtown Columbia alone claims more than 70 separate liquor licenses.

At various points in Columbia’s history, drinking culture, especially among youth, has been a point of contention that many believed needed more control and oversight. One of the first waves followed the severe injury of a student in the University of Missouri’s Greek Town in 1990. Following the tragedy, liquor agents began to heavily patrol the bar scene.

During that time, much of the liability for underage drinking rested upon bar owners. For example, Richard King of The Blue Note recalls one young man who had been caught by the liquor agents lying that he did not need to show an I.D. to enter the music venue.

Knowing this was unlikely, King convinced the young man to eventually show the two fake I.D.s he was hiding in the sole of his shoe.

Following another youth drinking tragedy, in which a young woman fell from a patio at Quinton’s and fractured her skull and neck, drinking culture was once again under a microscope — only this time, King says, the bulk of the liability rested on the shoulders of underage drinkers. Now, liquor agents enter bars, write drinking tickets and may barely even talk to the bar owners. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 29

During the early days of drinking culture, King says there were three staples of the best bars: Stephens College girls, cheap beer and live music.

Deep drink discounts have always drawn good crowds. People of all ages who have ever spent a 20-something weekend in Columbia know that each bar and club has its night to shine, based on its drink specials.

In the ’80s, Tuesdays were spent at Stein Club, Wednesdays at The Blue Note or Field House, Thursdays at Déjà Vu or Harpo’s, with other bars running the weekend rotation. The weekly rotation these days is different, but penny pitchers, $1 double-wells and quarter draws are just some of the deals that bring locals out drinking on more than just the weekends.

Another important element is to be locally owned. Bar chains from Missouri’s major cities have had a hard time of it in Columbia, according to King, often striking out quickly and hard.

So Columbians do more than drink to have a good time; maybe it’s a soberly calculated decision to support the local economy? Maybe not. Either way, cheers to that!

Timeline 1884* booches

Booches began its pool hall history in 1884, under the ownership of Paul Blucher Veneble.

As a child, Veneble was sitting along the street when children’s poet Eugene Field asked his name. “That’s no name for a little boy,” Field said, dubbing him (more appropriately) “Booch,” says former owner Jerry Bethrow.

1947

the stein club

Stein Club was a rowdy little joint at the intersection of Broadway and 10th from the 1940s to the 1980s, where bands such as The Jolly Brothers would tear down the house and a gaggle of Stephens College and MU girls could always be found — with a group of guys following shortly behind.

1963* Heidelberg

The Heidelberg has been serving Columbians good food and good times since 1963. Back then, it was located further from MU’s campus, but this CoMo staple has always been all about MU. Come on, they’ve got a tiger-striped toilet seat. What more could a Tiger fan want?

1970s ford's theater

Ford’s Theater was one of the most eclectic bars of the ’70s and drew crowds from MU’s Greek system, along with plenty of locals and Stephens College girls through its doors, now those of Field House on Broadway.

1970s gladstone

1960s the shack

The Shack may be “back” at MU’s Student Center, but it’s nothing like the old 1940s campus landmark that suspiciously burned down in 1988.

30 \\\ AUGUST 2013

Gladstone Manufacturing Co. was the live music joint in the ’70s. With its dirt and concrete floors, potbelly stove and a live goat behind the bar, this place was so far out in the country (across from Ski Hi on Old 63) that patrons could hoot and holler without a care in the world.

* Still popular today

1970s* Déjà Vu

Déjà Vu got its start in 1975 where the Candy Factory now sits. Initially, the entertainment venue and nightclub tried its hand with live music before becoming Columbia’s go-to place for comedy shows.

1970s* harpo's

Harpo’s has shared a lot of Columbia history.

Although it was located on Fifth Street for its first year, Harpo’s has served Columbians from its current location for its subsequent 38 years and now offers both a patio, SkyyBar, and a dance club, 10Below.

1980s the blue note

The Blue Note, downtown since 1990, first opened in 1980 on Business Loop where Club Vogue is now. That particular location had a long history of late-night entertainment, previously serving as popular bars Captain Louie’s, 18th Amendment and The Brief Encounter.

1980s lee's lounge

Lee’s Lounge was a hangout in the 1980s located on the old West End, at Ash and Garth, what some consider the “last vestige of the old strip in Sharp End.” In 1982, the local blues band Chump Change was born here.

1980s the silver bullet

The Silver Bullet had a long history in serving Columbia with significant country music acts.

It began under Oakland Plaza Lanes bowling alley on Vandiver Drive before moving to the warehouse that later became Cody’s and Whiskey Wild.

1990s* shiloh's

Most people don’t know that Shiloh’s first home was where Bengals now sits. It was only five years ago that Shiloh moved to its current location, which had previously been both a restaurant called Katy Station and one of Columbia’s first sports bars, The Coliseum.

1990s* campus bar & Grill

Campus Bar & Grill, located at Ninth and Elm, was first established in 1995 under the name of Sudsucker's. After undergoing intensive renovations and an expansion in 2001, it was rebranded as Big 12. In 2005, it became known as Campus Bar & Grill.

2000s* Quinton's

With its true deli feel at ground level, a subterranean club below and multiple stories of sleek patios with a great citywide view, Quinton’s and Tonic appeals to a wide variety of crowds. It’s been sitting pretty on Ninth Street since before the millennium.

2011* the shot bar

Shot Bar is a new favorite on the scene, having opened in 2011. Located at 100 S. Ninth St., the bar has developed as a quick place for a shot or two before hitting the next locale around downtown. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 31

Indie groups and returning acts regularly perform for sold-out crowds in the city’s favorite venues, but what happens when they outgrow the Columbia stage?

By Kaylen Ralph

Main photo by Whitney Buckner Sidebar photos by Kendra Johnson

32 \\\ AUGUST 2013

Bo

bus of venues

ooked bus of venues

When the indie-rock group Portugal. The Man first came to Columbia in March 2010, it performed at Mojo’s to a sold-out crowd. For a group from Wasilla, Alaska, selling out the 300-person venue in the Midwest was quite an accomplishment. When the group returned to Columbia in October 2011, it was able to pack the house once again, this time at The Blue Note, which can seat around 835 people.

But The Blue Note is already booked on Oct. 16 this year, the night of Portugal. The Man’s return to Columbia, and the group has proven to attract too large a crowd for Mojo’s smaller stage.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 33

Forrest Rose Park, the outdoor venue adjacent to the Mojo’s indoor stage, can accommodate 1,400 to 1,500 people, and this is where Portugal. The Man will make its October appearance. Of course, outdoor concerts come with their own set of risks. There may be plenty of space, but the threat of rain can send bands and fans packing.

What’s a touring band to do?

According to Josh Bowles at Mojo’s, touring acts are more likely to reach out to Mojo’s with the dates that they could feasibly be riding through Columbia (as opposed to Mojo’s reaching out to the acts directly). Additionally, in the case of Portugal. The Man and other Columbia favorites (Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, White Rabbit, etc.), the city and venues have become locales of familiar faces that bands make it a point to stop in for a show, as long as space and timing permit.

Richard King owns both The Blue Note and Mojo’s and has for the past 33 years. In a game that is so dependent on venue size, reputation also plays a big role. King and his venues are in good standing with consistent acts, and because of this, the first, “Do they know you?” hurdle is jumped.

But the question remains. If it rains on Oct. 16, where will Portugal. The Man and Portugal. The Fans go?

City competition “Because of the stage size, we’re limited,” King says.

“There aren’t enough seats to sell enough tickets [to attract bigger acts]. Fairly often when we’re bidding on acts, we lose out to larger venues [in St. Louis and Kansas City].”

After The Blue Note, the Missouri Theatre is the next biggest venue, fitting 1,200 people. However, The Missouri Theatre has already booked Straight No Chaser, a modern a cappella group, as part of the University Concert Series for Oct. 16. Manager John Murray, in charge of venue booking, pricing and availability, does very little of the actual booking himself, but he says that Missouri Theatre and Jesse Auditorium are already filling the 2014/2015 calendar. For their event production, the Department of Student Activities and the University Concert Series are responsible for booking shows. They maintain a list of acts they want to reach out to, but they also receive requests from agents with routing date information. For example, a group might be in Kansas City on Monday and have something scheduled in St. Louis for Wednesday, so they want to stop in Columbia on Tuesday. The calendar gets so full that usually routing dates don’t work with the schedule unless they are established months in advance.

For example, when Jerry Seinfeld performed his tour in Springfield, Mo., in October 2011, it wouldn’t have been hard for the tour to stop in Columbia for a night, and his team expressed interest in doing so. But, unsurprisingly, artists determine which venues they book based on their expected gross profit. To make a profit, the Seinfeld show would have had to charge approximately $100 a ticket and 34 \\\ AUGUST 2013

done two nights of the show for the stop to make financial sense, according to Murray.

venues:

Putting on the glitz Even with its 1,730-seat capacity, Jesse Auditorium is still too small to support a lot of acts. It’s the largest venue in Columbia except for Mizzou Arena, which is rarely available due to athletic events and puts on approximately two shows a year. Audiences have come to expect a certain production value at concerts, and this increased level of production requires more space, both onstage and backstage.

“Audiences today want to see a lot of glitz and special effects and lighting and video shows, and that increases their production value,” Murray says. “The more production value you have, the more room you need.”

Murray and his team have been trying to get the Broadway show American Idiot to stop in Columbia for the past three seasons, but the show has always been too big. Now that it’s been off Broadway for long enough and is no longer operating at its original scale, it’s finally booked at Jesse. Instead of the six- to eight-trailer entourage customary with shows hot off the circuit, this show, and others that Jesse is able to accommodate, travels with no more than four trailers.

According to Murray, a 2,300- to 2,500-seat venue was in the Jesse Auditorium/Missouri Theatre master plan for several years but has since been removed. “It’s not in the works anymore,” Murray says. ““I don’t know if the city could support [a venue larger than 1,700]. It’s expensive to run, and you have to keep it booked.”

A proposed 100,000-gross-square-foot MU School of Music facility at the corner of Hitt Street and University Avenue will provide a much needed, modern, 410-seat recital hall, appropriately sized and acoustically appropriate rehearsal rooms for large instrument ensembles, opera and chorale education. New classrooms will allow for dual use for scheduled classes as well as small group rehearsal in the evenings. Individual practice and instruction space will be accommodated in faculty studio spaces and student practice rooms. The new facility will consolidate the School of Music in one location and allow for space in the Fine Arts Building to be renovated for consolidation of the theater and art departments in updated facilities, at an estimated cost of $39.3 million.

King says the city could benefit from another privately owned 1,500-set venue, but he doesn’t think such a place will be built any time soon.

Booking depends on much more than simple logistics as well. Portugal. The Man has established its Columbia following at Mojo’s and The Blue Note. Its fans would be disappointed if they were to expect the same concert experience downtown (perhaps with a slice of Pizza Tree or beer raised above their heads) that the historic, sit-down Missouri Theatre venue provides. To fully enjoy a show, atmosphere is just as important as the act. CBT

Mojo’s

Owned by: Richard King Year established: 1999 Capacity: 300

The Blue Note

Owned by: Richard King Year established: 1980 Capacity: 835

Missouri Theatre:

Owned by: The University of Missouri Year established: 1928 Capacity: 1,200

Jesse Auditorium:

Owned by: The University of Missouri Year established: 1922 Capacity: 1,755

Midway

Owned by: Joe Bechtold Year established: 1986 Capacity: 10,000

Mizzou Arena:

Owned by: The University of Missouri Year established: 2004 Capacity - Sports: 15,061 Capacity - Concerts: 12,000

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 35

Shoes Shoes Shoes Shoes Shoes Shoes Shoes

Why the boom in Columbia footwear startups?

In a social-driven era of business, the city’s youngest entrepreneurs are setting the trends.

By Jennifer Gravley Photos by Anthony Jinson and Whitney Buckner 36 \\\ AUGUST 2013

For the past three years, REDI has hosted a pitch contest associated with its entrepreneurial conference, and each year a shoerelated business has won. In 2011, twins Brynne and Bailye Stansberry, cofounders of TwoAlity, won, and their transparent boots with interchangeable fashion liners are now available online. (They were profiled in the February issue of Columbia Business Times.) The next year, Xiaoke (Jessica) Cui won with her pitch for Haute Couture Shoes, a shoe with an adjustable heel height.

This year, both the first- and second-place winners pitched ideas for shoe businesses.

Lauren Rundquist, first-place winner and owner of LaQuist Designs, sells custom hand-painted shoes. Second-place winner Nathan Fleischmann’s Stadium Shoes sells active lifestyle footwear from a truck.

If the shoe fits Virginia Wilson, director of small-business development at the University of Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center, pinpoints a few reasons for these entrepreneurs’ success. One is that the market data shows that the shoe industry is experiencing a lot of leakage locally.

That means many people are shopping outside of Columbia, Boone County or even the mid-Missouri area for shoes. Another reason for their success is that all are targeting a particular submarket instead of trying to compete with big-box retailers in selling all kinds of shoes to all kinds of people.

Sean Siebert, adjunct professor of business administration at Columbia College and chair of the taskforce for REDI’s #BOOM Bounce Competition, explains that the shoe industry has been almost entirely exported (98.6 percent of footwear is made outside the United States) and that it is dominated by big-box markets.

Siebert thinks that the proliferation of recent shoe-related startups is about something other than shoes. He describes how each of these startups is unique. TwoAlity has adopted ecommerce to make a new shoe product available, and LaQuist Designs

has embraced the social-era economy and mostly bypassed traditional sales outlets.

Even the business that seems most local, Stadium Shoes, is a new system to get an already-available product to the community, and the truck itself doubles as the company’s own marketing and advertising tool.

Why then have so many shoe businesses won this competition? More important than the shoe business ideas themselves are “the entrepreneurs within” the winners, Siebert says. He says entrepreneurs are created one of two ways: “either something defines them or something invents them.” He says these young businesspeople are inventing themselves through their shoes businesses, and they will define themselves later in life, possibly after other business ventures. Both Siebert and Wilson agree that rather than simply creating products, Brynne and Bailye Stansberry, Rundquist and Fleischmann are all creating brands — fashion brands that are starting with footwear.

You cannot put the same shoe on every foot If it’s not about the shoes, then what is it about, Columbia? Siebert posits that Columbia is a great incubator for young entrepreneurs and small businesses in general; its ready supply of support and mentorship provides a place for these businesses to be centered, and then often much of their ecommerce success happens with sales outside of the mid-Missouri region.

The local media also covers young entrepreneurs and fledgling businesses, which is not usually the case in larger cities; the wealth of these stories then attracts more entrepreneurs.

Siebert started a Facebook group for social-era entrepreneurs to provide another gathering place where young businesspeople can be “competitive through collaboration.” Columbia’s young shoe entrepreneurs live out this idea. Rundquist believes that the different shoe companies all benefit one another; she says Brynne and Bailye Stansberry are “really inspirational” to her.

She thinks that TwoAlity and Stadium Shoes are succeeding because they are more than just shoe companies; they are new spins on providing a staple wardrobe item, headed by driven and passionate young professionals.

Shoestring budgets Fleischmann says REDI’s support through the #BOOM Bounce Competition has impacted Stadium Shoes “immensely.” The financial support allowed him to concentrate on his strengths — business and marketing — and contract out legal work to the experts.

Although #BOOM Bounce was his first pitch competition, he had already completed a successful Kickstarter campaign. In fact, Stadium Shoes is one of only a dozen for-profit businesses to be crowd-funded in Missouri during the past year. In addition to receiving valuable feedback and increasing his network of both mentors and peers, the Kickstarter campaign and #BOOM Bounce Competition were both crucial validations of his business model.

Local competitions have also had other benefits for Rundquist; winning third place at the CLIMB (Collaboration, Leadership and Innovation for Missouri Businesses) competition in 2012 taught her that she was running a real business. She had to complete a business plan, formalize a name, etc., and it was “a really big growing experience,” she says. She thought of REDI’s #BOOM Bounce Competition this year as another opportunity for her to learn what other young entrepreneurs were doing. She remembers thinking, “I knew the previous two years, shoe companies had won, so they’re probably not going to pick another shoe company.” But they did — hers.

Winning local competitions has provided Rundquist with seed money to do things such as build up her stock of paint and buy shoes to paint as samples in order to build her portfolio, as she’s found that customers respond better to photos of finished shoes than to sketches for designs. Like Fleischmann, she has also used this financial support to do routine but necessary things such as buy a Web domain.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 37

Above: Lauren Rundquist . Right: Nathan Fleischmann.

LaQuist Designs Rundquist opened her online shop selling custom hand-painted shoes in September 2012, and sales have since originated from all six inhabited continents. Columbians can also buy her shoes at Elly’s Couture downtown.

Now a junior strategic communications major with an emphasis in art direction and a business minor, Rundquist has always had the entrepreneurial bug, selling custom jewelry to boutiques in St. Louis as a high school student. When she decided to take her company online, she noted the intense competition for handmade jewelry and landed on custom hand-painted shoes as a more viable alternative. Although she easily navigated the transition from traditional canvases to canvas footwear, she had to experiment with paints to find the perfect match of flexibility and durability, with features such as water resistance, that could stand up to the functional requirements of canvas as footwear.

Her popular American flag design is always the same, and though some designs may be similar to past patterns, the majority of her sales are for unique designs. Even a similar floral pattern, for example, will differ in blooms or colors for each order.

Rundquist orders shoes for each customer from the manufacturer so that the customer receives one 38 \\\ AUGUST 2013

shipment directly from her with the completed shoes. This also means she does not have to invest a lot of capital in purchasing shoes before they are sold. Customers can buy shoes that are already painted or order from a design sketch, but about half of her business is completely custom. The customer describes his or her vision to Rundquist, and she comes up with a one-of-a-kind design, a “piece of wearable art.”

Rundquist hopes to expand her company into a brand. She recently started branching out from casual shoes such as Toms, Keds and Converse into high heels at Elly’s Couture. If customers respond, she might expand the high heels option to her online shop, and in the future, she could diversify into hand-painting other accessories such as tote bags or wallets. LaQuist Designs is more about art than shoes, which are a convenient medium where customers can express their personalities through the designs. “I get to communicate with people from across the world and create something completely in their vision, something incredibly unique and special and one of a kind,” Rundquist says.

Some customers even send her photos of themselves wearing her designs. “People are what have helped my business succeed,” she says.

Stadium Shoes Fleischmann’s Stadium Shoes is a mobile retail truck that hits the streets of Columbia this fall. The truck serves dense populations without access to brick-and-mortar stores and crowds that pop up in specific places, such as at colleges; large employers; and at events such as festivals, races, etc. Stops at downtown public locations could occur as the business grows.

Because Stadium Shoes is in locations where people are on their feet, it stocks active lifestyle footwear, which could include flip-flops, lace-up sneakers or ballet flats, depending on the occasion or site. Fleischmann describes Stadium Shoes as “a mobile boutique experience.” The truck holds about 10 different styles of shoes at one time, for a total of about 270 pairs of shoes onboard. Customers walk through the truck, view footwear displayed from entry to exit and can try on shoes inside. Driving the truck for the first time was “exhilarating, the physical personification of starting the business,” Fleischmann says.

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Fleischmann knew that during the past decade, Columbia and MU have experienced explosive growth, and he researched areas where retail sectors weren’t keeping up. After the Stansberrys’ successful pitch, he started studying the shoe industry in Columbia. Shoes are a necessity, something people can justify spending money on even in a down economy. Besides being a great fit for mobile retailing, active lifestyle footwear is also a growing segment of the market, both in demand and price point. The mobile retail business model also allows for a lean startup that can react and adapt quickly to consumer response and changing market conditions.

The idea for the shoe truck came at lunch while discussing Columbia’s thriving food truck business; one of his co-workers, who knew Fleischmann was already thinking of starting a shoe business, asked, “Why can’t you do that with shoes?” That idea to the business’s opening has taken about two years.

By building the blog before the truck, Fleischmann created interest. “The website and social media are vital components of mobile retail and specifically Stadium Shoes,” he says.

The website holds the inventory so customers can order shoes there as well, and Twitter lets them know about the truck’s whereabouts.

The name Stadium Shoes is both “a nod to the athletic lifestyle consumers and a reference to the symbolic place where people gather as players or fans,” Fleischmann says. Of course, the Stadium Shoes truck also brings people together. CBT 40 \\\ AUGUST 2013

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 41

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Southern restaurant Zaxby’s joins the fast-casual restaurant market in Columbia

By Kristi Luther

Moving out of your home and into a new one often requires packing countless boxes and poring through heaps of records and photographs. When Cheryl Jarvis, senior vice president at Landmark Bank in Columbia, and Greg Jarvis, an area sales representative for Legacy Classic Furniture, moved last August, Cheryl ran across a packet of information about a Southern restaurant called Zaxby’s.

She says it was serendipity.

In 2002, the Jarvises had contacted Zaxby’s corporate to inquire about opening a franchise in Missouri. Zaxby’s is a franchised, Southern-based, fast-casual restaurant that specializes in chicken. Greg is a Georgia native, and the couple’s son Logan Gray attended the University of Georgia, so the family has long enjoyed the restaurant’s famous chicken. But at the time, Missouri wasn’t exactly in Zaxby’s immediate plans.

“They said they were just starting to move into Louisiana and Kentucky,” Greg says. “They actually weren’t even in Arkansas yet. They still had a lot of growing to do down south.”

Ten years later as Cheryl rifled through the contents of her home in August 2012, she thought she would give it another shot. It turns out Zaxby’s was just getting ready to move into Missouri, having recently opened stores in Arkansas, and was growing the brand across the Delta.

Zaxby’s is part of the “fast-casual” restaurant trend that has been taking off across the country. Think of Noodles, Chipotle, Panera, Five Guys; it’s not tablecloth-and-wine fine dining, but it’s a step up from typical fast-food operations.

Although Zaxby’s still has a drive-thru, the restaurant prides itself on having higher quality food than a grab-and-go chain. Zaxby’s calls its fare comfort food and specializes in chicken.

Six locations in the Columbia and Jefferson City region will open within four years if all goes according to plan. The first two stores are scheduled to open by October at the intersection of South Providence and Nifong/Grindstone (directly across from Sophia’s) and also at the Highway 63 and Stadium exit near The Domain student housing community. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 43

FastCasual.com reports that upscale décor, an average check of $8 to $16 and food cooked fresh to order comprise the basics for a fastcasual restaurant.

Zaxby’s thrives on the promise of delivering hot, fresh, high-quality food but not at the cost of precious time. The fast-casual market has exploded in recent years; 85 percent of Americans eat at a restaurant considered fast casual at least once a month, according to a Technomic study this year.

And fast-casual revenue growth was up 6 percent in 2010, compared to 1.9 percent in limited-service restaurants and 1.3 percent in full-service dining establishments, according to Technomic on Fastcasual.com; there was also an 8 percent increase in fast-casual revenues in 2011.

During the recent economic recession, fellow Zaxby’s franchisee Tracy Perry of Georgia says business held up and even increased. And this seemed to be a result of the basis of the fast-casual model; people who might have previously gone to casual, full-service restaurants such as Applebee’s or Chili’s opted to spend less money dining out without resorting to fast food.

In 2010, Zaxby’s ranked fourth nationally based on sales among fast-casual restaurants, bringing in $778 million. Panera topped the list with $2.9 billion, and Chipotle was second with sales of just less than $2 billion, according to Technomic.

But Zaxby’s led the chicken segment of fastcasual restaurants in 2011 with sales of an estimated $840 million. The company could hit the $1 billion sales/revenue mark with close to 600 store locations by the end of 2013.

Zaxby’s does have a drive-thru, however, which not all fast-casual restaurants use as a method of service. “Because of this and our product, our main competitor tends to be Chick-fil-a,” Perry says. ★

★

★

As a native of Madison, Ga., located 20 miles south of Athens, Greg Jarvis has loved Zaxby’s since his first bite almost 20 years ago. Like his son, Greg attended the University of Georgia, and trips to visit family and friends always ended up with a trip to Zaxby’s to enjoy his favorites: chicken fingers, wings or a chargrilled sandwich.

“They (Greg and Cheryl) know Columbia, and we know Zaxby’s,” Perry says. With 14 years of experience and 11 locations, Perry feels confident in the future of his and the Jarvises' Columbia locations that will open during the next few years. He owns his various locations with his son Taylor and longtime business partner Andy Brady. Vergil Tudor has also worked with Perry at his Dalton Zaxby’s and will assist with the Columbia locations.

44 \\\ AUGUST 2013

This past school year, the University of Missouri entered its first year in the Southeastern Conference. This brought Georgian Zaxby’s franchisees, including Perry, up north for some good ol’ competition outside of business. After a trip to watch the MU Tigers men’s basketball team defeat the Georgia Bulldogs Jan. 16, these Southerners approved of Columbia’s atmosphere and potential — but maybe not the loss on the court.

Perry’s son Taylor graduated from Georgia this year and will be moving to Columbia as part owner of his father’s new Zaxby’s locations.

Cheryl Jarvis doesn’t have the Southern drawl like her husband and Perry, but she shares the enthusiasm about the effort to bring the restaurant to the Midwest. Cheryl says it’s hard to imagine she won’t succeed when so many people she knows love the restaurant. “Our older son, his friends and so many others make sure we always go to Zaxby’s,” she says. “I especially love the zalads for a healthier option.”

And yes that’s with a “z.”

The Zaxby’s franchising department has an extensive website that includes everything from costs of starting a location to videos of interviews with current franchisees. One of the most helpful pieces of information is an interactive map of the United States. When you click on a particular state, the site lists every region in that state where Zaxby’s is currently accepting offers. Some states, such as Illinois, are not yet on the radar.

Franchisee applicants have to go through interviews as well as background and financial checks to begin a Zaxby’s. Pritchett says, however, that most franchisees don’t have previous restaurant experience, much like Cheryl and Greg.

But why Missouri? And why not St. Louis or Kansas City?

To start, there’s no more room down south. Or east. So now they’re heading north and west.

Zaxby’s has locations as far north as Ohio and Indiana and as far west as Texas. These restaurants often begin in smaller towns, such as the very first in Statesboro, Ga. Then there’s expansion into bigger cities such as Atlanta. ★

★

★

Students and residents have rallied for popular chains such as Chick-fil-a and Jack in the Box, but many Columbians might not be familiar with Zaxby’s and its Southern comfort food. The company breached the Mississippi River and aims to become a household name beyond the South. “We really believe in the West and think if people try it, they’ll love it,” says Amy Camp-Pritchett, senior director of Zaxby’s franchise administration.

zaxby's

ABOVE: Greg and Cheryl Jarvis plan to open their Zaxby’s franchises in Columbia this fall.

“Our first impression is going to be so important,” Perry says. “We just really want to serve the Columbia community right.”

Pritchett says the demographics were key in the decision to break into Missouri. “The numbers looked very similar to Athens where we’re headquartered,” she says. Hitting the 100,000 population marker can be huge, and Columbia has been growing in past years. The presence of a college town also proves to be a desirable market.

“We do cater to the college town, but at the same time soccer moms trying to get an upscale salad in a drive-thru love it,” Pritchett says. ★

★

★

Zaxby’s presence creates the possibility for employment in the area. Perry says a single location aims to staff 40 employees, eventually narrowing to 25 or 30 as the need for external leadership decreases. Perry’s first location, the first Missouri Zaxby’s off of Stadium and Highway 63, will be a part of a rapidly expanding community, complete with student housing, an FFO Home, new gas stations and restaurants.

The aim is to be up and running in October. The Jarvises’ first location will be on Nifong and Providence near Sophia’s about a month later. This location, like Perry’s, is also surrounded by student housing. Cheryl intends to utilize this community and hopes to have students work in her restaurants. Although Greg will be hands on in the day-today operations of the restaurants, Cheryl intends to focus on administration duties and interview potential employees.

“Students are some of the brightest and quickest to learn,” Cheryl says. “They have some great possibilities for us as employees.” CBT

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Money, ammo,

Guns International action pistol championship the Bianchi Cup shows the nation that gun culture is alive and well in Missouri

By Sarah Redohl Photos by Travis Duncan

46 \\\ AUGUST 2013

Diana Hufstedler stands, feet apart, with one manicured hand holding the Open Single Stack pistol on her belt, ready to shoot. Her attention is intensely focused 25 yards directly ahead of her.

An alarm sounds. She immediately aligns her red dot scope and shoots six rounds into the hillside of Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club, located about 15 minutes north of Columbia. People clap, but to Hufstedler, there’s only silence. She removes her earmuffs and gazes downrange.

The plates she aimed to hit still stand a few feet in front of the hillside, and she immediately diagnoses her failure on “jerking the trigger” and looks around at some of the world’s best pistol shooters — her competition at this year’s Bianchi Cup, the premier international action pistol championship This year’s 35th annual event, held in late May, has drawn more competitors, spectators and sponsorships than any previous year. According to Tom Hughes, NRA national pistol manager and event coordinator, the number of competitors has doubled, and sponsorships have increased more than 500 percent since 2007 alone; the event’s total estimated local economic impact now exceeds $3 million.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 47

“Our competitors shoot one event a day that takes roughly 20 minutes,” Hughes says. “For the remainder of that time, they’re looking for something to do in Columbia.” They play golf, go to movies, eat dinner and stay in local hotels.

They also visit local gun stores to stock up on ammo and buy new guns and accessories.

Mike O’Dell, manager of Black Rifle, a local gun store, says he definitely sees an influx of business during the Cup. “In the weeks leading up to Bianchi, competitors start coming in to pick things up for practice and more or less scope out the local market to see who has what,” he says. “That way, when they’re ready to leave, they drop in to buy something and have it shipped home.”

O’Dell says the most popular gun among competitors is a 1911 semi-automatic pistol as he pulls an older model off the south wall of Black Rifle’s new store on the Business Loop, but he says each year he sees a handful of competitors who buy three or four guns while in Columbia.

“If you consider that a decked-out AR-15 costs well over $1,000, that’s a big deal,” he says.

Larry Potterfield, CEO of MidwayUSA, the title sponsor of the Bianchi Cup, agrees with O’Dell. Even as an online retailer, he sees an influx of competitors hoping to pick up new orders while in town. He says the most popular purchases are ammunition and handgun shooting accessories.

48 \\\ AUGUST 2013

“With nearly 300 shooters, about 100 volunteers and hundreds of spectators, [it] certainly impacts the local economy,” Potterfield says.

Walking between the four buildings on MidwayUSA’s campus about 10 minutes west of Columbia, Potterfield stops along the sidewalk and pulls a small pocketknife from the front pocket of his jeans.

“These damned branches are in the way every single time,” he says as he cuts them down and tosses them aside. He also stops to pick up litter and a heads-up penny.

“Must be my lucky day,” he adds.

Some might credit the company’s success to good luck, but it’s Potterfield’s passion, vision and organization that guide the company’s 500 employees and 1 million active customers.

Each of the four massive buildings is named after one of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore, and the conference rooms are named after gun industry greats, such as Remington, Smith & Wesson and Ruger. Plastered along the walls are reminders of the company’s structure and mission, and in the shipping plant is a small glass-encased inset on the western wall with a single crystal trophy, the Baldrich Award, which Midway received in 2009 for being one of the best-run businesses in the United States. Next to the award is an empty space, “for the next one,” Potterfield says.

MidwayUSA has been involved in the Bianchi Cup since its inception in 1978, when event founder John Bianchi contacted Potterfield to see if his small gun store, about a mile west of Midway’s location today, wanted to receive and hold the event’s prizes.

When Midway closed its storefront in 1984, it couldn’t continue to receive the prizes, but more than 20 years later, Potterfield, who is still close friends with Bianchi, sought to become the title sponsor of the event, which meant an infusion of more than $100,000 toward the event’s success.

“We decided to [get involved] because we could do it — we had the bread — and we thought we should,” he says. “We figured if we believe so much in the shooting sports, we should support them.”

And when the NRA was considering moving to a newer gun range or circulating the event around the country, MidwayUSA decided that its title sponsorship of the event was contingent on the event remaining in Columbia.

“I said, ‘If you move it, you’ll need to fill our shoes,’” he says. “And there was no one in line to do that.” Despite previous chatter, the event is set to remain in Columbia.

O’Dell believes that both Missouri’s gunfriendly culture and its long history with competitive shooting factor in to the event’s success in mid-Missouri. Three of the leading competitive shooting organizations, IPSIC, IDPA

and USPSA, originated in Missouri, and Bianchi’s host range was originally the Chapman Academy of Practical Shooting, founded by Ray Chapman, the father of modern pistol shooting.

“Obviously, there are states that aren’t friendly [toward guns], so events like the Bianchi Cup are going to occur in states where they’re welcome,” Potterfield says.

Hughes says Columbia remains the right choice to host the Cup. “We’re dead center in the middle of the U.S.,” he says. He’s also a bit nostalgic of the fact that, for 35 years, the Cup has called Columbia home.

The event began when its former police officer-turned-entrepreneur John Bianchi, “The Godfather of Gunleather,” decided to create a competition for law enforcement officers to hone their skills.

A legend among gun enthusiasts, Bianchi represents more than just the creator of the competition bearing his name. “He’s a successful businessman, a fierce supporter of our lifestyle and a fine example of an American gentleman,” says Hufstedler, who met Bianchi at a previous competition.

In fact, his biography has been sold out on the NRA’s website for months and is always nearly out of stock at other retailers, such as Amazon. com and Barnes & Noble.

When Hughes took over managing the event, he was able to once again convince Bianchi to come to the event he founded more than 30 years ago.

Somehow the event has flown largely under the radar of mid-Missourians despite its notoriety and local impact.

At the event, it’s almost a completely foreign culture. Bianchi Cup veterans wear electronic earmuffs that automatically adjust to noise levels, while first-timers struggle with cheap earplugs and their equilibrium. When all’s quite, the earmuffs hang from carabineers fashioned to work pant belt loops. Trashcans are labeled, “No Ammo.”

Shooters wear blinders, and spectators watch through binoculars, hoping to spot bullet holes in the far-off targets. The event’s top-level competitors, Hughes says, shoot thousands of rounds every single day to practice, and the U.S.’s top gun, ammo and accessory manufacturers sponsor many of the best shooters; there are no fewer than 100 sponsor flags and banners flying at and around the range.

Hufstedler, who ultimately finished second among the female competitors, received some support from Safariland Group but ultimately supported herself throughout the competition.

“I shot only about 1,500 rounds in the six days leading up to the event,” she says. But at about $1 per round, that’s still quite an investment in her sport. “I classify myself as a weekend warrior.” For Hufstedler, it’s a passion she’s had since her childhood in Bulgaria, where she would play with air guns at local fairs with her great-grandfather Donko.

“I’ve never entertained the idea of becoming a sponsored shooter, but if a company wants to claim me, I’d probably shoot a lot more and be a lot better,” she says, laughing. Despite the level of competition and caliber of shooters at the event, the shooting sports have yet to reach a critical mass of followers.

“It’s like golf; until the golfers started asking people to come watch what they could do with a golf ball, there weren’t too many spectators,” Hughes says. “We’re trying to bridge that gap and make the world realize that this is a great sport to watch.”

“And we’re getting there,” he continues. “Once you get on TV, that’s the first step.”

Missouri’s gun friendliness might mean even more to the state than the $3 million impact of the Bianchi Cup, according to Caleb Rowden, a Republican representative from Columbia. After gun manufacturers’ desire to relocate to gunfriendly states made the national news earlier this year, Rowden wrote 14 letters to 14 different manufacturers whose home states were looking to enact stricter gun laws.

As other local and regional economic development bodies and elected government representatives sent follow-up letters, Rowden says he hoped to give the manufacturers a reason to “pick up the phone and continue the conversation.” columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 49

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O’Dell says he would be happy to see more manufacturers in Missouri. As a sister company with Central Missouri Machine Gun, which makes AR-15s in Fayette, Black Rifle supports a number of Missouri products, including Black Rain Ordnance out of Neosho, Black Dawn in Sedalia and gets its ammo from On Target in Green Valley. They are also about to begin carrying holsters made in Midway.

“The biggest thing is that the Second Amendment is safe in Missouri.” — Caleb Rowden, Republican representative “If we can support Missouri-made products and have a larger selection, we would absolutely love that,” O’Dell says.

Rowden’s letters outlined why Missouri is “open for their business,” he says. “The biggest thing is that the Second Amendment is safe in Missouri.” They also summarize the state’s tax environment and potential incentives. One potential incentive was introduced late during the last legislative session, which would include a tax credit specifically for the gun industry, Rowden says.

A couple companies responded to his letters, saying they would like to stay closer to their home states, but others say that as decisions were made, Missouri would be on their radar — but so far, no bites.

“We’ve got a great shot at getting a couple,” Rowden reaffirms. “We’re not competing against all 50 states; we’re competing with about 10 or 12 other Midwest and Southern states.”

In fact, Missouri ranks 21st for the most guns per capita, and Guns & Ammo magazine ranked Missouri the ninth best state for gun owners. And in May, a bill that would make it a crime for federal agents to enforce federal gun laws in Missouri passed with bipartisan support in the state Legislature. Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the bill in July, but it is expected to be reintroduced and well-supported when the next legislative session begins in September.

“We’ve made it abundantly clear that we look out for gun rights in Missouri,” Rowden says. And according to Rowden, O’Dell and Potterfield, the Bianchi Cup is just one more way to show the nation that gun culture is alive and well in Missouri. CBT

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How Can I Help You? The do’s and don’ts of retail sales by jill orr As an avid shopper, I know what I like and what I don’t when it comes to retail salespeople.

It’s pretty simple: I like to feel that my business matters, that I am not being taken advantage of and that the decision to buy something — or not — is mine alone.

I despise being “sold” to. To me, there is nothing worse than walking into a furniture store with the intention of casually browsing and having some schmoe follow me around yapping about the great financing I can get today only! Sell me too hard, and I’m out of there. And chances are, I won’t be back.

On the flipside, don’t ignore me either. It’s like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Remember when the snotty lady at the boutique won’t help her while she’s dressed as the Carol Channing hooker, so she comes back later with an armful of bags from their competitor and says, “Big mistake”? We love that moment because at one time or another, we’ve all been written off as not worth a salesperson’s time. It’s insulting. And it’s bad business on the part of the seller because you can’t judge a shopper by his or her cover. Just watch Duck Dynasty. Those rednecks are rolling with some serious disposable income.

It’s bad business on the part of the seller because you can’t judge a shopper by his or her cover. Just watch Duck Dynasty. Those rednecks are rolling with some serious disposable income.

Do:

Follow the adage ABC (Always Be Complimenting): People love to be flattered, especially by someone in the know. In retail, as the sales associate you are the expert, so if you compliment what a customer is wearing, it is especially meaningful. Also, if people are shopping with their children, compliment their kids. “Your children have wonderful manners.”

Or if they don’t, then, “Your children are adorable.”

There is no faster way to a person’s heart than through their children because most people who walk into a store with kids are just trying to get out of there without them breaking anything.

Don't:

Ask a woman if she is pregnant. Ever. Even if she looks like she swallowed a basketball, is holding What to Expect When You’re Expecting and flashing around a sonogram printout, do not assume she is pregnant. If she isn’t, you’ll never recover from that kind of awkward. My husband’s rule: Unless the baby is coming through the birth canal, you never ask a woman if she is having a baby. (He once did. She wasn’t. Result: He had to go to a different Panera for months.)

Do:

➤ Exploit a mob mentality. We are nothing if not a competitive culture, and hearing, “We just can’t keep those in stock!” or “Everyone just loves these!” will often tip the scales if someone is on the fence. I’ll admit I once bought a scarf at a boutique in L.A. because the sales lady said Michael Jackson had looked at it. ➤ Gently upsell. It can be really helpful, not to mention lucrative, if a saleswoman brings me a pair of shorts that would go perfectly with the top I’m trying on. This is especially effective if it’s combined with the ABC principle: “I saw these shorts and thought they’d totally accentuate your legs.” Now I’m buying two items instead of just the one I came in for. ➤ Thank people for their business. This sounds simple, but it is really important. At Nordstrom, the undisputed king of customer service, the sales associate brings each customer his or her bag by walking out from behind the register and thanking him or her for his or her business. This is a nice touch and helps mitigate against buyer’s remorse.

Don’t:

➤ Be inappropriate. Male sales associates have to be careful never to become too familiar with female customers or make comments about clothing that covers certain body parts. “Those are great shoes.” Good. “That tank top really shows off your assets.” Bad. Nothing kills a sale faster than a pervy sales guy. ➤ Risk a bad joke. This falls under the heading Know Thy Audience. Recently while I was at lunch with girlfriends, a waiter joked that my friend was a “picky woman” because she ordered her sandwich with no onions. I think he was trying to be funny, but it wasn’t. He made it worse when he corrected himself with, “No, I mean, you’re a woman, therefore you’re picky.”

Tragic. Had there been a man at the table with whom he was trying to have an am-I-right? moment, then fine. It would still be offensive but not into tip-affecting territory. In this case, we all just thought he was a jerk. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 53

Nonprofit Spotlight ›› Love INC

A Place to Lean

Through compassion and teaching, Love INC helps those in need to partake in their own healing Seven years ago, the rushing waters of Hurricane Katrina blasted through houses, schools and businesses and mercilessly destroyed the places so many people called home. The tragedy left cities such as New Orleans and Galveston bruised but not hopeless. Many residents were left displaced by the powerful storm, and some of them arrived in Columbia.

This event was the push that founders Jane Williams and Peggy Kirkpatrick needed to start a local chapter of the national organization Love in the Name of Christ (Love INC). Williams wasted no time recruiting; she handed Randy Hodill, now executive director of Love INC, an information packet the day of his retirement from his previous full-time job.

There’s always more to it Love INC of Columbia eventually opened its doors in April 2008 after much support and love Rose Williams “I am most proud of Living Large, a series of life skill classes, including parenting, anger management, job-seeking skills, budgeting and nutrition.”

54 \\\ AUGUST 2013

from local ministries and with the social work experience of Williams.

“When fielding requests at my own church, I felt like I was throwing Band-Aids for much bigger problems,” Williams says. “There was a need to round up churches and work together.”

Love INC now works with another 40 churches and organizations to coordinate programs for those in need, which often includes people who just need compassion.

Williams remembers her first phone call for the organization. A woman’s daughter had recently been incarcerated, which left the woman with her grandchildren and concerns about paying her utility bills. “This woman really confided in me at the end of that conversation, and it struck me that I don’t think anyone had ever taken 30 minutes to listen to her,” Williams says.

“There’s always more to it,” Hodill adds. “We have to answer why they can’t pay the bill; maybe

Jane Williams “As co-founder, I helped develop Love INC out of a desire to see churches work together to respond to individual and community needs.”

By Kristi Luther they don’t have a car, they need their GED, or they can’t find a job because they don’t have nice clothes and interview skills.”

People need time Love INC serves as a matchmaker of sorts in the nonprofit world and seeks to help people and churches find one another to address complex issues, such as hopelessness; unemployment; aging out of foster care; or difficulty transitioning from domestic violence, incarceration or homelessness. The organization’s volunteers include retirees such as Hodill, MU Service Learning students and church members.

“People need your time rather than your money,” says Williams, who focuses on coordinating resources rather than financial handouts.

Williams says simply handing out money often perpetuates problems in the lives of clients as opposed to addressing the core issues.

Ryan Worley “I’m involved with Love INC because they have a very genuine approach to addressing poverty. What they do isn’t based on programs or services alone; it’s based on relationships.”

Becky Paneck “As a retired Columbia Police sergeant, I’ve seen firsthand how badly Columbia needed a place like Love INC.”

➜ 1516 Business Loop 70 W. Columbia, MO • 573-256-7662 columbialoveinc.org

These services include a professional clothing closet to prepare clients for job interviews. Love INC’s Living Large program is a staple of their organization. The program runs every Thursday at Memorial Baptist Church from 6:15 to 8 p.m. through May 2, with child care provided. These seminars range in topic from communication and conflict to anger management. Money management and birthing classes are among other options available through Love INC. But the future plans for the organization can be traced back to its inception. Through a community survey during the start of Love INC, Williams learned that people wanted back a furniture bank that had existed briefly after Hurricane Katrina.

“We quickly realized how expensive it was to maintain and keep our trucks full of gas for pickups,” Williams says.

“And when people clear out houses, it’s amazing the things we wind up with,” Randy Hodill adds with a laugh. “Lots of chandeliers and ceramic bird collections.”

“That’s not exactly what a woman starting over after domestic violence needs,” Williams continues, “but we are appreciative of anything we get.”

With that, The Love Seat was born, and Love INC had its own resale store. After a series of “mirDale Willis “I’ve heard many remarkable stories about how lives have been transformed by Love INC volunteers…and that’s what it’s about: life transformation.”

“Even Jesus allowed people to partake in their own healing, saying their faith had made them well, and we hope to reflect that to others.” — Randy Hodill, executive director, Love INC acles and provisions by others,” Hodill says, The Love Seat will move to its new home at 1516 Business Loop 70 W. this spring.

You have to lean on others When asked what they need, Williams has one word: “Beds: We never get enough of them.”

A social worker by nature, Williams rarely acknowledges her own needs. Due to an abrupt degenerative condition, she is legally blind, and the chance of her eyesight improving is slight. The people she helps on a daily basis are often dealing with life-changing situations as well, and she says her situation has increased her compassion.

“I just see now how badly you need people around you when things like this happen,” she says. “No one wants to be the one in need, but you have to lean on others sometimes.” Hodill takes Williams to work, and a co-worker reads her emails to her.

Pat McMurry “We get more life when we give back. … History’s record is replete with those who have found this to be true.”

Although Hodill and Williams are very active in the Christian church community, they help anyone ready for change and in need. “While we never want to pressure anyone with our beliefs, we are always willing to pray for clients,” Williams says.

“And if finding a home church is part of their need, we are happy to help that happen.”

One Love INC philosophy can be found in their brochures, website and office: “We can only teach ‘how to,’ not ‘want to.’” Hodill emphasizes that clients have to be ready and willing to contribute to their core needs and insists there’s always more behind the financial concerns.

“Even Jesus allowed people to partake in their own healing, saying their faith had made them well,” he says, “and we hope to reflect that to others.” CBT Not pictured: Amy Larson, Caleb Rowden and Sheila Ruffin. Photos by Jake Hamilton.

Randy Hodill “Love INC provides a way for people with hearts to serve to be connected with manageable volunteer opportunities to help those in need.”

Dave Cover “I’m involved with Love INC because God cares about the poor and the marginalized in our city, and he cares whether we care, too.”

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 55

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Technology

›› Olivia Hancock reviews the latest trends in the business

Blue Light Upgrade

The Safe Trek mobile app makes a safer campus for MU students It seems like the University of Missouri comes out with a new app for smartphones and tablets about once a week, but not all of them win the 2013 Windows 8 mobile app development competition. Safe Trek, developed by MU students Zach Beattie, Natalie Cheng and Zach Winker, took first prize for giving students an easy way to stay safe on college campuses.

After installing Safe Trek, the user has the option of activating and holding down a button on his or her smartphone whenever he or she feels unsafe. Pressing the button activates a GPS signal that can track the user’s location.

When the user feels safe enough to deactivate the button, the app gives him or her 10 seconds to enter a PIN. If it isn’t entered, the app automatically connects the phone to a local dispatch center so police can communicate with the user and track his or her whereabouts.

Safe Trek offers an alternative to emergency systems on campuses such as MU’s blue light system, which has emergency contact phones placed throughout campus. With Safe Trek installed on their phones, students wouldn’t have to worry about making it to the nearest phone in case of an emergency.

Beattie, a business major, told the MU Engineering website that his former job with MU inspired Safe Trek’s conception.

“I used to work for New Student Programs, and the No. 1 question parents

CBT Silicon Valley Award

would ask is, ‘How do I know my student is going to be safe when I send them to Mizzou?’” he says. “That was the challenge we were faced with.”

Beattie says they are aiming for a release date of Aug. 1 for the MU campus.

He says they have a few small changes they’d like to make to the app before they release it for student use.

“Our main priority is having the app available for download for anyone in the Columbia area before students start moving in for the fall semester,” he says.

The app will make its debut on Windows 8, but it will also be available for iOS and Android devices. The team wants to distribute the app to other universities and has gotten interest from some already.

“We’ve been receiving interest from other campuses and police departments, and we plan on attending a few conferences in the coming weeks to begin reaching out to other interested parties,” Beattie says.

In addition to Safe Trek, there are several safety-oriented apps available for purchase now. For example, Circle of 6 allows you to choose six trusted contacts, and, when activated, the app will send out a mass alert telling those contacts that you are in an unsafe situation. Another, the Hollaback app, was developed specifically to report genderbased violence and harassment. The latest contribution from MU promises to join the ranks and make the world a little safer with some simple technology.

Smart Business Technology on Your Smartphone Time card apps: These apps work as a virtual clock-in/clock-out device for businesses in unconventional settings.

Group Me: This app lets you open a small group discussion via your mobile devices. You can share photos, locations and even “like” other messages.

Google Wallet: With Google Wallet, you can send money to anyone on the account using your Gmail account.

Math and calculator apps: Apps such as Handyman Calculator and Engineering Unit Converter allow employees to do important calculations on the go.

Cam Scanner: This app lets you turn pictures of documents into PDFs and send them to your coworkers.

Featured Tweeter Rock Bridge Brewery is a local microbrewer, with an emphasis on micro; the merchandise is sold out of a storage unit on 612 Big Bear Blvd. Given the company’s small size, its beers, sold at local pubs including 44 Stone and SoCo Club, are brewed sporadically. Following the company on Twitter gives you the all-important knowledge of when to make the trip to the brewery and buy a fresh growler. Followers also receive information about beer-related events around Columbia and even the occasional invite to come chat up crew members at local watering holes.

➜ Amazon has dedicated a section of its expansive retail selection to 3-D printers and is making the advanced technology more accessible to smaller businesses. Whether or not you feel your business would benefit from one, Amazon’s move seems to be anticipating a more stable place for 3-D printers in the business market. Prices start at $1,099. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 57

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58 \\\ AUGUST 2013

HD

Celebrations

In Business

25 Years

›› REDI

A Partner in Development Getting REDI to celebrate 25 years

Above: Mike Brooks. Photo by Anthony Jinson.

Timeline 1988 › REDI is founded.

2005 › Creates Chapter 100 Revenue Bond program that is used for tax abatement 2006 › Helps plan, construct and market the Analytical Bio-Chemistry Laboratories facility in Discovery Ridge Research Park 2007 › Collaborates with the University of Missouri to build the MU Life Science Incubator at Monsanto Place 2008 › Provides a $25,000 grant to get Newsy.com started in Columbia 2009 › Mike Brooks becomes president of REDI. 2010 › Works to create an IBM office in Columbia 2013 › Sponsors the #BOOM conference for entrepreneurs and celebrates 25 years in business

You dust off the desks in your brand new office in Columbia. It’s early in the morning, and bright golden rays of sun reach into your freshly washed windows and highlight the “open” sign you just hung from the door. It’s the first day operating your business, but you’re anxious and worried about the next steps to take in this new, unfamiliar location. It is in these situations that REDI, a nonprofit, membership-based organization, excels at helping to provide funds, consultation and job development — all of which the organization has been offering for 25 years.

Founded in 1988, Regional Economic Development Inc. began as a recruitment organization that planned to create cooperation among the city, county and water districts. It soon gained board members and partners to build its network, reach out to other companies and promote job growth.

“The board now is very active and is fairly large,” says Bob Black, REDI board member and past chairman. “It’s more inclusive with a lot of input that better represents the community as a whole.”

Working with MU When REDI decided to partner with the University of Missouri, along with other local colleges, the collaboration became a game changer in economic development and technology advancement. In 2007, REDI aided the university in constructing the MU Life Science Incubator at Monsanto Place.

The program works to create and attract new technology and startup entrepreneurial firms by offering its facilities, mentors and research resources.

“There have been tremendous strides over the past few years in terms of the university being involved in economic development,” says REDI Executive Vice President Bernie Andrews.

By Chelsea Bengier Focusing on entrepreneurship After Mike Brooks took over as president in 2009, the REDI team witnessed a strong switch to entrepreneurship. Brooks urged his colleagues to help companies get started in Columbia and emphasized university research. “We really do focus on entrepreneurship as a tool to generate job growth, and we’ve invested a lot of money in terms of trying to make that happen,” Brooks says.

“That’s a large part due to the fact that relationships are very important in communities like ours that work together with levels of trust and understanding.”

One such way to connect businesses and exchange ideas is through conferences.

REDI hosts opportunities such as the third annual #BOOM conference in January to strengthen the entrepreneurial community. These endeavors are stepping stones in REDI’s master plan to facilitate job creation and establish a stronger climate for entrepreneurship, Brooks says.

The IBM milestone Among all of the major and minor successes REDI has achieved in its 25 years, working with IBM to open an office in Columbia was one of the most important. Together, REDI and IBM facilitated the creation of 600 or more jobs.

This project was also completed at the most ideal time: when the unemployment rate was high in 2010. “The timing of IBM’s decision to select Columbia as the service center at a time when the economy was weak was extremely positive,” Brooks says. “It was a kind of medicinal shot in the arm for businesses here.”

“I think REDI has done a very good job in promoting Columbia as a place to live and do business,” says former City Manager Bill Watkins. “It’s really had a positive impact on employment and investment in our community.” CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 59

Deeds of Trust

›› Worth more than $300,000

$323,000 Brighton Homes Boone County National Bank Lt 17a Lake Woodrail Point Plat 2 Lots 15-17 $318,750 Sunrise Valley LLC Boone County National Bank Lt 1 Pt E C More Sub

Carroll Wilkerson, CFP® Jared W. Reynolds, CFP®

Have you planned for what could go wrong?

• • • •

Higher Inflation Outliving your Assets Higher Living Expenses Volatile Markets

FIND A BETTER WAY:

$480,000 Rolwing, Shelly D. Revocable Trust Boone County National Bank Lt 465 Thornbrook Plat 13 $300,000 Asel, Mary Josephine Capshaw and Donald Boone County National Bank Lt 17a Lake Woodrail Point Plat 2 Lots 15-17 $330,000 Margret LLC American Trust Bank Lt 10 Pt Bl 5 Ff Fyfer’s Sub $410,000 Mcnamee, Matthew and Turi Amerisave Mortgage Corp.

No Legal Given $1,523,558 Broadway Enterprises Boone County National Bank Lt 201 Pt Columbia $1,523,558 Elm Street Enterprises Boone County National Bank Lt 17 Pt Columbia

573.875.3939 • WRWEALTH.COM

60 \\\ AUGUST 2013

$1,523,558 Business Loop 70 Properties Boone County National Bank Lt 75 Mikel Sub

$320,000 J M C Construction The Callaway Bank Lt 136 Old Hawthorne Plat 2 $336,000 Regan, Rachelle A. and William S. Jr. Flat Branch Mortgage Lt 34 Deerfield Ridge Plat 2 $1,560,800 Ridgemont Properties Landmark Bank Lt 142 Qual Creek Plat 1 $1,155,000 1201 Broadway Landmark Bank Lt 3 Ff Otto Place $324,000 Alexander, Jay C. and Shayne N. Landmark Bank Lt 319 Copperstone Plat 3 $377,000 Klein, John D. and Julie Landmark Bank Lt 185 Old Hawthorne Plat 2 $315,000 Fairway Meadows Corp.

Providence Bank Lt 41 Deerfield Ridge Plat 2 $575,000 Sunley Properties LC U M B Bank Lt 4d Hawthorn Heights Condominiums $630,000 Shindler, Jeri L. and Phillip A. Landmark Bank Lt 5b J R Keene Subdivision Plat 1

$1,523,558 Nifong Properties Boone County National Bank Lt 17c Pt Oak Forest Sub Blk 5-C

$2,577,125 Delta Xi House Corporation of Delta Delta Delta Boone County National Bank Lt 35 Pt Ff Lagrange Place

$387,550 Watson, Charles R. Boone County National Bank Lt 11 Chapel Hill Estates Plat 2

$700,000 Rental Solution C J L S Real Estate Transfer Lt 7 Nowells Sub/Machir Place

360 Deeds of trust

were issued between may 20-june 7

$550,000 Mid-Mo Mobile Home Plaza Inc, Boone County National Bank Str 25-49-13 /N/Se Sur Bk/Pg: 977/236 Ac 62.83 $550,000 Peachtree Commercial Properties Landmark Bank Lt 58 Rockbridge Sub Replat Lt 34,35,52,54,55 $550,000 Starr Property Investments Bank Of Missouri Lt 6 Georgetown Village $516,000 Stephenson, Paul E., Fawn E. and Gene E. First State Community Bank Str 4-48-12 //Se $417,000 Hickam, Carrie and Kerry D A S Acquisition Co. Str 24-48-14 /Ne/Nw $400,000 Moore, Brent and Paul, Jill M. Landmark Bank Lt 3 Paradise Hills Estates Blk 1 $379,905 Martin, Jeffrey A. and Kari L. Bank Of Missouri The Lt 164 Old Hawthorne Plat 2 $350,000 Stritzel, Douglas R. and Nikki Louise Boone County National Bank Lt 105 Bellwood Plat 1 $341,200 Kaiser, Eugene UMB Bank Str 13-47-12 /W/Ne Ff With Exceptions $336,800 Mendez-Castillo, Alejandro and Lemmon, Marta Landmark Bank Str 16-47-12 //Nw Sur Bk/Pg: 922/801 Ac 10.000 CBT

Economic Index ›› It’s all about the numbers Labor (from missourieconomy.org) Columbia labor force April 2012: 62,179 April 2013: 61,419 Columbia unemployment April 2012: 2,555 April 2013: 2,578 Columbia unemployment rate April 2012: 4.1 percent April 2013: 4.2 percent Missouri labor force April 2012: 2,987,625 April 2013: 3,000,403 Missouri unemployment April 2012: 193,327 April 2013: 188,918 Missouri unemployment rate April 2012: 6.5 percent April 2013: 6.3 percent

Construction Building permits residential May 2012: 94 May 2013: 180 Value of residential building permits May 2012: $14,002,176 May 2013: $11,190,177 Detached single-family homes May 2012: 43 May 2013: 41 Value of detached single-family homes May 2012: $8,759,744 May 2013: $8,538,342 Commercial building permits May 2012: 22 May 2013: 33 Value of commercial building permits May 2012: $2,139,450 May 2013: $10,327,793

GET CIT

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Commercial additions/alterations May 2012: 21 May 2013: 33

• Samsung business telephone systems

Value of commercial additions/ alterations May 2012: $2,089,450 May 2013: $10,327,793

• Voice & Data Cabling • IT support

Housing

Solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Single-family homes sales, Boone County May 2012: 221 May 2013: 271 Single-family active listings on market, Boone County May 2012: 938 May 2013: 791 Single-family homes average sold price, Boone County May 2012: $198,254 May 2013: $196,679

Monte Grubbs, President

www.getCIT.com • (573) 499-9991 920 N. Trade Wind Pkwy., Suite E Columbia, MO 65201

Single-family home median sold price, Boone County May 2012: $164,000 May 2013: $174,000 Single-family homes average days on market, Boone County May 2012: 64 May 2013: 59 Single-family pending listings on market, Boone County May 2012: 220 May 2013: 267

Utilities Water May 2013: 46,606 May 2012: 45,729 Change #: 877 Change %: 1.9 percent Electric May 2013: 47,024 May 2012: 46,135 Change #: 889 Change %: 1.9 percent CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 61

New Business Licenses ›› Columbia residents and their upstarts

Aqueous Vapor James F. Yeager Sr. 601 E. Business Loop 70 Smoking-cessation devices sales CenturyLink/DirectTV Advertising Diversified Link LLC 1007 N. College Ave. CenturyLink and DirectTV service sales Club Vogue JR Entertainment Inc. 912 E. Business Loop 70 Nonalcoholic go-go bar

62 \\\ AUGUST 2013

Jose Jalapeños Fresco Jalapeños Inc. 3412 Grindstone Parkway, Suite B Full-service Mexican restaurant and bar Lincare Inc. Lincare Inc. 5900 N. Tower Drive, Suite J Medical O2 sales, medical equipment rental Massage Therapy by Jeni LLC Jennifer A. Stuck 19 E. Walnut St., Apt. A Massage therapy

Deals on Wheels Umar Mohmed LLC 26 S. Ninth St. Serving food from pushcart Contract Cleaners Howard E. Palmer Jr. 5107 Clark Lane, Apt. 201 Foreclosed home clean out, maid services Homemade Caramel Crunchies Ashley Elizabeth Hansley 3801 Larkspur Court Online retail of caramel snacks Mid Missouri Landscaping Cody Allen Garcia 2221 Parks Edge Place Lawn care including mowing, trimming, edging

Como Landscape Maintenance LL John Walter Lohmann 1325 Smiley Lane Lawn care, landscaping

MNM Auto Sales Brian Keith Mallicoat 15 E. Business Loop 70 Used car sales

Country Club of Missouri Country Club of Missouri 1300 Woodrail Ave. Restaurant/bar, golf, pool, tennis

The Hyde Out Bar and Grill LLC Michael W. Hyde 904 E. Business Loop 70 Bar and grill

Crossfit Como Michael David Wuest 3605 S. Providence Drive, Suite 7 Fitness facility offering group, personal training

Campus Top Deck Campus Top Deck LLC 260 S. 10th St. Bar and deli

Orr and Associates Managed Car Laura Lee Orr 5414 Dalcross Drive Worker’s compensation, medical case management

Dexter’s Broaster Chicken Dexter Fitzgerald 711 Vandiver Drive, Suite A Mobile food service

Pranic Healing Sol Neus Raines 2808 Building 2 Jacobs Place, Apt. A Pranic healing, therapeutic healing technique

Tiger Network and Computer Services Younis A. Younis 4907 Panorama Lane IT consulting, computer repair, Web developing

Igniting Business LLC Benjamin Seidel 1007 N. College Ave. Web design services, marketing consulting

Strolling Stones Susan Burns 106 Orr St. Handmade glass sales for home and garden

Rex Ott LLC Rexford Allen Crane 213 N. Stadium Blvd., Suite 203 Building new homes using subcontractors

Impressions by Sue Ann Sue Ann Herigon 804 N. Old 63 Retail furniture sales

Mike Vencl Construction Michael Edward Vencl 1400 S. East Georgetown Loop Handyman, repair

Jeremiah Martin Jeremiah Eldon Martin 1683 Country Road 286 Electric, new construction remodel, commercial

John Deere Landscapes John Deere Landscapes Inc. 1808 Burlington St. Irrigation, turf, landscape product distributor

Bent Nail Home Repair Timothy Carl Moritz 1118 Hulen Drive Light home repair, carpentry, shutter install

New York Baby Fashion Lakisha Moore 1511 Sylvan Lane, Apt. C Online sale of baby clothes

Samuel Excavating Samuel Excavating Inc. 651 Brook Valley Drive Excavating and utilities CBT

By the Numbers ›› Boone County statistics

Shopping, Wining, Dining and Watching

With fall fashion hitting local shelves, Mizzou sports getting into swing and summer — the season of fun — coming coming to a close, the CBT looked at what’s fun to our fellow Columbians. Whether on shopping and dining, drinking or live entertainment, here’s how Columbia measures fun.

Source: VisitColumbiaMo.com

bars

movie theaters fairs and festivals

2012 Boone County purchases by yearly total amount ($Millions)

food and retail shops

300 250 -

wineries and breweries

200 150 100 -

art galleries

50 -

Ap

Foo par d & D ri e Ho l & A nk cce tel s& s Tou sory rist Mis Cou c. R rts ec Be reatio aut n yS Mu alon seu s ms &A rt

licensed barbershops

theaters for performing arts

2012 Boone County apparel purchases

antique shops

1% Recreation, Sporting and Fitness

13% 32%

14%

Hotels, Inns, Motels and Bed & Breakfasts

17%

23%

Women’s Ready-to-Wear Misc. Apparel & Accessories Family Clothing

Stad iu

Columbia also has more than 200 certified beauty salons and beauticians and more than 240 restaurants.

Shop the Block

Par is

Rd.

Rangeline St.

m

Shoe Stores Women’s Accessory & Specialty Children & Infant Wear

Business Loop I-70

Old 63 Hwy 63

Providence Rd.

Stadium $300-339 Mil $200-299 Mil $160-199 Mil $120-159 Mil $80-119 Mil $40-79 Mil Unavailable

College Ave.

Broadway

Source: Missouri State Auditor 2012 report on Transportation Development Districts, estimated Dec. 31, 2010, and Report No. 2012-13

Based on information provided by Transportation Development Districts to the Missouri state auditor, the CBT calculated about how much those areas estimate in total sales for each year the shopping district participates in the TDD program (it varies, but 40 is the maximum).

TDDs are created as a collection of property owners aiming to “develop, improve, maintain or operate” one or more transportation projects for their area. This might be a bus stop, bridge or road or even an airport or river. By determining a percentage of sales tax to contribute to this fund, the TDD raises money to fund its transportation projects. Because Columbia’s TDDs happen to be some important shopping areas, the CBT did some math to figure out where Columbians are spending what.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 63

7 Questions

➜ 1110 Club Village Drive Columbia, MO 65203 573-449-9933

›› Get to know your professionals

Poised for Growth

Todd Hoien, vice president of commercial lending at Hawthorn Bank

2. Columbia has experienced heavy — some have even called it explosive — growth in the past 10 years. Do you think development will continue at this rapid pace in the years to come? I think we will continue to see strong activity in both residential and commercial development. Our city is growing. Local builders are enjoying good demand for housing. Increased enrollment at the University of Missouri has sparked numerous student housing developments, and we are also seeing increased demand for rental property across the board. All of this will drive more residential development, and with the residential activity, commercial development is sure to follow.

Fun Fact: 64 \\\ AUGUST 2013

3. When you’re considering whether to loan to a business, what factors influence your decision? There are several factors to consider, and every business has its own unique set of circumstances.

That said, I would say the business owner’s prior experience and track record are key considerations.

The projected cash flow of the business is obviously important. Other top considerations would be local market conditions and the feasibility of the business plan.

Photo by Angelique Hunter

1. How has Hawthorn Bank changed during your time there?

We’ve experienced strong growth in the Columbia market. That growth has enabled us to hire some great people to continue building a stronger presence in the market.

4. What are the biggest challenges facing Hawthorn Bank right now? The increased regulatory burden concerns me, in particular for community banks that don’t have the resources to deal with all the new requirements.

I’m also concerned about the unintended consequences of the increased regulation, in particular for home loans.

The amount of paperwork required for a home loan today sometimes exceeds that of an SBA loan. And I’m told more changes are coming in 2014.

5. Where do you think we will see the most commercial development happening in Columbia in the next few years? I think the most commercial development will occur to the east and south of Columbia, with new residential and commercial development around the new high school and also to the south along U.S. Highway 63.

6. You’ve been doing smallbusiness loans for years. In your experience, what makes the difference between a small business failing and succeeding? Active and engaged ownership. In my experience, absentee owners typically struggle.

That’s not always the case, but it can lead to several challenges.

The most successful business owners take an active role in the management of their companies.

7. What’s your favorite thing to do around mid-Missouri when you aren’t working? I work pretty hard during the week, so when I find time to relax, I spend it with my family and close friends. Now that it’s summertime, that might include taking in a ballgame at Busch Stadium, enjoying the beauty of a Missouri spring-fed river or just hanging with the kids at the pool. CBT

➜ During his summers from 1992 to 1996, Hoien was half of a wedding singing duo, playing guitar and singing back-up vocals.

ADVERTISER INDEX Accounting Plus.......................................................... 51 Anthony Jinson Photography..............................67 Boone County National Bank..............................68 Caledon Virtual..............................................................9 Carpet One.................................................................. 52 Central Trust................................................................ 35 City Of Columbia Public Works...........................50 City Of Columbia Water & Light.............................6 Columbia Appliance................................................20 Columbia College .....................................................42 Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau.......65 Columbia Integrated Technologies...................61 Commerce Bank....................................................... 52 D. Joseph Meyer, MD PC..........................................13 EasyPc............................................................................50 GFI Digital......................................................................26 Hawthorn.........................................................................7 Healthlink......................................................................65 Hub & Spoke.................................................................14 Huber And Associates............................................56 Impact.............................................................................61 Joe Machens Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge Ram....... 12 Joe Machens Ford........................................................5 Joe Machens Volkswagen......................................10 Landmark Bank.............................................................2 Mercedes Benz-Joe Machens..............................41 Mid-City Lumber Co................................................45 Midwest Computech...............................................58 Naught Naught Insurance Agency....................20 Paul Land- Plaza Real Estate.........................62-63 Personalized Computers......................................39 Quantum Wireless Internet..................................56 Room 38........................................................................26 Roots N' Blues................................................................8 Smart Business Products......................................20 Stephens College - SCEvents.............................. 35 Superior Garden Center........................................45 Tech Electronics........................................................39 The Bank Of Missouri...............................................24 The Olde Un Theatre................................................ 51 Towner Communication....................................... 40 University Of Missouri Health Care......................4 Watkins Roofing.........................................................26 White Dog Promotions...........................................58 Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management.............................................................. 60 Wilson's Fitness............................................................3

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 65

Flashback ›› Then and now

➜ The Columbia business landscape is always evolving, but it’s important to remember our historical roots.

By Olivia Hancock . Photo by Kendra Johnson.

Glenn’s Café has relocated three times in its history, but one thing has remained the same since 1954: the red and white Glenn’s Café sign, which now hangs at its current location at the Hotel Frederick in Boonville in all its retro glory.

The restaurant opened in 1943 as Glenn’s Drive-In. Original owners Glenn and Tilly Purdy set up shop on Highway 40 and Sexton Road, which Columbians now know as the location of Head Kia on Business Loop 70. The Purdys changed the name to Glenn’s Café after a remodeling and expansion, which included the addition of the red and white sign.

Various owners, including Rolla Williams and Ben Schaffer, ran the café between its opening and 1985, when current proprietor Steve Cupp took over. After three years, Cupp moved Glenn’s to its second location on Ninth and Cherry streets in downtown Columbia.

Glenn’s shut down in 2002 after Cupp saw a decline in profits, but an opportunity to revive it came in the form of another historic renovation. The Hotel Frederick, built in 1905 in Boonville, went unused for a decade until undergoing a restoration in 2004. Owner Bill Haw approached Cupp about running the hotel res-

taurant and, more specifically, bringing back Glenn’s Café.

The latest iteration of this resilient restaurant opened in 2006 inside the hotel. Glenn’s offers a menu that “uses all the flavors of the Mississippi Basin and Delta” and an award-winning wine list.

Although Glenn’s Café has gone through a lot of changes over the years, the name that made it famous remains the same. And when longtime customers come out to Boonville to find an old favorite, the red and white sign will still be outside waiting to greet them. CBT

➜ We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 66 \\\ AUGUST 2013

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