Columbia Business Times - December 2013

December 2013

iPads for Everyone Pg. 56

Citizen of the century Charlie Digges Sr. Pg. 36

Columbia’s FastestGrowing Companies Pg. 53

Green

The color of money Pg. 48

Columbia’s Coolest Inventions Pg. 32

➺ From Clicks to Bricks

Pg. 44

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 7

open

8 \\\ december 2013

Reintroducing you to Columbia’s “Original” Country Club

Est. 1921

wedding receptions | affordable memberships flexible meeting space | tournaments | outdoor lawn events covered outdoor veranda | multi-million course renovation For Catering Information Leanne Naeger 573-449-4115 | LNaeger@eaglegolf.com

For Membership Information Denaye Spurling 573-449-4115 | DSpurling@eaglegolf.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 9

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

Connecting the dots ›

The special focus for the December issue of CBT is innovation. Most of us think of innovation as the introduction of a new idea, device or method. So we, of course, considered the traditional meaning of innovation as we were planning our story list, and this issue covers the topic well. We also, in typical CBT style, stretch beyond just the innovative things and take a look at innovation in a more curious way.

Steve Jobs, former CEO and founder of Apple Computers, is recognized as one of the foremost innovators of the past century. He is often referred to as the “master of innovation” and the “Father of the Digital Age.” In 2005, Jobs delivered the commencement address at Stanford University and related his view of innovation: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.

Photo by So you have to trust that the dots will someTaylor Allen how connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

I believe the traits Jobs refers to are the true essence of innovation: trust in yourself, karma, your gut instinct. Our cover profile on Charlie Digges Sr. looks into the life of a man who is quintessentially Columbia: an innovator, an entrepreneur and a genuinely kind and thoughtful person. It’s very easy to look back on his life, his accomplishments and his contribution to our city and see how all of the dots get connected. However, the legacy he has given Columbia required innovation; it required the ability to look into the future and apply calculated risk to gut instinct. And as the story so gracefully points out, Digges has lived a life of good karma and destiny.

This is the season when we begin to reflect on our year, personally and professionally, and connect our dots, to be proud of the challenges conquered and prepare for those that lie ahead. It’s a chance to connect with family, loosen the belt a few notches and reflect on things we are thankful for. It’s been a great year for us, and I speak for our entire staff when I say thank you to our advertisers, contributors, readers, vendors, friends and family for making 2013 a great year. We promise to step into 2014 with innovate products and new ideas, and we look forward to continue working with you.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. We love feedback, good and bad, so don’t hesitate to email my anytime at chrish@businesstimescompany.com.

Best, December 2013

IPADS FOR EVERYONE PG. 56

Citizen of the century Charlie Digges Sr. PG. 36

COLUMBIA’S FASTESTGROWING COMPANIES PG. 53

Chris Harrison, Group Publisher

GREEN

THE COLOR OF MONEY PG. 48

Columbia’s Coolest Inventions PG. 32

➺ FROM CLICKS TO BRICKS

PG. 44

At 94 ½ years old, Charlie Digges Sr. knows our city like the back of his hand. The lifelong Columbia resident has been involved in nearly every aspect of community life, from high school sports to business to sharpening his golf game — and he’s not slowing down yet.

Story on page 36. Photo

by Anthony Jinson.

DESIGN Kristin Branscom, Art Director Kristin@BusinessTimesCompany.com Creative Services Gillian Tracey, Creative Marketing Assistant Gillian@BusinessTimesCompany.com MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Erica Pefferman, Director of Sales Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Angie Huhman, Marketing Consultant Angie@BusinessTimesCompany.com Mason Neff, Marketing Consultant Mason@BusinessTimesCompany.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Taylor Allen, Casey Buckman, Al Germond, Anthony Jinson, Kendra Johnson, Timothy Nwachukwu CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Al Germond, Vicki Hodder, GH Lindsey, Kristi McCann, Sarah Redohl, Bondi Wood, Molly Wright Interns Abby Connoly, Kendra Johnson, Abby Kass, GH Lindsey, Tim Nwachukwu MANAGEMENT Chris Harrison, General Manager ChrisH@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Business Manager ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Cindy Pudney, Operations Manager CindyS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Erica Pefferman, Director of Sales Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues for 1 year or $34.95 for 24 issues for 2 years.

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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.

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 /// 13

About The Last Times What people are saying

What's happening online 1 Million Cups KC @1MillionCupsKC 24 Oct RT @Stadium Shoes: Great wrap up article from @ColumbiaBiz featuring fellow 'trep @themattfischer and @1MillionCupsCMO

Caleb Rowden @calebrowden44 Congrats to my good friend @_lawbuk on being added to the @ColumbiaBiz 'People You Should Know' list. Very deserving.

29 Oct

Support in

motion motion

Around the office Ready, set, launch!

Thanks to everyone who attended our October launch party at Cheerleader Pub & Grill on Nov. 7.

Free drinks make any happy hour better!

The Mirra 2 chair from Herman Miller, with its new Butterfly Back, offers exceptional responsiveness and intuitive feel by merging a fabric layer with polymer veins to create an intelligent support structure. This hybrid structure, shaped for dynamic support, keeps your body in healthy alignment.

20 Under 40

Nominations are closed, and our 2014 class of 20 Under 40 has been chosen from a record-breaking 87 nominations. Join us in celebrating this year’s 20 Under 40 at Stephens College Jan. 22, 2014, at 6 p.m.

Business Times Co. calendar

Dec. 6: Columbia Home Mix & Mingle and So You Think You Can Bake contest at Studio Home, 5 to 8:30 p.m., free

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

[

[

Call for a free trial of the new Mirra 2 at your office, or come by our showroom to check it out.

1901 Vandiver Drive • Columbia MO (573) 474-4057

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 15

December 2013 Vol. 20, Issue 6 columbiabusinesstimes.com

36

Citizen of the Century

For Charlie Digges Sr., lifelong Columbia resident, his roots in the community run deep. And from high school sports to a successful career, home is the city that shaped him.

32

44

CoMo’s Coolest Inventions

From Clicks to Bricks

With more than 440 active patents in the city of Columbia alone, the next big thing could be right around the corner.

A growing number of online businesses are making the move to brick-and-mortar stores and poising themselves for expansion.

48

Departments

13 From the Publisher 15 Letters to the Editor 19 Movers and Shakers 20 Briefly in the News 23 A Closer Look 24 Business Update 27 P.Y.S.K. 31 Opinion 61 Nonprofit Spotlight 63 Technology 65 Celebrations 66 Deeds of Trust 69 Economic Index 70 New Business Licenses 71 By the Numbers 72 6 Questions 74 Flashback

52

Going Green

Inc. 5000

LED lights, solar panels, thermal windows and more: Local businesses are upping their energy efficiency and slashing bills in the process.

Read the facts, philosophies and advice behind four Columbia businesses named among the fastest-growing companies in the nation.

56 The Digital Divide Textbooks vs. iPads: Battle High School pilots a new program that puts tablets — rather than textbooks — in the hands of its 1,100 students.

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Movers and Shakers

➜ Are you or your employees

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

›› Professionals grow, serve and achieve

Riordan

quick

stephenson

shumpert

nemes

›› Craig Riordan Boone County National Bank hired Riordan as vice president of commercial lending to focus on business development and relationship management for BCNB’s business customers.

›› Lee Nemes The Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross hired Nemes as an administrative coordinator. Nemes will be based in the midMissouri branch office in Columbia.

›› Dr. Jacob Quick Quick, chief resident physician in the University of Missouri School of Medicine’s Division of General Surgery, was honored with the 2013 Exemplary Resident Educator Award by the American College of Surgeons.

›› Mediacom national awards Jennifer Snyder and Jeff Price were recognized with top honors in Mediacom Communications’ national award program. Snyder earned the company’s national gold Payment Center Representative of the Year, and Price was awarded the company’s national gold Commercial Sales Account Executive of the Year.

›› Mindy Stephenson MBS Textbook Exchange Inc. has promoted Stephenson to director of retail database for the MBS Direct division. ›› Stephanie Shumpert The Columbia campus of Great Circle has announced Shumpert as its director of education. She will be responsible for coordinating educational, administrative and counseling activities within Columbia schools and promoting the services and programs offered at Great Circle, one of Missouri’s largest behavioral health nonprofits. ›› Williams-Keepers Lauren Andrews, Kaitlyn Cavanah, Aimee Hancock, Erin Hunter and Shana Voss were recently welcomed to the roughly 100-person firm. Four of the five associates were hired for the Columbia office, and one associate joined the Jefferson City office.

›› Katie VanderLey VanderLey, former independent sales consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., has been promoted to senior team manager of the nationally recognized direct seller of easy-to-prepare foods. Her sales achievements and new consultant additions earned her the promotion. ›› Urmeka Jefferson Jefferson, assistant professor at the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, received the Research Abstract Award from the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. ›› University of Missouri Stephen Ferris, Jana Hawley, Sandy Rikoon and Gregory Triplett have joined 45 other faculty members in the Southeastern Conference universities as 2013-2014 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program fellows.

vanderiet

falco

›› David Rosenbaum Effective Nov. 1, the previous product development and project manager of the American Heart Association took on a new professional challenge as director of University of Missouri Press. Rosenbaum has a history in the publishing industry, in addition to being an author himself. ›› Christian VandeRiet Missouri Vein Care announced that VandeRiet, director of aesthetics, was elected as director to the board of directors of the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses for 2014. VandeRiet was voted nationwide by current members of ASPSN. ›› Clark Wilcox Excited to be back in the country club environment, Wilcox was hired as head chef at Columbia Country Club. His background includes a number of positions at country clubs in the Kansas City area. Wilcox was most recently employed as the catering chef at the University Club. ›› Joe Falco STI Technology Solutions Inc. added a new salesperson to its staff. Falco has more than 25 years of business telephone systems sales experience, which will benefit the company that provides alarm security systems, CCTV security systems, network cable installation, computer support and NEC telephone systems. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 19

Briefly in the News

›› A rundown of this month’s top headlines

Charity checks The Tigers on the Prowl auction of 10 life-size fiberglass tigers took place in early October. Each tiger was designed by a local artist and auctioned off for one of 10 local charities. The auction alone raised $28,000. An announcement on Oct. 25 was made expressing gratitude to all participants and revealing a grand total just shy of $50,000, including the auction, tickets sales, etc., that will be donated. Receiving charities include Granny’s House, the Ronald McDonald House, Love INC, Meals on Wheels, in2Action, Foundation for the Higher Good, the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, Special Olympics, Honor Flight and True North.

26,000 SQ.FT.

Elementary expansions Columbia Public Schools has reached an agreement to purchase 36 acres on the corner of Scott Boulevard and Route KK to construct a new elementary school. The new site located in southwest Columbia was purchased for $2.8 million from the Sapp family using funds from the approved 2012 bond plan. “The location of the property as well as the major infrastructure pieces and student safety were important considerations in the decision to purchase the property,” says Superintendent Chis Belcher. While preparations take place for the southwest elementary school to open in 2016, construction plans for an additional elementary school adjacent to Battle High School are in the works for a 2015 opening.

Emergency texting services The first statewide crisis texting service in the nation became available, thanks to Missouri Crisis Line and Missouri Deafline. The Department of Public Safety and the Department of Mental Health fund the 24-hour service.

“Offering a crisis texting service opens the door to helping many more individuals who are unable or even unwilling to call the crisis hotlines,” says Stephanie Logan, executive director of the L.E.A.D. Institute. “It allows any individual to text the service confidentially and gain information and guidance without disclosing their identity.” To initiate a text conversation, text the word HAND to 839863.

A cyclist’s city Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply debuted its new 26,000-square-foot showroom and retail store with a grand-opening party. The multi-million-dollar building is reflective of the company’s growth, which has doubled over the past three years. The facility includes a showroom, learning center, call center, a photography and video production studio and a national distribution warehouse.

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Columbia was deemed a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly City by the League of American Bicyclists.

“This award confirms what those of us who live here know, that Columbia is the best place for bicycling and active living in Missouri,” says PedNet Coalition Executive Director Annette Triplett. The silver level award means Columbia has committed to improving conditions for bicycling through investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies. Out of all 50 states, Missouri is ranked 30th with five bicycle-friendly communities. There are a total of 290 other communities across the United States that have received similar awards.

What’s happening Graybar Electric According to Kara Bowlin, Graybar communication specialist, the opening of a Graybar Electric branch is usually indicative of positive economic development. The branch, located at 1805 Burlington St., plans to serve Boone and Randolph counties.

1 Million

house

Columbia has joined 18 other cities in an attempt to get 1 million entrepreneurs together for coffee and conversation. Every Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m., two Columbia-based entrepreneurs give sixminute presentations on their businesses, followed by 20 minutes of questions and feedback at 500 E. Walnut St.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri opened a brand new house on East Lansing Avenue.

The new location offers 18 bedrooms with private bathrooms, an extended-stay apartment and will be accessible for people with special needs.

Grand opening

In conjunction with a crowded weekend in Columbia, Macadoodle’s Fine Wine, Beer and Spirits officially opened its doors on Oct. 25. The anticipated construction of the allinclusive beverage store was completed and presented to the public during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new beer, wine and liquor store offers 3,000 wine labels, 600 craft and premium brews, plus a wide variety of snacks and drinking accessories.

Complete with a full-service gas station, Macadoodle’s is a one-stop shop for party necessities.

$100,000 MFA Oil Co. made a commitment to MU Children’s Hospital to raise $100,000. The company succeeded in fundraising and was able to make the $100,000 donation to help support financial responsibilities within the hospital.

3-D tech The Missouri College of Engineering opened a 3-D printing lab two years ago and has seen significant usage of the lab by students and faculty in diverse fields of study. Doctors have used the 3-D printers to prepare for surgeries, and researchers have used it quickly and inexpensively to build replicas of fossils.

The lab has been funded via the fees MU receives when jobs for outside organizations and companies are completed within the lab.

MU opens law clinic Law students at the University of Missouri can now obtain real-world experience at the new Veterans Clinic. Veterans and their families secure disability benefits while experienced attorneys supervise law students as they work in a law firm atmosphere and serve real client needs.

Students specifically interested in personal injury, civil litigation or administrative law will benefit from the skillset taught in the clinic.

Fast Track Award Columbia-based business 3 Interactive was awarded with a 2013 Fast Track Award from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. In three short years, the company has grown to reach an annual revenue of $15 million and currently employs 40 people. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce presented the award to 3 Interactive at a meeting on Nov. 14 in Kansas City. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 21

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A Closer Look

New Businesses in

Columbia

›› A quick look at emerging companies

1. Numotion Formed by the merger of United Seating & Mobility and ATG Rehab, Numotion offers custom wheelchairs. Numotion is the largest and most advanced complex mobility provider in the country. The business has locations across the United States, and Columbia is its newest addition at 313 E. Ash. Numotion provides complex power wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs and standard power wheelchairs as well as other custom chairs. Staff is trained to work with customers to create products to fit their needs and make their lives easier.

Numotion strives to be a company that is the most responsive innovator and provider of custom wheelchairs in the area.

Contact: Bill Foust, 573-443-2212

2. Yellow Dog Bookshop Joe Chevalier and Kelsey Hammond always dreamed of owning a bookshop, so when the couple learned that Get Lost Bookshop was closing, they decided to take fate into their hands. The couple opened Yellow Dog Bookshop at 8 S. Ninth St. in downtown Columbia. The window display also features local artists. The store is named after the couple’s dog, Scout. It focuses on being part of the Columbia community by hosting readings and children’s story time.

Chevalier and Hammond bring a combined 14 years of book retail experience to the business. The couple spruced up the store, added a children’s nook and expanded the collection to accommodate all of Columbia.

Contact: Joe Chevalier, 573-442-3330

1

2

3. Freebirds World Burrito

5. Aspen Heights

It is all about choices at Freebirds World Burrito. Founded in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1987, Freebirds has more than 100 locations across the South, West and now Midwest.

Located at 1020 E. Broadway, the Columbia location is the farthest east and the third in Missouri. Customers have more than 35 trillion variations to try. To help with the choices, each customer is paired with a “roller,” or employee. There are four sizes of burritos, four flavors of tortillas and more than 40 fresh toppings. The restaurant also serves tacos, nachos and other southwestern foods.

Contact: Sandra Bigsby, 573-474-10603.

4. International Tap House With more than 59 beers on tap, International Tap House (iTap) is the newest addition to this college town.

With prime location right across from the university at 308 S. Ninth St., Suite 111, iTAP is the perfect spot for college students to visit. In 2009, two alumni of MU decided to open a bar. Sean Conroy and Brad Lobdell chose to focus on the philosophy of serving the best beers in an even better atmosphere. Columbia is the fourth location for the bar, with three others in the St. Louis area. ITAP offers close to 500 beers, weekly specials and a casual atmosphere to hang out and relax.

Contact: Jon Whitaker, 573-443-1401

The next wave of student living has taken off with luxury housing. Aspen Heights was founded in 2006, with its first property in Waco, Texas. In 2012, Aspen Heights made Columbia its 12th location. Aspen Heights conducted focus groups with college students to continually change and evolve its cottagestyle product based on feedback. Focused on customer service, Aspen Heights Columbia offers two-, three- and four-bedroom cottages along with a new row home with various floor plans. They are located at 3600 Aspen Heights Parkway. Residents at Aspen Heights enjoy amenities including a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse with a 24-hour workout facility, study rooms, movie theater, tanning salon, volleyball court and resort-style pool.

Contact: Tyler Yates, 573-443-1778

6. Cheerleader Pub & Grill Looking for somewhere to watch the next big game? Cheerleader Pub & Grill Inc. is the place to visit. Located at 1400 Cinnamon Hill Lane, CPGI was founded to provide a unique combination of sports fun and gourmet food.

With a Southeastern Conference theme, the menu is filled with southern-city favorites.

Razorback pork belly sliders and Gamecock barbecue chicken and ribs are just a few options. The restaurant features 20 beers on tap, 20 widescreen TVs, two 100-inch projection TVs and an SEC Team Shop, all to make your next game-day experience the best.

Contact: Ron Dentry, 573-442-6066 CBT

5

3 4

6

➜ Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 23

Gerald McKinney (left) and Nelson Muller Photo by Anthony Jinson

24 \\\ december october 2013 2013

Business Update

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

Economic D r i v e r

Building Big Business

Channeling his previous entrepreneurial experience, Gerald McKinney opens Biz

By GH Lindsey Crossing, mid-Missouri’s only business brokerage firm.

In the winter of 2000, Gerald McKinney took his first leap. Since moving to Columbia earlier that year to work at University Hospital, McKinney had begun spending his evenings transferring home movies of his children into digital formats to share those precious memories with his wife’s family in Mexico. He soon saw the potential for a business stemming from his hobby and started his first company, Home Movie Depot, in December.

Over the next few years, Home Movie Depot expanded rapidly, with sales growing more than 50 percent a year. In 2001, McKinney quit his job at the hospital to focus full time on the expanding business. In 2004, Home Movie Depot topped $1 million in sales. The business continued its growth, became a nationwide name in the field and was name-dropped by The New York Times and Wired magazine, to name a few.

Soon investors came calling, looking to get in on the successful company. Buyers from the coasts approached McKinney, and in 2011, he sold the business to Scan Digital Inc., a Southern California-based company also in the format-conversion business. Now, McKinney is channeling the experiences of entrepreneurship and selling a successful business into his newest venture: Biz Crossing.

Big fish, small pond Biz Crossing, based in Ashland, is mid-Missouri’s only business brokerage firm and is looking to connect businesses in the region with venture capitalists and potential buyers across the country. Such a firm is especially important to the region because businesses in mid-Missouri aren’t typically on the radar of national investors.

“Trying to get the attention of bankers is tough,” McKinney says. “Businesses around here can get trapped as the big fish in a small pond.”

The idea for Biz Crossing came to McKinney after selling Home Movie Depot and seeing the unique challenges that came with the experience, such as the intensive due diligence process and the difficulty of juggling multiple offers as they come in. “I was never prepared for the selling process,” McKinney says of his time fielding offers for Home Movie Depot. Now, however, he knows the ins and outs of the system and is providing his clients with that expertise.

“Trying to get the attention of bankers is tough. Businesses around here can get trapped as the big fish in a small pond.” — Gerald McKinney Knowing the process means that Biz Crossing can advise companies on how best to “get their ducks in a row” before fielding potential investors or buyers, which often results in better offers for the company. McKinney’s experience also comes into play when advising clients; as an entrepreneur himself, he can relate to the personal investment clients have in their own businesses.

Working relationally

The Biz Crossing philosophy also values building relationships with clients throughout the six- to 12-month process. The firm’s full-service approach means it is involved every step of the way, from introductions with potential

investors to finding tax breaks to allow the company to save money or hire more employees.

“Our services are more relational than transactional,” McKinney says. “We love to talk — there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.”

Working relationally also ties in to more of Biz Crossing’s core values: confidentiality and trust.

In the field of business brokering, confidentiality is extremely important for both buyers and sellers. If word gets out about a business looking to sell, it can undermine potential deals and cause a scare among the business’s employees.

For businesses looking to sell or acquire growth financing, Biz Crossing has advice from its past deals. In their experience, investors are looking for businesses with a great story and strong management. A company’s people are the single most important factor for outside investors, but they also look to see proof that those people (and their business model) are able to succeed. Perhaps surprisingly, the product is not always one of the most important factors; more important is having a target market staked out. “The product can always evolve, but the market can’t,” McKinney says.

Ultimately, McKinney and his partner, Nelson Muller, see Biz Crossing as an economic driver in central Missouri that’s bringing new capital for investment into the area. In addition to bringing in outside capital, the pair is aiming to start a local private equity group that would focus on businesses in mid-Missouri and give successful local businesses an opportunity to reinvest in their community. However, even with such an idea only in its infancy, there is still plenty of available investment capital, and Biz Crossing is looking to bring that to local businesses. “We’re looking at new deals every day,” McKinney says. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 25

Meet Bryan Maness, owner of Ozark Mountain Biscuit Company. Bryan recently obtained an SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri to purchase his beautiful new truck and all the equipment he needed to travel around Columbia and sell his delicious menu items.

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), Geoff Karr (Loan Officer).

26 \\\ december 2013

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

›› Job description: Lead executive

John D. Bucksath

›› Years lived in Columbia/midMissouri: I moved to Columbia in 1989 to pursue a career in life sciences.

President and CEO, ABC Laboratories

›› Original hometown: Slater, Mo. ›› Education: B.A. in biology/chemistry from Central Methodist University (1989), EMBA from Washington University’s Olin Business School (2007)

Age:

47

›› Community involvement: Member of Columbia Sunrise Southwest Rotary ›› Professional background: I started with ABC Laboratories as a scientist at the research and development level. Starting in 1996, I was responsible for growing and managing the initial development of ABC’s offering for human pharmaceutical R&D support. The success of this group set the stage for ABC’s successful entry into the pharmaceutical development space. I joined the senior management team as head of operations in 2003 and became CEO in 2012.

Photo by Anthony Jinson

›› A favorite recent project: The turnaround of an operating site in Sacramento, Calif., has been the most rewarding recent project our team has addressed. We were faced with a challenging turnaround situation while simultaneously addressing culture, geography and technical challenges. ›› A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: Although there are so many successful businesspeople in Columbia, my admiration is for the entrepreneurs in the community.

Columbia as a community has enjoyed a wonderful quality of life for several decades. I believe the success of developing and attracting new innovative companies and supporting the local business leaders of tomorrow are catalysts to our continued success as a community. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 27

›› Why I’m passionate about my job: We serve two major markets: pharmaceutical and agriculture chemistry product development.

When we look at the big picture, we are supporting industry to help produce products that heal and feed the world. I can’t think of anything more motivating than that. ›› If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: Be a teacher or coach in some capacity. It is very rewarding to support people in developing their talents. ›› What people should know about this profession: The role of supporting the industries’ R&D efforts as a business that provides expertise for hire is a challenge beyond what most can comprehend. The ability to understand the science, the regulatory requirements, global and national markets, the risks involved and converting that into a successful business is not for the faint of heart. ›› What I do for fun: I have recently taken up trying to play the guitar. It is enjoyable, but I am convinced that I’ll never make the big time. ›› Family: My beautiful wife, Melissa, and daughters, Emily and Ashley ›› Favorite place in Columbia: It depends on the day, but I really enjoy date night with my wife at CC’s. ›› Accomplishment I’m most proud of: Other than family, I would have to say that I am most proud of what our organization is doing as we speak. I work with an amazing bunch of professionals, and it is always rewarding to see what we accomplish when we are working together. ›› Most people don’t know that I: Was recruited to be a music major for my undergraduate studies. During my high school years, I became very capable with a variety of brass instruments. CBT 28 \\\ december 2013

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 29

20•• 40 20 T WEN T Y UNDER FORT Y presented by When: January 22, 2014 6 p.m. Cocktail Hour, 7p.m. Dinner and Program

Where: Stephens Kimball Ballroom

Tickets $50 table for 8 is $500

with premium reserved seating and listing in the program

Leadership Circle is the group of individuals and families who donate $1,000 or more to United Way’s community campaign. This year, Veterans United Foundation has issued a challenge designed to grow the Leadership Circle program and support our community in an unprecedented way. Through the Veterans United Foundation Leadership Circle Community Challenge, every individual or family who gives $1,000 or more will have their contribution matched by an additional $200 - up to a total of $100,000!

IT’S EASY & SECURE! Simply fill out your pledge form, give us a call at 573.443.4523, or click ‘DONATE’ at www.uwheartmo.org.

Thanks to the generosity of Veterans United Foundation, Heart of Missouri United Way is your local partner to drive measurable, lasting impact that none of us can achieve alone. We believe - TOGETHER - we can achieve!

1700 East Pointe Dr., Suite 201 / Columbia, MO 65201 / P: 573.443.4523 / office@uwheartmo.org 30 \\\ december 2013

Roundtable › Al Germond

point-of-view

Fifty Years Later State Route 740 — had just been opened as a two-lane loop uniting ProviFifty years ago, you couldn’t buy a dence Road with West Broadway. Other roads were still torturous courses mixed drink in Columbia, Blue Laws closed into the surrounding countryside, and the most bucolic — Scott Boulevard stores on Sunday and the city of some — was little more than a dirt path into the woods to Turner Station.

40,000 was nothing like it is today. Nov. 22, 1963, was overcast and unseasonably mild as temperatures nudged into the 60s and I walked to an early afternoon class on the University of Missouri campus. SomeAl Germond is the how the bulletins of “shots fired in host of the Columbia Dallas” didn’t penetrate the classBusiness Times room, and the lecture proceeded as Sunday Morning if nothing was amiss. But on exiting Roundtable at 8:15 the room, I knew something was a.m. Sundays on KFRU. terribly wrong.

He can be reached at The assassination of President al@columbia business John F. Kennedy was even more times.com. touching locally because the martyred president had been scheduled to visit Columbia in January to dedicate Halls A and B (now Hatch and Schurz halls) at the southTaken in 1963, this photo peers west down Broadway. The old Ford shop on the right is currently home to The Field House. Photo by Al Germond. east corner of College Avenue and Rollins Street.

A bygone era

What could have been

At that time, enrollment at MU was about half what it is today. Tuition was free to Missouri residents, with only nominal fees set aside for “incidentals.”

Room and board in the burgeoning residence hall system was just north of $700 a year. Men and women lived separate lives, and the latter were bound by “hours,” the leniency of which on Friday and Saturday allowed them to be out until 1 a.m.

Columbia was about half its present size in area and divided into four wards. John H. Longwell was the mayor, Don Allard the city manager, and the majority of city operations were conducted in what is now the Howard Municipal Building. The Public Library was next door. The Post Office was on Cherry Street, and the Tiger, Daniel Boone and Ben Boldt hotels were available for overnight accommodation. Broadway and a handful of side streets were the locus of retail activity.

There was no Internet. Computers were mainframe systems using punched cards and spinning reels of tape, and mobile telephone service was about to get under way. Among the many woes of the creaky old telephone company was the fact that there were only 16 long-distance lines, and many customers still were on what was called a party line. Columbia’s two daily newspapers appeared in the afternoon. There were only two television stations, color was still scarce and cable TV offering more choices had been repeatedly opposed by the City Council. ABC affiliate KFRU was the city’s principal radio station; there were others, though still nothing on FM. Providence Road had been cut through and widened a few years earlier as the city’s new inner belt, while the outer belt — now Stadium Boulevard/

There was little to do that fateful weekend aside from staying engaged with radio and TV. Many of us just wandered around the city over those four days and sampled television where available or radio, which we could take with us. With approval approaching 80 percent at times, the charismatic young president had captured many hearts and minds, but now he was gone.

Many of us just wandered around the city over those four days and sampled television where available or radio, which we could take with us.

Kennedy may have been on the cusp of achieving historic greatness.

Scarcely noted that fall, he announced the planned withdrawal of a thousand so-called “advisers” from South Viet Nam at the end of the year.

Whether JFK would have continued this withdrawal in light of the Diem assassination on Nov. 2, 1963, is purely speculative. His successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, once safely re-elected, plunged us into a war that forever altered our history. One wonders how things would have turned out if JFK had lived and the country had stayed out of South Viet Nam. Would there have been a “Summer of Love,” the weirdness of the times marked by protests, the onslaught of drugs and his brother’s assassination less than five years later?

Of course, we’ll never know. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 31

By Sarah Redohl

From construction gadgets to multimillion-dollar technology, get to Know Columbia’s coolest inventions.

When most people think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is a Doc Brown or Wayne Szalinkski decked in a white lab coat and wearing/using/driving some laser-andlight-clad contraption to travel through time or shrink their children.

But inventors and innovations, much like any other profession, come in plenty of shapes and sizes. Throughout Columbia, there are inventors with handfuls of patents for guns and construction gadgets and people with patents for multimillion-dollar high-tech 3-D printing technology.

32 \\\ december 2013

“Having MU definitely makes our region different from others in Missouri,” says Chris Fender, director of the University of Missouri’s Office of Technology Management and Industry Relations. “It helps us achieve a more knowledge-based economy.”

Matt Kitzi, a partner at Armstrong Teasdale who is working to bring the St. Louis-based law firm’s expertise to Columbia, believes that what really makes mid-Missouri stand out is the everincreasing access to innovative tools. Examples include advances in and access to software and other creative tools, as well as the creation of three incubators and the advent of 3-D printing.

“For example, the high school in Fulton has a 3-D printer,” he says, “and that’s giving folks with a variety of backgrounds and experiences the ability to make things, in many cases, for the first time.”

thinkstock.com

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 33

In fact, MU has upward of 400 active patents, and based on a search of the USPTO website, there are more than 40 active patents registered in Columbia that aren’t affiliated with MU. Whether it’s a matter of an invention’s success, interest or simply its strangeness, the CBT has collected a list of some of Columbia’s coolest inventions — and a resource to guide any budding innovators from a eureka moment to patent protecting a fresh idea.

* Determine if your idea is patentable

Fender’s department at MU always begins here. After an MU researcher makes a discovery, he or she must file an invention disclosure, which Fender’s department must review to assess patentability and commercial viability. The invention must be novel, useful and nonobvious to someone skilled in that particular art or discipline.

Fender’s department also looks out for commercial viability.

Out of 80 to 100 invention disclosures each year, only 50 or 60 will get applications filed for a patent. In the case that MU will not file a patent application, it can waive its right to that technology and allow the inventor to pursue a patent on his or her own, though this has only occurred a handful of times.

“Most people don’t have the time or the resources to commercialize a product on their own,” Fender says. “We also give them all the reasons why the invention isn’t a good candidate for a patent…then they’re usually not interested in pursuing it on their own.”

Additionally, you would need to decide what type of patent application to file: plant, design or utility. Most patents fall within the utility category; in fact, in Fender’s time with MU, he can recall only one plant patent and not a single design patent. In total, design and plant patents account for less than one-fifth of all applications, according to the USPTO.

* Conduct a search

Search the USPTO website yourself, or hire a lawyer to conduct a search for you. Either way, that preliminary search could save you a lot of money in application and lawyers’ fees in the long run.

34 \\\ december 2013

* Consider hiring a lawyer

Although the USPTO graphic outlining the patent application process states that people can file their applications themselves, even the USPTO recommends hiring a patent attorney.

Kitzi and Fender feel the same way.

“Having that expertise makes your patent application as strong as possible,” Fender says.

Kitzi says having people who not only understand your industry but also understand patent law is an asset to a solid application.

With lawyers who have worked for General Electric, Boeing and MasterCard, Kitzi says Armstrong Teasdale provides both.

“You could be a great mountain climber, but if you don’t know how to get to the mountain, that doesn’t matter,” he says.

* File early

In March 2013, the USPTO transitioned from a system in which the first person to utilize a technology had the first rights to patent such a technology to a system in which the first to file for a patent has those rights.

“I could have a website, a lab notebook and 10 priests willing to swear I’ve been using a novel technology my whole life, but [under the new system] someone could swoop in before me and get a patent on my idea,” Kitzi says.

With two ways to file, there’s no reason to wait on protecting a good idea. If the idea isn’t quite fleshed out yet, consider a provisional patent.

“A non-provisional application is very complex; there are figures, drawings, schematics to help you explain your project,” Kitzi says. “A provisional application could be as rudimentary as dumping your lab notebook into an application — but at least that gets it on file.”

Not that “dumping” is what Kitzi suggests; a provisional patent is never actually reviewed by the USPTO, and a non-provisional patent is more likely to be approved if it’s clearly expressed. However, filing early is an important aspect under the new laws.

For MU researchers, provisional patents play a significant role. “[The researchers] want to publish their findings because that helps them establish

or maintain credibility in their field, which can lead to additional research funding,” Fender says. Once they publish, that knowledge is in the public domain and can result in a rejection from the USPTO if the patent application wasn’t filed prior to the publication.

“Provisional patent applications allow us to file a patent application quickly, and then even if they go to a conference or meeting and present their idea or publish their findings, their invention is protected,” Fender says.

* Get the details — in writing

“A patent is basically just a piece of property,” Kitzi says. As such, it can be bought, sold and licensed (or stolen) just like any other property.

“You have to think about what if your partner gets married and divorced?” Kitzi says. “Does his [spouse] become a co-owner? What if you talked to someone about funding your idea: How can you protect it?”

He recommends getting the details laid down early and using formal documentation (such as a nondisclosure agreement) when possible.

“That also shows that you’re credible, sophisticated and professional,” he adds.

* Define your patent broadly

“You don’t want a thin, narrow patent,” Kitzi says. He recommends trying to patent your invention as broadly as possible to be able to defend against as many competing claims as possible.

“The patent office cuts away to the very heart of it,” Fender says.

* Be prepared to wait

“One thing people find most surprising is how long it takes to get a patent issued,” Fender says. “The number of patent application filings has increased dramatically over the years, and the USPTO’s resources to manage the number of filings hasn’t kept pace.”

Just since 2000, the number of patent applications submitted has increased from around 315,000 to more than 575,000 in 2012, according to the USPTO. “Even when you hear back, it’s not stamped ‘granted’, done and go,” Fender says.

* Be prepared to pay

Patents aren’t cheap. The filing fees are hundreds of dollars, the issue fees are more than $1,000, and the three mandatory maintenance fees add up to nearly $12,000. Those costs, however, will be changing Jan. 1, 2014: some increasing, others decreasing.

Additionally, Kitzi estimates that the lawyers’ fees for a relatively simple patent — for example, a new type of folding chair — might range anywhere from $5,000 to $12,000. A more complex, sophisticated patent, though, would likely be more expensive.

* Be prepared for rejection

“Everyone gets rejected,” Fender says. According to the USPTO, a little more than half of all applications are eventually approved.

“And you even have to give them the ammo they need to shoot down your patent,” Fender adds. “A lot of people don’t want to have to defend their ideas so hard, so that’s a big barrier.”

* Be prepared to enforce it

“Before you apply for a patent, ask yourself if you’d be willing to enforce it,” Fender suggests.

Some patents, he says, are more difficult to defend. Methods, for example, can be patented, “but competitors might be able to change one small step and achieve similar results without infringing your patent.”

“In some instances, you might be better off keeping the invention a trade secret and outperforming your competition in the marketplace,” he says. In patent applications, there are no secrets and no hidden or protected information.

“You can’t give them 80 percent of what they need and keep 20 percent private,” Fender says.

“You can’t save your secret sauce.”

* Think small

Even protecting logos and trademarks is a matter of intellectual property. For example, Kitzi recalls a client he has in the creative design industry.

“They had a very fanciful name and brand, but it wasn’t protected,” he says. “[Protecting your intellectual property] is not always a eureka moment and a light bulb going off.”

Columbia's Coolest Inventions No. 8,241,905 “[This technology] is foundational in establishing the ability to use 3-D printing technology for biological structures,” Fender says. As with any other MU researchers’ discovery, the curators of the University of Missouri are one of the assignees. But the company utilizing this technology is Organovo, which is now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange with an estimated market cap of more than $550 million, according to Fender.

Inventors Gabor Forgacs, Karoly Jakab and Adrian Neagu are based out of Columbia, and the fourth inventor, Vladimir Mironov, is based out of Mount Pleasant, S. C. No. 5,840,737 et. al Quinten Messbarger, vice president of the Missouri Innovation Center, considers this patent family to be “one of the most lucrative patents coming out of MU.” It is used in the over-the-counter product Zegerid, which aims to relieve heartburn symptoms.

Invented by Jeffrey Owen Phillips, the first patent was issued in 1998 and does not expire until July of 2016, but five subsequent related patents have since been issued.

No. 8,297,706 Pack Matthews’ Soul Seat is a type of ergonomic chair that allows users to sit in multiple yoga postures while at work. “Its two-level design adjusts to the flexibility of the user, effectively bringing floor sitting up to the height of desk work,” says Matthews, who is the sole inventor.

The patent application was filed in September 2009 and granted in October 2012.

No. 7,695,450 et. al.

These hemodialysis catheters are sold by Covidien but were invented in Columbia by Zyblut Twardowski, John VanStone and Kirt Nichols.

“One difficult aspect [in patent searches] is that any successful product is usually covered by many patents that form a patent family,” Fender says. This is one such example of a patent family that jointly protects Covidien’s products.

No. D623,385 (design) Inventors Brynne and Bailye Stansberry of Columbia and Brittany Comstock of Moberly received a design patent for the clear plastic boots with interchangeable liners the team has been selling since earlier this year.

The patent was filed in June 2009 and was granted in September 2010.

No. 61/835,253 (provisional) Although this patent is still provisional, the research at MU continues to look promising. This invention was born from initial research into space propulsion applications. Called a piezo electric transformer, it’s similar to X-ray machines used in dentists’ offices but is much smaller and uses less power. In fact, it’s portable and battery powered.

The technology has applications for medical imaging in developing countries, places where electric power has been wiped out due to natural disasters or rural areas where the inexpensive technology is more accessible, according to inventor Scott Kovaleski. “It could also be used to do imaging for suspicious packages or X-ray imaging of welding or casting in a factory.”

The product’s other inventors include Brady Gall, Andrew Benwell and Peter Norgard. CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 35

36 \\\ december 2013

citizen of the century For Charlie Digges Sr., lifelong Columbia resident, home is the place that made him.

By Sarah Redohl Photo by Anthony Jinson columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 37

C

Charlie Digges Sr. knows exactly what to say.

Before I’ve unraveled the cables of my recorder, he’s turned the potentially awkward moment of a first introduction into a warm conversation about menopause. Yes, menopause.

“What I love about Columbia is that there’s always something to do,” he says. “Just last night, Kathy went to the funniest show at Jesse Auditorium.”

“Kathy,” he calls to his wife in the next room.

“What was the name of that show you went to see last night, the thing women go through in their 50s?”

“Menopause,” she says, walking in with a tray of Milano cookies and a Diet Coke. “And it was just a hoot!”

“Here, have a cookie before we get started,” he tells me.

“Can I get you a Coke?” he asks. “What’s your favorite soda?”

Immediately, I’m set at ease and cozy up on the couch like I belong there — with a Milano and a Diet Coke.

It wasn’t until weeks later, while reviewing a June 10, 2010, copy of the Columbia Daily Tribune, that it even occurred to me that I might be an intrusion into Charlie Sr. and Kathy Digges’ sun porch (ironically, the same place Tribune reporter Steve Walentik interviewed Charlie in 2010).

“I’m not too hot on extra publicity…” he had told Walentik. “The reason I say that, if you put 38 \\\ december 2013

something in the paper, well, my guys will be ripping the hell out of me.”

And yet, here I am in his Grasslands home to ask the 94 ½-year-old lifelong Columbian more questions about his life, his career with The Insurance Group, his impressive golf game, Korea, fly-fishing, Catherine the Great and even his connection to Elvis Presley.

Growing up Columbia Charlie was born in January of 1919 in his childhood home on Providence Road, located between Pi Kappa Alpha and Alpha Phi in the University of Missouri Greektown — not even half a mile from where we chatted in late September, almost a century later. The 1918 flu pandemic was sweeping the globe, and the beds of Boone Hospital and Noyes Hospital (in the days before University Hospital existed) were full.

In those days, what is now one of the busiest intersections in Columbia — Providence Road and Stadium Boulevard — was considered to be “out in the country.” Providence Road was nothing more than gravel, along which Charlie would walk to school each day, first to the University Lab School and later, Hickman High School.

Charlie spent his childhood playing sports with other children; his love for fishing and golfing didn’t develop until he was able to afford those activities on his own. Most Saturdays, though, Charlie and his family would attend MU football games. In those days, the football field was

located on Rollins Road and Maryland Avenue, and fewer than 4,500 people might gather for one of the Tigers’ games. The former field became a parking lot, and these days an average game brings around 65,000 spectators.

At that time, the height of local sports fanaticism hit its climax in 1936 — Charlie’s senior year at Hickman High School. Hickman won the Missouri state championship in baseball, football and basketball. At 6 feet tall, Charlie played forward for the basketball team during the 1936 championship game against Joplin at Brewer Field House. The final score, Charlie still remembers, was 24 to 21, Hickman.

“As well as he remembers,” Kathy jokes.

“Well, that’s close enough to true,” Charlie says. “Back then, it used to be that you’d have to go back to the center and jump after every point, and you could hang on to the ball forever.”

According to Charlie, Bob Vanatta (later the head basketball coach at MU), the late Clay Cooper (an MU basketball and football assistant coach and MU Athletics administrator) and Sam Walton of Walmart fame were among the best on the team.

Bob Vanatta: “a solid athlete, all around.”

Clay Cooper: “just the best player.”

Sam Walton: “an all-around athlete and a true gentleman,” Charlie tells me. “We all loved him.”

And Charlie? “Well, I was OK,” he says. At 125 pounds, he was “just too damn skinny.”

“We still talk local issues, but people are busier now than they were 25 or 30 years ago. Lots of people travel for work, but the members do their best to attend when they can." — Charlie Digges Sr. “Back before there was TV, those sports were a big deal,” Kathy says.

“And they were all my good friends,” Charlie adds. “It was fun to have Sam Walton on the team, even though we didn’t know back then that he’d be a billionaire.”

After high school, Charlie attended MU and graduated in 1939. Throughout college, he worked at Barth’s Clothing Co., located where Bingham’s is today.

“We [hurried through college] because no one had the money for school, even then when it was $500 or $600 a year,” he tells me. “We needed to get through school and get to work.”

The Elvis connection Charlie’s career began briefly with an insurance group in St. Louis in 1940, but it wasn’t until after World War II that Charlie, who was a bomber pilot in the Air Force but did not go overseas, joined the Columbia-based insurance firm of Rollins Vandiver.

After a handful of years working for the longstanding company, Charlie was called into service for the Korean War, where he was stationed in Okinawa and participated in more than 30 missions between March and December of 1951.

While flying B-29s in Korea with his crew of 11, Charlie got to know radar operator Joe Beaulieu. It wasn’t until more than 50 years later that Charlie asked Joe a burning question.

“Are you the father of Priscilla Presley?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Joe said. “But I’ve got five other kids.” When Joe was later transferred to Germany, Priscilla met Elvis through a family friend.

After going back and forth between Europe and Graceland, Joe and his wife agreed to let Priscilla move to Elvis’ estate, and the rest is history.

The Digges visited Joe in California and met Priscilla at Sunday night family dinner. Just last week, Charlie says, he recommended that Joe read Nothing to Envy, a nonfiction book about the state of the North Korean people.

“You should read it, too,” he says. “I think you’d like it.”

Charlie Digges Jr. followed closely in his father’s footsteps and became a pilot in the Air Force.

“When I graduated from pilot training, the wings that were pinned on my chest belonged to my dad,” Charlie Jr. recalls. Out of all the life lessons Charlie Sr. passed down, Charlie Jr. remembers integrity and honesty.

Charlie Jr. recalls when they still lived on Providence Road, and his father would take Fifth Street to the office every day. The city had just installed a four-way stop sign on Fifth and Stewart Road.

“My dad accidentally ran the stop sign just as a police officer was coming up the hill,” Charlie Jr. says. “Most people would think, ‘I wonder if he saw me.’ But instead, my dad pulled over and waited, flagged the officer down and told him that he had just run the stop sign.”

The officer let his father go, but Charlie Jr. still remembers that story. “That was pretty remarkable to me.”

Love, loss and love again In 1946, Charlie met his first wife, Margaret, who taught flying at Stephens College, which at that time owned 23 airplanes.

“Flying had something to do with it,” he says, “with falling in love.”

Charlie Jr. was born in 1949. But in 1967, Margaret passed away at the age of 48, and Charlie says he “just stayed busy all the time.”

A short time later, Charlie met Kathy, and they were married in 1970.

“I already knew who she was,” he says. He went to a dinner at Kathy’s mother’s house, where he columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 39

Steve, Charlie Sr. and Charlie Jr. pose at Steve's college graduation in New York.

met her and asked if she would mind if he called her. She was 21, and he was 48. He called her the following Wednesday, and they went on a date that Friday night to Jack’s Gourmet Restaurant on Business Loop.

“At first I told her she shouldn’t date me because I was so much older,” he says. “I said, ‘Don’t you want kids?’” She told him no, that didn’t matter.

“And that was that.”

“Charlie always made me feel so special,” Kathy says. “ Back then, he was such a gentleman — and he still is.”

“And Kathy was very attractive, but she also had a lot of spirit and get-up-and-go,” Charlie says.

“She was always a hard-working lady.”

“Girl!” Kathy corrects him. “I wasn’t quite a lady back then,” she jokes. Lady or not, she says from day one, Charlie always made her feel like a queen.

A face in the community After serving in the Korean War, Charlie returned to Rollins Vandiver, which became known as Rollins Vandiver Digges in 1952 (and did not become known as The Insurance Group until a 1981 merger with Conley Myers). Within that decade, he reached a high level of prominence: Rotary president, Chamber of Commerce president and a 40 \\\ december 2013

board member for a number of local banking and financial companies. In fact, it was his grandfather Sam B. Cook who in 1905 founded Central Trust Company, the parent company of Boone County National Bank.

Almost immediately upon his return from the war, though, Charlie joined Columbia’s esteemed Round Table of prominent business leaders.

The group began in the 1920s, and Charlie’s father, Charlie Digges III, a dentist, was among the group’s first members. The group still meets three times each week. The location has changed from the Daniel Boone Hotel, to the Tiger Hotel, to Katy Station and now Bleu, but the group still eats at a big round table and discusses local business issues.

In fact, it was former MU football coach Don Faurot and MU Dean of Students Jack Matthews who rolled that table around town, from the Tiger Hotel to Katy Station. “They were always telling that story,” Charlie recalls.

“I already knew everyone there because I would go down there and visit when [my dad] was there,” Charlie says.

But the dynamic of the group has changed, he says, as Columbia has grown and work responsibilities have evolved.

“We still talk local issues, but people are busier now than they were 25 or 30 years ago,” he says.

“Lots of people travel for work, but the members do their best to attend when they can.” Back then, Columbia had a population of only 16,000 people.

“Basically, west meant West Boulevard, south was Kentucky Avenue, east was Old 63 and north was Highway 40, now Business Loop 70,” he says.

The tipping point It wasn’t until 1986 that Charlie achieved what he considers to be one of the highlights of his career.

He went to lunch with Dave Duffy, the former owner of Memorial Funeral Home, and Ernie Gaeth, the former head of Riback Supply, who were hoping to finance a new Chamber of Commerce building.

“They knew I knew Sam Walton and asked me to approach him,” he says. Walton’s father had just died, and Charlie wrote to Walton and his brother, Bud, to ask if they would be interested in donating a sum of money in honor of their father. Within two weeks, Charlie had received a letter back — they were interested.

He showed Sam the potential location (where the Chamber of Commerce is currently located).

As they got back into the car, Sam turned to Charlie, who asked for a considerable amount of money.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 41

“So, you want me to write a check now?”

Sam asked. Although they had to wait for some paperwork to go through, Charlie admits he was a bit taken aback.

“Not many people can reach into their hip pocket and write a check for that sum of money,” he says.

That year, Charlie was named the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year.

Lifelong Tiger In 1992, Charlie retired. What that meant for him was sleeping in until 7 or 8 a.m.

“On my first day off, I think I went into the office out of habit,” he tells me. Although he doesn’t go into the office very often, he still keeps one at The Insurance Group and provides his wisdom to the firm’s partners, his son, Charlie, and Skip Grossnickle.

“I check my mail there, pay some bills… read The Wall Street Journal.”

Most often, if he isn’t working out at Optimus Fitness — located in the same building as The Insurance Group — golfing at the Country Club of Missouri, fishing or attending a Round Table lunch, he’s reading. Recent favorites include River of Doubt about Theodore Roosevelt, The Ruins of Us about women in Saudi Arabia and Nothing to Envy. Right now, he’s reading a 576-page book about Catherine the Great.

Even though he’s begun to spend more time reading these days, he still makes it out for a fishing trip or a golf game.

“I’ve gotten so damn old, my game’s not very good,” he says with a laugh. But even in 2010, he scored an 11-over-par 83, according to Walentik with the Tribune.

And just like when he was a child, he spends his Saturdays at MU football games. Family and friends park in the Digges’ driveway, stop in for a drink, and the group walks together to the stadium.

Even today, his many friends play an integral role in Charlie’s daily life.

“Charlie was born with the ability to like every person he meets,” Kathy says.

In fact, that’s one of Charlie’s secrets to life: good health, a good wife, a positive attitude and always enjoying whoever is in his company.

A few weeks later, when I call Charlie up for a fact check, he stops me midway through my spiel on accuracy.

“Sarah, how are you doing today?” And I know he genuinely wants to know. CBT 42 \\\ december 2013

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 43

“We went from an Internet background into the retail channel, in reverse from most other businesses.” — Beau Aero, owner, Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply

From Clicks O n l ine businesses add b r ick - and - mo r ta r p r esence .

By Molly Wright

For Internet shoppers, it probably comes as no surprise that last year customers spent $231 billion online, and predictions indicate this amount will increase by 13 percent to $262 billion by the end of 2013 (Forrester Research Online Retail Forecast 2012-2017, U.S.). Online purchasing has become the best thing since sliced bread. Also on the rise are traditional stores clamoring to board this money train. Forbes reports there are “102,728 e-commerce retailers in the United States that are generating at least $12,000 per year in revenue,” a 13.5 jump from the year before (Sept. 18, 2013).

Yet, at the same time, many successful online businesses appear to be using a different playbook. In 2012, for instance, successful onlineonly business Piperlime, the Gap Inc. online fashion boutique, opened its first physical location (Bloomberg Businessweek, Aug. 31, 2012). This year, clothing distributors Bonobos and Black Label and eyeglass designer Warby Parker followed suit (Boston Globe, Oct. 27, 2013). This move to brick and mortar seems like a step backward amidst the mad rush of businesses desper44 \\\ december 2013

ate to establish an online presence. But in reality, this expansion to “clicks and mortar” for many companies is the next logical step.

Local businessman Beau Aero started his online work performance and safety equipment business, GME, in Columbia in 2005. “We have everything that would keep employees safe and productive on the job for any industry, from construction to manufacturing to municipal work,” Aero says. In April of this year, they moved from Burlington Street, where they housed their national call center and a small retail section, to Westfall Drive (the location of the old Furniture Factory Outlet). Now with 4,000 square feet of retail space, Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply (its brick-and-mortar presence) offers local customers the luxury of walking in and buying safety products and supplies.

For Aero, originally from Boonville, who lived in New York before returning to Columbia, the decision to open a physical store location was prompted by customer need. “We went from an Internet background into the retail channel, in reverse from most other businesses,” he says. “Before you could

order from us online, but it would take a day or two to get it. A large portion of our business comes from customers who can’t wait for a product; they need it immediately. A retail store allows us to fulfill that need and has helped us to stand out and capture more business.”

Meeting face to face Although the term “brick and mortar” is typically associated with physical buildings, it often takes on a broader meaning in today’s more complicated business environment. “We have a brick-and-mortar presence in the sense that we meet face to face with clients and prospects who want to meet with us,” says Tom Ruwitch, president of MartketVolt, an email marketing software, services and strategic planning company. “The software itself is online software; the product is email. The output of our work is online media.” Founded in 2001, MarketVolt, originally a unit of St. Louis Foundry Software Development Co., spun off as an independent company in April 2013. This spring, it opened its first brick-and-mortar presence in Columbia.

to Bricks columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 45

Jennifer Schenck (left) and Cara Owings. Photo

by Tim Nwachukwu

According to Ruwitch, MarketVolt helps businesses attract leads, engage prospects more effectively and productively and convert more sales to maximize the lifetime value of client relationships.

“We license software that our clients can use to create, deliver and track compelling mass emails,” he says, stressing the fact that their software is extremely user-friendly. Additionally, MarketVolt provides professional services for clients who seek additional help with the software — on an ongoing basis or just once in a while — and strategic consulting on all things marketing to help clients maximize the return on their marketing investment.

For Ruwitch, this is what sets them apart.

➾ Columbia Safety/GME 1801 Westfall Drive 573-355-5035 Hours: Mon.–Fri. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Holiday hours: Sat. 8 a.m. to noon GMEsupply.com • Comosupply.com ➾ MarketVolt Cara Owings Cara@marketvolt.com Office: 573-326-9130 Cell: 660-537-0778 MarketVolt.com 46 \\\ december 2013

“Many of our competitors don’t have sales people in any town; everything is done online, sales are done completely anonymously, so there is no face behind it,” he says.

Account Executive Cara Owings, the face of MarketVolt in the Columbia area, is a 12-year veteran of the marketing industry. “We believe that business is built on relationships,” she says. “And while digital media including email are important elements of communication and relationship building, face-to-face communication is also essential, especially in a business-to-business environment.”

Poised for expansion Both Ruwitch and Aero are pleased with their decisions to expand in the Columbia area.

“Columbia is a growing and vibrant town with a tremendous amount of small to medium businesses utilizing many avenues to grow efficiently and advertise and market their products and services,” Ruwitch says. “By expanding into Columbia, we are providing a partnership and relationship in email marketing that hasn’t been available before in this market in quite this way. We have already seen great excitement in the market for MarketVolt, and we look forward to the continuing momentum.”

This success in mid-Missouri has prompted the company to take additional steps regionally.

“There are no specific communities we have committed to at this time, but we plan to broaden our radius and expand our personal touch to communities across the country,” Ruwitch says.

Aero also appreciates the opportunities Columbia has provided to grow his business.

“We noticed in Columbia there was a definite opportunity in the work performance sector,” he says. “There was no one that specialized in taking care of workplace safety and related performance products. Our mission is to ensure employees are safe and productive on the job.

Whether that be hand tools to power tools, helmets and gloves or fire-rated clothing, we have it in our retail store.” Currently with 20 employees at his Columbia location, Aero plans to open four more Columbia Safety/GME stores in 2014: in Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Dallas.

But for Aero, launching his first brick-andmortar presence in an area where he grew up just feels right. “The most important thing I found in coming back to Columbia and bringing my business here is that I found like-minded, passionate employees, workmates, which share my dream and passion for growth,” Aero says. “That’s what has continued to help build our business and will continue to keep it growing in the future.” CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 47

48 \\\ december 2013

Columbia businesses lighten their power load

By Vicki Hodder | Photos by casey buckman

Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply hired EnergyLink to install solar panels on the roof of its facility at 1801 Westfall Drive.

The solar panel installation was part of a series of energy-efficiency improvements and was completed in mid-November.

Business owner Beau Aero slashed the electric bill of the new Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply headquarters by 80 percent even before he opened the building’s doors last May. Paving the way for the business move from Burlington Street to 1801 Westfall Drive, Aero replaced 300 halogen light bulbs in the new 26,000-square-foot site with energy-efficient light–emitting diode (LED) bulbs and highefficiency fluorescent tubes. LED bulbs last as much as 25 percent longer than halogen lighting while producing less heat and consuming considerably less energy than halogen or incandescent lights. Aero also installed hightech skylights to use the sun to help light the building. The skylights — specifically, Suntracker skylights — use GPS-guided mirrors to track and reflect the sun’s light into the building. New automated and zoned heating and air-conditioning systems added to the building’s energy efficiency.

Those energy-efficiency improvements brought the building’s electricity consumption down from 25,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month to 5,000 kWh per month, says EnergyLink co-founder Christopher Ihler, who designed and installed the projects. From there, it was feasible to make the facility the first interconnected commercial building in Columbia producing enough energy to offset the electricity it uses — to become, in other words, a net-zero electric energy building. Aero did that by installing a 35-kilowatt solar panel system over roughly 10 percent of the building’s roof last fall.

All told, the energy-efficiency projects cost nearly $200,000. Federal and city rebates and credits brought that cost down to about $105,000. Aero expects to save more than

$20,000 per year in electricity bills from now on, a payback of about five years.

“In all honesty, it’s not only smart for the environment, it’s good for business,” Aero says.

Making the city greener A number of Columbia business owners agree.

Forty-nine downtown businesses took advantage of a City of Columbia offer to help foot the bill for energy-efficiency improvements between 2011 and 2013. Although the city has been subsidizing energy efficiency since 2007, Columbia boosted its support when it received a $285,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant that allowed it to develop a cooperative project targeting energy efficiency in downtown businesses in 2011. Entitled “City Green: The District,” the project encouraged businesses to reduce the amount of energy they use by offering to cover half the cost of energy conservation improvements up to a maximum of $12,500. Downtown businesses completed some $712,290 in improvements through the roughly two-year program, says Frank Cunningham, Columbia Water and Light energy services supervisor for commercial properties. The city estimates those improvements reduced participants’ demand for electricity by 376.52 kilowatts, at a savings of nearly $143,000 per year.

“They can do this — improve their bottom line — and at the same time help reduce the impact of the environmental cost of producing energy,” Cunningham says.

Sustainable returns Environmental benefits made participation in Columbia’s City Green program a natural for Leigh Lockhart, who has long sought to run her Main Squeeze Natural Foods Café on Ninth columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 49

Street as a sustainable business. Lockhart completed a wide variety of efficiency projects in 2012 ranging from insulating the restaurant’s dropped ceiling to installing thermal windows, more efficient lights and a gas-on-demand water heater. The improvements have cut her utility bill by $300 to $500 a month, Lockhart says.

Yet, because Lockhart rents rather than owns her business space, she says the nearly $9,500 worth of energy-efficiency work she completed on her building in 2012 would not have been affordable based on those savings alone.

The federal grant money that covered half the work’s cost made it possible, Lockhart says, and it was still “kind of a tough call“ to invest in a building she doesn’t own.

“It was just more of a way for me to support my business,” Lockhart says. “Since we’ve tightened up this business this way, it just helps me sleep better.”

Not far away, the Columbia Art League also had environmental benefits in mind when it joined forces with the city to improve the gallery’s energy efficiency. CAL had used halogen lights since it opened its doors at 207 S. Ninth St. in 2008 and tolerated the heat the halogen bulbs gave off as well as the high energy bills and maintenance they entailed in order to provide gallery-quality lighting, says Diana Moxon, CAL’s executive director. “They burned so hot; I was up and down ladders every week fixing light bulbs that had gone out.”

So CAL members welcomed the idea of switching to LED lighting when Columbia officials informed them of the rebates available through the City Green program. Once the league decided in 2011 to go with LED lighting, the new system, which went from $5,841.15 to $1,504.57 with the rebates, was installed within four to six weeks, Moxon says. Since then, Moxon says the gallery has been saving between $50 and $60 per month on its utility bills as it does its part to conserve and increase energy efficiency.

“In two years, I have not been up a ladder to change a light bulb,” Moxon says.

Lifestyles Furniture owner Jerome Rackers also takes note of the time he saves with LED lighting. Rackers switched from halogen bulbs to LED lighting at his store at 63 E. Broadway in 2011 and hasn’t replaced a bulb since then.

Although the new lighting cost nearly $10,000 — offset by a $2,490 city rebate — Rackers considers the investment a “nobrainer.” Because the building’s electric bill is $300 to $400 less each month, the lights paid for themselves within about 26 months, Rackers says. Now they are simply providing savings. Rackers considers the environmental benefits a bonus for making a wise business decision and adds that being “green” is a lot about saving money.

“This is a really great way to do both,” he says.

Continuing opportunities Although Columbia’s EPA-funded energy-efficiency program is complete, the city continues to support energy conservation through a handful of rebate programs.

Among the most popular is Columbia’s lighting incentive program, which offers commercial or industrial electric customers a $300 rebate for every kilowatt they save by installing more efficient indoor lighting systems. The rebate is capped at half the lighting project’s cost, or $22,500 per location. Columbia also provides rebates of up to $3,770 for business customers installing more efficient air-conditioning units, depending on the size and efficiency of the unit. Commercial or industrial customers who install solar water-heating systems may receive a $400 rebate from the city, and the city offers $500 per kilowatt for 250- to 10,000-watt solar electric systems.

Business owners who have tapped into Columbia’s expertise and rebate programs encourage others to consider energy-efficiency projects of their own.

“Do it,” Moxon says. CBT Contact the Columbia Water and Light Department at 573-817-5017 for more information about energy-efficiency rebates.

Business

Project cost paid by business

Energy saved

Estimated energy bill savings per year

Columbia Art League

$1,504.57

4.72 kilowatts

$1,316

Columbia Safety & Industrial Supply

$104,149.13

est. 26 kilowatts

$20,529

Lifestyles Furniture

$7,451.19

8.3 kilowatts

$2,614.50

Main Squeeze

$4,733.50

0.31 kilowatts

$1,043

Sources: Columbia Water and Light Department, EnergyLink 50 \\\ december 2013

Brighter Energy Ideas for Business As much as one-fourth of a typical Columbia company’s energy bill pays for lighting.

The city will help any of its commercial or industrial electric customers cover the cost of installing a more efficient indoor lighting system if it cuts energy use by at least one kilowatt, or 1,000 watts. Applicants are eligible for rebates totaling $300 per kilowatt saved or half the lighting project’s cost, up to $22,500 per location.

Below are instructions for applying for Columbia’s Lighting Incentive Program.

1. Determine whether a new lighting system will reduce the amount of electricity the company uses, either independently or with the help of a lighting contractor or vendor.

Businesses may ask the Columbia Water and Light Department for help conducting this assessment by calling 573-874-7325.

2. Fill out the city’s lighting analysis form, available online at gocolumbiamo. com/WaterandLight/Documents/ LightRebateForm.pdf or at the Columbia Water and Light Department headquarters at 701 E. Broadway. The form requires applicants to spell out proposed lighting improvements and the wattage each improvement would save.

3. Get a cost estimate — including both materials and labor — for the proposed lighting improvements.

4. Use the estimate to fill out the city’s Lighting Incentive Application, also available online at gocolumbiamo. com/WaterandLight/Documents/ LightRebateForm.pdf or in the Water and Light Department office. Submit a completed application along with the lighting analysis form to the Columbia Water and Light Department.

5. Provide details on the lighting upgrade project to a Columbia Water and Light staff member who will visit the business and decide whether the project is approved for a rebate.

6. Await preauthorization for the lighting project before starting work on it.

wishes you a Merry Christmas NEW

& A HAPPY YEAR Kevin Adam | Forward Financial, LLC. 2415 Carter Ln., Columbia, MO | (573) 442-7076 Securities and advisory services are offered through, Cetera Advisors LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other entity.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 51

From left: Mills Menser, Michael Morey, Anne Williams and Jack Miller

52 \\\ december 2013

Four Columbia businesses on the top of their game — and growing fast

By Sarah Redohl | photo by anthony jinson

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 53

Columbia is a city of many accolades. It’s been noted as a great place to live, to attain higher education and to start a business. It’s even been listed as a great place to bicycle and to retire.

But Columbia also hosts four of the 5,000 fastest-growing businesses in the United States, according to the Inc. 5000 rankings, which puts JobFinders Employment Services at No. 637, True Media at No. 2,366, Bluebird Network at No. 3,699 and Buchroeder’s Fine Jewelers at No. 3,881.

“Each of these companies aren’t afraid of change,” says Anne Williams, president of JobFinders. “They can and do adapt to different climates, whether on a client-to-client basis or the overall direction of their companies.”

But the most important element to enable JobFinders to adapt begins with the simple act of listening, Williams adds.

“Always listen,” she says. “Listen to your customers, listen to your employees, listen to your competitors and listen to your community.” For her clients, this means keeping up with them in the news on a daily basis, frequently checking in via email and phone and meeting in person at a minimum of once per quarter. But she also takes it a step further — into her hiring practices and even the industry as a whole.

JobFinders’ hiring process is very stringent and heavily relies on multiple references.

More than ever, Williams says, people like to evaluate employees before hiring them onto their staff. The Affordable Care Act has also had a significant impact on the growth of her industry because temporary hiring agencies do not have to provide health insurance for employees for up to 13 months; most companies must provide health insurance within three months.

“The temporary worker industry is especially growing,” Williams says.

More in store For Mills Menser, the key is in his business model.

“I asked myself, ‘What’s the one thing we can be the very best at?’” Diamonds, he thought.

“We’re in a time when customers demand category killers. They don’t want to choose from a dozen flat-screen TVs; they want to look at hundreds.”

Menser adapted to this philosophy by offering nearly 10 times the number of diamonds in store than most jewelers, as well as providing customization options by teaming up with Stellar, a CAD software that allows customers to design their jewelry in real time.

54 \\\ december 2013

“Customer preferences of how and when they want to shop are constantly changing,” he says. “With millennials, customization was very important.”

Success in adaptation True Media President Jack Miller says for him, adaptation and remaining nimble are just part of True Media’s culture.

“This company is completely different from when we first started, and it will be completely different five years from now,” he says. At its start in 2005, True Media had two employees, including Miller.

“That same year, YouTube was created, and Google was still very much in its infancy,” Miller says. “Basically, the Internet was not what it was today.” Now, with three offices in two countries and more than 60 employees, the key is still to look out for the next best thing. For True Media, this means catered lunch every Wednesday for a lunch and learn on a new technology or strategy that may have implications for their industry.

“As technology changes, we automatically have to follow those trends,” Miller says. “But that makes it exciting.”

Cash and capital Bluebird Network, coming in as the 3,699th fastest-growing company in the United States, also has a strategy for quick adaptation.

“You need to have some dry powder,” says Michael Morey, president of Bluebird Network.

“You need to have capital and cash that’s not committed anywhere else.”

He suggests that if a business plan calls for $10 million a year in capital expansion, then the business should have access to $20 million, “just in case.”

“If you want to catch a great opportunity, you need capital and cash sitting on the sidelines,” he says. In his industry, most things are capital intensive. For example, he says the communications industry had typically been focused on old underground technologies, such as copper wires. But when Bluebird saw a movement toward more bandwidth across wireless towers, it invested in FTTT (also known as Fiber to the Tower).

“The demand for wireless service is going through the roof, so companies supporting the bandwidth for those towers are also going through the roof,” Morey says.

“Even if you come up with a plan quickly, if you don’t have the money, you can’t go anywhere,” he says. CBT

No. 637: Anne Williams, president, JobFinders Employment Services Secrets of success: 1. Awareness of the whole and how that works in relation to the end game. Every employee needs to understand [this].

2. “We can’t do that” is something we never like to say.

3. A short trip to the decision-maker and empowering staff to make the right decisions A friend or family member is starting a business and comes to you for advice: “Always listen. Listen to your customers, listen to your employees, listen to your competitors and listen to your community.”

No. 2,366: Jack Miller, president, True Media Secrets of success: 1. Cultivating a culture of growth. A good company can motivate its employees, but a good team automatically wants to do more.

2. Adapt to new technology trends.

3. Our company is just a good place to work. A lot of people spend more time at work than with our families, so we want this to be more than just a job.

A friend or family member is starting a business and comes to you for advice: “Make sure you have a clear plan of execution and the right outside support, both personally and financially, as well as a good network to rely on for advice.”

No. 3,699: Michael Morey, president, Bluebird Network Secrets of success: 1. Right place, right time 2. Access to lots of capital 3. We have dedicated and innovative employees.

We hire new employees that keep us looking forward and on our toes, and we have longtime, loyal employees that create continuity that makes our customers feel secure.

A friend or family member is starting a business and comes to you for advice: “Cash is king. You’ll need twice as much money as you think you will. And don’t do it part time. If it’s worth doing, it is worth doing full time.”

No. 3,881: Mills Menser, president, Buchroeder’s Fine Jewelers Secrets of success: 1. A true hedgehog business model: What can we be the best at in the entire world? Diamonds.

2. Hire eight, work them like they’re 12, pay them like they’re 10. Be slow to hire, quick to terminate.

3. Err on the side of generosity with clients.

A friend or family member is starting a business and comes to you for advice: “In most cases, businesses cost more than you initially project, take longer to get off the ground and present challenges that you do not anticipate.

A person must have strong self-confidence, an intense work ethic and a good understanding of finance to succeed.”

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columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 55

Textbooks and iPads: Is there room for both?

56 \\\ december 2013

Picture an isolated Ethiopian village where the children have never seen a book, a road sign or a single printed word. One day several sealed boxes containing solar-powered tablets preloaded with educational apps, alphabet-training games, cartoons and other programs are dropped off at the village. The boxes are just left there; there are no instructions, no one in charge of them. What will the children do?

An experiment in early 2012 recorded the children’s reactions. According to researchers, within four minutes of the discovery of the boxes, one child not only opened the box but also found the on/off switch and powered up a tablet. Within five days, the village children were using 47 apps per child per day. Within two weeks, they were singing ABC songs, and within five months, they had figured out how to enable the previously disabled notebook cameras.

The organization One Laptop Per Child funded and organized the experiment. Prior to the boxes arriving, adults in the village were trained to recharge the tablets, and a technician came by weekly to remove the memory card so researchers could examine how the children were using the tablets. Although OLPC admits it’s still too early to draw concrete conclusions, should the Ethiopian village experiment prove successful, it could forever change the landscape of spreading literacy worldwide. The absence of schools, textbooks and instructors in remote areas of the world are among the greatest challenges to achieving literacy.

Here in Columbia, Battle High School is the site of another experiment: using iPads rather than textbooks for its 1,100 students, grades nine through 12.

TheDigitalDivide

By Bondi Wood Photos courtesy of MBS Textbook Exchange Inc.

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 57

Photo by Kendra Johnson

“We are piloting this for the district and hope that we can be a catalyst in moving our student performance to the next level with technology,” says Dr. Kim Presko, Battle High School principal. The students have had their iPads less than a semester, but Presko, the faculty and students are optimistic they are here to stay.

Traditional textbook companies, such as Columbia’s MBS, have been ramping up their digital textbook division for some time, predicting and preparing for this shift to new learning technologies. Rob Reynolds, director of the MBS Digital Solutions Group, says, “We continue to expand our catalog of digital textbooks and other digital products aggressively.”

Yet, many bibliophiles totally reject the notion of reducing or eliminating books, and research has yet to provide long-term assessments of the pros and cons of traditional textbooks vs. digital ones. However, we can examine some issues surrounding the debate: convenience, cost and consequences.

58 \\\ december 2013

Convenience Invariably, the most cited reason for using digital textbooks loaded on tablets or iPads is capacity. A recent New York Times article stated: “a 4GB tablet filled with 3,500 e-books weighs about the same as a pad of paper. The same number of physical books would weigh about two tons.”

When thinking about supply chain — publishing, warehousing, transporting and distributing — the cost difference in supplying iPads as opposed to traditional textbooks is staggering. Most students complain that traditional textbooks are bulky and expensive. However for Battle High School freshman Dakota Fudge, 14, the convenience of the iPad lies in its ability to double as a word processer.

“I use the iPad to type up papers, but I don’t use the textbooks on there much,” Fudge says.

“I like real textbooks best. I’m not a big tech person actually.”

For sophomore Lexi Zaner, 15, the most convenient aspect of the iPad is the ability to quickly communicate with her teachers. “I like the iPad,” she says. “It’s easier to share things with the teacher. The pictures in the textbooks are better on the iPad.” Another convenience of digital textbooks loaded on iPads or tablets is they can be updated electronically, which eliminates the need to continually buy subsequent editions of the same textbook.

Although admittedly early in the process, Presko says she’s already seeing positive results from iPad use among students.

“The iPad can do so much, and as we continue to learn more about what different apps can do, we believe it will transform our students’ learning,” Presko says.

To accommodate schools moving toward a digital learning style, MBS offers complimentary services in addition to digital textbook sales.

“Our digital platform provides all the popular features of traditional e-readers but also supports the integration of teacher resources and provides extensive analytics reporting, related to student engagement,” Reynolds says.

Cost In addition to convenience, the reduced cost of digital books is a major consideration for cashstrapped school districts, colleges and universities. For Battle High School, savings in other areas offset the initial investment in iPads.

“We saved money on textbooks and library books as well as other instructional materials that our iPads have replaced; items such as bookshelves, digital cameras and video recorders were not needed with our iPads,” Presko says.

According to a 2012 report from the Federal Communications Commission, school districts spend more than $8 billion on textbooks annually. Digital textbooks are significantly cheaper and can cost as much as 50 to 60 percent less than traditional textbooks. Also, like most technology, prices drop considerably after the initial introduction of a product. The prices of tablets, e-readers and iPads continue to decrease, which makes them more affordable for school systems.

Other research rebuffs the claim that digital textbooks are cheaper. Reports from an education business website say current cost estimates don’t include Wi-Fi infrastructure and teacher training, both of which push the costs of implementing digital textbooks on iPads 522 percent higher than purchasing new print textbooks.

PrintManager.com reports that a school the size of Battle High School will use approximately 250,000 pieces of paper annually and spend between $3,000 to $4,000 per month on paper, ink and toner.

Also, there are potential costs to individual students who might lose or break their iPads.

Although in-school technicians can perform simple fixes, major repairs are sent to area vendors.

“We manage some repairs in house through our technicians,” Presko says. “Devices covered under warranty are sent to the manufacturer.

For damaged items we work with a few local vendors for repair, but we have not had many damaged iPads.”

Neither Fudge nor Zaner personally know anyone who has lost or broken their iPads, nor have they heard of any iPad thefts. However, some national statistics report a huge spike in robberies related to Internet-enabled handheld devices, including iPads and tablets. For example, in San Francisco, robberies of handheld devices made up 50 percent of all robberies committed. In New York, it was 40 percent.

Traditional textbook proponents also point out that traditional textbooks are rarely stolen, don’t require expensive Internet service, can’t get hacked, don’t freeze up and don’t crash.

Consequences By far, the biggest concern regarding iPad use in the classroom is the temptation to use the iPad to engage in nonschool activities. Although parent Lora Zaner generally has a positive impression about her daughter Lexi’s iPad use, she does have some concerns.

“I’m not sure when she’s studying and when she’s playing,” Lora Zaner says.

Lexi Zaner, who is in honors biology and college prep classes at Battle High School, admits the iPad can be “very tempting.”

Fudge, an honor student, agrees and says that others misbehaving on their iPads is a distraction in the classroom. “It’s distracting when the teacher has to stop class to get someone else to stop playing,” Fudge says.

Presko is aware of the temptations and distractions and says, “We continue to enforce and encourage appropriate use of the social media sites and other forms of communication the students are accessing.”

Opponents to iPads in the classroom cite distraction and multitasking as detrimental to the learning process. There are also consequences when Internet or Wi-Fi services are interrupted, which happened to the Zaner family recently.

Their home Internet and phone service went down on a Friday and was not repaired until Monday, which left Lexi Zaner without access to programs not already installed on her iPad.

Digital vs. traditional Both sides of the digital-vs.-traditional-textbook debate cite successes in engagement, learning and comprehension, but only long-term studies will give credence to these claims. Meanwhile the educational and business communities are watching to see where this new technology fits into modern education and their business plans.

Reynolds believes an integrated method that uses and discovers the benefits and challenges of both types of textbooks is an appropriate approach.

“Going digital is much more than purchasing iPads or adopting digital textbooks,” he says.

“While MBS provides extensive services and support for schools that want to make this transition, we also have partners who are taking a more cautious approach to their curriculum.

Textbooks, specifically print textbooks, will continue to be an important part of the landscape, but they will definitely be joined by a growing array of new digital products.” CBT

TRADITIONAL TEXTBOOKS Pro

Con

Widely available

Heavy, bulky

Found new or used

Can be expensive

No electronic equipment needed

Can be out of stock

With care, can last for hundreds of years

Excessive markings can reduce buyback price

Can sell back or lend Many available in library Can write in margins

DIGITAL TEXTBOOKS Pro

Con

Never out of stock, no wait for shipping

Computer or e-book reader needed

Many books fit on a single computer/reader

Obsolescence could make book files unavailable

Integrated dictionary

In-class use requires a portable computer

Can electronically highlight or annotate

Copying/printing usually restricted

Sometimes annotations can be shared

E-book readers are black and white, need computer for color

Can have Web or multimedia tie-ins

Cannot sell back or lend

Some have text-to-speech reader Environmentally friendly Books can often be downloaded wirelessly Reprinted from Grossmont College

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 59

60 \\\ december 2013

Nonprofit Spotlight

➜ 201 Switzler St., Columbia, MO 65203 573-449-1993 • yc2.org

›› Youth Community Coalition

A Commitment to the Future Encouraging positive behaviors for young Columbia What’s good for youth is good for everyone, and the Youth Community Coalition (YC2) stands by that motto to help nurture healthy decisionmaking among Columbia’s youth. The coalition is a network of more than 70 organizations that collaborate to promote healthy behaviors and decrease substance abuse.

“We believe that if you give youth the basic building blocks of a healthy development, they respond in amazing ways,” says Ryan Worley, coordinator of the Youth Community Coalition. “As an organization, we strive to keep five simple promises to the youth in our community: a healthy start, safe places, caring adults, opportunities to serve and effective education.”

Linda Frost, treasurer of the Youth Community Coalition Board, has been particularly passionate about the organization and has continued her involvement for more than 10 years. “When kids get involved with not only substance abuse but other risky decision-making, it can affect them for the rest of their lives,” she says.

The board serves as an accessory to the full-time staff to complement and support leadership decisions and strategic planning for YC2.

YC2 seeks local, state and federal resources to fund their projects and programs. “The coalition Elizabeth Pafford, Secretary “Being a board member, I can be a part of measuring coalition outcomes and helping make systematic decisions about grants and initiatives.”

funds its programs well and really maximizes the dollars they spend,” says Elizabeth Pafford, secretary on the board.

This year, the board and staff have been particularly proud of the success of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. “We work with Boys and Girls Club, Fun City Youth Academy and Moving Ahead to focus on the quality of after-school programs,” Worley says. “The goal is to ensure that students have access to the academic, social and emotional support they need to succeed, and this project proves after-school programs have a big impact on a child’s learning.”

Worley is also excited about the organization’s Teen Outreach Program and efforts to reduce substance abuse. “We work with the Boone County Health Department and Columbia Housing Authority to implement the Teen Outreach Program at three Columbia schools: Hickman, Rock Bridge and Jefferson Middle School. … We have seen great outcomes with this program in improving students’ academic performance and decreasing things such as course failure and suspensions.”

In addition to working with children and teens, YC2 has partnered with the MU Well-

Linda Frost, Treasurer “Basically, it’s part of my job to work with the Youth Community Coalition, but it’s more than a job. It’s a pleasure and a privilege because the organization does so many wonderful things.”

By Kristi McCann

ness Resource Center. “What’s special about this organization is it really emphasizes people, agencies, businesses and different groups working together for the good of not only teenagers but younger kids and now, young adults,” Frost says.

Dr. Connie Brooks, a licensed psychiatrist and the assistant director at the MU Assessment and Consultation Clinic who is new to the board this year, hopes her access to recent research can provide direction when working with such a wide group of young people. Next year, the Youth Community Coalition wants to further expand its reach by connecting with youth and families all throughout Boone County.

It’s obvious the success of the Youth Community Coalition is directly connected to the people involved in the organization. From each level of participation, whether it is the staff, the board, new members or old members, each person continually tips his or her hat to the people involved. “The best thing about this coalition compared to others is it is very resource rich,” Pafford says. “We have a lot of active, dedicated members who are focused on making Columbia a safe, positive place for youth.” CBT Photos by Kendra Johnson.

Tiffany Bowman, Chair of Executive Board “I believe in the YC2 tagline: ‘If it’s good for the kids, it’s good for everyone.’ It’s something you can’t get away from, and the coalition has kept that the forefront of everything we do.”

Dr. Connie Brooks, Executive Board Member “I like thinking about YC2’s mission and objectives in a long-term mindset. It’s helpful to have a community provider and mental health perspective.”

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 61

62 \\\ december 2013

Technology

›› Kristi McCann reviews the latest trends in the business

Sharing Innovation

Creating communication between entrepreneurs via social outlets Innovation. It’s a broad topic that encapsulates technology, entrepreneurship and bravery. It’s easy to say you exude an innovative mind, but what about execution? For many people, execution of an innovative project is exactly where an idea stops.

Technology is used twofold in innovation.

Machines, software and digital advancements are used to create projects, make models and produce a product to be sold. It’s also used as a motivator, an idea creator and a communication tool for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Columbia is a hub for entrepreneur and startup businesses, but according to Sean Siebert of Invent Yourself LLC, collaboration is key for acceleration and execution of these businesses. Siebert, a presenter at 1 Million Cups Columbia, shared his plan for The Innovation REDI Project.

The project is an innovation model that encompasses the #BOOM Event, #BOOM Pitch

= Cities that participle in 1 million cups

Competition and #BOOM Innovation Pitch Competition. The projected funding goal of $1.2 million creates a vehicle for high school and college students to create a project and present it to the world with hopes of creating a launching pad for their business model.

The program that helped him spread the word about his innovation project to key entrepreneurs and supporters in Columbia was 1 Million Cups. The nationwide movement to connect innovators began in Kansas City. Each Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m., in cities around the United States, supportive community members meet to listen as two entrepreneurs present their business models, and audience members share insight.

The live interaction used by 1 Million Cups is a way to personally connect innovators. The Columbia sector of 1 Million Cups meets at the REDI offices on Walnut, and though the live presentations are slowly growing, their online presence is even greater.

“Sometimes it’s hard to get away from work,” says co-organizer Matt Fischer. “We get a lot of people that watch online.”

Twitter is heavily used as a medium to interact and offer feedback to entrepreneurs and connect those people interested in the meetings but unable to get away from their desks. Twitter users are encouraged to tweet using #COMO1MC .

Facebook and electronic newsletters are other mediums in which the Columbia community can consistently stay connected with 1 Million Cups and create relationships with entrepreneurs. As Siebert says, it’s a mindset, not a profession. CBT

Ones to Follow Behind every innovative idea is an inspiration and a motivator. To cultivate innovation, people must share their ideas. Twitter offers an easy way for entrepreneurs, professional speakers and innovation programs to collaborate and communicate in a virtual world. @1MillionCupsCMO: An online social media presence for the Columbia sector of 1 Million Cups.

Meeting attendees and interested community members are encouraged to use #COMO1MC to help connect and collaborate on innovative project ideas. @thewhatifllc: The startup company that explores the world one question at a time. It’s a program that motivates innovation from the ground up and gets participants interested in exploration. @TEDChris: The head of TED Talks who promotes sharing of ideas, dreams, design and technology. Any idea that is worth sharing, Chris Anderson will help spread the word. @SWColumbia: Start-Up Weekend Columbia might be only one weekend, but its Twitter account is active all year long promoting new, innovative ideas and events. @ColumbiaREDI: Regional Economic Development Inc. was created in 1988 to support positive economic growth in our community. Acting as a hub of entrepreneurial knowledge, REDI is your source for available site and building information, labor availability studies, demographics, etc. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 63

ys Bo an d G ir l ow sT n of M is so ur i

benefiting

Great Circle

Great November 7 AT The Holiday InnCircle Executive Center BENEFITING

A special thank you toCocktails everyone & who made this fabulous evening possible! | Dinner | Dancing | Jewelry GALA

FINE JEWELRY AFFAIR

DIAMOND LIVE AUCTION AND SPONSOR EXQUISITE JEWELRY

Beau Aero & Aero Alfredo Mubarah PRESENTED

BY Beau &Alfredo Mubarah, Bob&Connie Pugh AND Sanjeev&Shelley Ravipudi EMERALD SPONSORS FeaturingThe Norm Ruebling Band

Bob & Connie Pugh AND SanjeevKilgore’s & Shelley Ravipudi WITH SUPPORT FROM Commerce Bank Medical Pharmacy AND

MEDIA SPONSORS The Business Times Co., Columbia Daily Tribune AND Zimmer Radio Tickets

RUBY SPONSORS

$125/single, $200/pair REGISTER ONLINE great-circle.org/events

Kilgore’s Medical Pharmacy | Tatum Martin | The Commerce Trust Company FIND OUT MORE Contact Susan Reeves 573.442.8331 or susan.reeves@great-circle.org SAPPHIRE SPONSORS Artwork by Sara Eshak Design by Kathi Chinn

Busenbark Flooring & Granite | Steve & Pam Gordon | Landmark Bank McAdams’ Ltd. | Gary Meyer, House of Brokers | Plaza Commercial Realty Studio Home | The Insurance Group | The Robert E. Miller Group The diamond is a traditional symbol of promise in relationships, and signifies our commitment to the children in our care.

Boys & Girls Town of Missouri • Edgewood Children’s Center 409 Vandiver West, Bldg. 6, Ste. 203, Columbia, MO 65202

JEWELRY SPONSORS

Buchroeder’s | KT Diamond Jewelers MEDIA SPONSORS

Clear 99, Zimmer Radio | Columbia Business Times Columbia Daily Tribune | Columbia Home DÉCOR SPONSOR

Anne Tuckley Home

DESIGN SPONSOR BEVERAGE SPONSORS

Kathi Chinn

Golden Barrel | Brad & Martha Boswell

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Alfredo Mubarah, Chair | Amanda Barnes | Kathi Chinn | Barb Glenn Renee Hoagenson | Cara McMillan | Anne Tuckley | Kelli Winarski Scotty Cox, Emcee | Shelby Ringdahl, Miss Missouri The diamond is a traditional symbol of promise in relationships, and signifies our commitment to the children in our care.

five years

Celebrations

›› Beckett-Taylor Insurance

Fully Insured

Beckett-Taylor Insurance celebrates five years in Columbia.

Not many young companies can say they survived an economic downfall, but unlike those failed businesses, Beckett-Taylor Insurance has prevailed. The locally owned and operated company prides itself on providing personalized insurance tailored to customers’ needs at an affordable price.

This year marks the fifth anniversary of Beckett-Taylor Insurance offering services to the community. “We started in a one-room office with a cubicle divider between the two of us,” says Jake Taylor as he reflects on the start of his company with Matt Beckett. “We’ve grown every year since then, even in a down economy.”

The company is now licensed in 10 states, in addition to Missouri, including: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota and Tennessee. “Most of those customers have some sort of tie to Columbia,” Taylor says. “We want to be the best in our local market and serve our customers here better than anyone else.”

Matt Beckett and Jake Taylor. Photo by Anthony Jinson.

Timeline 2008 › Beckett-Taylor Insurance opens as a one-room office with Matt Beckett and Jake Taylor as co-owners.

2009 › Receives the Missouri Region Top 10 Agencies Award 2010 › Receives the Missouri Region Top 10 Agencies Award again 2013 › Five-year anniversary of Beckett-Taylor Insurance

Personalized attention Both Columbia natives, Beckett and Taylor grew up together and had a vision to start their own company. Taylor, who had a background in insurance, is a salesperson but also maintains carrier partner relationships. Beckett is also a salesperson but takes care of in-office tasks and management when he’s not out selling.

“We make great business partners because we’re essentially a 180 of each other,” Taylor says. “We complement each other well.”

He credits the success the two of them have experienced to the personalized attention the company gives. “We work for our customers,” he says. “We’ve been able to continue to bring on new carrier partners to give our customers more options. That’s a big accomplishment because we’re only as good as our carrier partners and what we have to sell.”

By Kristi McCann

All about relationships The growth that Beckett-Taylor Insurance has experienced has come from referrals after performing well with other companies and customers. They’ve made a large investment in their computer programs and technology to ensure their business is efficient and up to date. According to Taylor, the insurance business is all about relationships, and really the only thing a company can control is its reputation. “This town is small, and if you don’t take care of somebody, you won’t be in business very long,” he says.

“We don’t want to be the biggest agency, but we want to be the best at what we do.” — Jake Taylor, Beckett-Taylor Insurance The staff has also been integral to the company’s growth during the five years BeckettTaylor Insurance has been in business. In addition to Beckett and Taylor, Dee Riffel, Dawn Jones and Kim Davis help manage the dayto-day responsibilities. “We have some of the best employees in the business,” Taylor says.

“That’s what it takes to grow because Matt and I can’t do everything anymore.”

Five years from now, the company hopes to double in size. “We don’t want to be the biggest agency,” Taylor says, “but we want to be the best at what we do.”

And to Beckett and Taylor, being the best means being reputable and trustworthy.

“We’re a company with heart,” Taylor says.

“We believe in what we do and how we do it. All of our employees care deeply about our agency.

The bottom line is when we engage with somebody, we engage. Our goal is to engage 100 percent with them.” CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 65

Deeds of Trust

›› Worth more than $350,000

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

Do you know the answers to these questions?

•

What happens when your advisor retires before you do?

•

Has your advisor changed with the economy, or is it still buy, hold, and hope?

•

What happens to your accounts if your advisor doesn’t wake up tomorrow?

FIND A BETTER WAY:

$17,482,000 Central Electric Power Cooperative Regions Bank Trustee Lt 1 Crossing-EPC Plat 2 The

$952,000 PDP III LLC Commerce Bank Lt 300 Providence Village Plat 1-C

$15,300,000 E Locust LLC CMFG Life Insurance Co. LT 1 E. Locust Plat 1

$850,000 Puri, Vivek and Pallavin Landmark Bank Lt 150 Spring Creek Plat 1

$10,600,000 1429 Main Street LLC G E Capital Bank Lt 1 Pt Hyde Park Blk 2

$800,000 Weaver Joint Revocable Trust Boone County National Bank Lt 4 Arrowhead Lake Estates

$6,950,000 2501 Lemone Industrial Blvd.

LLC M&T Bank Lt 17 Pl 7 Concorde Office and Ind Plaza

$784,500 Clervi, Matthew Edgerton Revocable Living Trust Mid American Mortgage Services Inc. Lt 148 Copperstone Plat 1

$2,300,000 Horizon Steel Building LLC First State Community Bank Lt 65 Valley Creek Plat 5 $2,200,000 Peach Tree Commercial Properties LLC Mid American Bank Lt 64 Rockbridge Sub Replat Pl Lot 42 44 51 61 $2,200,000 GAP Properties LLC Mid America Bank Str 32-48-12//NW

573.875.3939 • WRWEALTH.COM

$1,650,000 Columbia Hotel Group LLC Enterprise Development Corp.

Lt 1 Farleys Second Add $1,036, 294 Wilson, Katherine A. and Michael F. Callaway Bank Lt 1 Range Sub Plat 2 $1,000,000 B-S I B LLL Boone County National Bank Parkade Sub FF with Exceptions

66 \\\ december 2013

$725,000 1101 E. Broadway LLC Central Trust Bank The Lt 1 Pt FF M R Conley’s Sup & Strip of Land 9 Inches in Width $650,000 Newton, James Camp and Jill Marie First Community Bank Str 17-47-13 $630,000 White Oak Investment Properties LLC UMB Bank Lt 12 Pt Central Add $568,000 Momentum Builders LLC Hawthorn Bank Lt 12 Pt Ff Matthew’s Sub Plus Additional Strip of Land $564, 981 Patel, Dineshkumar P.; Jingeshkumar, Shruti and Suryaben Providence Bank Lt 107 Gates at Old Hawthorne Plat 1 The

450 Deeds of trust

were issued between Sept. 23-Oct. 7

$545,000 Reynolds, James and Susan JPMorgan Chase Bank Lt 26 Highlands Plat 8-A $463,955 Barnard, David R. and Michelle A. Callaway Bank The Lt 20 Country Meadows Sub $452,000 Pfenenger, George and Joan Hawthorne Bank Lt 158-A Hawks Ridge

$450,000 Nivens, David Ross and Sara Catherine Commerce Bank Lt 26 Survey Ff Bonne Femme Estates $432,000 LTS-1 LLC UMB Bank Lt 1 Pt Matthews Sub $393,750 P & L Properties LLC Merchants & Farmers Bank of Salisbury (Columbia) The Lt 201 Southfield Plat 1 $388, 368 Heller, Patricia White and Ross Alan Landmark Bank Lt 218A Heritage Woods Plat 2-A $388,000 Tarbox, Bryon Bus and Janna M. Landmark Bank Lt 7B Country Farmers Subdivision Replat of Lt 7 $386,000 Walmer, Marica and Reddy, Agara Landmark Bank Lt 3 Bluff Creek Estates Plat 1 $381,800 Auman, Marcella R. Revocable Living Trust Missouri Credit Union Lt 1416 Highlands Plat 14-B CBT

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 67

68 \\\ december 2013

Economic Index ›› It’s all about the numbers Labor *Labor statistics were unavailable due to government shutdown

Higher Education Core Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed (TAFP) FY2013: $1,168,566,385 FY2012 $1,244,725,577 Core After Expenditure Restrictions FY2013: $1,147,741,085 FY2012: $1,191,696,260 Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed (TAFP) FY2012: $1,156,195,187 FY2013: $1,168,566,385 TAFP Change from Government Rec FY2013: $69,553,529 FY2012: $42,537,578 After Expenditure Restrictions FY2012: $1,147,318,627 FY2013: $1,148,741,085

Construction Building permits residential September 2012: 82 September 2013: 244 Value of residential building permits September 2012: $15,243,120 September 2013: $29,792,690 Detached single-family homes September 2012: 40 September 2013: 108 Value of detached single-family homes September 2012: $8,158,094 September 2013: $24,844,523 Commercial building permits September 2012: 29 September 2013: 24 Value of commercial building permits September 2012: $9,043,948 September 2013: $27,144,928

Commercial additions/alterations September 2012: 25 September 2013: 16 Value of commercial additions/ alterations September 2012: $3,439,183 September 2013: $2,180,146

Housing Single-family homes sales, Boone County September 2012: 168 September 2013: 126 Sing-family active listings on market, Boone County September 2012: 109 September 2013: 147 Single-family homes average sold price, Boone County September 2012: $180,185 September 2013: $177,782 Single-family home median sold price, Boone County September 2012: $155,000 September 2013: $164,000 Single-family homes average days on market, Boone County September 2012: 83 September 2013: 56 Single-family pending listings on market, Boone County September 2012: 139 September 2013: 149

Utilities Water September 2013: 47,033 September 2012: 45,975 Change #: 1,058 Change %: 2.3 percent

Electric September 2013: 47,435 September2012: 46,187 Change #: 1,248 Change %: 2.7 percent CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 69

New Business Licenses ›› Columbia residents and their upstarts

Bangal-1 Services 602 Fay St. Landscaping, concrete flat work Colette Nolin 3910 Peachtree Drive, Suite A Event coordinator for Ballroom Academy of Columbia Ecoatm Inc. 2300 Bernadette Drive Kiosk, buys, appraises and IDs electronics Ell & Co. Salon & Spa 10 W. Nifong Blvd., Suite D-3 Hair salon, skin care, nails, waxing, massage Juniper Tree LLC 2011 Corona Road, Suite 311 Spiritual counseling Quest Diagnostics 2475 Broadway Bluffs Drive, Suite 120 Phlebotomy services, testing, insurance exams Red Brick Café 1221 E. Walnut St., Suite 101 General merchandise with food and liquor sales Sophy’s Studio 711 Vandiver Drive, Suite H Manicure and artificial nails, photo studio Sprint 2101 W. Broadway, Suite A Retail wireless phones and accessories Streaming Lifestyle 601 W. Business Loop 70, Suite 128 Motivates people toward healthier lifestyles 70 \\\ december 2013

Taylored Massage 1034 E. Walnut St. Massage therapy The Arcade Showroom 610 A Big Bear Blvd.

Buys, repairs, sells coinoperation equipment Weaver Boos Consultants LLC 1000 N. College Ave., Suite D Geo-environmental engineering

Easily Distracted Art Collaborator 302 McNab Drive Art installation Healthy Exercise 3604 Caliente Court Personal training/fitness at client’s location LK Captures 4901 Aztec Blvd., Apt. 40 Photography service

9thandelm.com 302 Campusview Drive, Suite 206 Sells clothing online

Signco 700 Sudbury Drive Logo design for signs, awnings, graphics

Massage Works 1006 N. West Blvd., Suite 100 Massage therapy

Sydney Palmer Travel LLC 2922 Woods Crossing Drive Travel agency

Bubbles and Sponges Cleaning 1504 Stone St. Home/office cleaning and organization

Treehouse Treasures 4008 W. Worley St., Apt. 301 Online boutique, sells ecofriendly baby clothes

Carla’s Cleaning Concepts LLC 3253 Wind River Circle Cleaning/janitorial, painting services Cassie Horton Photography 308 Jackal Drive Lifestyle and wedding photographer Change in Motion Personal Training 2103 Lafayette Court Personal fitness training Diamond Cut Lawn Care LLC 654 Huntridge Drive Lawn care services

Gaskins Construction 5303 Sandstone Drive General contracting, repair, painting, etc.

K & R Properties of Missouri 5504 Satinwood Court Contractor, new construction Xanadu Landscape Design and Co. 800 Wilkes Blvd.

Landscaping, decks, patios, water features, lawn Acme Constructors 1123 Wilkes Blvd., Suite 110 Industrial contractors CBT

By the Numbers ›› Boone County statistics

.6% of Missouri’s fastest-growing companies are in Columbia

Innovation is one of those oftused business buzzwords. But, by the numbers, it looks like Columbia truly is a changemaking community.

1200 1150 1100 1050 1000 950 900 850 800 750 700 747 650 0 93

Source: Inc. 5000, 2013

Jobfinders +723% employement services bluebird network +80%

True media buchroeder's fine jewelry

+153% +72%

Total patents in Missouri, by year Source: USPTO Patent Count Single Year Reports, 1993-2012

1165

1140 1049

1086 969

966

963

1003 945 895

868 817 759

94

863

877

861 786

761 732

95

96

1/10

National business incubation association’s soft landing international incubators Source: MUincubator.com

97

98

99

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

Utility (aka “invention”) patents in Columbia USPTO Total Utility Patent Counts, all metro areas, 2000-2011

40 35 30 25 20 15 10

MU’s 100 gbps is

1000x

faster than the fastest services available 10 years ago

0 00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

Columbia meet-ups that make things Source: meetup.com

Source: MU News Bureau, National Geographic

$1 billion the total potential savings resulting from the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation

Startup Como Hacks/hackers columbia gadget works dev como

columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 71

6 Questions

›› Get to know your professionals

➜ REDI Office: 500 E. Walnut, Suite 102, Columbia, MO 65201 573-442-8303 • columbiaredi.com

Collaborate and Innovate 1. You’re a man of many ventures. Tell us what you have on your plate at the moment. My current project is The Innovation REDI Project, a global model of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development. The developed model binds educational institutions (secondary, higher) to economic development through entrepreneurship. Over the past few months, I’ve been traveling to colleges/universities, high schools and communities promoting the #BOOM events and encouraging each entity/group/organization to embrace entrepreneurship as a vital component of job creation and economic development.

2. What differences should people familiar with #BOOM expect to see at the next #BOOM event? Size. With the anticipated growth of #BOOM, we have moved the event to the Holiday Inn. Sarah Hill has graciously agreed to emcee the event again, and we will be using the pioneered approach of Google+ Hangout sessions in collaboration with Columbia Access Television. The audience size is anticipated to be 600 in-seat participants and thousands to join via the live Internet feed. The educational consortium of the #BOOM Pitch Competition has also grown in size. In total, there will be 70-plus pitches given in one location, in one day, all focusing on future job growth for Missouri.

Fun Fact: 72 \\\ december 2013

Photo by Anthony Jinson

Sean Siebert, founder, Invent Yourself; chairman, Task Force at #BOOM 3. Why regional economic development? Doesn’t Columbia still have a ways to go in its own right? I am a strong advocate of collaboration, and I have embraced a completely different philosophical approach to economic development and education in the 21st century.

My philosophy is to create a culture of entrepreneurship rather than a competition among entrepreneurs. Given today’s global economy, I embrace the concept of being competitive through collaboration. MidMissouri is rapidly emerging as one of the premier entrepreneurial epicenters in the United States, and it is our collaborative approach that makes our model unique and effective.

4. What is Columbia missing in regard to innovation opportunities? Access to seed funding to enhance the accelerated growth of startup ventures is a critical need for local and regional economic growth.

Columbia does an amazing job of starting up companies, and we have an abundance of events and resources that greatly aid these efforts. However, there is a need for a developed strategy to accelerate these startup ventures to reap the benefits of their job creation.

5. Tell us about Invent Yourself LLC. How does that fit in to the variety of activities you’re involved in now? Currently, I am also the founder and CEO of Invent Yourself LLC. Through my company, I help people, organizations and communities become innovation ready in the socialera economy. In addition to working with clients (from Fortune 500 to startups) on strategic initiatives, I also provide consulting, lecture and leadership training opportunities for a variety of clientele.

6. Your goal is to fundraise more than $1 million for the upcoming #BOOM and Idea Bounce events. Where will this money go? The funding for the project will be allocated to the various components of the economic development model. Essentially, half of the funding will execute the innovation and startup components of the model; the other half of the funding will execute the acceleration and job creation components. I am also currently working in conjunction with the #BOOM Task Force on a capital campaign to support these efforts that, when successful, will be of great benefit to the regional economy. CBT

➜ According to Siebert, the backbone of Columbia’s economy is based on entrepreneurship and small-business owners.

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Flashback ›› Then and now

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

By GH Lindsey Photo by Kendra Johnson

The Missouri School of Journalism was founded in 1908. It was the first journalism school in the world.

Starting a journalism school was not easy.

Opposition came from the Missouri State Senate in 1895, with the defeat of a bill that requested a chair of journalism be established. At the time, people did not think journalism could be taught in a classroom. In 1896, however, the Missouri Press Association gave its support.

Walter Williams assisted in establishing the school. Williams was the editor of the Columbia Missouri Herald and the youngest-ever president

of the Missouri Press Association. Ten years after the proposal was drafted, the school opened. On Sept. 14, 1908, students published the first issue of the University Missourian Newspaper.

Neff Hall was the first building created for the school. Ward A. Neff, an alumnus of the school, donated the money in honor of his father, Jay H. Neff, a journalist in Kansas City. It was constructed in 1918. The building was given a new entrance in 1936 and an addition in 1959.

In 1936, Walter Williams Hall was added to the school. It was connected to Neff Hall with the Walter Williams Tower. Located under

the tower are two lions that were constructed more than 531 years ago in the Ming Dynasty in China. They were gifted to the school in 1931 by the Chinese government.

Today, the Missouri School of Journalism encompasses seven buildings, including Neff Hall, Neff Annex, Walter Williams, Gannett Hall, Lee Hills Hall, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the KOMU-TV station.

The Missouri School of Journalism focuses on the Missouri Method of teaching. This means it provides hands-on training. The school is one of the top-ranked journalism schools in the country. CBT

➜ We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 74 \\\ december 2013

“

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