Januar y 2016 Finance issue
20 UNDER 40 Class of 2016
Tyson Hunt logboat brewing co. Page 40
Central bank swap Page 65
Fighting Fraud Page 53
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Investment Mistakes to Watch For ...at Different Stages of Life
Trusted Investing Advice from these local financial advisors
It’s not always easy to avoid making investment mistakes, but by knowing the most common ones at different stages, you may have a better chance. Here are some of the more common investment mistakes … • When you’re young … Mistake: Investing too conservatively (or not at all) — If you’re just entering the working world, you may not have a lot of money to invest. But putting away even a small amount each month can prove quite helpful. Additionally, don’t make the mistake of investing primarily in short-term vehicles that may preserve your principal but offer little in the way of growth potential. Instead, position your portfolio for growth. While stock prices will fluctuate, you potentially have decades to overcome short-term declines. Your focus should be on the long term — and it’s impossible to reach long-term goals with short-term, highly conservative investments. • When you’re in mid-career … Mistake: Putting insufficient funds into your retirement accounts — At this stage, your earning power may have increased substantially, so you should have more money to invest. You may be able to “max out” on your IRA and still boost your contributions to your employersponsored retirement plan, such as your 401(k), 403(b) or 457(b). Try to put more into these retirement accounts every time your salary goes up. • When you’re nearing retirement … Mistake: Not having balance in your investment portfolio — When within just a few years of retirement, some people may go to extremes, either investing too aggressively to try to make up for lost time or too conservatively in an attempt to avoid potential declines. Both strategies could be risky. So as you near retirement, seek to balance your portfolio. This could mean shifting some of your investment dollars into fixed-income vehicles to provide for current income needs while still owning stocks that provide the growth potential to help keep up with inflation. • When you’ve just retired … Mistake: Failing to determine an appropriate withdrawal rate — Upon reaching retirement, you’ll need to carefully manage the money you’ve accumulated in your IRA, 401(k) and all other investment accounts. A chief concern is outliving your money, so you’ll need to determine how much you can withdraw each year. To arrive at this figure, take into account your current age, your projected longevity, the amount of money you’ve saved and the estimated rate of return from your investments. This type of calculation is complex, so you may want to consult with a financial professional. By avoiding these errors, you can help ensure that at each stage of your life, you’re doing what you can to keep making progress toward your financial goals.
Gary Anderson (573) 441-8300
Shawn Bedford (573) 445-7671
Jim Bowman (573) 886-8600
908 Rainforest Parkway Columbia, MO 65202
2509 Bernadette Road Columbia, MO 65203
3600 I-70 SE, Ste. D Columbia, MO 65201
Nathan Brown (573) 817-9620
Stuart Eastman (573) 817-3108
Ann Echelmeier (573) 446-2770
Travis Figg (573) 442-6470
Jody Frank (573) 657-5775
Bill Fretwell (573) 443-0043
Madalyn Gramke (573) 234-1700
J R Lawless (573) 443-8871
1206 Bus Loop 70 W. Ste. D Columbia, MO 65202
4301 Rainbow Trout Dr. 1729 W. Broadway, Suite 3 Ste 102, Columbia, MO 65203 Columbia, MO 65203
201 W. Broadway, Bldg 2 4240 Philips Farm Rd. Ste. H, Columbia, MO 65203 Ste. 107 Columbia, MO 65201
2900 Falling Leaf Lane Columbia, MO 65201
Kathy Lou Neale (573) 442-9590
1905 Cherry Hill Drive Columbia, MO 65203
203 E. Nifong Columbia, MO 65203
1000 W. Nifong, Building 3 Columbia, MO 65203
Mark Richardson (573) 442-1276
Ray Schachtner (573) 445-1122
Eric Willmeth (573) 449-1256
EdwardJones.com Member SIPC
* This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
2415 Carter Lane, #104 Columbia, MO 65201
1603 Chapel Hill Road Columbia, MO 65203
34 N. 8th Street Columbia, MO 65201
From the Editor
Editorial Erica Pefferman, Publisher Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Brenna McDermott, Editor Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com Matthew Patston, Assistant Editor Matt@BusinessTimesCompany.com
Life Lessons ›› I feel like I made 21 new friends in November. Over the course of two days, I met the 2016 class of 20 Under 40 recipients as they visited the Business Times Company headquarters for a photoshoot and video interview (Why did I make twenty-one friends, you ask? Well you’ll just have to check out our list on page 40 to find out). It was a long two days, but full of great interactions. I got story ideas from Jon Galloway and Barbara Buffaloe, geeked out with Steve Tuchschmidt over why "Roseanne" is a criminally underrated sitcom, and gushed to Michael Urban about my love of the Harold’s sprinkled doughnut. The sprinkles are homemade, you guys. Photo by Anthony Jinson Each recipient also filled out a questionnaire (find selected answers at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com). And I have to say: I was inspired by the things this group is accomplishing. The class is full of young professionals going after their goals and making an impact in the community. When we asked them to describe their greatest lessons learned in business, we got some moving and impactful answers. Here are some of my favorites: “The greatest lesson that I have learned was from my high school basketball coach, who always told me ‘nothing works unless you do.’” – Drew Smith, Commerce Bank “Sometimes you have to remember the Colorado River: the Grand Canyon was not formed in a day. It takes time to make something beautiful — don’t give up.” – Barbara Buffaloe, City of Columbia “To know when I don’t know. Then to go find the answer or find someone who knows.” – Sonya Addison, MD, Boone Medical Group “Don’t be in a hurry to be first. Take your time, get it right, and be the best.” – Tyson Hunt, Logboat Brewing Company Each of these lessons spoke to me personally. And that’s when I remembered a conversation I’ve had (several times) with 20 Under 40 recipient Kelsey Meyer — age is just a number. The men and women included on this list, regardless of age, are mentors and leaders in their industries and in our community. Learn something from their accomplishments; tell them if they’ve made an impact in your life. They’re all striving to make Columbia a better place to live and work. And join us to celebrate these young leaders at our 20 Under 40 gala on Thursday, January 21 at Stephens College. Tweet us @columbiabiz and tell us why your favorite 20 Under 40 recipient deserves this We probably set the record award. We want to hear from you! Thanks for reading,
Brenna McDermott, Editor brenna@businesstimescompany.com
for time taken to choose a cover. Photographer Anthony Jinson captured so many engaging photos of the 20 Under 40 class. We thought a photo of a brewery/bar owner sitting on a bar stool repping his brewery logo looked cool. And Tyson Hunt brought his laid-back vibes to the shoot. Photo by Anthony Jinson.
JANUAR Y 2016 FINANCE ISSUE
20 UNDER 40 CLASS OF 2016
DESIGN Jordan Watts, Editorial Designer Jordan@BusinessTimesCompany.com Creative Services Keith Borgmeyer, Senior Editorial Designer Keith@BusinessTimesCompany.com Kate Morrow, Creative Marketing Kate@BusinessTimesCompany.com MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Deb Valvo, Director of Sales Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com Stacy Zorn, Marketing Consultant Stacy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Jamie Patterson, Digital Services Director Jamie@BusinessTimesCompany.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Anthony Jinson, Ben Meldrum CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beth Bramstedt, Al Germond, Zach Lloyd, Brenna McDermott, Chris Nyenhuis, Matthew Patston, Monica Pitts, Tony Richards, Peter Stiepleman, Jennifer Truesdale Interns Caroline Harding, Jessica Kaiser, Peyton Kuligowski, Sean Nelson, Alisiana Peters, Brooke Skiles, Sierra Stewart, Amber Taylor MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Vice President of Finance ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Crystal Richardson, Marketing Manager Crystal@BusinessTimesCompany.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues for 1 year or $34.95 for 24 issues for 2 years. To place an order or to inform us of an address change, log on to ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com. The Columbia Business Times is published every month by The Business Times Co., 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100, Columbia, MO 65202. Copyright The Business Times Co., 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited.
TYSON HUNT LOGBOAT BREWING CO. PAGE 40
CENTRAL BANK SWAP PAGE 65
FIGHTING FRAUD PAGE 53
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 /// 17
To the guy who’s always reaching new heights, CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Curt Kippenberger on being one of 2016’s “20 Under 40” Your commitment to your family, your patients and your staff is reflected daily.
4200 Merchant St. Villiage of Cherry Hill Columbia 573-777-5900 FocusOnHealthChiro.com
18 \\\ January 2016
about the last times What's happening online Cara Owings @caraowings Taking in all the greatness today! #CBTMastersSeries @CaledonVirtual @ColumbiaBiz
Around the office COMO Living Launch Our sister publication, Columbia Home, just went through a rebranding. Say hello to COMO Living!
J Andrew @just1writer I enjoyed interviewing these 3 #CoMo biz pros. They share their around-the-world journeys, here: @ColumbiaBiz Bryan Fulcher @BryanFulcher Congrats to my frat brother (LB) Rexroy Scott for making the cover of @ColumbiaBiz 06! Smokin’ Chick’s BBQ @smokinchicksbbq
@ColumbiaBiz @JamJerkHut @grillabros love the article! Columbia Biz Times @ColumbiaBiz @smokinchicksbbq @JamJerkHut @grillabros Thank @BethBramstedt, the fantastic writer! Jamaican Jerk Hut @JamJerkHut @ColumbiaBiz blessings and respect
Behind the scenes
20 Under 40 Tickets On Sale Now! Don’t miss your chance to attend a fun,
Check out the new CBT online! All of us at CBT have been working hard with the folks at Mayecreate Design to get our new website up and running. Go take a look at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com.
Write to CBT editor Brenna McDermott at Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com
swanky party with your friends at CBT and the outstanding businesspeople of Columbia. Visit our website to learn more.
20/40 20 40 T W E N T Y UNDER F O R T Y presented by
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UNIVERSITY CLUB OF MU | UNIVERSITY CATERING & EVENT SERVICES 107 Donald W. Reynolds Alumni & Visitor Center 20 \\\ January 2016
CBT contributors January 2016 Beth Bramstedt is a trained journalist who spent the last 25 years serving on the staff of a local nonprofit. She is a world traveler, loyal friend, fan of country music and mother of boys who strives to see the world with the heart of a pastor and the eyes of a storyteller.
Zach Lloyd is a graduate of the Master of Science in Journalism program at Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He lives in Columbia with his girlBeth Bramstedt
Zach Lloyd
friend, Amanda, and their cat, Norma.
Ben meldrum is a multimedia contributor for The Business Times Company. He is currently a strategic communication student at the Missouri School of Journalism and enjoys listening to podcasts in his free time.
Matt Patston is the assistant editor of CBT and a senior at the Missouri School of Journalism. He's from Denver, Colorado and spends his free time exploring Boone County with his fianceĂŠ and reading long articles Ben meldrum
Matt Patston
he finds on Twitter.
Sierra stewart is an editorial intern for the Business Times Company and a freshman at Stephens College. She is from Scottsdale, Arizona and considers herself a mix between an empathetic politician and a pragmatic dreamer.
Jennifer Truesdale has a Bachelor of Arts in theatre from Truman State University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Missouri. She works Sierra Stewart
jennifer truesdale
in the office of public relations at Columbia College. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 21
22 \\\ January 2016
January 2016
Vol. 22, Issue 7 columbiabusinesstimes.com
Departments
›› Finance Issue
40
20 Under 40
These young professionals are making an impact in the Columbia business community. Congratulations to CBT’s 20 Under 40 class of 2016.
53 ABCs of EMV
Fraud regulations and credit card safety features are changing. How are these changes affecting small business owners and cardholders in an era when cyber security is a hot topic?
58 Tempest in a Teapot A Community Improvement District is trying to bring the run-down Business Loop into the 21st century. It’s been a complicated start.
17 From the Editor 19 Letters to the Editor 21 Contributors 25 Movers and Shakers 26 Briefly in the News 29 A Closer Look 30 Business Update 35 P.Y.S.K. 39 Opinion 74 Nonprofit Spotlight 76 Celebrations 80 Education 81 Marketing 82 Startups 83 Org Health 84 Business Licenses 85 Deeds of Trust 86 Economic Index 87 By the Numbers 89 This or That 91 Did You Know 92 5 Questions 94 Flashback
65 What's In a Name?
Boone County National Bank became Central Bank of Boone County in June. What went on behind the scenes to make the transition happen? It involves 15,000 pens and a “swear jar.”
70 Tricks of the Tradeshow The Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase is a makeor-break day for businesses. Read how three pros of the expo maximize their booths at the March event.
20/40 20 40 T W E NT Y UNDER F OR T Y presented by
WE’LL SEE YOU THERE! WHen: January 21, 2016
Where: Kimball Ballroom, Stephens College Tickets available online at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com 24 \\\ January 2016
Movers and Shakers
›› Professionals grow, serve and achieve
Dawn Daly
Amy Vogelsmeier
›› Sean Cotton
›› Brian Johanning
›› Mary Kroening
Coegi, an independent programmatic media buying company, announced that Sean Cotton has assumed the role of the company’s president. He will provide advertising agencies with transparent, collaborative and data-driven programmatic services that meet their goals of bringing the right audiences to their clients. Previously, Cotton was vice president of digital and social media at True Media.
Shafer, Kline & Warren announced the promotion of Brian Johanning to vice president of infrastructure and development. He will oversee the day-to-day management of SK&W’s second-largest operating group, with offices in midMissouri, Tulsa and the Kansas City metro area. Johanning joined SK&W in January 2015.
Mary Kroening has joined Central Bank of Boone County as a relationship manager in business banking. In her role, Kroening works with both current and potential clients to ensure their financial needs and expectations for service are met. She markets bank products and serves business owners directly, and she works to expand relationships with current clients. Previously, Kroening served as director of membership at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.
›› Dr. Quinn Johnson
Mike Hill
Lacey Sweeten Randall
Dr. James Stannard, interim dean of the MU School of Medicine, has appointed Dr. Quinn Johnson as chair of the department of anesthesiology. Johnson, associate professor of clinical anesthesiology, has served as interim chair of the department of anesthesiology since February 2013 and as director of anesthesia for the Missouri Orthopedic Institute since 2010.
›› Dawn Daly
mary kroening
House of Brokers Realty has appointed Dawn Daly to the newly created director of operations position. Daly, a 17-year employee, has earned every bit of her new position, says Lola Carey, who recently retired as general manager. Daly began as a receptionist when she started with the company.
›› Amy Vogelsmeier Claire Taylor
Patrick McKenna
Amy Vogelsmeier, associate professor in the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, will be inducted as a fellow into the prestigious American Academy of Nursing at the academy’s annual meeting. Vogelsmeier joins 2,400 accomplished fellows in the program.
›› The Callaway Bank The Callaway Bank’s corporate board has designated Mike Hill as the company’s chief operating officer. “Mike has earned respect through his positive team approach, willingness to dig in and solve problems, his ability to communicate, mentor and encourage those around him,” says Kim Barnes, president and CEO. In addition, Jason Ramsey has joined The Callaway Bank as a commercial lender. His primary responsibilities are to develop and service commercial banking relationships in the Boone County market. Ramsey earned a Bachelor of Arts from Truman State University and a master’s in public administration from MU.
›› Claire Taylor Knorr Marketing Communications hired Claire Taylor as the new marketing communications specialist. In her new position, Taylor will be responsible for client services, including writing, design, media relations, social media campaigns and event management. Taylor also currently serves as the marketing director for a small environmental consulting firm. Taylor earned a business minor and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and international studies from MU.
›› Lacey Sweeten Randall Lacey Sweeten Randall, director of student involvement at William Woods University, was recently awarded the New Professional Award at the annual Missouri College Personnel Association conference. This award is given to professionals with three or fewer years of experience working in student affairs who serve as role models by demonstrating innovation and creativity in their work.
›› Patrick McKenna Patrick K. McKenna will serve as the new director of the Missouri Department of Transportation. McKenna was appointed by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. McKenna previously served as the deputy commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and he will replace interim director Roberta Broeker, who will return to her previous position as MoDOT’s chief financial officer. CBT
➜ Are you or your employees making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 25
briefly in the news
›› A rundown of this month’s top headlines
Local Band Tops Charts
Columbia College sophomore Aaron Nelson, a Fulton native, is climbing the Billboard charts. Nelson plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals for Christian rock band Almost Taken. Their single “Ashes” is currently No. 16 on the Billboard Christian Rock National Airplay list. Nelson, 20, is the youngest member of the band and has been a member for three years; all members of the band are mid-Missouri natives. They’ve performed locally at the Blue Note, Rose Music Hall and large festivals. The group also formed an LLC and sets up AV equipment at events to help fund recordings.
Girls Only STEM Club
The Boys and Girls Clubs downtown location, The CLUB, started a girls-only program to get members interested in STEM projects. The program, STEM Girls!, teaches girls about science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on projects, experiments and discussions with professional women in STEM fields. STEM Girls! is funded by a grant from the American Association of University Women.
Tech Electronics Relocates Tech Electronics recently moved into a larger facility in Columbia. The former Da-Com building at 1406 Rangeline allows room for growth and new amenities for employees. The 8,000 square-foot facility provides the tech services organization with enough space to house the office staff, warehouse and testing labs in one building. Tech Electronics is headquartered in St. Louis and has five regional offices. The company specializes in voice IT services, security systems, safety systems and more.
Columbia Safety Expands Columbia Safety has opened a new facility in Atlanta, Georgia. The new facility adds 30,000 square feet of warehouse space to better serve customers in the area. The facility also features the company’s “Safety Experience Zone,” where customers can interact with new safety equipment. The location also contains a 3,000 square-foot learning and training center. Some Columbia employees were transferred to Atlanta, and the company hopes to add an additional 20 team members in 2016. Columbia Safety was formed in 2005 and is a distributor of safety and work performance gear.
CPD Grows Beards for Charity Columbia Police Department staff participated in No Shave November and raised $1,312 for Coyote Hill Children’s Home. This is the second year the staff participated. Staff members were allowed to go without shaving for the entire month and held contests for furriest faces. SWAT/CNT training coordinator officer Jeff Forck took the prize for best beard, and officer Lane Nelson won best moustache. Coyote Hill houses abused and neglected children in both long-term and emergency shelter.
26 \\\ January 2016
McClure Engineering Merges McClure Engineering Company has signed an agreement to merge with JFSCO Engineering of Red Oak, Iowa. McClure and Columbia engineering firm Trabue, Hansen and Hinshaw merged in June 2015. McClure currently has seven locations throughout Iowa and Missouri. The new merger will add rail design and terminal transloading facility design to McClure’s services and will expand its aviation expertise and the company’s resources in Iowa. MEC will maintain leadership, and all employees will be retained. The merger is expected to be completed in early 2016.
MU Celebrates Rural Track The MU School of Medicine celebrated the 20th anniversary of the area health education center rural track pipeline program in November. The program was created to address the critical shortage of physicians in rural areas by increasing enrollment of rural medical students, offering hands-on learning experiences and returning them to rural Missouri to practice medicine. More than 500 students, in all specialty areas, have participated in the program. More than half of those students now practice in rural locations.
MU Engineer Receives Grant
Influence & Co. Culture Recognized Influence & Co., a content marketing agency headquartered in Columbia, was recently ranked on Entrepreneur’s Top Company Cultures list, a ranking of U.S. businesses with high-performance cultures. Influence & Co. ranked 25th in the medium-size category and was recognized for driving employee engagement, exceeding employee expectations and affecting company success. The company offers unlimited paid time off; flexible hours and work locations; and events like talent shows, overnight retreats and team bonding events. The company also has offices in St. Louis and Kansas City.
BOM completes merger Reliable Community Bancshares Inc., parent company of The Bank of Missouri, headquartered in Perryville, has completed its merger with Bank Star of the BootHeel. Under the terms of the agreement, Bank Star of the BootHeel has merged with and into The Bank of Missouri. The Steele and Caruthersville locations are now branches of The Bank of Missouri. With the completion of this transaction, The Bank of Missouri operates 23 locations throughout Missouri. All Bank Star employees will join The Bank of Missouri team. The Bank of Missouri, one of the region’s fastest growing financial institutions, is an independent community bank locally owned and operated with more than $1 billion in assets. Chartered in 1891, The Bank of Missouri operated with one branch until 1997.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently awarded a grant to MU engineering researcher and professor Yangchaun Xing to develop technology that will produce materials for lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles. The grant is $2.2 million and will help develop the proposed technology over the course of the next three years. The project’s goal is to drive down the cost of eco-friendly vehicles, but it will also help the local job market, Xing says. The project was one of 16 chosen nationally. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 27
When asked why they chose to invest in a Tolton Catholic education for their student, parents had these comments to offer ...
“ �
The opportunity to learn in an environment where God and service to others are highly valued is well worth the cost. I absolutely believe in the benefit of a smaller educational setting. Smaller class sizes allow teachers to become more involved with their students who, in turn, are more invested in their studies. The values and overall culture that we observed at Tolton were exactly what we wanted for our student.
SPIRIT
HEART
MIND
BODY
3351 E. Gans Road | Columbia, MO | ToltonCatholic.org | 573.445.7700 | Kristie Wolfe, President/Principal
28 \\\ January 2016
a closer look
›› A quick look at emerging companies
1. Leslie Song LLC
3. Range Free
5. Sassy Dawgs
Leslie Song is a Columbia-based artist and illustrator. Song previously worked as a full-time preschool teacher before she decided to transition back into art and design. Song’s current collection of art revolves around what she calls a “surreal narrative,” with an interest in the natural world and dream states. Aside from drawing, Song also has experience in the design area, as she carries a master’s degree in textile design and textile designprint. Song can fulfill many art, design or creative needs via email at leslie@ lesliesong.com, and you can also follow her on Instagram @lesliesongart. Contact: Leslie Song, 314-604-2506
Range Free, located at 110 Orr Street, suite 101, opened in October as Columbia’s first allergen-free bakery and café. After owner Anna Meyer was diagnosed with 24 food allergies, she adopted an allergen-free diet. She decided to start Range Free after she found that Columbia did not have many allergen-free options, especially for baked goods. Range Free features breakfast and lunch menu items. Breakfast includes items such as biscuits and gravy, biscuits, eggs Benedict and bacon. Lunch items include various sandwiches, soups and salads, in addition to various baked goods. Range Free is closed on Sunday and Tuesday. Contact: Anna Meyer, 573-777-9980
Sassy Dawgs is a hot dog stand that offers all-American beef hot dogs, bratwursts, nachos and Frito pies. “Customers can also receive condiments for any menu item at no additional cost,” owner John Whiteford says. Whiteford began Sassy Dawgs when he noticed a need for hot dog stands in downtown Columbia. Sassy Dawgs operates on Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., on Ninth Street, in front of Quinton’s and Tonic. In addition to normal hours of operation, Sassy Dawgs also caters at special events, including weddings and birthday parties. Contact: John Whiteford, 573-673-9203
2. Dry Fork Coffee
4. Columbia Acro and Tumbling Team
6. Provision Living at Columbia
Dry Fork Coffee is a small, home microgrocery that sells oven-roasted coffee beans. Owner Ron Giles originally began Dry Fork Coffee after looking at ways to save money on coffee expenses. Dry Fork Coffee offers three different high-end, topshelf coffee beans at a time. The beans are from different parts of the world, including Central America and Ethiopia. “We really put love and care in our roasting process, versus other businesses whose coffee beans are mass produced,” Giles says. Giles takes orders during the week and fills them on the weekend. More information is available on Facebook at Dry Fork Coffee Roasters, or on Instagram at Dry Fork Coffee. Contact: Ron Giles, 360-477-3641
Columbia Acro and Tumbling Team, located at 4250 E. Broadway, suite 1031, is an acrobatic gymnastics team. Heather Zepp, head coach of CATT, previously taught at the Columbia Dance Academy. Zepp has danced and tumbled since age 3, winning countless awards for acrobatic gymnastics. CATT accepts students as young as 3 years old for preschool classes, which help develop body awareness, balance and vocabulary. The 4-year-old classes learn creative movement, tap and tumble. The older student groups, ages 5 to 12, can be enrolled in beginner-level ballet and tap classes. CATT also offers advanced levels of tumbling or acro and acrobatic gymnastics. Contact: Heather Zepp, 573-814-5000
3
Provision Living at Columbia, located at 2333 Chapel Hill Road, opened in October. Provision Living is an assisted living and memory care facility. Provision Living has 30 communities located in 11 different states, with corporate offices based in St. Louis. Residents of Provision Living receive discreet assistance from on-site trained medical professionals, as well as balanced meals, engaging activities and social events. “The thing that makes us different is that we focus on our employees as well as our residents,” says Jeff Hinshaw, executive director. “We look for employees that show radiance and love for our seniors and have a willingness to help and serve them.” Contact: Denise Falco, 573-234-1091 CBT
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2 ➜ Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 29
Standing (L to R): Brian Myers, Chris Sanders, Kit Stolen, Brett Burri, Jen Megee xx Seated (L to R): Shatenita Horton, Eric Morrison Photo by Anthony Jinson 30 \\\ January 2016
business update
›› Transformed, trending and up-to-the-minute
➜ 3855 Forum Blvd. 573-449-2800 myprovidencebank.com
Providence Bank Finalizes Merger Columbia bank acquires Illinois location. By Sierra Stewart
With approximately $900 million in assets today, Columbia’s Providence Bank expects nothing but continual growth. The company, under LINCO Bancshares Inc., finalized their merger with Community First Bancorp’s Community First Bank in July 2015, achieving their goal of expansion beyond their markets in Missouri and Texas, acquiring $211 million in assets in the process. The stock purchase agreement reaps benefits for all parties involved. Prior to the acquisition, Providence, an FDIC member and equal housing lender, had no locations in the state of Illinois. Until July, Providence Bank only had 13 banking centers, including locations in Jefferson City, Osage Beach, St. Peters, St. Charles, Chesterfield, Lake St. Louis, Elsberry and Winfield, and also in Grapevine, Texas and Denton, Texas. Providence Bank was purchased by LINCO Bancshares in 2006. Previously known as the Bank of Lincoln County, located in Elsberry, in 2007 the bank was renamed and moved to Columbia. Today, Providence Bank also owns subsections of the company, like the Providence Bank Mortgage Center and Providence Bank Agency Finance.
ROADS DIVERGED St. Louis Market President Tom Hagar wears many hats at Providence Bank, serving not only as executive vice president, but also chief operating officer and chief lending officer. During the merger, Hagar was on the acquisition team, evaluating the opportunities with Community First, doing the due diligence and ultimately deciding the final offer.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities for other institutions with whom to merge. There are other [banks] in Illinois being considered, but nothing is for sure. This gives us a good, strong platform to expand in the Illinois marketplace.” –Kit Stolen The banks’ higher-ups aren’t the only employees benefiting from the acquisition. Associates learn the process and gain opportunities within the company as their association grows. With such an increase in assets, Providence Bank can now provide larger loan transactions, and they expanded their market position by adding a new distribution site in Illinois. “After the merger, I spent a lot of time working with the employees on integration of our products, our services and our culture,” Hagar says. “I believe it’s been successful.” Before the acquisition could finalize, both banks needed approval from each board of
directors and needed to meet other standard closing conditions, like no legal impediments, regulatory approvals, delivery of purchase price and third-party consents. “Providence Bank has met many of its strategic objectives through the acquisition,” Hagar says. “The bank we acquired now has a greater scale [and] resources to better serve the needs of the community.” Community First Bank President Chuck Daily, like Hagar, expects the merger to allow the company to deliver more products, resources and lending capacity to consumers in the Fairview Heights area. While most Community First Bank employees columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 31
kept their jobs, some positions within the organization duplicated those of Providence Bank’s, leaving a few employees jobless post-acquisition.
MOVING FORWARD Daily will continue as the president of the Fairview Heights Providence Bank location. In a press release published on March 19, 2015, Daily said, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our bank to unite with a strong and growing community bank, creating greater convenience for our customers, and ensuring a continuation of our customer service focus.” While the deal is official, integration of the two companies in Fairview Heights and expansion into other diverse markets are still goals for the company. “We’re always looking for new opportunities for other institutions with whom to merge,” president and CEO of Providence Bank Kit Stolen says. “There are other [banks] in Illinois being considered, but nothing is for sure. This gives us a good, strong platform to expand in the Illinois marketplace.” Stolen joined the Columbia company a year after Providence Bank’s loss-share agreement with the FDIC, in which the company gained not only the branch networks of Premier Bank, but also their troubled real estate loans, which Stolen considers an advantage, as he got to know not only the historic clients of Providence, but also the new clientele coming from Premier. Today, he wants to expand the company, filling in the areas where Providence Bank can evolve. “We’re constantly looking to grow in one of two ways: organically, with new products, services and potential expansion, and the other alternative is to continue making acquisitions of other financial institutions.” Although consistently looking for expansion, Stolen says the most unique feature of Providence Bank is that the team is still small enough to have close, personal relationships with their clients. “While we talk about locations and facilities and things of that nature, it’s a people business,” Stolen says. “It’s the relationship between ourselves and our clients, and it’s our desire to be responsive that differentiates us.” CBT 32 \\\ January 2016
“We’re constantly looking to grow in one of two ways: organically, with new products, services and potential expansion, and the other alternative is to continue making acquisitions of other financial institutions.”
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 33
Anna Meyer, Owner
Meet Anna Meyer, owner of Range Free bakery and cafĂŠ. Anna obtained an SBA loan from The Bank of Missouri allowing her to fulfill her dream of providing a safe dining environment for the growing number of people in Columbia with food allergies. Her menu is full of delightful entrees and treats that are enticing to all. 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.
34 \\\ January 2016
P.Y.S.K. Person You Should Know
Job description: The county treasurer is an elected official responsible for receiving, disbursing and investing all funds for the county and ensuring that monies are correctly segregated into separate funds as required by law.
Tom Darrough Boone County Treasurer
Years lived in Columbia/mid-Missouri: 35
Age:
50
Original hometown: I was born in Northfield, Minnesota and moved to Columbia when I was 4.
Education: I attended MU from ’83 to ’87. In 1989, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
Community involvement: I have participated in many different activities and organizations over the years, from coaching youth basketball, baseball and soccer to helping organizations such as Granny’s House and Love INC. Recently, I have been helping with much needed repairs at the Central Missouri Humane Society.
If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have had two great careers already. I love my current career and hope to continue it for a long time. I’ve always had an interest in farming, so if I weren’t doing this for a living, I might have been a farmer. What people should know about this profession: Treasurers have a wide variety of
Why I’m passionate about my job: My job as Boone County treasurer is really challenging and interesting, but what is so enticing about it is the responsibility to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollars. I strive to maximize the return on the sizeable county investments while being very sensitive to the risks associated with each type of investment option. My high level of enthusiasm is enhanced by the positive attitude of all the Boone County employees. The atmosphere in the County building is incredibly positive, and all employees enjoy their jobs and being around each other.
responsibilities in their purview. Willingness to research statutes and to consult with legal counsel, financial advisors, bond counsel, the other amazing elected officials and the remarkable employees in the county goes a long way toward success. At the end of the day, the treasurer makes the decisions on many financial matters, but there is no lack of resources available to aid in the process.
What I do for fun: I have fun wherever I am — working, playing or otherwise. I love any activity that involves family or friends. I play golf, though I am horrible. I exercise, though not near enough. I hunt, fish and watch sports. My favorite sports to watch are those of my three sons. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 35
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Professional background: After college, I began working as a computer programmer, which led to a 14-year career that culminated with me being a consultant who traveled the country. I worked on many projects that helped me grow as a leader and a mentor. I learned about my strengths and weaknesses. Sometime after 9/11, I decided that I no longer wanted to travel every week, and I started a construction company. I began with a small remodel, and two years later, I was building custom homes. Columbia is a great place for a small contractor to thrive. I learned about budgeting jobs. I worked with city and county governments to get projects approved. I built and owned a gas station and convenience store. I’ve been fortunate to work on around 400 projects, and I really appreciate the friendships that I’ve made along the way, including customers, suppliers, employees and subcontractors. After 14 years in construction, I was honored to be selected by Gov. Nixon and his staff for the Boone County treasurer vacancy. Most people don’t know that I: I take my work and responsibilities very seriously, but I don’t take myself very seriously at all. I know I'm a goofball.
Accomplishment I’m most proud of: I have had the great fortune of vastly exceeding my own expectations for my life. I did some really cool things as a computer programmer, including a project in Washington that saved Bell Atlantic and Nynex tens of millions from the performance enhancements I made while consulting there. As a contractor, I was a part of amazing remodels, beautiful new homes, gas stations, retail spaces and more. But by far, I am most proud of the three amazing sons that my wife, Cheri, and I have raised. They are so far beyond me as gentlemen, scholars and athletes. But more importantly, they are really good people. I must make a disclaimer that most people who know me think that my wife has had a much larger role in this success. But this does not change how proud I am of all three. CBT 36 \\\ January 2016
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 37
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38 \\\ January 2016
Roundtable › Al Germond
Double Down for MU We'll never get the whole story about what transpired during the recently concluded “times of trouble” at University of Missouri. The stormy fall semester is over and the university community is at rest. A provisional management team is in place. Barry Odom is the new football coach and the bad news about MU is beginning to fade. Now to press forward and maximize the healing process. Time to double down our support Al Germond is the host of the for the university. Shame to those who Columbia Business Times say they'll close their checkbooks, withSunday Morning Roundtable draw sons, daughters and other relaat 8:15 a.m. Sundays on KFRU. tives from MU and abstain from attendHe can be reached at ing athletic events or other functions. algermond@ What to make of all this? Opinion falls between two extremes. Some businesstimescompany.com -- perhaps naively -- believe this was a home-grown protest by a group miffed by slights and insensitivities by university officials to racial issues. Others believe outside support and funding came from professional community organizers some might consider disciples of Saul Alinsky, Richard Cloward and Francis Fox Piven. A string of near-Indian summer days was setting for the MU graduate student who vowed to spurn nourishment and starve himself to death until MU president Timothy M. Wolfe agreed to resign. The protest drew national media attention. Thousands of students crossing the quadrangle between classes paused long enough to observe the circus as it unfolded. The most odious event was the shameful outburst on Monday, Nov. 9 by the decidedly un-muscled and, thankfully at this point, untenured assistant professor of communications. Her angry, hateful mug has been etched into ironic posterity on screens everywhere in a pitifully pathetic contradiction of what communication is all about in the United States of America. But the stunt worked. Tim Wolfe resigned — the first removal of an MU president since the Board of Curators fired Dr. Stratton D. Brooks (1870-1949) on April 5, 1930 — taking with him the chancellor of the Columbia campus, Dr. R. Bowen Loftin. At the same time, otherwise celebrated football coach Gary Pinkel — nursing his own medical issues — opted to retire with honor. The MU hierarchy buckled, cowed by the belief that the nutritionally challenged protester from Nebraska would die within a few days, perhaps ignoring the fact that Indian civil rights activist Dr. Mahatma K. Gandhi (1869-1948) survived three separate 21-day fasts in 1924, 1933 and 1943.
MU students demonstrate on March 27, 1965 at the steps of Jesse Hall. This photo appeared on the front page of the Maneater and was taken by student journalist Al Germond.
Who really believes a wealthy Union Pacific Railroad executive would allow his son to starve himself to death over issues involving race at the University of Missouri? Who really believes that the faster's camp-out would have continued as colder days, laced with inclement weather — including wind, snow and ice — descended on the Carnahan Quadrangle? How convenient it was that a truce was arranged well before Saturday, Nov. 21, the first day overnight temperatures dipped into the 20s, a sure harbinger that winter was imminent. At the same time, students were evacuating Columbia for their weeklong Thanksgiving break. The famished protester has since been recorded high-fiving his buddies at a job well done in anticipation of a sumptuous feast of Thanksgiving, snuggled with his family back home in Omaha. What has happened in the past has been unfortunate. But it's time to move on with a new team in formation. Most unfortunate is the belittlement-bordering-on-censorship of any open, free-spirited discussion about racial matters. When the minds of these youthful protestors become more seasoned, they may understand the pain inflicted by their attack on a great university. Perhaps they will gain a few more years of life from research conducted in a university laboratory, the university's teaching hospital and clinics, the school of veterinary medicine, nuclear medicine and isotopes from the university's unique research reactor, as well as hundreds of other endeavors. We are challenged, energized and nourished by our continually refreshed crop of young people. But they are callow, often unmindful of the unintended consequences of what they wish for. Now's the time more than ever to support the University of Missouri as we encourage our young people to work things out peacefully and through orderly negotiation. Threats turn us off. This was an attack on a great university and many of us are not very happy about it. But let the healing begin, and let's move on. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 39
20und Congratulations to CBT's 2016 class of 20 Under 40, presented by Stephens College.
40 \\\ JANUARY January 2016
der40 By Brenna M c Dermott | photos by Anthony Jinson
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 41
20 UNDER 4 0 | C LASS o f ' 16
AGE:
34
Michael Urban
Founder/Owner, Harold’s Doughnuts Michael Urban is founder, owner, chief delivery officer, social media picture-taker and more at Harold’s Doughnuts. The success of Harold’s stems from his childhood, where his entrepreneurial spirit and a love of sweet treats developed. After 18 months in business, Urban says his next goals are to expand the Harold’s presence in supermarkets, introduce nationwide shipping and continue to position Harold’s as a fresh alternative. He’s continuing the Harold’s “Love Your Craft” mantra into a program for local employers looking to foster passion in teams. One of his favorite projects in 2015 was creating Memory Maker experiences — Harold’s provides the materials for families to decorate gingerbread houses together, and for businesses to enter houses in a contest for charity. “I’m motivated to create a place where my employees can build a career and a place where the community can be comfortable enjoying great food and drinks,” he says.
AGE:
32
Stephanie Wilmsmeyer
Agent/Owner Stephanie Wilmsmeyer – State Farm If Stephanie Wilmsmeyer had a third title, after agent and owner of a State Farm agency, it would probably be mentor. Wilmsmeyer has turned her agency into a training ground for Columbia young professionals. She hires aspiring entrepreneurs and trains them for 18 months. This gives them the opportunity to see how a small business runs, from payroll to management. “I am purposeful in building relationships and helping professionals connect with other local centers of influence,” Wilmsmeyer says. She’s worked at State Farm since 2000, and she opened her own agency in 2007. In 2015, Wilmsmeyer was named to the State Farm Chairman’s Circle – an honor given to the top 5 percent of 18,000 State Farm agents in the country. She’s involved with the American Heart Association leadership team, BNI – Tiger Connections, Women’s Network and the Chamber of Commerce. 42 \\\ January 2016
Check out columbiabusinesstimes.com for more 20 Under 40 content.
AGE:
35
Chris Rosskopf
Vice President of Commercial Banking, Central Bank of Boone County Chris Rosskopf says he might not fit all the traditional banker stereotypes — like that all bankers are good golfers — but he does fit the “relationship builder” stereotype. Rosskopf, who has worked for CBBC since 2005 and Central Bancompany before that, works with local small business owners on lending and treasury management. “I love listening to the passion that business owners have when they are talking about why their business is successful and what they’ve learned in the process,” he says. Among his future goals, Rosskopf plans to develop relationships with 10 new clients and increase his staff by two to three people in the next two years. Rosskopf is co-chair of the Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign, serves on the Voluntary Action Center board of directors and Columbia Housing Authority financial advisory committee. He recently graduated from the Graduate School of Banking.
AGE:
38
Lyria Bartlett
Assistant Teaching Professor at University of Missouri, Coach of Rock Bridge High School Dance Team and Owner of Studio 4 LLC Lyria Bartlett lives full-steam ahead. Literally — she and her students in MU’s Department of Architectural Studies are collaborating with Columbia Public Schools to design and fabricate the interior of the mobile makerspace STEAM bus. She describes herself as a “creative coach” in all that she does, whether teaching at MU, coaching the Rock Bridge dance team or working on architectural projects through her small business. “Most of the things that I teach in the classroom or coach in the studio are life lessons about collaboration and good citizenship, viewed through a designer’s lens,” she says. “The skills are different, but the principles are the same: learn to identify the problem, evaluate ways to approach it, create a solution that fits best within the given circumstance.” In addition to completing the STEAM bus interior, Bartlett hopes to win a national championship with the dance team in February. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 43
20 UNDER 4 0 | C LASS o f ' 16
AGE:
33
Drew smith
Senior Vice President, Commercial Team Leader, Commerce Bank Drew Smith is taking on a new challenge these days – leading a group of employees. As team leader, he coaches relationship managers to maximize their potential, and he also works with clients himself. Smith still manages customer accounts, and he says he enjoys getting “in the weeds” on a deal and understanding how a client operates their business. He’s worked at Commerce Bank since 2006 and worked at Boone National Savings & Loan before it was acquired by Commerce Bank. Smith received the company-wide “Top Gun Award” as the top producer in commercial lines of business. “The best thing about my job is being around entrepreneurs and innovators,” he says. “I love knowing and hearing about new businesses in the community and getting into the logistics of how they run their business and how a company makes money.” Smith has served on the board of Rainbow House for more than seven years.
AGE:
31
Curt Kippenberger, DC Owner/Clinic Director, Focus on Health Chiropractic
Curt Kippenberger’s personal and professional lives revolve around the climb. The chiropractor is an avid rock climber, competing in 24-hour endurance climbs as well as cycling and hiking. He brings the same goaloriented mentality to Focus on Health, open since 2010 and growing. Kippenberger just hired the office’s third doctor and has plans to hire a fourth, as well as expand their office. Eventually, Kippenberger plans to open satellite clinics in neighboring communities. Focus on Health sponsors cycling, roller derby and rugby teams throughout Columbia in addition to their charity work, and that reflects Kippenberger’s passion for an active lifestyle. “Our vision is to have 80 percent of the population under chiropractic care,” he says. “We can directly influence the Columbia community’s quality of life with preventative care and keep people active and encouraged when they do have pain.” Kippenberger says he’s still amazed that he can help people get out of pain with just his hands. 44 \\\ January 2016
Check out columbiabusinesstimes.com for more 20 Under 40 content.
AGE:
33
Jim Yankee
President, Flat Branch Home Loans Before Jim Yankee started Flat Branch Home Loans at 25, he was just about everything, from electric meter installer to short order cook. He moved into the mortgage industry by answering an employment ad. Today, his company is working toward becoming the largest mortgage originator in Missouri. “Another 10 years, and I think we’ll be there,” Yankee says. The company is in the midst of an expansion in the St. Louis area, building a service center in St. Charles. With a business partner in Delton Jacobs, whom Yankee calls a great influence, and his wife, Jessie, owner of EasyPC, Yankee has fulfilled his dream of owning a business. To make Columbia better, he calls for business owners to get involved in local government. “Columbia should encourage business growth and foster an environment that helps more young people experience success in their lives and careers,” Yankee says. “That’s only possible with more involvement from business-minded people.”
AGE:
35
Madeleine LeMieux
Founder/Director, Resident Arts When Madeleine LeMieux moved to Columbia two years ago, she had a dream: help young and emerging artists build creative careers here in Columbia. She founded Resident Arts, in the North Village Arts District, to do just that. Her programs offer a creative outlet for teens after school and offer residencies and workshops for emerging artists. The program has served around 2,000 people in the community. Next up for Resident Arts is to move into a larger space, to keep up with the demand for programming. Today, LeMieux is working to create a youth-led arts advocacy council. She’s also the fundraising chair of the North Village Arts District and is working to sustain First Fridays. “Columbia is an incredible place to live,” she says. “I want to help establish this city as a national arts center in the Midwest.” columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 45
20 UNDER 4 0 | C LASS o f ' 16
AGE:
30
Andrea Paul
Executive Account Manager, GFI Digital Andrea Paul uses her auditing skills for good. As executive account manager for GFI Digital, Paul uses her background in financial and performance auditing to help her customers’ bottom lines, from reducing print costs to increasing staff efficiencies. Prior to joining the GFI team in 2008, Paul worked under Claire McCaskill in the Missouri State Auditor’s office, auditing taxpayers’ money to ensure it was spent appropriately. “Now my customers appreciate the impact we make to their organization,” Paul says. “It’s almost like Christmas morning or their birthday.” Paul was also inspired by GFI owner Bruce Gibbs’ community contributions to create opportunities for women in higher education. She created the Andrea Lee Paul Golf Scholarship fund at Columbia College through outright and planned gifts of $110,000. “I played collegiate athletics and saw female athletes receive a fraction of the amount of male athletes in scholarships,” she says.
AGE:
38
Steve Tuchschmidt II General Manager, Mid America Harley-Davidson
Steve Tuchschmidt would like to be skiing right now. A Colorado native, he is a lover of the outdoors, so it’s not a surprise that his career has revolved around two wheels. Tuchschmidt has worked at Mid America Harley-Davidson since 2010, working from sales associate up to general manager, and he owned Vespa of Columbia before that. His next professional goal is to own and manage a second dealership. Tuchschmidt says the sense of community in the motorcycle world is strong. “Our customers truly feel like our family. Many people that come through the door know all of our names and we know theirs.” He’s passionate about the industry, but also the community. In 2015, Tuchschmidt launched the MO Bacon and Bourbon Festival. To make Columbia better, “I would help to promote shopping local and thinking global, and keeping our dollars here at home.” 46 \\\ January 2016
Check out columbiabusinesstimes.com for more 20 Under 40 content.
AGE:
37
Jonathan Sessions Owner, Gravity
Jonathan Sessions is in the midst of his “next big thing.” The transformation of Sessions Consulting to Tech 2 has now become Gravity, mid-Missouri’s Apple authorized service provider. But his tech guru journey began before that, when he was an Apple campus representative at MU and he helped transition the journalism school to Apple computers. Today, Gravity provides technology training and support. But Sessions is just as recognized for his six years of service on the Columbia School Board. For him, a successful community and a successful school district are connected. “I started thinking about community leadership and how to foster the next generation of inspiring yet pragmatic leaders,” he says. “I think the schools could really play a role there.” And to make Columbia a better place to live, Sessions wants to connect those issues again: eliminate the achievement gap, invest in early childhood education and fix the Business Loop.
AGE:
33
Laura Roeder
Co-Owner, Pure Barre Laura Roeder can be found at just about every event in Columbia. As co-owner of Pure Barre, Roeder handles marketing and community outreach, and she maximizes every connection she makes. “I have so many wonderful men and women who I seek out for different pieces of advice and guidance at different times in my life,” she says. “If I know you, I probably have used your knowledge and advice in some way.” Roeder worked at Wilson’s Fitness as a supervisor for 11 years before co-owning Pure Barre. Next up for the franchise owner is to move the fitness studio to a larger location and to continue local business relationships. Partnering with other small businesses is something Roeder is passionate about. “I would love to see more emphasis on a celebration of small business,” she says. “This could lead to fun and interesting collaborations and partnerships between businesses.” Roeder is involved with Women’s Network, EPIC, Big Brothers Big Sisters and True North. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 47
20 UNDER 4 0 | C LASS o f ' 16
AGE:
38&32
Barbara Buffaloe
Sustainability Manager, City of Columbia As the City of Columbia’s first sustainability manager, it’s been Barbara Buffaloe’s job for five years to lead projects promoting sustainable lifestyles. Through federal grants and action plans, she has helped save the city $120,000 in annual energy savings. Her next goal is to win Columbia a $5 million prize from Georgetown University by saving the most energy of 50 communities. CoMo Energy Challenge encourages residents to participate in energy and cost-saving programs. It’s making a difference in the lives of families, Buffaloe says, who have to choose between utilities and food. One of her favorite projects has been raising awareness and working towards an increase in recycling in Columbia. To make the community a better place, Buffaloe says she would give everyone a day off to enjoy Columbia parks and trails. “Gifting time to just breathe and appreciate the place we call home would make us a happier and healthier community,” she says.
AGE:
35
Jabbok & William Schlacks CEO and President, EquipmentShare
Brothers Jabbok and William Schlacks have their sights set on one big goal: expand EquipmentShare internationally and develop the best telematics platform in the world. The two had a frustration with the equipment rental industry while running construction companies, and they realized there was a need in the market for a safe, secure “built by contractors” platform. EquipmentShare won the fourth-annual Startup Weekend Columbia in 2014. The Schlacks brothers have operated with a strategy in mind: focus on and measure growth. “If you’re growing and customers are happy, then you’re good,” William says. “If you’re growing and customers are not happy, disaster awaits.” Headquartered in Columbia, the company already serves about 1,000 companies throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois. The brothers hope to expand to Texas and Florida first. After that, they’ll expand business overseas. 48 \\\ January 2016
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AGE:
35
Caleb Colbert
Shareholder/Attorney, Brown Willbrand, P.C. At age 30, Caleb Colbert was invited to become a shareholder of one of the oldest law firms in Columbia. After achieving a young lawyer’s goal, Colbert is focused on expanding the law firm and adding attorneys in the next few years. Since joining the firm in 2013, Colbert has helped clients purchase businesses and win multimillion dollar lawsuits. Missouri Lawyers Weekly selected Colbert for the “Up & Coming Lawyer” class of 2015. An MU School of Law graduate, some of Colbert’s favorite projects involve working with the city’s Planning & Zoning for real estate development projects. He recently helped annex property into Columbia on St. Charles Road. Colbert says he encourages more input in city decisions. He says, “Columbia would be an even better place to live if the input council received was from a more diverse group.” Colbert is a Leadership Columbia graduate, and involved with the Chamber’s agribusiness committee and Ducks Unlimited.
AGE:
31
Tyson Hunt
Co-Founder and CEO/Captain, Logboat Brewing Co. Tyson Hunt does not sit around and drink beer all day. “Brewing beer is more like 80 percent cleaning, 10 percent actual brewing and 10 percent paperwork,” he says. The co-founder of one of Columbia’s hometown breweries now works mostly with the operations of the company and legal aspects of producing and selling an alcoholic beverage, but his passion for brewing hasn’t changed. “I love when the taproom opens and people can be heard conversing, laughing and enjoying life around something we created,” he says. Logboat is in the process of planning their next expansion, and they recently purchased a bottling machine. Hunt’s future goals are to develop new recipes to push the envelope for Logboat, learn how to make whiskey and other distilled beverages and to become a better CEO. Prior to opening Logboat, Hunt was a special education teacher at Columbia Public Schools. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 49
20 UNDER 4 0 | C LASS o f ' 16
AGE:
36
Jon Galloway
Vice President of Business Development, Veterans United Home Loans Jon Galloway walks the VU walk. Employed there since 2012, Galloway has been a major force behind Patriot Place, the under-construction housing project providing emergency shelter and long-term housing for male and female veterans, with on-site support. VU partnered with Welcome Home, the Columbia Housing Authority and the Department of Veterans Affairs on the project, located on Business Loop 70. His goal? To end veteran homelessness in mid-Missouri. His other goal is to work with business partners to make Columbia more veteran friendly. Recently, Galloway and VU partnered with realtor.com to create a veteran’s guide to homeownership as an educational resource for veterans and their spouses. For Galloway, constant improvement is his motivation. “I used to think you were as good as you would ever be right now, and that was what people expected from you,” he says. “When I realized that was way off, my motivation became more about improvement.”
AGE:
34
Sonya Addison, MD
Endocrinologist with Boone Medical Group, Owner of Tucker’s Fine Jewelry & Gift Gallery Sonya Addison has two careers. An MU School of Medicine graduate, Addison is an endocrinologist with Boone Medical Group, with a focus on diabetes, thyroid and other hormone-related issues. Addison’s goal is to develop a diabetes and endocrinology center in Columbia that provides education, diagnostics and physician and nursing servicers in one location. Her career goal for 2016? “To make everyone within the sound of my voice realize that they can control their diabetes, weight and other health issues,” Addison says. But that’s just half of her presence in Columbia; she and her husband, Justin, purchased Tucker’s Fine Jewelry in 2009, after Addison worked there through medical school. “Being a jewelry store owner is much more than just wearing pretty stuff and going to fundraisers,” Addison says. “Being a small business owner is very hard work, and every penny is earned the hard way.” 50 \\\ January 2016
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AGE:
27
Matt McCormick
President/CEO, Columbia Chamber of Commerce It’s been a year of achieving chamber-industry goals for Columbia Chamber of Commerce president Matt McCormick. He was elected to serve on the board of trustees for the Institute for Organizational Management, for the U.S. Chamber, and was elected to the board of directors for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Born in Rockwall, Texas, McCormick has served in the Chamber industry since 1998 and has lived in Columbia for three years. Next on his list of goals is to grow the Chamber to 1,500 business members. McCormick is also involved in Rotary Club South and Job Point. To make Columbia a better place to live, McCormick says it’s about open collaboration. “We all, as leaders of Columbia, must learn how to leave our egos at the door and work together to make Columbia the best place to live, learn, work and play in Missouri.” CBT
AGE:
39
Kelsey Meyer
Co-Founder/President, Influence & Co. Kelsey Meyer is an entrepreneur to the core. The Influence & Co. co-founder and president has spent most of her life starting her own businesses. Founded in 2011, I&C has grown to 70 employees and was named to Forbes’ 100 most promising companies in America list. She manages operations for the content marketing company’s three locations. She’s currently developing training for first-time leaders in the company, and she’s also working on proprietary software to work with clients creating content. “We recently received an email from a client telling us that she was able to secure $1 million in funding for her company as a result of an article we helped her publish,” Meyer says. “That was incredibly motivating for our team.” Her 2016 goal is to grow the company by more than 50 percent. The company employs many young professionals, and Meyer says she would like to focus on better connecting town and gown to retain talented college graduates. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 51
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ABCs of EMV Credit card security upgrades weigh heavily on Columbia’s retail industry. by Zach Lloyd
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 53
R
Riding my bike home from the store on the MKT Trail a few months ago, I lost my Chase debit card. The plastic bag hanging from my handlebars had a hole in it, and somewhere during the ride, my card had wormed its way to freedom. I looked around once I had realized it was missing, but I didn’t look too long; Chase Bank had sent me a letter a few days before that said a new card was being sent in the mail, and should be arriving any time. The letter said something about a new chip embedded in the updated card, which was supposed to offer me greater protection from fraud. Perfect timing. I skimmed over the letter once I had made it home and canceled my lost card. Having been a victim of credit fraud before, I wanted to know a little bit about this new chip card that the letter called “EMV-ready.” A few years ago, an unidentified thief used my debit card information to take out a $600 car ad in The New York Times classifieds, so I was intrigued by the chip technology, and what it had to offer me. But what exactly is EMV, and what does it mean?
WHAT DOES EMV MEAN FOR CARDHOLDERS? EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, the three companies that developed the framework for the new technology. EMV encompasses a complex set of specifications and technological advancements in credit cards and credit card payment devices to better protect consumers from card-present transactional fraud. Card-present means the buyer uses their card at a payment terminal, like at the grocery store or ATM, and does not include online purchases. The migration to EMV technology in the United States officially began on Oct. 1, when a credit liability shift between banks and merchants went into effect. More than 80 countries around the globe have partially or fully made the transition in the past decade, according to EMV-connection.com. Credit card issuers like American Express, Discover, MasterCard, NYCE Payments Network, Accel, Visa and more are all taking part in the move. The most important change for consumers is the addition of microprocessors, embedded in credit and debit cards, that make the holder’s information more difficult to counterfeit as compared to traditional magnetic-stripe-only cards. EMV-connection.com says that more than 2.3 billion chip payment cards are in use around the globe, that 99.9 percent of payment terminals in Europe are chip-capable, and 84.7 percent of terminals in Canada, Latin America and 54 \\\ January 2016
the Caribbean are EMV-ready. The U.S. just became the final major world market to make the switch to EMV. Because America has been so adept at catching fraud in the past, the transition to the new technology hasn’t really been necessary until now. “Basically, fraud has become more sophisticated in recent years,” said David Shipper, vice president of payment products at Landmark Bank. “In the United States, it’s not a requirement to make the switch to EMV, but both banks and merchants are encouraged to move their cards from typical mag-stripe cards to ones that have the chip. Those transactions that are processed with the chip are more secure… unless somebody actually stole your card, they wouldn’t be able to just take the information off the chip and make a fake card with it.” So the shift to EMV technology for banks and merchants is not a legal requirement – it’s more of a security suggestion. This is exactly the danger of magnetic-stripe cards, as it has become relatively easy for criminals equipped with specialized counterfeit equipment to steal a person’s card information and create a duplicate. According to 2013 statistics from the Nilson Report, the United States accounted for nearly half of all global payment card fraud losses, despite only generating 23.5 percent of the global sales volume. Gemalto, a world leader in digital security, revealed that around 1,500 data breaches in 2014 led to more than one billion data records being compromised last year alone, with data breaches up 49 percent from the previous year. Information security is a huge problem that affects millions of people worldwide every year, and the hope is that EMV technology can give consumers some peace of mind. Shipper says it’s important to remember that the consumer will always be protected, either by the merchant or by their bank, from credit fraud, whether they have an EMV card or not.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BUSINESSES? For retailers and business owners, fraud liability under EMV has undergone some big changes since Oct. 1.
In the past, it was the bank’s responsibility whenever card-present fraud arose, and the card issuer would work with the consumer, eating the fraud charges and protecting the cardholders from thievery. Now that the EMV migration has begun, U.S payment networks have shifted fraud liability in some instances, so it is now the business’ responsibility – not the bank’s – to handle fraudulent transactions. This affects any business that accepts physical credit card transactions, even if they use a point-ofsale system like Square or ShopKeep. If a criminal fraudulently uses a chip-enabled card at a payment terminal that is not EMV-compatible, the business owner is responsible for the fraud. EMV chips add a new layer of protection by creating a unique authorization code every time the card is processed at a terminal. In order for the chip technology to be utilized, the pointof-sale terminal owned by the merchant needs to be chip-compatible. Instead of swiping, buyers with EMV cards will “dip” their card into a special slot in the terminal and leave it in the machine for the duration of the transaction, which can take up to 20 seconds. Ron Catalano is the co-owner of Missouri Restaurant Solutions, a full-service dealer that
Business Data Breach: Now what? The IRS and FTC have many resources for business owners who want to protect customer information. Here are three important steps to take when you realize your business is experiencing a data security breach: Source: Federal Trade Commission and Internal Revenue Service
sells point-of-sale equipment and software to food, beverage and hospitality companies. He explained that, depending on what equipment and software a business has used in the past, the update process could include purchasing new point-of-sale hardware, like register terminals or card readers, as well as upgrading the software that connects the business to a credit card processing company. It varies from business to business, but many independent retailers are now faced with purchasing thousands of dollars of new equipment to become EMV-compliant and protected from fraudulent transactions. “The machines are swapped out for EMV-capable machines,” Catalano says. “If you wanted to integrate with your point-of-sale, so you don’t have to batch out your POS and your credit card machine, then the software has to be EMV-capable too. And there are quite a number of standards and qualifications that have to be met in order to integrate with EMV.” The new terminals range anywhere from $50 to $1,000, not including the cost of software updates, and every business must also undergo an EMV certification process to become officially compliant. Depending on how many
point-of-sale terminals a business has, these costs can add up quickly. Brendan Coughlin, a recent MU graduate, started a business in July 2015 to help business owners negotiate fair rates with credit card processing companies. The result was AllianZ Consulting Solutions, a Columbia-based, two-man firm aimed at helping small-to-medium-sized retailers negotiate the Wild West that is the credit card processing industry. For many small business owners, the EMV migration has just become one more complex issue in an already complicated affair. “All businesses who want to accept cards at their stores must have one of these processing companies, and they pay these huge corporations thousands and thousands of dollars each year,” Coughlin says. “It’s costing companies literally thousands and thousands of dollars, and these are the small, independent businesses in town that are struggling the most. If businesses are paying their processors and their banks thousands of dollars a year, you would think the new equipment might be free. That’s not the case.” Coughlin says that business owners have the option to rent or buy their EMV equipment, and that they can work with point-of-sale merchants
to figure out the most affordable and appropriate plan. But it’s also important to remember that there is no law that states a business must transition to EMV technology. For business owners, the decision comes down to a cost-benefit analysis: does it cost more to become compliant or does it cost more to be responsible for fraud?
WHAT DO BUSINESS OWNERS THINK? This is a decision each business owner will have to make themselves, and it varies largely from merchant to merchant. For example, a car dealer who handles big-money transactions on a regular basis would have more to lose from a fraudulent transaction than a local bookstore or bar, where sales amounts are low. “Take a typical sports bar,” Catalano says. “We’re looking at a breach being per check, per transaction, and given that it’s the big, huge check items like a television or furniture or jewelry, those are the folks that have to be very concerned because one transaction is a big one. Whereas if you’re a sports bar, and one transaction is a few beers and some chicken wings for $32.50, it’s not that big of a deal. If a criminal has a fake credit
Notify law enforcement When the compromise could result in harm to a person or business, call your local police department immediately. Report your situation and the potential risk for identity theft.
Notify affected businesses Information compromises can affect other businesses, such as banks or credit issuers. If credit card or bank account numbers have been stolen, but you do not maintain the accounts, notify the institution that does so that it can monitor the accounts for fraudulent activity. If you collect or store personal information on behalf of other businesses, notify them of any information compromise as well. Notice to credit bureaus can facilitate customer assistance.
Notify individuals Early notification to individuals whose personal information has been compromised allows them to take steps to mitigate the misuse of their information. If social security numbers have been compromised, individuals should follow the recommendations outlined by the Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft at IRS.gov. Consult with law enforcement on what information to include so your notice does not interfere with an ongoing investigation.
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 55
card, they’re typically not going to bounce around town and go to a couple restaurants, they’re going to buy big ticket items.” Even so, Catalano suggests that small business owners take the EMV liability shift seriously and consider the benefits of protecting themselves by becoming compliant. Andrew DuCharme, Lakota Coffee’s general manager, became EMV compliant before the Oct. 1 deadline, and he says there’s a learning curve for the employees and customers with the new system. Instead of updating an entire point-of-sale system, DuCharme says Lakota has independent chip card readers that are connected to the register terminals. In order to run a transaction, the customer has to insert their chip cards into the reader before the order total is manually typed in and the transaction goes through. “It’s pretty smooth, it just takes forever to run through,” DuCharme says. “If you were to swipe a card, it takes about three seconds. If you are to input it with the new chip reader, it takes about 15 seconds, so it’s slowed down our transaction times dramatically. [The customers] hate it.” DuCharme sees the switch as a hassle to his business and his customers; one that doesn’t add any protection to his store and has slowed down his service time. He isn’t alone in his frustration. James Kanne, owner of 9th Street Public House, is in the beginning phases of making the EMV transition. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, when he got his personal chip card in the mail, that the actuality of the migration hit him. “I’ve been looking into it as much as I can,” he says, “and I don’t know too much about it other than the fact that I have to buy new hardware that can read these chips.” Kanne says he’s waiting for more information about EMV cards, and he might be waiting a while. Even though the liability shift has been in full swing for two months now and banks have been issuing cards to their customers, Kanne and other business owners still feel confused about the whole deal. He wonders why his card processor and his point-of-sale supplier haven’t talked with him about the update more. “It’s just feeling totally like a hassle to me, like there’s something conspiratorial about it,” Kanne said. “I feel like I’ve been forced into a system and have to pay more now, and nobody’s told me why except that it’s more secure. This stuff is really expensive — really expensive — 56 \\\ January 2016
and that was a huge expense when I started two years ago. And now it’s outdated.” Kanne was happy to hear that the new cards are supposed to be more secure for his customers, though he seemed upset by the news that the new readers can take up to five times longer to complete a transaction than before. As an owner of a business where transaction speed plays a huge role in day-to-day success, Kanne was shaken by the news. “That’s a huge problem,” he says. “On a busy night, a 20-second sale times three — that’s a whole minute — that’s a huge amount of time when my bartenders are all standing at the same terminal waiting for a sale to go through. That’s terrible.” Increased transaction times affect the consumer as much as the business owner, as customers might get frustrated at having to wait longer for their chip-card sales to go through. Consumers tired of plodding EMV transac-
of-sale ShopKeep to handle her restaurant’s transactions. The cloud-based service is not yet EMV-ready, though they’ve assured Melton that any chip-card related fraud would be taken care of by their company until the new systems are available. Melton is generally happy with the update though, and she's happy her customers will now have extra protection from fraud. She currently has the new card readers, but they aren’t ready to be put into use — though once they are, Günter Hans will be compatible with both EMV and Apple Pay. “It was an expensive transition,” Melton says. “Those card readers aren’t cheap — especially considering I can’t even use them yet. I do think though it’s really nice for my guests, especially being in the bar and food industry, it’s great because it really does protect the consumer. It makes me feel good as an owner knowing that my customers will be protected.”
“I feel like I’ve been forced into a system and have to pay more now, and nobody’s told me why except that it’s more secure. This stuff is really expensive — really expensive — and that was a huge expense when I started two years ago. And now it’s outdated.” – James Kanne tions might prefer to use more traditional payment methods, or even mobile applications like Google Wallet or Apple Pay. Kanne says he hopes to have some sort of mobile payment system for his bar in the future, so that patrons could establish a gratuity when they walk in, track their purchases on their phones, and close their tabs without ever having to use a credit card or cash. Lydia Melton, owner of the European gastropub Günter Hans, currently uses the iPad point-
All told, the EMV transition is a multi-tiered affair. It affects consumers who will have to change the way they shop at brick-and-mortar stores. It affects business owners who count on easy transactions and avoiding fraudulent charges. It affects point-of-sale providers and credit card processors looking to push the United States into an updated commerce world. Moving forward, business owners will need to evaluate whether or not the costs of updating are worth it for them — and which way the retail landscape is shifting. CBT
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tempest in a
teapot The Business Loop CID set out to improve a worn-down retail area. Instead, it created a national scandal. What’s next? by Matt Patston | photos by Ben Meldrum
58 \\\ January 2016
In 1949, the Griggs family moved from a home on West Broadway, in Columbia, out to the country. They bought a bigger piece of land and lived on the outskirts of town. Not that Columbia was so urban at the time — Dave Griggs, a toddler when his family moved, says his hometown was “a sleepy little burg back then.” The city’s population, roughly 30,000, was just beginning to bring in significant numbers of GI Bill enrollees at MU. Life was still quiet in Boone County. During his childhood in the country, Dave would make routine trips back into town with his father. On weekends, they drove to Highway 40, the road now called Business Loop 70, to pick up cow feed at MFA. They would end the trip with breakfast, at a diner along the Loop called The Silver Griddle. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 59
The Silver Griddle is now Tiger Town Treasures thrift shop, and Griggs now owns the building across the street: Dave Griggs’ Flooring America, a Business Loop tenant since 1975. It’s the same building where Griggs’ brother used to sell Chevys. Griggs is now 69, with a distinguished career and a purposeful earnestness that has earned him a stout reputation in the business community. Throughout his tenure at Flooring America, Griggs has dabbled in the public eye: he’s currently the chairman of the Boone County Fire Protection District, and he’s also chaired the Chamber of Commerce and REDI, and he’s a former county commissioner. Griggs is now an outspoken board member of the Business Loop Community Improvement District, a quasi-public entity created last spring to fund public space improvements on the maligned Loop, which would hopefully encourage investment. The project has been decades in the making for Griggs, who has watched the area slip from a well-trafficked, two-lane business hub to a crippled retail strip.
CIDs are a type of Business Improvement District, which are used by cities around the world. In Missouri, a CID is formed by a request petition, signed by at least 50 percent of property owners in the district. That petition is then either accepted or rejected by local government.
The Loop is now a four-lane road, with many storefronts up against traffic in such a way that redevelopment is difficult. The medians, a popular panhandling spot, are pocked with weeds and textured by crackedoff flakes of concrete. Some lots are empty; others have vacant buildings in disrepair; others are occupied by payday lenders, pawnshops and, in one building, a strip club. Griggs and other business owners have been working together for decades on ways to improve The Loop, and many of those own60 \\\ January 2016
ers have built successful businesses there. The Parkade, on the west end of the road, was Columbia’s first shopping mall, and now serves as a retail center, community college campus and office space for the CID. Still, most of the Loop has been void of development for years, frozen in the past, untouched by the economic growth that’s changed the face of almost every other area in Columbia. “Because of lots of things,” Griggs says, “time has passed the Business Loop by.” he CID is supposed to make up for lost time, but time costs money — money to spend on landscaping, infrastructure repair, business recruitment, and eventually hiring a consultant to draft a longrange corridor plan for the Loop. To make that money, the CID first levied a property assessment on businesses in the district, which earns the CID about $50,000 annually. But in the scope of what The Loop needs, $50,000 isn’t much, so the CID also wanted to levy a half-cent sales tax, which would normally be voted on by residents living within district boundaries, according to the state CID statute. But the Loop CID was arranged in such a way that it had no residents, which would leave the sales tax vote to property owners — if there had actually been no residents. In August, the Boone County Clerk’s office discovered one registered voter living within the district. Under those circumstances, the one voter — 23-year-old college student Jen Henderson — would have had complete control over the sales tax vote. Local media picked up the story, followed by national publications, which accused the district of purposefully gerrymandering the borders to skirt a democratic vote. The national attention culminated in a segment on Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show," which host Trevor Noah introduced with: “Voting is a sacred constitutional right. But is it?” The story became somewhat less appealing to a national audience when local radio station KBIA identified 13 more voters in the district, but the damage to the CID’s reputation had largely been dealt by then. A headline from the Los Angeles Times went “A gerrymandering attempt that went hilariously awry.” A more blunt headline from The College Fix said “College student ruins secret plan to hike taxes on poor residents.”
T
The term is named after a political cartoon criticizing former Massachusetts Governor Eldridge Gerry, who rearranged voting districts to favor his DemocraticRepublican Party; the cartoon pointed out that the rigged district resembled a salamander. Gerry had other distinctions as well: he was vice president under James Madison and, at the Constitutional Convention, was an outspoken advocate for the Bill of Rights.
Three prominent players emerged in these stories: Henderson, an outspoken critic of the proposed sales tax, the CID board, and CID director Carrie Gartner. Gartner’s background is in politics. She managed campaigns and communications for various levels of state and local office before becoming director of The District, Columbia’s downtown corridor, in 2000. In that office, she presided over a downtown rebirth, culminating in a successfully formed CID, in 2011, which levied a property assessment and sales tax. After a brief stint with MU Health, Gartner was hired for a repeat performance, this time with The Loop. It’s been a different challenge. “I don’t think there’s anyone in town who looks at the Business Loop and doesn’t say,
‘Yeah, that needs to be improved,’” Gartner says. In that sense, though, she considers herself lucky. The board insists that they have broad public support, at least at a core level, and they’re not without assets: Gartner touts the Loop’s DIY-ethic and base of “Saturday morning retail,” those shops that bring in customers working on a weekend project, like fixing a car or installing an appliance or planning a garden. Gartner and the board have a happy relationship, and the city has been supportive of the CID so far. “The hard part is going to be ‘how do you undo 30 years of neglect?’” Gartner pauses. “Or, not neglect. It’s just that nothing has happened in 30 years.” Part of the modernization included a new website and branding, designed with
the help of local advertising firm Woodruff Sweitzer. The site’s home page is a collage of bright photos taken from around the Loop, some by Gartner herself. The tagline: “It’s good to be in The Loop.” artner’s optimism may be The Loop’s most critical asset. In several interviews, Henderson accused Gartner of pressuring her to unregister, and she questioned the legitimacy of Gartner’s $70,000 salary (the board has repeatedly backed Gartner’s compensation, and her salary is unchanged in the CID budget.) Gartner remembers her interaction with Henderson differently — she says they had a short, pleasant conversation about The Loop’s planned projects, and limited inter-
G
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 61
action after that — and criticisms lobbed at The Loop caught her off guard. The board began holding open meetings with nearby neighborhood associations, who were concerned about being intentionally cut out of the CID’s decision-making process. People asked why the board hadn’t been meeting with the public from the beginning. “That’s the perception,” Board Chairman Tom May says. “But you can’t really do any of that process until you’re a formal entity.” May directs public relations for MFA; he’s placid and deliberate in speech, and pragmatic about CID issues. Since gerrymandering accusations began flying, he’s dedicated personal effort to increasing community engagement. The board circulated a community survey, asking users about what they’d like to see improved on The Loop. May knocked on potential tax voters’ doors to make sure they received the ballots in the mail. Those experiences have also been positive, which May expected. “I’ve had to go and weed-out half the medians on Business Loop myself,” May said. “I haven’t talked to a single person that’s opposed to the Business Loop being improved.” The community survey showed that Loop users were most concerned with appearance and safety: The Loop and surrounding areas have developed a reputation for violent crime. May hopes that the CID’s improvements will encourage investment in the area, which would hopefully alleviate that problem. May reached his most animated point when reflecting on media coverage of the CID’s 62 \\\ January 2016
In November 2015, Columbia Police were dispatched to Business Loop 232 times; including four for auto theft, two for burglaries, nine for disturbances, one for shots fired and one death investigation. The first officer-involved shooting in Columbia took place on The Loop, when Sgt. Ben Booth and Sheriff Roger Wilson were fatally shot in 1933, near the present day intersection of The Loop and Rangeline.
alleged gerrymandering. “I think it’s just an embarrassment to the community,” he says of the national coverage. “Daily Show, L.A. Times, all they’re doing is making fun of our community, and we have a great community.” The board’s response to the gerrymandering issue varies, but they all point out that the process for drawing the district was relatively simple: all land parcels with frontage on the Business Loop were included. Some were small; others, like the parcels with Mizzou North and Hickman High School, were big. The resulting district was funny looking, they say, but not particularly complex. “I think I saw the gerrymandering thing in the Tribune the first time,” Gartner says. “And as soon as I saw it, I sent an email to [Tribune owner] Hank Waters and said, ‘This is not gerrymandering, and this is exactly how we drew the district’s borders.’” Griggs is less discerning. “It’s obviously gerrymandering,” he says. “It was intentionally gerrymandered.” Before levying a sales tax, the CID knew they would first levy a property tax in the district, but wanted to do so only for business owners — not residents. So, before drawing the district, the board went to the county and asked if anyone lived in the properties fronting the Business Loop, and the county said no. “So,” Griggs says, “the plan was to gerrymander it — and frankly, that’s a fine term by me — to eliminate involving personal houses so we wouldn’t increase people’s taxes. So we’re criticized for that because people don’t really understand it. And I try to tell that story any chance I get.”
J
ames Gordon and Kris Husted, reporters for KBIA radio, were trying to pitch their CID coverage to National Public Radio throughout the early fall. At that point, Henderson was still believed to be the sole voter in the district, and Husted and Gordon were looking for a way to distinguish their coverage of the story from other local media. They had an idea for an interactive map laying data of registered voters in Boone County over a map of the CID, which would hopefully illuminate how many voters lived near the border. Gordon, who has a background in data journalism, drew the map up. To their surprise, 14 dots showed up inside the CID. Gordon and Husted thought they screwed
up; Gordon ran the data again, with the same result. He called County Clerk Wendy Noren’s office. After talking for an hour, Noren and Gordon determined that there were 14 voters living in The Loop CID. KBIA broke their story; NPR dropped them from consideration. Husted and Gordon figured people were more interested in the one-voter story. “Who wouldn’t be?” Husted says. “It’s a perfect David and Goliath story. But if it’s too good to be true, it probably is…The CID board was painted as villains initially, and that’s not really our job as reporters. We just present the facts and let people decide for themselves.” KBIA’s discovery was welcome, though surprising, news for the board. May told me that he would prefer the vote be citywide — Columbia has a friendly record with sales tax increases — but that’s not the way the state ordinance is written. The CID held its 14-person election on Dec. 10, and the sales tax passed 4-3. $200 worth of groceries on the business loop will now cost $201. The board expects to bring in more than $200,000 with the sales tax annually. Some of that will go toward paying back legal debts involved with the CID’s creation, so planned projects still won’t have much capital to maneuver until later.
The CID has already been working on undergrounding utility lines to improve aesthetics on The Loop, and they’ve discussed things as varied as restructuring stormwater management and planting flowers. The CID also plans on installing crosswalks, bike paths and small parks to make the area more pedestrian friendly. More complicated, long-term projects include economic development and business recruitment. In a community survey, respondents listed beautification and public safety as their top concerns for The Loop.
“Even with the sales tax, we won’t be a wealthy organization,” Gartner says. Her board members agree: it will take more money and more time to stop the inertia of a 30-year slide. “If we can do this in 20 years, then we’d really be brilliant,” Griggs says. The short term has been more complicated than the long term. Gartner says that her job is less about politicking than it’s about convincing people of the CID’s mission. The sales tax fiasco made that more difficult. “I think that whether they’re doing everything they can to engage with voters is sort of an open question,” Gordon says. Husted nods. “It’s like the CID says, a half-cent sales tax really isn’t that much,” he says, pausing. “But it’s the principle. The principle has people up in arms.” Gordon says The Loop has become a “tempest in a teapot.” The idiom traditionally means an exaggerated problem, but its literal interpretation seems apt too: a heavy storm in a tiny, pressurized space. Still, The Loop is closer to improving now than it ever has been before. More local businesses may follow the lead of companies like True Media, which bought and renovated the old Commerce Bank building on The Loop in 2012. True Media’s CEO, Jack Miller, works closely with the CID board, and he seems to be equally as committed to improving the area through investment. In an email, Miller wrote that the area was ready for revival: “It’s strategically located with excellent access to the interstate,” Miller wrote. “The more I looked at the Business Loop, the more I became convinced that, with the right plan, the area could prosper again.” Columbia is a different city now than it was in 1975, when Griggs started his business, and certainly different than it was when Griggs went to The Silver Griddle diner with his dad on Saturday mornings. But the CID board still thinks the road is significant, and they think that the public — eventually — will agree with them. “It is the northern gateway to CoMo,” Griggs says. “And it certainly doesn’t look like the northern gateway should look, in my opinion.” And it may stay that way for a while. Still, people will certainly be talking about The Loop. CBT columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 63
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By Beth Bramstedt
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 65
Each year, more than 2.3 million couples exchange vows across the country. Plans are made, dresses are purchased, and guests are invited. Yet the work doesn’t stop after the couple says “I do.” Once the honeymoon is over, most brides must still go through the tedious process of changing their name. Their name. A series of letters strung together to form an identity. A moniker they’ve written and signed for decades. A word that distinguishes their personhood on everything from their driver’s license to their email address. Yet no fanfare is needed, no public relations campaign or marketing specialist. A bride announces she’s a newlywed, and her community understands. But what happens when a community institution like Boone County National Bank decides to change its name, after more than a century? It takes a good reason, some killer data, a few crazy ideas, great prizes and a host of creative people, working together, to make it fun.
In 1974, Boone County National Bank joined Central Bancompany, a Jefferson City-based holding company, which gave it room to grow while still offering community-based banking. This transition made them one of 13 independent banks, with more than 130 combined locations, in a four-state region. “Columbia is perfect for our model,” says Dan Westhues, senior vice president of Central Bancompany. “Community banks can really flourish and make an impact in markets like Columbia.”
2015, the remaining banks, including Boone County National Bank, followed suit. In the six months since the change, Westhues says that customers’ use of branches outside of Columbia has exploded. “The number of transactions where customers are using a non-Columbia branch is in the upper 1,000s and growing around 20 percent each month,” Westhues says. “They have figured out our network is bigger, and they are using it.” Before the change, the holding company found it challenging to market 13 indepen-
Adapting to New Realities
dent banks in a digital world. “We couldn’t compete locally online,” Westhues says. “It was too noisy, and the individual banks ended up competing with one another.” By aligning the banks’ names, Westhues says they have started gaining traction toward a stronger presence online, particularly in the world of search engine marketing and optimization. “Our digital marketing dollars are more valuable as well. Now we have the best of both worlds,” he shares. “Working under one name gives the banks the lift they need in the Internet market while maintaining their local identity.” Wilkerson also notes that, with the passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, following the financial crisis of 2008, the regulations for national banks became onerous. While most of the regulations were
Respecting History The woman behind the rebrand is Mary Wilkerson, senior vice president of marketing and a 23-year veteran of the bank. “The biggest challenge was to communicate that we weren’t changing who we are,” Wilkerson says. “We had a lot of brand equity in our name.” Central Bank of Boone County, named Boone County National Bank for more than 144 years, is steeped in the history and tradition of the early Midwest, as Wilkerson explains while peering through her purplerimmed glasses and sipping on her first of several cups of coffee for the day. The bank draws its roots from Moss Prewitt and R.B. Price Sr., who established the firm of Prewitt and Price in 1857, which became the Columbia branch of Exchange Bank. Six years later, the National Bank System was created, and National Charter No. 67 was granted to the bank under the name “First National Bank of Columbia.” It was the first national bank organized in Missouri. But during the tumultuous times of the Civil War, the bank gave up its original charter and did business under a state charter. Then, on Jan. 1, 1871, after the war had concluded, the bank resumed its national charter under the name “Boone County National Bank,” the name etched in the top of their building on east Broadway, and the name the bank held until last June. 66 \\\ January 2016
In recent years, with the public’s increased use of the Internet, along with the financial challenges that began in 2008, Westhues and the holding company realized that, to stay true to their business model, they needed to clarify the benefits of being part of a larger system, and move the four banks affected, including Boone County’s, to state charters. Wilkerson says much of the decision was rooted in practicality: “Our customers didn’t know about simple things, like which ATMs they could use. We needed them to be able to identify all the banks in our company.” Serious discussions began in 2010, and in 2013, the decision was made to bring all 13 independent banks together under the same name. In late 2014, banks in Kansas City, St. Louis and Mexico went first, amending their names to “Central Bank.” In June of
What are the numbers behind a name change this significant? Here is a taste of the volume of everyday items Central Bank of Boone County’s purchasing manager ordered to feature the new name:
boxes of business cards
birthday postcards
rubber stamps
types of stationary and note cards
various forms pens
deposit slips designed for larger banks, Boone County was still affected. “When I started,” Wilkerson recalls, “there was one part-time compliance officer. Last year, we had five fulltime officers to keep up.” Switching to a state charter also made it necessary to drop the word “national” from the name, so a name change simply made sense. The transition would have to be seamless. The bank couldn’t legally use the new name until after June 12. “We couldn’t be two banks at once,” Wilkerson says, “so that necessitated changing everything simultaneously.”
Clarifying Change Just how many projects did “everything” equate to? Wilkerson and her team identified 175 different tasks involved in changing their name. “To say I was distressed is an
kinds of envelopes
understatement,” Wilkerson says. “It was an organizational nightmare. Once the Federal Reserve approved the change, we had 45 days to implement.” But even before the final decision was made, Wilkerson got a team of people together and hit the ground running. The group was responsible for updating everything from PDFs and forms to business cards, deposit bags, parking meters and even the brass plaques adhered to the marble on the outside of the building. “The head of purchasing had her hands full,” Wilkerson adds with a smile. A sign company from Springfield came to town and changed the signage at all branches in just three days. Westhues jokes that, once the project was underway, he didn’t sleep for six months. “Columbia was our number one
priority,” he says. “They were one of our strongest brands, with a very strong connection to their community, and we didn’t want to disrupt that.” In making the change, Wilkerson focused on two audiences: the bank’s employees, and their 40,000 customers. The change didn’t disrupt business, on a foundational level, for either group, Wilkerson says. “That was such a blessing.” Customers were still able to use the same debit cards, checks and credit cards. “I just had to deal with hearts and minds,” Wilkerson explains, “and help people realize that the change was exciting, positive and fun.” To prepare customers for the change, and to add the personal touch that is representative of their brand, 50 bank employees made personal phone calls to a combined 4,000 customers, a process that took six months. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 67
To lighten up the experience for bank employees, each was given a “swear jar” to use for six weeks after the new name became official. They paid the jar each time they called the bank by the old name, and the $150 collected was given to Centro Latino, a local charity designed to empower the Latino community. Wilkerson also knew that a successful name change meant more than just completing a set of necessary tasks, informing the appropriate people, and making it fun. She needed the project to come alive, to create an experience the community would never forget. For that, she called in some old friends.
mercials, featuring a watercolor painting effect that highlighted the bank’s roots in local communities. The idea was to simply, yet elegantly, inform customers that they could expect all the convenience of a big bank with the personal service of their hometown bank, and also that they could access their accounts anywhere they saw the white dogwood logo.
Measuring Impact
Creating Synergy To round out the marketing efforts, the holding company and the bank engaged the services of Columbia firms Woodruff Sweitzer and True Media. “Both companies are longterm partners, and they were critical to our success,” Wilkerson says. True Media’s role was to analyze how to get the message and campaigns to customers in the most efficient and effective ways. “We look at lots of consumer behavior data to determine how consumers get information – radio, TV, print, Internet, social media, etc.,” says Jack Miller, president of True Media. “Our customized media strategy ensures that Central Bank’s customers are exposed to the message based upon how they, as consumers, interact with the media.” “Since Boone County has been a longstanding institution in the community, we needed to communicate that nothing was changing except for the name,” says Kim Odom, the bank’s account planner at True Media. “Since habits are hard to change, this required developing a media plan that reached 90 percent of the market with the message over an extended period of time.” Woodruff Sweitzer, a creative partner with the bank for more than 20 years, was tasked with developing the brand and creative strategy for the holding company’s overall advertising campaign, as well as with brainstorming ways the Boone County community could celebrate the new name. The lynchpin of the creative strategy was a series of technologically innovative com68 \\\ January 2016
The team also created 14 “dream orbs,” ranging from 24 to 60 inches in diameter, that rotated around to different branches. The displays inside resembled Macy’s department store windows and represented prizes the bank was giving away. The public could register to win the prizes at any of the branches, and the names were drawn at the Summerfest show that the bank sponsored on June 4. Prizes included a scooter and a boat. “They made 14 people really happy,” Baker says.
To localize the message, Shannan Baker, a Woodruff Sweitzer account manager, devised two innovative ways to help the public see how Central Bank of Boone County could help them accomplish their dreams. For five nights in early June, the bank projected animated scenes on the east side of their downtown building. The broadcasts used 3D mapping and included scenes of engaged customers that tied into the overall media campaign.
What about the results? “We were really happy with the way things worked out,” Baker says. “It’s fun to work with a client who is willing to be bold and brave and do things for the community.” Those at True Media agree. “It was fun to be part of the change and to work so cohesively with the marketing team at the bank,” says Miller. “We were just happy to help make their jobs a little easier.” As for Wilkerson, time will tell. “We need 18 to 24 months to evaluate the impact,” she shares. “We understand a change like this is a long-term process.” In the end, Wilkerson believes the bottom line is that the bank is delivering for their customers. “If we do see negatives, we will fix them. That’s what makes our customers want to do business with us.” What’s next for the bank? Westhues says he has one task left to complete. “We’re launching a new single brand web experience in late February. With this final piece, we will really start to see the online benefits of the name change.” Wilkerson has one element of the project to wrap up as well. With a deep sigh, she points to an overflowing expandable file on her credenza, a pile that represents the love and sweat she has put into this project. “I have one sign left to finish, and then I can file the paperwork away.” Despite the countless work hours and lack of sleep, Wilkerson is proud of the work her team accomplished. “It’s been a remarkable year,” she says. “The bank has an unwavering commitment to our community, and that’s meaningful to me.” CBT
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Photo provided by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce
connections Conversations Three convention veterans share their tips for success at the annual Business Showcase. t 70 \\\ January 2016
Flats. Smile. Business Cards. And that’s just the start of the checklist for a successful expo. It’s the 25th year of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase. Held in the cavernous 19,000-square-foot Columbia Expo Center, adjoining the Holiday Inn Executive Center, some local businesspeople call the March 1 event the most important day of the year. Kicking off the day, about 600 people will attend the quarterly membership breakfast. The expo center doors will then open at 9 a.m. to welcome some 1,500 visitors, navigating their way through a festival-like atmosphere of more than 130 business booths, stopping only for the Women’s Network luncheon at 11:30. The Chamber’s Business Showcase Committee, chaired by Greg Baker, of the Boy Scouts of America-Great Rivers Council, and Don VanMeter, of U.S. Bank, oversees the planning of the showcase to ensure exhibitors, sponsors and visitors have a fun and fruitful day. And while the efforts of many chamber staff members and volunteers go into realizing this annual entrepreneurial homecoming, the businesses manning those 130 booths must also do their share of creative preparation. So what makes for a successful booth? What are the dos and don’ts of showcasing? And how is success measured? Three Columbia agencies — two businesses and one nonprofit — weigh in.
DAVE GRIGGS' FLOORING AMERICA When it comes to the Business Showcase, Michele Batye is a pro. The chief financial officer for Dave Griggs' Flooring America, Batye has planned – and manned – the booth for the store each year since she started working there in 1992. The flooring empire’s booth, which promotes its home and commercial services, has evolved through the years from elaborate to basic. For Batye, the key to success lies not in the display, but in the ability to facilitate meaningful interactions at the day-long event. Finding the right mix “The biggest thing to remember is not to bring all of your displays,” says Batye, who starts planning the company’s booth in December and has a theme developed and materials ordered by the end of January. “Some years, we’ve probably dragged in too much, and you realize there’s no place for anyone to stand.” From the early days of the showcase, Batye remembers hauling in a labor-intensive display,
and being creative — with everything from mini bamboo plant giveaways to a life-size chess board with pawns made out of flooring samples. For the last few years, though, Batye has played with a simpler setup. The DGFA booth now features some fabric and backdrops, and pictures of businesses and homes highlighting various types of flooring. Displaying shots of flooring installations in complete, well-designed rooms helps visitors visualize how the flooring may look in their home or office. She’s also seen success with social media. To celebrate the DGFA 40th anniversary last year, Batye launched a Facebook campaign that allowed the public to decide which of 15 local nonprofit agencies would receive a $1,000 donation. Big Brothers Big Sisters took the prize, and Batye says the social media engagement for the flooring business was outstanding.
Don’t do the showcase because you feel you have to do it. Do it because it ties into your goals and strategy. Have purpose and you’ll be more successful. - Liz Sensintaffar Striking up conversation For many homeowners and businesses, a flooring purchase represents a considerable investment that may come months or years in the future. Batye tries to find ways of welcoming visitors into the booth for a simple and genuine conversation. “People think we just do home flooring, so we like to educate them that we are a home and commercial flooring business,” she says. “It’s really about a conversation. One year, we just had a picture of our store and some chairs to facilitate those conversations. We don’t bring chairs every year, but we want people to feel invited to come in.” Batye also says it’s important not to wait for people to come to her. She tries to smile and say hello to every person walking by, but doesn’t push it when she senses that someone doesn’t want to be bothered.
Sage wisdom What advice can Batye offer, after nearly a quarter-century of showcase experience? “If you’re a business that can’t afford a booth, work it backward,” she says. “Go introduce yourself and let people know what you do, and hear what they do. It’s just a conversation.” Her final piece of advice? “Someone told me a long time ago: bring two pairs of shoes! Switch halfway through the day. I wear my convention shoes – flats. That’s a tip especially for the ladies,” she says with a laugh.
WOODHAVEN Nonprofit agencies are well represented at the showcase, and why not? They provide services to people in the community and strive to increase their public awareness and engagement, just as for-profit companies do. In 2014, Woodhaven celebrated its 50th anniversary — 50 years of serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and helping them engage with their community. Woodhaven has participated in the showcase for the last four years, since marketing manager Liz Sensintaffar joined the team. The MU journalism grad prepares for the booth by looking at Woodhaven’s strategic plan for the year. Thinking strategically “We think it’s crucial to participate [in the showcase],” Sensintaffar says. “It’s definitely a part of our strategic plan. We tailor [our booth] to our message by thinking about what our goals are for the year and how the booth can fit into those goals.” In 2014, the booth focused on creating awareness for the Building on Our Strengths capital campaign, whose goal was to raise $1.9 million to build a 4,500-square-foot health services and training building next to its Hathman Place headquarters, as well as to build a fully accessible apartment complex for some of its clients older than 50. Spreading the word For Sensintaffar, a successful day at the showcase comes down to making connections, which she doesn’t make through giveaways. Instead, meaningful conversations and creative social media campaigns have yielded Woodhaven’s exciting results. “I try to be very intentional about what email addresses I collect at the booth. I try to engage and talk to people and give them the opportucolumbiabusinesstimes.com /// 71
nity to sign up, instead of a having a bowl for business cards,” she says. “I don’t want to spam anyone with our emails.” Sensintaffar thinks globally about social media. At one showcase, Sensintaffar used social media to align Woodhaven with the national “Spread the Word to End the Word” day of awareness, which falls near the showcase each year. Supported by Special Olympics, the campaign seeks to end the use of the derogatory word “retard.” Sensintaffar created pledge signs so booth visitors could take a picture with the sign, and then she posted the pictures to the Woodhaven Facebook page, tagging the visitor’s business. Sensintaffar says the social media campaign was a hit, and some individuals used the images for their profile pictures. Looking ahead Sensintaffar looks to create a booth that is lighthearted and interactive. So, what’s in store for this year? It’s a secret, she says, but it will be in line with the nonprofit’s 2016 goals. “This year we’re focusing on language, which is similar to something we’ve done in the past,” she hints. “Get ready to be creative.” After a few years of participating in the showcase, Sensintaffar offers sound advice. “Don’t do the showcase because you feel you have to do it,” she says. “Do it because it ties into your goals and strategy. Have purpose and you’ll be more successful. You’ll know why you’re there and what conversations to have, and it’ll make talking to strangers easier.”
SMART BUSINESS PRODUCTS In 1983, a few years after graduating from Truman State University, Bill Schuette unexpectedly found himself going into business with his father. Schuette and his wife, Kathy, moved from St. Louis to Columbia to join forces with Columbia Office Supply. Fast forward to 1999, when Schuette renamed the business, still at its original Vandiver location, to Smart Business Products, which now offers more than 50,000 office supply products and furnishings for every setting. Simple, Unique, Memorable There have been only a few years in which SBP hasn’t participated in the showcase, and Schuette has vivid memories of the two-day expo at Mizzou’s field house that eventually evolved into the current, daylong platform. In those days, he and his team dazzled crowds with full cubicle sets spanning three or four booths. Now, Schuette’s philosophy is to keep it simple, unique and memorable. Simply put: office chairs. 72 \\\ January 2016
“It seems like when we bring chairs, they're a big hit,” he says. “We try to bring something that's really unique and gives people a reason to stop. It’s about trying something fun. People interact with the chairs and test drive them.” Schuette notes that being able to touch and feel the office chairs is more effective than looking at them in a catalog, and a chair will spark interest in other, larger products. Plus, rolling the chairs in and out makes for easy set-up and tear-down. Toying with social media How much planning can a few office chairs take? Schuette starts planning his booth in January by putting the showcase on his calendar and working backward, beginning with the end in mind. He considers a theme, decides on handouts and promotional items, and examines a list of interesting products he and his team compile throughout the year. He also pulls in Hayley Batterson, his marketing and sales manager, who handles social media. Her motto for social media is to, like the booth, keep it simple and unique. While she has the most success with email marketing, she also uses Facebook, Twitter and Google+ to promote SBP’s participation in the booth. She’s toying with the idea of using social media to promote a pre-expo contest for 2016, such as a coloring contest, that will encourage participants to visit the booth. Tips of the trade Keeping it simple and unique is great advice, but cool office chairs alone do not make a booth. For Schuette, the right staffing can elevate the experience. “We've had manufacturer's reps staff the booth,” he says. “If your business works with a sales rep or product specialist who knows a lot, that can be very helpful. You want someone who is personable and has enthusiasm.” Schuette is also a strong believer in coordinated team apparel. “Matching apparel is helpful for people to identify who is from the company versus who is a visitor. It looks professional and is inexpensive, and when you're visiting other booths, people will know who you are,” he says. Finally, bring your enthusiasm – and your business cards. “There's nothing worse than walking by a booth, and you’re on your phone or texting or on your email,” he says. “That says ‘Don't come into my booth.’ And always bring business cards with your email and cell phone, even if it's a print-ityourself kind.” CBT
SHOWCASE TIPS
It’s easy to overestimate the size of your booth. Before the showcase, use masking tape to draw out the dimensions of your booth to help plan your configuration. This will help you avoid bringing too many displays or products that will overwhelm visitors – and create more work during set-up and tear-down. Remember that the showcase is during a business day. If you have a small staff, make a schedule in advance of who will be at the booth and who will staff the store. Schedule shifts to rotate staff so everyone has the opportunity to experience the showcase. Be respectful of people who take a glance at your booth and keep moving. Jumping out at passersby and forcing them to engage leaves a bad impression. Make a list of people you want to meet, and try to network with them during the quarterly membership breakfast or luncheon. If there are booths you want to see, check them out when you feel a lull in activity so you’re not away from your booth during peak times. Unless active social media is a part of your booth’s activity, put your cell phone away. Every time you’re checking email or Facebook, you’re missing an opportunity to engage with a visitor. Go large, bold, colorful and easy-to-read on signage and banners. Avoid lots of text.
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nonprofit spotlight
›› American Red Cross
Bigger Than Blood
The Red Cross helps people at home and abroad. BY Alisiana Peters | photos by ben Meldrum When the American Red Cross comes to mind, most people think of blood donations. But the Red Cross is more than just blood drives; they offer assistance in four other critical areas: health and safety, armed forces, international services and disaster relief.
History Today, the American Red Cross offers many services that help people across the United States and the world. Clara Barton founded the Red Cross in 1881, in response to her experiences in the Civil War. In WWI, the Red Cross brought in nurses to treat soldiers wounded in battle. The organization was known for taking a neutral stand during conflicts and treated soldiers from both sides. The American Red Cross of Central & Northern Missouri, the local chapter of the Red Cross, began in 1917. Today the chapter supports 29 counties. Doug Shoemaker My involvement with the Red Cross is a natural extension of my role as a first responder. I’m fortunate to give to an agency that gives so much time to the community.
74 \\\ January 2016
Blood Services The American Red Cross provides 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply. Each fall, MU partners with the local Red Cross to host the largest blood drive in the United States, a three-day event that takes place at the Hearnes Center. Each year, they collect about 5,000 units of blood. The Red Cross brings in resources throughout the country to support this blood drive. When a donor gives blood, the Red Cross runs a total of 12 tests for diseases and other potential complications. After tests are run, the Red Cross sells blood donations to Columbia hospitals. The funding that the Red Cross receives from donations goes to support their other four lines of service.
Other services The Red Cross trains individuals to be able to perform multiple life-saving skills, including CPR,
John Mathews Having spent more than 30 years as a Red Cross volunteer, I have seen people at their best and worst. Representing the Red Cross allows me to provide immediate responses to those who need it most.
first aid and proper use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED. The American Red Cross is actively working with the representatives in the Missouri House and Senate to pass a house bill, titled House Bill 457, in the upcoming session, which would require that high school students learn CPR. Students would learn how to keep a person alive until first-aid responders arrive to the scene. If passed, this bill would likely go into effect at the beginning of the 2017 school year, and the skills would be taught in a health or physical education course. This bill would apply to all 253 school districts in the state of Missouri. The Red Cross also provides services to all branches of the military through the “Get to Know Us Before You Need Us” program. This program includes emergency communication; access to emergency financial assistance; information and referral; resiliency; coping; and reintegration, and all programs are free of charge.
Kristen R. Dreher The Red Cross is more than just a place to donate blood. They do so much more than that.
Hank Stratman The Red Cross supported my soldiers throughout my career. I return the favor by assisting Red Cross promotions.
➜ 1511 S. Providence Road 800-733-2767 redcross.org
The international service is most commonly used for assistance during physical disasters, such as typhoons, monsoons and earthquakes. A program that is commonly used in the United States is called “Restoring Family Links.” This program helps find family members who have been separated by crisis, conflict or migration. More recently, the Red Cross has provided measles vaccines to individuals in developing countries.
Disaster Relief In central Missouri, people utilize the organization’s disaster services the most, aside from blood donations. The Red Cross responds to various single and multi-family fires daily. In October, the Red Cross responded to a house fire in Fulton, where an 89-year-old woman and her adult son lost everything inside. The Red Cross helps begin the road back to recovery for disaster victims. The home preparedness campaign is an ongoing program to reduce single and multi-family fires by 25 percent within the next five years. To help reach this goal, the Red Cross personally visits homes to map out escape plans with families. “We have found that families like having the discussion [of] escape plans,” disaster program Carlos M. Graham It’s a lot more than a blood service.
The Red Cross turned Lincoln University’s gym into a makeshift home for those students. They provided cots, blankets, snacks and Wal-Mart gift cards. manager Kath Mayne says. “It feels really good to watch families take measures to be safe.” The Red Cross also installs smoke alarms in homes. In October, they visited 66 homes in Hallsville and installed 122 smoke alarms, executive director David Griffith says. “I personally visited seven homes,” Griffith says. “It really gives you a sense of pride. We helped 66 families be safer than they were before.”
Impact of Services The Red Cross helps others in ways they could have never imagined. Carlos Graham, the director of campus and community relations at Lincoln University, received several alarming calls from students and staff on Sept. 2, 2006. “I will never forget this day,” Graham says.
Deb Brown The Red Cross does more than host blood drives and provide CPR training. They are there to help in all sorts of disasters and personal loss.
Graham describes driving to campus and seeing a black ball of smoke coming from the tallest building on Lincoln’s campus. “My heart immediately started to rush,” Graham says. Students and staff, thanks to training, were able to exit the building safely, but all of the students’ personal items had been destroyed. The building housed 323 students. “The fire started on the sixth floor and smoke rises up,” Graham describes. “The main goal was to put out the fire, so with the water going down, the entire building was ruined, and all the personal items of students were gone.” With all of the students safely out of the building, the biggest concern Graham faced was the placement of the students who lived there. The Red Cross turned Lincoln’s gym into a makeshift home for those students. They provided cots, blankets, snacks and gift cards to use at Wal-Mart and other stores. “From that point, LU and myself have been big supporters of the Red Cross because of what they did for us,” Graham says. “I was very thrilled to become a board member, because they do so many wonderful things for people. After the fire, it opened my eyes to all the services that they offer besides blood donations." CBT
Matt Schofield I wish more people knew about the amazing legacy of the Red Cross. I am humbled to carry on in the line of work.
David Griffith The American Red Cross is the only organization that can get a soldier home in the case of an emergency.
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 75
xx left: Rob Roach, Nelly Roach, J. Michael Roach From Photo by Anthony Jinson 76 \\\ January 2016
celebrations
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›› Caledon Virtual
Not So Virtual
By sierra stewart
Caledon Virtual designs new office space to hold company growth. In 2013, a study produced by the Institute for Communication Technology Management at the USC Marshall School of Business said that, by 2015, 15.5 hours of the average person’s day will be spent absorbing media. In Columbia, the full-service marketing firm Caledon Virtual aims to utilize every minute, armed with a new office space specifically built to accommodate every member of their team and clientele in 2016 and beyond.
GETTING THINGS DONE During the recession, J. Michael and Nelly Roach, founders of Caledon Virtual, struggled to keep their previously flourishing marketing agency, IDP Group, afloat. The couple tried to close the agency, but their clients had something else in mind. “They refused to let her go,” account executive Rob Roach says. “Some of Nelly’s clients said ‘No, we want you. We don’t want you to leave.’ So, she decided to stick with these few clients, and she only had eight dollars in cash.” Along with the publicity coming from Nelly Roach’s involvement with the Rotary Club, these few clients spawned the unintentional beginnings of Caledon Virtual: a full-service marketing firm striving for good relationships. Caledon grew more than 100 percent each year from 2007 to 2011, which made it difficult to continue running the company out of the Roachs' home, on Caledon Court in Columbia. The business received a city ordinance ticket citing the growing number of cars parked outside the makeshift office. The company moved several times, and by 2015, they sported an in-house team capable of managing social media, search engine optimization, branding, media relations, brochures, video, advertising, event planning, logo design, consulting, web design and startup services. But growth still held the team back. “We always upsize when we absolutely have to,” Rob says. “We try to keep everything in as close proximity as possible until we can't take it anymore.”
With the help of Kliethermes Homes & Remodeling, Caledon Virtual took their office to the next level in 2015, leasing an entire floor in a building across the street from their previous Cherry Hill location and undertaking a complete remodel.
CULTURE IS KING Cale Kliethermes is not only remodeling Caledon’s new office, but is also a long-time client. “I feel like they really do understand who our clients are and the processes we take people through.” Kliethermes says. “They continue to challenge that every year and make sure we attract the people we want to attract.” Today, Caledon boasts more than 400 clients and 20 staff members, including account executives Rob Roach and Kenzie Staloch. While many marketing agencies are a one-stop shop, Caledon's staff constantly keeps up with their 120 clients. Their teamwork facilitates not only their clientele, but also their working environment, which framed the entirety of the remodel. “We’re known for our culture and team camaraderie.” Rob says. “Think about ‘The Office,’ but with really nice people.” Unlike the TV show’s white-washed walls, the new Caledon Virtual office has open spaces, brick walls and neutral tones throughout the open floor plan. The creative and software departments have plenty of space to work, while the client service department is a cooperative area with lots of counter space. In the future, the walls will hold a mural of the client service team. To signify the team’s transparency with one another, Nelly’s office has glass walls rather than plaster. Soon, a painting of a Palawan turtle, also known as a Philippine Forest turtle, will make a statement on her office wall, representing her family’s Pacific Islander heritage. The office recharges the missions of Caledon Virtual, supporting the passionate team
on every platform and allowing for more projects and clients. “We love being with each other and interacting with our clients,” Rob says, “and so it’s awesome that we get to reach for our potential at the same time as helping others reach theirs.” CBT
Timeline 2007 › Caledon Virtual begins at a kitchen table. 2009 › Caledon Virtual begins working with startup companies, like PrintNinja. 2011 › The Roachs' basement is no longer able to “contain the vibe,” and Caledon moves into their first office space, at the corner of Providence and Green Meadows. Nelly Roach is a finalist for the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Business Woman of the Year. 2012 › Caledon Virtual more than doubles in size and moves to a new office space located above KT Diamond Jewelers in the Village of Cherry Hill. Caledon is also named a finalist for the Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award. 2013 › The team doubles in size to 21, and Caledon knocks down a wall to expand into an adjoining suite in the Cherry Hill location. 2014 › Caledon shifts its focus from website design to inbound and digital marketing. 2015 › Michael and Nelly undertake the biggest change in the history of Caledon — the business model shifts to allow for more growth. The team continues to exceed expectations as the new model is put in place. Today › Caledon’s sixth move in eight years due to company expansion. They move all the way across the parking lot, taking over the entire second floor at 1904 Corona Road. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 77
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Education
›› Dr. Peter Stiepleman talks the business of education— Part 2 /4
Do the Math for Student Success Last week, my fifth-grader son brought home a math assignment. My middle son and mathematics have a complicated relationship. He would say that it’s not at all complicated, but rather straightforward. He doesn’t like math. I’ve told him that math, like any other subject, requires attention. Math requires patience. Math can be demanding and overwhelming sometimes, but math can be fun. “So have fun with it,” I told him. And that’s exactly what he did! On a recent math test, one question read, “There are 4,800 dragonfly nymphs in a tank and 60 green sunfish. If the sunfish share the nymphs equally, how many nymphs will each sunfish get?” After doing the math, he answered, “Each sunfish gets 80 nymphs (actually Mr. Nies says sunfish don’t share, so one gets 4,800 and the rest starve to death).” If you’re dividing the 4,800 dragonfly nymphs equally, each sunfish does get 80. But if you take into account a sunfish’s predisposition towards selfishness, it wouldn’t seem unreasonable that some would perish due to a lack of resources. I’ve been sharing my son’s math story throughout the community — not as a parable for how we, as a community, need to share, but because it is so darn funny! During the last month, I’ve also been telling another story — the story of our school district. I’ve addressed a well-attended CPS World Café about how we catch up with growth, as well as plan for the future. I’ve spoken about homeless students to the Columbia Pachyderm Club and about the rise of refugee students to the Columbia Kiwanis Club. I’ve spoken to Rotarians about our proposal for a new middle school, to relieve the overcrowding at Gentry Middle School. I’ve spoken to associations and the local media about the lack of state funding for public education. I’ve traveled to Lincoln University and Central Methodist University, and I’ve presented our data to educational leadership and policy analysis graduate students at the University of Missouri. After each presentation, someone invariably walks up to me and says, “My, you’ve got a big job.” The truth is, we all have a big job. Our schools are an important piece of our community. The success of our public school system is inextricably tied to Columbia’s economic future. The work that we do, the challenges we face and the opportunities we pursue must be done together. It’s why I start and end every presentation with three words: We are one. In my last column, I mentioned that as our community has grown, our enrollment has grown from 16,400 students in 2001 to 18,000 in 2015. That growth requires the school district to think carefully about how it achieves its eight organizational goals while honoring feedback from parents and guardians. Half of our 8,000 parents and guardians responded to a dis-
P e t e r St i e p l e m a n 80 \\\ January 2016
trict-wide survey saying that the most important thing was that their children have highly qualified teachers who create a nurturing environment. Every one of our 2,700 employees is devoted to providing an excellent education for all our students. When students graduate from our school district, they are college and career ready (organizational goal 5). Our students outperform state, national and international peers when it comes to Advanced Placement (AP) testing . On every AP exam we administered, our students excelled. And we accomplished this while also increasing the number of students enrolled in these higher-level courses. Originally championed by former superintendent Chris Belcher and the principals and counselors from Battle, Hickman and Rock Bridge, we identified and encouraged students from underrepresented groups (like first-generation college students) to enroll in AP courses. This is important because students who take demanding coursework in high school are more likely to graduate from college. We’re so proud of our results. We’re so proud of our students. And we’re so proud of the teachers who have made these successes possible. As the third largest employer in Columbia, recruiting and retaining the very best employees is the only way we’ll be able to continue to deliver an excellent education for all students. Teachers are the one of the most important factors in our children’s achievement, and their jobs have only become more difficult. In the last issue, I referenced how we are serving a greater percentage of children from economically stressed homes. Our free and reduced lunch numbers have grown dramatically over the last 15 years, from 4,176 eligible students in 2000 to 6,932 eligible students in 2015. Since high school students don’t typically turn in the free lunch application, we believe that nearly 50 percent of our students would qualify for the federal program — nearly one in every two. Additionally, we keep track of the number of students living in poverty and extreme poverty. Extreme poverty is defined as the average daily consumption of $2 per day. For a family of four, that’s $8 a day or $2,920 a year. The number of children coming from poor or extremely poor families in Boone County is growing. Just like the math lecture I gave my middle son, we need to approach our revenue shortfalls and our rising levels of poverty with a similar approach. We need to be attentive. We need to be patient; we’ve got good systems in place. We need to accept that the work is demanding and, at times, nearly overwhelming. To suggest that it’s fun belittles the entire endeavor. I know this, though: there is no community I’d rather be a part of than the one we have in Columbia. We are one.
➜ S u p e r i n t e n d e n t of C o l u m b i a P u b l i c Sc h oo l s
MARKETING
›› Monica Pitts talks marketing trends and tips
New Year, New Marketing Budget The rumor on the Internet is that 95 percent of diets fail. Strangely, the reasons diets fail are eerily close to the reasons businesses fail in their marketing. Local experts — Erica Pefferman, president of The Business Times Company, and Mark Mills, of Cumulus Media — tell us why failing to budget can mean failing to reach marketing goals (and maybe your diet goals, too).
You’re overestimating your activities and calories burned. It’s unrealistic to lose 20 pounds in a day, and it’s just as unrealistic to grow your company by 50 percent without adjusting your marketing budget. “Your goals and your budget need to be in line,” Pefferman explains. “If you have aggressive goals and the same budget as last year, the campaign won’t be a success.” Mills agrees. “There is a minimum on any medium, be it traditional or new. If you can’t afford to reach the minimum, then you need to rethink the entire plan. Don’t spend a little bit just to spend a little bit.”
You don’t have a diet plan. Your dietary plan is based on your caloric burn. Your marketing budget is based on how fast you want to grow your company. “Some businesses plan for 3 to 5 percent of gross sales as their advertising budget, while others invest far more,” Pefferman says. “A commonly made mistake is to take 5 percent of your current revenue. The budget needs to be 5 percent of where you want to be, not where you are now.” Mark often deals with a 3 to 12 percent advertising budget. He also sees business owners who look at the income and expenses of running a business, then take a percentage of the remainder for their advertising budget. “There’s no magic, specific formula for budgeting. In fact, if a business has a budget, they’re four to five steps ahead of their competitors already,” Mills says.
Your diet is too strict, and you end up bingeing on forbidden foods. Successful dieters tackle weight loss in stages, establishing a permanent lifestyle change, like one glass of water at a time. Pefferman affirms: “The biggest problem is that businesses try to do too many things with too little budget. It’s easy to do too little or too much. Concentrate and dominate.” Mills helps people understand the bucket theory: “You have several different buckets representing advertising opportunities. Pick a few buckets and fill them as full you can, instead of putting a little in each.” Your marketing plan will vary based on your budget. “If you don’t have very much money to spend, you may have to invest your time and choose marketing activities you can do on your own,” Pefferman says. “If you have money, but not much time to invest, you can look at mediums that require
m o n i ca p i tts
a bigger monetary investment, but little time. If you can’t make the equation work either way, your goals may not be realistic.”
You’re too impatient for results from your diet. In the marketing world, “running an ad and expecting customers to walk through the door immediately isn’t a realistic expectation,” Mills explains. Mills says the most important part of marketing is consistency — not just advertising for a month or two. “The best advertisers run 52 weeks per year. They’re out there as frequently as their budget allows, and they’re doing it consistently.” Pefferman relates a ‘social experiment’ conducted by a past client of hers who intentionally canceled all of his traditional marketing. “He did well for a while, but then sales started to drop off, and he realized he needed to bring marketing back,” she says. “But he had to build sales back up to where it was before. It didn’t just jump back as soon as he started advertising again.”
You’re not tracking your progress. A Fitbit is an investment to track your fitness goals. It’s important to evaluate the money you’re spending in your marketing budget, too, yet many businesses don’t track the success of their marketing. When tracking a campaign’s success, Mills says setting expectations is the most important conversation an advertiser and a client can have. “Even if there is not a specific return on investment, there should be an expectation of things happening,” Mills says. “It’s important everyone is on the same page. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Pefferman is adamant about tracking. “If you’re not tracking it, you’re wasting it,” she emphasizes. Don’t be a statistic. Tackle your goals by setting a realistic marketing plan and budget. Focus on a few core mediums that meet your target market and do them well. Then sit back and work your plan. Track, tweak and grow. CBT
➜ C h i e f c r e at i v e d i r ecto r at M ay ec r e at e d es i g n columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 81
Startups
›› Chris Nyenhuis shares startup lessons learned
We All Need an Angel or Two When most startup founders think of Silicon Valley, they automatically think of the Sand Hill Road millions. The dream, for most startups, is to leave the Valley with a large check from one or more impressive venture capital firms. In reality, the road to Sand Hill is long, hard and expensive. Regardless of what you’ve seen in movies or read in magazines or books, seed investments, and the road to successful fundraising, starts with generous angels. When Eyes On Freight began our startup journey in Columbia last year, we didn’t know where to even start looking for investment money. Finding and getting introductions to angel investors in Columbia is more difficult than you would expect, even when compared to larger cities, like Kansas City or St. Louis. We joined the Missouri Innovation Center in hopes of laying the groundwork for potential investments. Compared to most cities our size, Columbia has a rather large angel
“Start with a thank you and build a relationship. It’s because of angel investors that startups start.” network, and even has its very own angel investment group, based out of MIC, that can provide startups a great support network. We thought we had the perfect formula for startup magic. We soon learned the difficulty of accessing angels in Columbia. It seemed to be a two-part problem — the first reason is that Columbia is too institutionalized. In order to get in front of any angels, you either have to know them personally or know someone to introduce you to them. Getting in front of the group takes many stages of vetting. At the end of the day, you might not be invited to present to them if your company does not have the right growth and revenue numbers (let’s be honest: most startups seeking seed-stage funding do not have either of those yet), or if some in the group are not interested in investments in your market. The other reason is that Columbia has many generous angels who constantly get pitched ideas in hopes of securing seed funding. I believe this to
Chris Nyenhuis 82 \\\ January 2016
be the larger of the two problems. Startup founders automatically believe that their idea is going to be the next big thing. We have to believe so — why else would we be crazy enough to pursue our ideas? Founders need to be more respectful and appreciative, and they need to understand that there are boundaries. By incessantly pitching to angels and asking for investments, we are, in many ways, destroying our very own ecosystem. The biggest lesson I have learned during my time in San Francisco is that seeking investment is similar to dating. It’s a numbers game. You speak to hundreds of venture capitalist firms and try to obtain their interest from among the masses. Some firms will say that we’re in a tech bubble; others will tell you that, in days past, what used to be a B-round investment is now a seed-round. The bottom line is that if you are not raising at least $2-3 million, the average VC firm will simply tell you that you are too small for them. Regardless of how good of a product or idea you have, and even if you have the numbers to back it up, you will more than likely be reaching out to the generous angels before any large VC firms show serious interest in your startup. So, fellow startup founders, next time you see an angel, stop and think. Instead of pitching your idea or asking for an investment, start with a thank you and build a relationship. It’s because of angel investors that startups start. The only way we will build a strong startup community is by building trust and relationships with our angels. Remember that they are not only giving you their hard-earned money to build your dream, they will be the ones that carry you on your path to Sand Hill Road. CBT
➜ M a n a g i n g D i r e c t o r of E y e s o n F r e i g h t
ORGanizational HEALTH
›› Tony Richards coaches organizations into good health
Resolutions for Your Business Year Welcome to 2016! Most people make resolutions when a new year rolls around. We vow to eat better, lose weight, exercise more or give up something like smoking. Most of these promises last, at best, to Valentine's Day. Around six weeks, the pain of change becomes too intense, and we succumb to old habits and break the resolution we were so convinced we could achieve. The thing to keep in mind is that adopting resolutions is not just about goal setting or promises. What your objective really revolves around is behavior change. The length of time you’ve been practicing certain behaviors is equivalent to how hard it will be to alter those behaviors. Perhaps you remember the movie "The Shawshank Redemption"? The character Brooks, portrayed by James Whitmore, has been in prison most of his adult life in the film. Once he gets paroled into the world outside the prison walls, he finds it hard to change his behaviors to adapt and cope with his new world. As leaders, some of our own behaviors have become institutionalized, and we may find it hard to change them. But what the heck — it's a new year and an opportunity to grow ourselves and get better, so here are eight leadership resolutions for your consideration:
4. I will have no more than 100 emails in my inbox. I wanted to say 50, but I didn't want to overwhelm you right away! Deal with indecision in your inbox. Look at an email once, and make a decision on what to do with it. Put it in a folder for follow up, take action or delete it. Take some time to sort through all your old emails and do one of those three things, then manage forward. Try to get to no more than 50 in your inbox by July 1.
5. I will focus on less, not more. Some things can only grow in a healthy 1. I will look for the best positive people I can find and pay them as best as I can. The best way to build an organization is by getting the best positive people. Your true leverage occurs through the abilities and talents of the people on your team. If you want to get the best, plan on compensating them well. Turnover is always costly. Make sure they have a positive outlook and attitude on life and work.
2. I will root out all negativity on my team. As an addendum to the previous resolution, you cannot afford chronic negativity. Too much negativity is a team and organization killer. It doesn't matter how talented someone is — if they are negative and spread negativity, they will cost you more than they help you gain. Everyone has a bad day from time to time, but chronic negativity is not healthy and beyond your scope of help as a leader. Get some relief for your team and yourself. Take action on this today.
way by pruning them back. What items on your list can be pruned back or eliminated? Leave only the strongest strategic items on which you can give your full focus. Start with yourself, and then help your team with this.
6. I will start journaling. Consistent journaling is a leadership best practice. Getting all the thoughts out of your head and on paper is a way to clear out your mind and focus. Your brain is designed to have ideas, not hold ideas. You will be amazed how much better you feel walking around without so much in your conscious thoughts. Also, it's a great way to check on your progress with these behavior changes.
7. I will do more of the things that make me happy. Make sure you are running your organization, rather than it running you. When you are low on energy and overwhelmed, you are not furthering your cause. Make a small list of things that make you happy and relaxed, and do them more often this year.
3. I will stop multitasking. Face it: multitasking causes you to be less productive, not more. Being super busy does not equal productivity. You may simply be addicted to chaos and adrenaline, and you mask it by calling it multitasking. Turn off everything that distracts you and commit to focusing on things that move the proverbial needle.
To n y R i ch a r d s
8. I will forgive and release those who have wronged me. Many people who don't like to be controlled allow others to control them through unforgiveness. Let it go and let them go. Allow relief and peace of mind to help you to stay energized and succeed. CBT
➜ F o u n d e r of C l e a r V i s i o n D e v e l o p m e n t G r o u p columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 83
New
Business Licenses
›› Columbia residents and their upstarts
Lighthouse Car Wash 1611 Chapel Hill Road Car wash Vizicar LLC 1200 I-70 Drive SW Computer program and support Columbia Property Repair Solution 507 N. Providence Road Handyman, trim carpentry, tile, caulking Hunter Design 2206 Ridgefield Drive Graphic design, web design, promotional products Jak Builders Inc. 6870 E. Mexico Gravel Road Commercial construction Joe Machens Ford Lincoln 1911 W. Worley St. Automotive sales Joe Machens Hyundai 1300 Vandiver Drive Automotive sales Joe Machens Nissan 201 Nebraska Ave. Automotive sales Joe Machens Volkswagen of Columbia 1200 Vandiver Drive Automotive sales
84 \\\ January 2016
Machens Automotive Reconditioning 900 Bernadette Drive Automotive detail/ reconditioning Freeride Columbia 1707 Hinkson Ave. Running errands, grocery shopping Palmer’s Home Care LLC 701 Hillsdale Road Support for developmentally disabled Too Rooster Artistry 207 Cornerstone Court Creative and commissioned services Hulett House MMA 707 Vandiver Drive MMA training, train fighters Fig Five Design 615 Park Ave. Graphic design services Best Western Plus Columbia Inn 2904 Clark Lane Hotel Joe Machens East Collision Center 1609 Commerce Court Automotive retail auto body repair
Advanced Garden Supply 1414 Rangeline St. Garden supplies, retail
Joe Machens Auto Outlet 700 Vandiver Drive Automotive retail
Joe Machens Chrysler Dodge Jeep 1310 Vandiver Drive Automotive sales
Machens Automotive Sales 416 Vandiver Drive Automotive retail CBT
Deeds of Trust
›› Worth more than $477,793
$181,000,000 FQSR LLC Wells Fargo Bank LT 1 Ross Dickerson Sub Plat 3 $5,780,000 P R Jenne Hill LLC Landmark Bank LT 1 Jenne Hill Sub $2,265,000 J Q B Construction Inc. Central Bank of Boone County STR 32-48-13 //SE SUR BK/ PG: 4476/90 AC 34.52 FF Tract 2A-1 $2,000,000 Gates Real Estate LLC Landmark Bank LT 120 Gates Plat No 1 Rearrangement The $1,885,000 St James in North Village LLC The Central Trust Bank LT 1 PT BL 1 Kelly ADD $1,885,000 Quonset on Tenth LLC The Central Trust Bank LT 1 PT BL 1 Kelly ADD $1,750,000 1031 Exchangor Inc. Central Bank of Boone County STR 10-48-13 //NE SUR BK/ PG: 289/485 FF W/Exceptions $1,609,312 Greenwing Development LLC Central Bank of Boone County LT 4A Roths Providence Plaza Sub
$1,451,781 T R E C Investments LLC First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff LT 2A Nifong Village Plat 1 Replat Lot 2 $1,391,080 Wolverton, Christi S Qualified Per Res Trust Central Bank of Boone County LT 95A Cascades Plat 1 The Lots 93-95 & 155 $1,375,000 Safai, Ali First Internet Bank of Indiana LT 104 Woodland Springs Plat 2 $1,105,000 B&S Realty LLC B M O Harris Bank LT 3A Dinwiddie Industrial Park Plat #1 FF Vaderveen Plaza Plat 2 $960,000 HSH Real Estate Holdings LLC Bank of Boliver BL 26 PT Ashland $830,000 McKinney Properties LLC The Callaway Bank LT 2 McKinney Sub $825,000 KCPRE LLC Security Benefit Life Insurance Co. LT 1 Centre West Office & Storage $727,547 Max Investments LLC Central Bank of Warrensburg STR 4-48-13 /SW/SE FF PT Tract 1 Boone County SUR 7747
480 Deeds of trust
were issued between 10/26 and 11/17 $727,547 MJM Enterprises LLC Central Bank of Warrensburg LT 1A BG 1 Smithton Condos $721,000 Grathwohl, Ryan and Jaira Trust Commerce Bank LT 115A Copperstone Plat 7
Carroll Wilkerson, CFP® Jared W. Reynolds, CFP®, CDFA™
$675,000 Seventh Street Properties of Columbia LLC Central Bank of Boone County LT 84 PT Columbia $650,000 Vonderahe’s Real Estate Enterprise LLC First State Community Bank LT 2A2A Providence North Plat No 2-A1 $634,400 Willmeth, Eric and Tanya Landmark Bank STR 21-47-13 //NE SUR BK/PG: 4494/189 AC 11.01 FF Tract 4 $592,000 Frost, Jason Central Bank of Boone County STR 25-49-14 //NE SUR BK/ PG: 3628/108 AC 19.26 FF Tract 5 $500,000 Burhans, Randy and Kelli Bahr, Anthony and Gina LT 103B Bluegrass South Estates Plat 1-B $477,793 Schlacks; Jabbok, Danielle, Wm IV and Kaitlin Bank Star One - BR 10 LT A PT BL 2 Mid Missouri Industrial Park CBT
Meet The Retirement Team As a business owner, do you maximize your 401(k) contributions? Are you aware of the fiduciary responsibilities of providing a 401(k)? Do you know all of the fees charged to your 401(k)?
FIND A BETTER WAY:
573.875.3939 • WRWEALTH.COM
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columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 85
Member SIPC
Economic Index
›› It’s all about the numbers
Construction:
Housing:
Residential building permits, October 2015: 131
Single-family home sales,
Value of residential building permits, October 2015: $26,583,644
Single-family active listings
Detached single-family homes, October 2015: 45
Mark Richardson, CFP® Financial Advisor
Change doesn’t
always have to be hard.
Sometimes it’s smart. Your life is always changing and consequently, so are your needs and preferences. As your trusted partner and advisor, it’s my role to ensure that your portfolio is reflective of your current financial goals. Your personal needs and preferences are always at the center of our relationship.
October 2015: 157
on market, October 2015: 712 Single-family homes average
Value of detached singlefamily homes, October 2015: $10,055,897
sold price, October 2015:
Commercial building permits, October 2015: 23
Single-family homes average
Value of commercial building permits, October 2015: $24,032,033 Commercial additions and alternations, October 2015: 15 Value of commercial additions and alterations, October 2015: $6,455,994
Labor: October 2015 – Columbia, Missouri Labor Force: 103,116 Employment: 100,122 Unemployment: 2,994 Rate: 2.9 percent
$204,835
days on market, October 2015: 60 Single-family homes pending listings on market, October 2015: 130
Utilities: Water November 2015: 47,926 November 2014: 47,446 Change #: 480 Change %: 1.012 percent Number of customers receiving service on December 1, 2015: 47,853
October 2015 – Boone County Labor Force: 103,116 Employment: 100,112 Unemployment: 2,994 Rate: 2.9 percent Mark Richardson ,CFP® 2415 Carter Ln Suite #104 Columbia, MO 65201 573.442.1276 mark.richardson@edwardjones.com 86 \\\ January 2016
October 2015 – Missouri Labor Force: 3,109,921 Employment: 2,974,771 Unemployment: 135,150 Rate: 4.3 percent
Electric November 2015: 48,529 November 2014: 48,011 Change #: 518 Change %: 1.079 percent Number of customers receiving service on December 1, 2015: 48,528 CBT
By the Numbers
›› Boone County statistics
Credit statistics of missouri Source: Experian, accessed through NerdWallet
680
670
63
average credit score for Columbia/Jefferson City metro area
average credit score for Missouri
Columbia/Jefferson City ranking (out of 211 metro areas analyzed)
6
constantly rotating beers on tap at gÜnter hans biergarten.
Owner Lydia Melton was a 2015 20 Under 40 winner.
73
works on display at Sager Braudis' Masters exhibit.
$100,000,000 Investment portfolio managed by Nicole Galloway when she was Boone County treasurer. Galloway is now the state’s auditor, and she was a 2015 20 Under 40 winner.
Owner Joel Sager was a 2015 20 Under 40 winner.
Top Five Taxpayers in Columbia Source: City of Columbia
Ranking
Taxpayer
Assessed valuation
percent of total valuation taxed
#1
Union Electric
$18,143,872
1.04%
#2
Shelter Insurance
$15,261,791
0.87%
#3
TKG Biscayne LLC
$9,955,619
0.57%
#4
3M Company
$8,359,076
0.48%
#5
Breckinridge Group (real estate)
$7,939,457
0.45% columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 87
TOP B2B PRODUCT DELIVERY SERVICE
First Place: Culligan Water 1801 Commerce Court, Columbia, 573-874-6147, culliganmidmissouri.com Second Place: Major Brands
TOP HAPPY HOUR
First Place: 44 Stone Public House Second Place: The Roof
TOP ARCHITECT
First Place: Jennifer Hedrick Second Place: Nick Peckham
TOP COMMERCIAL BUILDER/CONTRACTOR First Place: Coil Construction Second Place: Little Dixie Construction
TOP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER
First Place: Starr Properties Second Place: John Ott, Alley A Realty
TOP PLACE TO WORK
First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Hawthorn Bank
TOP ENGINEER
First Place: Timberlake Engineering Second Place: Trabue, Hansen & Hinshaw Inc.
TOP ACCOUNTING SERVICE
First Place: Williams-Keepers Second Place: Accounting Plus Inc.
TOP CATERER
First Place: Hoss’s Market & Rotisserie Second Place: Bleu Restaurant & Catering
TOP STAFFING COMPANY
Second Place: The Insurance Group
TOP COMMERCIAL LENDER
First Place: Matt Williams, Landmark Bank Second Place: Drew Smith, Commerce Bank
First Place: Influence and Co. Second Place: Global First Responders
TOP WEB DEVELOPER
First Place: MayeCreate Design 700 Cherry St., Suite C, Columbia, 573-447-1836, mayecreate.com
First Place: JobFinders Second Place: Caroline and Co. Inc.
TOP CULTURE
First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Murry’s Restaurant
TOP OFFICE DIGS
First Place: True Media Second Place: Woodruff Sweitzer
TOP BUSINESS WITH A COMMITMENT TO PHILANTHROPY First Place: Veterans United Home Loans Second Place: Joe Machens Dealerships
TOP JANITORIAL SERVICES
First Place: Atkins Building Services Inc. Second Place: Tiger Maids
TOP COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Second Place: Delta Systems
TOP ADVERTISING AGENCY
First Place: Woodruff Sweitzer Second Place: MayeCreate Design 700 Cherry St., Suite C, Columbia, 573-447-1836, mayecreate.com
First Place: LG Patterson Second Place: Casey Buckman Photography
TOP EVENT LOCATION
First Place: The Tiger Hotel 23 S. Eighth St., Columbia, 573-875-8888, thetigerhotel.com
TOP PLACE TO HAVE A BUSINESS LUNCH
First Place: Murry’s Restaurant Second Place: D. Rowe’s Restaurant & Bar
TOP OFFSITE TEAM MEETING LOCATION
First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. 504 Fay St., Columbia, 573-397-6786, logboatbrewing.com
TOP COFFEE MEETING LOCATION
First Place: Kaldi’s Coffee Second Place: Dunn Brothers Coffee
TOP AMBASSADOR OF BUSINESS IN COLUMBIA First Place: Dave Griggs Second Place: Mary Ropp
TOP NEWBIE TO BUSINESS
TOP BUSINESS INSURANCE
First Place: Mike Messer Agency – Shelter Insurance 908 Rain Forest Parkway, Columbia, 573-442-5291, shelterinsurance.com/ CA/agent/mikemesser
TOP BUSINESS WITH INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
Second Place: Les Bourgeois Vineyards, 14020 W. Highway BB, Rocheport, 800-690-1830, missouriwine.com
TOP PLACE TO CLOSE A DEAL
First Place: Nick Hardy Second Place: Max Prokell
TOP CHAMBER VOLUNTEER
First Place: Wally Pfeffer Second Place: Michele Spry
TOP LOCAL TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. 504 Fay St., Columbia, 573-397-6786, logboatbrewing.com
TOP OLD-TIMER IN BUSINESS
First Place: Kat Cunningham Second Place: David Keller
TOP COMMERCIAL VIDEOGRAPHER
First Place: 44 Stone Public House Second Place: Boone County Title Co.
First Place: Spectrum Studios Second Place: Baker HD
TOP BANK
TOP HR FIRM
First Place: Boone County National Bank Second Place: Landmark Bank
Second Place: Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center
First Place: MoreSource Inc. Second Place: Accounting Plus Inc.
Second Place: The Canvas on Broadway
TOP IT COMPANY
First Place: Midwest Computech 311 Bernadette Drive , Columbia, 800346-8934, midwestcomputech.com
Second Place: Easy PC
THIS OR THAT
›› Columbia professionals answer the hard questions
Photo by Ben Meldrum
THIS Mac Money
PC Power Writing
Business
Casual
Mentor Phone Head First
Tomorrow Mentee Email Feet First
Books
Magazines
Coffee
Tea
DIY
Buy
Handwritten
Typed
Digital
Quiet
Noisy
Cursive
Big Picture Early Bird Behind the Scenes Gel Pen
Details Night Owl In the Spotlight Ball-Point
Numbers
Letters
Clean Volunteer Solo Sitting Desk Outlook
Senior Vice President/SBA Manager The Bank of Missouri
THAT
Reading Today
Karin Bell
or
Lunch In
Cluttered Donate Team Standing Desk Gmail Lunch Out
Drive to Work
Public Transportation
Donut
Bagel *only a B&B bagel
Creative
Analytical
Introvert
Extrovert
Warm
Cold
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 89
New website. Same outstanding content.
ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com 90 \\\ January 2016
did you know?
›› Fun facts CBT staff discovered while reporting this issue
Our 20 Under 40 class is so impressive, there wasn’t space to include all the fun things they do in their minimal spare time. Read about all the recipients on page 40. Here are a few of the many interesting facts:
Curt Kippenberger, owner of Focus on Health Chiropractic, is an avid rock climber. He has competed six times in a 24-hour endurance rock climbing competition called “24 Hours of Horeshoe Hell.” He also raced his bicycle at the elite amateur level for nearly a decade before graduating from chiropractic school.
Chris Rosskopf, vice president of commercial banking at Central Bank of Boone County, plays softball on Thursday nights at Cosmo Park on the same team that introduced him to his wife, Stephanie. “She is way better than I am, so I don’t lose any marriage points,” Rosskopf says.
Kelsey Meyer, president of Influence & Co., has played golf since age 2, and she played for MU in college.
The building at 901 E. Broadway, which today houses Commerce Bank, was not the first at the address. Both the Haden Opera House and the Haden building burned down, in 1901 and 1921 respectively. Haden Opera House showed the first film in Columbia in 1897. Read about it in Flashback on page 94.
PYSK Boone County Treasurer Tom Darrough was a computer programmer for 14 years early in his career. See profile, page 35.
Dave Griggs' Flooring America CFO Michele Batye has worked the company’s booth at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase every year since – wait for it – 1992. Read about her tricks of the tradeshow on page 70.
When Boone County National Bank became Central Bank of Boone County in June 2015, the change had to be approved by the Federal Reserve. Once the name change was approved, the branch had 45 days to tackle 175 projects and inform the bank’s 40,000 customers. Check out page 65 for some of the items that had to be reordered with the new name. columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 91
5 questions
➜ 2415 Carter Lane, Suite 104 573-442-1276 edwardjones.com
›› Get to know your professionals
Investing for Life Mark Richardson, Edward Jones
2. What is your appointment process? We use a five-step asset management process to help you turn your needs into specific financial goals, and then develop strategies to achieve them. First, we will begin by understanding your current financial picture. Then we can help translate your needs into specific, measureable goals so we can track your progress. After that, we will review the information we have collected and consider potential solutions and strategies. Then we will then recommend an appropriate mix of investments and services to help you achieve your goals. Last, we'll continue to meet regularly to review your goals and progress to help ensure you stay on track. 3. What do new investors really need to know? If you’re starting out as an investor, you might feel overwhelmed. After all, there’s a lot to know. But you can get a good grip on the investment process by becoming familiar with a few basic concepts. First, know the difference between stocks
FUN FACT: 92 \\\ January 2016
and bonds. When you purchase stocks, or stock-based investments, you’ll own shares in companies. By contrast, when you purchase bonds, you are lending money to a company or a governmental unit. Barring default, you can expect regular interest payments and, when your bond matures, you can expect return of your principal. Besides knowing the “nuts and bolts” of stocks and bonds, you need to be aware of what you have to do as an investor. You must set goals — and then design a strategy for pursuing them. And you must realize that investing is a long-term process. Don’t expect to “get rich quick.” Finally, remember that all investments carry the potential for both risk and reward. 4. What are the risks of not investing? Here are some to consider. By not investing enough to provide adequate income during your retirement years, you incur two types of risk. First, you risk not being able to enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned. And second, you may risk outliving your money. Also, by not investing for growth, you might lose ground to inflation. Even at a relatively mild 3 percent annual inflation rate, your purchasing power will decline by about half in just 25 years. Finally, by not investing consistently, you may
not be able to leave the type of legacy you desire, both to your family and to those charitable organizations you support. Get into the habit of investing and never lose it — because the risks of not investing are just too great.
Photo by Ben Meldrum
1. What gets you out of bed every morning? I've found a job where I can play a meaningful role in people's lives. I love teaching people how money works and grows over time. I have found that money is just a tool that helps people accomplish some of their most meaningful goals.
5. Will I be ready for retirement? Of course, if you enjoy your career, you may be in no hurry to retire. But you may want to put yourself in a position someday when work is optional — not mandatory. To reach that point, consider taking these steps: First, estimate your cost of retirement, taking into account the age at which you plan to retire and the type of lifestyle you envision. Then, throughout your working years, contribute as much as you can afford to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. At the same time, try to fully fund your IRA each year. Also, control your debts as much as possible. Every dollar you don’t have to spend on debt payments could be used to help you save for retirement. These aren’t the only steps that can help you move toward a comfortable retirement, but they can certainly help get you on the right path. CBT
➜ Mark started investing at the age of 8, using allowance and birthday money to buy baseball cards, and he maintains this collection still today.
ADVERTISER INDEX 43Tc.........................................................................................................................................3
GFI Digital............................................................................................................................8
Accent Press.................................................................................................................36
Gravity............................................................................................................................... 73
Accounting Plus........................................................................................................95
Harold's Doughnuts...............................................................................................36
Anthony Jinson Photography......................................................................... 33
Hawthorn Bank.................................................................................................69 & 96
Budget Blinds...............................................................................................................38
Landmark Bank...................................................................................................... 2 & 37
Caledon Virtual........................................................................................................... 4
Les Bourgeios................................................................................................................14
Carpet One......................................................................................................................64 Central Bank of Boone County....................................................................... 13 Central Trust Company...........................................................................................9 CenturyLink Yellow Pages.................................................................................. 78 City of Columbia Water & Light............................................................... 6 & 93 Commerce Bank...............................................................................................................7 COMO Connect.............................................................................................................20 Cosmic Sauce................................................................................................................. 22 Designer Kitchens & Baths.................................................................................. 57
Mediacom.......................................................................................................................... 52 Midwest Computech.................................................................................................79 Moresource, Inc........................................................................................................... 12 Naught Naught Insurance Agency...............................................................64 Personal Touch Cleaning Service................................................................79 Property Protectors..............................................................................................10 Providence Bank..........................................................................................................18 Socket................................................................................................................................84
Edward Jones.......................................................................................................16 & 86
State Farm Insurance-Stephanie Wilmsmeyer.......................................69
Equipment Share............................................................................................................5
The Bank of Missouri................................................................................................34
Father Tolton Catholic High School........................................................ 28
UMB......................................................................................................................................... 15
Fibrenew........................................................................................................................... 73
University Club............................................................................................................20
Flat Branch Home Loans....................................................................................... 57
Veterans United Home Loans............................................................................. 28
Focus on Health..........................................................................................................18
Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management.........................................85
Foundation Recovery Systems........................................................................90
Wilson's Fitness............................................................................................................11
columbiabusinesstimes.com /// 93
flashback
➜ 901 E. Broadway 800-453-2265 commercebank.com
›› Columbia, then and now
By Amber Taylor Photo by ben meldrum
The Commerce Bank building, located at 901 E. Broadway, stands in place of two previous historical buildings, the Haden Opera House and the first Haden building, both of which met fiery ends. The Haden Opera House was built in 1878. In 1897, the opera house showed the first film in Columbia. The building burned down in 1901. Another structure, the Haden building, was erected in its place the same year. In 1921, the Haden building burned down. According to a Columbia Daily Tribune article, the fire started in the boiler room, and the Tribune described it as “the most disastrous fire which has visited Columbia in several years.” The fire department fought the fire for six hours, and three boarders were saved from the third floor of the building. The estimated damages were between $80,000 and $100,000.
That same year, the Boone County Trust Company erected the second Haden building, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The building utilized white-glazed terra cotta sheathing. The building is two stories and utilizes beaux-arts architecture and classical revival elements, like two-story columns and Corinthian pilasters. Later, Boone National Savings and Loan Association owned the building. In 2006, after acquiring Boone National, Commerce Bank purchased the historic building. According to Teresa Maledy, CEO of Commerce Bank Central Missouri region, the Haden building was purchased after acquiring Boone National Savings and Loan. Maledy has served as the President and CEO of the Central Missouri region, which includes Columbia, Mexico, Moberly, Tipton and California, since 2002.
“After a few years of design and engineering work, we closed the building for a year to complete an extensive renovation,” Maledy says. The building reopened in May 2010. Prior to the Boone National Savings and Loan acquisition, Commerce Bank already had several branches in Columbia. After renovations, the Ninth and Broadway branch was designated as headquarters. At headquarters, there are offices for the senior regional executives, the Commerce Trust Company team and human resources. Customers can enjoy the retail lobby and the convenience of an ATM. In 2011, the building was named to the City of Columbia Historic Preservation Commission’s Most Notable Properties. Today, it is the largest intact classical revival building in The District. CBT
➜ We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 94 \\\ January 2016
“
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