Columbia Business Times -July 2018 CBT

TOP of the TOWN P G . 61

FROM MARINE TO BUSINESS OWNER Meet the veterans behind two local companies.

P G . 74

Anne Williams COLUMBIA'S 2018 TOP CEO

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Not only do we extend discounts, but we make a conscious effort to give back to veterans and their families through charitable programs such as our Panel Donation Program. In 2015, we were honored to donate a sizable solar system to Sgt. Derick Hurt and his family; Sgt. Hurt was severely wounded in 2003 while serving in Mosul, Iraq. Sun Solar is also committed to employing veterans within our organization. Currently, 17% of our workforce are Military Veterans, but we are striving to get that to 25%. We honor, appreciate and acknowledge those hardworking men and women for their sacrifices and dedication to this Country.

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W

hile our Top of the Town Issue is always a big hit, CBT decided to also focus on veterans this July, celebrating our nation’s birth while giving a nod to those in our business community who have served.

In gathering the content for this edition, it gave me immense pride to hear the gratitude from some of our local heroes, a number of whom asked me: “How did you even hear about us?”

By now, you already know I can be, at times, a tad over-the-top.

So forgive me for saying it, but sometimes I wish we all had a name tag that helps tell our stories. Something like, “Hi, my name is Frank, and I take care of my ailing mother while working two jobs.”

Or, “Hi, my name is Nancy, and I’m scared every day that my cancer will come back.”

Or, “Hi, my name is John, and I saw things in war that I’m not able to talk about.”

Wouldn’t that give us all a little more empathy? Wouldn’t that make us all take more time to pause and be kind?

But I don’t think my name tag initiative would catch on, so everyone just needs to assume that the people we interact with — strangers, colleagues, sometimes even friends — have been through hell in one way or another.

It’s true that not every veteran has been through “hell.” I’ve interviewed more than one who told me, “Breck, I wasn’t in combat. I didn’t do what the other guys and gals did.”

But that doesn’t minimize the fact that they served. I gave serious consideration to joining the military at one point early in my career, and ultimately, I was afraid of the commitment.

Remembering that feeling now reinforces my respect for those who have been willing to say, “Yes, I will give four-plus years to my country, come what may.” Every veteran has made a sacrifice, make no mistake. And I’m so proud to introduce you to those in Columbia’s business community who have made an impact.

After formerly helping service members as a loan officer for Veterans United Home Loans for years, being able to tell veterans’ stories absolutely warms my soul — particularly so because this message is also a parting one. My path has led to a transition into another role, and this is my final issue as editor of CBT. But I’m not going far. I’ll still be serving on the Business Times’ advisory board for at least the next year.

It’s been an honor and a privilege working for this company full of dynamic, creative, innovative people, who all treated me like gold. I look forward to seeing Emma Bentley, the incoming editor, build on this publication that I’ve been so proud to be a part of.

In humble gratitude,

PG. 61

FROM MARINE TO

BUSINESS OWNER

Meet the veterans behind two local companies.

PG. 74

COLUMBIA'S TOP CEO

With sincere appreciation,

Breck Dumas, Outgoing Editor

/Co l u m b i a B u s i n e ss Ti m e s

W

hen I go to make a purchase and hand my credit card to the cashier, many times they pause, look me in the eye, and ask, “Did you serve?”

They ask because my credit card TOP has the outline of three soldiers of the dressed for combat, so they assume TOWN I served in the military.

I reply in the negative, explaining that I never served but some family Anne Williams members did: my grandfathers, uncles, and father. Then I get to share ON THE COVER what branch they served with and Anne Williams, founder of JobFinders where they were stationed.

Employment Services, is this year's Many cashiers will thank me for Top of the Town Top CEO. Her quick my family’s service. In one case, smile and sassy moves made this a really fun shoot. Photography by a kind person even gave me the Anthony Jinson. store’s military discount. And while I don’t personally deserve their appreciation, I do love feeling like I’m a part of a large, extended family of military members, spouses, and children who support each other.

With great honor, it’s now my chance to show appreciation and support to my extended family — our local business leaders who served our country through their military service — in our Veterans Issue.

This special issue features local, veteran-owned businesses, which we found through suggestions from people in the community wanting to spotlight our service men and women. What a privilege it’s been to read their stories of success and growth (page 74), learn how a local college is helping veterans earn higher-ed degrees (page 89), and discover what services and resources are available to veterans to help them transition back into civilian life (page 95).

Also, I'm privileged to be joining the Business Times Company as the new editor for CBT. As a Columbia native, I know the importance of investing in and supporting this community, and I look forward to doing this through the magazine.

Please feel free to introduce yourself via email, or let’s grab a cup of coffee at your favorite coffee shop. I’m looking forward to meeting readers and hearing your stories.

Don’t forget to check out our Top of the Town award winners (page 61) to see if you cast your vote for the winner!

@ Co l u m b i a B i z

Emma Bentley, Incoming Editor Emma@businesstimescompany.com

Co l u m b i a B u s i n e ss Ti m e s .co m

Ed i to r @ B u s i n e ss Ti m e s Co m p a ny.co m

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20 JULY 2018

EDITORIAL Emma Bentley, Editor Emma@BusinessTimesCompany.com Megan Whitehead, Managing Editor MWhitehead@BusinessTimesCompany.com Madison Love, Department Editor Madison@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Inside the Issue Around the Office

DESIGN/CREATIVE SERVICES Jordan Watts, Senior Designer Jordan@BusinessTimesCompany.com Kate Morrow, Graphic Designer Kate@BusinessTimesCompany.com Cassidy Shearrer, Graphic Designer Cassidy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Sadie Thibodeaux, Graphic Designer Sadie@BusinessTimesCompany.com

TOP OF THE TOWN PHOTOSHOOT A behind the scenes look at Top CEO winner and cover person for this month’s issue, Anne Williams, during the cover shoot.

You should ask her about the country on her list to visit next. Thank you to everyone who voted for our Top of the Town winners!

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Deb Valvo, Marketing Consultant Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com Bonnie Hudson, Marketing Consultant Bonnie@BusinessTimesCompany.com MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Vice President ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Beth Bramstedt, Editorial Director Beth@BusinessTimesCompany.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Keith Borgmeyer, Anthony Jinson, Sadie Thibodeaux CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kacen J. Bayless, Mark Farnen, Sgt. Robert Fox, Al Germond, Paul T. Korte, Jodie Jackson Jr., Eli Marchbanks, Kermit Miller, David Morrison INTERNS Michaela Jaycox, Helena Jordheim, Madeline Knapp, Elizabeth Quinn SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues for 1 year or $34.95 for 24 issues for 2 years.

Subscribe at columbiabusinesstimes.com or by phone.

The Columbia Business Times is published every month by The Business Times Co., 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.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Columbia Business Times and columbiabusinesstimes.com strive 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.

CONTACT The Business Times Co., 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100 Columbia, MO, 65202 (573-499-1830) • columbiabusinesstimes.com

Twitter Chatter Sarah Hill @SarahMidMO What's Healium? Thanks for capturing our story @ColumbiaBiz. New XR wellness tool powered by your brain. #healium @StoryUpStudios Central Bank of BC @boonebank So proud of our Brooke! RT @ColumbiaBiz: And the winners of our 2018 Top #Salesperson are...Brooke Berkey (@boonebank) & Megan Meier-Walters (@HOB_Realty)! #TOTT2018

Contributors

Kermit Miller, KRCG 13

David Morrison

Jodie Jackson Jr.

Kacen J. Bayless

@DavidCMorrison

@JJacksonJr

@KAC3N

Write to CBT editor Emma at Emma@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 21

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JULY 2018 VOL. 2 5 / ISSUE 1

TA BLE OF CON T EN TS

The Veterans Issue 19 FROM THE EDITOR 21 INSIDE THE ISSUE 25 CLOSER LOOK 26 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS 29 BUSINESS UPDATE

74

Sappington’s Carpet Care

34 NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT VFW Post #280

36 CELEBRATIONS Anderson Homes

39 MOVERS & SHAKERS 41 P.Y.S.K. Joe Bechtold, Midway Properties

45 7 QUESTIONS

Matt Hayes, BrightStar Care

47 A CAPITOL CONVERSATION An Encounter with President Trump

49 OPINION: AL GERMOND COU Expansion

53 OPINION: SGT. ROBERT FOX Community Policing

55 OPINION: PAUL KORTE Mental Health Stigma

57 OPINION: MARK FARNEN The August Ballot

Structure Beyond Service Why two veterans saw owning a business as their next career step.

98 DEEDS OF TRUST 101 NEW BUSINESS LICENSES 103 ECONOMIC INDEX 105 BY THE NUMBERS 106 THIS OR THAT Cale Kliethermes, Kliethermes Homes & Remodeling

61

81

89

95

Top of the Town 2018

Reaching Out for Help

Service Learning

A look into MidMissouri’s awardwinning veterans’ hospital and the services they offer.

What Columbia College is doing to help servicemembers earn degrees.

In Focus: Services for Our Veterans

The waiting is over! Here are your 2018 Top of the Town award winners. We’re excited to celebrate the many exceptional businesses, services, and professionals in Columbia.

How an army brat and a veteran are seeking to help others.

24 JULY 2018

BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • VOIC ES • F YI

C LOSER LOOK

Closer Look

Deck Medic

American Shaman CBD

Total Lending Concepts

Deck Medic is a family operated professional wood restoration company that refinishes wood surfaces. Deck Medic has crews in Columbia and Jefferson City currently, and the business hopes to add additional crews to the Lake of the Ozarks area. Deck Medic doesn't build decks; they perform outdoor wood restorations and do minor repairs to existing decks. And while Deck Medic specializes in decks, they also repair a multitude of wood surfaces exposed to the outdoor elements.

Owner and U.S. Army veteran Clay Hager opened Deck Medic in January; he set about learning the business after seeing an opening in this niche in Central Missouri. Deck Medic is the only wood restoration company in the area that uses a five-step process that allows the stain to soak into the wood.

“We are set apart with our proven, guaranteed five-step process,” Hager says.

“We strip, brighten, use a mold treatment, sand, and stain.”

American Shaman CBD, one of an increasing number of CBD shops operating in the state, sells 100 percent organic and natural hemp oil. Hemp oil is made from industrial hemp, a type of cannabis plant, and is used for health purposes. Hemp oil is legal in all 50 states, and customers say it gives them relief from illnesses and conditions such as migraines and certain cancers.

American Shaman sets itself apart because the CBD oil is a full spectrum product that has nanotechnology, meaning it is water-soluble. Being water-soluble gives it a 90 to 100 percent absorption rate, compared to the roughly 10 percent absorption rate of under-the-tongue products. This technology gives consumers a more cost-effective way of using CBD. Matthew Beard opened American Shaman in early April to help improve people’s lives and educate them on CBD. “It’s all about helping people and providing them with an alternative to synthetic medicine,” Beard says. “I spend 30 minutes to an hour with just about everyone who walks through the door.”

Total Lending Concepts opened their Columbia office in March 2017. They are a team of mortgage bankers who specialize in providing clients with quality home loans combined with low mortgage rates.

TLC concentrates their efforts on home purchasing, refinancing, and debt consolidation. TLC is a governmentapproved lender, offering USDA, VA, and FHA loans as well as conventional loans and manufactured home loans with or without land.

The lender also offers one-on-one assistance whenever needed and focuses on simple internal processes to get fast decisions. Lasting partnerships are important to TLC, which is why they focus on exceeding expectations in quality and service.

Branch Manager Ross Kulik says he got into the business because of the customers.

“I saw the joy in the customers' faces at closing and wanted to be a part of that process,” Kulik says.

Location: 4900 E. Turkey Trail Dr. Website: deckmedicmo.com Contact: 573-846-3325

Location: 1400 Forum Blvd. #40 Contact: 573-355-5572

Location: 25 N. Ninth St. Website: tlchomeloan.com Contact: info@tlchomeloan.com

Are you sprouting a new business? Reach out to Department Editor Madison Love at Madison@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 25

BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • VOIC ES • F YI

Briefly in the News JULY 2018

BUSINESS

THE GRIND OPENS NEW LOCATION The Grind Coffee House opened its second location in May. The new location will feature high-quality coffee, teas, a drive-thru, and more. The Grind will be the first independent and family-owned coffee shop in north Columbia with its shop located at 2601 Rangeline St. in the strip mall next to Wilson’s Fitness. The Grind is open regular business hours; Monday through Friday the drive-thru will open at 5:30 a.m. and the lobby will open at 6:30 a.m.

T EC H NOL O GY

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE Mediacom Communications and Columbia Public Schools partnered to provide discounted or subsidized broadband service to 59 local students in families that previously lacked home broadband connections. Program coordinators hope to double that number in the upcoming school year. The high-speed internet service is provided through the CPS Wireless at Home initiative and Mediacom’s Connect-2-Compete program.

“Technology and the internet play an increasingly critical role in the education of our youth. Mediacom wants to close the achievement gap between students in homes with access to high-speed internet and those without it.”

— Steve Bennett, senior director for area operations, Mediacom

26 JULY 2018

BR I EFLY I N T H E N EWS

C OM M U N I T Y

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE HELPS VETERANS The Assistance League of Mid-Missouri announced the expansion of two philanthropic programs to include services to veterans and current military personnel. To accomplish their mission of transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs, the Assisting Women’s Achievement Scholarship program and the Kaboodle Kit program now offer help to veterans or currently serving members of the military. The Assisting Women’s Achievement Military Heroes Award has been established at Columbia College to recognize the special services provided and challenges faced by veterans and currently serving military personnel.

C OM M U N I T Y

STATE FARM PAYS IT FORWARD Officials from MU recognized State Farm Insurance Company for their recent donation of $141,000. This gift brings State Farm’s total gift amount for the Mizzou: Our Time to Lead campaign to more than $1.3 million. MU continues to be the largest single recipient of State Farm grant funding in Missouri. The money will support several MU programs, including the Fire Rescue Training Institute, ThinkFirst Missouri, Trulaske College of Business Risk Management and Insurance Program, Frank L. Mitchell Jr., M.D., Trauma Center for Motor Vehicle Crash Outreach, and the College of Human and Environmental Sciences Personal Financial Planning. Department.

BUS INES S

SECOND FUZZY’S LOCATION Fuzzy’s Taco Shop opened a second location in Columbia on June 11. The 3,500-square-foot fast casual restaurant located at 205 E. Nifong Blvd. is the sixth Fuzzy’s built, owned, and operated by Scott Bonner.

Fuzzy’s newest Columbia location will feature a welcoming and laidback ambience, highlighted by the eclectic and colorful décor that has become a trademark of the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop brand.

BUSINESS

NEW DRURY HOTEL IN COLUMBIA The Drury Plaza Hotel Columbia East is nearing completion and will welcome guests starting on July 6. The new hotel is the company’s second property in Columbia and 36th in the state.

In addition to its 210 guest rooms, the property features more than 3,200 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. The Drury Plaza Hotel is located at I-70 and Highway 63.

“We look forward to making Fuzzy’s more accessible to members of the community by adding a second location and can’t wait to continue to get to know our guests, old and new, in the area.”

— Scott Bonner, franchise owner, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 27

28 JULY 2018

BUS INE SS • P EO P L E • VOIC ES • F YI

BU SI N ESS U PDAT E

Built from the Floor Up Eric Sappington discovers an interesting passion: caring for your carpet.

BY ELI MA RCHB A N KS | P HOTOG R A P HY BY A N TH O N Y J I N S O N

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 29

B US INE SS • P EO P L E • VOIC ES • F YI

IF YOU WALKED DOWN THE HALLS of any of our high schools and picked a teenager out at random to ask what he or she wanted to do with their life, you could bet a crazy amount of money that you wouldn’t hear “carpet installation and maintenance” as their answer.

You certainly wouldn’t have heard that answer from Eric Sappington. “I had no idea that the carpet cleaning industry even existed,” Sappington says. “I just knew I wasn’t ready for college right out of high school.”

So instead, Sappington started working at Hulett Heating & Air and was on his way to becoming a skilled tradesman. Sappington believes that life as a tradesman would have been a good living — especially today. “The builders I know cannot find enough tradesmen,” he says.

But the adventurous 19-year-old wanted to experience other things life had to offer, so he answered the call of duty, joined the U.S. Navy, and served as an aviation aircraft equipment specialist on the USS Constellation shortly after the first Gulf War. 30 JULY 2018

STUMBLING UPON A CAREER After four years of service, Sappington decided that college looked more appealing with the military being good enough to cover the cost.

With the help of the GI Bill, Sappington went to school in Springfield. While in school, he worked for a property management company. One of the services they offered was carpet cleaning through Aero Dry Carpeting, for whom Sappington would moonlight to earn extra money. This is how Sappington was first exposed to the industry he has worked in for the past 20 years.

A lot of people used to believe there were health hazards associated with having your carpet cleaned. “It was probably true in the early days of the industry,” Sappington says, “because they were just cleaning with basic detergents and leaving a lot of residue.”

Today, “most companies use fiber rinses to neutralize the cleaning and spotting agents,” he says. In other words, people with kids and pets don’t have to be concerned about any harmful

“What really intrigues me about the service industry is that I like providing good service for people.” chemicals and are free to enjoy their clean carpets without worry.

Still in school and working two jobs, Sappington found himself needing to write a business plan for one of his classes and, wisely deciding to write what he knew, he decided to write a business plan for the carpet cleaning industry. “A home-based service industry business seemed like a better plan to write than trying to do a retail business or manufacturing,” he says.

BU SI N ESS U PDAT E

Sappington’s boss at Aero Dry was happy to help him as he worked on his assignment (as long as he promised not to use it to start a competing company in Springfield). It turned out to be a good idea; it earned Sappington a B for the assignment, and he was able to use that very same business plan to secure a loan to start his own carpet cleaning business in his hometown of Ashland, also servicing Columbia and Jefferson City.

At first, Sappington thought this would be part-time work while he finished school, but the local economy responded very well and, to use Eric’s own words, “it took off.” Over the course of the next 10 years, through good times and bad, the business grew. “Actually, I had two businesses then,” Sappington explains, “one was carpet cleaning and the other was flooring. I combined them in 2005 into Sappington Carpet Care.”

ADAPTING TO SURVIVE During the 2008 recession, the company had to adjust to make it through some lean

years. They did it the same way that most companies did: They learned how to do more work with fewer workers. “We had a front desk person and sales people. All that went away.” Sappington bought out his partner and changed his customer interactions to “appointment only.” This is how he currently operates the business.

Sappington would tell you that this kind of flexibility has proven crucial in being able to run the business successfully. “You have to be able to bend and sway with customer needs and wants.”

Sappington says it’s also important to find a niche. While it’s important to be aware of what other similar companies are doing, you have to find a way to offer something that few other companies do. At Sappington’s, you pay by the square foot, as opposed to a lot of other carpet companies that charge by the room.

“You charge by the room and sometimes you win and sometimes the customer wins because, obviously, not all rooms are the same size.” Sappington says that charging by

the foot gives the customers more choices in exactly how much carpeting they want done in their homes.

“You have to do right by your customers,” Sappington says. “If you do a good job, your customers might tell one or two people, but if you do a bad job, your customers will tell everybody.”

Sappington says this is especially true in Columbia. “Columbia is a big word-of-mouth town,” he says.

WHAT’S THE WORD? In addition to his advertising in the Boone County Journal and having the endorsement of local radio celebrity Simon Rose, Sappington says that word-of-mouth is how he generates a lot of his business. And word-of-mouth reveals that Mid-Missouri is happy to have Sappington’s.

“Sappington’s Carpet Care has been cleaning our carpets for years,” says customer Mary Clark. “Eric provides excellent customer service and hires staff that always do a thorough job. It’s a pleasure to work with him.”

Gene Devore, a Columbia resident and repeat customer, would certainly agree. “They always make our carpets look like new,” he says. “That is not an easy job when you have two messy kids.”

A lot of the credit for this praise should certainly go to Sappington’s commitment to excellence, not only for himself, but also for anyone who works for him. Anyone who cleans carpet for Eric for the first time will have their work very closely inspected to make sure it's up to the high standards Sappington’s customers have come to expect. “I use crews of the same three or four guys, and I’ve used them for years and years,” he says.

Sappington’s attitude toward his work certainly explains why his customers are pleased.

“What really intrigues me about the service industry is that I like providing good service for people.”

Since this is exactly what you want to hear from someone you’re hiring to care for your home, it would certainly seem that local residents are standing on solid ground. Thanks to Sappington’s, that ground is also clean. CBT Sappington's Carpet Care Sappingtonscarpetcare.com 1215 Clinkscales Rd. (573) 489-0584 COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 31

32 JULY 2018

Everyone’s a fan of something.

Kirberg Roofing 2017 Safety Grant Winner

At Missouri Employers Mutual, we’re fans of taking care of people.

It all starts with the people in our communities. That’s why we’re proud to support the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. Thanks for sharing our vision of keeping people safe, healthy and injury-free.

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© 2018 ©Missouri Employers Mutual rights reserved.

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B USINE SS • P EOPL E • VOIC ES • F YI

‘You're One of Us.’ Veterans of Foreign Wars offers a comfort for comrades.

BY ELIZABETH Q U IN N

“AT SOME POINT IN TIME, you’ll need me as bad as I’m going to need you,” says Don Briggs, quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 280. That’s the conversation Briggs has with potential new members of VFW. “You’re going to need the VFW. The military takes care of you, helps you for your whole time in there, but VFW does the same thing.”

Post 280 is VFW’s Columbia post but reaches farther than city limits. There was a post in Harrisburg, but it shut down. The next closest posts are in Jefferson City, Fulton, or Sedalia, says Briggs, who has been a member since 1995.

34 JULY 2018

The post was originally called the Robert M. Graham Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 280, named after Graham, of Mineola, Mo., who was killed in action during World War I on July 7, 1918. He received the Silver Star, and in his honor, on November 4, 1919, 53 men activated the post. By July 1932, the members voted to change the name of the post to Boone County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 280.

The post has moved twice. The original location was in downtown Columbia. After that, the post moved to the pavilion area next to the current post, off of Ashley Street, until it burned down. The current post has undergone

three renovations to expand it. It was built in 1975, and since then, the post has continued to grow with active members. There are currently more than 400 lifetime members, 86 of whom are annual members. There are 517 members overall. The post is also an All-American Post, a VFW honor that is not common for all posts.

BUSY BEES As an active post, there are reoccurring activities for veterans to participate in during the week. Although closed on Sundays and Mondays, activities resume on Tuesday with karaoke and chicken wings; Wednesday with

VFW MISSION Veterans taking care of veterans.

NUMBER OF MEMBERS 517 members

OFFICERS Frank Fevert (Commander) Jim Matthews (Senior Vice Commander) Neil Smith (Junior Vice Commander) Don Briggs (Post Quartermaster) Larry Lammers (Chaplain) Josh Dennison (Adjutant)

N ON PR OFI T

a blue-plate dinner; Thursday with bingo; Friday with steak and catfish; and dances on the weekend. The post also has an honor guard, a shuffleboard league, and “jam sessions,” as Briggs says, with a group that comes and plays music. Since 1995, the honor guard has done close to 700 funerals, and that’s not counting flag ceremonies, Briggs says. It costs around $100,000 a year to keep the post running.

With all of the activities, one would think there needs to be a lot of people running the show. However, believe it or not, there are only around three full-time volunteers, who help keep the post functioning smoothly. The post used to have two to three bartenders, a cook, and a maintenance man, but over the past 10 to 15 years, there hasn’t been any paid help. There is only one paid person left, and that’s the bartender. When it comes to the kitchen, cleaning, and maintenance, it's up to the volunteers and members. “My wife says I spend entirely too much time here,” Briggs says.

VFW not only has volunteers helping at the post, but there are also members who volunteer in the community. There are around 20 people who volunteer at the VA hospital, Briggs says. The post also participates in youth scholarship programs, education outreach, youth activities, and troop support. For example, members give awards to the ROTC at MU and the junior ROTC in Boonville, Briggs says.

EXTENDING AN ARM Briggs has been an officer since 2011 and has worked his way up from a trustee to commander to present quartermaster. One of the things that Briggs and the post does is reach out to veterans to join the VFW. “We need to get more young people back into the organization,” Briggs says.

He explains that many veterans, when they come back from the military, don’t feel like the same person. “How can you be the same person after you had somebody try to hurt you, maim you, kill you? You’re definitely not going to be the same person,” Briggs says.

Speaking to his own experiences, Briggs says that before the VFW, he didn’t realize how he

“How can you be the same person after you had somebody try to hurt you, maim you, kill you? You’re definitely not going to be the same person.” was missing the structure, camaraderie, and everything else that was ingrained in his head during his time in the military.

Briggs found the VFW as something that he was used to. He says it can put veterans back in a comfort zone. “[I’m] someone they can come to, someone they can sit down and talk to and understand what they’re talking about and be here to help them,” he says. “We don’t even have to know you — you ain’t got to try to be a friend, you’re already a friend.

You are a comrade. Maybe I didn’t go to the same place you did, but I went through the same darn things you went through, good and bad.”

The post is a safe space for veterans to share experiences and memories of their time during service, but it is also a place for veterans to build new experiences and memories with people who can understand the difficulty of integrating into a normal American lifestyle after spending time in the military. Whether that means help with medical needs, filing a claim, or making sure you’re signed up at the VA, Post 280 can help, Briggs says.

The comradeship service men and women share while serving together doesn’t end when they're no longer on active duty. That’s why Post 280 exists. They want all veterans to continue to know and feel this sense of belonging and friendship. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 35

From left to right, Ken and Russ Anderson.

1996

1997

1998

Russ joins the Army Reserve during his senior year of high school.

Russ marries his high school sweetheart, Andrea.

Russ leaves Kemper Academy and opens The Axle Shop.

36 JULY 2018

BUSINE SS • P EO P L E • VOIC ES • F YI

C ELEBRAT I ON S

Consistency Is Key Army Reserve vet Russ Anderson celebrates 10 years of building homes.

BY MA DISON LOVE | P HOTOG R A P HY BY A NTH O N Y J I N S O N

MOTIVATION comes in all shapes and sizes.

Sometimes it’s an internal force driving us; other times it can be the people around us or the situations we’re in. Regardless of the type, motivation is a powerful mentality.

Russ Anderson, an Army Reserve veteran, built his success off of his motivation. At the young age of 19, Anderson opened his first business, The Axle Shop, which built front-wheel-drive car axles. Catching the fever of entrepreneurship, he then opened seven more businesses of all different kinds.

Anderson launched his current business, Anderson Homes, a residential construction company, just as the Great Recession hit in 2008. It became clear to him that he could no longer positively impact the success of all his companies with the recession in full effect.

Anderson sold his eight businesses and dove into a monogamous lifestyle of sorts, owning just Anderson Homes.

“I had to do some soul searching, and I realized that what I really enjoyed doing was building and designing homes,” says Anderson. “The artistic expression of picking out colors and putting things together is really rewarding to me and something that I enjoy.”

Anderson Homes excelled through the recession, growing quickly. “There was a lot of bad inventory on the market at the time.

Anyone with a cell phone and a truck was building houses,” says Andersen. “As the banks foreclosed on homes and the market crashed, our houses set us apart from our competition.”

Anderson achieved this success by going outside of Columbia to source unique and rare products to make the homes he built custom and one of a kind.

“I’m not a track home builder. We don’t build the same house over and over again. We try and customize every house that we build,” he said.

Anderson believes in and stands by the quality of work that his team provides. “I took a business class early in my career, and they told me I could be fast, good, and cheap, but I couldn’t be all three,” he says. “I value quality and price; I don’t value speed.”

“You don’t need to light the world on fire, but you need to be constant and consistent every day.”

Those values are part of the foundation of Anderson Homes and part of what has made it possible to log 10 years of business and more than 400 homes built.

Anderson uses the lessons he learned during his eight years in the Army Reserve every day as a business owner. Anderson likes to reference the race between the tortoise and the hare when talking about his business: Consistency will win every time. He says that’s his biggest takeaway from his time in the reserves. “You don’t need to light the world on fire, but you need to be constant and consistent every day,” Anderson says.

Anderson believes that distractions are the silent killer of success. “The military strips you down and takes everything away from you so they can break you and build you back up,” he says. “It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you put your mind to something and have a singular focus.”

Without distractions, Anderson has been able to build an award-winning residential construction company. He attributes it all to keeping his head down and working his hardest.

“I’m not the best-looking guy out there; I’m not the smartest. But you won’t find anyone who out-works me,” he says.

Anderson proved that statement by not taking a day off from Anderson Homes until five years after it opened. “You have to have a toughness to bare that weight,” he says. “We live in a world where we have so many comforts that make our lives easy that we’ve lost how tough we could be. The military taught me that.”

Anderson believes in seeing things in black and white; he only talks in successes and failures. Either the customer is happy and the job is done or they’re not and it isn’t.

He hopes for controlled growth in the future and for his customers to continue being happy with their homes. Currently, the company builds around 30 to 40 homes a year.

In 2016, Anderson Homes made $8.5 million in gross sales with 42 homes built. In 2017, gross sales increased to $13.2 million with only 35 completed projects. His goal is to build around 40 to 50 homes a year, continuing off the momentum of 2017.

“We’re not trying to build a business here,” Anderson says. “We’re trying to build something that’s going to last a lot longer than that.” CBT

2003

2008

2016

Russ begins building homes.

Russ sells out of his businesses and founds Anderson Homes.

Russ’s brothers, Ken and Jonathan, come to work for Anderson Homes.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 37

38 JULY 2018

B U SINESS • PEOP LE • VOIC ES • F YI

M OVER S & SH AKER S

Movers & Shakers JULY 2018

Loretta Schouten The Youth Empowerment Zone Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Loretta SCHOUTEN has been selected as the organization’s new executive director.

Schouten has more than 15 years of nonprofit experience including fundraising and administration. She has a passion for working with churches, business owners, city leaders, and schools to address the needs of our youth.

Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network announced the recipients of this year’s ATHENA International Awards. There are two awards given, the ATHENA Leadership Award and the ATHENA Young Professional Award. The ATHENA Young Professional Award went to Sarah DUBBERT, executive vice president and commercial banking division manager for the central Missouri region at Commerce Bank.

The ATHENA Leadership Award went to Dr. Bea Smith, who served as dean of the College of Human and Environmental Sciences from 1977 to 2001 and led MU’s human and environmental sciences programs through an era of profound growth and change.

Kamrhan Farwell University of Missouri officials announced the appointment of Kamrhan Farwell as chief marketing and communications officer for both the UM System and MU. Farwell’s appointment is effective July 2. Farwell previously served as assis-

tant vice chancellor for communications at the University of Pittsburgh. She co-directs the work of more than 50 employees who are responsible for communications functions including media relations, internal and external news publications, web services, marketing, and social media.

Columbia Police Department The Columbia Police Department honored several employees during its ninth annual Employee Awards Ceremony. The award for 2017 Civilian of the Year went to Lydia Green, who was recently promoted to records custodian for CPD. The 2017 Rookie of the Year went to Officer Adam O’DELL, who started at the department in December 2016. The 2017 Supervisor of the Year went to Sgt. James Meyer, who has been with the department since 2008 and was promoted to sergeant in July 2015. Lastly, the 2017 Molly Suzanne Thomas Bowden Officer of the Year award went to Officer Christopher PAPINEAU. Papineau is being recognized for his proactive policing efforts and dedication to reducing violent crimes in Columbia.

Debbie Stevens Debbie STEVENS joined OATS as the new finance director at its headquarters in Columbia on June 1.

She will oversee the financial operations of the entire company. Stevens previously worked for Universal Research Solutions, The Kroenke Group, and Services for Inde-

pendent Living before coming to OATS. She holds an MBA from William Woods and a bachelor's in business administration from Central Missouri State University.

SCHOUTEN

Don Seitz Don SEITZ recently joined The Callaway Bank as a commercial and agriculture lender. His primary responsibilities include helping owners build and strengthen their companies. Before joining The Callaway Bank, Seitz was a successful entrepreneur in the property management industry. He started Modern Property Groups in 2011. Seitz graduated from law school in 2003, and while working as a trial attorney, he began buying properties for renovation and leasing.

DUBBERT

O'DELL

Jill Edwards Jill Edwards will be recommended to the Columbia Board of Education to become the principal at Shepard Boulevard Elementary School for the 2018-2019 school year.

Edwards will replace current principal John Ellison, who accepted another position within the school district. Edwards has been the assistant principal at Alpha Hart Elementary School since 2012. Prior to working at Alpha Hart, Edwards was a teacher at Blue Ridge Elementary School for five years. She has a bachelor’s degree in teacher education from Texas Women’s University, a master’s degree in education, and a specialist’s degree in education leadership and policy analysis from MU. CBT

PAPINEAU

STEVENS

SEITZ

Are you or your employees making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news at Madison@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 39

40 JULY 2018

B U SINESS • PEOP LE • VOIC ES • F YI

P E R S ON YO U SH OU LD KN OW

JOE BECHTOLD

O W N E R | M I D WAY P R O P E R T I E S | A G E : 5 1 Job description: Entrepreneur.

Years lived in Columbia/MidMissouri: I was born and raised in Columbia, but I spent the 1990s in Australia.

Original hometown: Columbia.

Education: A Bachelor of Science in business administration from MU. Favorite volunteer/community activity: I enjoy working out with friends in the Columbia Multisport Club [a local triathlon club] and look forward to reacquainting myself with their goals now that my kids are able to dip their toes in the triathlon scene.

Professional background: I sold American oak wine barrels in Australia prior to working in the family business at Midway, which includes the Midway truck stop, diner, the Backdoor Lounge, Midway Antique Mall, 121 Consignment Furniture, Budget Inn Motel, Sandbar Outdoor Events Center, and a property division which oversees leased commercial and residential property. I’m also a partner in a service-disabled veteranowned small business.

A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: I can immediately think of two who now work for VU: the Bukowsky brothers [Brant and Brock, co-founders of Veterans United Home Loans]. People make an organization, and the Bukowskys have a knack for hiring some of Columbia’s finest.

Why I’m passionate about my job: No boundaries. As I discover opportunities, whether while daydreaming on a bike ride or traveling overseas, I enjoy the freedom to pursue those opportunities.

Photography by Sadie Thibodeaux

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 41

B U SINESS • PEOPLE • VOIC ES • F YI

Why I’m passionate about my company: Many folks on the Midway team have been with us for a very long time. It’s a family atmosphere.

If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: Be flipping burgers in Hawaii and surfing.

My next professional goal: We have some incredible I-70 and Highway 40 frontage that I look forward to developing when the city runs sewer to Midway.

Biggest lesson learned in business: It’s all about your team. Good teams win, so scout hard, hire well, and give your people enough latitude to call audibles.

How I would like to impact the Columbia community: I have been involved in organizing several different workout opportunities, the most popular being the Tuesday/Thursday run, which has led to many new friendships and a healthier Columbia.

42 JULY 2018

P E R S ON YO U SH OU LD KN OW

A favorite recent project: Opening the 121 Consignment Furniture store at Midway.

Family: My grandfather used to say, “siempre famiglia” which translates from Italian to “family is everything.” I met my wife, Megan, on a long white-sand beach in South Australia. Columbia is logistically the opposite end of the earth from her home, but we make the 30-hour journey to visit her family in Adelaide every year during Christmas. Our boys, R.J., 12, and Ryder, 11, have dual citizenship and are equally at home in both countries.

Greatest strength: Passionate optimism. This has led to some big wins.

Greatest weakness: Passionate optimism. This has led to some magnificent train wrecks.

Favorite place in Columbia: At 5:30 a.m., I appreciate the MKT Trail and the MU rec pool. At 5:30 p.m., family bike rides usually end at Flat Branch Pub or Katfish Katy’s.

What I do for fun: I run with a crazy group of friends at 5:30 a.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I also swim with a different set of friends Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Most weekends, our family rides bikes to lunch spots along the MKT or Katy Trail. Travel generally involves family and mountains, streams, or oceans.

What people should know about this profession: If you’re risk-averse, entrepreneurship might not suit you.

The next challenge facing my industry: Labor shortages.

Accomplishment I’m most proud of: As a kid, I daydreamed of sailing the oceans, so when I retired from my barrel sales job, I pulled a “Captain Ron” and sailed an un-seaworthy boat around Australia. I’m proud that I scratched that itch and survived.

Most people don’t know that I: Hosted 26 episodes of a television show called “Truck Stop Missouri.” CBT

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 43

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B U SINESS • PEOP LE • VOIC ES • F YI

7 QU EST I ON S

2. Tell us about your business: BrightStar Care of Mid-Missouri is an inhome care and specialty nursing agency. We perform traditional in-home care for all ages, from infant and pediatric patients to seniors, though the vast majority of the in-home care clients we serve are senior citizens. However, I think it’s important to note that we don’t just take care of our clients; we’re also there to make it possible for the adult children and other family members to maintain their own lives and occupations. Often times, the families we end up caring for are consumed by taking care of one or both of their parents, and we offer respite and peace of mind to help them find balance in the times of crisis we will all face.

Q&A MATT HAYES Owner, BrightStar Care of Mid-Missouri

1. What’s your background? My wife and I were both hospital corpsmen in the U.S. Navy for six years, which is where we met. Following my time in the service, I completed my bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science and worked in a hospital laboratory for the next five years in various departments like the blood bank, microbiology, and chemistry. While working in the lab, I went back for my master’s in business, looking to move into hospital administration. During my MBA program, I decided to change course and move to the industry side of the lab. With help from a mentor, I successfully moved into capital equipment sales, working with hospitals, clinics, and large reference labs on the analyzers and workflow solutions for the testing they performed. In 2012, my wife and I decided to begin looking at various franchises in the hopes of starting our own business. We finally found BrightStar, and it was something that we could both really invest in both financially and personally.

3. What does your typical day look like? We start each morning with a 15 to 30 minute “huddle” to review the weekend or prior night as far as any new developments or issues with our clients. From there, my day usually moves to working with various members of my leadership team on projects or tasks they are working on. This could include working with my director of nursing on regulatory issues or other clinical matters involving our clients, my marketing rep on business development, or my HR manager and recruiter on staff development and making sure we have the right people on board to serve our clients.

4. What drew you to home health care? Spending all my adult working life in health care was a conscious choice when I went into the Navy. I chose the hospital corps in the Navy because of its storied history and because I loved science and wanted to be in the medical field. Also, I wanted to help and serve others. As my career and education developed, my professional goals and interests changed.

Once I moved into medical device sales, I also realized I had an interest in business and marketing, but it was not as fulfilling as being able to work directly with patients and their families. Both my wife and I have had family who battled and continue to battle chronic illnesses like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Many of the families we care for are struggling through the same experiences we had. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s something we can help shepherd the families we care for through.

Those relationships fill our hearts and make the difficulties of this business all the more worth it.

“The military is one of the most diverse organizations in the world.”

5. What don’t people know about BrightStar Care that they should?

Our current team is like a family. We’ve worked alongside one another for a while now and each of us is there for one another and the families we care for. This is a business that is based on trust and a genuine desire to serve. Without the trust of our clients, their families, and our employees, what we do every day would not be possible, and that trust is earned each and every day. I am so blessed with my leadership team and their dedication. They make me very proud and are another fulfilling part of this business that I didn’t expect to experience.

6. How does being a veteran affect your business and leadership style?

I would say it has given me a different kind of insight into people in general. The military is one of the most diverse organizations in the world. It’s also a place where attention to detail and consistent and excellent execution is absolutely critical to success. Without dedicated leadership and high-quality employees from the bottom to the top, your chances of failing to meet expectations increase greatly.

7. Tell us something about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone: I have three amazing kids that challenge me to be a better person every day. My wife keeps me grounded and is my lodestar. Without her, none of these accomplishments would be possible. I enjoy fishing and golfing, but because of the demands of the business and family, I don’t get to do those things as much as I would like. Oh, and I’m claustrophobic. CBT

Check out more questions and answers online at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 45

46 JULY 2018

BUSI N ESS • PEO P LE • VOIC ES • F YI

A CA P I TOL CON VER SAT I ON

An Encounter with President Trump

BY K RCG 13’ S K ER M IT M IL L ER

THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL. Well, sort of. I thought I’d share some reflections of a recent working trip to Washington, D.C. It afforded me a rare and interesting opportunity to meet with the President of the United States in the Oval Office.

On Friday, May 18, as I was waist-deep in the final day of the 2018 Missouri legislative session, I learned that KRCG 13 had been invited to the White House for a meeting between President Donald Trump and a small group of out-oftown reporters. Such meetings are not unusual and not unique to this administration. What I did find curious was the inclusion of a small-market station from a flyover state in a group that turned out to include news reporters and anchors from Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Miami, as well as media groups that included Sinclair (KRCG’s parent company), Nexstar, and Gray.

In any case, there was precious little time. The meeting was set for the following Tuesday, May 22. Our management decided that, to make it worth going, we should gather interviews with members of Missouri’s congressional delegation and be prepared to report live over a couple of days.

The next 96 hours were a whirlwind. They involved KRCG 13 operations manager (and cameraman extraordinaire) Riccardo Montgomery and me driving 14 hours in a car loaded with television equipment to Washington, DC. We negotiated the restricted accesses of the area surrounding Capitol Hill to get into the offices of senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill as well as congress members Blaine Luetkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler, all of whom were remarkably accommodating in the face of only a day or two of advanced notice of our coming. All the while, I was preparing to raise

my level of focus for the challenge ahead: reporting on an experience that I could not show and which I was restricted in describing.

You see, our meeting with President Trump was fully off the record, a condition to which everyone in our group had agreed in order to be included. We all were required to surrender our cell phones before entering the Oval Office, meaning no selfies. A White House photographer did document the encounter, but at this writing, I have not yet received those photos.

The meeting itself lasted about half an hour. After waiting briefly in the Roosevelt Room, our group was escorted through a short corridor into the Oval Office. A row of chairs was positioned in front of the Resolute Desk, facing the fireplace at the opposite side of the room. President Trump entered, greeted each of us individually, and took a seat in a cushioned Queen Anne chair in front of the fireplace. I sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, while others took seats on the two sofas that face one another in the middle of the room. Staff and Secret Service agents surrounded us.

During most of the meeting, the President sat forward in his chair, his suit coat unbuttoned, tie dangling between his legs, his forearms occasionally resting on his knees. I remember thinking this was the posture of a businessman in negotiation, drawing us in. Without betraying the agreed-to confidentiality, I can tell you he answered questions about matters of local and regional interest, as well as matters of national and international interest. At one point, someone asked about his participation in an upcoming event. The question was redirected to presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, who had slipped into the empty seat next to me so quietly that I

hadn’t noticed. At that point, I also spotted Vice President Mike Pence standing in an adjacent office through an open doorway. When it was time to end the meeting, Pence entered the room and thanked us all for coming. President Trump then did the same, shaking our hands before we were ushered out.

I returned to the White House press briefing room, focusing my thoughts for the live reports I would do from there for our evening newscasts (we wanted to go live from the lawn in front of the North Portico, but a thunderstorm thwarted that plan). I was distracted by the lingering question of why I really was there, why KRCG 13 was included in this exercise.

At one point, Conway entered the room, and Riccardo and I muscled our way into the reporter gaggle that had surrounded her. I put the question of our Oval Office invitation to her. She responded as you might expect, saying only that it is important to President Trump to reach beyond the beltway media to convey his message. We all understood enough about his relationship with the White House press corps to know what she meant. Beyond that, I was left to speculate.

I suspect the answer has more to do with the fact that the White House is very focused on the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, and perhaps in the midterm elections in the other states represented by our group. I did ask Conway if the President, who has visited Missouri three times since August, would return to the Show-Me State over the summer to help the GOP here unseat Claire McCaskill. She said she would not discuss the political environment this year, but then added with a smile that she was sure I already knew the answer to that question.

And then, there was that 14-hour drive home... CBT

Kermit Miller anchors the 6 and 10 p.m. news for KRCG 13. You can reach Kermit at kmiller@krcg.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 47

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B USINESS • P EOP L E • VO ICE S • F YI

OP I N I ON : AL GER M ON D

The new, improved COU by 2025.

KCI a year or two earlier.

Bank on it.

The Expansion Is Coming

BY A L GERMON D

2025? 2025!

I predict that 2025 will be the year when the new, improved version of Columbia Regional Airport will finally be up and running. The improved version will include a new terminal with a still-to-bedetermined number of enclosed jetways, more parking, and the longer (7,460 feet) main runway. It will also include additional non-stop jet service to Charlotte, Atlanta, and other points, bringing the total number of yearly enplanements well into the hundreds of thousands.

With the way things drag on, though, Kansas City’s improved and expanded international airport will beat COU’s grand opening by a year or more.

The COU expansion will be one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by the city. It will require close coordination, in a timely manner, of a series of related projects.

Bids will be taken and reviewed for each project and then contracts will be awarded. Grants and available funds will have been identified and secured. Next comes actual construction, which is subject to the usual litany of strikes, material shortages, cost overruns, change orders, lawsuits, injunctions, petitions, weather conditions, acts of God, and a variety of other unforeseen occurrences.

Funds are already on hand to relocate hangar 350, which opens up the area where the new terminal will be built. A city official recently conceded that this might be done by the end of the year.

Then the main runway will be lengthened, and the funds are now assured for that project. Will that be done by the end of 2019, barring the aforementioned contingencies?

We’ll see.

Route H, running north of the airport, has to be relocated. That's a MoDOT project. The

perimeter fence needs to be extended and repositioned. Will both projects be completed by the end of 2020? Again, we’ll see.

The new terminal itself remains somewhat of a mystery. What will be its design and appearance? What about the number of jetways or a restaurant?

This is where the real fun begins as architects and consultants are brought in to produce plans and renderings. Everything will be overseen by the city council and staff with a generous dollop of public comment while grinding through the creaky mechanism of city governance. Months, maybe a year or two goes by, and then actual construction begins, subject again to the usual litany of complicating factors.

Some believe the COU project would get done much sooner if Columbia did what Kansas City did. For KCI, it was a designbuild project undertaken and coordinated by a third party for a set amount of money.

An elegantly successful example of how the third-party coordinator works is Emery Sapp and Sons. They build bridges and highways on time and on budget for MoDOT. For the COU project, this type of agreement was not to be for a variety of reasons.

The airport has always seemed to be just another toy for the city to fiddle around with. The examples over time are too numerous to get into here.

The new, improved COU by 2025. KCI a year or two earlier. Bank on it. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 49

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SUPPORTING SERVICE When Brian Ninichuck, owner of Wingate Pest and Lawn and a US Marine who served in Desert Storm, needed a home loan, Jim Yankee was there to support him with a VA Loan. And from there, a solid relationship formed. It has now been several years that Flat Branch Home Loans utilizes Wingate’s services.

Wingate makes it their policy to create relationships with all their customers – commercial and residential alike, just like that of Jim Yankee with Flat Branch Home Loans. So when looking for your next pest control company, pick one you can trust.

B USINESS • P EOP L E • VO ICE S • F YI

OP I N I ON : SGT. R OBER T FOX

Community Policing Comes at a Price

BY SGT. ROBERT FOX | Colu m bia Police D e p a r tm e n t

THERE IS AN OLD JOKE in law enforcement that is, sadly, true. It goes, “There are two things cops hate: The way things are and change.”

Policing in Missouri came under an international microscope after the shooting of an unarmed man in Ferguson, Mo. The incident itself was investigated and found to be reasonable by local, state, federal, and Department of Justice investigators. However, the aftermath of that incident and several other police shootings around the country resulted in much professional soul searching, reflection, and review of police and policing in general. Most of these reports and reviews recommended change towards a communityoriented policing philosophy.

Community policing is the preeminent reform goal in modern policing. It differs from traditional policing in a shift towards more citizen involvement, a different geographic focus, more opportunities for interactions with citizens, and an emphasis on crime prevention.

Nationally, we have experienced a 25-year long reduction in crime. The use of data-driven techniques and intelligence-led policing has been successful in maximizing resources and

addressing the causes of crime. At the same time, the expectations on police have expanded.

A police officer is now expected to be the default crisis call for everything from a lost child to a car misplaced in a drunken haze to a pizza being delivered without being cut into slices (a real 911 call for a Columbia police officer). This results in more demand for service despite the downward trend of actual crime.

Patrol officers working a shift typically respond to 15 to 20 calls for service in their 10-hour shift, yet only four or five of those are criminal matters resulting in a criminal police report. Officers spend a large amount of time dealing with non-criminal incidents, civil disputes, and medical (both mental and medicinal) incidents. Even though officers’ training and the department’s organizational structure is based on the four or five criminal incidents, the public — perhaps rightly — demand that officers be experts at the other eight to 10 non-criminal situations they are the default solution to.

Almost every citizen has instant access to 911 dispatch now. The consequence of every person having 911 available in their hands and cars at

every second has been that we receive hundreds of calls for service for an incident we would have received only a few calls for prior to the smartphone era. And Columbia probably has a higher percentage of cell phone owners than most cities, thanks to the young population and urban geography.

The community policing approach has been in use in Columbia for decades in various forms.

However, the most recent incarnation, the Community Outreach Unit, consisting of eight officers and a sergeant assigned to three small, geographically strategic neighborhoods, has been successful both in building partnerships with citizens in those neighborhoods as well as reducing calls for police service. This achievement is particularly important, given that Columbia has the highest emergency call volume for police service of 26 comparable cities.

However, the Community Outreach Unit has come at a price that some inside the police department feel they cannot afford. The traffic unit and downtown unit was reduced in size, and the department has the same number of detectives today that it did in 1994. Some of those detectives carry caseloads in the 70s.

Patrol supervisors who attempt to triage the calls regularly describe the situation as “ridiculous” on busy nights.

Officers frustrated at months of running from call to call with no discretionary time to follow up or proactively police their beat leave the department or become disillusioned with the profession as their discretion and decisionmaking is reduced to report taking.

Having a police department outgrown by its city leads to bad results. For example, officers taking reports on incidents they don’t have time to follow up on leaves criminal behavior unchecked and criminals enabled, resulting in lower quality of life for residents, especially in neighborhoods with low social equity.

The resource commitment to the Community Outreach Unit by the chief, the city, and the police department has been considerable. On February 19, the council voted unanimously on a resolution directing the city manager to construct a transition plan, timeline, and budget for transitioning the entire police department towards a citywide community-oriented policing program.

The report to council will be a collection of evidence, data, and templates for community oriented policing. It could shape the future of policing in our city. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 53

54 JULY 2018

B USINESS • P EOP L E • VO ICE S • F YI

OP I N I ON : DR . PAU L T. KOR T E

Destigmatizing Mental Health DR . PAUL T. KORT E | C lin ical psych ologist , Tr u m a n VA H o s p i ta l

YOU DON’T FEEL WELL. You aren’t sure what is going on, so you schedule an appointment with a doctor. Your health care provider makes a potentially debilitating diagnosis, recommending treatment and regular follow-up care through methods that are scientifically proven to help individuals overcome your illness. You respond by saying, “No thanks.” Not because of insurmountable treatment risks or costs, but because you “don’t really have the time for that.”

None of us dreams of turning down treatment following a diagnosis of cancer, kidney failure, or heart disease. We tell our families and friends, and we notify our employers and negotiate time off to attend appointments. We

accept all the support we can get. However, if we’re diagnosed with a mental illness, suddenly the same rules don’t apply.

Each year, approximately one in five Americans experiences a mental health issue.

However, 60 percent of adults and 50 percent of young people do not receive the treatment they need. These numbers are higher for our military veterans, who face many stressors the general population does not typically experience — not only combat, but also distance from loved ones, work demands (both physical and mental), and a culture that expects from them stoicism in the face of adversity.

Stigma is the driving force behind so many barriers and attitudes about mental

health within the veteran community and communities across America. We treat behavioral health as if it is disconnected from the rest of our overall health.

Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital integrates behavioral and physical health care because we know integration leads to better care. However, in our communities, mental health services are often separate from traditional health care settings, and insurance companies might still pay differently for mental health treatments. Unfortunately, “behavioral health” is not part of everyday nomenclature, and efforts by private sector providers to integrate mental health into care are not always successful because it’s still viewed differently.

Our military service members and veterans know what it takes to fight. It requires resources and a team effort. A battle is never taken up alone; teamwork and strategic planning wins wars. Mental health recovery is no less a “fight” than overcoming physical illness. It takes the same tenacity to overcome behavioral health issues such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, or schizophrenia.

However, individuals with behavioral health issues usually face a parallel battle overcoming the stigma.

The good news is that treatment works. Research, including many studies by the Veterans Health Administration, supports the use of psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions to treat the range of mental health problems. Likewise, education, awareness, and acceptance help in addressing stigmas. However, both treatment and stigma reduction require engagement and commitment by everyone. It is our responsibility to our veterans, our fellow citizens, and even to ourselves to overcome the potentially debilitating nature of both a mental illness and the stigma that so often interferes with recovery.

Cancer, kidney failure, and heart disease require multiple appointments and adherence to recommended treatment modalities to make recovery possible. The same applies to any mental health disorder. We all need to stop viewing mental health as separate or different from usual health care. End the stigma so that we may create a healthier and more accepting culture that addresses mental health treatment for what it is: a battle against an illness. The goal is recovery. Join the fight against stigma — not only for our veterans, but for everyone. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 55

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56 JULY 2018

B USINESS • P EOP L E • VO ICE S • F YI

OP I N I ON : M AR K FAR N EN

August Primary Election Brief

BY MA RK FA RN EN | Co-fou n de r, St rate gist s L LC

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, Columbia voters will have the opportunity to go to the polls and exercise the important right to vote. This year, more than 60 candidates from five different political parties have filed to serve in positions ranging from senator to county auditor. Voters will also decide the fate of two important issues. That may sound like a long ballot, but in primary elections, not every voter will see every candidate’s name.

In primary elections, voters are asked to choose a ballot that represents one of the five political parties registered in the state of Missouri: Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Green, and Constitutional.

This allows party members to choose the candidates who will ultimately represent them in the general election slated for November.

Because we do not register by party affiliation in this state, you’re free to choose the ballot of any party, and you can choose a different party in the next election. But, in the August

election, you must choose one. Alternatively, you may choose a nonpartisan form of the ballot and will be allowed to vote on all issues, but no candidates for office.

So, let’s sort this out.

State and Federal Candidates At the top of the ballot, you will find the race for senator. On the Republican side, 11 candidates have thrown their hats in the ring, the most well-known being Josh Hawley, Missouri’s current attorney general. On the Democratic side, incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill is being challenged by six other candidates for the right to move forward to the general election in November. Japheth Campbell is running for senator under the Libertarian label, and two candidates, Jo Crain and Jerome Bauer, have joined the race as Green Party candidates.

In the race for representative from the Fourth District of Missouri, three parties

have fielded candidates. On the Republican side, incumbent Vicky Hartzler will face off against John Webb. On the Democratic side, two Columbia residents, Renee Hoagenson and Hallie Thompson, are seeking the nomination.

The Libertarians give voters the choice between Steven Koonse and Mark Bliss.

On the state level, only the office of state auditor will appear on the primary ballots, but five political parties have fielded candidates. Four candidates have filed in the Republican primary; one candidate, incumbent Nicole Galloway of Columbia, has filed for re-election on the Democratic side; and Sean O’Toole and Don Fitz have filed under the Libertarian and Green Party banners respectively. This race also features Jacob Luetkemeyer, of California, Mo., running under the Constitution Party banner.

The office of lieutenant governor, which had been vacant, was filled by the appointment of Mike Kehoe to that post. Although that appointment may be challenged in court, the position of lieutenant governor will not appear on any ballots during the August primary.

State Representatives In the contest for five state representative seats that represent parts of Columbia, all incumbents have filed for re-election. In four of the five races, candidates have filed for the right to challenge those incumbents in the general election, but none of these candidates face a challenge in their respective party primaries. That means all candidates for state representative from all political parties will move on to the November election, where the ultimate winner will be determined. Only Democrat Kip Kendrick, state representative from the 45th District, drew no challengers from any political party, thus ensuring his ultimate election in November.

Circuit Judges and Associate Circuit Judges Six different circuit judge positions will appear on the ballot and ten different candidates are seeking those seats. Here’s the breakdown on this confusing set of candidates. In the race for Division 1 circuit judge, one Republican, newly appointed Brouck Jacobs, and one Democrat, Finley Gibbs, have filed. Neither have primary opposition, so the two will face each other in the November election. In COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 57

BUSINESS • P EOP L E • VO ICE S • F YI

Division 3, only one candidate, incumbent Republican Kevin Crane, has filed and is therefore guaranteed re-election in the general election.

In the races for Division 5 and Division 10 associate circuit judge, incumbent democrats Kimberly Shaw and Leslie Ann Schneider have filed for re-election and have drawn no challengers from any party. Both will retain their respective seats on the bench.

The two remaining judgeships up for election feature challenges at the primary level. In the Division 9 associate circuit judge race, two Democrats have filed to fill the seat — and neither are incumbents. Tracy Gonzalez will face Stephen P. Wilson in the Democratic primary.

Because no Republican has filed, the winner of the primary contest will become the next judge in November with no further opposition.

Finally, the office of Division 11 associate circuit judge will appear on some ballots in August. Republicans will see the name of Josh Devine. Democrats will have to decide between Kevin P. O’Brien and Stephanie Morrell to represent them in the November election.

County Offices Seven different county offices will be decided by voters in August and November. In four of the races, only the incumbent has filed for re-election with no opposition from within or outside of their own party. The four who are guaranteed re-election are Circuit Clerk Christy Blakemore, Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight, County Auditor June Pitchford, and County Collector Brian McCollum.

In the race for county clerk, incumbent Republican Taylor W. Burks has filed to retain the seat he was appointed to fill one year ago.

One Democrat, Brianna Lennon, has filed for the same seat. They will both appear on the ballots of their respective parties in August and will then face off in November. In the race for county recorder of deeds, incumbent Democrat Nora Dietzel is seeking re-election.

Lisa Ballenger has filed as a Republican. Again, they will both appear on the primary ballot and will then go head-to-head to determine the winner in the general election.

The race for presiding county commissioner is a bit more complicated.

Incumbent Democrat Dan Atwill has filed for re-election to this post. He is being challenged in the primary by fellow Democrat David Seamon.

58 JULY 2018

OP I N I ON : M A R K FA R N E N

Voters who choose a Democratic ballot will choose between the two to move on to the November election. Matthew Cavanaugh has also filed for this seat as a Republican.

With no opposition in the Republican party primary, he will ultimately face the winner of the Atwill and Seamon primary election. In some precincts, voters who choose partisan ballots will see candidates for various committeeman and committeewoman positions for their respective political parties.

Issues Whether a voter in Columbia chooses a partisan primary ballot or a nonpartisan style ballot, two questions will be presented in the August election.

The first item is entitled Proposition A and is colloquially known as the Rightto-Work bill. This law was originally passed by the Missouri General Assembly in 2017 (Senate Bill 19), but, as the result of a referendum petition, the people of Missouri will get to vote to uphold or defeat the legislation. As written, the bill “prohibits as a condition of employment the forced membership in a labor organization (union) or forced payments of dues in full or pro-rata (fair-share)." This item was originally scheduled to appear on the November general election ballot but was changed to the August primary at the end of this year’s state legislative session.

Columbia voters will also have the opportunity to vote on an issue entitled Proposition 1. The question is whether or not the City of Columbia should be allowed to issue $42,845,000 in revenue bonds to pay for improvements to and expansion of the city’s water system. The bonds would be paid off with revenues from the operation of the water utility. Columbia water customers could expect to see an 11% increase in rates over the course of the next few years to generate the additional revenue.

If you are not already registered to vote, you have until July 11 to qualify for the August 7 election. Absentee ballots may also be cast by qualified voters by contacting the Boone County Clerk’s office prior to the election. CBT

A publication of Strategists Communications

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OF THE

TOWN We’re proud to recognize the businesses and people keeping Columbia looking good and running smoothly. Because of your continued and growing support of Columbia's businesses and leaders, we increased the number of categories from 35 to 39 in this year’s fourth annual Top of the Town awards. Let’s check out the first and second place winners in each category!

BY MICHAELA JAYCOX PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEITH BORGMEYER AND ANTHONY JINSON

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 61

TOP OF T H E TOWN

TOP PLACE TO WORK 1-25 EMPLOYEES First Place: Visionworks Marketing Group 204 Peach Way, Ste. H, 573-449-8567 Visionworks Marketing Group is a full-service marketing agency offering a range of services from graphic design to public relations. With more than 20 years in business, the agency has the experience and creativity to build their clients’ brands. They won four awards from the 2017 Communicator Awards, an international competitive awards program, on behalf of clients.

Second Place: The Station House at Katfish Katy's 8825 W. Sarr St., 573-777-5500 Zac and Laura Cutler opened The Station House at Katfish Katy’s in September 2016. The Station House is an outdoor event location and restaurant located next to the Missouri River and Katy Trail State Park. Being a seasonal business, The Station House is open April through October. The Station House hosts numerous events throughout the season and is also available to rent for private events.

TOP PLACE TO WORK 26-50 EMPLOYEES First Place: EquipmentShare 4205 Interstate 70 Dr. SE., 573-299-5222 EquipmentShare is an online platform that lets contractors lend their equipment or rent equipment from other contractors. Their company reduces the cost of renting equipment by 30 percent and allows contractors to make money on the equipment they own but aren’t using. GPS trackers are installed on all rental equipment so that contractors can see where their equipment is and what it’s being used for.

Second Place: Las Margaritas 10 Southampton Dr., Ste. B, 573-442-7500 Las Margaritas is a Mexican bar and grill with outdoor patio seating overlooking a man-made lake. Since opening in 2012, Las Margaritas has become a popular spot for happy hours. They offer a range of authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex foods as well as their signature drink, a lime margarita.

TOP PLACE TO WORK 51+ EMPLOYEES First Place: Veterans United Home Loans 1400 Veterans United Dr., 800-884-5560 Veterans United Home Loans is a family-owned, full-service lender that specializes in helping veterans and military servicemembers become homeowners. Veterans United is the No. 1 purchase lender in the country. With a team of executive leaders who have a blend of experiences, they strive to create the ultimate VA loan experience.

Second Place: Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 Central Bank of Boone County has a long history in Columbia. They’ve been in business for more than 175 years and have 10 locations in Columbia. They’re committed to customer service, providing financial expertise, and offering exceptional products. Central Bank is a community bank, so they require their employees to volunteer within the community. The bank also has a community involvement committee that coordinates events and fundraisers that help employees become leaders within the community.

62 JULY 2018

2018

TOP OFFICE DIGS First Place: True Media 500 Business Loop 70 W., 573-443-8783 True Media is a multi-national strategic communications and media company. They help companies develop communication plans that could include traditional, digital, social, and mobile media. They have developed plans for some of the most reputable companies in North America and have partnered with top-notch agencies to captivate audiences around the world.

Second Place: Missouri Employers Mutual 101 N. Keene St., 800-442-0593 Headquartered in Columbia with additional locations in Kansas City, Springfield, and St. Louis, Missouri Employers Mutual is the No. 1 provider of worker’s compensation insurance in the state. With a program called WorkSAFE, MEM uses their expertise to benefit policy holders. MEM is committed to serving policyholders by saving lives and money through safe workplaces.

TOP EMERGING PROFESSIONAL First Place: Jesse Walters, Camacho Coffee 500 Big Bear Blvd., 660-537-1983 Jesse Walters is co-founder of Camacho Coffee, a local coffee roastery that opened last year.

Camacho Coffee supplies craft coffee to restaurants, cafes, and businesses. As a native to the Columbia area, Walters is active in supporting nonprofits in the community and enjoys helping small businesses grow. Ten percent of Camacho Coffee profits go back to local charities.

Second Place: Wendy Moore, Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 Wendy Moore is a business relationship manager at Central Bank of Boone County. With more than five years of experience in financial services, Moore ensures that the bank’s clients’ financial needs are met. Moore embraces the daily opportunities to learn and help solve business owners’ changing needs. She works as a customer advocate to make sure clients are aware of what the bank has to offer, while also improving services and products within the bank.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 63

TOP OF T H E TOWN

TOP COMMERCIAL LENDER First Place: Chris Rosskopf, Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 Chris Rosskopf is the senior vice president of commercial banking at Central Bank of Boone County. He

services to businesses with dedicated, certified payroll

ment needed and a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee.

professionals. The number one priority at Columbia

Whether customers are looking for a one-time clean-

EDP is helping and educating people so they can focus

ing or regular maintenance, Tiger Maids can create a

on their businesses. Columbia EDP has earned an A+

cleaning plan to fit any need and budget.

rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Second Place: Moresource Inc.

TOP BANK

has been with the bank for 17 years. His favorite part of

401 Vandiver Dr., 573-443-1234

working at the bank is listening to small business own-

Kat Cunningham founded Moresource as a company

ers share their success stories and working with his col-

that helps businesses with payroll, human resources,

leagues. When he isn’t working, he's involved in the com-

insurance, and bookkeeping services. Cunningham

720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100

munity as the treasurer of the Voluntary Action Center

believes businesses should focus on delivering goods

For more information, see Top Place to Work, 51+

and an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce.

and services to their customers and let someone else

employees, page 62.

Second Place: Jason Ramsey, The Callaway Bank

do the rest. With more than 5,000 clients, Moresource

Second Place: Landmark Bank

has helped businesses big and small.

801 E. Broadway, 800-618-5503 As a family-owned bank with a long tradition of

1600 Chapel Hill Rd., 573-447-5410 In 2015, Jason Ramsey joined The Callaway Bank as a commercial lender. He works to develop and service commercial banking relationships in Boone County.

He attended Truman State, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, and he received his master’s in public administration from MU.

First Place: Central Bank of Boone County

TOP STAFFING COMPANY

community banking, Landmark is committed to

First Place: JobFinders Employment Services

have locations in 28 communities across Oklahoma,

providing customers with remarkable service. They Texas, and Missouri. As a community leader,

1729 W. Broadway, Ste. 4, 573-446-4250

Landmark feels it is their responsibility to give back

Founded in 1986 by Anne Williams, JobFinders

to the people and communities they serve.

Employment Services matches the right people to the right jobs. Since starting as a job placement service for

TOP COMMERCIAL REALTOR

Mid-Missouri, JobFinders has grown to reach across

TOP COMMERCIAL BUILDER

First Place: Gina Rende, Maly Commercial Realty

the United States. They offer cost-effective staffing

First Place: Coil Construction

solutions and can help throughout the hiring process

209 E. Broadway, 573-874-1444

with discovery, screening, recruiting, and placing.

Randy Coil started Coil Construction more than

Gina Rende is a member of the Maly Commercial

Second Place: Kelly Services

35 years ago as a small remodeling and renovation

Realty sales and leasing team. With experience in title

1000 W. Nifong Blvd., Bldg. 8,

business in the Columbia area. Coil Construction

insurance and marketing for mortgage banking, she

573-875-0605

has since grown into a large commercial

is an asset for clients. She provides expertise in lease

Kelly Services offers outsourcing and consulting solu-

construction company that offers a full range of

and contract negotiation, site location, demographic

tions, including recruitment, human resource man-

services in design and management. Their goal is to

analysis, and creative marketing. She is also a member of

agement, vendor management, and outplacement ser-

provide a construction process that is well-managed

the Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Network.

vices globally. Kelly Services’ vision is to provide the

from beginning to end.

Second Place: Jack Maher, Maher Commercial Real Estate

world’s best workforce solutions.

Second Place: Huebert Builders

3610 Buttonwood Dr., Ste. 200, 573-228-6321

TOP JANITORIAL SERVICES

Since 1986, Huebert Builders has offered

First Place: Atkins Inc.

Mid-Missouri through their team of craftsmen,

213 N. Stadium Blvd., 573-999-3131

Jack Maher is the vice president of Maher Commercial Real Estate. He graduated from MU with a degree in psychology and became a licensed broker–officer in 2016 after working with his grandfather at Maher Commercial as a licensed salesperson. He works with buyers and sellers of property in the central Missouri market. He enjoys helping small businesses grow and bringing new businesses to Columbia.

TOP HR FIRM

3407 Berrywood Dr., 573-449-4996

1123 Wilkes Blvd., Ste. 450, 573-874-5100

commercial building and remodeling services to electricians, and plumbers. Huebert Builders is

Since 1925, Atkins, a family-owned company, has

dedicated to providing excellent service to clients by

offered commercial cleaning, pest management, turf

establishing an ongoing relationship and continually

and tree maintenance, holiday lighting, invisible pet

communicating throughout the building process.

fencing, and irrigation installation. They place an emphasis on service and quality to exceed customer expectations. The owners and staff know clients by name and are “front-porch friendly.”

TOP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER

1206 Business Loop 70 W.,

First Place: Mike Tompkins, Tompkins Homes & Development

1816 Vandiver Dr., 573-474-8431

Ste. G, 573-445-9999

6000 S. Hwy KK, 573-881-6316

With more than 40 years of experience, Columbia

Tiger Maids is family-owned and -operated. They

Tompkins Homes & Development specializes in subdi-

EDP has earned a strong reputation in the community.

offer residential and small commercial cleaning ser-

vision development and new property around Colum-

Columbia EDP offers expert dependable payroll

vices. They also offer free estimates with no appoint-

bia. Mike has been serving the (continued on pg. 67)

First Place: Columbia EDP

64 JULY 2018

Second Place: Tiger Maids

2018

TOP CEO First Place: Anne Williams, JobFinders Employment Services 1729 W. Broadway #4, 573-446-4250 Anne Williams is the owner of JobFinders Employment Services, a source for matching people to the right jobs. In 1986, she started job placement services throughout Mid-Missouri and has since grown the company to include recruiting services that reach across the country.

Second Place: Steve Erdel, Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 Steve Erdel has served as CEO of Central Bank of Boone County since 2006.

Being a leader in Columbia’s largest bank, he has guided the bank and encouraged successful growth. He also oversaw the name change from Boone County National Bank to Central Bank of Boone County in 2015. He has been integral to the company’s performance and strong company culture.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 65

TOP OF T H E TOWN

TOP SALESPERSON First Place: Brooke Berkey, Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 Brooke Berkey is assistant vice president and relationship manager at Central Bank of Boone County.

She manages the large commercial relationships and assists individual customers at the bank. She is passionate about community events and the American Heart Association.

Second Place: Megan Meier-Walters, House of Brokers Realty 1515 Chapel Hill Rd., 573-808-6457 Megan Meier-Walters received her real estate license last year and began working for House of Brokers Realty. Growing up in Columbia, she feels her experiences within the community have allowed her to grow with her career. She is passionate about helping others and assisting them in important life choices. She believes her job is about more than just a sale; it’s about developing lasting relationships.

66 JULY 2018

2018

Columbia area for over 30 years and has completed

owned by her parents. Her favorite part of the job

more than 400 custom home and remodeling projects.

is the community relations aspect of meeting new

Second Place: Columbia Insurance Group

He is dedicated to his customers and believes every

people and giving back to the community. She is an

2102 Whitegate Dr., 573-474-6193

interaction should be a win–win.

active community member as a volunteer with sev-

Columbia Insurance Group has served Columbia

Second Place: Rob Wolverton, R. Anthony Development Group

eral organizations. Working with the Chamber of

for more than 140 years by providing commercial

Commerce, her favorite role is the Community

business insurance. Their mission is to build endur-

Involvement Committee chair. She is a role model

ing relationships with their customers by providing

for young professionals and strives to do everything

exceptional service and value.

6150 S. Sinclair Rd., 573-447-0799 Rob Wolverton, president of R. Anthony Development Group, has worked for more than 19 years

to the best of her ability.

in land development and more than 20 years as a licensed realtor. He enjoys the research that goes into the development of projects and the process of creating a plan for a property and executing it.

TOP COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER First Place: Casey Buckman

TOP IT COMPANY TOP BUSINESS INSURANCE

First Place: Midwest Computech

First Place: Stephanie Wilmsmeyer, State Farm

311 Bernadette Dr., Ste. A, 573-499-6928

2609 E. Broadway, Ste. 214, (573) 445-5774

company, Midwest Computech is now an IT support

Stephanie Wilmsmeyer has been an agent for State

specialist firm that provides expert IT assistance to

Farm since 2000 and opened her own agency in

every industry. They offer consulting, infrastructure,

2007. She helps people manage the risks of everyday

and wireless and remotely managed IT services. The

With a history that began in 1982 as a typewriter

company’s consulting and IT teams work with busi-

4802 Shale Oaks Ave., 573-881-1050

life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their

Casey Buckman offers photography on location or in

dreams by providing auto, home, renter's, and life

studio for occasions such as weddings, senior pho-

insurance. Being active in the community, the team at

ity and success.

tos, family portraits, and events. Buckman attended

Stephanie Wilmsmeyer State Farm office takes pride

Second Place: Delta Systems Group

MU for photojournalism and has been serving

in being a resource for the community. They care

204 Corporate Lake Dr., 573-442-9855

Mid-Missouri for over 15 years.

about clients and their goal is not to make a sale, but

Delta Systems Group is a consulting company that

to make a customer for life.

designs and builds databases, applications, web-

Second Place: LG Patterson

nesses to develop solutions that improve productiv-

47 E. Broadway, 573-445-6985 LG Patterson has been a Columbia photographer for over 35 years. He received his Bachelor of Arts in photography from MU. With a national reach, Patterson has photographed for The New York Times, USA Today, and Major League Baseball. He also photographs and collaborates with graphic artists for Mizzou athletic team posters.

TOP CHAMBER VOLUNTEER First Place: Ann Merrifield, Columbia College 1001 Rogers St., 111 Missouri Hall, 573-875-7841 Ann Merrifield is director of alumni relations at Columbia College, where she promotes and establishes mutually beneficial relations between the college, its alumni, and friends of the college. She has more than 20 years of experience in education and workforce development.

A graduate of MU, she remains active in the Columbia community, where she is currently an ambassador and committee member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Second Place: Allie Marrone, Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain 5904 N. Brown Station Rd., 573-808-4357 Allie Marrone is the office manager at Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain, a family-operated business COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 67

TOP OF T H E TOWN

sites, and networks. Since 1986, Delta Systems has provided services to thousands of individuals and more than 900 companies. They provide a wide range of services to clients and offer free consultations to show how they would build a plan to fit the client’s needs.

B2B PRODUCT OR SERVICE First Place: The Connection Exchange 204 Peach Way, Ste. D, 573-312-0628 A free service to all new businesses in the community, The Connection Exchange is a professional networking and welcoming company. Co-owners Cara Owings and Jennifer Schenck connect established businesses with new businesses to benefit both. With services available across Missouri, businesses can utilize the services within their community.

Second Place: GFI Digital 4210 Phillips Farm Rd., Ste. 101, 573-874-5600 GFI Digital is a full-service provider of office technology. They offer every aspect of office technology, including office equipment, managed print services, managed network services, and advanced technology services. As a leader in the industry, founder and owner Bruce Gibbs believes the thing that sets GFI apart is their commitment to service.

TOP ENGINEER First Place: Crockett Engineering

SOA believes architecture and interior design are intrinsically connected. They offer a wide range of services including evaluating potential property, remodeling existing buildings, and designing something new. They are environmentally friendly and promote sustainable designs and operations that protect the environment while simultaneously improving the client’s bottom line.

woman-founded, woman-owned, and woman-driven advertising agency. Their services include logo design and branding, web design, content marketing, social media marketing, and video production.

The versatile team provides honest work for wholehearted people backed by Midwestern values.

912 Old 63 S., 573-875-4365

Second Place: PWArchitects, Inc.

Mark Timberlake founded Timberlake Engineering in

2120 Forum Blvd., Ste. 101, 573-449-2683 Founded in 1978, PWArchitects has offered planning, architectural, interior, and sustainable design services to a wide variety of education, corporate, health care, government, and private clients. They offer flexibility with projects and adapt easily to project demands.

204 Peach Way, Ste. H, 573-449-8567 For more information, see Top Place to Work, 1-25 employees, on page 62.

1000 W. Nifong Blvd., Bldg. 1, 573-447-0292 Crockett Engineering consults for civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering. Since opening in 1985, Crockett Engineering has grown from serving local Columbia clients to now having projects in nearly 20 states.

Second Place: Timberlake Engineering

1999. They are a full-service mechanical, HVAC, electrical, lighting, plumbing, and LEED consulting engineering firm. The company’s philosophy is to provide practical designs to clients and high quality personal service.

With experienced staff, Timberlake Engineering uses well-trained and educated project engineers and draftsmen to design, develop, and maintain each project.

TOP ARCHITECT First Place: Simon Oswald Architects 2801 Woodard Dr., Ste. 103, 573-443-1407 Simon Oswald Architects enhances the community through creative architectural and interior designs.

68 JULY 2018

TOP ADVERTISING AGENCY First Place: Hoot Design Co. 1023 E. Walnut, 573-229-0123 A small business themselves, Hoot Design Co. believes in small businesses and helps companies across the world find success. Hoot Design Co. is a

Second Place: Visionworks Marketing Group

TOP COFFEE MEETING LOCATION First Place: The Grind Coffee House 4603 John Garry Dr. Ste. 1, 573-447-3333 With locations on the north and south sides of town, The Grind is a customer-centric business. While drinks can be personalized, they also have a signature drink, “The Aucky,” named after owner Aucky El-Tayash. Since opening in 2016, The Grind has been committed to providing the highest quality drinks with the highest quality ingredients.

2018

TOP ENTREPRENEUR First Place: Amanda Quick, The Hatchery 206 Corporate Lake Dr., 573-356-9567 Amanda Quick is the owner of The Hatchery, a business that offers co-working spaces and optional on-site childcare. The Hatchery was built to fit the needs of working parents and lets customers choose a co-working membership to fit their needs. Co-working memberships are monthly, and customers can pay monthly or receive a five percent discount for signing up for a full year.

Second Place: Kaldi's Coffee 29 S. Ninth St., 573-874-2566 In 1994, Kaldi’s Coffee opened their doors and has since grown to include 18 locations. Their mission is to create a memorable coffee experience for their customers and guests, to commit to sustainable business practices, to provide educational opportunities, and to support the communities that they serve.

Second Place: Cara Owings, The Connection Exchange 204 Peach Way, Ste. D, 660-537-0778 Owings is co-founder and co-owner of The Connection Exchange. The Connection Exchange is a welcoming service for new businesses in the community that connects new businesses to already established businesses. Owings has launched the networking business in six different communities and seeks to keep expanding and franchising across the state.

TOP PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH First Place: D. Rowe's 1005 Club Village Dr., 573-443-8004 Started in 2002 by former Mizzou football player David Rowe, D. Rowe’s has a reputation for big portions. The American and barbecue restaurant’s wings are a popular item on the menu. They also offer catering services and an in-house banquet area for up to 50 people.

Second Place: Sycamore 800 E. Broadway, 573-874-8090 Sycamore is an owner-operated, sophisticated restaurant offering American dining, fine wine, and craft beer. Since opening in 2005, Sycamore’s goal has been to enrich the dining experience in Columbia by offering locally sourced, well-crafted dishes in a lively, comfortable atmosphere.

TOP NATIONAL PRESENCE First Place: Veterans United Home Loans 1400 Veterans United Dr., 800-884-5560 For more information, see Top Place to Work, 51+ employees, on page 62.

Second Place: Carfax 38 N. Eighth St., 703-934-2664 Carfax is the most comprehensive vehicle database in North America, offering vehicle history information to buyers and sellers of used cars.

Carfax uses a vehicle’s VIN to generate a history report on any used car model after 1981. Carfax receives information from more than 100,000 data sources including motor vehicle agencies, collision repair facilities, and rental agencies. Reports generated by Carfax contain information on vehicles such as number of owners, flood damage history, total loss accident history, odometer readings, accident indicators, and state emissions inspection results.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 69

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TOP ACCOUNTING SERVICE First Place: Accounting Plus 1604 Business Loop 70 W., 573-445-3805 Accounting Plus is a full-service accounting, tax, and business advisory firm that has offered services to the Columbia area since 1992. The goal at Accounting Plus is to understand the needs of clients and even offer services on-site at the clients' places of business. Co-owners Denise Nelson and Tina Marso have more than 20 years of experience each and work to provide the best service at an affordable price.

Second Place: Gerding, Korte, and Chitwood 20 S. Fifth St., 573-449-1599 Gerding, Korte, and Chitwood works to meet each individual client’s needs for planning for the future and achieving their goals. Being committed to personal attention for each client, GKC hosts free financial accounting, consulting, and tax service seminars, also known as FACTS seminars. As a local business, GKC strives to support other local businesses and causes through donations and volunteering.

70 JULY 2018

2018

TOP HAPPY HOUR LOCATION First Place: Room 38 38 N. Eighth St., 573-449-3838 Room 38 is an upscale restaurant and bar located in the heart of downtown that makes everything from scratch. With offerings including flatbreads, small plates, sharing plates, sandwiches, and dessert, there are several cuisine options. They offer catering services with a catering menu that reflects the in-house menu, but chefs can also prepare a personalized menu.

Second Place: Las Margaritas 10 Southampton Dr., Ste. B, 573-442-7500 For more information, see Top Place to Work, 26-50 employees, on page 62.

TOP PLACE TO CLOSE A DEAL First Place: Central Bank of Boone County 720 E. Broadway, 573-874-8100 For more information, see Top Place to Work, 51+ employees, page 62.

Second Place: 44 Canteen 21 N. Ninth St., 573-443-2726

TOP CATERER

TOP BUSINESS COACH

First Place: CoMo Smoke & Fire

First Place: Carolyn Paris, Carolyn Paris Consulting

4600 Paris Rd., Ste. 102, 573-864-1021 CoMo Smoke & Fire is a family-owned and operated

Co-owners Dave Faron and Mark Sulltrop opened

barbecue restaurant started by Patrick and Matthew

44 Canteen as a casual dining restaurant and a sister

Hawkins. Their sauces, made from scratch daily, and

restaurant to 44 Stone. 44 Canteen is located downtown and offers a takeout option while also being open for lunch and dinner. With food preparations and gatherings inspired by worldwide food styles, they offer tacos, burgers, sandwiches, and sharing plates.

TOP LOCAL TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE First Place: Paint the Town 2703 E. Broadway, Ste. 127, 573-777-7795 As an upscale “paint, drink, and party” destination,

freshly smoked meats offer a unique flavor of barbecue. They also offer full-service catering for events anywhere from 20 to 500 people as well as a full bar service and menu tastings for large catered events.

Second Place: Room 38 38 N. Eighth St., 573-449-3838 For more information, see Top Happy Hour Location.

TOP EVENT LOCATION First Place: Logboat Brewing Co.

2605 Summit Rd., 573-819-6705 After more than 30 years in the financial, advertising, and technology industries, Carolyn Paris opened her own consulting firm. Carolyn Paris Consulting offers consulting and coaching to professionals across the country. Her mission is to guide clients towards their goals. Carolyn is inspired by her clients; she believes it takes courage and commitment to re-invent yourself.

Second Place: Tom Trabue, theNextStep 3530 S. Old Ridge Rd., 573-489-2091 Tom Trabue is CEO of theNextStep, a personally tailored business coaching company. TheNextStep offers one-on-one personal coaching, best business management practices, and tailored seminars. Trabue says the best part of his job is helping clients break through their barriers, whether they’re personal or business-related.

Paint the Town allows people to paint their own art

504 Fay St., 573-397-6786

work from a number of fun and easy templates or

Logboat continuously tries to innovate new brews

paint their own designs. Offering a full bar and soft

to keep their selection interesting and fresh. Their

drinks, Paint the Town is open to people of all ages. For

mission is to cultivate customer loyalty and trust

team-building experiences, off-site events are avail-

through the production and distribution of craft

able for up to 150 painters.

beer. Six core beers are served year-round with other

Second Place: Breakout CoMo

seasonal options available throughout the year.

TOP BUSINESS SPEAKER

218 N. Eighth St., 573-340-5625

Second Place: The Roof

With 60 minutes on the clock, teams have to find clues

1111 E. Broadway, 573-875-7000

First Place: Valerie Zumwalt, Show Me Leaders

and solve puzzles to break out from one of Breakout

The Roof was opened in 2014 with a mission to raise

CoMo’s escape rooms. It’s perfect for families and

the bar, literally. The Roof is a restaurant, lounge,

friends, corporate teams, game aficionados, and par-

and nightclub that offers tasty small plates and

ties. Teams can range in size from two to 10 people.

creative cocktails with indoor and outdoor seating

Each room has its own theme and is designed for max-

overlooking downtown Columbia. The Roof is the

imum fun.

ideal place for happy hour or a night out.

204 Peach Way, Suite D, 314-485-4934 Valerie Zumwalt is the founder of Show Me Leaders, a leadership growth company. The company was founded in 2014 and offers development events, programs, and products to individuals and organizations. Zumwalt has grown the Leadercast event in COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 71

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Columbia to be the third largest in the world out of more than 700. She says the best part about her job is working with people who want to grow and develop.

Zumwalt also serves as Junior Leadership Columbia co-chair, TRC coordinator, and an ambassador for Columbia Chamber of Commerce, and she’s a the Leadership Development Roundtable co-chair for Women’s Network and lead organizer for 1 Million Cups.

Second Place: Kim Becking, Looking Forward, Living Life 573-808-6315 Kim Becking is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and consultant at her training company, Looking Forward, Living Life. She is a breast cancer survivor who provides messages of hope, inspiration, and humor to encourage people. With several speaking and coaching programs, she applies her personal experiences to help other people with their lives.

TOP BUSINESS ATTORNEY First Place: Nathan Jones, Nathan Jones Law 303 N. Stadium Blvd., Ste. 200, 573-874-1122 Nathan Jones opened his own firm, Nathan Jones

Second Place: Thom Baker, Baker Digital Marketing

offers a variety of year-round services that include

years and specializes as a business and estate lawyer. Outside of working with clients, he also works

5183, 5306 W. Tayside Cir., 573-874-5691

services, and snow and ice management. They prom-

to help the community. He is a board member for

At Baker Digital Marketing, it’s about more than

ise clients reliable and professional service. Owner

the Community Foundation of Central Missouri and

capturing video; it’s about telling stories. The

Jed Taylor’s favorite thing about Columbia Land-

City of Refuge, vice president of the board for Play-

company has had work featured throughout the

Law, two years ago. He’s been an attorney for seven

ing 4 Hope, and a member of Mid-Missouri Estate Planning Council.

Second Place: Daniel Beckett, Smith Lewis Attorneys at Law

country. With years of hands-on experience,

porate law, personal injury litigation, banking and finance law, real estate and land use law, employment law, and eminent domain law. Beckett is a graduate of MU and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

professionals, owner Thom Baker can create complete marketing packages.

First Place: Cosmic Sauce 500 E. Walnut, 573-823-7474 Cosmic Sauce is a video marketing agency. Specializing in video production, content studio, and

Columbia and enhance the community.

TOP COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGNER First Place: Inside the Lines

TOP COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPERS First Place: Lanier Landscaping 1517A Copper Rd., 573-795-5820 Founded in 2015, Lanier Landscaping designs, plans,

TOP VIDEOGRAPHER

care is leading a group of professionals who beautify

teaching experience, and connections to advertising

111 S. Ninth St., Ste. 200, 573-443-3141 Daniel Beckett practices commercial litigation, cor-

landscape design, grounds maintenance, irrigation

and creates hardscaping. This includes but isn’t limited to patios, outdoor kitchens, water features, and fireplaces. They offer 3D-rendered videos of client projects. With quality in mind, Lanier Landscaping seeks to create hardscapes that are unique to every property.

100 E. Texas Ave., 573-234-0778 Inside the Lines is committed to collaborating with clients to deliver interior design services. They offer workspace consulting, planning and design, project management, and installation and support services.

With a refreshing and innovative approach, Inside the Lines transforms workspaces.

Second Place: Scout & Nimble Interiors 500 E. Walnut, Ste. 105, 800-527-6263 Scout & Nimble Interiors offers expert advice for clients and an easy process for creating the ideal inte-

video marketing, Cosmic Sauce looks to create what

Second Place: Columbia Landcare

does not exist. They believe in using a cohesive mix

7105 W. Henderson Rd., 573-443-5681

designers and enthusiasts together with unique and

of strategy and creativity to produce content that

For more than 20 years, Columbia Landcare has been

stylish products so consumers can browse, discover,

drives results.

serving the local community. Columbia Landcare

and shop fully curated rooms.” CBT

72 JULY 2018

rior design. Their mission is to “bring exceptional

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 73

STRUCTURE BEYOND SERVICE How military service inspired two Mid-Missourians to own businesses in Columbia.

BY MEGAN W HIT EHEA D | P HOTOG R A PH Y BY K E I TH B O R G ME Y E R

Semper fidelis: always faithful. The motto of the United States Marine Corps encompasses the ideals of all (Marine or otherwise) who serve. This ideal, so ingrained in our country’s armed forces, tends to influence the lives of our veterans as well. Just ask Bryan Ninichuck, owner of Wingate Pest Control and Lawn Care, and Larry Herzing, owner of Fortified Roofing and Siding. Both Marine Corps veterans involved in Desert Storm, Ninichuck and Herzing left military service and decided to become business owners in Columbia.

74 JULY 2018

Bryan Ninichuck, owner of Wingate Pest Control

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 75

Service “I joined in 1989 and was in the fleet until 1994, then was in the reserves for a few years,” says Ninichuck. “It was a great experience. I knew I wanted to be a Marine when I was young. My grandfather was a pilot in the Marine Corps, so I followed in his steps. I spent most of my time in the fleet overseas.”

At the point in his military career when Ninichuck was ready for lateral movement, lateral movement was not an option. “I decided I would go to school,” he says. “I applied to many schools, and MU was one of the schools that said, ‘Come on in,’ so I went to business school here.”

With a business degree imminent and a baby on the way, Ninichuck opted for a more stable path than the military provided. “I commend anybody who can make [military life with a family] work, because it’s a pretty tough gig. I chose at that time that I would get out and make sure my kid was taken care of.”

76 JULY 2018

Herzing also looks back fondly on his time in the Marine Corps. “I learned a lot of life lessons — discipline, ethics, structure,” he says. “In the military, I learned a lot about our country. I was very, very proud to be a part of our military.”

Those lessons directly contributed to Herzing’s decision to become a business owner. “The military has a lot to do with every decision in my life, being that I’m structured and free-spirited, and I wanted to be able to control my destiny more than a regular 9-to-5 would allow.”

Business While going through business school, Ninichuck worked for both a moving company and Wingate Pest Control. “One of my focuses [in school] was studying the service industry,” says Ninichuck. “I enjoyed the concept of telling people what I do, doing it, and getting paid for it. It’s a mind-boggling concept.”

READER RECOMMENDED:

Veteran-Owned Businesses ANDERSON HOMES 620 N. Tradewinds Pkwy.

573-808-0570 columbiamobuilder.com

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES OF COLUMBIA 22 N. Eighth St. 573-449-6200 mycomohome.com

BRIGHTSTAR CARE MID-MISSOURI 108 E. Green Meadows Rd., Ste. 8 573-777-9222 brightstarcare.com

Larry Herzing, owner of Fortified Roofing and Siding

CAN DO CREW 573-268-5644 candocrew.org

Ninichuck was able to buy Wingate from the previous owner a few years after graduating and partnering in the business. Originally planning to take a more corporate career path, Ninichuck’s military background and experiences played a huge role in his decision to run a business of his own. “In the Marine Corps, I went up the ranks really quickly. I had a desire to learn about everything that was going on around me. Getting into business for myself and being in charge was one of the driving factors [of purchasing Wingate]. I have the mindset that it’s either success or failure; there’s no in between. It’s that simple. The ramifications aren’t as deadly as they were when I was over in the desert, but I thrive on trying to succeed like that.”

As for the business itself, “We are full-service lawn and pest, minus mowing,” says Ninichuck. “What sets us apart is the way we approach treating and the value of our products. We were ‘green’ before ‘green’ was cool. We started by servicing three times a year versus six, nine, 12. We want to steer clear of over-application — it’s too many chemicals and overcharges the clients. I take pride in saying

DAILY LIVING MEDICAL 2601 Maguire Blvd.

573-234-2005 dailylivingmedicalmo.com

DAVE GRIGGS' FLOORING AMERICA 801 Business Loop 70 E. 573-303-3748 davegriggs-flooringamerica.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 77

DREW PIESTER PHOTOGRAPHY

PANGBORN HOME INSPECTIONS

619-822-4449

4509 E. Bridgewood Dr.

drewpiester.com

573-228-4509

ENNIS APPLIANCE CENTER

ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES

16 Business Loop 70 E. 573-442-1117 ennisappliancecenter.com

FORTIFIED ROOFING & SIDING 2900 Falling Leaf Ln., Ste. 102 573-447-7475 fortifiedroofs.com

HANDY-MATT LLC 3700 Monterey Dr., Ste. 1A 573-489-4320 handy-matt.com

KLIETHERMES HOMES AND REMODELING

573-855-7013 Facebook.com/ RoughAroundtheEdgesLLC

SAPPINGTON’S CARPET CARE 1215 Clinkscales Rd. 573-489-0584 sappingtonscarpetcare.com

TERRELL ELECTRIC 573-673-2522 terrellelectric.com

TLC HOME LOANS 25 N. Ninth St. 573-303-3844 Facebook.com/TLCHomeLoan

1902 Corona Rd. 573-446-2222 kliethermes.com

TOTAL DESIGN 573-808-0920 totalplans.com

MIDWAY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 6401 Highway 40 W.

WINGATE PEST CONTROL

540-538-7103

4302 Bold Venture, Ste. A

midwaydc.com

573-446-0102 wingatepestcontrol.com

MINUTEMAN PRESS OF COLUMBIA

WYSE LAW FIRM, P.C.

2511 Bernadette Dr.

609 E. Broadway

573-445-0227

573-449-7755

columbia-mo.minutemanpress.com

wyselaw.com

78 JULY 2018

that we’re going to take care of a client, guarantee them 100 percent pest-free, and give them value for their investment without over-exposing their home.”

Family also played a large role in Herzing deciding to go into business for himself. “I wanted more freedom, more control of our destiny, and unlimited potential. There is no ceiling for what you can and can’t do,” he says. “I also wanted more work–life balance.”

Taking that a step further, Herzing’s wife, Veronica, and daughter, Megan, both play huge roles in the business. “We started this as a family legacy. It will be Megan’s in a few short years.”

All three Herzings and their team strive to give their clients the best experience possible from the first phone call through the completion of the project. “It’s all about giving the customer not only the experience they want, but the experience they deserve. Sure, we can say we’re the best roofing contractors, have the best products, have the best quality, and stuff like that. But, actually, we’re taking not only the best products, labor, and practices, but we also give them the best customer experience possible.”

Leadership The structure and lifestyle of someone in the military is, obviously, a lot more structured than most of us are used to. In the business world, this way of thinking definitely benefits both Ninichuck and Herzing.

“I learned the ability from my superiors that there is the same thing in the Marine Corps as there is in the civilian world: different personalities, different approaches of talking to people, and so on,” says Ninichuck. “The leadership style I learned in the Corps, I’ve brought to my team here, and it adapts well. I do try to set up my company kind of in a militaristic way with leaders and underlings and squads. That structure works out well for us.”

Herzing would wholeheartedly agree.

“I like to command the troops and be able to lead by example. That’s one thing I take very seriously. Having a great team behind me is also very important. I would not have the success I have without a great team.” CBT

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COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 79

80 JULY 2018

REACHING Out for Help The impact Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital has left with one veteran.

BY KACEN J. B AYL ESS | PH OTOGR APH Y BY A N T H O N Y J IN S O N

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 81

A

fter she got back from her deployment in Iraq, Heather Brown couldn’t sleep. When she wasn’t at work or attending class at MU, she shut herself off from others.

Asking for help can be painful for those experiencing a mental health crisis. For members of the military, the stigma surrounding mental health and treatment is debilitating. “I didn’t want to do anything,” Brown says.

When she came back from her deployment in April 2004, Brown tried to re-enter the life she had left as a student at MU. However, that life became challenging. She knew she needed help, but she waited a few months before asking for it.

“It was one of those things where I felt like there was something wrong with me, that I was broken,” she says. “It took a long time for me to understand that there’s nothing wrong with me, that this is a normal response to those kind of stimuli and really just look past that stigma.”

Brown’s mom, a veteran herself, informed her about the mental health care offered by the VA and advised her to get help. Once she learned more about the VA, one of her sergeants walked her to the VA admissions office in Columbia and told her, “They’ll take good care of you.”

A HOSPITAL’S COMING OF AGE Founded in 1972, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital is a 126-bed facility in Columbia offering full inpatient and outpatient services to about 40,000 veterans from 43 counties in Missouri and one county in Illinois. Veterans’ needs are met at Truman VA’s main campus in Columbia or through eight community-based outpatient clinics.

During the founding of Truman VA, Director David Isaacks says, there was a big push in the U.S. to support medical training and academic affiliate hospitals. Columbia was chosen as the location for the hospital in part due to its affiliation with the MU medical program. Isaacks said MU even deeded the land to the federal government for the purpose of building the hospital.

When the hospital was first starting out, during the midst of the Vietnam War, it was primarily a psychiatric hospital. Over the years, Truman VA has morphed into the academic affiliate, research-based hospital that it is today. Now, the hospital offers veter82 JULY 2018

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 83

ans comprehensive primary care, behavioral health care, and all inpatient and outpatient care — basically everything besides pediatrics and labor and delivery. The mission of Truman VA is to “honor our Veterans through partnership in optimizing their health and well-being through exceptional care, education, and research,” according to the hospital’s Community Benefit Overview.

The bulk of the hospital’s focus centers around comprehensive primary care. However, the primary care provided by a VA hospital differs from that of a private sector hospital. VA patient care involves a patientaligned care team, which means that veterans who come to the hospital work with health care professionals to improve their overall “whole person” health.

Instead of referring patients to outside medical providers for services such as psychological care, the VA’s comprehensive primary care includes those services.

“What happens in the VA is that when a patient comes in for their primary care, we wrap all the services around the patient,” Isaacks says. “What that does is it restores the veteran faster. Our goal is to keep them healthier and out of the hospital.”

MAKING STRIDES As an academic affiliate hospital, Truman VA maintains strong affiliations with MU’s School of Medicine, the Sinclair School of Nursing, the School of Health Professions and other health related programs. Truman VA trains about 900 medical students every year. The VA hospital and MU Health Care are the only academic affiliates in the middle of the state.

“There’s no way the university could produce that many doctors if there wasn’t an affiliate here,” Isaacks says. “If we weren’t producing these doctors, there’d be a significant shortage.”

According to the hospital’s Community Benefit Overview, more than 70 percent of all U.S. physicians have received training at VA facilities.

Isaacks stated that the number of employees at the hospital has grown by about 80 people over the last two years, and now they have 1,654 positions filled. The bulk of the hospital’s employees are in Boone County, but 10 to 12 employees are located at each of the eight outpatient clinics.

Isaacks said the overall operating budget of the hospital, which continues to grow, is 84 JULY 2018

Heather Brown

about $330 million per year. This does not include Truman VA’s construction budget, which Isaacks said has been about $60 million over the past two years.

Due to both patient and employee satisfaction, Truman VA has consistently received many national and local awards and recognition. Jeff Hoelscher, public affairs officer, said this year employees ranked Truman VA as one of the top VA health care systems in the U.S. in both the Federal Employees Viewpoint Survey and the VA All Employee Survey.

In April, Truman VA was designated as an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

The hospital was one of only 418 hospitals nationwide and one of 14 in Missouri to earn

""WHEN A PATIENT COMES IN FOR THEIR PRIMARY CARE, WE WRAP ALL THE SERVICES AROUND THE PATIENT.""

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 85

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BOESSEN under

this designation. Three Truman VA staff members also recently received national LGBT Veteran Services I Care Certificates of Excellence from the Department of Veterans Affairs LGBT Health Program for outstanding LGBT veteran service. The hospital was also recognized with the 2018 Award for Innovative Best Practices in the city’s Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement Awards in April.

In May, the Truman VA was recognized for 20 years of service to the Columbia Public Schools’ Partners in Education program.

The Truman VA has partnered with Frederick Douglass High School since 1998. More than 200 Douglass High students have participated in the program, and several have found permanent employment at Truman VA.

Ground

'YOU’RE NOT GOING TO FIND A MORE FRIENDLY HOSPITAL.' After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, Heather Brown finally found the help she needed at Truman VA. “It’s one of those things where you’d always heard the bad things about the VA, so I was kind of nervous,” she says. “They completely blew me away with how it was not anything like what people had told me.”

She said that if it hadn’t been for the enrollment staff and the staff members she met initially at the hospital, she doesn’t know if she would’ve came back after that first visit. She said the staff listened to her needs, and, eventually, she went through almost all of the services provided by the hospital.

Now, Brown works as the strategic partnership officer for the hospital. She says that she developed her passion for helping veterans when she first started working for the Truman VA as an enrollment coordinator.

“So, the person who helped me the most, I actually started working with that person and I learned all about benefits and it really kind of started that passion to help veterans to really let them know what their benefits are, to get them the help that they need,” she says.

That passion for helping veterans has grown into her current role at the hospital. Now, Brown talks with veterans in the community and lets them know what the VA is and that “it’s not what you think and that we really are a fantastic hospital to go to,” she says.

Brown says that the stigma of asking for help is one of the biggest problems facing military health care. She and her team are working to break this stigma by attending health fairs and hosting events like May’s Mental Health Awareness Day at Logboat Brewing Co. She says the goal of the event was to get the message out there that it’s OK to ask for help — there’s nothing wrong with receiving treatment.

“You’re not going to find a friendlier hospital,” she says.

“There’s an honest-to-goodness warmth. People here genuinely care about their veterans’ healthcare. We really want them to know that we care.” CBT 86 JULY 2018

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T

he criminal justice program is what first attracted Landon Miller to Columbia College.

Miller, the recent recipient of an honorable medical discharge after more than four years of service with the Marine Corps Reserve, wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. After doing some research, Miller decided that Columbia College’s price and prestige profile seemed to make the most sense. And that was even before someone from Ousley Family Veterans Service Center emailed Miller to let him know that Columbia College would go ahead and take care of applying the 12 college credits he had already earned as part of his military training.

“I didn’t even know that existed,” says Miller. He earned his bachelor’s degree this past spring.

Miller’s experience is emblematic of the thousands of military students Columbia College has served over the past 45 years since opening its first nationwide location at the St. Louis Army Troop Support Command Headquarters in 1973.

committed to military students During the 2016-2017 school year, Columbia College served 8,483 students from the military community, including active-duty troops, guard, reserves, veterans, and family members. The vast majority, nearly 84 percent, come from the Army and Navy, but the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are also represented. More than half of the college’s locations (21 of 41) are located on military installations, from a naval air station on an island 90 miles north of Seattle to the naval station at Guantanamo Bay, on the southeastern tip of Cuba.

The school’s biggest military locations, like Fort Stewart, in Georgia, and Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood, serve more than 1,000 students a year.

90 JULY 2018

Keith Glindemann, Columbia College’s director of veterans services, served in the Army for more than 24 years. He knows how difficult it can be to navigate higher education while in the midst of a military career.

As a recipient of an associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree, he also knows how gratifying it can be.

“The students we serve from the military community feel that we truly are military-friendly in our actions, not just in name only,” Glindemann says.

“Many of them have attended numerous schools but finally found a home here at Columbia College.”

the challenges students face Military students have a different set of challenges than traditional college students. Most of them are returning to school, so they’re older than their classmates. They’re also reacclimating to a classroom setting after spending time away.

If they’re active duty, they’re juggling school and a full-time military job. That job includes deployments and transfers that can both make it difficult to keep up momentum toward a degree and add confusion to the process of transferring credits.

Glindemann says a large part of his center’s work focuses on identifying and applying educational benefits its students have earned through their service, although it has also evolved into a “full-service” stop for issues such as finding medical treatment or work– study jobs. That allows the students to focus on the business of earning a degree.

“They know why they’re here, what they want to do, and where they’re going with it. They’re very serious, very directed,” says MarJean Knokey, director of Columbia College Whidbey Island, the naval air station north of Seattle. “Like any student body, you’ve got some of the best-qualified students in the country.

They really could compete at any college in any area, any subject. And you’ve got those that you’re kind of

COLUMBIA COLLEGE DETERMINED THE NEED TO SERVE THIS MILITARY POPULATION AND PROVIDE A SERVICE THAT, AT THE TIME, COMING OUT OF THE VIETNAM WAR, MANY SCHOOLS WERE NOT DOING."

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bringing along, because many of them did join the military because they were not successful in their first attempts at higher ed.

You have a very diverse group of people.”

Knokey has worked at Columbia College Whidbey Island since the location opened in 2001 and has been its director since 2004. She says the location used to offer about a third of its courses in-seat and the rest online, but that figure has been tilting more toward online education in recent years. If another college on base is offering in-seat courses in certain subjects, then Columbia College is not permitted to, though it can still offer those same courses online. The Whidbey Island location currently offers in-seat business and general studies degrees, but Knokey says her students also pursue subjects such as human studies, computer information systems, and management information systems.

Glindemann says that, while business administration, criminal justice, and computer information systems are popular majors for the school’s military population, students pursue all sorts of subjects.

“Columbia College realized there’s a large group of people there who are underserved,” Knokey says. “It’s a way to reach out and help them get their degrees and get going in their lives. It’s a great group of people. You’re serving those who are serving, and it’s a great feeling. It really is.”

Miller, who attended the main campus in Columbia, had a more traditional college experience than most of the school’s military students. He was vice president of the Columbia College mock trial team and president of the Columbia College student veterans group. He’ll start law school at MU this fall. “(Columbia College was) the best educational experience I could’ve asked for,” Miller says. “It was honestly fantastic. It showed me what I could accomplish academically because of how my teachers pushed me and cared about my education.”

That’s the goal.

“Columbia College determined the need to serve this military population and provide a service that, at the time, coming out of the Vietnam War, many schools were not doing,” Glindeman says. “We’ve grown in that dedication to our military and veteran students through the years to help provide them with the academic resources they need to meet their ultimate career goals.” CBT

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IN FOCUS

SERVICES FOR OUR VETERANS

Diving into two specific services offered to veterans.

BY JODIE JACKSON JR.

IN FOCUS

A

n gela Drake is proud of her positions as law professor and attorney at the MU School of Law Veterans Clinic, but she beams especially bright at the title of “Army brat.”

Her father, Maj. Joe Green, was a career Army officer who was among the 58,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen killed in action during the Vietnam War. Through her work as supervising attorney at the veterans clinic, Drake helps veterans and their families navigate the often-maddening labyrinth of VA disability benefits. The clinic, one of many veteransrelated services available in Columbia, began as the brainchild of a consortium of students who had personal or familial connections with military service members and veterans. They saw veterans needing help with their benefits and wanted to fill that need.

The clinic has helped 70 veterans claim nearly $2 million in owed benefits since opening its doors in 2014, and since the paperwork and research is completed by students in the law school, the clinic’s services are provided at no cost to the veterans or their families.

“The clinic has been the product of a lot of really good student work,” Drake says. “The deal our government makes with veterans is if you get hurt, we’ll take care of you. Our students call it ‘the ultimate contract.’”

The students take their job at the clinic seriously. They want to make sure the government holds to their end of that contract. The clinic is getting ready for an even busier time than normal because they’re preparing for a new law that will take effect next year. The law, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, aims to reduce the amount of time it takes for the Department of Veterans Affairs to handle appeals from veterans unhappy with their disability payouts.

To help veterans understand this new law and what it means for them, the clinic will be hosting a symposium in the fall that will zero in on provisions of the law. All veterans and law students are encouraged to attend.

“We’re drilling down on how the law will affect [veterans and their disability and

96 JULY 2018

“The deal our government makes with veterans is if you get hurt, we’ll take care of you.” claims cases],” Drake says. “It’s going to be a very, very important symposium.”

Drake is holding her breath wondering if the VA will be ready to implement the new law, but she added, “[The clinic] is going to be ready.”

The clinic hosts issue-specific symposiums for veterans and law students each year around Veterans Day, focusing on military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, and general topics including sarin gas exposure and burn pit hazards. The symposiums are free to attend.

The mention of veterans’ services probably brings to mind the issues of housing, employment, health care, educational benefits, and more. But for Vietnam combat pilot veteran David Hammer, the first step to helping veterans return to civilian life is to welcome them home — all the way home.

Hammer has dedicated his post-military life to helping veterans recover from their “moral wounds.” While the wounds aren’t physical, they are real. “It’s a soul wound,” Hammer says. “[Veterans] suffer the

Ve te ra n S e r v i ce s

COLUMBIA VETERAN SERVICES Veterans Clinic at MU School of Law

Mid-Missouri Legal Services Corporation

• Angela Drake, supervising attorney • 573-882-7630, drakea@missouri.edu

• 573-442-0116 • mmls.org

Warrior’s Journey Home • David Hammer, local organization operator • 402-770-2676

Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital • 573-814-6000 • columbiamo.va.gov The Truman VA, part of the largest integrated health system in the country, provides health care, caregiver support, mental health services, and assistance in applying for and using federal benefits for veterans and dependents. The Truman VA has a vast network of referrals as well.

Missouri Veterans Commission • Eugene O’Loughlin, veterans service officer • 573-882-5135 Veterans service officers provide counseling and assistance to veterans and their dependents.

The staff also helps fill out and submit claims applications with necessary documentation.

Each Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, veterans can receive free legal advice on civil cases.

(No criminal case representation.)

Veterans Center at MU • veterans@ missouri.edu • 573-884-4383 Veterans will find help with VA educational benefits, referrals to other veterans’ services, and referrals for nonstudents.

Columbia Vet Center • 573-814-6206 • Veterans Crisis Line, 1-800-273-8255, press 1 The Vet Center is a one-stop shop for information and referrals to all VA services in addition to one-on-one counseling and connection with veterans. Among the referral options are employment and business services.

Staff can help connect veterans with vocational rehabilitation and employment for veterans with service-connected disability that limits the veteran’s ability to work or prevents him or her from working.

VRE benefits may

include employment options and training or educational needs.

Ousley Family Veterans Service Center at Columbia College • vacert@ccis.edu • 573-875-7504 Veterans will find help with VA educational benefits, referrals to other veterans’ services, and referrals for nonstudents.

Welcome Home Inc. • 573-443-8001 • welcomeveterans.org The nonprofit organization provides housing and supportive service for military veterans. The fouracre Patriot Place apartment campus is a collaboration of the Columbia Housing Authority, The Truman VA, and Welcome Home; the first veterans moved into the Patriot Place apartments in April 2016. Welcome Home also manages a veterans-only homeless shelter at the site.

On-site services include case management, financial case management, housing search assistance, help applying for VA benefits and services, life skills training, job preparation, transportation assistance, temporary financial assistance for housing, and more.

injury because of what we’re required to do in combat, of what we see in combat. If you’ve gone to combat and see what we’ve seen — if you return from that without some kind of wound to your psyche, you’re the one who is abnormal.”

Hammer works with an organization called Warrior’s Journey Home, which was founded three years ago to help veterans heal from these soul wounds. The organization hosts twice-monthly healing circles at Patriot Place and Welcome Home, two veteransfocused housing facilities on Business Loop 70. A healing circle is a group gathering based on the Lakota ritual of welcoming warriors back from war by giving them a safe and nonjudgmental place to tell their stories and walking with them back into the village, symbolically showing them that they aren’t alone.

Hammer is licensed by the Lakota as an authorized tribal healing circle leader.

This fall, he’ll begin healing circle gatherings at Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital.

A veteran needs support in a multitude of ways, from transitioning back into civilian life to figuring out disability claims to finding a safe place to speak about their experiences. Columbia has many resources and services offered at little to no cost to our veterans. If you don’t need these services yourself, please pass the information on to someone who might. CBT

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N E W BUS I N E SS L I C E N S E S

New Business Licenses JULY 2018

Black Dog Construction

Quanetta Hand & Help

710 King Ave. 573-881-7351 Construction contracting

1623 Hanover Blvd.

573-864-7364 Going to homes to assist with everyday living

Carlos Hernandez Masonry

3501 E. New Haven Ave. 573-639-1258 Masonry work CoMo Small Engine Repair LLC

2604 I-70 Dr. NW 573-808-7147 Small engine repair shop Dr. Construction LLC

1812 Iris Dr. 573-819-1030 General construction — roofing and drywall DrinKraft

300 N. 10th St. 573-268-1640 Kombucha tasting room and cafe Frenchies Lawn Service LLC

1511 Hinkson Ave. 573-356-8589 Lawn care, mowing, weed eating, trimming

Scotts Baked Goods

is pleased to announce the addition of

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5747 E. Sing Dr. 573-881-1190 Bakery Sea Turtle Creative

2008 Swindon Ave. 573-446-7221 Videography, photography, social media management The Crepe Cart

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314-775-4226 Food cart selling crepes and coffee The Grind Coffee House North

2601 Rangeline St. 573-447-6666 Coffee shop The Row @ Missouri

Home Bright Exteriors

5151 Commercial Dr.

5405 Axis Ct. 573-768-1205 Cleaning of roofs, siding, decks, fences, etc.

713-954-1768 Housing complex

Mindful Massage

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1505 Chapel Hill Rd. 573-514-2089 Therapeutic massage

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Orange Theory Fitness

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TOP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER 1st Place: Mike Tompkins 2nd Place: Rob Wolverton

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TOP BUSINESS COACH 1st Place: Carolyn Paris Consulting Performance Consultant & Coach 573-819-6705, CarolynParis.com

TOP COFFEE MEETING LOCATION 1st Place: The Grind Coffe House 2nd Place: Kaldi’s Coffee

TOP PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH 1st Place: D. Rowe’s 2nd Place: Sycamore

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1st Place: Simon Oswald Architecture 2801 Woodward Dr. #103 573-443-1407, SOA-Inc.com

2nd Place: Tom Trabue

TOP BUSINESS ATTORNEY 1st Place: Nathan Jones 2nd Place: Daniel Beckett

TOP VIDEOGRAPHER 1st Place: Cosmic Sauce 2nd Place: Thom Baker

TOP ENTREPRENEUR 1st Place: Amanda Quick 2nd Place: Cara Owings

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1st Place: Central Bank 2nd Place: 44 Canteen

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1st Place: Jesse Walters 2nd Place: Wendy Moore

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1st Place: Paint the Town 2703 East Broadway, #127 573-777-7795 PaintTheTownColumbia.com

1st Place: Connection Exchange 2nd Place: GFI Digital

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TOP B2B PRODUCT OR SERVICE

TOP CATERER

TOP CEO

TOP SALESPERSON

TOP ADVERTISING AGENCY

1st Place: Stephanie Wilmsmeyer 2nd Place: Columbia Insurance Group

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1st Place: Crockett Engineering 2nd Place: Timberlake Engineering 1st Place: Hoot Design Company 2nd Place: Visionworks Marketing Group

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1st Place: Logboat Brewing Co. 2nd Place: The Roof

2nd Place: Columbia Landcare

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1st Place: Room 38 2nd Place: Las Margaritas

1st Place: Inside the Lines 2nd Place: Scout and Nimble

BUSINESS • P EOPL E • VOIC ES • FY I

Economic Index LABOR

HOUSING APRIL 2018

UNITED STATES Labor force: 161,280,000

Total single-family

Employment: 155,348,000

home sales: 214

Unemployment: 5,932,000

Existing single-family home

Rate: 3.7 percent

sales: 188 New construction single-

MISSOURI

family home sales: 26

Labor force: 3,050,213

Single-family homes average

Employment: 2,948,761

listing sold price: $215,488

Unemployment: 101,452

Single-family homes median

Rate: 3.3 percent

sold price: $183,645

BOONE COUNTY Labor force: 98,091 Employment: 95,852 Unemployment: 2,239 Rate: 2.3 percent

Single-family homes active listings on market: 741 Single-family homes average days on market: 56

With

respect,

honor and

deep gratitude, we thank the veterans in our community.

Single-family homes pending listings on market: 282

COLUMBIA Labor force: 67,048 Employment: 65,499 Unemployment: 1,549 Rate: 2.3 percent

UTILITIES WATER May 2018: 49,308 May 2017: 48,843

CONSTRUCTION MAY 2018

Change #: 465 Change %: 0.952 Number of customers

Residential building permits: 81

receiving service on May 1,

Value of residential building

2018: 49,266

permits: $7,298,675 Commercial

ELECTRIC

building permits: 2

May 2018: 50,282

Value of commercial building

May 2017: 49,779

permits: $281,927

Change #: 503

Commercial additions/

Change %: 1.010

alterations: 14

Number of customers

Value of commercial additions/

receiving service on May 1,

alternations: $4,543,181

2018: 50,185 CBT

Building a f inancial portfolio isn’t the most important thing we do.

Building relationships is.

302 Campusview Drive, Suite 212 Columbia, MO

(573) 442-6146

Greg Brockmeier Financial Advisor

Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/ SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services. Advisors, Inc. Brockmeier Financial Services, LLC is not a registered broker/ dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 103

ADVERTISER INDEX 44 CANTEEN.................................................................................................................. 56 ACCOUNTING PLUS...................................................................................................107 ACHIEVE BALANCE.....................................................................................................87 ANTHONY JINSON PHOTOGRAPHY.................................................................... 43 ATKINS, INC.................................................................................................................... 44 BMW OF COLUMBIA...................................................................................................... 7 BOESSEN UNDERGROUND...................................................................................... 86 BOONE SUPPORTED LIVING................................................................................... 98 BROCKMEIER FINANCIAL SERVICES.................................................................103 CALLAWAY BANK, THE..............................................................................................32 CENTRAL BANK OF BOONE COUNTY..................................................................15 CENTRAL MISSOURI AUTO BODY........................................................................ 99 CITY OF COLUMBIA WATER & LIGHT.................................................................. 28 COIL CONSTRUCTION..................................................................................... 20 & 60 COLUMBIA COLLEGE................................................................................................. 38 COLUMBIA EDP............................................................................................................. 94 COLUMBIA MARKETING GROUP.............................................................................51 COMMERCE BANK....................................................................................................... 50 COMPASS CHIROPRACTIC..........................................................................................11 CONVERGE ONE........................................................................................................... 59 CROCKETT ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS..................................................... 100 DOWNTOWN APPLIANCE........................................................................................ 92 EDWARD JONES - GINA MAULLER.......................................................................87 EDWARD JONES - KATHY LOU NEALE...............................................................22 ESI COMMUNICATIONS.............................................................................................. 54 EVANS & DIXON, LLC.................................................................................................. 92 EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS......................................................60 FIRST MIDWEST BANK.............................................................................................. 79 FIRST STATE COMMUNITY BANK........................................................................ 100 GFI DIGITAL....................................................................................................................... 3 HAWTHORN BANK.....................................................................................................108 HEART OF MISSOURI UNITED WAY................................................................ 8 & 9 HOOT DESIGN COMPANY.........................................................................................40 JENNING'S PREMIUM MEATS.................................................................................. 79 JOBFINDERS................................................................................................................ 100

104 JULY 2018

LANDMARK BANK.......................................................................................................... 2 LANIER LANDSCAPING............................................................................................. 93 LAZER LANES................................................................................................................. 16 LOGBOAT BREWING COMPANY...............................................................................6 MEDIACOM...................................................................................................................... 46 MERCEDES OF COLUMBIA.........................................................................................13 MIDWAY GOLF & GAMES...........................................................................................32 MIDWEST COMPUTECH............................................................................................. 88 MISSOURI EMPLOYERS MUTUAL........................................................................... 33 MODERN LITHO/BROWN PRINTING.................................................................... 59 NATHAN JONES LAW.................................................................................................101 NAUGHT NAUGHT INSURANCE AGENCY.......................................................... 99 PROVIDENCE BANK.................................................................................................... 38 PWARCHITECTS, INC.................................................................................................. 80 QUANTUM WIRELESS INTERNET.......................................................................... 99 REALTY EXECUTIVES - HEATH HIGGINS............................................................ 18 RESTORATION EYECARE......................................................................................... 20 ROOM 38...........................................................................................................................22 SEPTAGON CONSTRUCTION................................................................................... 88 SILVERBALL.......................................................................................................................4 SIMON OSWALD ASSOCIATES (SOA)...................................................................12 SOCKET............................................................................................................................ 24 SOLSTICE SENIOR LIVING.........................................................................................87 STANGE LAW FIRM.................................................................................................... 104 SUN SOLAR...................................................................................................................... 14 SUPERIOR GARDEN CENTER/ROST LANDSCAPE........................................ 50 THE BROADWAY HOTEL........................................................................................... 94 TIGERS COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION.................................................................. 56 TROPHY PROPERTIES & AUCTION........................................................................ 10 TRUMAN VA HOSPITAL..............................................................................................73 UNIVERSITY CLUB....................................................................................................... 48 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI HEALTH CARE.........................................................17 VETERANS UNITED HOME LOANS.......................................................................... 5 WE ALWAYS SWING JAZZ SERIES....................................................................... 80 WINGATE ENVIRONMENTAL PEST & LAWN.....................................................52

B USI N E SS • P E OP LE • VOIC ES • F Y I

BY THE NUM B ER S

39

7

161

Top of the Town categories

Most Top of the Town category wins

Top of the Town finalists

(Central Bank of Boone County)

5,217

44

712

Number of veterans living in Columbia as of 2016

Number of counties served by Truman VA Hospital

Number of Columbia businesses owned by veterans as of 2016

Source: U.S. Census

Source: columbiamo.va.gov

Source: U.S. Census COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 105

T H I S OR T H AT

BUSINESS • P EOP L E • VOIC ES • FY I

CALE J. KLIETHERMES Owner, Kliethermes Homes & Remodeling

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106 JULY 2018

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Save Cat

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COLUMBIA BUSINESS TIMES \ 2001 CORPORATE PLACE, STE. 100 \ COLUMBIA, MO 65202

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“They really made our dreams come true.”

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