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BARTLEY STEVENSON Milam Contracting
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Join us in celebrating 25 years…
THE YEAR
ALL BUSINES SM
F SO
7
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Kick-off…May 1, starts at 7:30 a.m., Williams-Keepers LLC Award Celebration Reception…May 4, 5–6:30 p.m., The Broadway A Doubletree by Hilton Registration is required and limited, please register at ColumbiaMOChamber.com Visit our five finalist companies…May 1–4
TrueSon Exteriors…
AnnaBelle Events…
Harold’s Doughnuts…
Tompkins Homes & Development…
The Business Times Company…
Monday May 1, noon
Monday May 1, 4 pm
Tuesday May 2, 1 pm
Tuesday May 2, 4 pm
Wednesday May 3, 4 pm
503 E Nifong Blvd Suite H
2501 W Ash Street
114 S 9th Street
Cabana at the Gates
2001 Corporate Place
PRESENTING SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS • FASTSIGNS • Missouri Employers Mutual AWARDS SPONSOR • Midway Electric, Inc. MEDIA SPONSORS • The Business Times Company • The Columbia Missourian • KMOS-TV Missouri PBS RECEPTION PRESENTING SPONSOR • Central Bank of Boone County RECEPTION LOCATION SPONSOR • The Broadway - A Doubletree by Hilton AWARD VIDEO • The Evoke Group RECEPTION DOOR PRIZE SPONSOR • KMOS-TV Missouri PBS
All seminars are open to the public and free of charge To register for the reception or for more information: www.ColumbiaMOChamber.com
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Food, Drinks, & Music!
I PAGE 44
BARTLEY STEVENSON Milam Contracting
ON THE COVER
Photographer Anthony Jinson got muddy with our “Dirty Jobs” inspired photo shoot with the Dirt Crew. These guys and gals were more than prepared for a little bit of mud. Photography by Anthony Jinson.
wasn’t sure how the April issue of CBT would be received. For the first time, we put together an entire issue solely about women — who the influencers are, how they run their businesses, how to build a culture that supports them. In my mind, that was a natural theme to pursue. But it was new for us, and when there’s something new, there tends to be a crisis curve. I stressed about it. Would readers enjoy our Most Influential Women list, or would they be too get caught up in who wasn’t on the list? Would others echo one piece of feedback we got — before the issue even went to press — that “You wouldn’t write a men’s issue, so it’s not fair to do a women’s issue”? To that person, I say this: You were missing the point. The point was and is to recognize outstanding people (this time it was women) in our community who are making a difference, who are leading, who are inspiring the next generation of leaders. Instead of backlash or negative feedback, we got bundles of comments like this: “So this is absolutely fantastic. I have had the pleasure of working with many amazing powerful
women in my career. Several of them are deservedly on this list. Many more to come. Thanks to the women of Columbia for being so awesome!” —Darin Preis, Central Missouri Community Action
EDITOR'S PICKS For this month's editor's picks, it's time to recognize our CBT advisory board, the men and women who take time out of their demanding schedules to brainstorm with us. Their insights help the CBT team keep our fingers on the pulse of what the business community wants and needs to read about.
2017 ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
John LaRocca University Club
Loreli Wilson Veterans United Home Loans
Steve Sapp City of Columbia
Nikki McGruder Diversity Awareness Partnership
“A couple of copies of the ‘The Women’ issue made their way to our office today and I’ve enjoyed spending the last 60-plus minutes reading. It’s kind of amazing to think about what all the women in that issue bring to the community. Excellent idea to adopt the theme for the April issue and to scout out all those talented leaders.” – Vicki Russell
Our story on Columbia’s most influential women reached more than 12,000 people on Facebook and Twitter. I am excited and proud of the response we’ve received — thank you for celebrating these amazing women right along with us! Real estate is and always will be a hot topic for the Columbia business community. Enjoy this issue: We’ll cover the pressing needs for starter homes and commercial space (page 39), we’ll break down the new zoning ordinance changes (page 50), and we investigated what’s inside that one building you’ve always wondered about (page 56). Next month, you’ll meet CBT’s 20 Under 20 class, a group of graduating high school seniors whose resumes put us all to shame. And we look forward to seeing you at our annual Top of the Town party, presented by Columbia Regional Airport, on June 28 at Logboat Brewing Co.
David Nivens Midwest Computech
Karen Miller Retired, Boone County Commission
Jaime Freidrichs Women's Business Center
Ben Cornelius Boone Hospital Center
Suzanne Rothwell Columbia College
Thanks for reading,
Bill Turpin Missouri Innovation Center
You don't have to be on our advisory board to share ideas – send us an email anytime!
Brenna McDermott, Editor brenna@businesstimescompany.com
/Co l u m b i a B u s i n e ss Ti m e s
@ Co l u m b i a B i z
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 COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 13
14 MAY 2017
EDITORIAL Erica Pefferman, Publisher Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Fran Patrick, Associate Publisher Fran@BusinessTimesCompany.com Brenna McDermott, Editor Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com Matthew Patston, Managing Editor Matt@BusinessTimesCompany.com DESIGN/CREATIVE SERVICES Jordan Watts, Editorial Designer Jordan@BusinessTimesCompany.com Keith Borgmeyer, Art Director Keith@BusinessTimesCompany.com Kate Morrow, Graphic Designer Kate@BusinessTimesCompany.com Cassidy Shearrer, Graphic Designer Cassidy@BusinessTimesCompany.com MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Deb Valvo, Marketing Consultant Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com Casi Colloton, Marketing Consultant CC@BusinessTimesCompany.com MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Vice President ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com
Inside the Issue Twitter Chatter United Way Heart MO @UWHeartMO Congrats to @ColumbiaBiz and the 10 most influential women! We're proud that many of these women are UW supporters. Caleb Rowden @CalebRowden As #WomensHistoryMonth comes to a close, check out a great @ColumbiaBiz spread on #CoMo’s 10 Most Influential Women. Brianna Lennon @BriannaLennon Man, @MizNicole_McG is killing it in @ColumbiaBiz. Every day I'm happier to see @inclusivestl in #como Hoot Design Co. @hootdesignco Our new ad is out in the latest @ColumbiaBiz issue spotlighting women in business. Cheers to that!
Around the Office
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Keith Borgmeyer, Anthony Jinson, Alexanderia Rinehart, Matthew Patston CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Al Germond, Eli Marchbanks, Jordan Milne, David Morrison, Monica Pitts, Tony Richards, Sean Spence, Anne Williams INTERNS Sarah Bruenning, Niamh Cremin, Sade Howell, Kendall Lappe, Maya McDowell, Hunter Myers, Allison Moorman, Alexanderia Rinehart, Kennedy Robinson 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.
YOU'RE INVITED!
TOP OF THE TOWN PARTY
Each year, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce names five finalists for Small Business of the Year. Take some time May 1 through 4 to attend the planned activities, including a party at our place on May 3 at 4 p.m. Read about each of the finalists in the June issue of CBT.
Don’t miss the best outdoor party of the year, honoring the best of Columbia’s business community. Join us at Logboat on June 28 to celebrate this year’s Top of the Town award winners, presented by Columbia Regional Airport. Get your tickets online!
Contributors
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
Jordan Milne
David Morrison @DavidCMorrison
Eli Marchbanks
Correction An article in the April CBT stated MFA Oil presented a check for wildfire relief. The ceremony took place at MFA Incorporated. Write to CBT editor Brenna McDermott at Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 15
LEADERSHIP BUILT FROM SERVICE
Our employees are the backbone of our company. We couldn’t succeed without their continued hard work and dedication to making the workplace a positive one. We recognize that by building a culture of commitment to our employees, we build up the hard-working individuals that make Septagon Construction.
DEREK JAMES, President Septagon Construction - Columbia
16 MAY 2017
573-442-6187 | Septagon.com
MAY 2017 VOL. 2 3 / ISSUE 11
TA B LE OF CON T EN TS
The Real Estate Issue
44
13 FROM THE EDITOR 15 INSIDE THE ISSUE 19 CLOSER LOOK 20 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS 23 BUSINESS UPDATE Monarch Title Co.
26 NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity
28 CELEBRATIONS Home Performance Experts
31 MOVERS & SHAKERS 32 P.Y.S.K. Sara Harper, House of Brokers
35 11 QUESTIONS Jack Maher III, Maher Commercial Real Estate
37 OPINION 76 ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH Energize Your Relationships
77 MARKETING Eight Tricks to Build Your Email List
79 ASK ANNE Making Your Move
80 BUSINESS SMARTS Real Estate Resources
Getting Dirty Meet the "Dirt Crew," a group of contracting and construction professionals using their connections and know-how to build Columbia.
39
The Big Squeeze Amid unrelenting demand and high construction costs, real estate brokers and developers see an affordable housing crisis brewing in Columbia.
50
Zoned Out After years of deliberations, arguments, and tweaks, Columbia finally has a new zoning code. What happens next? Hard to say.
83 NEW BUSINESS LICENSES 84 ECONOMIC INDEX 85 DEEDS OF TRUST 86 BY THE NUMBERS 88 THIS OR THAT Jim Meyer, MeyerWorks LLC
90 FLASHBACK United Way Offices
56
Mysterious Buildings Have you ever seen a building and thought, "I wonder what goes on in there"? We have. And we investigated to find out.
62
Here to Help Columbia's local mortgage lenders bring expertise and guidance to a complicated (and, honestly, kind of boring) process.
PRESENTS
IN THE
STEPHENS LAKE PARK
ArtInTheParkColumbia.org
JUNE
2017
ART PARK
10am - 5pm Sat + 10am - 4pm Sun
(573) 443-8838
Achieve Balance Chiropractic, Boone Olive Oil, Central Investment Advisors, Compass Flower Press, Fretboard Coffee, Huebert Builders, Ingredient Restaurant, MFA Oil, Missouri Cotton Exchange, Morgan Restaurants, Treats Unleashed, Robinson & Ries, The District, Wilson’s Garden Center 18 MAY 2017
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
C LOSER LOOK
Closer Look
The Pinball Company
Bloom Bookkeeping
The Hatchery
While working in St. Louis for a company that dabbled in game room and arcade items, Nic Parks quickly recognized there was an increasing demand for these products. Soon after, in 2006, he launched The Pinball Company, and the business has been growing ever since. Brooke Parks joined her husband in the company the following year, and the team has since increased to six employees. They’ve also added a 3,000-square-foot retail store in Columbia to their strong web presence. The Parks believe their success is due in part to how personally attentive they are. “We strive to provide the highest quality game room products and the best service you’re going to find in the industry,” Brooke says. “It’s what really makes us stand apart from some of our competitors.” The Pinball Company values being able to provide personal attention to each customer. “My favorite part is when someone calls and they don’t know where to start. I like to be able to educate them,” Brooke says. “It’s fun to help people choose the best machine to fit their family.”
Bloom Bookkeeping provides bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses in Columbia. Lara Pieper, the owner, focuses on the day-to-day activities of these businesses. “I’m more interested in providing numbers that help the business owners run their business,” she says. “I do the paperwork part that business owners normally hate.” Pieper graduated from MU in 2003 and earned her MBA from Columbia College last May. Her three sons are elementaryaged, and Pieper wanted to a job with more flexibility — so she created her own business, opening Bloom in October. Currently, Bloom has about 10 clients. “I really enjoy working for a variety of different businesses, instead of my previous work history, which had been working for one company all the time,” Pieper says. “Now I get a little taste of everything. It keeps it interesting.” Pieper says Bloom’s sole mission is to help small businesses run better. “I’m not a typical CPA or accountant,” she says. “I have a creative background, so I feel like I can speak their language as well as the accounting language and combine the two worlds.”
The Hatchery, located on Corporate Lake Drive, will be a co-working space featuring on-site child care. Owner Amanda Quick plans on unveiling The Hatchery this summer, providing women the ability to be both a professional and a parent. The membership-based facility will feature an open seating area, a conference room, reservable private offices, a nursing room, and two child care rooms. Quick envisions The Hatchery being an alternative meeting space, a place for a work meeting other than a coffee shop. Quick conducted primary research before opening, including interviews with 15 local women. She found that new working moms needed a place to connect without distractions. Once a full-time realtor, Quick craved oneon-one time with her child when she became a mom, but she also wanted to continue her professional career. “The struggles of working at home with a child can be rather distracting,” she says. “And there’s the constant mom-guilt of putting your child in front of the TV so you can send an email. If we could have three hours of completely focused time, we could get so much more done.”
Contact: 573-234-2234 Website: thepinballcompany.com Address: 6000 S. Sinclair Rd
Contact: 573-777-2775 Website: bloombookkeeping.net
Contact: 573-356-9567 Website: thehatchery.club Address: 206 Corporate Lake Dr.
Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 19
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
Briefly in the News MAY 2017
C OM M U N I T Y
ATHENA RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED Women’s Network presented the annual ATHENA International awards in April. Heather Hargrove, sales manager at KRCG, received the ATHENA Young Professional Award. Vicki Russell, retired publisher of the Columbia Daily Tribune, received the night's highest honor, the ATHENA Leadership award. The organization has presented the award since 1995.
EDUC AT ION
FOLEY HEADS TO NEW YORK MU interim Chancellor Hank Foley accepted the position of president at the New York Institute of Technology, effective June 1. His last day at MU is May 3. Foley was hired as executive vice president for academic affairs, research, and economic development for UM System in 2013. In 2014, he also served as senior vice chancellor for research and graduate studies at MU. In November 2015, he was appointed interim chancellor. This year’s recipients, Vicki Russell and Heather Hargrove, are seated front and center.
“We’ve moved the campus culture forward and that will continue toward more inclusion and greater transparency. We’ve hired terrific new faculty who will help MU to remain in the AAU. We have appointed a host of new deans, vice chancellors, and coaches who will bring success to MU for years to come. We’ve started to truly redefine ourselves as a bona fide member of the SEC. It’s exciting, and Mizzou’s future is bright.” - Hank Foley 20 MAY 2017
BR I EFLY I N T H E N EWS
E DUC AT ION
MU BUDGET COMMITTEES
BUS INES S
UM System administrators have created two budget committees to advise on MU’s budget as it faces significant cuts from the state. The Resource Allocation Model committee will explore how MU can make the best overall investments of its financial resources. The Capital Financing Advisory committee will make recommendations to the chancellor on financing options for capital improvement procedures, prioritizations, and plans. Students, faculty, and staff will serve on the committees.
BUSINESS
MEDIACOM PARTNERS WITH MIC Mediacom Business has created a dedicated fiber connection with 1-gigabit internet speeds for the Missouri Innovation Center, MU’s startup incubator focused on research and innovation. The partnership is part of Mediacom’s company-wide initiative called Project Open Road, a capital expenditure program to connect more businesses to their network and provide the broadband capacity critical for commercial and research facilities.
BUSINESS
EDUC AT ION
CHAMBER BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED
UM JOINS THE COMMON
The Columbia Chamber of Commerce recently approved six new board members to serve a three-year term beginning in July. The new members are Caleb Colbert, Brown Willbrand, PC; Shelly DeVore, Columbia Insurance Group; Katie Essing, The District; Joe Henderson, Central Bank of Boone County; Tyson Hunt, Logboat Brewing Co.; and Erica Pefferman, The Business Times Company.
MACHENS COLLISION CERTIFICATION Joe Machens Collision Center has been certified by Assured Performance, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, for maintaining the right tools, equipment, training, and facility necessary to repair the participating Automaker brand vehicles. Assured Performance is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization specializing in the automotive collision repair market.
APPLICATION All four UM campuses have joined The Common Application, or “Common App,” a nonprofit organization that produces an undergraduate college admission application that may be used to apply to more than 700 higher education institutions. Each year, more than 850,000 students use the service to submit more than 3.5 million applications.
C H AR IT Y
NAME THAT TUNE RAISES $11K The Roots N Blues Foundation’s Name that Tune fundraiser raised more than $11,000 for the Blues in the Schools Program. The Roots N Blues Foundation celebrates the rich cultural heritage of American music through local education programs. Blues in the Schools is a Roots N Blues Foundation program in every elementary school in Columbia that affords students the opportunity to write and perform music and incorporates visual arts, history, and literature into music education.
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 21
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22 MAY 2017
BUSINE SS • P EO P L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
B U SI N ESS U PDAT E
Continuing Metamorphosis Monarch Title Company has emphasized community involvement throughout its evolution.
BY HUNTER MY ER S | P HOTOG R A P HY BY KE I TH B O R G ME Y E R
Left to right: Jon Dalton, Julie Haden, Thom Howard, Tricia Bartolacci, Chuck Bowman COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 23
BUSINE SS • P EO P L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
AFTER ITS FOUNDING IN 2001, MONARCH Title Company was quick to spread its wings. Mike and Maureen Dalton, co-founders of Monarch Title, had plenty of experience and connections to get Monarch flying right from the start. The Daltons were shareholders of another title company in Boone County from 1988 to 1994, and in the time between leaving their previous business and starting their new one, they continued to dabble in the real estate and banking industry. “They had a strong presence in Columbia, especially Maureen,” says Chuck Bowman, president and shareholder of Monarch, “and that helped their business take off almost immediately.” Essentially, all title companies are offering the same services — title searches, insurance, settlement closings, reports, etc. — so the relationships built between the company and customers are what set certain businesses apart. Monarch offers closings outside of regular business hours — the company offers to do them on weeknights and weekends, and they’ll meet up with a customer wherever it’s most convenient. “That’s one of the things that sets us apart,” Bowman says. Similarly, they try to reply to all customer requests and questions within a single business day, which Bowman says helps build the strong relationships the company is striving for. “Service with Distinction” — that’s their motto.
COMMUNITY CARING Customer service and community involvement are two things Monarch prides itself on, and in some respects, they’ve become a household name because of it. In 2014, they were selected as a finalist for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award; Dalton was a finalist for the Columbia Daily Tribune’s Business Woman of the Year award in both 2013 and 2016. The company participates in numerous fundraisers and its members can be spotted on boards and committees all over the community. Bowman alone serves on the boards of Job Point, the Boys and Girls Club, Crime Stoppers, and the Missouri Land Title Association. For the past three years, in what’s become a passionate tradition for the company, Monarch has participated in the Boys and Girls Club chili cook-off fundraiser. They boast trophies in their office, having placed in the top three all three years (They took home first place in 2015). 24 MAY 2017
“If you help your community, it's going to help your business.” - Chuck Bowman
“If you help your community, it’s going to help your business,” Bowman says. “That means giving time and money. You have to do both, and I think we do a good job of that.”
CHANGING MARKET, CHALLENGING UPDATES Title insurance companies have been faced with a number of challenges the last few years as new forms and regulations have been introduced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency formed in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank bill. In 2015, two staples of the paperwork-heavy industry were replaced. HUD-1 settlement forms, which list all the charges and credits during a real estate settlement, and truthin-lending statements, which provide information on the cost of credit, were replaced with what is called a closing disclosure form. This form is much shorter and provides fairly straightforward information regarding loan terms, various fees, and closing costs. In
B U SI N ESS U PDAT E
a series of procedures that highlight the effectiveness of the company. It’s based on the best practices and “seven pillars of excellence” set forth by the American Land Title Association. Along with the updated practices manual, the company invested in all new software to keep up with the changing market. The new software — SoftPro Select — allows the company to perform almost all of its tasks electronically. While they still meet with customers face to face, this software keeps all the files and documents online, making future logistics more efficient.
EXPANSION AHEAD
addition to the change in documents, a new three-day rule was implemented to ensure that consumers had enough time to go over their closing information and ask questions before signing. (In previous years, a 24-hour rule was in place.) The new rules were put in place to make the process more efficient and easier for consumers to understand. But while the CD provides more concise information for the customer, the process of switching over has proven challenging for banks and title companies involved. While Monarch had worked closely with banks before, many had different ways they wanted the paperwork completed. According to Dalton, Monarch would accommodate each different bank as the preferred methods of handling the changes differed. “CFPB didn’t really give you any instructions, so how do you handle that?” she says. “We did the best we could with the information we had.” When the changes began, Monarch Title Company was quick to get things moving. They created their own best practices manual,
While it’s always difficult to predict what the future will hold, Monarch has no intentions of slowing down. “In five to 10 years, we hope for more growth,” Dalton says. “Continued growth and a bigger share in the market. We’re constantly working on that.” Over the last 30 years, Dalton has watched the market change; in the last 15, her company has changed right along with it. “You forget that it’s really not been all that long ago,” she says. “Ten years' transition has been pretty huge in the industry.” Currently, the company is working through 15 years’ worth of files, scanning them and entering them into the new system. The transition has been eye-opening for Dalton herself — held within the nearly 600 boxes of paper is the company’s evolution. As she sorts through the papers, she re-watches her company transition from fax and phone calls over to email. Dalton’s husband, Mike, passed away in 2013, shortly after he retired from the company. Although Dalton is beginning to cut back on the hours she spends in the office, she’s still involved in the day-to-day functioning of the business, as are her children. Her son, Jon, is the head of top production, and her daughter, Julie, is the head of the closing department. “I hope that my family [will continue to] grow the business,” she says. “It’s been our baby.” CBT
Monarch Title Company 111 E. Broadway #100 573-441-0725 monarchtitle.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 25
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
Filling the Affordability Gap Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity scales up with a new land acquisition.
BY MATT PATSTO N
IT’S HARD TO BUILD CHEAP HOUSES — that is, it’s hard to build cheap houses that people actually want to live in. Cheap land is hard to come by in Columbia, and even if you do find the land, the market is hot enough that a solid, affordably-built home could easily drift out of the price range of low- and median-income families. Building affordable housing isn’t just a matter of building houses affordably. That’s well known at Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity. The local chapter of the national nonprofit has built seven to 10 affordable homes in Columbia per year for the last 10 years. As the city at large has struggled to create an equitable and affordable housing market (the City of Columbia included it as part of their 26 MAY 2017
strategic initiative for social equity), Show-Me Central Habitat has continued putting up houses and filling them with families. “I don’t know anybody that builds more homes for the 30 to 60 percent below median income than us,” Executive Director Bill View says. “I think we’re the front-runner on affordable housing.”
SWEAT EQUITY TOWARD OWNERSHIP There’s a common misconception, View says, that Habitat builds homes just to give them away for free. That’s not true — homebuyers obtain a 20-year, no-profit loan from Habitat — and more to the point, it’s not quite the organi-
zation’s mission. Habitat wants to build housing that’s accessible enough to give the homeowners social mobility, the opportunity to move up in life. “The low-interest, no-profit loan makes it real affordable for them,” View says. “A lot of them will end up getting more spendable income than before because their house payment is usually lower than a rent payment.” Habitat homeowners must meet certain credit and income qualifications to be eligible for a home, and they put in 250 to 300 hours of “sweat equity,” hours of labor spent either building their own houses or building another Habitat house. Show-Me Central Habitat is able to build three houses per year just with
N ON PR OFI T
Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity FUNCTION Builds affordable housing and offers low-interest home loans to potential homebuyers.
FOUNDED IN 1988
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 5
BOARD MEMBERS • John Keller • Ken Caspall • Dixie Fisher • Steve Baumgartner • Eddie Berendzen • David Butcher • Jennifer James • Steve Gaddy • Kenny Hubble • Thomas Luther • Elsie Heller • Tim Tallis • Mark Workman
NEEDS • Volunteers • Home buyers • Donations to ReStore
the money earned in their for 140 lots. Residents will ReStore, a donation-based have nearby access to Highresale outlet at their headway 63, a COMO Connect quarters on Monroe Street. bus route, and a nearby ele“That’s the cash engine,” mentary school, Blue Ridge says John Keller, senior Elementary. Citizens with vice president at The Bank industrial jobs on the city’s of Missouri and president north side — like, perhaps, of Show-Me Central Habthose who will be hired itat’s board of directors. by the recently recruited “The other cash engine is our Aurora Organic Dairy — Bill View homeowners. Every house will have affordable housing Executive Director that’s built is paid for before options nearby. we built it, and they borrow The property was origimoney from us, so we’re the nally zoned for industrial use; bank. We have well over 100 David Butcher, a board memmortgages that are being paid ber and a survey manager back each month, and that’s a with Crockett Engineering, revolving building fund.” helped Habitat work with the Habitat has no consistent City to open the property for funding pipeline from the residential use. “[Butcher] local, state, or federal govhas been really, really instruernment, so the operation is mental in helping us with all really dependent on creating the rezoning and planning opportunities for homeownand all of the stuff that goes John Keller ers to be successful. “Just along with it,” Keller says. like you or I would go bor“And the City has been very, row money and go buy a home, that’s what we very gracious and helpful and supportive of our do here for lower income folks,” Keller says. efforts. I was hoping that would happen.” “No handouts.” Habitat closed on the land in April, and they’re still planning how many of the lots they’ll be able THE NEXT LEVEL to develop at one time. But they are sure that the It goes without saying that Habitat doesn’t Brown Station site will be a watershed moment react to the housing market in the same way for the organization’s growth. “Historically, that other builders might — the housing crash we’ve built about seven to 10 homes a year, somein 2007, while tragic for everyone else in the thing like that,” View says. “This is going to be industry, allowed Habitat to purchase a cheap taking things to the next level.” tract of land to build on in south Columbia — Depending on how many volunteer laborbut that doesn’t mean they’re immune to the ers they can bring on board, Habitat’s yearly industry’s challenges. They’re especially vulcapacity could easily double with the new land. nerable to any increase in development costs, Ideally, that would let the group play a leading from building permits to additional land use role in easing the strain on available housing in obligations. “I’ll bet there’s a 15 percent bump Columbia, something that could even end up in what [city codes] want, or at least 10 percent, helping residents who aren’t looking for homes. since 10 or 11 years ago,” View says. “We’ve sold 146 homes. That’s 146 families So Habitat developments tend to be more we’ve helped,” View says. “And that’s about reliant on relationships between the organiza$146,000 in property taxes that wasn’t there tion, the City, and the business community. All before.” CBT those have come into play on Habitat’s latest land acquisition: a 50-acre tract off Brown Station Road in north Columbia. Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity It’s the chapter’s largest-ever project by a 1906 Monroe St. wide margin. Their biggest subdivision is cur573-499-1202 rently a 32-home community at Old Plank showmehabitat.org Estates; the Brown Station site will have space COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 27
Dan Riepe, owner of Home Performance Experts
1979
1992
2002
Columbia Water and Light starts the energy audit program to provide homeowners with specific advice on energy usage.
The EPA starts the Energy Star program to recognize innovative energy practices.
Dan Riepe graduates from Northern Illinois University.
28 MAY 2017
BUSINE SS • P EO P L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
C ELEBRAT I ON S
For a Greener Community Home Performance Experts wins national eco-recognition.
BY SARAH BRUE N N I N G | P HOTOG R A P HY BY A N TH O N Y J I N S O N
EVERY DAY, NEW NAMES ARE BEING ADDED to the growing list of businesses, products, and cities that are taking steps toward becoming more environmentally friendly. Thanks to the hard work and drive of one businessman, Columbia is quickly becoming a greener city. For the past nine years, Dan Riepe has been performing audits for homes all around Columbia with his company, Home Performance Experts. Now he’s receiving national acclaim from the Department of Energy for his work. This past year, Riepe earned the Department of Energy’s Century Club award, which recognizes Home Performance with Energy Star contractors that have improved the energy efficiency of more than 100 homes during the year. “Being a part of a handful of businesses in the nation that provide people with this service is really special, and something that I’m very excited about,” Riepe says. Locally, Riepe has earned a reputation as a go-to for going green, not just with businesses, but also with citizens looking to reduce their environmental footprint. “I really enjoy working with families in Columbia and educating people about energy efficiency,” he says. “Most people really want to save money and have heard about ‘being green’ but have no idea how to do it.” Riepe studied geography at Northern Illinois University before working for four years at the MU Energy Management Department. He was a part of developing an asset program
management system for the underground utility system, and he says that the university’s focus on energy efficiency encouraged him to be a part of the “green” industry. “I wanted to educate people about energy efficiency and help families save money at the same time,” Riepe says. “Basically, I come out to the house and show you everything you could do to your home and how much money that would save.” This desire to help homeowners become more energy efficient has made Riepe a leading weatherization expert in Mid-Missouri. Weatherization refers to all non-structural measures that improve a property’s energy efficiency. These can include insulation and air sealing, along with many other practices. Besides eliminating excess energy usage, these measures can result in improved comfort and indoor air quality. There are two ways Riepe uses weatherization measures to encourage responsible energy usage in Columbia homes: home energy audits and comprehensive home inspections. “An energy audit is a great way to find out exactly how much electricity is used in your home and in what areas,” he says. An energy audit with Home Performance Experts will identify how much energy your home uses and what steps can be taken to improve efficiency and save money on your future bills. “Identifying small changes like finding areas in your home that are leaking air or could use extra insulation can save a good
amount of money when it comes to utility bills,” Riepe says. “My job is to come in and find ways you can save money, and then provide you with the information you need to make sure that your home is as energy efficient as it can be.” Seeing the growth in popularity in regards to energy audits in the Columbia area, Riepe realized a need for full home inspections. “Homeowners and realtors need reasonable home inspections performed quickly and fully,” he says. Homebuyers, sellers, and owners look to Riepe to provide them with specific details of the home’s condition. Riepe says he takes pride in being a leader in the local Home Performance with Energy Star program, run by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The program works to help both businesses and individuals save money while focusing on energy efficiency. Starting in 1992 as a labeling program designed to identify energy-efficient products, Energy Star now promotes energy saving programs across the United States. Riepe sees the opportunity for more growth and education in Columbia. He says, “When people think of energy efficiency, I want them to think of me, because of what I’ve done for them and people they know.” CBT
Home Performance Experts 573-999-1196 homeperformanceexperts.net
2003-2007
march 2009
2017
Riepe works for the MU Energy Management Department, piquing his interest in the green energy industry.
Riepe opens Home Performance Experts in Columbia.
Home Performance Experts becomes a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Century Club. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 29
The Big Picture Smarter technology solutions Westminster College’s Champ Auditorium required a projector and screen large enough to view from all 1400 seats, and disappear when not in use. Our solution includes a 14foot wide screen on a retraction lift and an Epson Professional Projector mounted to a heavy-duty 17-foot long scissor lift that drops smoothly from the ceiling. Elan touch panels control everything. We’ve offered business and education solutions for 40 years.
30 MAY 2017
B U SINESS • PEOP LE • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
M OVER S & SH AKER S
Movers & Shakers MAY 2017 MORAN
Moore & Shryock Real Estate
Convention and Visitors Bureau
J.D. Moran, Kevin Reynolds, and Kyle Newland have become partners in the firm. Moran joined the firm in 2004 and is a member of the Appraisal Institute of Real Estate Appraisers. Reynolds joined the firm in 2006 and is a certified general appraiser. Newland joined the firm in 2009 and is also a member of the Appraisal Institute.
In partnership with the Columbia Hospitality Association, the CVB presented Columbia’s 13th Annual Hospitality Star Night Awards. Tony Richards, Holiday Inn Executive Center, was named Star Performer of the Year. Cania Sims, Hampton Inn, was named Rising Star of the Year. Blair Lucas, Hampton Inn and Suites, was named Salesperson of the Year. Brandon Boyer, Courtyard by Marriott, was named General Manager of the Year. Kevin Garner, MSHSAA, was named Hospitality Star of the Year.
Mercedes Carter-Cone Carter-Cone has joined the Visionworks Marketing Group team as an operations support and personal assistant. She is a Columbia native and has a bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University in political science and technical writing.
Soo Koon Lee Soo Koon Lee joined MU Extension’s Small Business and Technology Development Centers in Columbia as a business development specialist. Lee will provide mid-Missouri businesses with analysis, training, consultation, and access to low-cost technology resources.
Bailey Calton Caledon Virtual hired Bailey Calton as an account executive. Calton will oversee community relations and client services for the agency. Calton comes from Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center, where she worked as sales manager. She brings her sales, networking, and communication experience from her time as sales manager to the Caledon team.
John Huss Shafer, Kline & Warren, an engineering and land surveying services company, hired John Huss as senior project manager for development services in Mid-Missouri. Huss will be based out of the Columbia office, where he’ll design and manage multi-disciplined engineering projects and help business development.
Columbia Public Schools CPS announced the annual Columbia Fund for Academic Excellence honorees and celebrated the winners at a banquet in April. Winners included Rachel Howard, Erin Marbaker, Joy Bess, Jessica Lucas, Erica Bruington, Molly Krueger, and John White. Also, CPS will recommend Candace Fowler as the new principal at Russell Boulevard Elementary School to the Board of Education. Fowler has been the assistant principal at Fairview Elementary School for the last four years.
Jeremy C. Johnson Dr. Jeremy Johnson has been appointed chief of specialty care service at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. Johnson will be responsible for management of medical subspecialty services including cardiology, gastroenterology, and pulmonary medicine. Johnson joined hospital staff in 2006.
REYNOLDS
NEWLAND
Casey Wilson Socket announced the addition of Wilson to its business sales team. Prior to joining Socket, Wilson worked as an automotive sales consultant for Corwin Automotive in Jefferson City.
Tori Messenger The Home Builders Association of Columbia has hired Tori Messenger as executive director. Messenger brings 30 years of experience in mortgage lending and real estate to the association.
CARTER-CONE
LEE
CALTON
Mark Wakefield Dr. Mark Wakefield has been named associate chief medical officer of MU Health Care. Wakefield is the director of the renal transplant program at MU Health and chief of the division of urology at the MU School of Medicine. Wakefield will oversee physician leadership for outpatient care.
HUSS
JOHNSON
Gina Gervino Columbia Insurance Group has promoted Gervino to senior vice president. She will continue her role as the company’s general counsel and secretary. CBT
GERVINO
Are you or your employees making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 31
B U SINESS • PEOP LE • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
SARA HARPER
R E A LT O R | H O U S E O F B R O K E R S R E A LT Y I N C . | AG E : 5 7 Years lived in Columbia /Mid-Missouri: 39. Original hometown: Independence, Missouri. Education: Bachelor’s degree from MU in early childhood education and elementary education, specializing in behavior disorders. Favorite volunteer/community activity: Supporting Columbia Independent School. From a real estate perspective, many clients move to Columbia looking for educational options for their families. Many were looking for a private college preparatory option that Columbia just didn’t have for a long time. I became a founder of CIS in 1998, helping get the school started, and I’ve been serving as a trustee for 19 years. CIS has grown and evolved into an outstanding academic school focused on a values-based education. I’m proud to say we just completed our athletics and arts center addition in March! Professional background: Life. A favorite recent project: Volunteering for the Birds of a Feather Gala, Columbia Independent School’s largest fundraiser, founded by Marjo Price. A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: Jackie Bulgin. When I first got out of real estate school (with no intention of being a Realtor), Jackie contacted me and encouraged me to join Bulgin Real Estate and just ‘try it’ for a bit while I taught kindergarten. She suggested I might be good at it and could sell after teaching. ‘Me?’ I thought. Well, I’ve been following Jackie ever since, both personally and professionally, and I truly admire her commitment to life, love, and all those around her. I’m so lucky she picked me that day! 32 MAY 2017
Photography by Anthony Jinson
P E R S ON YO U SH OU LD KN OW
Biggest lesson learned in business: When I was in the third grade, I came home very upset with a fellow Brownie troop member. She had apparently done something not to my liking. After listening to all that was wrong with her, my dad sat me down and simply said he believed that every single person had at least one good quality and I’d be a much happier person if I looked for that good quality and liked people, rather than focusing on the negative in a person. ‘Sometimes you’ll have to dig deep,’ he said, ‘but there’s always at least one.’ I’ve never forgotten that, and it’s been very helpful over the years. I’m also a big believer in doing the right thing. You can’t go too wrong with that. And, last but not least, as I used to teach my kindergarten kiddos: The Golden Rule works. Always. Why I’m passionate about my company: I have the best team in the whole world. Tracy, Justin, and Erin are stars. I wouldn’t want to do my job without them. They’ve got my back and allow me to shine. House of Brokers Realty continues to be an awesome place to work and play. Our support staff is amazing and helps make my life terrific. Why I’m passionate about my job: I like to help people. Transitioning to a new home, and often a new city, can be a super stressful
time. Clients are not just buying or selling a home, but also adjusting to a new job, a new lifestyle, new schools — a whole lot of new. They really count on our team to be their advisors and help facilitate many aspects of the transition. I love helping them achieve their goals. I care that they find the best fit for their situation, whether they’re new to Columbia, moving across town, or building a new home. The best satisfaction I have is when we get to the closing and I see smiling faces. I do love a happy ending! The next challenge facing my industry: Real estate is always evolving and changing — the changes in marketing techniques, technology, social media, regulations, etc., keep us on our toes. However, communication and personal relationships remain the core foundations of my business no matter what else comes my way. I am happy to call my clients my friends. Greatest strength: I make a really good apple cream pie, and I make pretty bows on gift packages, thanks to Sally Nichols. Greatest weakness: I’m known for my tardiness. I always try to fit one more thing in. I’m still working on that. I’m not very good at saying “no” either.
If I weren’t doing this for a living, I think I would like to be a: Country western singer. What I do for fun: Spend time with family and friends at the beach, pool, Steamboat Springs ... Family: Dennis and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage in July and we have three terrific daughters: Paige, a mortgage lender at Landmark Bank; Taylor, who runs an online clothing boutique, Hello Harper; and Mackenzie, who graduates this month from SMU. They’ve all been an amazing part of the journey! Favorite place in Columbia: I haven’t found many places in Columbia that I don’t like except for the grocery store. Luckily, I married an enthusiastic grocery shopper and chef! Accomplishment I’m most proud of: My family. They are all pretty cool. I’m not sure that’s my accomplishment (as they are very accomplished on their own), but I’m sure proud of them! Most people don’t know that I: Went to real estate school only to please my grandfather, and I won a burping contest in fourth grade. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 33
34 MAY 2017
B U SINESS • PEOP LE • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
1 1 QU EST I ON S
3. Do you see that changing any
individuals looking to purchase or lease
time soon? Why or why not? As the
commercial property. We also identify
fourth largest market in Missouri, we see
investment property to complete a 1031
no decline in demand. Location, Location,
exchange. Although our company is just over
Location — Go Mizzou!
five years old, many of our brokers have been working in the Columbia area for more than
4. You have a few properties north
40 years, giving us a good grasp on who to
of I-70 listed right now — what
contact to get a deal done.
do you think the future of north Columbia looks like? Before the
9. How does Maher try to
financial crisis of 2008, northern and
differentiate itself to potential
southern Columbia were growing at the
buyers? We listen to our clients, and we’re
same pace. We’re starting to see more
more interested in building relationships
residential build-up in the northern region
than turning a deal. If our clients are
Q&A
of Columbia, and those residents will need
successful, we succeed.
developing Blue Ridge Town Centre is to
8. What type of commercial
JACK MAHER III
provide the necessary services to residents
property is selling best right now?
in the Blue Ridge area that may have to drive
Retail investment property has been in high
a considerable distance to find products they
demand for some time now. My grandad
need on a daily basis. We believe this market
specializes in single tenant properties
to be the next major development.
to provide investors no management
Vice President, Maher Commercial Real Estate
retail closer to their homes. Our goal in
responsibilities with as little risk as possible. 1. Your grandfather, Jack Sr., is the
5. How has the market changed in the last five years? The national
10. What do you find most
market has painted a picture of doom and
rewarding about the work you do?
gloom for big box retailers, many of whom
Helping small businesses save money in
are downsizing or going bankrupt due to the
lease negotiations, finding new locations for
growth of online retail. It will be interesting
companies that will allow their businesses to
to see how the larger shopping centers in the
grow, and bringing new business into town
area adapt.
that provides jobs for Columbia residents.
6. Looking ahead, how do you think
11. If you could change one thing
years in the business was a rare opportunity I
the market will change in the next
about your industry, what would
couldn’t pass up.
five years? It’ll be interesting to see
it be? We need to do a better job of
the battle between Amazon and Walmart.
educating the general public on the benefits
2. What’s the demand like for
Online is growing, but nothing will ever
that commercial development provides.
commercial real estate in Columbia
replace the need for brick-and-mortar stores
Developers are often shown to be devils that
right now? When Columbia reached the
— a vast majority of customers will need to
prey on residents, and the opposite is usually
100,000 population milestone, we qualified for
see and touch the product.
true. Sales and real estate taxes driven by
company’s president and owner. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came into the family business? During my college days, I was an intern for my grandad. When I graduated from MU, my grandad offered to mentor me in the field of commercial real estate with a spot in the family business. Learning from a commercial broker who has more than 30
commercial developers allow the economy
a new criteria of retailers. That, along with the introduction of MU to the SEC, has exposed
7. What does an ideal client for
to thrive, grow, and support our schools and
Columbia to a completely new element.
Maher look like? Our company assists
community. CBT
Check out past questions and answers with Columbia businesspeople online at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 35
FOR SALE
3100 S. Old Hwy 63 Over 4 acres of commercial land in high density student housing area. PROPERTY CURRENTLY FEATURES
• • • • •
4.41 acres Small office building with parking All utilities to site Best suited for commercial/ multi-family development Call for more details
Spring Into Action
Schedule your spring clean today! To receive a discount, mention this ad. Call Stephanie at (573) 256-1920.
Here’s what our clients are saying: Contact Jack Maher, III Broker-Officer 573-489-6860 maher3@jlmproperties.com
We Know CoMo Business
Offering prime commercial & investment properties MaherCRE.com 573-228-6321 36 MAY 2017
“For 30 years, my family has trusted Personal Touch to help us care for our home. Although the faces may change, the attitude, commitment and willingness to do a good job remain constant. Sue Riley and her staff have been completely responsible and trustworthy all those years.”
-Marilyn Hoecker Does your home need a Personal Touch? Office: 573.256.1920 www.personaltouchcleaningservicellc.com Like us on Facebook!
B U SINESS • PEOP LE • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
OPI N I ON
Pay attention! With two-thirds to go, His Honor is already under suspicion for his role — however he may choose to recuse himself — in his day job as a labor lobbyist in Jefferson City. Already there are rumblings of some opposition in April 2019 election. The circus that unfolds every two weeks at 701 E. Broadway seems less business-friendly these days. AOB’s site choice outside the city was a very deliberate move to avoid having to deal with City Hall's coterie of tin gods. Mr. Matthes wants be a great city manager. Council should back off and let him manage the city. Time for a less meddlesome, friendlier city council. Time to eschew personal agendas. Time for shorter meetings. Time for an ombudsman. And maybe time to review the city charter to see how well it’s working in the present context.
Al’s Trending Topics BY A L GERMON D
There’s plenty to talk about across the city these days. From development to higher education to health care, it’s a time of change in Columbia, Missouri. Keep your eye on these seven big story lines in business. Higher Education Declining enrollment. Employee layoffs. Dorms in mothballs. This will hurt, but MU will recover. The preliminaries about the new president, Dr. Choi, are positive. The new basketball coach is here. A winning hoops program coupled with a triumphant season on the gridiron will do much to boost MU's fortunes. Otherwise, there’s plenty of positive news from other quarters that we never hear much about, and then there’s great news from Columbia College and their proposed master plan. Development Projects Ground is broken and construction is underway on the Aurora Organic Dairy project in northeast Columbia. American Outdoor Brands will get going on their 500,000 square foot warehouse project at I-70 and Route Z just outside the city limits. Both projects mean jobs, tax revenues, and other financial gains for the region.
Columbia Regional Airport Boardings are up. Service to Denver begins August 1. Larger planes are being added for existing flights, including new flights to Chicago. Construction continues on the 5,500-foot concrete crosswind runway. The downer: We’re still several years away from getting a new terminal. School Board A tiny percentage of us bothered to vote in the April 4 election. No change on the Columbia School Board. It’s a tough game for any challenger, and this time, things were no different. City Council First Ward voters returned the incumbent who disappointed many of us by foolishly balking at the CVS project at Providence and Broadway. CVS would have meant jobs, new tax revenues, and competitive pricing. A surfeit of advanced education doesn’t necessarily mean doing the right thing for Columbia-at-Large. In the Fifth Ward, a newcomer bested a challenger. Too early to figure this one out. Let’s see if the new guy from the Fifth Ward will be less meddlesome than his peers on the Council. He’s a friend of the mayor, who Treece endorsed and supported financially.
Boone Hospital Two new Boone Hospital Center trustees will join their confréres charged with figuring out which entity the county will partner with as time runs out on the lease with the St. Louis-based BJC group. Some doctors and managers want to send BJC packing. Some of us are hearing favorable notices about St. Luke’s group in Kansas City. There's fear and trembling from some quarters about pairing with MU Health, the loss of competition, and what would happen to the county-owned buildings at Broadway and William Street. Biz Regulations Finally, a shout out to the Jack in the Box restaurant for their creative employment of the flagpole outside their establishment on Grindstone Parkway a few weeks ago. The flag may be gone by now. After all, it is (or was) an advertisement — an advertisement flapping in the wind — proudly proclaiming the presence of this eatery astride one of Columbia's most traveled streets. Shame on the city if they force its removal. Here we have a city that’s so screwed up when it comes to its overarching sign regulations that not even a school or a church can "go electronic" in front of their building. CBT Al Germond is the host of the Columbia Business Times Sunday Morning Roundtable at 8:15 a.m. Sundays on KFRU. He can be reached at algermond@businesstimescompany.com. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 37
38 MAY 2017
What's Your Plan B? With a limited selection of commercial and residential properties, business owners and consumers are finding alternative solutions to their real estate needs — and those aren’t necessarily in Columbia. BY DAV I D M O R R I S O N
IMAGINE YOU’RE A FIRST-TIME homebuyer seeking a starter home in Columbia. Maybe you’ve just graduated from college. Maybe you’ve been living with relatives for a few years to pool your resources before finally branching out on your own. Maybe you’d been enjoying the single life in an apartment, but now you’re ready to settle down and start a family. In any case, you’re not a millionaire. You make enough to get by, but you can’t afford a luxury house. Columbia only has around two months’ supply of homes in your price range, up to about $250,000. That’s what Jim Meyer, managing broker for the MeyerWorks real estate agency and the current Columbia Board of Realtors president, calls a “very strong seller’s market.” “I don’t see demand from the buyers slacking any time soon,” Meyer says. “It’s been pretty strong.” So there’s already an abundance of similar prospective homeowners in the area and a relative shortage of existing properties in your income bracket. Add to that the fact that most new homes that come onto the market are on the high end of that price range — or out of it altogether — and you’ve got the makings of an affordable housing issue. “There’s a shortage of entry-level homes — and I mean priced right, move-in ready homes,” says Sean Moore, president-elect of the Columbia Board of Realtors and realtor with the Sean Moore & Associates affiliate of RE/MAX Boone Realty. “There are plenty of entry-level homes, but the ones that aren’t selling are not priced right for their condition. “You can’t build a starter home in Columbia anymore,” he continues. “The guidelines, the regulations, the cost of permitting materials and the land — there’s no margins. There’s no profit.” The same trend is showing itself in Columbia’s commercial real estate market, where the city’s steady growth and healthy demand for properties have led to vacancy rates across office and retail properties that are about half of the national average. It’s a sign of a healthy local economy. It also means there’s more competition for vacant properties and rates that price some smaller proprietors, like those looking to start or expand a business in Columbia, out of the market. And, if commercial-zoned properties don’t develop at a rate that matches the demand, the problem could get worse. 40 MAY 2017
“We have a shortage of supply in town, and that is exclusively driven by government and restrictions on commercial zoning,” says Jason Gavan, an agent at House of Brokers Commercial Realty. “We’ve got decent and steady demand, which is always a good thing to have. But we don’t live next to an ocean. We don’t live next to an enormous national park. There’s no limit on land in Missouri. What limits it is when government refuses to allow development of commercial-zoned properties, and that is a primary driver of prices.” It’s a trend that affects middle- to low-income residents more: there’s a relative scar-
not a local, stable housing market, in addition to the impact on the individuals themselves.”
city of affordable housing with which to lay permanent foundations in a community, and there’s competition for commercial space with which to lay a stake in the local economy. “The largest investment anyone will make, typically, is their home,” Meyer says. “If people can’t afford to stabilize themselves by buying a home, they become more transient at great cost for employers. There’s a whole cascading set of impacts for employers when there’s
“This is the most opportune time I’ve ever seen in my lifetime to become a fix-and-flipper,” Moore says. “I think there is a vacuum, a void in our marketplace for that. I think a lot of money can be made.” The reason, as Moore sees it, is the lack of affordable new housing in Columbia. Firsttime homebuyers typically want new construction, but if it’s out of their range, he says, refurbished older houses can fill in that gap.
AUTOMATICALLY EXPENSIVE For a time, the fix-and-flippers left the Columbia real-estate market. When the recession hit, almost a decade ago, the segment of the population that would buy an old house, fix it up, and then put it back on the market for a higher price disappeared. Moore says he’s starting to see more fixer-uppers when he’s out on house-finding expeditions with his first-time homebuyer clients.
As recently as a few years ago, Meyer says, first-time homebuyers could look for new construction in the $120,000 to $130,000 range. The cheapest new construction he’s seen on the market within the city limits this year is a 1930s-style cottage bungalow in the central part of town on an infill lot — added onto an existing neighborhood — listing for $168,000. “Everything else is in the $190s or above,” Meyer says. “A lot of [homebuyers] are not going to make that jump. They are frustrated.” According to Missouri Realtors research, the median selling price for homes across the state was $144,000 in February, an increase of
On the whole, there are fewer choices. And the choices that exist are getting more costly. New construction is only about 10 percent of the market in any given year, Meyer says — but it’s a highly influential 10 percent. “If new construction continues to increase in cost far above the rate of inflation, then there’s going to be a perpetual sellers’ market for existing homes,” Meyer says. “It’s going to become more systematically out of balance because there are people who will be priced out of new construction and still want to buy. That’s going to create a lot more demand for existing homes and, eventually,
Bill 444, would establish a first-time homebuyer savings account, in which individuals or couples filing jointly could put aside up to $16,000 or $32,000 a year and then deduct half of the amount they save from their income taxes. If the bill passes, (at the time of this writing, it was being debated in Senate committee — the Senate session ends in May) it would take effect on January 1. Rowden says that, while he could see some pushback from legislators on the right and left who object to anything resembling a “tax credit,” he feels the sentiment of the bill should receive broad support.
Single Family Homes Average Sold Price P E R Y E AR IN BO O N E CO UN TY $250k
$205,328
$210,335
$196,284 $186,331
$200k
$198,266 $185,241 $150k 2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 through Feb. 2017
Source: Columbia Board of Realtors
nearly seven percent from February 2016 and nearly 11 percent from February 2015. In Columbia, according to MeyerWorks research, the median selling price for all single-family homes from March 2016 through the end of February was $171,000, an increase of a little more than two percent from the previous year. The number of new listings in the city dropped three percent, and the number of total active listings on the market dropped six percent.
they’re going to bid up the price of existing homes. Eventually the whole market can go up to the point where low- and middle-income people are priced completely out of the market. And they move up to Boonville or Fulton, Jeff City, Ashland.” State Senator Caleb Rowden, who represents Boone and Cooper counties, has introduced a bill aiming to help people in this situation statewide. The legislation, Senate
“It gives first-time homebuyers the chance to either put money away in a tax-free environment, or allows other folks to invest in firsttime homebuyers. Parents could put in dollars to a child’s first-time home savings account,” Rowden says. “We’ve been doing a lot of work on some policy matters that hopefully would really target the working poor and lower- and middle-class families. It’s just another opportunity for us to provide a path forward for COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 41
someone who is living paycheck to paycheck. If we can be forward-thinking about the things that are possible in that realm, that’s a good thing.” While Rowden’s bill addresses part of the problem from the homebuyers’ side, it can’t keep housing prices in an affordable range. Moore and his team represent four smaller building companies in Boone County. He says a decent lot in Columbia goes for around $75,000. If you take a general rule of thumb, that a builder wants the lot to be about a third of the price of the house, that’s already pushing up into the $250,000 range. There is a steady supply of homes in that price range in Columbia, largely because new construction is almost forced into that higher price bracket. Meyer worries, too, that the new Unified Development Code that the Columbia City Council passed in March will make these conditions worse.(For an in-depth look at the UDC, see page 50). Meyer proposed a hypothetical situation in which a developer buys 100 acres to create a subdivision. Due to regulations in the new code on what counts as forestation in a residential area, a cap on 30 homes served per entrance, and rules about steep slopes and roundabouts being inserted in every four-way intersection, he says that the builder, in this scenario, can make 52 fewer lots than they could under the old code. That, in turn, means the builder has to charge around 31 percent more for homes in their subdivision to recoup the cost that went into developing it. “There are different public policy objectives, different people have different views about how much value to place on environmental preservation, stormwater management, street design,” Meyer says. “But the problem is, in my view, the city is doing nothing to do any kind of cost-benefit analysis. They’re just adding costs.”
Single Family Homes Average Days on Market in Boone County Source: Columbia Board of Realtors
2 01 2
82 days 2 01 3
64 days 2 01 4
73 days 2 01 5
63 days 2 01 6
56 days 2 01 7
82 days 42 MAY 2017
THROUGH FEB. 2017
NO VACANCY SIGNS Jackie Floyd and her partners hit upon some good luck when they were looking for a location to open their Smoothie King franchise in Columbia. One day, they saw a “for rent” sign outside an old Mexican restaurant on Nifong. It was at the end of a strip mall and had a drive-thru already attached to the building. Both things on their checklist. The Smoothie King location opened in January 2015, and, seeing the sort of enthusiasm the community held for their services, Floyd and her partners started looking to expand. They haven’t been quite so lucky this time around. Structures — either standalone or at the end of a strip mall — already outfitted with drive-thrus are difficult to find in Columbia, and landlords are hesitant to commit to building a drive-thru for a store that uses as little space as a Smoothie King. “There just needs to be a few more commercial properties, really. Better options,” Floyd says. “I may have to just settle for a nondrive thru if I want to expand. There can be some more properties. Tenants may shoot for the moon, but they also need to have a Plan B.” Plan B, in Smoothie King’s case, has involved looking elsewhere. Floyd and her partners opened a second location in Jefferson City, and then a third one in Kirksville at the end of March. “When it comes to running your business, if there’s not a great location, I’m just going to go somewhere else where there is a good location,” Floyd says. “That’s what we’ve done. But we’re still looking in Columbia.” When it comes to commercial real estate in Columbia, some areas of town have more hotly contested vacancies than others. In the north, there’s less commercial space than other areas because the demand isn’t as high. South of downtown, where off-campus housing flourishes, is a boom area, and more properties are starting to pop up in the east as the population base shifts there. The mall is always a competitive area, thanks to the regional traffic coming off of I-70. And downtown? Well, it’s packed to the gills. “Our vacancy rate is less than three percent downtown. That’s just outrageously low,” says Mike Grellner, vice president of Plaza Commercial Realty. “If you’re in downtown
and want to expand, there are very few choices down there.” According to research compiled by Plaza, Columbia has a 5.1 percent citywide vacancy rate for office space, 5.9 percent for retail space, and 7.3 percent for industrial space. The national averages for those three types of commercial real estate are 9.9, 11.5, and 7.9, respectively. The demand is healthy. That means the economy is healthy. With such comparatively
construction, was already spoken for when it went up. Some of it, such as Discovery Park in southeast Columbia, was speculative. It becomes an issue, according to Gavan, when local government imposes undue restrictions and guidelines upon commercial-zoned properties. The rising costs that result can dissuade prospective developers from expanding upon their properties or making the effort to convert properties zoned for other purposes into commercial.
“You can’t build a starter home in Columbia anymore. The guidelines, the regulations, the cost of permitting materials and the land — there’s no margins. There’s no profit.” low levels of vacant commercial space, Grellner says it’s critical that Columbia-based businesses continue to have enough room to expand or start fresh. “For those that make their living here, that are interested in a robust local economy, it’s of the utmost importance. As a community, we have to appreciate development of all kinds. It’s where people are earning a living, are fulfilling a role or a job that helps this local economy thrive,” Grellner says. “If suddenly there’s a lack of space to allow businesses to do that, whether they’re new or existing businesses in this community, I believe that's a real problem for Columbia. It’s critical we recognize the importance of space availability for job creation.” Grellner says there has been more commercial space construction in Columbia over the past few years than in the five-year period preceding it. Some of it, such as MU-related
“Let’s say you buy a piece of agriculture-zoned private property and you’re going to turn it into commercial private property,” Gavan says. “If it becomes cost-prohibitive to convert that into commercial-zoned land, then either you’re not going to do it or you’re going to pass that cost onto the tenants or buyers of that property.” It can also drive away prospective tenants. Gavan says he’s had clients from Kansas City and St. Louis tell him they can get similar properties in those cities for a third of Columbia prices. He’s had others who search for properties with him for two to three weeks before deciding to take their business to smaller Mid-Missouri markets such as Fulton or Boonville. “The solution is for municipal governments to stop blocking private development,” Gavan says. “It’s like we’re creating a solution for a problem that shouldn’t exist.” CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 43
44 MAY 2017
Tw ig and B ondi Wood, Set h Paul, Mel and Char lot te Sm ar r, B ar t ley an d Ca nda ce Steve ns on
The Dirt Crew — an informal club of local construction professionals — builds through cooperation. By Jordan Milne Photography by Anthony Jinson COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 45
THE DIRT CREW, AS IT’S LOVINGLY called by some of its members, probably started on a “cold, wet, rainy day,” about five years ago, Bartley Stevenson says. “In the dirt business, we finally get a break when the weather gets bad.” Getting a construction site ready for building is a dirty job, literally, but somebody’s gotta do it. The industry is bustling, and in Columbia, a cross-generational group of contractors and subcontractors (and sometimes their spouses) have, during the past five years, built up a strong network. They’re known to occasionally work together on projects, and they often compete for jobs, but always in good humor. They have no official affiliation — they just enjoy each other’s company, conversation, and, at times, equipment. Stevenson, owner of Milam Excavating Corporation, a residential and commercial excavation company, is a Dirt Crew member, as is fellow excavator Seth Paul, owner of Seth Paul Excavating. “[The Dirt Crew is] a group of business owners directly tied to the construction industry in Columbia who like to periodically get together for social gatherings,” Paul says. “I don’t remember exactly how and when it took shape, but we have always had a good work relationship.” The group tried to have each couple, or “member,” plan one event a month, but “as usual, life got in the way, and everyone was so busy that it just morphed into about six times a year as a large group,” Paul says. Excavation companies like Paul’s and Stevenson’s move the dirt and rocks on a site in order to prep the area for building, which naturally links them to other subcontracting and construction businesses. Stevenson — who believes that the key to success is to 46 MAY 2017
“keep your customers close and your competition closer” — says that the group will often meet up for lunch or happy hour and “work on solving the world’s problems.” Stevenson’s wife, Candace, helps keep everyone connected by sending emails or texts to round up members of the Crew for social gatherings. The Crew’s members come out of the woodwork (or, rather, dirtwork) of all areas of the subcontracting and construction businesses to share ideas and resources. They work in areas like excavating, precast concrete pouring, rock supply, dirt and mulch supply, tree removal, and equipment sale and rental.
Some of the members get together every third Thursday of the month for dinner at local restaurants, gather at fellow members’ homes, or golf at Old Hawthorne; others attend larger events, such as the annual “Beer, Boat, and Bowling.” For that particular event, about 60 local construction-related business owners, some with guests or significant others, rent out the seventh floor of Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino in Boonville and are shuttled to the bowling alley for an evening of beers and bowling. Twig and Bondi Wood, owners of American Cleaning Systems, have been getting together with the Crew informally for the past five years
Seth Paul Seth Paul Excavating
Bartley Stevenson Milam Excavating Corporation (Milam Contracting)
Mel and Charlotte Smarr Ri-Mor Topsoil, Ri-Mor Mulch, Remsel Excavation, Clel Roll-off Containers, and Sky-Hi Storage
Twig and Bondi Wood American Cleaning Systems
Dave Rothove Mel Smarr
and formally for the past two. Their business leases and sells industrial and commercial pressure washers, generators, and heaters for the construction business to have on site. “My husband and many other small business owners in the industry are not super tech-savvy, so the face-to-face get-togethers are good to catch up about what’s going on,” Bondi says. Bondi also credits the group for sharing leads on potential industry developments. “Many times, people will share info on pieces of property
coming up for sale that are being developed, or someone needs a pond built, or this or that,” she says. “We also talk about ordinances, licensing, fees, zoning, city council happenings, and anything else industry-related that would have an impact on us.” The network of small business owners brought together by the Crew now expands beyond those in dirt-related industries. One Crew member’s significant other owns a tanning salon, and another owns a women’s clothing boutique.
Precision Precast
Jake Gingerich Gingerich Excavating
Keith Winscott Winscott Construction
Scott Ratliff Arthur Ratliff Tree and Stump Removal COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 47
Mel Smarr plays an instrumental role in stirring up the crew for social gatherings, Bondi says. Smarr started Remsel Excavation over 30 years ago; he and his wife, Charlotte Smarr, own several family-operated businesses in addition to Remsel, including Ri-Mor Topsoil, Ri-Mor Mulch, Clel Roll-off Containers, and Sky-Hi Storage. “My husband is very social and loves to entertain, so he acts as a thread to connect all the smaller groups,” Charlotte says. “He gets on the horn and calls up everybody.” Owning a broad network of related business puts Mel in a perfect position to facilitate the group; Ri-Mor Mulch provides mulch and landscaping products like rock to contractors, and Remsel Corp predominantly does commercial dirt work. Ri-Mor has provided the dirt for some of Milam’s jobs, and the companies also share their additional trucks on hauling jobs. Ri-Mor has also provided topsoil for jobs through City of Columbia, where Paul’s company did the dirt work. “I was surprised how young Bartley [Stevenson] was when I met him in person,” Charlotte says. “We became friends, because for years we had been talking on the phone at work all the time. Most of the Dirt Crew I had talked to on the phone, scheduling dump truck loads of topsoil. Later, we met and started going out to dinner or just hanging out.” “The comedian in me wants to say that I take all the leftover jobs that [fellow Crew members] don’t want,” Paul jokes. “Fortunately, the Columbia economy provides more than enough work for everyone.” According to Paul, although the various businesses sometimes happen to work in competition, they more often find themselves working in concert. “We can help each other out with resources,” says Paul. “We all get more done by helping each other, even if we are competing with each other . . . When you have a problem, you can call someone in the same boat you're in and get advice. I can vent about issues and find solutions to common problems.” Charlotte says the Crew actually views themselves more as co-workers than as competitors. “We’re all business owners who have worked hard and survived through tough economies,” she says. “By working together, we provide different strengths and utilize our equipment more efficiently and timely through
Top: Twig and Bondi Wood Middle: Bartley Stevenson Bottom: Seth Paul 48 MAY 2017
From left: Seth Paul, Mel Smarr, Bondi Wood, Charlotte Smarr, Candace Stevenson, Twig Wood, Bartley Stevenson
subcontracting among ourselves. It allows us to compete with the bigger companies on the larger jobs.” Stevenson agrees that the camaraderie has its benefits, particularly when it comes to monetary investments. The industry can have high overhead costs and be endlessly stressful, especially for small contractors and subcontractors. By working together instead of working against one another, Crew members can all be more successful — they can share help, equipment, and ideas to improve each member’s business. “Also referrals, referrals, referrals!” says Stevenson. “If we can’t do something because of skill set, schedule, equipment availability, etc., we can refer someone who is capable and competent.” Charlotte Smarr says the Dirt Crew’s collaboration also bolsters the local economy as a whole. By buying wholesale and by providing locally produced products, instead of shipping in from elsewhere, the property owner saves money. “The companies that make up the Crew have a vital role not only in the commercial and residential real estate market, but also in the broader Columbia community,” Paul says. “The projects we do are fairly large in size, so we buy materials and supplies, pipe, fuel, concrete, etc. from Columbia businesses. And we employ local people who can then give back to our community.” If you’re going to do dirty work, it’s nice to bring some friends to work with you. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 49
50 MAY 2017
BEST LAID PLANS Columbia grapples with the next era in development under a newly adopted zoning code. BY MATT PATSTON
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 51
IN 1931, THE ACADEMIC JOURNAL Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science published an article called “History of Zoning.” It was an ironic title; the instituted practice of zoning was barely a decade old. The writer was Gordon Whitnall, the founder of the first City Planning Commission of Los Angeles who was the head of that city’s planning staff from 1920 to 1930 — he was, therefore, one of the forefathers of American city planning, and he was a starry-eyed admirer of zoning. He writes about the practice in gushing, vaguely religious tones (zoning, he writes, “has arisen out of the desire and the necessity to bring some order out of the chaos that has resulted from the anarchistic development of our cities”) and calls zoning a historical breakthrough in the millennia-old practice of building cities. Whitnall’s academic thesis, though, is that zoning practices sprung rapidly from a startling finding in the 1920 U.S. census — that America had gone urban. For the first time, more people lived in cities than lived in rural areas, so the Gordon Whitnalls of the world set to work on bringing order to the chaos Americans had come to inhabit. All this is only relevant because something similar has happened in Columbia over the last 15 years. Now COMO has gone urban. Denser development, taller buildings, more people wanting to live inside them — downtown has become more vibrant and more oriented toward nightlife, the arts, and entertainment. In other words, the city became a city. And correspondingly, we’ve spent nearly a decade fixated on zoning.
The zoning code that Columbia put in place in 1964, when the town had nearly 100,000 fewer people living in it, proved useless at stemming the tide of student and young professional housing that washed over downtown starting in the late ’00s. In 2007, in the Imagine Columbia visioning plan for the city’s growth, city officials suggested that the city council adopt a new zoning code to encourage development in line with the city’s historical character. The Imagine Columbia document encouraged council to adopt the new zoning “as soon as possible.” Turns out, that meant March 20 of this year. City Council unanimously approved the new unified development code nearly five years after first hiring Clarion, a national consultant, to draft a new zoning plan for the city. From the beginning, the process was contentious and slow-moving. Developers, preservationists, city officials, and any other zoning enthusiasts with a voice seemed to have conflicting opinions about what was best for Columbia’s continued growth. Development projects continued to go up in the meantime — even now, two student housing high-rises are under construction downtown — but the city now officially has a plan. And nobody really knows what’s going to happen next.
FORM AND FUNCTION If you’re the sort of person who values historic preservation in downtown Columbia, you probably consider John Ott a “good” developer. He started his work downtown by restoring and renovating the Paramount Building on Ninth and Cherry, taking it from a run-down relic of the mid-20th century to a successful mixeduse development that serves as a focal point
Here’s what you missed….
of Columbia’s busiest pedestrian corridor. His company, Alley A Realty, is named after Alley A, which he turned into one of the hippest retail and restaurant strips downtown. He’s a board member for The District. He’s played a significant role in the successful development of the North Village Arts District. (His current project is a renovation of the Koonse Glass building, just north of Café Berlin, where we met for coffee.) Point being: He’s well-liked on both sides of the debate over development in downtown Columbia. “You know, I don’t know how much I want to be quoted,” he says, “because what happens is you get repercussions from all this.” A lot of folks involved in the years-long fight over zoning seem to be battle-worn at this point. Paul Land, a developer who was a constant presence at public meetings on the UDC, declined to be interviewed for this story, saying in an email, “I did my time in challenging the ordinances at P&Z and at City Council.” Mayor Brian Treece also declined to be interviewed, saying he didn’t have confidence that the issue would be covered fairly or accurately. Pat Zenner, the city’s development services manager and resident expert on the UDC, joked that the long-term stress forced him into the hospital for surgery, which he had one week after council approved the new code. “I’ve been working in this area of the law since 2004, and they were talking about rezoning then,” says Robert Hollis, an attorney at Van Matre, Harrison, Hollis, Taylor and Elliot who represents developers in zoning and land use issues. “On the one end, you hear that the character of downtown is what downtown used to be. Those are sort of the anti-development, ‘Let’s keep it as it was and anything new needs
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52 MAY 2017
to remain consistent with what existed’ — a.k.a. ‘No students.’ The other extreme is to bring as much activity as you can downtown, since it makes downtown vital. . . . If you want the sleepy downtown that used to be, then that’s what you think the character of downtown is. If you want a downtown that survives, you have to move more towards bringing in economic activity and physical activity.” Even though those two extremes in the debate — no student housing versus as much student housing as possible — have been the animating force behind zoning arguments in Columbia, the battle about the UDC was about something different: the powers and limitations of form-based zoning. Conventional zoning, from Gordon Whitnall’s heyday through most of the 20th century, is about land usage: by limiting what activities one could do on a certain piece of land, you could make sure, for instance, nobody built a factory in the middle of a neighborhood. Form-based zoning is based on appearance: in its purest form, it means that a building can be used for whatever the owner wants, so long as the building fits in nicely with all the buildings around it. The biggest change between Columbia’s old zoning standards and the new UDC is the institution of form-based controls in the downtown area. Downtown was previously a mixed-use district, which allowed for a diverse crowd of business to co-exist there. But it also meant that, as long as you were using your land for an approved use — student housing, for example — you could build your building however you’d like. You could make it 20 stories tall, or
"Downtown is the most walkable part of our city, but walkability doesn’t work if the buildings are ugly." - Ian Thomas, city council member
use cheap building materials. You could make it look ugly if you wanted. By using form-based codes, the city can more tightly restrict what buildings downtown can look like. Now, you can still build an apartment building in the middle of downtown if you’d like, but it can’t be taller than 10 stories or take up more than 34,000 square feet on the ground, and you have to have an “active” first floor — “So if you’re walking around downtown, you feel engaged with a restaurant, a retailer, or something active,” says Katie Essing, executive director of The District. “What folks are concerned about is when there’s a dead first floor. So if you have a housing development with first floor apartments and the shades are always drawn, essentially it’s just a block that doesn’t have any activity.” The form-based controls include myriad other conditions — setback requirements, open space rules, some landscaping standards — but they’re all geared toward providing an active pedestrian experience. “I think most members on the council agree that student housing should be downtown,” Fourth Ward Councilman Ian Thomas says. “But we also believe it should be attractive and use those form-based elements. Downtown is our most walkable part of the city, but walkability doesn’t work if the buildings are ugly.” One of the City’s major goals in rewriting the codes, Thomas says, was creating a simplified UDC, scrapping decades worth of accumulated one-off regulations for something sleeker and simpler to understand. Between the last major code overhaul, in the early ’60s, until now, “we cobbled in new regulations and didn’t peel away the old and had things that didn’t make any sense,” Zenner says. In some ways, the new
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COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 53
UDC succeeds in that regard, but form-based zoning is also more complicated than traditional zoning — which means there’s more to bicker over. Zenner says form-based codes are generally used to regulate specific areas, like downtowns, but some at the city, including Thomas, advocated for citywide form-based zoning. That led to a back-and-forth about neighborhood protection standards — essentially form-based regulations on development near residential neighborhoods — that threatened to derail the code in the late stages of its adoption. At another late meeting, in early March, The District asked for an exemption to form-based restrictions for any lots downtown less than 10,000 square feet, arguing that they were too restrictive for smaller-scale development, like the kinds of restoration projects that Ott’s Alley A Realty specializes in. Zenner pointed out that more than half the lots downtown are less than 10,000 square feet — providing the exemption would effectively gut the form-based regulations as a whole. “I thought that was telling,” Ott says. He saw it as evidence that the City was more committed to enacting a form-based zoning plan than encouraging small development projects. Zenner says that Columbia’s UDC actually deploys much softer form-based codes than other cities. “Some communities have architectural review boards that have more capacity to handle design-related elements, whereas in Columbia, we don’t have that kind of regulatory structure. Therefore our code, while it has very significant and specific design-related standards, they aren’t nearly as specific as in some other communities.” The regulatory standards are meant to be more flexible than the previous codes and easier to adjust according to the city’s market demands. So years of give and take in both public and private arguments to the city have resulted in a sort of “form-based lite” zoning code — more streamlined and visually-oriented, but also unique and open to different interpretation. “It was an interesting thing to track,” says Lexi Klaus, another attorney at Van Matre and former director of government affairs for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. “I know lots of people put in a lot of time and a lot of brain power. The question is how it’s going to be interpreted and how it’s going to be applied. I can’t say. What I do know is that the new code will be referenced a lot. When I was in my old life [at the Chamber], my understanding of form-based codes did not line up with this.” 54 MAY 2017
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Since the adoption of the UDC, city staff and council have stressed that it is a “living document” — they fully anticipate problems and have processes to solve them. “Because it’s new to us and it’s new to the developers, we get stumped a little bit when an issue comes up and we say, ‘OK, where is this in the new code and how d0 we approach this?’” Zenner says. “And what we have to balance out is what is the intent of the code, how was it written, what’s the regulatory significance of what’s being requested for waiver or modification, and are we even authorized to do that?” Conditional use permits ended up being another point of contention in the new code, fac-
code clearly represents that there are particular issues that have problems that are going to arise, and we’re going to have to face them head-on.” Arguably the most painful part of the rewriting process, for everyone with a stake in the UDC, was how long the process took. After initially identifying the need for an overhaul in 2007, the city started looking for a consultant in 2013; their choice, Clarion, and their subconsultant, Ferrell Madden, spent January 2014 to October 2015 preparing a draft for the city. City staff took over in January 2016, combing through the document and gathering feedback and making tweaks. They presented a draft in April 2016. City council set a moratorium on any develop-
"It was kind of an anticlimactic end. The final meeting was down to, like, 20 people who were there." — Katie Essing, executive director of The District
ing both external criticism from developers and internal questioning from staff. Under the new UDC, permits are reviewed by the planning and zoning commission before being approved or denied by city council, whereas it was previously a decision from the board of adjustment. “The response, not only to the public comment on it, but our own internal conflict, was that not all conditional uses within the code need to become political issues,” Zenner says. But because creating more thorough and concrete criteria for conditional uses would have further pushed back the adoption of the UDC, the city pushed forward with the understanding that they could improve the conditional use process at a later date. A living document at work. “You know the enemy of the good is the perfect,” Zenner says. “And we could never adopt this code if we wanted to perfect it. And that’s one of the bigger issues that we, as a community, need to face, is that we always want perfect legislation. The
ment downtown in May, which was supposed to last until the end of that year, by which time they wanted to adopt the code. The public meeting process began in late October, and that ended up running until March 2017. “I represent developers, and developers want certainty,” Hollis says. “If you step in their shoes and you’ve got a project you want to move forward with, it’s not cheap, in many cases, and time is often the enemy. If it takes a year to get the project underway, it’s scary. So who’s going to be the first duck to jump in the water [by trying a development under the new code]? I don’t know.” The code passed with relatively little fanfare. Council approved it unanimously. “It was kind of an anticlimactic end,” Essing says. “The final meeting was down to like 20 people who were there. Very small attendance and passed by all. I think everyone got their voices heard and I feel like everyone got the chance to talk about what concerned them.”
“At a certain point, just for operationalizing it, you have to draw a line and say, ‘This is where it is now.’ We were going to vote on this, and it was unanimous. That was encouraging,” Thomas says. “There was so much more good in there than bad. It was important to acknowledge that we’ve done a good process and this is going to be the law for now.” Of course, those who were against the code still are; valid concerns still exist about its impact on housing prices in the city and the potentially negative impact the regulations might have on property values, especially downtown.
“Unfortunately, what I feel is happening here is that we’re failing in some instances to communicate clearly that there’s value in these new regulations for everyone,” Zenner says. “The areas we’ve asked to be set aside for conservation or other reasons are there to protect the qualities of Columbia that we all enjoy, and that has a monetary value to the individual who feels frustrated because ‘You just took 25 percent of my land area away, and how dare you?’ We’re also looking at how we can produce a set of regulations that actually requires us all to be good stewards of our land, because you can’t re-create what Columbia is.”
IDENTITY CRISIS That, of course, begs a bigger question: What is Columbia? The 10-year fight over zoning has also served as a proxy debate about that bigger, messier question. Surely part of Colum-
bia is the vibrant, pedestrian-friendly and locally-owned downtown that has developed since 2007 —but that downtown also probably wouldn’t exist without the student housing developments that went up because the cost was cheap, the profit margins were high, and the zoning rules were loose. Speaking literally, Columbia is historic neighborhoods like East Campus and Benton-Stephens, which are protected by additional regulations from overlay zoning districts, but it also literally is McMansion-style subdivisions and public housing and strip malls and shopping centers and highways and industrial parks and anything else that falls within city limits. Even the tightest city planning effort would struggle to contain a city’s natural tendency toward chaotic, asymmetrical growth that Gordon Whitnall observed in the 1920s. Columbia still has a lot of appeal for developers: a growing population, easy transportation access, a supportive economic development community. Ultimately, we won’t really know what effect the UDC will have on development until somebody tries to build something. “In most cases, both sides want what they think is best for Columbia,” Hollis says. “So everybody is better served if they look at the code and don’t try to go through it and find the loopholes, but rather try to help the city staff, the P & Z, and council interpret this rather than fight over this.” Zenner worked in private development before moving to public-service city planning, and he says he’s still able to see things from the other side of the table. “My practical approach to solving issues is that you need a win-win,” Zenner says. “We’re not here to dogmatically enforce regulation on the community. My role is to help facilitate development, and as the development services manager, I have to keep an open mind.” How Columbia grows may ultimately have less to do with the ins-and-outs of the UDC itself than it does with the ability of the city and the development community to form a working relationship after a five-year public fight. And there will be more fights — over parking requirements, perhaps, or maybe more neighborhood protections, or any number of other issues. Maybe that’s part of what Columbia is too. CBT
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56 MAY 2017
What’s Going on in There? You know how it makes you crazy when you drive by a building in Columbia and have no idea what it’s used for? CBT took to the streets to dig up history on some such buildings around town.
BY KENNEDY ROBINSON AND MAYA MCDOWELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDERIA RINEHART AND MATT PATSTON
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 57
Hawthorne Educational Services 800 Gray Oak Dr.
Driving through Columbia, you can spot examples of architectural beauty throughout our town, both subtle and direct. This mysterious building is both. Removed from the busy streets, hidden behind buildings and tall trees, it can be easily missed from the major roadways. But venturing down Gray Oak Drive will bring the estate steadily into view, and it will captivate you. Atop a grassy knoll lies the plantation-style manor, with a long driveway that snakes up towards the entrance of the property. The white, two-story building is supported by enormous columns and boasts a wraparound porch, neatly trimmed landscaping, and some fine construction. Although this colossal house exudes an air of maturity, the estate was, surprisingly, only built in the early ’90s. At over 14,000 square feet (including a basement, two main stories, and a mezzanine), the manor sits on 3 acres of land. When driving by, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see women in long dresses and bonnets fanning themselves on the porch — this looks like something you’d find in the historic districts of the American South, not looming behind a Kohl’s in the middle of the Midwest. The estate, while breathtaking, seems out-of-place and a little awkward, given it’s surrounded by corporate offices and shopping centers. Nevertheless, the property has accrued many admirers since its construction 26 years ago. Currently, the building is occupied by Hawthorne Educational Services — according to its website, this company “develops, publishes and markets educational materials to public and private schools.” The publishing company concentrates on printing materials primarily for students with special needs. Rumor has it the estate includes quarters in which authors could live in-residence for a short period of time while working on books. The Boone County Assessor’s office says that the original landowner retained the property for a long time before the land was bought and developed on by Stephen McCarney in 1991. Chief Appraiser Kenny Mohr explains that, like most people, he’s “honestly not really sure what the place is, but [the auditor’s office] values it as a commercial structure.” With its attractive architecture and air of anonymity, it’s no surprise it has drawn such curiosity. 58 MAY 2017
University of Missouri Libraries Depository Unit 2 6215 W. Cunningham Dr.
If you regularly wander out of Columbia on westbound I-70, you’ve seen places like Larry’s Boots & Western Wear and the Midway Expo Center hanging around exit 121. But what you probably didn’t see — or, if you did, you hardly noticed — was a small, isolated building on the north outer road. Detached from civilization, “DEAD END” roadway signs stand near the building’s gravel-road entrance. The building itself seems generally unoccupied, with few cars in the parking lot. Even though it’s in full view of the highway, it feels secluded. The white-gray building displays no exterior signs or indicators of what’s inside, just the small business description taped to the front door. And for those interested in discovering where MU Libraries stashes all their extra books, no need to look further. After space ran out in their main off-site storage depository, the university searched elsewhere to house the overflow of materials. They initially found another location, but a mold outbreak that ruined over 600,000 university books required a new site to be found immediately — and they stumbled upon this storage facility. The university leased this property, owned by D&D Investments of Columbia, in July of 2014. The depository, surrounded by trees and grass fields, is on approximately 3 acres of land. Constructed in 1973, this building was previously a Rust & Martin interior design showroom that closed around 2004. Now, the warehouse stores extra journals, volumes, and books from all UM libraries. So next time you’re heading to sight-see with the family in Kansas City or embarking on a gambling getaway in Boonville, keep a scholarly eye out. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 59
Alarm Communications Center Inc. 806 N. Providence Rd. When you're driving down Providence Road, the building at 806 N. Providence looks like a concrete block, comparable to a large, lonely storage unit, perhaps. It’s in a dense area of town — near Hickman High School and the Douglass Park neighborhood — so it can be easy to overlook. There’s no business sign on the building. There’s only the street address number, 806, on the street-facing side. The building has a few small windows. The main decorative feature is, fittingly, a series of exterior security cameras. Even though the outside of the building is simple and unassuming, the inside is anything but. The blockish building operates as a 24/7 central monitoring station for Alarm Communications Center Inc., a local security company. According to their website, ACC is locally owned and was established in 1969. The company offers security systems for both home and business, including intrusion alarms, fire alarms, video systems, personal emergency alarms, and access control. ACC has been using the building since 2000. ACC’s monitoring station has moved around quite a bit since the company opened in the late ’60s. The original station, back when ACC only provided home and business burglar alarms, was downtown, on Eighth and Broadway. In the early ’70s, ACC moved to the Virginia Building, then known as the Strollway Center, a few blocks away. That building now houses such businesses as Craft Beer Cellar, Top Ten Wines, and Tiger Spirit. The setup in the oddly-shaped, cream-colored building is fairy unusual for a security systems company. ACC’s website states “ACC is the only security company in Central Missouri offering local security system monitoring,” as most companies operate their monitoring system from out of town. ACC’s operation, while maybe not downtown anymore, is still overlooked in the heart of the city.
Columbia Parks and Recreation 1 S. Seventh St. On the corner of Seventh Street and Broadway is a red brick building with a long history of resourceful occupants. For the past 111 years, the building in downtown Columbia has been home to various services that help keep the city running. Today, the historically preserved building houses Columbia Parks and Recreation and the city’s risk management division. “We have a lot of walk-in traffic here — a lot of people who are signing up for classes or registering for leagues or reserving a shelter will come in here to do business” says Tammy Miller, public information specialist for Columbia Parks and Recreation. “Some people see us as kind of the face of parks and rec.” Built as a post office in 1906, the building was sold to the City of Columbia in 1936, the city’s website says. Two years later, books replaced mail and the 60 MAY 2017
former post office became Columbia Public Library. The building has since served as the operating base, at various times, for the City’s water and light department, parks and recreation, human resources, volunteer services, and cultural affairs. The site has been known as the Gentry Building since October 29, 1977, when the former post office was dedicated in honor of Ann Hawkins Gentry. Gentry was appointed as the second woman postmaster in the country in 1838, and she served as Columbia’s postmistress until 1865. Miller says a lot of people come to the Gentry Building looking for a certain statue — a replica of the Statue of Liberty, gifted to Columbia by a local Boy Scout troop in 1950. The eight-foot statue was part of a national Boy Scouts 40th anniversary campaign called “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty.” The statue was rededicated on July 4, 1986, in honor of the original Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary, and moved from Howard Municipal Building to outside of the Gentry Building. The statue was moved inside the lobby in 2007 to protect it from the weather. In 2006, the Gentry Building went through renovations as part of the City’s plan to refresh its downtown properties. While the renovations took steps toward modernizing the building, the city was careful to reflect “the old character of the building with high ceilings and different architecture elements that are kind of a throwback to what it used to be,” Miller says. As much of downtown Columbia fills with new infrastructure, the Gentry Building continues to diligently serve the city, as it has for 111 years.
Central Bank of Boone County 115 N. Providence Rd. There was a time the red-orange brick building located at 115 N. Providence sported a red and green sign for Ambrosia Flowers, a locally owned flower shop. Today, the small building — which still
looks fresh out of the ’50s — has slightly different signage. The small, black signs hanging in the windows announce, in bold red letters, “PRIVATE PROPERTY.” Mysterious as the small building atop a small hill in the middle of the city seems, don’t hold your breath for a glamorous tale of what exactly goes on inside — mainly because the answer is nothing. It’s owned by Central Bank of Boone County, which has a branch on the adjacent lot, but as of now it’s not being used for anything. “We really haven’t decided what we’re going to do with the property,” says Mary Wilkerson, senior vice president of marketing at the bank. “The building is in pretty bad shape, so it’s probably not rentable at this point.” Central Bank bought the property at 115 N. Providence in February 2015, but the spot has been home to several different occupants and businesses. According to reporting from the Columbia Daily Tribune, a woman named Ruth Doby Wiggins lived at 115 N. Providence Road with her husband until the early ’60s. When the Wiggins family moved their home, they left an office building in its place. In 2000, Eliot and Muriel Battle purchased the property — about a third of an acre — at which time the building was being used by an insurance agent. In 2010, Ambrosia Flowers moved into the 1,125-square-foot building, operating there until the store’s closing in February 2014. Central Bank, which shares an alleyway with the property, saw opportunity in the neighboring building when Ambrosia Flowers closed. “We had the opportunity to buy the property, and with it being right next to our motor bank, we thought that would be a wise decision,” Wilkerson says. “We’ve always wanted to improve some of the access to the bank from Ash Street.” The future is uncertain for 115 N. Providence. Wilkerson says there is not yet a plan for the property, but selling it is always a possibility. “Right now it’s just a piece of property that we own, and eventually we’ll figure out what we want to do with it,” Wilkerson says. “It might be a park — who knows?” For now, the vacant building just sits on a small hill of green grass, waiting for whatever comes next. CBT Have another mysterious building to unmask? Email us at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com.
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62 MAY 2017
Ralph Gates, Mid America Mortgage
A Guiding
Hand Columbia mortgage professionals guide consumers through the intricacies (and, yes, sometimes dullness) of home buying. BY E L I M A R C H B A N KS | P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R
As much fun as it is to discuss such matters on a Friday night out with friends, nothing gets your heart pumping and your blood pressure soaring quite like worrying about your mortgage. For the vast majority of us, buying a home will easily be the biggest expenditure of our entire lives. Whether or not you can pay your mortgage can be the difference between tremendous financial security and comfort or blocking phone calls from debt collectors and counting up your pocket change before going to the grocery store. Even though the subject used to put us all to sleep in our high school economics classes, our mortgage affects basically all other aspects of our lives. “Nobody ever comes out of school saying, ‘I want to be in the mortgage business!’ Nobody!” jokes Jim Yankee, founder and owner of Flat Branch Home Loans in Columbia. He was 21 when he answered an ad for a job at Monarch Title Co. From there, he went on to work as an assistant loan officer for Wells Fargo before starting Flat Branch in 2005. “Our goal is to not just get people into homes, but to do right by them — show them what they can afford and walk them through the numbers,” Yankee says. “There’s a lot of regulations and a lot of paperwork, which is frustrating for people, but as long as you have income to support the loan, we can work with you, even if you have past credit issues.” Columbia’s mortgage lending industry, supported by local operators like Yankee, has weathered trying
times to become a stable provider of customer-focused lending in Mid-Missouri. Flat Branch, for example, has developed services like their Community Champions Lending Program, which offers free appraisals to police officers, firefighters, other emergency response staffers, and school employees. It’s reflective of the community’s wider zeal for customer service. Ralph Gates, founder and owner of Mid America Mortgage, has a passion for making real estate loans. “Nothing gives me satisfaction more than seeing a young couple buy their first home. It may sound stupid, but I get a high off of that,” he says. Like Yankee, Gates worked in the industry before striking out on his own. He climbed up the corporate ladder in the banking world, but the higher he climbed, the further he felt from the customer. “I figured out what I really like to do is talk to you about buying a house,” he says. So, in 1984 he started Mid America Mortgage, along with co-founder Jeanie Byland, so that he can sit “eyeball to eyeball” with people to help them find the way of owning a home that's best for them. Likewise, Reza Abadi, branch manager of USA Mortgage in Columbia, says that he “loves the challenge” of the industry. Abadi says he makes a concentrated effort to have that personal connection with each of his clients. “You have to create trust so that you can best help your clients reach their financial goals,” he says. “It’s all about the relationships.” COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 63
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS After owning a restaurant and working part-time in the mortgage industry, Abadi has been in the business fulltime for several years now, and he’s seen his USA Mortgage branch through good times and bad. Remembering the mortgage crisis of nearly a decade ago, Abadi jokes, “For a few years we were less popular than lawyers.” The collapse in 2007 contributed to a “sharks in suits” stereotype of mortgage lenders: the rich who became richer by manipulating a person’s dream to own a home. Gates, in his more corporate days, even met a few of these people. “I came to find out there is something about the dye from the pinstripe suit that interacts with human sweat and makes a person think they’re better than somebody else,” he says. “Consequently, I never found a suit that would fit really well.” He now strives to make his business as down-to-earth as possible, a quality he shares with Yankee and Abadi. Gates has no computers in his office — peculiar in the industry at a time when more people are going online to find a home loan from websites like Rocket Mortgage and Quicken Loans. Even peo-
Mid America Mortgage Michelle West, Ralph Gates, Jeanie Byland
USA Mortgage Dana Fehling, Jim Pistono, Reza Abadi, Casey Cotton, Jeremy Johnson
Flat Branch Home Loans Jim Yankee, Mary Ropp, Scott Batt 64 MAY 2017
Reza Abadi, USA Mortgage
ple who still use brick-and-mortar companies now go online for a lot of the application process. “We’re investing heavily in our web presence,” Yankee says, “especially with more millennials buying homes. But even older generations expect to do more online.” Local lenders now have to convince potential customers of the advantage to going into a stranger’s office and filling out paperwork outside the comfort of their own homes. Their main selling points are personal service and lower pricing. Gates says, “Go online and get a good-faith estimate from any of the online mortgage services, and then take that estimate to any bank or mortgage outfit here in Columbia, and I think you’ll find that most of the places here can beat the rates you find online.” “When you compare the rate you get online with ours, you’re going to save some money if you get your loan locally,” Yankee says. “Also, nine out of 10 of the online places offer terrible service.” He says service might not be too much
Jim Yankee, Flat Branch Home Loans
of a problem if you’re refinancing, but if you’re buying a home and trying to coordinate moving trucks and all your family and friends who are helping you move, the last thing you want is bad customer service making an already stressful process even more nerve-wracking. But mortgage companies don’t just compete with online brokers — they also compete for customers with local banks. “People trust their local banks more than the mortgage bankers or mortgage brokers,” says Abadi. “But the only thing mortgage companies do is mortgages. We don’t do CDs, deposits, auto loans. Also, we have more mortgage products and more mortgage options than banks because that’s all we do — and since that’s all we do, we are pretty good at it.” As the mortgage industry has reemerged after its collapse, nonbank lenders have been capturing more and more market share. The Washington Post reported that non-bank loans among the top ten mortgage lenders went from
a market share of 10.9 percent in 2011 to 17.1 percent in 2016. As banks have backed off from home loans in the face of tighter regulations, mortgage companies with more focus and flexibility have stepped in, including Columbia’s local players.
COMO STRONG As in so many other instances, Columbia is a good place to be when it comes to stability of the real estate market. “The Midwest has always been a safe spot,” Abadi says. “When houses in Nevada were going up $900 per day in appreciation and people were refinancing every month and cashing out, the market in the Midwest didn’t move very much. When the market crashed 10 years ago, the market in the Midwest didn’t move very much. The Midwest is stable.” “Prices are much more reasonable [in the Midwest],” Yankee says. “You don’t have COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 65
the big ups or the big downs. The values steadily increase. A $150,000 home here would cost $400,000 on the West Coast. In other places in the country, prices are jumping up and down by 20 or 30 percent, and that isn’t happening here.” That stability has allowed the local lenders to build a reliable brand and relationship with the community; being steady earns you trust, and trust goes a long way in Mid-Missouri. “Columbia likes local,” Abadi says. “I don’t care if you open a coffee shop or a restaurant or whatever, it had better be owned by someone local. Even if it’s a Taco Bell, that location had better be run by someone from around here.” For these three lenders, that trust has also been pivotal in rebuilding the reputation of their industry. Ten years ago, home buying was so easy that people were buying before they were ready. Conversely, after the mortgage crisis, potential buyers have been gun shy, even if they’re financially secure enough to do it. This is where a good home loan professional can prove his or her worth. “There is a fine line between being a salesman and being a consultant,” Abadi says. “I consider myself more of a mortgage advisor than a salesperson. You don’t want to just sell someone on something. You want to show them all the options. I love that most of my clients say, ‘Thanks for giving us all the options.’” Gates says that it’s important to him that each client knows “everything there is to know about a loan before you sign and not after.” Gates also acknowledges what most homebuyers already know about the mortgage process: It can be “kind of boring.” We only deal with a mortgage when we absolutely must, and that’s ultimately the argument that mortgage lenders — Gates, Abadi, Yankee, and many others — are trying to make: Columbians seeking home ownership have people to guide them through the biggest expense most of us will ever encounter. CBT 66 MAY 2017
Th i n k yo u co u l d se ll t h i s s pa ce? H e re’s your cha nce. The Business Times Company is looking to add a talented new salesperson to our team. If interested, send your resume to erica@businesstimescompany.com
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Whether it’s commercial or residential, navigating the nuances of real estate typically requires the help of a professional. Learn more about some of Columbia’s professionals with ties to the industry in this special profile section.
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 67
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Delta Gamma, Beta Theta Pi, IBM, Mosers, MOHELA, MIDWAY USA, Barnes & Noble, Quaker Oats, Boys & Girls Club, Boy Scouts of America, Columbia Independent School, Volkswagen, Toyota, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Boone Hospital South. We’ve been around a while! We are heavily involved and integrated in the local construction community.
Mike & Connie Leipard
QUALITY DRYWALL CONSTRUCTION What is your area of expertise? Light gauge metal framing, drywall, suspended acoustical ceilings, the best drywall finish, exterior insulation finish systems (Dryvit), Commercial/New Construction, Commercial/ Renovation, and sometimes life coach. To what do you attribute your success? We pride ourselves on our work ethic, dedication and willingness to take risks. We have valued the help from business mentors in this wonderful community. And mostly, God’s grace. What is your favorite part about working for your company? Working with knowledgeable, fun co-workers, like Bob Geotz who’s been with us for 33 years, and clients to build quality projects. For us, working together as a team is #1 priority. What steps do you take to remain current with laws and licensing? As members of both the NAWIC – National Association of Women in Construction, & AWCI – Acoustical Walls & Ceilings, we are able to stay current with legal, regulatory and licensing requirements within our industry, as well as getting a leg up on future changes. What is your favorite part about being in this field? Working within deadlines and completing high profile project such as Columbia Mall, Kia of Columbia, HyVee Conley Road & Nifong,
68Quality MAY 2017
Why should someone consider your firm over another? Simply said, Quality is our name for a reason. Our clients can trust us to complete projects on time, within budget, and be assured of quality work. That’s why we named it Quality Drywall Construction 39 years ago. What’s an important lesson you’ve learned about this particular line of work? Owning a construction company covers multiple facets of business. It’s a tough industry, experience and expertise is necessary for a quality project. Attention to detail on budgeting, financial management and vision for future economic trends is also key to success. What prompted your interest in this profession? The challenges of running a quality construction business has always been most interesting and rewarding. What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business? We stay tuned into the big picture of construction by participating outside of the local community to bring new ideas and information for the benefit of our clients and employees. What do your clients like most about your firm/you? We are our clients “wingman”. We are reputable, stand behind our work and take care of their project like it was owned by us. What community involvement do you (or your firm) support that you might care to share? We support multiple local community groups including Boys Scouts of America Great Rivers Council, Daniel Boone Little League, sponsors in many golf tournaments such as Ronald McDonald House, Cancer Research Center the Jim Kidwell Memorial Gala. Just to name a few.
Drywall Construction | 165 E Hoedown Dr. Columbia 65203 | 573-449-1044 | qualitydrywall.net
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tive. Also, this line of work constantly changes and one of the many things I’ve learned is “the more it changes, the more it stays the same.” Regulations have changed since the creation of the CFPB but Providence Bank does a superb job of maneuvering through these vast changes to deliver a quality product.
Becky Reuter, AVP Mortgage Banking Officer, NMLS# 254084
PROVIDENCE BANK MORTGAGE CENTER To what do you attribute your success? I do not work the stereotypical “banker hours” but work around my client’s schedule. I commonly discuss loan options late in the evening or on weekends with clients because real estate does happen fast sometimes. I work hard, will call you back, and listen to your needs. What is your favorite part about working for your company? We have a growing and strong operations team that works in tandem with our mortgage sales division. If someone needs a faster closing date or has a loan scenario that is a little more difficult than the norm, they take it on and get it done. After all our motto is “We have more ways to say YES”! What’s an important lesson you’ve learned about this line of work? You can’t win them all. Staying positive is a lot better than getting caught up with any negativity that is sometimes associated with this industry, as it can be very competi-
What do your clients like most about your firm? Diversity of products. If you want to build a home, obtain a home equity line of credit or home equity loan on your existing home, we offer those. If you need a bridge loan we can help. If you are a veteran, we offer VA loans. Conventional financing, FHA financing, and USDA financing are very popular products but one area of concentration is helping first-time homebuyers. In 2016 I taught the city of Columbia’s homebuyer education class that allowed me to educate consumers on how the home buying process works. What prompted your interest in this profession? Each loan transaction contains a life story. I love being able to assist my clients to determine mortgage solutions and finance a home for them. What advice would give to someone needing your expertise? Be honest with me. The more I know about you and your situation, the more effectively I can help you. What community involvement does your firm support? Providence Bank is community centered and that focus begins with our leadership and resonates throughout our organization. I couldn’t list all the things we are involved in but our employees dedicate countless hours of volunteer time and are involved in numerous activities.
Providence Bank Mortgage Center | 700 Cherry St. Columbia | 573-875-6563 |COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM my-mortgagecenter.com69
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on the changing laws and regulations for licensing and contracts. I attend regular city board and committee meetings and read a lot to keep up to date on local contracting and permitting changes. What’s an important lesson you’ve learned about this particular line of work? We don’t provide a product as much as we do a service.
Tony Grove
GROVE CONSTRUCTION GENERAL CONTRACTING What is your area of expertise? Grove Construction is a full-service General Contractor. We offer not only Traditional Project Delivery (Design-Bid-Build), we also have extensive experience with Alternative Delivery including Design-Build, Construction Manager, and Owner’s Agent. One of the things that really helps Grove Construction stand out is we offer Project Development services because starting a new venture or expanding and existing business can be intimidating. From finding the right location, hiring the right design team, finding the most economical solutions to meet a tight budget, hiring qualified subcontractors, building codes, and required inspections. Our Project Development services can start at the cocktail napkin phase rather than the construction phase. To what do you attribute your success? A lot of hard work, community ties, and talking to business owners big and small. You have to take time and understand not only the needs of our current clients, but people who want to be business leaders a year from now, two years, and beyond. If you don’t have your eye on the future, you’re going to drop the ball. What steps do you take to remain current with laws and licensing? Regulations can change overnight. We have an incredible Office Manager, Kristin Worthington, that really keeps up to date
70Grove MAY 2017 Construction
Why should someone consider your firm over another? Our tagline is “The Future of Construction” and I feel that really fits us. We have a lot of youthful energy in our office and in the field, but at the same time, we have Bob Grove there and if he’s anything, it’s traditional. We have also built an impressive portfolio of project experience in small projects like tenant infills to larger projects like the new Columbia Pool and Spa location and the upcoming YMCA in Vandalia, Missouri. So, when asked “Why Grove Construction”? We stay current on emerging technologies, trends, methods, and best practices. We’re big on communication with our clients and we make and extra effort to be responsive, produce results and value for their money. What advice would give to someone needing your expertise? For someone who is just starting out or really doesn’t know that much about construction, give us a call before you get too far into your project. Do research and ask a lot of questions. We try to be approachable, honest, and stay one step ahead of where we need to be throughout your project. Grove Construction can help guide you through the process. What do your clients like most about your firm/you? I think what our clients like the most is the family environment we have at Grove Construction. We bring that to our projects so clients don’t feel like they’re getting lost in the hustle and bustle. What community involvement do you (or your firm) support that you might care to share? Staying active and engaged in the community is very important. Grove Construction is a supporter of the YMCA, True North, and I also serve on the CID board in downtown Columbia.
General Contracting | 900 Rangeline St. Columbia 65201 | groveconstruction.com
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What do your clients like most about your firm? TC: The Callaway Bank clients especially appreciate our community bank values and service. KF: The personal touch and the friendships that I have built with my customers.
Kathy Farris (NMLS# 755747) and Ted Campbell (NMLS# 322636), Real Estate Lenders
THE CALLAWAY BANK To what do you attribute your success? Ted Campbell: Superior customer service, problem solving skills and experience! Kathy Farris: Hard work and dedication. How many years have you been in this business? TC: 21 years. KF: I have been in banking since 1975 and in lending for about 30 years. What types of related skills do you have? TC: I’m a consistent and dedicated follower of capital market trends. What’s an important lesson you’ve learned about this particular line of work? KF: Listen closely to what your customer’s needs are and find the best loan product that will work for them. What advice would give to someone needing your expertise? TC: Always attempt to keep your credit excellent. KF: To interview your lender to find one that is willing to listen to you.
Why should someone consider your firm? TC: Superior customer service – my clients are encouraged to contact me evenings and throughout the weekends with any questions or issues that may arise … real estate is a seven days a week job! KF: The personal touch The Callaway Bank offers and outstanding service.
What changes have you witnessed in the past few years that affect your industry? TC: Greatly increased regulation. KF: How technology has changed with the use of computers, phones, texts, faxes and email. What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business? TC: Despite the myriad of hoops we sometimes have to navigate, we’re on their side. KF: A home purchase is one the most major investments you will make and you want a reliable lender to make it a smooth transaction. What is your favorite part about being in this field? KF: Assisting first time home buyers purchase their first home and how excited they are at closing. What community involvement does your firm support? TC: The Callaway Bank is highly involved in many community outreach and service organizations including, but not limited to, The United Way, Chamber Of Commerce, Relay for Life, and so many others.
EQUAL HOUSING LENDER
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM The Callaway Bank | 3200 West Broadway & 5600 Bull Run Drive Columbia, MO | 573.447.1771 | callawaybank.com71
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On left: Chuck Bowman, President with staff. Right: Maureen Dalton, owner
MONARCH TITLE COMPANY, INC. What is your area of expertise? Title Insurance regarding Real Estate Transactions – providing escrow and closing services. To what do you attribute your success? Our customer service is second to none, and we pride ourselves that our core values, quality staff and dedication allow us to meet our goals, objectives and mission. We are proud of what they have achieved over the years! What steps do you take to remain current with laws and licensing? We ensure our team is up to speed on industry related changes through our state and national associations. In a constantly changing environment we keep informed of regulatory changes and business related matters through continuing education classes, webinars and conferences. What’s an important lesson you’ve learned about this particular line of work? You will learn something new every day, no matter how long you have been in the title insurance business. We have learned you must be adaptable to change, be proactive in looking ahead at what the industry is doing from a regulatory basis and constantly looking at ways to become more efficient to meet our customer’s needs.
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Why should someone consider your firm over another? We believe that we give amazing customer service, and strive to help our customers reach their goal of purchasing, refinancing, or selling in an accurate, timely, and professional manner.
What changes have you witnessed in the past few years that affect your industry? The establishment of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been a challenge for not only our business but the lending institutions as well. To meet the CFPB guidelines, there was a substantial expense to all of our industries. What advice would you give to someone needing your expertise? It is important that people know our expertise comes from years of experience and that we provide peace of mind that we are protecting their largest asset. What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business? We treat every customer as if they were our only customer. We want to provide excellent, quality service for their title insurance and closing needs. What do your clients like most about your firm/you? I believe that it would be that every employee in our office is friendly, helpful, and caring about the customer’s needs. We are personable, and approachable, will listen and do our best to assist with each transaction our customers wish to complete. We accommodate our customer’s schedules, we will perform closings after core hours and on weekends and our customers are appreciative of our flexibility.
Title Company, Inc. | 111 E. Broadway, Suite 100 | Columbia 65203 | 573-441-0725 | monarchtitle.com
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A home is likely the most valuable financial asset, so choosing a smart mortgage may be the most important financial decision someone will make. What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business? Whether you are CARRIE HASKAMP, BRANCH MANAGER, TIGERS COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION purchasing a home, or refinancing a current mortgage, our mortgage team is going to take the time to get to know you to make sure you get the best mortgage and home buying experience. JOHN SCHUPP, MORTGAGE LOAN OFFICER, TIGERS COMMUNITY MORTGAGE
TIGERS COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
What is your area of expertise? Mortgage Lending: Our mortgage team makes the vision of home ownership a reality. To what do you attribute your success? Our team takes the time to understand present and long term goals to be sure our members are getting into the right mortgage loan. Buying a home can be an extremely stressful process, so we strive to take the stress out of financing. How many years have you been in business? Tigers Community Credit Union was founded in 1984. Our mortgage team has decades of home financing experience. What changes have you witnessed in the past few years that affect your industry? Interest rates hit an all-time low in 2016, making it a buyer’s market. Homes are selling faster. In some cases a home under $250,000 can sell in less than a week. Why should someone consider your business over another? We educate our borrowers to ensure they know all of their available options. We are with them through the entire process – even after the home is purchased.
What advice would give to someone needing your expertise? Start the pre-approval process early to learn what program best fits you. What do your members like most about financing with you? We’re easily accessible throughout the entire process and we explain everything up front. Many of the mortgages we fund are for repeat borrowers. What community involvement does your credit union support that you might care to share? We are proud to be part of the Columbia community, partnering with the Columbia Food Bank, Partners in Education for the Columbia School District, and Columbia Parks and Recreation What’s a mortgage tip you would like to share? This could be one of the best times to purchase real estate in recent memory, with home values being stable and interest rates extremely low.
For additional information, visit tigerscu.org or contact contact Carrie orCarrie John.or John. Tigers Community Mortgage is a division of Tigers Community Credit Union
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM Tigers Community Credit Union | 3310 Bluff Creek Drive, Suite 101 | 573-443-8462 | tigerscu.org 73
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agents, ensuring that the service they provide is of the highest quality, and consistent with the high standards set by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
JODY CALVIN, BROKER GRI, ABR, CRS
What is your area of expertise? Residential, commercial and investment real estate. To what do you attribute your success? I am a communicator and educator. Being a successful REALTOR® is about listening, not talking. Understanding needs, educating clients about the process and communicating throughout reduces the confusion and stress that accompanies what, for most people, is the largest investment they will make. How many years have you been in this business? 33 years What changes have you witnessed in the past few years that affect your industry? With Columbia’s growing population our demographic includes many more international buyers and sellers. We have always provided clients information and education throughout the process, but our education of international clients address more in the areas of geographical and cultural differences than ever before. What is your favorite part about working for your company? Absolutely the most satisfying part of my job is working with our agents. Being an experienced agent and broker, and serving on the state and Columbia real estate boards in a variety of roles, there is not much I haven’t seen. I love training new
74 MAY 2017 Berkshire
Why should someone consider your firm over another? Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices provides tools, education and an international reach second to none in the industry. Warren Buffett’s companies are the best of the best. Vision Real Estate has a long track record of providing exceptional service to Columbia and Mid-Missouri residents and businesses. These two entities together are an unstoppable force in the industry. What is the most important thing you want people to know about your business? A real estate license doesn’t make a good, or even competent agent. You need an agent who communicates well with all parties; that a client trusts to have the experience and resources to successfully maneuver the process to a successful conclusion. What do your clients like most about your firm? The BHHS Vision Real Estate team has the experience and resources to instill confidence with our clients. We engage on a personal level. We are not just their agents, we are their partners; we’re in it together. What community involvement do you (or your firm) support that you might care to share? The Global First Responder Foundation is the primary not-for-profit organization we support. Our agents are personally involved here, as well as lending their time and talent to many other civic and charitable organizations, i.e. Kidney Foundation, cancer fund, True North and a variety of Mizzou organizations. Anything else? Recently I sold the company to J.D. Calvin (my son) and Matt Beckett. This allows me to spend more time with my clients and agents. I will continue as managing broker, also called the coach-mentor, which is a lot more fun!
Hathaway HomeServices Vision Real Estate | 22 N. 8th Street, Columbia | mycomohome.com
make your house a home. We provide services for homes going on the market and new construction clean up for builders. And of course, a house cleaning makes a great gift for new home owners!
Tiger Maids Taking the bite of out of housecleaning. tigermaids.net | 573-445-9999 1206 Business Loop 70 W. | Suite G Columbia, MO 65202
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 75
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OR G A N I ZAT I ON AL H EALT H
LOVE LEARNING. Look at your list of relationships. All those people probably know things you need to know. Set up an appointment with them and tell them you want to draw from their well of knowledge. Most people like being recognized as an authority on a subject, and they’ll love a willing and eager listener.
LISTEN ACTIVELY. Decide today that you have committed to being an active listener. When it’s appropriate, ask co-workers if they need to talk and have someone just listen for a while. Most people do need this, but they’re afraid of judgments and criticism. You can make an upfront deal that this will not happen. Commit to listen and suspend your inner dialogue and judgment.
ORGA N I Z AT IONAL H E ALTH
Energize Your Relationships
BY TON Y RICHA R DS | Fou n de r of C le ar Visio n Deve l o p m e n t G ro u p
BE HELPFUL. Call two co-workers and offer to help them in a way they need. They may not need your help right then, but the thoughtful gesture will not be forgotten. If they do need help, follow through and over-deliver if possible. Most everyone needs some kind of help.
WRITE A NOTE OF APPRECIATION. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU WILL DO in your business, in your career, and in your life will depend largely on teamwork with people with whom you have a relationship. It doesn’t matter what your position or title is: CEO, Janitor, Mother, Father, Child, Leader, Follower. Doesn’t matter. You must rely on strong relationships to accomplish your goals, and you must build as many as you can. The more connected you are in your relationships, the faster and easier it is to accomplish your objectives, so don’t let them get run down — put as much energy into them as possible. A good relationship is more than something we desire; it’s something we need in order to be our happiest and most fulfilled selves. We spend over one-third of our lives at work with others, and these relationships don’t happen automatically. They require an investment from each participant in terms of trust, time, openness, and energy. A huge payoff becomes possible once these investments are made. One dividend is that we can spend more time on opportunities than problems. If we don’t make the investments necessary in forming these strong bonds, more energy is 76 MAY 2017
going to be expended in the problems associated with non-trusting, negative relationships and the workplace environments they create. Although we should try to build and maintain good relationships with everyone, there are certain relationships that deserve extra focus. You would likely benefit from building good relationships with the key stakeholders in your company, for example. These are people who have a stake in your success or failure. In smaller companies, this probably means “everyone.” In larger organizations, this is most likely your immediate team members and your supervisor. Clients and customers are another group who deserve extra attention. Think of the last time you had to deal with an unhappy customer — it was probably challenging, but you grew from the experience. You will never make everyone happy, but maintaining honest, trusting relationships helps ensure that when things do go wrong, the damage is limited to its minimum. The “give–get” principle states you must give in order to get. Here’s a list of a few things you might ponder in order to analyze your current relationships and discover how you might put new energy into them.
Get a nice-looking thank you note or use your personal stationery. Write someone a heartfelt note of appreciation for something they did for you lately. It’s even more powerful to write a note of appreciation for some personal quality or action you’ve seen them exhibit lately. It’s nice when someone notices and acknowledges you.
BE SOCIAL. This one is fun: Host a party. Call it a get-together, if that sounds better to you. Especially invite those in your relationship circle with whom you’ve not connected in a while. The best way to energize your relationships is through some simple, thoughtful gestures and a caring attitude. Put away any hidden agendas and just be a friend. Your energized, helpful relationships will be available when you need them because you’ve given energy to them first. And make the decision today that you’ll make the first move to get to know the other people and develop more strong relationships — you’ll need them. Not all relationships can be great, but your extra effort will make them more valuable and workable for the benefit of all involved. CBT
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8. Ask at trade shows and networking events. Ask trade show booth visitors to join your list. Do a drawing for a prize or a survey and ask if you can email the results. But don’t just gather business cards and spam people — actually email the contest or survey results and politely ask the recipients to join your email list. Consider keeping their emails on file, but don’t be a spammer. It’s not cool.
THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR LIST M ARKET I NG
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Keep it organized. As I mentioned before, sort the list into clients, prospects, and family or friends. As you ask website visitors to sign up for your list, you may ask them what they’re interested in learning about as well — you can use the information to tailor a message for them.
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Send a welcome email. It’s a common courtesy to send an email asking people if they want to opt out of your list before you start your campaign. Tell them exactly what they’ll get in the newsletter, how often you’ll send it, and how they’ll benefit from your message. You want to talk to the people who want to hear your message; you don’t want to annoy your friends.
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Automate whenever possible. Your website and your email software should talk. With the right tools, your site can update your email marketing subscriber list automatically. And, if configured correctly, your email marketing software can be arranged to auto-generate newsletters, building from blog posts or other post-driven content as it’s added to your site. These are huge time-savers: They eliminate the need for extra steps, so your email marketing is that much more likely to actually happen.
Eight Tricks to Build Your Email List BY MON ICA P ITTS | C h ie f C re at ive D ire ctor o f Maye C re ate D e s i g n
THE MOST IMPORTANT TRICK TO building your email list is to integrate it with your company culture. Become comfortable asking for addresses; make it part of your everyday client conversations. Practice your pitch, explain the benefits of being on your email list, and be OK with the idea that some people may not want to receive your emails. You’re not trying to bother people — you just want to communicate with willing participants. 1. Export from your email. Start building your list from your own inbox. Have all employees who interact with customers export a list of their email contacts and sort the list into emails of clients, prospects, and family or friends. Combine the lists, discard any duplicates, and delete any people you don’t want to contact. 2. Export from your billing system. If you use Quickbooks or a database-driven billing system, you’re in luck. Most billing software allows you to export a list of client data, including emails. This is often the quickest way to get an email list of current and past clients. 3. Provide online sign-up. Include a form on your website allowing visitors to subscribe to your
list. Gather only the essential information in the form — the more information you ask for, the less likely people are to subscribe. Keep it simple: name and email (or possibly just email) works well. 4. Ask on contact forms and event signups. If you allow people to sign up for events online or contact you via an email form on your website, add a checkbox inviting them to subscribe to your email list. You’ll be surprised how many people check that box. 5. Use a pop-up. One of the best ways to convert website visitors to list subscribers is with a pop-up ad. But don’t just hit them with the ad as soon as they jump on your site: That’s too soon. Wait for them to stay on for a little while, or wait until they scroll down the page to a certain spot. 6. Get physical. Put a sign-up sheet next to your cash register, or ask for an email in your visitor log book. If you run a restaurant, for instance, put an invitation for emails in the receipt book. 7. Ask when onboarding. Make gathering emails part of your customer onboarding process: name, phone, address, and — you guessed it — email.
These are just a few ideas for building your email list — you’ll discover more as you start using these tricks. Get creative, use the tools you have at your disposal, and remember the cardinal rule of list building: You’ll never know if you don’t ask! CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 77
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employer to purchase new furniture for your home should get you some odd looks, at the very least. (It could also get your job offer rescinded.) Moving’s not easy. You need to be prepared and creative, but everything is negotiable.
Q I have an employee who struggles with mental illness. His supervisor has allowed him to work a flexible schedule, but it’s interrupting the office workflow. He was out on FMLA for the full amount of time, and since he returned, he’s been coming in late and leaving early. He’s already missed nine days of work. As a business owner, I feel a need to replace him. What would you do?
A SK A N N E
Making Your Move BY A N N E W ILLIAM S | P re side n t of JobF in der s E m p l oy m e n t S e r vi ce s
Q I’m very excited about a job opportunity in a company that will take me to a larger city with great new responsibilities. I know the company will help me relocate, but I’m not sure how to get the best moving reimbursement that I can. I have a house, a cat, and two cars, as well as a husband and kiddos. Any thoughts on how to get the most out of these benefits?
to locate, spouses who need to find work, and time involved in securing doctors, dentists, hair dressers, and everything else. Depending on the size of the company moving you, the benefits may be flexible, but just as in salary talk, you must negotiate to get what you need. Here are a couple of tips: • Find out what the company policy is on relocation and study it. • Ask who in the company has recently relocated, call them, and ask about their experience. • Make a plan. Be prepared to show your employer how meeting your
It’s tough to move, and it can be expensive, especially when you’ve amassed a bundle of stuff, a family, and more. Several resources I checked with said the average cost to relocate a person ranges from $50,000 to over $90,000. Many companies that JobFinders works with offer a capped rate, often a bit lower than $50,000. Moving is so much more than packing up and leaving town. People often have houses to sell and new ones to buy (or rent) in the new locale. There are daycares and schools 78 MAY 2017
“non-reimbursable needs” will benefit the company.
Your employer can’t reimburse you directly for everything during your move, but they may consider a signing bonus. Remember that the company chose you and needs you to move — so you may have a slight upper hand. Get creative during your discussions on what you need for relocation expense reimbursement. Just beware of going overboard. Asking the
In my opinion, if the employee has taken all his FMLA and is back at work but still missing a ton of time on the job, you have cause to dismiss him. I recently read an article on FindLaw, a website for legal professionals, that was similar to your situation. The terminated employee sued, arguing that his depression was an ADA-qualifying disability. He went on to say he requested accommodation — a flexible schedule, more frequent and longer breaks, and working later in the day — to make up for any lost time. In court, the company agreed the employee had a qualifying disability. The company rep said they felt the accommodation was unreasonable, since being at work on time and working the hours required to complete the job was essential to the job function. After all, most companies require their employees to be on time and in attendance during “company hours.” The court ruled in favor of the business. The business did what they thought they had to do to keep the business moving. Of course, before taking action, you should consider the negative attention your company could suffer if a case like this goes to trial. Do what’s right for your organization, but first things first: Discuss it with your attorney. CBT Anne Williams is not an attorney. All content in this column is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality and is not to be construed as legal advice.
FEATURED LISTING
Brown Station and Paris Road SIZE
+/- 25.29 Acres PUD-12 +/- 15.4 Acres C-P
ZONING
Commercial and PUD-12
PRICE
$0.59 per sq ft for PUD-12 Ground $1.94 per sq ft for C-P Ground Ground available in North Columbia. Property offers close proximity to local schools, major employers and Highway 63. Property can be divided and is priced to sell.
MEL ZELENAK
573-999-3131 mel@malyrealty.com
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"As our population continues to increase, we can see the nearly constant addition of real estate." B U SI N ESS S MARTS
Real Estate Resources BY SEAN SP ENCE | Re gion al D ire ctor of Be tte r B u s i n e ss B u re a u Co l u m b i a
MID-MISSOURI HAS A STRONG REAL estate market, and some would say this is a good time to consider buying commercial or residential property. As our population continues to grow, we can see the nearly constant addition of real estate. There are plenty of opportunities to buy and sell and plenty of real estate professionals who want to help with the process. Whether you are buying or selling property, the real estate representative you choose makes a big difference. It’s a major decision, and you want to hire someone who is familiar with the market and the process. When hiring a real estate agent, it’s imperative to find someone who has your best interests in mind. Here are some tips for hiring that person. Check BBB’s online business directory at BBB.org. BBB’s business directory can provide the names of real estate companies with information about them, including their BBB accreditation and their rating (from A+ to F). If BBB has received complaints about the company, those complaints will be provided there as well, along with information about how they were resolved. 80 MAY 2017
Ask for referrals. Ask friends, family members, and business associates who have recently bought or sold property for recommendations. Ask if they were satisfied with their experience and if they would use the agent or company in the future. You may wish to consider companies in the area so they’ll be knowledgeable about the neighborhoods and the community. Whether you are buying or selling, look for an agent who can act in your best interest for the sale. Ask if they are a licensed agent. A real estate agent is required to take real estate courses and pass a licensing exam before practicing. Interview candidates. Once you’ve assembled at least three prospective agents, schedule a time to meet with each in person. Each agent should provide their background, marketing plan, and market analysis, which should include information about similar properties in your area that have recently sold. Make sure to find out how long the agent has been practicing, how long they have been with their company, whether they have an active state license, and whether they work full- or part-time. For houses, be sure to ask if the
agent or company is a member of a multiple listing service, or MLS, an online registry of properties on the market from all over the country. Request references. Ask the agent to provide a list of references from customers who have previously used his or her services to buy or sell similar types of properties. Ask the references about their experience with the agent. This will give you an idea of whether the agent or company suits your needs. Discuss compensation. Usually agents are compensated through commission. The commission fee is usually 5 to 7 percent of the selling price, but it can vary from area to area, and the percentage of the commission fee can sometimes be negotiated depending on the local market. The agent receives commission regardless of who finds the buyer but receives no commission if the property does not sell. The commission is usually divided between the agent and their broker. Carefully read the contract. Last on the list, but certainly not least: Be wary of agents who pressure you to sign documents immediately. Carefully and completely read the documents and make sure the agent clearly answers any of your questions. If you are selling a property, you may sign a contract granting the agent exclusive rights to sell it within a specific period of time. Make sure you understand the length of that period of time. Also request that any known defects in the property be disclosed. CBT
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3100 Falling Leaf Court
PRICE: TYPE: ZONING: SQ FT: First floor: Ground floor:
$14- $16/SF Office C-3 6,000-27,000 sq ft $16/SF NNN $14/SF NNN
• Class A office space with various upgrades • Close proximity to Hwy-63, just off AC/Grindstone Exit • High Visibility from Hwy-63 • Ground Floor is a full walkout on 3 sides • Landlord will sub-divide in a multitude of ways
GINA RENDE
314-477-4462 gina@malyrealty.com
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ions Solut ke Ma That e Sens SMOKED HAMS • SMOKED TURKEY • LEG OF LAMB PRIME RIB • BRISKET AWARD WINNING BACON
We make employee management easy •Expert: Certified payroll & HR staff •Dependable: 50 years of reliable service •Payroll: Payroll/tax, workforce management
Hometown values — Nationwide service Call us for your consultation
ColumbiaEDP.com | 573-474-8431 | payroll@columbiaedp.com
SNACK STICKS FRESH HAND CUT STEAKS RIBS • JERKY
For your windows... Call us for your free consultation & measure!
125 E. Broadway St. New Franklin, MO 65274 JenningsPremiumMeats.com 660-848-2229
Intelligent shades that simplify your life.
105 Business Loop 70 E. | 573-449-0081 | carpet1columbia.com 82 MAY 2017
BU SI N ESS • P EOPL E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
New Business Licenses MAY 2017
Steve O’Dell Painting
Spellman's
Lakeover Mowing
603 Florence Ave.
Cleaning Concepts
1914 Holly Ave.
573-489-6467
4487 Santa Anna Dr.
573-999-9858
Painting
573-590-9961
Lawn care
FEATURED LISTING
Cleaning and 5 Star Taxi
Janitorial business
310 Tiger Ln. 573-449-7827
Vikki's X-Lint
Taxi service
Cleaning Service
4272 W. Bethany Dr. Maxcare Home &
573-424-0958
Commercial Service
Cleaning
1218 Clinkscales Rd.
573-529-1968
Florida Nails
General contractor
2609 E. Broadway 573-442-4444
Greener Side Lawn Care
Indigo Child Gift Shop
914 Sandifer Ave. 573-239-2115 Handmade jewelry, fashion jewelry, accessories FiltaFry
2002 Hanover Blvd. 573-474-7474 Fryer maintenance
Nail salon Secret World Studio
3717 Teakwood Dr. 573-356-4878
Robles Construction
5003 Stone Mountain Pkwy.
Lawn care/landscaping
4410 Brown Station Rd.
573-424-2982
573-529-8370
Photography and
General contractor
original artwork
573-356-7587
South East
Stephanie Peyton
Commercial cleaning
Craft Beer Fest LLC
Photography
service
4008 Jungle Tree Dr.
900 Red Oak Ln.
314-884-2011
573-303-2533
A Platinum Touch LLC
3711 Weymeyer Dr.
The Perfect Garden
Organizing ticketed
2407 Creeks Edge Ct.
events/festival
573-823-3992 Lawn care and landscaping
Bulls' Turf Lawncare
134 W. Southampton Dr. Agnew Lawn Care
573-489-6272
and Landscaping
Lawn care mowing
1915 Mirtle Grove Ct.
and trimming
602-620-0786 Landscaping and lawn care
404 Portland Street 14,700 sq ft office building +/- 6 Acres
ZONING
Zoned O-1
PRICE REDUCTION
$3,200,000 Two seperate parcels that can be divided or sold as one +/- 14,700 sq ft office building available in highly desirable Keene Medical Corridor. Building sits on a total of 6 acres that is already platted as two parcels and can accommodate additional future development. Site is zoned O-1 (Office District) and is ready for development. Call Mel Zelenak for additional detail.
Photography/sales of portraits Mcdowell Lawn Care
1705 Apple Valley Ct. 573-4464394 Lawn mowing, mulching, trimming
Jessica Tappana LCSW LLC
Highpointe
Melanie Hair Studio
2012 Cherry Hill Dr.
Financial Group
2601 Range Line St.
573-356-8857
110 N. Tenth St.
573-228-6079
Individual therapy
573-449-8188
Hair services
and psychotherapy
Financial, insurance CBT
MEL ZELENAK
573-999-3131 mel@malyrealty.com
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 83
B U S I N E SS • P E O P L E • I M P R OV E M E N T • F Y I
Economic Index LABOR
Commercial additions and alterations: 21
February 2017 – Columbia, Missouri
Value of commercial additions: $2,939,719
Labor Force: 67,517 Employment: 65,297
HOUSING
Unemployment: 2,220
February 2017
Rate: 3.3 percent
Single-family home sales: 90 Existing single-family home sales per
February 2017 – Boone County
month: 72
Labor Force: 99,157
New construction single-family home
Employment: 95,876
sales per month: 18
Unemployment: 3,281
Single-family active listings on market:
Rate: 3.3 percent
532 Single-family homes average sold price:
February 2017 – Missouri
$185,763
Labor Force: 3,080,790
Single-family home median sold price:
Employment: 2,931,749
$170,000
Unemployment: 149,041
Single-family homes average days on
Rate: 4.8 percent
market: 93 Single-family pending listings on market:
February 2017 – United States
215
Labor Force: 159,482,000
BUSINESS TIMES
We k n ow m i d - M O. 84 MAY 2017
Employment: 151,594,000
UTILITIES
Unemployment: 7,887,000
Water
Rate: 4.9 percent
March 2017: 48,618 March 2016: 48,160
CONSTRUCTION
Change #: 458
March 2017
Change %: 0.951
Residential building permits: 107
Number of customers receiving service on
Value of residential building permits:
April 1, 2017: 48,675
$17,938,308
Electric
Detached single-family homes: 57
March 2017: 49,624
Value of detached single-family homes:
March 2016: 48,771
$14,281,964
Change #: 853
Commercial building permits: 31
Change %: 1.749
Value of commercial building permits:
Number of customers receiving service on
$21,404,714
April 1, 2017: 49,641 CBT
BU SI N ESS • P EO P L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
Deeds of Trust WORTH MORE THAN $586,975
$25,100,000
$1,145,699
Broadway Fairview Venture L.L.C. Rialto Mortgage Finance L.L.C. Lt 1 Fairview Marketplace
HSM L.L.C. First State Community Bank Str 14-50-12 /Se/Ne Sur Bk/Pg: 322/231 Ff Lot 2 W/ Exceptions
$5,872,500
OTS Properties L.L.C. Landmark Bank Lt 501 Colonies Plat 5-B The $2,291,000
Boulder Springs - Columbia Two L.L.C. Busey Bank Lt 41a1 Pt College Park South Sub Plat 4-A1 $2,000,000
Stephens College Central Bank of Boone County Lt 1 Stephens Stables Sub $1,965,000
Roscoe Development L.L.C. Landmark Bank Lt 1 Bl 11 Ashland $1,965,000
Roscoe Development L.L.C. Landmark Bank Lt 1 Hunters Ridge Sub $1,965,000
Roscoe Development L.L.C. Landmark Bank Lt 1 Pt Barkwell Place $1,700,000
Tompkins Homes & Development Inc Central Bank of Boone County Str 22-47-13 //Se
$1,074,245
EBS Property Management L.L.C. Central Bank of Boone County Lt 27 Pt Chapel Mills Estates Plat 1 $875,000
Solitario, Pino Living Trust The Landmark Bank Str 25-48-12 /S/Nw Ff With Exceptions $810,000
Olsen, Randall V & Elaina F The Callaway Bank Lt 199 Heritage Estates Plat No 2 $745,399
Fleet Specialties Real Estate L.L.C. Central Bank of Boone County Lt 7 Pt Wellington Gordon Sub $700,000
Bounds, David & Theresa; Garrett, Paul & Kim Central Bank of Boone County Str 15-47-12 /S/Nw $586,975
$1,450,000
Sunboro Development Group L.L.C. Hawthorn Bank Lt 2409 Springdale Estates Condominiums CBT
Gorman, Joseph Michael & Kim Sherry US Bank Lt 8a Pt Keene Estates #11
545 deeds of trust were issued between 2/27 and 3/24
Indoor/Outdoor Lighting Fireworks Corporate Event Lighting 573-424-6676 | sw.productions@outlook.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 85
B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
BY T H E N U M BER S
COLU MB I A R EAL ESTATE
1,021
82
$1,250
estimated homes for sale in Columbia, Missouri, April 2017
single family homes average days on market in Boone County in 2017 through Feb. 2017
median rent for all properties in Columbia in March 2017
(Source: realtor. com)
(Source: Columbia Board of Realtors)
(Source: Trulia)
11
7.5%
4,483
building/parking structures under construction at MU
increase of residential median sale price in Columbia from January 2016 to January 2017
residential properties sold in February 2017 in Missouri
(Source: MU)
(Source: missourirealtor.org)
(Source: missourirealtor.org)
86 MAY 2017
TOP B2B PRODUCT OR SERVICE
TOP COFFEE MEETING LOCATION
TOP JANITORIAL SERVICES
TOP ENGINEER
First Place: CoMo Connection Exchange Second Place: Influence & Co.
First Place: Kaldi’s Coffee Second Place: Dunn Bros. Coffee
First Place: Atkins Second Place: City of Refuge
TOP BUSINESS WITH A COMMITMENT TO PHILANTHROPY
TOP BUSINESS ROOKIE
First Place: Crockett Engineering 2608 N Stadium Blvd., Columbia crockettengineering.com 573-447-0292
TOP ADVERTISING AGENCY First Place: Caledon Virtual 1906 Corona Rd. #200, Columbia, 573-446-7777, caledonvirtual.com
Second Place: Word Marketing
TOP PLACE TO WORK First Place: Veterans United Second Place: Fresh Ideas
TOP LOCAL TEAM-BUILDING EXPERIENCE
First Place: Veterans United Second Place: The Bank of Missouri
TOP BUSINESS INSURANCE First Place: Columbia Insurance Group Second Place: Mike Messer – Shelter Insurance® Agent 908 Rain Forest Parkway, Columbia, 573-442-5291, shelterinsurance.com/ CA/agent/mikemesser
TOP HAPPY HOUR First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. Second Place: Houlihan’s
TOP CHAMBER VOLUNTEER First Place: Wally Pfeffer Second Place: Michele Spry
TOP FACE OF BUSINESS First Place: Bill Costello Second Place: Kit Stolen
First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. Second Place: Paint the Town
TOP COMMERCIAL LENDER
TOP NATIONAL IMPACT
First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. Second Place: Stoney Creek
TOP PLACE TO CLOSE A DEAL
TOP ACCOUNTING SERVICE
First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. Second Place: Boone Central Title Co.
First Place: Williams-Keepers Second Place: Accounting Plus
First Place: Lift Division 308 S 9th St., Columbia 573-445-0658, liftdivision.com
TOP IT COMPANY
First Place: Flat Branch Second Place: 44 Stone
First Place: Midwest Computech Second Place: 43Tc 1000 W Nifong Blvd., Ste. 220, Bldg. 6, Columbia, 855-647-43TC, 43tc.com
TOP COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER First Place: L.G. Patterson Second Place: Casey Buckman
TOP CATERER First Place: D. Rowe’s Second Place: Hoss’s
TOP HR FIRM First Place: Moresource Inc. 401 Vandiver Dr., Columbia 573-443-1234, moresource-inc.com
First Place: Veterans United Second Place: True Media
First Place: John Keller, The Bank of Missouri Second Place: Todd Hoien, Hawthorn Bank
TOP EVENT LOCATION
Second Place: THHinc McClure Engineering
TOP FAST-GROWING COMPANY
TOP CULTURE First Place: Veterans United Second Place: Delta Systems Group
First Place: Kaitlin Warner Second Place: Lydia Melton
First Place: CARFAX Second Place: Veterans United
TOP WEB DEVELOPER
TOP PLACE FOR BUSINESS LUNCH TOP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER First Place: Mike Tompkins, Tompkins Homes & Development Second Place: John Ott, Alley A Realty
TOP BANK First Place: Central Bank of Boone County Second Place: The Bank of Missouri
Second Place: Caledon Virtual 1906 Corona Rd. #200, Columbia, 573-446-7777, caledonvirtual.com
TOP COMMERCIAL BUILDER
Second Place: Accounting Plus
TOP OFFICE DIGS First Place: Veterans United Second Place: Delta Systems Group
TOP COMMERCIAL VIDEOGRAPHER First Place: Chimaeric Second Place: The Evoke Group
TOP STAFFING COMPANY First Place: JobFinders Second Place: Pulse Medical Staffing
TOP ARCHITECT
First Place: Coil Construction Second Place: Little Dixie
First Place: Simon Oswald Architecture Second Place: Peckham Architecture
TOP SEASONED PRO
TOP OFFSITE MEETING LOCATION
First Place: Mary Ropp Second Place: Kat Cunningham
First Place: Logboat Brewing Co. Second Place: Stoney Creek COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 87
B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
T H I S OR T H AT
JIM MEYER Managing Broker, MeyerWorks LLC; 2017 President of the Columbia Board of REALTORS
Mac Details
Big Picture 1
Cursive
Early Bird Cinema Michael Jackson Firefox 9-5 Learn At Your Desk
dogs and cats, so not really a choice for me. 88 MAY 2017
Country 2
Passenger
Driver Plane Mountains Realistic Casual
Solo
Team
For Here
To Go StrengthsFinder Magazines
Reading
Writing
Creative
Analytical
Introvert
Extrovert
Podcast
I have several
Certain
Dog 3
Books
3.
Traditional
Cat
DISC
lots of time on my grandparents’ farm growing up. //
Planner
Winter
Business
Enjoy aspects of both. A formative influence was spending
In a Meeting
Spend
Optimistic
2.
Teach
Save
Car
career. //
Flexibility
Summer
Ocean
necessity and experience as a senior officer in the U.S. Army and in my
Chrome
Cake
City
A blend of both: detail-oriented by nature but big-picture by
The Beatles
Pie
Skeptical
1.
Netflix
Beer
Modern
AM E N DME N TS A N D CONDI TI ONS
Night Owl
Wine
Improviser
Photography by Keith Borgmeyer
PC
Cluttered Concept Fiction Text Soup
Playlist Minimalist Execute Non-fiction Call Sandwich
ADVERTISER INDEX ACCOUNTING PLUS............................................................................................91 ACCOUNTING PLUS............................................................................................91 AFFINITY OFFICE FURNITURE......................................................................22 ANTHONY JINSON PHOTOGRAPHY............................................................. 7 BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES.......................................4 & 74 BUSINESS TIMES INTERACTIVE.................................................................... 10 CALLAWAY BANK, THE.....................................................................................71 CARPET ONE.........................................................................................................82 CENTRAL BANK OF BOONE COUNTY......................................................... 5 CITY OF COLUMBIA WATER & LIGHT........................................................... 6 COIL CONSTRUCTION...................................................................................... 34 COLUMBIA ART LEAGUE..................................................................................18 COLUMBIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE....................................................... 8 COLUMBIA EDP....................................................................................................82 COMMERCE BANK................................................................................................11 D & M SOUND....................................................................................................... 30 FIRST STATE COMMUNITY BANK.................................................................79 GFI DIGITAL............................................................................................................. 9 GROVE CONSTRUCTION................................................................................. 70 HAWTHORN BANK.............................................................................................92 JENNING'S PREMIUM MEATS.........................................................................82 JOBFINDERS........................................................................................................ 66 LANDMARK BANK................................................................................................ 2 MAHER COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE.........................................................36
MALY COMMERCIAL REALTY........................................................ 79, 81 & 83 MIDWEST COMPUTECH....................................................................................55 MISSOURI EMPLOYERS MUTUAL...................................................................18 MONARCH TITLE COMPANY..........................................................................72 NATHAN JONES LAW.........................................................................................61 NAUGHT NAUGHT INSURANCE AGENCY.................................................79 PEDNET..................................................................................................................... 3 PERSONAL TOUCH CLEANING SERVICE..................................................36 PROVIDENCE BANK................................................................................. 16 & 69 PWARCHITECTS, INC.........................................................................................75 QUALITY DRYWALL CONSTRUCTION...................................................... 68 REMAX BOONE REALTY...................................................................................14 RESTORATION EYECARE................................................................................22 SEPTAGON CONSTRUCTION...........................................................................16 SOCKET.....................................................................................................................11 STANGE LAW FIRM.............................................................................................89 STATE FARM INSURANCE - STEPHANIE WILMSMEYER......................81 SUPERIOR GARDEN CENTER/ROST LANDSCAPE................................81 SW. PRODUCTIONS............................................................................................85 THE DISTRICT...................................................................................................... 34 TIGER COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION............................................................73 TIGER MAIDS.........................................................................................................75 UMB.......................................................................................................................... 30 WILSON'S FITNESS............................................................................................38
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 89
B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
FLASH BAC K
United Way Offices BY SA DE HOW ELL | P HOTOG R A P HY BY M ATT PATSTO N
Williams–Keepers founders George Keepers, second from left, and Paul Williams, third from left, pose outside the firm's former office with former bookkeeping associate Mary Stotler and former partner Ed Oliver.
AN OFFICE SPACE FOR OVER 40 YEARS, 105 E. Ash has become the hub of giving and volunteering in Columbia. Williams-Keepers, a certified public accounting firm founded 94 years ago in Columbia, used to inhabit the space and moved in 2007 to the Shelter Office Plaza at 2005 West Broadway. About three years ago, Heart of Missouri United Way moved into the building near the corner of Ash and Providence. The red brick building sits right outside downtown Columbia near Douglass High School, public housing, and residential neighborhoods. United Way addresses four areas that contribute to poverty: lack of access to education, health, income, and safety net services. “United Way moved into the building as a way of being closer to the community
we serve,” says executive director Andrew Grabau. “The building allows us to partner with other social service agencies such as the University Impact Center, Family Access Center of Excellence, and the Family Impact Center.” All four are located in the same building. Working in a building with multiple organizations with similar ambitions, United Way believes it adds to their long time goal of bringing the community together with a number of social services. Williams-Keepers and United Way have had a long-standing partnership since 1947. Williams-Keepers recently gifted United Way a donation as part of their ongoing efforts to support significant organizations that impact the lives of people in need in both the Columbia and Jefferson City communi-
ties. This donation will give United Way the ability to make upgrades to their infrastructure, specifically office space and computers. United Way’s first improvement will be their conference room. The room will be named “Williams-Keepers LLC Community Conference Room” in honor of the donation and as an “affirmation of their partnership,” Grabau says. They’ll celebrate this partnership on May 25 at 4 p.m. with a Chamber ribbon cutting for the conference room. CBT
Heart of Missouri United Way Inc. 105 E. Ash St. Ste. 300 uwheartmo.org 573-443-4523
We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 90 MAY 2017
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“I have worked with ACCOUNTING PLUS from day one. I’ve always felt that they have my best interests in mind. Alicia and the ACCOUNTING PLUS staff have helped support the infrastructure of my business. They save me time, allowing me to focus on doing what I love, building homes!”
“
JEREMY SPILLMAN Owner, Spillman Contracting LLC
Leave it all to us! 573.445.3805 | www.AccountingPlusInc.com Come see us for your Business Accounting & Tax needs! 1604B Business Loop 70W | Columbia, MO Right across from Cosmo Park!
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 91
COLUMBIA BUSINESS TIMES \ 2001 CORPORATE PLACE, STE. 100 \ COLUMBIA, MO 65202
“Hawthorn makes the loan process really easy. It’s like you’re working off a handshake.” – Arthur Basnett, Basnett Construction “When we made the transition from rehabbing to construction, I needed a bank that would believe in me. Hawthorn said, let’s make it happen.” “Now, when I need a loan, I make a phone call, we meet for lunch and sign the papers. It feels like you’re dealing with a hometown bank.”
Call Brandon Kalista at 573-449-3204.
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