TRACY LANE R agtag Ci nema
REMEMBER SHARP END COVERT CREATIVES
LIGHTS, CAMERA,
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elcome to the redesigned Columbia Business Times! I’m excited to share the new CBT look with you, a project almost a year in the making. When editorial designer Jordan Watts and I signed on to CBT a year ago, we’d never met and didn’t know a thing about each other. It’s a precarious situation, pairing two new people to work together. And when you’re talking about crafting and maintaining a brand? What if our tastes were completely different? What if I liked fonts like LIGHTS, CAMERA, CurlzMT and Papyrus? What if Jordan really liked 1980s design? Our partnership could have gone so many ways. Lucky for me, it went the perfect way. Jordan and I have molded a creative partnership that has not only embraced the CBT brand, but has emboldened us to take it to the ON THE COVER I can’t think of a better cover to roll next level. It’s invigorating to have a teammate who shares out with our new design. We took my vision for our magazine and who can take her innate inspiration from Old Hollywood with talent and my slightly bossy opinions (I’ve got lots!) and cover model Tracy Lane. She brought the quirkiness of Ragtag and a little make beautiful designs, month in and month out. silver screen glamour to the photo shoot I’m proud to roll out the updated CBT. It’s more modwith photographer Keith Borgmeyer. ern, with more clean lines, more white space, and a little more spark. You might not notice the updated fonts or brightened colors, and that’s okay. What you will notice is a change in the vibe. We’ll always be a business magazine with outstanding stories and photography, but why can’t we have a little more fun doing it? Thanks for believing in our vision for CBT along the way. It’s been a long journey of small changes towards an updated, modernized magazine. I constantly get compliments on the content and visuals of our publication — it’s thanks to our outstanding team, who knocks it out of the park each and every issue. It’s a perfect time for a redesign, as we’re heading into my favorite part of our year: It’s officially 20 Under 40 season! If you’re a new reader, 20 Under 40 is the premier award a professional under 40 can receive in Columbia. Do you know how this prestigious class is selected? You nominate young professionals in our area who are leaders in their field and make a difference in our community. This truly is a community award, and we can’t do it without you. I’m challenging you: Nominate someone you admire for CBT’s 20 Under 40 class of 2017. It takes less than five minutes on our website (columbiabusinesstimes.com) and you have until September 30. Tweet at us when you do it, or send me a selfie, or a smoke signal, or yell at me from across the street and let me know you’ve done it. To put together an outstanding class, we need you to engage in the process. Also, enjoy our culture and entertainment issue: from Ragtag’s evolution (page 60) to business people who have hidden creative talents (page 68). It’s a fun one. TRACY L ANE R agtag Ci n em a
REMEMBER SHARP END
EDITOR'S PICKS In honor of our feature on Ragtag and their love of the cinema, here are some of my favorite movies (and one TV show) about the media industry.
COVERT CREATIVES
1941 Citizen Kane
1951 Ace in the Hole
1976 Network
1976 All the President’s Men
2006 The Devil Wears Prada
2007 Zodiac
2009 The September Issue
2011
Thanks for reading,
Miss Representation
2015 Spotlight
2007-2015
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
Mad Men
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 19
20 SEPTEMBER 2016
EDITORIAL Erica Pefferman, Publisher Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Brenna McDermott, Editor Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com Matthew Patston, Assistant Editor Matt@BusinessTimesCompany.com DESIGN Jordan Watts, Editorial Designer Jordan@BusinessTimesCompany.com CREATIVE SERVICES 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 Tami Turner, Marketing Consultant Tami@BusinessTimesCompany.com Janelle Wilbers Hayley, Marketing Consultant Janelle@BusinessTimesCompany.com Heather McGee, Marketing Consultant Heather@BusinessTimesCompany.com Crystal Richardson, Digital Marketing Manager Crystal@BusinessTimesCompany.com Fran Elkins, Account Manager Fran@BusinessTimesCompany.com
Inside the Issue Twitter Chatter Jill Schlude @DeputyChiefJill @ColumbiaBiz Hey thanks for including our team members! They definitely deserve the recognition! #ColumbiaPD Stephens College @stephenscollege A great @ColumbiaBiz feature on our president, @StephensPrez. #stephenscollege The Loop @TheLoopCoMo Great article on Tami Sells and why @MACC1927 is so important to education in Columbia. Via @ColumbiaBiz
Around the Office 20 Under 40 Nominations Do you know an outstanding young professional? Nominations are now open for the 20 Under 40 Class of 2017! Visit ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com to nominate through Sept. 30. It takes five minutes!
MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com Renea Sapp, Vice President ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com Jamie Patterson, Digital Services Director Jamie@BusinessTimesCompany.com J.J. Carlson, Web Services Director JJ@BusinessTimesCompany.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Keith Borgmeyer, Anthony Jinson, Matt Patston
Contributors
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beth Bramstedt, Al Germond, Brandon Hoops, Monica Pitts, Tony Richards, Anne Williams INTERNS Sarah Everett, Taylor Horvatich, Jonné Pratt, Taylor Twellman, Abby Wade SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues for 1 year or $34.95 for 24 issues for 2 years. Subscribe at columbiabusinesstimes.com or by phone. The Columbia Business Times is published every month by The Business Times Co., Copyright The Business Times Co., 2008. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. OUR MISSION STATEMENT The Columbia Business Times and ColumbiaBusinessTimes. com strive to be Columbia’s leading source for timely and comprehensive news coverage of the local business community. This publication is dedicated to being the most relevant and useful vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas among Columbia’s business professionals. CONTACT The Business Times Co., 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100 Columbia, MO, 65202 (573) 499 1830 columbiabusinesstimes.com
Beth Bramstedt
Sarah Everett
Brandon Hoops
Anthony Jinson
@BethBramstedt
@EverettSarahL
@CourtsideHoops
@AnthonyJinson
Corrections The story “Rewriting the Story” reported the tax levy allows the district to collect $6.12 per every $100 inassessed value of an owner’s home. The correct amount is 65 cents. The increase of $6.12 is for the district’s total tax levy, not an individual’s property value.
The story “After the Fire” discusses multipliers as a concern when evaluating university-sponsored economic impact reports. The story should have indicated that the MU economic impact report did not use multipliers.
Write to CBT editor Brenna McDermott at Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 21
SEPTE MBE R 2016 VOL . 2 3 / ISSUE 3
TA B LE OF CON T EN TS
Culture & Entertainment Issue 19 FROM THE EDITOR 21 INSIDE THE ISSUE 25 CLOSER LOOK 26 BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS 29 BUSINESS UPDATE
68
Columbia Culinary Tours
32 CELEBRATIONS South East Craft Beer Festival
35 MOVERS & SHAKERS 37 P.Y.S.K. Ed Hanson, Talking Horse Productions
41 8 QUESTIONS Kim Cole, Missouri Department of Conservation
43 OPINION 79 ASK ANNE Payroll and People Searching
81 ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH Five Self-Limiting Beliefs that Can Hold You Back
82 MARKETING No More Phony Photos
Covert Creatives Meet three businesspeople, all with different jobs and one thing in common: they spend their free time expressing their untapped creativity.
84 NEW BUSINESS LICENSES 85 DEEDS OF TRUST 86 ECONOMIC INDEX 90 FLASHBACK Hittsville & Coca-Cola Plant
45
52
60
74
CoMo Made While the business community anticipates the inaugural Mid-Missouri Innovation Week, we look back on five startups with origins in Columbia.
A Fresh Memory Columbia remembers Sharp End and the businesses that stood there — the city is now making an effort to preserve that memory for future generations.
Ragtag Endures Columbia’s coolest movie theater has reigned over a generation of die-hard movie buffs. Now, they have to teach a new generation about the fine art of watching film.
Portrait of a Collector Meet some local art aficionados with three vastly different collections. Go inside the secret life of the art collector here in Columbia.
24 SEPTEMBER 2016
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
C LOSER LOOK
Closer Look
5 Star Shuttle and Limo Service 5 Star Shuttle and Limo Service provides taxi, shuttle, and limo services, including shuttles for parties and airport trips. 5 Star is family owned and operated by Obada Mustafa. “I was grown here and lived here all my life,” Mustafa says. “I am a product of Columbia and a child of this environment.” Mustafa says 5 Star’s specialties include their rates, starting at $2.50 per one-tenth of a mile; the sense of security provided by company drivers; and customer service. “Customer service really is a priority for us,” Mustafa says. “Honest company, honest service.” To provide easier access, 5 Star plans to create an app similar to Uber, providing a faster way of contacting the company. Goals for the company include expanding services throughout Missouri and being recognized as the biggest transportation service in Columbia. “Whenever someone is thinking about needing a ride, they will think 5 Star.”
Contact: 573-449-7827 Website: 5startaxillc.com
Ascencia Spa
The Grind Coffeehouse
Ascencia Spa opened this summer. The spa provides a relaxing environment and treatments for various aches and pains through massages and facials. Ascencia Spa is owned by Lynlee Renick, who has been a massage therapist for more than nine years. “The services at Ascencia Spa are designed to elevate your skin care, your nail care, your mental and general health and wellness to a higher level,” she says. All staff members at Ascencia Spa are licensed therapists in massage, skin care, and more. “When you come to Ascencia Spa, you are going to receive incredible treatments, but beyond that, you will be educated on the services and treatments and how you can continue to benefit from these things at home,” Renick says. Renick wants Ascencia Spa to be known throughout the community for their relaxing and refreshing treatments. “I wanted to create a relaxing environment for people to find comfort in the refreshing services provided to really rejuvenate the amazing inner self we all tend to lose throughout the day or week."
The Grind Coffeehouse is a dream come true that started with a perfect cup of coffee. “I used to not like coffee,” owner Ahmed El-Tayash says. “Then my older brother convinced me to try this specialty drink, and I found myself going three times a day.” The now signature drink, called “The Aucky,” in honor of El-Tayash's nickname, is on the menu, along with other coffees and teas, lattes, cappuccinos, and iced coffees, along with some bagels, pastries, and desserts. “We try as much as possible to shop locally,” El-Tayash says. “I was born and raised in Columbia, I’m a Mizzou grad, and it’s important to stay local as much as we can.” The Grind Coffeehouse provides a comfortable and homelike atmosphere, including a fireplace, couches, a conference room, and a Wi-Fi speed El-Tayash says is, “at least five times faster than Starbucks.” “We really try to concentrate on the atmosphere,” he adds. El-Tayash wants to be “the neighborhood coffee shop.” El-Tayash doesn't have plans to expand The Grind today, but would consider opening another location in the future.
Contact: 573-514-7215 Website: ascensiaspa.com Contact: 573-447-3333 Website: thecolumbiagrind.com
Are you an entrepreneur? Are you sprouting a new business? Tell us about it at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 25
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
Briefly in the News SEPTEMBER 2016
Landmark Bank Recognized
St. James Best Wine
Landmark Bank, under The Landrum Company, was ranked seventh out of 217 mid-size banks in a ranking from American Banker magazine and Capital Performance Group. Landmark Bank has 42 locations in 29 communities across Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri and has $2.4 billion in assets. Capital Performance Group ranks banking institutions based on their three-year return on average equity, and the group defines mid-size banks as banking companies with $2 billion to $10 billion in assets. The Landrum Company, of which Landmark is a subsidiary, posted 15.19 percent on the ranking by Capital Performance Group.
St. James Winery’s 2015 vignoles won the 2016 Missouri Governor’s Cup, which is awarded to the best wine in Missouri. A panel of eight judges sampled 308 wines from around the state before awarding the Governor’s Cup to St. James. The winery, which was established in 1970, now sells wine in 18 states.
PureFit Expands
VU Recognized Again
The PureFit Meals program, a meal delivery service, has expanded in the Columbia area with new delivery options, a new pick-up location, and new snack options for local businesses and residents. PureFit Meals provides locally prepared foods that are healthy and gluten-free for delivery or pick-up. The new delivery times and more food options help promote healthy eating by making the foods more accessible and convenient.
Veterans United Home Loans was named No. 19 on the 2016 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials list by the Great Place to Work Institute and Fortune. The 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials was published in conjunction with the 20 Best Workplaces for Gen X and the 20 Best Workplaces for Baby Boomers. VU made the list based on responses by team members to anonymous survey questions discussing the levels of trust, pride, and camaraderie experienced in the workplace. VU is also ranked No. 30 on the Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list by Great Place to Work and Fortune.
26 SEPTEMBER 2016
BR I EFLY I N T H E N EWS
Rural Support With the help of a $1 million donation, FCS Financial has established the FCS Financial Rural Community and Agriculture Foundation. The donation was administered by the Community Foundation of Central Missouri and will support the Jefferson City-based cooperative’s long-term commitment to the agricultural industry and rural communities in Missouri. The FCS Financial Rural Community and Agriculture Foundation was established to celebrate the company’s 100th business anniversary this year. The business was founded in 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Farm Credit Act and it now serves 102 Missouri counties.
MU Health MU Health Care has been recognized as one of the nation’s “Most Wired” health systems for the sixth consecutive year in the 2016 Most Wired Survey. The survey was released this summer by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum and recognizes hospitals and health systems that make progress in IT areas including infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. MU Health Care was recognized for the use of the MU Healthe patient portal, allowing patients to manage appointments, request prescription refills, securely message providers, access immunization history, and view their physician’s notes online after a visit.
New Parking Meters City council distributed $158,000 for city parking revisions, which include repairing a parking ramp stairwell, increasing the budget for the parking division, and replacing about 1,750 coin-slot parking meters for credit card-friendly meters. The parking meters are scheduled to be installed within a threeyear period, depending on funding.
Energy Efficient The OHM office building has been awarded an Energy Star rating of 98 from the Environmental Protection Agency, making the building among the top 2 percent of U.S. office buildings in energy efficiency. The building was designed by CM Engineering and Simon Oswald Architecure and houses SOA, CM Engineering and Working Spaces, and is located at 2801 Woodard Drive. The building uses ground source heat pumps connected to 18 vertical geothermal bores for its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It also circulates water through the entire system with a one-pipe, closed loop, and LED lighting systems provide balanced light with less electrical consumption. The various energy saving strategies put the 12,000-square-foot office building’s total electrical costs at $22 per day.
State Farm Donation MU received a $128,600 donation from State Farm Insurance to help support various programs at the university that are a part of the “Mizzou: Our Time to Lead” campaign. The funded programs include MU Extension’s Fire and Rescue Training Institute, the MU Health Care Frank Mitchell Trauma Center, the Trulaske College of Business’s Risk Management and Insurance Program, the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences Office for Financial Success, and the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences Family Impact Center. State Farm has now given more than $1.8 million to MU. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 27
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BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
B U SI N ESS U PDAT E
A Taste of Downtown Columbia Columbia Culinary Tours showcases local restaurants.
BY SARAH EVERE T T | P HOTOS BY A N T HONY J I N S O N
Center: Owner Kerri Linder makes a stop at 44 Canteen with her culinary tour. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 29 29 COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM
BUSINE SS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • F YI
A NIGHT ON THE TOWN WITH COLUMBIA Culinary Tours might look (and taste) like this: small plates at Eleven Eleven; a slice of pizza, thin and delicate, with wine at Umbria Rustic Italian; a sampling and shopping trip to Boone Olive Oil Co., followed by a tasting and information session down the street at Craft Beer Cellar; and, to finish the night, two cocktails and a small plate at Glenn’s Café. Of course, it won’t be exactly like that. Owner and operator Kerri Linder varies the restaurants included on each tour — coffee shops and bakeries for mid-morning tours, restaurants and specialty shops for the evening and afternoon tours. Linder likes to make each destination a surprise for her guests. On a recent tour, Linder, a history buff, stops to mention that the white building with the large porch on the corner of Tenth and Cherry, the Niedermeyer, is the oldest building in Columbia. “Talking about specific buildings and the history behind them really can kind of create a deeper appreciation for Columbia,” Linder says, “whether [tour guests] have lived here forever or they’re just visiting.” Linder offers four public tours: the Brunch Tour, the Flavors Tour, the Night on the Town Tour, and the Craft Beer and Food Pairing Tour. The Brunch Tour visits bakeries, cafes, and coffee shops in the morning. The Flavors Tour takes place around 2:00 in the afternoon, when guests sample small plates at various local restaurants. The Night on the Town tour is similar, but geared toward guests over 21; there is also an option to make all of the drink pairings on this tour wine. The Craft Beer and Food Pairing Tour visits various breweries and restaurants who offer flights of beer with local food pairings. Individuals, couples, and families can sign up online to join a larger group tour. Linder also offers private, customizable tours for 10 people or more, for events such as a bachelorette party or an office staff party. Tours last approximately two hours and cost around $40 per guest. Linder’s goal, especially with locals, is to visit restaurants her customers haven’t been to before. Each restaurant serves a small-portion dish, a drink, or both. “We have some that will vary it every single time,” Linder says. “A lot of times they’re getting ready to switch their menus, and so they’ll try out things on the culinary tour 30 SEPTEMBER 2016
B U SIN E SS U PDAT E
to see how people like it and get feedback that way. Then we have some of them — for example, Glenn’s Café is kind of known for certain menu items, and that’s what they like to showcase. I leave it completely up to the places what they want to serve.” Linder, a Columbia native with a background in accounting, started the business in November 2014 after doing culinary tours in other cities. “There’s a big push in eating local and spending your dollars local, and that’s kind of what locals are looking for — trying to find those good places to go to and still support the community,” Linder says. Kerri’s guests also include out-of-state visitors. “We’re not from the area,” says Jennifer Gilmour, who was visiting from Savannah, Georgia on her recent Night on the Town Tour. “It was really nice to get an idea of some places to go.” Linder started out with the Flavors Tour before adding the others, and she now employs two other tour guides to lead groups. Linder appreciates the flexibility of her business; she gives around eight tours per month, and she does not tour during the winter months. As a first-time business owner, Linder has learned on the job. She started out by contacting local restaurant, bar, and business owners she thought would fit the tour well. “When I first started, I initially thought, ‘I’m just taking people on tours,’ but there was so much more of it,” Linder says. “The relationship building — that’s really been a plus out of it for me. If I wouldn’t have done this business, I wouldn’t have gotten to meet all of these awesome business owners and chefs.” Linder partners with Café Berlin, Fretboard Coffee, Shortwave Coffee, Glenn’s Café, Eleven Eleven, Günter Hans, Craft
Owner Kerri Linder leads a tour group through Craft Beer Cellar.
Beer Cellar, Umbria, Broadway Brewery, Como Smoke and Fire, Harold’s Donuts, U Knead Sweets, The Candy Factory, and Boone Olive Oil Co., and she recently added Room 38 and 44 Canteen as partners. Chefs from each restaurant visit the table when the tour sits down. They might share about their background, the restaurant’s community involvement, and introduce the gooey butter chocolate peanut butter cake or the quinoa fritter they’ve prepared for the tour. The restaurants on Linder’s tours are just a sampling of Columbia’s culinary offerings. “There’s places that I think have great food, but they’re not on my tours just because they’re not a good fit,” she says. “Maybe they’re more well-known, or maybe they don’t have the space to accommodate a tour. There’s different things other than the food that you look at.”
"If I wouldn't have done this business, I wouldn't have gotten to meet all of these awesome business owners and chefs."
Linder says the tours benefit the restaurants because they bring new clients in the door, and those clients typically return with their families. “It’s a great way to kind of extend our brand,” Jonathan Steffens, owner of Craft Beer Cellar, says. Steffens and the certified “beer geeks” at Craft Beer Cellar offer their expertise and samples paired with food from local restaurants. “It’s very educational for them, so they can take away something from the session.” Linder says she gets a lot of positive feedback from locals about meeting the chefs behind some of their favorite restaurants. In the future, Linder hopes to shuttle to various wineries and bed-and-breakfasts in Rocheport, another mid-Missouri town with rich history. She is also looking to get more involved on the MU campus with parent weekends. “The great thing about it is I don’t have a specific market that limits me,” Linder says. “If you like food and you like going out and trying new places, then you’ll enjoy the tour.” CBT
Columbia Culinary Tours 28 N. Eighth Street columbiaculinarytours.com 573-808-6880 COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 31
From left: Jacob Halls, Anne Churchill, and Tom Bradley
2013
2014
Early 2015
Jacob Halls starts developing the idea for a unique beer festival in Columbia. Logboat Brewing Co., AnnaBelle Events, and Caraker Law Firm are partners.
The first South East Craft Beer Festival is held at Logboat Brewing Co. More than 850 people and 11 breweries attend.
Halls starts his own firm, Convergence Consulting, to advise startup alcohol vendors.
32 SEPTEMBER 2016
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C ELEBRAT I ON S
Columbia's Craft Continues The South East Craft Beer Festival team prepares for a monster second event.
BY MATT PATSTO N | P HOTO BY A N T HON Y J I N S O N
AS ITS MANY ENTHUSIASTS ALREADY know, craft beer creates community. Drinkers swap stories about their favorite brands, always on the hunt for new brews to try. They sample, they review, they connect, they drink together. “I wear a lot of different alcohol hats in this town,” Jacob Halls says. That’s true. Under one hat, he’s the president of Convergence Consulting, which provides legal help to new breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Under another hat, he’s the high-end brands manager at N.H. Scheppers Distributing. This month, though, he’s mostly wearing the hat of festival director, preparing for the South East Craft Beer Festival, which will take place October 15. Halls started developing the idea for a new beer festival in 2013, recruiting the help of Anne Churchill, owner of AnnaBelle Events; Logboat Brewing Co., one of his clients; and Caraker Law Firm, his former business partner. “I kind of thought that Columbia could use something that was unique,” he says. “I always wanted to do something different.” Halls wanted to distinguish SEC Beer Fest by its selection, purposefully recruiting breweries that didn’t distribute in Columbia, giving local drinkers a chance to try something new. It was a hard sell the first time around. “We did a lot of things that were so unique that it was hard to convince people that it was legal,” Halls says. “That was the fun part.” The first SEC Beer Fest, held at Logboat in 2014, was a success – despite triple digit temperatures, the event sold out. Among the attendees was Columbia radio host Tom
Bradley. Halls already knew Bradley through his work with the Missouri Beer Festival, and the two had talked about Halls’ own festival, which Bradley enthusiastically supported. “I think one of the biggest things that Jacob brought in was that he showcased the brewers themselves,” says Bradley, who is now helping with SEC Beer Fest’s marketing. “He not only brought in the audience, he also treated the brewers like, if not royalty, like very, very special guests.” The brewers, part of the close-knit craft beer community, spread the word. At the 2014 fest, 11 breweries participated. This October, there will be over 75. They’re expecting around 1,500 attendees this year, with a minimum of 140 beers to try (the actual number will probably be closer to 350). To accommodate, this year’s SEC Beer Fest will be held at N.H. Scheppers, which has plenty of space to set up tents and unload trucks. Ultramax Sports will begin the festival with a “beer mile.” (“A beer mile!” Bradley says. “So we’re not sure if you’re drinking as you run, or you drink and then you run, or you run and then you drink, but there’s beer involved and there’s running involved.”) Food trucks will drive in; yard games will be strewn about. Marketing leading up to the festival included the “Pint for a Pint” blood drive with the Red Cross, where attendees got free beer at International Tap House for donating blood (the beer couldn’t be redeemed for a couple days, in deference to blood donation’s alcohol rules). This year’s event will also benefit Unchained Melodies Dog Rescue.
“With a lot of beer festivals, [the town] gets hit up with people asking, ‘What can you give me? What can you give me for the beer festival?’ So it kind of saturates the community,” Halls says. “We want to help the community and we want to get people to help the community.” The bigger mission of SEC Beer Fest is also about building community — helping to make Columbia more than just the town that beer drinkers pass through on their way from St. Louis to Kansas City. Halls hopes the festival can generate new interest in the local craft beer scene, even among people who aren’t regular beer drinkers. As Churchill says, “It’s a day to just come out and enjoy the fall in Columbia and enjoy some craft beer and talk in-person to the people who are hands-on with the beer.” Although they don’t plan too far in advance, the festival team does have ideas for growth. They could add events to the existing festival; they could keep adding more breweries; they could bring in more local partners — with the kind of growth the event has seen so far, anything seems possible. “That’s the kind of response we want, not just for the festival but for Columbia,” Halls says. “And we’re getting there. It’s good.” CBT With reporting by Abigail Wade.
South East Craft Beer Festival 1306 Hathman Place secbeerfest.com 314-884-2011
Late 2015
April 2016
October 2016
While the festival’s original partners focus on other business ventures, Halls begins working on expanding the event. Dozens more breweries sign on.
The day after the Missouri Beer Festival, tickets go on sale for the second SEC Beer Fest.
The second SEC Beer Fest will be held at N.H. Scheppers, featuring 70-plus breweries and an anticipated 1,500 festival attendees. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 33
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M OVER S & SH AKER S
Movers & Shakers SEPTEMBER 2016 DAVID ISAACKS
David Isaacks Isaacks has become the new medical center director for the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. He had served as the deputy director of the VA Sunshine Network in St. Petersburg, Florida since September 2015, and he previously served as deputy director of the VA Heartland Network in Kansas City. Isaacks served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and has a bachelor’s degree in business management, from Southern Illinois University, and a master’s degree in organizational management, from the University of Phoenix. The Truman VA hospital provides health care to more than 37,900 veterans through a full range of medical, surgical, and psychiatric services in the mid-Missouri area.
Billie M. Cunningham Billie M. Cunningham, a professor in MU’s Trulaske College of Business, received the J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook Prize. The J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook Prize recognizes individuals who excelled as superior teachers in accounting. Cunningham received the undergraduate award.
Johanna Wear Johanna Wear joined the Atkins Inc. Columbia office as human resources director. Wear has a master’s degree in human resources management from Webster University. Before joining Atkins, Wear worked in HR for Orscheln Products and YoungWilliams P.C.
Central Bank of Boone County Central Bank of Boone County announced promotions for Tom Farrar, Shawntez Hamilton-Wells, Rodney Dixon, and Lynn Leible. Farrar was promoted to lead commercial loan assistant, managing the day-to-day workflow of commercial loans and working closely with credit operations. Hamilton-Wells, working at the Columbia Mall bank, was promoted to financial associate. Dixon was promoted to credit analyst, reviewing and reporting on loan proposals and creating reports to lending officers. Leible, working at the customer service center, was promoted to customer service representative, assisting customers with daily banking.
Karen Wolfe Kliethermes Homes and Remodeling added Karen Wolfe to their team as an interior designer. Wolfe previously worked with Dave Griggs’ Flooring America for 10 years. Kliethermes Homes and Remodeling owner Cale Kliethermes says about Wolfe, “Karen has a great ability to understand what the client wants, needs, and desires and then transforms that into a functional and beautiful design while still meeting budget needs.” Kliethermes Homes and Remodeling provides general contracting, construction services, and custom home remodeling to the Columbia area.
Ramesh Khanna Khanna has received the J. Michael Lazarus Distinguished Award from the National Kidney Foundation for his research contributions in clinical science and care of dialysis patients. Khanna is the Karl D. Nolph Chair of Nephrology at the MU School of Medicine. Khanna is a professor of medicine and helped establish practice standards for home dialysis therapy and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, or CAPD. The J. Michael Lazarus Distinguished Award recognizes individuals who conduct research that provides fresh insight into renal replacement therapy.
BILLIE M. CUNNINGHAM
JOHANNA WEAR
Columbia College Walter Bixby III has recently been elected as the new chair of the governing board of Columbia College. Joining Bixby on the executive committee is Helen Coe Simons, as vice chair; George W. Hulett, as treasurer; and Jolene Marra Schulz, as secretary. Dr. David Russell, the former commissioner of higher education for Missouri, also recently joined the board of trustees.
KAREN WOLFE
RAMESH KHANNA
Marcus G. Solomon BeWell Health LLC, the main distributor for Nasopure, appointed Marcus G. Solomon as president. He previously served as vice president. Dr. Hana R. Solomon, inventor of Nasopure, stepped down as president. She will now focus on developing new products for the company. BeWell Health was founded by Hana Solomon and the Nasopure product was also created by Solomon. CBT
WALTER BIXBY III
DAVID RUSSELL
Are you or your employees making waves in the Columbia business community? Send us your news at Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 35
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Job description: As the founder of the company (formed in 2011), I'm both the business manager and the artistic director. I choose the productions, hire the directors, write the grants, organize the rehearsal schedules, and clean the bathrooms. Years lived in Columbia/mid-Missouri: I've been here pretty much since 1977. Original hometown: Geneva, New York, but I grew up mostly in Mountain Grove, in south central Missouri. Education: B.S. in music education from MU; master’s in vocal performance, also from MU. Favorite volunteer/community activity: Obviously, I love theater and music. I enjoy singing for residents of The Arbors, an Alzheimer's unit connected with Colony Pointe. Watching their faces light up when they hear familiar songs is priceless. Professional background: I taught public school music for 28 years, up until I retired in 2008. Since that time, I’ve worked professionally as an actor for regional theater companies around the U.S. I founded Talking Horse Productions late in 2011, and we staged our first show early in 2012. A favorite recent project: I love to take on acting jobs with other companies and organizations, and I just recently completed a run of “1776” at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. It's an incredible experience to work with other folks who are passionate about the craft.
Photos by Anthony Jinson
A Columbia businessperson I admire and why: Technically, he's not in Columbia, but Quin Gresham, the artistic director of the Lyceum Theatre, immediately comes to mind. He is a master of his craft, yet he's also a kind and caring person who treats his actors like they’re family. Quin and the rest of the team at the Lyceum are great examples of leadership, and I try to create that atmosphere at Talking Horse. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 37
P E R S ON YO U SH OU LD KN OW
"If theater ... doesn't ever challenge the audience to think and feel, then we've lost something as an art form." The next challenge facing my
Why I’m passionate about my job: I love theater, and I love bringing a wonderful experience to our audiences with every production. There's nothing quite like theater, whether it’s an intimate show or a huge extravaganza!
How you would like to impact the Columbia community: I'd like to see Columbia grow as a theater-loving community. We already embrace live music and film, but there is plenty of room for growth as a theater town.
Why I’m passionate about my company: Talking Horse is a small company in a small venue that seats 70, and I believe it’s important to tailor your productions to fit your venue. We produce a more intimate brand of theater: small casts, compelling stories and characters, and an experience that will hopefully stay with our audiences long after the show ends. We have grown steadily in our five years of existence, and I'm always looking for ways to enhance the theater experience for our patrons. New seating, new plays getting their premiere performances, challenging topics — Talking Horse is always looking to be a unique experience!
If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: I would still be performing on the road, I suppose. But I'm very glad I chose to start Talking Horse, and it's been a labor of love.
What people should know about this profession: Very few people can actually make a living in the arts, which is a sad thing. Most artists have to have other ways to make money in order to live. The “starving artist” term still applies today. So, if you intend to pursue a career in theater, be prepared to struggle. The struggle only makes you more determined! 38 SEPTEMBER 2016
Biggest lesson learned in business: Never take anyone for granted, especially those folks who believe in what you're trying to accomplish. Always be grateful for their support! Accomplishment I’m most proud of: Founding and running Talking Horse is perhaps the hardest thing I've ever done. Starting a nonprofit from scratch and getting others to believe in your vision for a company that provides a unique experience has proven to be sometimes frustrating but ultimately very rewarding. Family: Three children, all grown and scattered to the winds (Columbia, Atlanta, Seattle). What I do for fun: Travel! And, of course, attend theater.
industry: I think the challenge is always going to be connecting your audience with your craft, keeping things fresh and appealing, but, at the same time, challenging. If theater becomes strictly entertainment and doesn't ever challenge the audience to think and feel, then we've lost something as an art form. My next professional goal: My next goal is to move Talking Horse closer to becoming a professional company. We are now sort of a “hybrid” company, mixing professional actors and staff with volunteers. While we'll probably never be a fully professional company (like the Lyceum, for example), I believe that we can provide mid-Missouri with a professional level of theater in our own unique style. Greatest strength: Vision for the future. Greatest weakness: Not asking for help when I really could use some! Favorite place in Columbia: Besides my theater, I would have to say The Wine Cellar and Bistro. Nothing like a great glass of wine and a delicious meal. And, of course, my friends would say, “any coffee shop available!” Most people don’t know that I: lived in the Middle East (Beirut) as a child. I was fortunate to have many opportunities to travel and to be exposed to different cultures at an early age. CBT
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40 SEPTEMBER 2016
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Q&A KIM COLE
Conservation Education Consultant, Missouri Department of Conservation
1. How did you get involved with conservation education? It all started when my husband took this city girl out of her comfort zone and into the woods for a weekend of camping. My experience with nature that weekend — hiking trails, seeing a family of deer, and hearing many new sounds at night — quickly turned into a desire to be outdoors and do my part to conserve our beautiful state. From there, I went back to MU to take classes and get more experience with fisheries, wildlife, and natural resources. I also joined the Missouri Department of Conservation’s protection volunteer program and served as a volunteer for almost three years, helping teach hunter education and archery classes, shadowing conservation agents, and assisting with conservation education programs. In January 2015, I became a full-time employee with MDC working as a conservation education consultant. 2. As a conservation education consultant, what are your primary responsibilities? The biggest part of my job is the Discover Nature Schools program.
Through this program, MDC offers hands-on, conservation-focused curriculum units for preschool through 12th grade classrooms. The curriculum materials are aligned with Missouri state learning standards, and educators in Missouri can get teacher’s guides, student books, and science notebooks for no cost! There are also opportunities for eligible schools to get grant funding for classroom supplies and field trips. The program and curriculum units are designed to get students outside, enrich their learning with outdoor experiences, and increase their knowledge of Missouri’s plants, animals, and natural systems. The Discover Nature Schools program benefits students in many ways, and it’s my responsibility to provide materials to educators in Missouri so they can, in turn, provide enriched learning opportunities to their students. 3. Generally speaking, what problems do you help solve? I help Missourians get outdoors and discover nature. So often, people don’t know where to start when it comes to exploring a new area or learning a new outdoor skill. Part of my job is to teach people about conservation and natural resources in Missouri, and to help them be comfortable when taking on new experiences in the outdoors. I solve the problem of helping people get past certain barriers to going outside so they are able to enjoy Missouri’s great outdoors. 4. What is the best part of your job? By far, the best part of my job is helping children discover nature. I get to participate in field trips, classroom presentations, outdoor skills teaching, and other nature-related events. These allow me to educate kids about Missouri’s diverse natural systems and help them experience something they may have never seen or done. Seeing a child light up and get excited when they have a positive experience in the outdoors is so rewarding. There are always new, wonderful things to discover in nature, so being able to help kids get outside and learn makes this job truly enjoyable. 5. What is the most challenging part of your job? Learning to get over some of my own fears about the outdoors and wildlife so that I’m able help the next generation avoid some of the same misconceptions I’ve had. Snakes have been a big challenge for me. I
8 QU EST I ON S
grew up being wildly afraid of snakes, seeing them as scary, dangerous creatures. After working in conservation and learning more about the importance of snakes in ecosystems, I have really gained a new perspective and appreciation for these animals. I’ve learned that non-venomous snakes are quite harmless and are much more scared of us than we are of them. (But the venomous ones are definitely to be avoided!) Like any other wild animal, if we give them space and aren’t threatening, we can enjoy them without bringing harm to the animals or ourselves. 6. Why is connecting students with nature so important? Learning in nature and being connected with the outdoors benefits students in several ways. Improved problem solving and higher-order thinking skills, improved scores on standardized tests, and reduced attention-deficit problems are just a few examples. Having a connection to nature teaches children to have an appreciation and respect for the natural world, and it inspires them to be stewards of conservation who can help protect the environment and Missouri’s natural resources. 7. Besides the Discover Nature Schools program, what are some other opportunities to learn about conservation and natural resources in Missouri? Hunter education courses; Discover Nature fishing classes; public programs, such as shooting clinics and outdoor cooking; and numerous nature center events. We offer a wide variety of programs for all ages. 8. What makes Boone County a great place for Missourians to discover nature? Boone County is rich with conservation areas and recreational opportunities for mid-Missourians. Some popular conservation areas to visit are Eagle Bluffs, Three Creeks, and Rocky Fork Lakes. Eagle Bluffs is a great place to see numerous species of resident and migrating birds and waterfowl; Three Creeks offers hiking, camping, and hunting; and at Rocky Fork Lakes, you can catch a few fish or practice your shooting skills at the shotgun or rifle and pistol ranges. There are also plenty of opportunities to get in a float in Boone County, like canoeing at Twin Lakes or boating on the Missouri River. CBT
Check out more questions and answers with Kim Cole online at ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 41
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Pictured: Al Germond, right, and his brother, Geoff, on November 28, 1957 in Englewood, New Jersey.
It’s Only an Election BY A L GERMON D
IT BEGAN ON THE PLAYGROUND BEHIND Cleveland School. The fracas was sparked by the second grader who came to class wearing a “Stevenson for President” button that, with some optical trickery, flashed an image of the Illinois governor depending on how you looked at it. Sides were taken; an argument broke out, but none of us really knew why we were yelling at each other. For some cosmic reason, among this multitude of seven-year-olds, we had our differences. Then a teacher heard the ruckus and things cooled down. But on that crisp, fall afternoon 64 years ago came the revelation that there were differences between us. It was really a reflection of whether our parents wanted Adlai Stevenson or Dwight D. Eisenhower to be the next president of the United States. I well remember the ritual of breakfast, where my parents pored over the latest city edition of the New York Herald Tribune, and how they engaged their two sons every morning with discussions about the news of the day. This went beyond the Thornton W. Burgess nature stories Papa read to us before bedtime when we were toddlers, or cartoonist H. T. Webster's latest depiction of Caspar Milquetoast. The nominally Republican Trib — it folded, regretfully, for a variety of reasons on April 24, 1966 — is still fondly recalled and honored for its typographic excellence; the fair, unbiased neutrality of its journalists at what was called a “writer's
newspaper;” the balance and range of its features; a superb sports section; and the paper’s stable of literate opinion columnists — some of them syndicated — that included the temperate but somewhat left-leaning Walter Lippman. I was blessed, by the accident of birth, growing up adjacent to the nation's largest city with its plethora of media choices. My industrialist father was more conservative than my mother, but both of them voted for Eisenhower that November because the retired general and former president of Columbia University promised to go to Korea — which he did the following year — to arrange some sort of settlement of the stalemated conflict in the Far East. An early excursion into the realm of politics was the night President Truman's State of the Union address pre-empted “The Lone Ranger” on WJZ. I had no idea what the man from Independence, Missouri was talking about, but hearing the president speak on the radio was enthralling. I became a media junkie — an inveterate reader of books, magazines, and newspapers, with a consuming obsession for radio blessed by a dial-full of choices to wile away the hours that kept me off the streets and out of trouble. Launched onto the roiling waters of the 16th presidential election cycle since those primordial days as a young sprout, there comes the need in some cases to recalibrate relations with oth-
ers in what has evolved into this year's highly charged, sharply divided political landscape. This especially relates to friends one wishes to remain friends with, but who we've fallen out of step with — perhaps only until the results are in. This means proscribing talk about politics, candidates, races, and issues for the time being. Then there's the dilemma of getting the news — where does one go these days for neutrality and balance in adherence with the ancient, and apparently unfashionable, tenets of journalism as it was practiced when I began reading the Herald Tribune? Somewhat well-read as a student of presidential elections over the years, I see that the unfolding imbroglio between the two candidates this year has been painfully exacerbated by the excesses of strongly biased, non-objective media coverage, while on a parallel track, vast sums are committed in blitzkrieg marketing efforts to win electoral jousts down to the comparative insignificance of various local races. In 1952, Messrs. Stevenson and Eisenhower were candidates with strikingly impeccable credentials devoid of any apparent scandals or wrongdoing. They mostly toured the country by rail, whistle-stopping across the land at a time when television was still seeking its ultimate ubiquity and the Fourth Estate was dominated by excruciatingly fair and balanced newspapers, aside from their clearly defined and labeled editorial pages. Of course, those of us with more than a few elections under our belts have to accept the changes wrought by the internet and its electronic subsets that include Facebook and Twitter. By our seniority and entrenched wisdom, we lament the decline of the traditional media, as these outlets have become engulfed by the partisanship that has wrecked once-honored heralds of print, radio, and television. There is much more to life as fall approaches. For our own health and sanity, we should corral our media obsessions during this election cycle as an antidote for longevity. We may not like how various election races turn out, but there's a great deal more to life than fretting over what happens come November. 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 43
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As the Columbia business community prepares for the new companies and fresh ideas to come during Innovation Week, CBT looked back at five startups who sprouted in our entrepreneurial community. With brilliant skills and a desire to solve problems, these companies helped create our startup ecosystem. BY M AT T PATSTO N | P H OTOS BY A N TH O N Y J I N S O N COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 45
SafeTrek MU students use cell phones to battle campus violence.
FOUNDED IN: 2013
PEOPLE TO KNOW: Zach Winkler, Natalie Cheng, Zach Beattie
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: MU students, winner of app development competition at the Reynolds Journalism Institute Tech Showcase
W
hen you open your phone and click on the SafeTrek icon (which is a little cartoon phone, with arms and legs, holding a S-emblazoned shield and running), a little thumb-shaped button comes up on screen. It’s a reassuring dark turquoise color, with instructions posted just above: “Hold Until Safe!” Once you hold and release the button, a second screen pops up. It’s a keypad with the direction “Enter PIN.” If you enter your PIN, that means you’re safe; if you don’t, then the police are notified and dispatched to your precise location, which the app tracks via GPS. SafeTrek is an obsessively simple product, founded to be a simple solution to a common problem. “The ideas came up based on the environment students reside in,” Zach Winkler says. Winkler, now a graduate of MU’s computer science program, built the app as part of the winning team in the 2013 Reynolds Journalism Institute Tech Showcase student competition. He and co-founders Natalie Cheng and Zach Beattie created SafeTrek to bolster public 46 SEPTEMBER 2016
safety on college campuses, improving on the existing system of emergency blue-light telephones scattered across MU’s campus, which cost the school more than $50,000 per year. “We thought that was ridiculous, because those poles are completely useless,” Winkler says. “When you’re in an emergency, you’re not going to run up to a pole and wait for help to arrive while someone is trying to attack you. It just doesn’t make sense. So we thought that the ‘hold until safe’ triggering mechanism would solve the problem better.” In the early stages of development, SafeTrek’s design was leaked on social media. The company started getting thousands of emails from people asking when SafeTrek was going to be available in their city — they needed the app. SafeTrek’s original business model was to partner with police departments, who could use the technology themselves to improve their dispatching system and accrue data on highcrime areas. But it became increasingly clear that SafeTrek’s greater value was on a personal level. Personal safety can be inherently reactive (you can generally only place a 911 call after an
emergency has started happening). But SafeTrek is proactive: by pressing the little blue button on their phones, users can feel in control of their own well-being. This psychological comfort has made the app particularly popular with sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, Winkler says. “We have people contact us, and it’s the same story every time, where people say ‘I’m a sexual assault victim, it’s happened multiple times, I have PTSD from it, and I can’t leave my house. But now that I have SafeTrek on my phone, it’s given me the confidence to actually go outside because I have a way to get help if I need it.’” The company is working on integrating SafeTrek technology across platforms, with brands like Apple Watch or Tesla. A SafeTrek account currently costs $2.99 per month, which the company uses to staff their 24/7 call centers that monitor SafeTrek users and alert police if someone signals for help. The company hopes to offset some of the cost in the future by using their data to help any entity looking for public safety data, like a university looking to replace those blue emergency poles.
Foresite Healthcare Blending artificial intelligence with medicine, Foresite wants to protect patients and doctors.
FOUNDED IN: 2013
PEOPLE TO KNOW: George Chronis, Marjorie Skubic, Marilyn Rantz
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: MU-licensed technology, Missouri Innovation Center client
I
n the best case scenario, doctor’s appointments are uneventful, but also a little inconvenient. A nurse or a doctor checks your vitals. Everything is fine. Then it’s over. In the worst case scenario, doctor’s appointments are too eventful. An emergency takes you by surprise. The rest of your life stops. Foresite Healthcare wants to cut back on both these scenarios. Through remote monitoring, the startup collects more patient information with fewer trips to the doctor, hopefully leading to proactive health strategies to prevent emergencies from happening. “I always wanted to make a difference in this world, something that would actually help people,” says George Chronis, Foresite’s CEO and chief technology officer, “just put my little piece in there, and in the end, know that I assisted people a little bit in improving their quality of life.” Chronis completed all his higher education at MU, finishing with a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence. In school, his advisor was Professor Marjorie Skubic, who collaborated with Marilyn Rantz, from MU’s nursing school, on monitoring technology to track health in seniors and pre-
vent falls. They installed systems at TigerPlace, the MU-affiliated senior living community, with promising results. Skubic tapped Chronis, who had started a successful company called CyberSense, to bring the technology to market. “We’ve been marching hand-in-hand with the university on this,” Chronis says. “I just provide the expertise in commercialization.” Foresite Healthcare licensed the technology from MU, which allowed them to keep sharing resources, and took up an office in the incubator at the Missouri Innovation Center. Foresite uses sensors around the home —some pressure sensors, such as the ones on the bed, and some infrared-based, which are mounted in black boxes on walls — to constantly track vital signs and movement habits. Coupleing that data with artificial intelligence, the system can trigger warnings about fall risk, inactivity, or even illness. Foresite has developed two products: Foresite Patientcare and Foresite Eldercare. Patientcare is for hospital use. It alerts hospital staff if a patient is moving too much or not enough. Staff members can also review tracking data to help prevent future incidents.
Eldercare is a more robust system, installed in senior living facilities. Eldercare includes everything in Patientcare, but it also features the illness detection technology. Often, the Eldercare system detects illnesses before the residents notice any symptoms. “I think the products that we have are solid, but we’re always thinking about how we can get better,” Chronis says. “We’re moving forward and adding more features to the products we already have, and at the same time we’ve started doing some studies at homes, so we’ll have a third line of products that can be purchased for homes directly by the consumer.” Foresite is expanding sales and refining their manufacturing. The next step is furthering their reach. Chronis says Foresite’s technology is in everyone's interest: fewer trips to the doctor, more data to treat patients. Chronis himself connects with Foresite’s customers. “You know, that could be anybody,” he says. “That could be my father. It could be you and me in a few years. I wanted to have the satisfaction of contributing in helping our society.” COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 47
Beyond Meat Saving the world, one faux chicken at a time.
FOUNDED IN: 2009
PEOPLE TO KNOW: Ethan Brown, Justin Fuller, Harold Huff, Fu-hung Hsieh
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: MU-licensed technology, manufacturing facility in Columbia
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anufacturers of faux meat, whether it be soy-based or something else, have the unusual job of trying to create a product that exactly mimics something that already exists. Usually, they fail. Usually, something about it feels off — the texture, the brittleness, the chewiness, something about it doesn’t seem like meat. But Beyond Meat is really, really close. It earned a glowing review of realness (and ethical soundness) from New York Times food writer Mark Bittman; Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is a Beyond Meat investor and evangelist. This magazine holds the distinction of being one of the smallest publications to write about Beyond Meat: Wired, MIT Technology Review, and Slate, among many others, have all attested to the fact that Beyond Meat and its founder, Ethan Brown, are onto something big. Brown refers to Beyond Meat as “meat from plants,” not as fake meat. He first came to Columbia to meet with Fu-hung Hsieh and Harold Huff, MU scientists whose names he had stumbled across while poring through research papers about fake meat production. Brown 48 SEPTEMBER 2016
wanted to create a product that could replace traditionally raised meat, and he believed that Hsieh and Huff had it. “I saw what they were doing and I was just blown away by it,” Brown says. “It’s more of a piece of meat.” Lots of things taste like chicken; Hsieh and Huff created a product that feels like chicken on your tongue, what food critics call “mouthfeel.” It has the same chemical base as chicken too: proteins, amino acids, all the good reasons that people eat meat with none of the negative side effects. Brown and others have attested to the complementary relationship between Hsieh and Huff (“Fu-heng is more theoretical, while Harold is more of a practical thinker,” Brown says), and once Brown’s vision for a supermarket-ready, plant-based meat entered the mix, the company’s future began to take shape. Beyond Meat entered into a licensing agreement with MU, who enthusiastically supported the businesses; Beyond Meat’s investment in the community came in the form of their manufacturing facility off Vandiver Drive.
“The university has been a phenomenal partner,” Brown says. “They could have easily licensed this off to a very big company, but I think they saw that we had a passion for this, and they made a decision.” Beyond Meat products (chicken, beef, burgers) are available in limited supply, mostly in California. Brown’s goals for the company are bigger: he wants Beyond Meat to be sold at mainstream supermarkets, right alongside regular meat. He doesn’t want another hip alternative for affluent vegans; he wants affordable protein for everyone. “You have to have the recognition that you can always be better,” Brown says. Critics have pointed out that Beyond Meat’s taste isn’t quite identical to real meat. But that’s a small fix in comparison to the company’s scope. A widely available meat substitute could, in the long-term, cut back on the environmental detriments associated with meat farming: inefficient land use, methane emissions, water waste. And maybe that’s Beyond Meat’s real mission – save the world with fake meat. “There’s lots of reasons to be very passionate about this,” Brown says. “I think that makes people highly motivated. It lets them believe in what they’re doing.”
EternoGen Aesthetics Launching a European medical aesthetics company from mid-Missouri.
FOUNDED IN: 2010
PEOPLE TO KNOW: Luis Jimenez, Sheila Grant, Anna Tenstam
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Missouri Innovation Center client, MU research, collaboration with Crosby MBA program
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o get from Stockholm to Columbia (a trip he makes often), Luis Jimenez lands in Chicago, then a train to St. Louis, then a car to Columbia. It’s a tough trip. Leading an international medical aesthetics startup is a tough job. On a recent trip, Jimenez got back to Columbia at 4:00 a.m. A few hours later, he checked in at EternoGen’s lab at the Missouri Innovation Center, then drove to his office, on Buttonwood Court, to start his day of work. Jimenez joined the company while still an MBA student. “I always planned on doing a startup company in my life,” he says. “That was always my plan and my vision. I wanted to get the technical skills to produce things, and then couple that with the business skills I was getting my MBA for. Well, to my surprise . . . I never expected it to happen the first semester I was in the MBA program.” Jimenez, with a background in medicine and pharmaceuticals, enrolled in the high-growth venture class in MU’s Crosby MBA program, in which teams of students develop business proposals for real companies. Jimenez worked
with research from MU professor Shelia Grant, who was developing an injectable collagen to repair damaged joints. Eventually, Grant and others in the university began to see the collagen’s potential as an aesthetic product (skin loses collagen over time, which leads to wrinkles). Jimenez stuck with the project; his team won the class simulation and then entered their proposal in the Rice Business Plan competition. EternoGen was becoming a legitimate company, with Jimenez as its executive leader. EternoGen named Jimenez interim CEO in 2010, a year after he started his MBA. Like many entrepreneurs, Jimenez moves fast. He speaks with a quiet, direct speed. He fidgets slightly when he talks. “Things never go as fast as I’d like them to happen,” he says. “I think things never go as fast as an entrepreneur would like them to happen.” But for a company facing as many regulatory hurdles as EternoGen, things have moved fast. The company started working with the Missouri Innovation Center, where Jimenez had been a graduate assistant, and they continued to use MU’s support to grow.
“We’ve been able to find talent here,” Jimenez says. “We’ve hired our graduates from the Ph.D. programs in engineering, and that’s cool, and even attorneys . . . we’ve been able to meet our milestones from what we have here. The resources have been here, and the support has been here.” But the market is in Europe. EternoGen’s hurdles are lower in Europe, with looser regulations. In 2014, Jimenez became president and COO, making way for new CEO Anna Tenstam, an executive with an impressive track record and industry connections in aesthetic medicine. EternoGen set up a base in Stockholm — and Jimenez became a frequent international traveler. EternoGen is planning on getting final European approval for their product within 12 months. They’re fine-tuning manufacturing, preparing for the growth spurt that will follow approval. “Once we flip the switch, we’ll be off and running,” Jimenez says. “So I hope to have lots of positive news in the next year about how we’re becoming one of the exporters from Missouri out to Europe.” COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 49
MedSocket Getting the world’s medical data in one convenient place.
FOUNDED IN: 2013
PEOPLE TO KNOW: Karl Kochendorfer, Matt Botkin, Jayne Williams
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS: Office in Columbia, Startup Weekend 2012 third place winner
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ive him credit for persistence. 25 years ago, Karl Kochendorfer told himself that he was going to combine computers and medicine. In 2012, he founded MedSocket. Mission accomplished. MedSocket is a health care IT company that makes it easier to share information between patients, doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. Kochendorfer started developing the technology in 2000; for six years, he developed the product on his own time and with his own money while working as a physician in Chicago. “I was doing the programming, I was taking out the trash, I was trying to raise money,” Kochendorfer remembers. “But really, you need to have a good team to really move things forward.” Kochendorfer found his team in Columbia and at MU, where he started working in 2006. MU encouraged Kochendorfer to develop his product as an employee of the university, while working as a family physician; he found other people who were interested in his calling, and interested in supporting it. He added Matt Botkin as COO, who became a co-founder and now runs operations in Columbia. In 2012, MedSocket took third 50 SEPTEMBER 2016
place in Startup Weekend. MedSocket collected $667,000 in investments from Missouri, including $100,000 from the UM System and $166,500 from Centennial Investors, a local angel investment group. MU Health was an early adopter of MedSocket’s technology. “I had never had that in Chicago before,” Kochendorfer says. “It wouldn’t have happened had we not [been in Columbia]. And again, we connected with the team, we had a Startup Weekend, we found more team members . . . It was huge.” MedSocket has four product lines, each focused on a different problem in the process of medical care. Their first was the clinical decision support system, or 1-CDS, which doctors can use as a comprehensive search engine that gives realtime feedback to a patient’s medical record. Other products are focused on educating patients about prescription use or home care; their medication savings program, called MedSocketRx, links pharmaceutical companies with potential discounts or rebates to patients who need the medication. Kochendorfer has since left MU to be the chief health information officer at the University of Illinois, which took him back to Chicago. He’s using
his new post to bring MedSocket’s footprint to a new area while the rest of the team continues to operate in Columbia. That MedSocket’s concept still seems innovative, sixteen years after it was conceived, speaks to how hard Kochendorfer’s calling — combining computers with medicine — is to accomplish. He now mentors other startups, hoping that his experience can help make their path a little easier. One story he tells now is his “Tale of Two Technologies.” One tale is him recounting working on his own: 14 years to get a patent issued, costing more than $50,000 of his own money. The other tale is of him working on his product as an employee at the university, sacrificing nothing but time and getting a patent in three years, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in investments. Those sacrifices speak to the entrepreneurial experience. “That’s part of it,” Kochendorfer says, “just the perseverance to see something through after six months or a year or whatever.” After all, a calling is a calling. You have to follow it. It may not be easy or quick, but it’ll be worth it. CBT
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 51
A view of the south side of Walnut Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, in the heart of the Sharp End district.
52 SEPTEMBER 2016
A FRESH MEMORY Columbia confronts the legacy of Sharp End, the black business district wiped away by urban renewal.
BY B R A N DO N H O O P S P H OTOS P R OV I DE D BY TH E STAT E H I STO R I C A L S O C I E TY O F M I SSO URI
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 53
WITH EACH NEW STORY, Jim Whitt uncovered a sense of the place he was learning to call home. The Columbia transplant, who moved here with his family in 2001, heard them on Sunday mornings at Second Missionary Baptist Church. Whitt heard Deacon Larry Monroe talk often of a once-thriving black business district in Columbia known as Sharp End. It didn’t matter that more than 40 years had passed since the place had been marked on a map. Monroe was an affectionate and veracious storyteller who enlivened Whitt’s imagination with details of ordinary people and everyday activities. But these weren’t merely nostalgic remembrances. Underneath this world, rich in personality and community, were deep wounds that cast a spotlight on the black community’s complicated relationship with the city that was their home.
A PLACED PEOPLE
One of the first black businessmen to leave his mark on Columbia was John Lange Sr., a 37-yearold free man whose family remained the property of MU president James Shannon. In 1851, with Shannon’s support, Lange opened a butcher shop at the corner of Fourth and Cherry streets. This operation, said to be the only meat market in the area for many years, prospered and allowed him to relocate and expand his business. By the 1870s, Lange and fellow black entrepreneurs Gilbert Akers and Beverly Chapman owned most of the property north of Broadway between Providence Road and Fifth Street. The seeds of Sharp End would take root in this low-lying, swampy land near Flat Branch Creek. Although the name has an uncertain origin, Sharp End’s value to the black community became clear as the new century brought increased segregation to Columbia. A restaurant, a pool hall, and a barbershop were some of the earliest businesses to emerge on Walnut Street, and the number and diversity of businesses only expanded with each passing decade. Ed Tibbs’ father was one of the scrappy entrepreneurs who gave Sharp End its texture. Between 1930 and 1960, Tibbs’ father, who shared his name with his son, owned or operated a range of businesses, including Kingfish Smoke Shop and Shoe Shining, Central Marketing, Green Tree Tavern, T&T Smoke Shop, and Deluxe Billiards & Pool. He also booked many of the acts for McKinney Hall, a popular spot for budding black musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday. “The Sharp End was the place to be,” Tibbs says. “You named it, they had it down there. But 54 SEPTEMBER 2016
it was a place for adults. It wasn’t a place where kids or families would come and congregate.” Sarah Belle Jackson moved to Columbia in 1938, when her father became the pastor at St. Luke Methodist Church, then located at 501 Walnut St. In an interview recorded in the book “Boone County Chronicles,” the longtime community activist, who died in 1999, describes Sharp End and its surroundings as the place “where you could really be yourself, where you had your own rules, nobody else ruled but you, the black people.” One way that people expressed themselves was through their dress. Sharp End was known for being a place where people liked to look good while they danced or dined, shared interests or gossiped. Although there was more to black life in Columbia than Sharp End, Whitt appreciates how it gave people an identity and helped them feel like their humanity wasn’t questioned. “People believed in it, enjoyed it, and it provided jobs,” Whitt says. “It was a good thing for the community, because they owned it and made it theirs.”
A REALITY CHECK
There was a time in Lorenzo Lawson’s childhood when his curious mind and love of learning had ample room to grow. At Douglass School, in an environment with caring and supportive teachers, he reached the top of his class. Then, in the fourth grade, schools in Columbia desegregated. He ended up at Ridgeway Elementary. Suddenly, it felt as if a shadow chased away a bright spot in his life. You would raise your hand to answer a question, but the teacher refused to call on you. You skipped school, but they didn’t care if you came or not. “It made us become very rebellious, and, I hate to say it, we started taking it out on white classmates, beating them up,” Lawson says. “We were so angry about the way we were being treated, coming from an environment where you were nurtured, empowered, encouraged, inspired to get your education and go to college. And then, bam, nothing. They didn’t care if we came to school or not. It was horrible.” Lawson looks back now and can see how his experiences and feelings correlate with many in the black community at that time. On May 29, 1956, Columbia voters approved two commissions: the Columbia Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority and the Columbia Housing Authority. Those two commissions paved the way for urban renewal. The first plan,
submitted for federal approval in 1958, focused on a 126-acre tract surrounding Douglass School. It included Sharp End. Many black-owned properties were sold or taken by eminent domain in the years that followed. Some businesses from Sharp End relocated to Ash Street between Fourth and Fifth streets, but the new location, renamed “The Strip,” quickly faded away. “Anybody at that time had a blatant reality check of what we ran into,” says Lawson, now 62 and the executive director of Youth Empower-
A view inside the Elite Café, located in the 500 block of Walnut Street. Edna Harris, left, and her husband, Robert, owned the restaurant during the late 1940s and into the 1950s.
ment Zone, “because once those business started closing, we had to go to white restaurants, and we weren’t treated with dignity and respect.” By 1966, remnants of Sharp End were gone. A parking lot ran the south side of Walnut between Fifth and Sixth streets, and the Columbia post office opened on the north side. What was lost? “Togetherness,” Tibbs says. “A lot of togetherness. And a little self respect, somewhere down in there, because it gave people a sense of being and accomplishment.”
Tibbs, 56, is one of the only black property owners downtown today. In 1986, he inherited a building his father purchased in 1943. Located at the southwest corner of Walnut and Fifth streets, it fell just outside of Sharp End. Today, it’s home to Tony’s Pizza. Tibbs attributes his family’s business longevity to hard work, prayer, and the fact that “my dad was a hell of a man, and he had a hell of a son to come along with him.” “Everything else down there is gone, and we’re still standing,” Tibbs says. “It hasn’t been
easy. It’s been a lot easier for me than it was for him, I’m sure of that.”
A LASTING REMEMBRANCE
When Bill Thompson was a boy, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, a landscaping project awakened his fondness for history. It seemed like a fair arrangement to Thompson and his friends, a group of elementary-aged boys. They would pull vines from around the Old Fort Museum in exchange for an opportunity to see the collection of treasures in the brick structure. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 55
The exploration struck something in Thompson, and since that time, Georgia Porter, 83, was one of more than 200 people who attended he has made a point to dig into the background of the place where he the dedication ceremony. lives. In Columbia, the discovery process is going on 40 years. “It was wonderful that they recognized it,” says Porter, whose fatherHe is an enthusiastic storyteller and can easily narrate chapters of the in-law, James Porter, was a renowned pool shark in Sharp End. “But it city’s history as far back as the Civil War. In his office at Armory Sports was a sad feeling too, because it was gone.” and Recreation Center, Thompson pulls out a trash bag full of black and The committee is currently working to erect four or five more markers white photos the size of baseball cards. Some photos are in yellowing commemorating black history in Columbia. Whitt hopes the next marker, envelopes labeled “Seventh Street” or “Ash Street.” The rest are scatspotlighting the J.W. “Blind” Boone Home and Second Missionary Baptist tered randomly. Each photo has an address written on the back. Church, will be unveiled September 18. Each marker costs $2,000 and will The photos were taken by Department of Housing and Urban Develbe funded by private or public sponsors. opment photographers to show the conditions of homes and businesses Once all the historic sites are selected, they will be linked as part of surrounding Douglass School during Columbia’s urban renewal efforts the city’s African American Heritage Trail. Columbia’s Parks and Recin the 1950s. Thompson was given the photos by the widow of Peter Hern, one of the original members of the Douglass Alumni Association, who found the bag in the trash. They sat in Hern’s closet for more than a decade before they were passed on to Thompson. “I’ve learned to listen to people,” says Thompson, a recreation specialist for the parks and recreation department. “They know I appreciate and respect their history. It’s my way of trying to keep some of that heritage going.” In 2014, Whitt formed the Sharp End Heritage Committee, bringing together many people with connections to Sharp End, including Thompson. He knew it would be hard for the city to move forward Top: Hinshaw Feed Comand cultivate minority busipany was located at 600 E nesses without first acknowlWalnut St. and was owned edging the history of Sharp by Clyde Herbert HinEnd and the long-standing shaw and his son, Harfrustrations and pains carried by those who old Hinshaw. As an adofelt taken advantage of when their economic lescent, Harold worked in and cultural heart was removed. For a year, the committee worked in tanthe feed store during the dem with the City to create a historical Depression and bought marker for Sharp End. On May 19, 2015, in the store in the 1950s. the shadow of the 10-level parking garage The store sold feeds, now standing at Fifth and Walnut streets, the flour, poultry, eggs, fertilmarker was unveiled. izer, and more. “We wanted to make Sharp End a real part of this community and ensure it didn’t disapRight: During the 1950s, pear because it was never recognized,” Whitt the building at 518 Walsays. “It’s a part of the history of Columbia, nut housed restaurant and we don’t want to lose that history.” 56 SEPTEMBER 2016
Brown’s Place, owned by Perry and Pauline Brown.
Bob’s Tobacco Store was located at 514 Walnut St. and was operated by Robert and Edna Harris, who also owned the Elite Café, from 1956 to 1958, according to city directories. The store stood on the same block as REDI and Taj Mahal on Walnut Street.
reation Department is helping with logistics, including installation, maintenance, and mapping. The proposal, submitted to city council in April, marked out a two-mile trail and about 30 spots of interest. “We don’t have anything like it,” parks and recreation director Mike Griggs says. “This is going to be one of the more unique trails we have.” Even though the geography may have changed and many of the buildings are gone, Toni Messina, the city’s civic relations manager, who has worked closely with the committee, is excited to see historical preservation reach beyond Sharp End’s boundaries. “You don’t want to shortchange the story by making it be just about one thing — that’d be an incomplete understanding,” Messina says. “The ability to continue to mark and recognize sites, to me, is like uncovering more layers of our city’s story. It’s a worthwhile thing to do.”
A LOOK FORWARD
No one made a bigger impression on Lawson’s life than his grandmother, Goldie May Cross, who everyone called Miss Goldie. Not only did she manage a restaurant in Sharp End, she would also get up at 4 a.m. to wash and iron clothes for people, black and white. As she became financially stable, she also became a local lending institution. People would borrow money and pay her back with favorable interest rates. She even worked out
an arrangement with the owner of Dryer’s Shoe Store where she would send poor families to get shoes for their children before the start of school, with Miss Goldie picking up the tab. “She loved her community, and she would help anybody whenever she could,” Lawson says. “When I look back, it had a huge impression on me because I have that spirit in me. When I see a need and there’s no one serving it, I begin to plan and strategize a way to meet that need.” Lawson believes urban renewal not only destroyed small black businesses, it uprooted black doctors and dentists, and it “left a void for positive role models in the community.” As each new marker is unveiled and the trail nears completion, Lawson and the Sharp End Committee hope to inspire another generation of young minority students to make their mark on the local community. Whitt, 69, can already see this happening. Students from the Association of Black Graduate and Professional Students created a GoFundMe page in December 2015 to raise money for a historical marker remembering James T. Scott, who was lynched on Stewart Road Bridge in 1923. The marker will be unveiled September 30, near the intersection of Providence and Stewart roads. It will be a part of the African American Heritage trail. “Going to school here, they feel like they’re part of this community,” Whitt says. “For them, to recognize what happened to James T.
Scott is part of the way they were able to deal with all the turmoil happening on campus. It’s part of how they’re expressing themselves.” Faramola Shonekan, 18, started her freshman year at MU in August. As a junior at Rock Bridge High School, she helped the Sharp End Committee record oral histories of Columbia residents. Those interviews, and the stories of perseverance and fortitude, trials and tribulations, made a big impression and solidified her decision to major in history. “After each interview, I found myself stunned by the amount of things I didn’t know about black history and Columbia,” Shonekan says. “It made me realize that when looking at history, you can’t just look at the face of it. You have to look through it. There are more layers than what’s just at the top . . . I just don’t want this to be a quota for our community. I don’t want it to be a part of a checklist. I want us to go beyond that. I want us to be eager to learn from one another’s experiences.” Lawson shares Shonekan’s vision. There is still a story to be told. The question is: What will that story be? “Would it be possible to have something like a Sharp End again, where black businesses would be nurtured and given the necessary resources to thrive and create jobs, instilling that in children — that you can be a business person, that the sky is the limit?” Lawson says. “That’s my dream, that’s my hope, and that’s my prayer.” CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 57
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Ragtag
Back, left to right: Tony Layson, Glenn Rice, Cory McCarter, Justin Dennis, Steve Ruffin, Tracy Lane Front, left to right: Lindsay Youngbluth, Callie Lockheart, Ashley Nagel, Jonny Pez 60 SEPTEMBER 2016
Why the mischievous champions of independent film want to be way more than Columbia’s coolest movie theater. BY MATT PATSTO N | P H OTOS BY K E I TH B O R G ME YER
It can be hard to get the Ragtag group to focus. While I watched them (try to) pose for a photoshoot, I had flashbacks to feelings I had in grade school at recess, when I’d silently watch the group of kids whom I deeply admired for being cooler than I could ever hope to be. “Glenn, you’re going to have to pretend to like this.” “Smile like they just announced that they’re making a third Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” “Nagel, get on your phone. You’re always on your phone.” (At this point, Steve Ruffin, Ragtag’s technical director, pulls up a picture of himself on his phone and starts holding it in front of his face.) “Think about Nicolas Cage.” “No!” “What was that movie where Nicole Kidman had to make out with Nicolas Cage? Was that ‘Tresspass’?” “With Nicole Kidman and Nic Cage? Yeah, ‘Trespass’” “Oh god, can you imagine?” “How much money did she make to make out with him?” They begin pulling up pictures of other people on their phones who couldn’t make it to the shoot. Several people in the second and third row of couches try to find an appropriate way to kick their feet up on a seat; in the front row, Lindsay Youngbluth, Callie Lockheart, and Ashley Nagel figure out various ways to cuddle, while Jonny Pez, ankle slung over knee, arms crossed, grins. Tracy Lane, the Ragtag Film Society’s executive director, sits in the back right, smiling at everything. “You’re not taking notes on this, right?” someone yells at me. “No, totally unrelated,” I say, pointing at a notepad, ecstatic to be in on the joke. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 61
I
n 1990, Richard King moved his concert venue, The Blue Note, downtown. An impressive roster of indie rock bands kept coming through to play at King’s venue, to the surprise of a young music journalism student, Tracy Lane. Lane had moved to Columbia from L.A. for school, and she got to know King while waitressing at Boone Tavern, where she worked with King’s girlfriend and future wife, Patty. King would come in to flirt with Patty, and while he was waiting for her, he would talk with Tracy about music. Tracy was an indie rock fan during what she considers to be the best time to be an indie rock fan, and she cultivated a deep knowledge of the scene that King was attracting to The Blue Note. He offered her a job as an office assistant, and then, in 1991, as general manager. She was 22 years old. “I feel like I’m one of those people who has always been in the right place at the right time,” Lane says. “I mean, working at The Blue Note in the early ’90s — there couldn’t have been a better time to run an independent music club.” Lane’s responsibilities at The Blue Note took intense dedication, which seems to come naturally to her. In 1993, while King was away on a golf trip, it snowed nearly two feet in Columbia. The town stopped. No one could get anywhere. A band was scheduled to play that night, and Lane, lacking any connection to the band besides the tour manager’s phone number at The Blue Note, walked from East Campus to her office to call and cancel. Lane’s tenure at the Blue Note came to an end in late 1995, when Oklahoma City-based psych rock band The Flaming Lips played a show at The Blue Note. “To cut to the chase,” Lane says, “I fell in love with the tour manager that night. He asked me to marry him that night. He asked me to go on tour with them, and the next morning, I told Richard I was going. That was it. . . Everybody was shocked, because I was really married to my work. My life was completely about the music and the club and making it work.” Lane’s last night at The Blue Note was New Year’s Eve, 1995. She moved to Oklahoma City, where she and her husband ran a concert production company for three years. Clear Channel, the mass media juggernaut, began competing against them in 1998, at which point Lane and her husband stopped booking shows. “The glory days of the independent music scene were over,” she says. Her husband kept touring; the couple had a daughter, 62 SEPTEMBER 2016
and Tracy happily settled into the role of stayat-home mom. Back in Columbia, The Blue Note was still busy.
F
ew organizations in Columbia are as aptly named as the Ragtag Film Society. In 1997, the “film society” was a group of friends (and “countless disenfranchised Columbia youth,” as Ragtag’s official history notes) who got together at The Blue Note to drink beer and watch whatever good movies they got their hands on. At an early screening of the Japanese fantasy anime film “Princess Monanoke” — the society’s first time using a 35mm projection system — the reels got mixed up. The third and fourth reel were switched, jumping the audience ahead in the narrative. Somebody yelled, “It’s foreshadowing!” and everyone laughed. Steve Ruffin told me the “Princess Monanoke” story. Ruffin is tall and thin, with gray scruff and thick, round glasses. A lifelong fan of silent films (at age 10, he began ordering copies of obscure films through the mail, shipped from California), he fit the Ragtag scene naturally. “The atmosphere was very, very easygoing,” Ruffin says. “It was just very nice, enjoyable people who wanted to see the film. A lot of times, you can go to the multiplex and you’re just going to see a film to see a film, to escape, which is great. But those [Ragtag] films weren’t to escape. It was to think about things. It’s about conversation and just — it’s an art form! Sometimes. Sometimes it’s not, and that’s fine and that serves a purpose too, but . . . it was just a really fun atmosphere, I guess.” The Blue Note screenings quickly attracted enough of a community that a Ragtag storefront became possible. The film society partnered with Bonavita Enterprises to open Ragtag Cinemacafé in 2000, in a building on Tenth Street. Ruffin started working there a while after — he dropped in one day to have a beer and see Tim Spence, who was running the place. Spence looked ragged. Ruffin offered to help out in the kitchen. The next day, Spence offered him a job. “Especially early on, it was a lot of people just pulling together to get things done,” Ruffin says. “You either knew somebody solid or tangentially, and then you met them when you started to work together.” In the early 2000s, Ragtag continued building a bigger profile. In 2004, they reconfigured as a nonprofit; that was also the first year of the True/False Film Festival, conceived by original Ragtaggers David Wilson and Paul Sturtz.
The festival would go on to arguably become Columbia’s signature cultural event — they sold nearly 50,000 tickets last year — and an inseparable companion to the Ragtag theater. Today, the festival and the theater are split as separate operations within the larger film society, but True/False helped cement Ragtag’s reputation as a cultural institution: Columbia’s home for the art of independent film. In 2007, three years after True/False’s initial run, Columbia added another festival, the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival. Richard King, of The Blue Note, took over the festival after a successful first year, and he hired a new director: Tracy Lane, who had moved back to mid-Mis-
souri to raise her daughter in the Columbia arts community. Lane worked at Roots N Blues as its sole paid employee for one year before joining True/False as development director. A year later, after the executive director of Ragtag Film Society had left, she took that job. Ragtag had since outgrown their Tenth Street home. They raised enough money to move into the old Coca-Cola bottling building on Hitt Street, the building now affectionately nicknamed “Hittsville.” Ragtag established a permanent home in Hittsville, which they share with Uprise Bakery, which also runs the bar, and Hitt Records, a record store. (Hitt Records originally occu-
pied part of the attic; 9th Street Video, another Hittsville tenant, closed in April and the record store expanded into its space). The three businesses, while separate, share resources in the building, occasionally including employees and volunteers. “We all coexist peacefully,” Lane says. “It’s to our benefit that they’re here, and I think they’d say the same of us.” The little things make Hittsville feel like a home — the box office, hallways, and both of Ragtag’s theaters are brimming with running gags. A pair of googly eyes moves strategically from movie poster to movie poster (when this story was being written, they were over Viggo Mortenson’s face in the poster for “Captain
Fantastic”); paper cutouts of movie characters, like Sally Field in “Hello, My Name is Doris,” peek out from behind frames and edges. The signs for movie showtimes are written in magic marker on printer paper. Even more face cutouts are pasted up against unused projection windows (they can scare the hell out of you if you’re not expecting it). The big theater, though mostly filled with vintage-ish folding theater seats, has a few rows of Ragtag’s signature used couches, donated by a handful of individuals in their 2007-2008 capital campaign. The Willy Wilson Theater, named after local artist and early film society member Willy Wilson, has entirely moveable seating. Wilson passed COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 63
away in 2013, and the small theater was remade in his memory; local artist Michael Marcum built a sculpture along one wall of the room from copper pipes and trinkets from Wilson’s workshop, including, in a secured box, Wilson’s pipe. On the opposite wall, local artist Jessie Starbuck painted a quote of Wilson’s, “Nothing is impossible; impossible just takes a wee bit longer.” “I think that Ragtag provides a living room for the community,” says Ann Mehr, a Lee Expres64 SEPTEMBER 2016
sive Arts Elementary School arts teacher and Ragtag fanatic. “We can literally sit on the couches and watch a film. And not only do they have a consistently challenging roster of films, they provide a space to talk about it.” And talking about art is kind of the point at Ragtag. “I mean, I’ve never had a discussion with people at a megaplex,” Ruffin says. “Everyone just gets up and leaves. Like this, finding others that enjoy something and getting in conversations that push both to go deeper, then maybe you go, ‘Oh, you mentioned that film, we’re going to go find that and maybe watch it together.’”
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n their commitment to providing a thought-provoking cinematic experience for all their patrons, Ragtag swims a bit against the 21st century current. Lane estimates that the average Ragtag patron is about 60 years old; her daughter, now 17, is perfectly happy to watch a movie on her cell phone. Ragtag routinely brings in classes of CPS students for movie-watching field trips, and for many of the kids, it’s their first time in a movie theater. Ragtag is a Partner in Education with Lee, the expressive arts school just a couple blocks away — “They’re the most amazing Partner in Education in the universe,” according to Mehr. Ragtag works with students on different projects, including the field trips and film discussions, but also things like a charming series of stop-motion movies produced by a class of Lee fifth graders.
Left to right: Michael Marcum, Kyle Cook, Ashley Nagel
Ragtag is bolstering their education program, hoping to reach more CPS students and teachers, and thus help create a new generation of consumers who appreciate the art of film. The Media Literacy Initiative, part of a partnership with the CPS Foundation, will “Help young people navigate the massive media landscape in the palm of their hands,” Lane says. “We’ll help them decipher that stuff.” The CPS Foundation pledged a little over $114,000 to the program over three years. Part of the initiative is a continuation of Ragtag’s existing education activities, like the field trips and film discussions, but it will also put a new focus on training teachers to effectively integrate media in their own classrooms. Ragtag will help teachers develop independent media plans relevant to their curriculum, exposing kids to types of things they might never see otherwise. I ask Lane if it’s hard to get the kids to see Ragtag’s value. It’s not. “We just bring them in,” she says. “It’s a field trip and your class is going, so you go — but the kids are very happy when they leave.”
“Kids are visual learners,” Mehr says. “One of the things we have to do at Lee is learn how to be a good audience member.” And part of that means actually taking the time to experience a place like Ragtag — a nonprofit, independent movie theater that would spend time and resources showing free movies to kids. Ragtag’s education initiatives will be crucial to its continued health. They’re recruiting their future supporters. “We have a very loyal community, and without that community, Ragtag wouldn’t exist,” Lane says. “We rely very heavily on donations and memberships that help us reach the larger community.” As Lane and Mehr both point out, children in the community are increasingly growing up oblivious to independent film. Those who do go to movie theaters generally go to big theaters to see big movies. Ragtag won’t survive by drawing huge crowds and making piles of money; they’ll need to get a new generation to realize that their mission is important, if not necessarily profitable. “The arts are never efficient,” Mehr says. “Life is never efficient.”
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ost projection systems today are all-digital, but Ragtag still maintains a pair of old reel systems in addition to their digital set-up. The door leading from the big theater to the projection room is marked off by a sign that says “Non-entry strictly permitted.” The projection room itself inspires awe with its eccentricity. The door is covered with autographs of various visitors — somewhat mysteriously, someone filled in the space marked off for The Three Stooges. The shelves and surrounding areas are packed with random records, movies, and books (Meat Loaf’s autobiography, “To Hell and Back,” was lying in a conspicuously accessible location), along with other randomness that’s hard to identify. When looking for a photo prop, Ashley Nagel grabs the vinyl edition of the “Apollo 13” soundtrack. Before plopping down in an old armchair, Ruffin grabs an inflatable flotation tube made to look like a tire and slides himself through it. On the room’s desktop computer, Tony Layson pulls up “Charade,” the 1963 Audrey Hepburn film, and freezes it during the scene when Hepburn’s COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 65
Left to right: Ashley Nagel, Steve Ruffin, Tony Layson
character watches Cary Grant’s character take a shower while fully dressed in a suit. Lots of masks are lying around, including, unsurprisingly, one of the oft mocked Nic Cage. “Some people have worked here a long time, others have just come through, others come through, and a year or two later, come back,” Ruffin says. “I don’t know, it’s — I don’t want to say a large family, but it’s more like an extended family, in a way.” Since Lane started working as director, another inconvenient, though somewhat grat66 SEPTEMBER 2016
ifying, challenge has come about — art house films have become popular. Most of the big movie producers now have divisions devoted to the kind of indie films that Ragtag has always shown. Regal Entertainment, the company that owns the Hollywood Theaters on Stadium Boulevard, started buying the same films that Ragtag was trying to buy, giving Lane flashbacks to the days of bidding against Clear Channel in Oklahoma City. “I think that quite often the distributor, the actual human being that Paul [Sturtz,
who still manages Ragtag’s programming] is talking to on the other end of the phone, knows the value of our audience,” Lane says. “They know that, yeah, our auditoriums are smaller and it’s only going to go on one screen, but we’ll promote it and people will see it.” More than once, Lane adds, people have waited for a film to go through its initial run at Regal before seeing it at Ragtag. She doesn’t even see them as serving the same market, really. Big theaters sell people a movie ticket; Ragtag sells an experience.
Since The Blue Note moved downtown in 1990, and since the first True/False Festival in 2004, Ragtag has matured alongside the rest of Columbia’s arts community, which has earned them diehard loyalty among its members. Between St. Louis and Kansas City, Ragtag is the only theater of its kind. “I consider this place a minor miracle,” Ann Mehr says. “Maybe a major miracle.” Back in the projection booth, Nagel finds a more elegant photo prop — film. It’s a familiar, translucent swirl of light and dark brown, and seemingly endless. Ruffin hands Nagel a pair of thin white gloves to handle it. They lock the reels into place and loop the film through the projector, delicately, ready to play at any moment. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 67
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IN BUSINESS After a busy workday, some people go home and relax. Others perform on stage. Or make a leather briefcase. Or play the saxophone. Meet Kevin Brown, Lawrence Simonson, and Michele Curry — three professionals with a passion for off-the-clock creativity. BY SA R A H E V E R E TT | P H OTOS BY K E I TH B O R G M E Y E R
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KEVIN BROWN
Dr. Kevin Brown, Columbia Public Schools’ new assistant superintendent, never goes anywhere without his saxophone. He plays both tenor and soprano sax, and he started when he was 23, fresh out of grad school and teaching at Southern University of Baton Rouge. “I was teaching kids at the university basically my same age,” Brown says. “I went to a pawn shop, and I just wanted to look around, and I saw some instruments, and I had a master’s degree and everything, and I decided not to teach summer school — I wanted to learn how to play the saxophone.” He started out teaching himself, squeaking out the notes to “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” He baffled his parents by playing “Jingle Bells” repetitively in July. Eventually, he got a private teacher, and once he got good enough, he studied at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, in Milwaukee, under instructor Berkley Fudge, a famed Wisconsin saxophonist. Brown taught in the daytime and played in the nighttime. “To be honest, I’m glad it happened late in life for me because most people put their instru70 SEPTEMBER 2016
ments down, but I had gotten my education out of the way, so I wasn’t depending on the instrument to make money,” Brown said. “You know, I had a teaching job, but I surrounded myself with other people who knew far more than I did, so I was able to gather stuff from them and practice for hours and hours, and I did, and I’ve been playing ever since.” Brown thinks learning music can be an important part of education, and he appreciates the emotional side of learning music. “Being a jazz musician, or an improviser, has sometimes helped me on the job in dealing with things that I’ve never dealt with before,” he says. “But on the other side of that, it’s a great outlet. It allows for relaxation. Brown has taught psychology, sociology, government, and history at collegiate and secondary levels, and this is his first year as assistant superintendent for secondary schools. In his role, he will ensure that middle and high schools align to the CPS vision for student success. “This includes making sure that your principals are savvy and that they are strong, instructional leaders with the capacity to lead their faculty and staff, and ensuring that the teachers
are doing what is best for all students every 50 minutes throughout the day,” Brown says. He specifically would like to focus on equity and achievement gap concerns. For Brown, education and music are both passions. Every once in a while, he wonders what his life would be like if he had pursued music professionally. “Every time I hear Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, every time I hear the great jazz people that no longer live – and still live, such as Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton – I have strong desires and wishes to play at that capacity.” But you can only professionally pick one, Brown says; “You can’t straddle the fence.” After playing with two bands in the past in Wisconsin, Brown is looking forward to meeting musicians in Columbia. He has played at Murry’s before. Brown was out to dinner at the restaurant while interviewing for his position in Columbia, and he asked if he could sit in with the band. “They said, ‘You have your instrument with you?’” Brown remembers. Luckily, he had it in his car.
L AW R E N C E S I M O N S O N
LEATHER AND BIKES
Sometimes, a job can lead to a hobby, as is the case for Lawrence Simonson. Simonson is the assistant director at PedNet Coalition, encouraging bikeable, walkable, user-friendly transit. PedNet has had success in urging city council’s approval of several major biking and walking trails in Columbia. They have helped pass biker protection ordinances, and they offer programming on bike safety, youth biking, and general access to bikes. “I was always really into an active lifestyle,” Simonson says. “I always really liked bikes. You know, in college, I didn’t have a car; that’s how I got around.” Not surprisingly, Simonson bikes to work every day. “I really, truly believe that if you give me any kind of problem in the world, I can always solve it with a bike in some way or another,” he says. While biking to meetings, he ran into a problem. He felt his canvas bag that he biked with didn’t match the caliber of the suit he was wearing or the meetings he was attending. Eventually, he found a bike-friendly briefcase he liked online, but it wasn’t sold in the United States.
“As I got to looking at it, I thought, You know, it doesn’t look like it would be that hard to make,” he says. Simonson started out making small leather items. He researched materials and ordered them online: small cutting tools, natural leather, dyes, and a green, lined, cutting mat. He started by making a belt. It took him three days. Now, Simonson makes tote bags, women’s purses, wallets, belts, key chains, briefcases, and, of course, bike accessories. He has a leather saddle bag with wood detailing beneath his bike seat. His current briefcase can clip on his bike, and it looks much better than a canvas bag. Making a belt now takes him about an hour. The leather comes in large, thick sheets, or what Simonson describes as “half a cow.” It’s not dyed; it’s a creamy, white color. Simonson dyes it, cuts it, punches holes in it, stitches it, then rivets it all together. He does it all by hand. “I’m pretty sure I’ll have arthritis in the next five years,” he jokes. Simonson gets lost in the craft. What feels like 30 minutes of working can actually be five hours. “I don’t use any kind of predesigned thing, and so I look at pictures,” he says. “I find things
I like about different pieces, and then I have to — in my head — kind of come up with a plan of how I’m going to create that. I really like that part about thinking about it.” Simonson gave away one of the first briefcases he made as a graduation gift, and he continues to prefer gifting the items over selling them. He’s given plenty leather products away, some to coworkers. “I do think people find it surprising, occasionally, when they find out that this is something I do,” Simonson says, “mostly because it’s, you know, something I do on a little card table in my basement.” Sometimes friends offer to cover the cost of materials, but otherwise, Simonson is not really interested in selling his work; it might take the fun out of it. His hobby, which stemmed from biking, can be a nice break from work. “I’m very passionate about the work we do, and so it feels less like a job and more like a lifestyle, so it really is almost like a 24-hour job,” Simonson says. “This is one way for me to kind of get a bit of an escape.” COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 71
MICHELE CURRY
WORKING 9 TO 5
When Michele Curry was in high school, she decided to try something new. She auditioned for her first musical, “My Fair Lady,” and landed a chorus role. She fell in love. Her first starring role in a musical was in “9 to 5,” which originally featured Dolly Parton, and she has had several leading roles since. Most recently, she was up in wires as Mary Poppins in a Columbia Entertainment Company production. “I went straight from doing high school productions to wanting to continue this passion of theater,” she says. “So I just jumped, two feet in.” She researched various theaters and roles in Columbia, post-graduation, and found a home at Columbia Entertainment Company. She’s been performing with them for 10 years, and last year, she joined the CEC board. Curry plays many roles (on and off stage) at the theater. She is secretary of the board, volunteer coordinator, social media liaison, and assistant marketing chair. In addition, she’s a treasury services implementation specialist at Commerce Bank. She assists commercial clients with incoming and outgoing cash flow, providing products and ser72 SEPTEMBER 2016
vices to make cash exchanges more efficient and cost effective. “I can do theater because of the bank,” Curry says. “I couldn’t do 15 to 20 hours of volunteer labor if I didn’t have something to fall back on as wonderful and as flexible as the banking industry.” Columbia Entertainment Company is solely volunteer based, with no paid actors. Curry likes this aspect of it. “It’s just all members of the community coming together for something that they all love to do.” Curry says. “So you could go see your neighbor up there, somebody’s who’s had a hidden passion, or that you didn’t even know did this sort of thing.” Or perhaps even your banker. Time management, Curry says, is her biggest challenge. Even when a show is coming up, she tries to devote all of her attention to the bank when at work. She has a large support system at the bank; a group of her co-workers come to every show. “I believe I do possess a very strong skill set of data analytics and things like that, organization-wise, so I feed off of that during the day, and then at night, when I do the creative stuff, it’s a whole other world,” Curry says.
However, sometimes those worlds overlap. Both require speaking and communication skills. “My job is customer facing, and having acting skills and performing skills helps you become a better speaker in general, no matter what crowd you’re in front of or who you’re trying to talk to,” she says. Curry has a knack for memorizing lines. Sometimes, this parallels communication with clients. She says, “My particular trick is learning the whole conversation first, so if you know you’re trying to get from point A to point B, it doesn’t matter what you say, you’ve just got to get there, and then you just kind of refine, refine, refine until you get the lines just right.” Curry has several dream roles, one of which she has already fulfilled (as Little Red Riding Hood, in “Into the Woods” at MU). Curry prefers more contemporary musicals, and she would love a chance to be Elle Woods in the “Legally Blonde” musical, or Jo, from “Little Women, The Musical.” “Being a Disney princess always works too,” Curry says. She will be on stage next as Ariel, in “The Little Mermaid,” opening September 1. The show will run September 1 through 5, 8 through 11, and 15 through 18. CBT
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The Secret Life of the Local Art Collector Columbia collectors illustrate how easy curating your own museum can be.
BY B E TH B R A M STE DT P H OTOS BY K E I TH B O R G ME Y E R
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Columbia’s downtown streets ooze with opportunities to experience local art, and the city calendar overflows with festivals and events showcasing local artists and their work. Simply slip on your walking shoes the first Friday of any month and trek to the North Village Arts District, where galleries, shops, and businesses open their doors for an art crawl featuring live music, art demonstrations, children’s activities, and more. Stop in the Columbia Art League, Artlandish, or Orr Street Studios. It doesn’t take much to connect with the places that sell art, or the people who create it. But what about those who purchase it? Who are Columbia’s art collectors, and what are they like?
FEEDING THEIR SOULS Robin LaBrunerie got her real start in art collecting thanks to a smart, affectionate, instinctive collie mix named Daisy. Robin and her husband, Alex, began purchasing art 15 years ago and had a dozen or so works in their home before meeting Daisy. Robin became friends with local art and antique dealers Melissa Williams and Doug Solliday, who own a second story gallery on Ninth Street. Williams and Solliday traveled to the East Coast frequently on business and needed a dog sitter for Doug’s pooch, Daisy. Robin and Alex had small children who were clamoring for a pet. “It was a win-win,” Robin says. “Our family loved Daisy so much that it was hard to accept cash payment for taking care of her.” Williams’ solution: give Robin credit toward art purchases that she wasn’t in a position to afford on her own. Robin will never forget building up her “Daisy dollars,” adding a little cash, and purchasing what is still one of her favorite pieces, a townscape by Missouri painter Bernard Peters. “Peters helped found the Ste. Genevieve colony of artists in the mid-20th century,” Robin says, “and the painting has a beautiful use of color and shadow, and a very Midwest feel to me.” Since those early dog-sitting days, Robin and Alex have added more than 85 pieces to their collection, featuring both vintage art and local, living artists like Russell Green and Pat Gaines. “My husband and I have always wanted to fill our home with art,” Robin says. “We want to be surrounded by things that feed our soul.” Nestled on a quiet street near the public library, Robin and Alex’s home features a variety of styles and periods of art. “We are fortunate to have an older home with many rooms and a lot of wall
space,” Robin says. “Each room has a different look as far as furnishings, colors, and even eras.” Robin likes to mix things up, and she has some unexpected combinations of art. She’s also passionate about helping others in Columbia see just how accessible and affordable original art can be. “I want people to know that they can have artwork on their walls that means something,” she says, “that they can purchase interesting, pleasing, stimulating pieces right here in Boone County.”
I want people to know t hey c an have ar t wor k on t heir walls t hat m eans som et hing. TELLING THEIR STORY Radiologist Maxwell Lazinger purchased his first piece of art 12 years ago when he walked into what was then PS Gallery, met co-owner Jennifer Perlow, and fell in love with a painting of a sunset. “The pigments were mixed with wax, creating a translucent feeling,” Max says. “The painting changed depending on the light in the room. It reminded me of growing up on the Jersey Shore.” Since then, Max has met his wife, Julie, and the couple has made a habit of attending exhibits at the gallery, now called Sager Braudis and owned by Joel Sager and Scott Braudis. Max and Julie have expanded their collection to over 100 works of art, each adding meaning to their bustling two-story home tucked away on a cul-desac in the Thornbrook subdivision. “Every piece has a story, or a feeling,” says Julie, her eyes circling the entryway and open living spaces on the first floor. “When I look at our home, it tells our story, the story of our life together.” Much of their collection was purchased from places they love to travel, bought as gifts
for each other, or acquired because it evoked a memory of a meaningful time in their lives. One of their favorite pieces is an expansive, flamboyant acrylic on canvas by Jonas Gerard, a self-styled abstract expressionist from Asheville, North Carolina. The painting holds a prominent place above the mantel in their sitting room. “We were literally on the way to the airport when we decided to pull in the gallery,” Max shares. “We fell in love with a lithograph of this painting, purchased it, and asked if it would be possible to see the original.” They learned that the painting had been a gift to the artist’s friend. The friend had died, and the artist had reacquired the painting for his personal collection. The original was located at a gallery nearby. Max and Julie quickly decided to make one more stop before catching their plane. “When the curator pulled out the painting, we were awestruck,” Max says. A moment later, the artist came out to meet them. “He was a charming man in his 70s, and we really connected,” Max continues. “It was not the best time to spend the most money you’ve ever spent on a piece of art, but that’s what happened.” One of Julie’s favorite art stories involves a gold tone of an Edward Curtis photograph that Max bought for her birthday last October. Curtis was a prominent Native American photographer at the turn of the century; Julie had read a book about his life, was fascinated, and shared excerpts with Max during their reading times together. Max looked into purchasing one of Curtis’ photos and stumbled upon the Christopher Cardozo Galleries in St. Paul, Minnesota. Cardozo, who is widely known as the world’s leading expert on Curtis, had acquired 60 original negatives of his work. Max was able to search the archives and choose one for Julie’s birthday gift. To make the surprise even more meaningful, Cardozo emailed Max that “One Hundred Masterworks,” an exhibit of Curtis’ photographs, would be on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa. Max surprised Julie with a day trip, and the experience came full circle when Cardozo unexpectedly sent the companion coffee table book to them in the mail. Max and Julie are committed to supporting the art community by buying work from local, living artists. They have purchased 38 works of art and 11 pieces of fine jewelry from the Sager Braudis Gallery, and have the largest known single collection of Joel Sager’s personal work. Sager paints landscapes, still life, and portraiture, and before purchasing PS Gallery in 2013, COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 75
Creating Your Own Collection 1. Go where the artists are. “The art scene in Columbia is alive and well,” says northeast Missouri collector Kelly Lewis, who regularly drives into town to hang out with artists. Lewis is partial to Americana, folk art, and antiques, and she has a soft spot for Joel Sager’s “Rural Structures” series. Lewis encourages future collectors to visit local galleries and festivals until they find what has meaning for them. “For me, it’s about having a reaction to a painting, something that will add to my quality of life and makes me happy.” In addition to attending First Fridays in Columbia’s North Village Arts District, Lewis recommends connecting with artists at regional events like the Macon Fork & Cork Artisan Festival, the Red Barn Arts and Crafts Festival, in Kirksville, and the Autumn Historic Folklife Festival, in Hannibal. 2. Purchase pieces that move you. “People are looking for art that reflects themselves back to them,” says Melissa Williams, local art seller and broker. “When they find it, it’s like a bell rings for them. It rings for everyone. You just have to tune your ear.” “Our gallery is all about relationships,” says Amy Meyer, curator of Sager Braudis Gallery. “Introducing our patrons to artists and artworks that they can connect with is a joy.” Meyer encourages buyers to experience the art they are considering, even if that means taking it home on a trial basis. She says, “We want people to love works they acquire.” 3. Take advantage of local inspiration. Jefferson City physician David Lancaster has never thought of himself as a collector, just an appreciator of art. The benefactor of a rich artistic heritage, David likes to hang out in downtown Columbia with his family whenever he has the chance. “There’s a growing creative vibe in Columbia,” he says. “It makes for an inspirational climate.” David and his wife will often make a night of the art scene in downtown Columbia, bringing their three school-age children to town for a nice dinner and a tour of their favorite spots, including Orr Street Studios, Columbia Art League, and Sager Braudis. “I love all types of art. It’s what makes us human,” David says. “If we see something we love and can afford it, we’ll purchase it. Art can evoke emotions that words can’t come close to expressing.” 4. Think long-term. Law professor Thom Lambert and Peter Kingma, partner at Ernst & Young, split their time between Chicago and Columbia and often rotate their art between homes. They have been active collectors for seven years and even commissioned local artist David Spear to create a mural that reflects their dual city lifestyle. Peter and Thom have purchased more than 30 works of art from Sager Braudis, most by Missouri artists, and are especially fond of two pieces from JD King’s “Workhorse” series. Peter encourages collectors to think of art as something to be treasured for generations. “We live in such a disposable world, where things come in and out of fashion,” he says. “I take comfort in the fact that, for years to come, I will be able to take solace in pieces like Joel Sager’s landscapes." 76 SEPTEMBER 2016
he was the artist-in-residence. His process often involves a distinctive mixture of media, incorporating tar with oil pigments or wallpaper with squid ink. In his “Rural Structures” series, which reminds Julie of previous years spent in Fargo, North Dakota, Joel incorporates handcut paper into the slats for imagined barns and rural houses. Having been friends with Joel for years, Max has been known to see a farm or a barn on his travels, snap a picture, and pass it along. “Next thing I know, he’s painting it,” says Max. One such painting hangs in Max and Julie’s upstairs hallway, amidst other pieces from the series. Adding to the uniqueness of their home, Max and Julie’s collection also includes various sculptures, clay pieces made from kitchen tools, a tile mosaic, a Grecian vase, and a set of porcelain teapots, most purchased from Bluestem Missouri Crafts or Art in the Park. To highlight his love of music, Max has also commissioned several pieces from Columbia graphic artist David Spear, including a piece featuring his three favorite guitar players: Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. Max and Julie admit that their real interest in art has evolved since moving to Columbia, where they can interact personally with artists like Joel. “What’s nice about Columbia is that the artists are all around you,” Max says. “And that creates a real connection for me as a collector.”
SHOWCASING HIS STYLE Attorney Dan Coffman purchased his first piece of art in 2009, after graduating from William Jewell College in Kansas City. “I got my first real apartment and needed to spruce up the place,” he says. So he headed to the Plaza Art Fair and came home with an acrylic painting of a sailboat from contemporary impressionist Mike Savage. “I loved the texture and the bold colors and brushstrokes,” he says. The painting cost him $200 and currently hangs in his dining room. From there, he made the commitment to add at least one piece to his collection each year. In the fall of 2011, Dan moved to Columbia for law school. He remembers attending an event for students at his professor’s home. “We started talking art and furniture, and he mentioned the places he frequented,” he says. “From there, I made friends with Melissa Williams and began picking up pieces as I graduated and had means.” Dan’s current collection includes more than 20 paintings and drawings, as well as a small collection of glass vases and lamps from Doug Solliday. He enjoys the aesthetics of mid-century art and has focused his collection on that time period. “There’s something special about finding original art from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s,” he says. “It has a little more history and character, and a distinct feel to it.”
Dan Coffman sits in his living room. Coffman, a recent art collector, has more than 20 paintings and drawings in his collection.
Dan’s appreciation for modern, clean lines extends to his furniture and creates a distinct look and feel that has transformed his unassuming two-bedroom apartment on East Broadway into a home that showcases his personality and style. As a young attorney, Dan says his investment has been modest. He acquired several pieces, like pencil drawings and sketches, for as little as $35 each. His most expensive purchase has been an oil painting from Art in the Park for $750. Dan admits that, in many cases, the cost of framing has exceeded the price of the painting. “I always regret if I skimp on framing,” he says. “If you’re going to own a piece the rest of your life, and if you’re willing to spend the money on the painting, then you need to use high quality materials on the glass and framing.” Among Dan’s collection is an etching by Columbia cartoonist and artist Frank Stack, as well as two arrangements featuring work by local artists Robert Bussabarger and John Wehmer that he acquired from Melissa Williams. Bussabarger was an art professor at MU from 1953 to 1991 and died in 2013, leaving behind 60 years of eclectic art that focused on capturing the world around him. Among other pieces, Williams acquired a sketchbook from Bussabarger’s travels in Europe, and Dan was able to purchase a series of pencil drawings and frame them. They now hang above the couch in his living room. John Wehmer was born in St. Louis in 1927, studied at Washington University, and created a series of paintings from 1955 to 1965 that cast an original take on abstract expressionism. After becoming disillusioned with the art scene in the late ’60s, Wehmer put his canvases away, and his “Unseen Forces” collection did not see the light of day until 2013, when Williams encouraged him to show his paintings once again. Thanks to her persuasiveness, Dan had the opportunity to purchase two of Wehmer’s artist’s proofs, including “Green Landscape,” a bold black and gold abstract, which now hangs in his home office. “Every time I look at it, I imagine an overhead view of a landscape,” Dan says, “like I’m seeing the ground from a plane.” Dan is always on the lookout for the next piece to add to his collection, but is currently saving to purchase a few larger, intentional pieces. “If I liked a piece and could afford it, I used to buy it,” Dan says. “Now, I have a better idea of what I like, what fits my style, and where I want to put it.” CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 77
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B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P ROVE M E N T • F YI
ASK AN N E
not, watch how many hours it’s truly taking to get the work done. Perhaps you only need a part-time or temporary payroll specialist. I hope that when you are ready to start searching for answers, you will look at your local payroll companies instead of the mighty national names. Make sure to ask them the hard questions on costs and benefits, and get a breakdown before buying. From my experience, I know that local companies will have more patience with you and your growing pains. And call me if I can answer any more questions!
Q I need to check references on a couple of candidates but don’t know what to ask. Can you help me decide what’s important?
A SK A N N E
Payroll and People Searching BY A N N E W ILLIAM S | P re side n t of JobF in de r s E m p l oy m e n t S e r vi ce s
Q My office manager is doing our payroll now. We have seven internal employees and about 40 external part-time to fulltime people. It takes about two days now, but the problem is that we’re growing. Should I hire a payroll specialist or outsource it? Sincerely, Growing Pains
This is a tough question that I have personally encountered. I utilized a payroll company for five years, then brought payroll in-house, outsourced it for several more, and now have it back inside, forever.
It all came down to control and cost for me. Please consider all costs, including software, hardware, paper, toner, W4s, W2s, mailings, postage, employee time and wage, office space, desks, and anything else associated with the cost of completing the payroll when searching for answers. Make sure you know your company’s costs, and also know the charges you will pay if you outsource your payroll. As you grow, you will have more unemployment claims, garnishments, social services requests for information, etc., which are all related to payroll. The paperwork alone could add hours upon hours per day. If your office manager makes over the soonto-be $47,476 threshold to be exempt, and thus not be eligible for overtime pay, you may just want to keep it in-house for a while, but watch for signs of burnout. If they do
Sincerely, Needing Help
Reference checking is not for the faint of heart. It is not easy and takes a vast amount of time, and the results often get skewed because you, the employer, already have a favorite. One of the first things to do when reference checking is to promise yourself you will ask each reference the same questions about each candidate. When you do this, you will be able to compare apples to apples when the time for the final decision comes. The second important thing is to make sure you talk to the right people. Don’t rely only on the names that the job candidate gives you. They may give you names of people who like them and want them to get the job you are offering. Instead, do a little homework to find out the “who’s who” in the department or the company you are contacting and call them. Remember, many HR departments cannot give any information except dates of hire when you contact them. Don’t stop there: do some networking and social media research, or call department heads to get to the right people for answers. 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. COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 79
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B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P ROVE M E N T • F YI
OR G A N I ZAT I ON AL H EALT H
3. I can’t trust people because they’ll just hurt me. They probably will. I can say I have lived a life of trusting many people, and I have probably been hurt more deeply than most would imagine. On the other hand, I have met the most awesome and fascinating people in the world. The toll fee is worth the trust trip. With every new person I meet, I’ll always give him or her my full trust until he or she violates it. This is how I’ve been able to make so many great friends in my life and build so many amazing connections.
ORGA N I Z AT IONAL HE ALTH
Five Self-Limiting Beliefs that Can Hold You Back 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
SELF-LIMITING BELIEFS ARE THOSE things you believe whether you are conscious of them or not, beliefs that tend to mask your talent and dampen your dreams. They create an atmosphere where you don’t try things you need to try. They are deeply held thoughts you truly believe, and they’re more emotional than logical. They stem from fears of all sorts. We all know that very few people can sing as well as Frank Sinatra, or paint as well as Van Gogh, or write as well as Hemingway. But does that mean you shouldn’t sing, paint, or write? Absolutely not. Do it to your heart’s content. The more you do it purposefully, the more you will improve, but you must defeat the self-limiting beliefs first. Here are a few common self-limiting beliefs to watch for and guard against. 1. I’ll be judged for being the real me. You probably will, but why be afraid of that? Why put so much weight on another person's
opinion, especially if it’s unsolicited? Sure, if you ask for the feedback, you should listen to it and receive it as a gift. However, if someone gives their unwanted opinion of you or your performance, who cares? It’s probably more for them than it is for you anyway. Take a pass on unsolicited feedback. 2. If I ask for what I really want, I’ll get rejected. You probably will. One thing is for sure — not many people get what they want by not asking. Those who ask, get. Those who ask big, get big. Not long ago, someone came to my door looking to make a sale. Although I wasn’t interested in his product, I asked him how many rejections he had gotten so far. “Six,” he replied. I told him that, although I would be seven, he would make a sale before he left my neighborhood because every rejection brings you closer to an acceptance. A few minutes later, he returned to my door to tell me he made a sale two doors down.
4. If I pursue my dreams, I may fail. You probably will have your share of failure. But that can work if you only risk what you can afford to lose. You can mitigate risk in a great way by having the right research, strategy, plan, and execution. Most of the people who have had these elements in place have been successful because they calculated and executed the proper amount of risk. You are no different. Failure is overdramatized in today’s world. People fail all the time; there’s no need to make a big deal out of it. What’s more important is the actions you take when things don’t go your way. How can you learn from your failures? How can you turn your failures into success? 5. I’m too old to pursue my dreams. You’re probably not. I was at a business conference in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago when I learned that one of my heroes, Peter Drucker, wrote a total of 39 books, and he wrote threefourths of them after the age of 50. If you often say that it’s too late to pursue your dreams, recognize that your age isn’t the real limiting factor here — your belief that it is a limiting factor is the limiting factor. Forget the standard societal track of success, where one needs to be at a certain place in life at a certain age to be considered successful. The most important thing is to take some kind of action now. Quit deferring your happiness. Act now. Try this on for size: I can improve my selfworth by opening myself up to critique, not with the intent of accepting all of it, but with the hope of evaluating all of it to choose my future improvement. Don’t limit yourself. Move forward. CBT COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 81
B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P ROVE M E N T • F YI
M ARKET I NG
No More Phony Photos 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
IN THE PAST, IT WAS POPULAR FOR businesses to feature stock photography in their marketing. While stock photos still have their place in the design world, I generally suggest that my clients use real imagery. And what I mean by real imagery is photos of your office, your people, your clients, and your world. Stock images may seem professional, but they only represent the concept of a business (as opposed to your real business), which means the fastest way to differentiate your business from others is using images of your company instead of the happy, glowing stock people. “There was a time when businesses could get away with using stock photography, but that time has passed,” says local photojournalist turned commercial photographer Dan Gill, owner of Dan Gill Photos. “People make 82 SEPTEMBER 2016
and share their own content on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. They know, now more than ever, when something is real or not. This is a great opportunity for us to show future and current customers, ‘You are real too.’” Quality photos make your business stand out from the crowd and entice visitors to stay on your site or read your ad, which ultimately leads to sales. “The average consumer’s attention span is getting shorter every day,” says Carl Neitzert, of Creative Photo, the second generation owner of the 25-yearold Columbia photography business. “The mind needs to be stimulated, and boring, poorly captured photos are not going to get anyone’s attention. Cardinals baseball games are a great example. During the commercial breaks, you’ll see a night-and-day difference
between a beer commercial and a St. Louis area car dealership commercial. Obviously, there are budget differences, but quite often, it appears local businesses put little to no effort into their content.” Access to photography has evolved with technology. I remember when I used to conserve my film for just the right photo — now I take photos on burst mode to make sure I don’t miss the right moment. Photos are how people tell their stories. Facebook places importance on images when showing posts to viewers and amasses 300 million photo uploads per day, according to Gizmodo. “Photography is an art, and lots of people can do it as a healthy creative outlet. That’s great for our minds and our communities,” says Casey Buckman, owner of Casey Buckman Photography. But while photography is a daily hobby of the masses, quality marketing photography is still scarce. “I cannot say that I have seen a drastic increase in the use of professional photography recently,” Neitzert says. “What I have seen is an increase of technology usage with lessthan professional results. The camera technology has evolved and advanced, but the average camera operator has not.” Buckman says the industry is flooded with well-intentioned creative people who don’t yet have the equipment, experience, or both to produce professional-quality imagery. “That said, ‘pro-level’ is to each their own,” he says. “After all, we’re all artists and have something to offer. It’s a matter of what businesses are willing to pay for and what they’ll be satisfied with.” Both Buckman and Neitzert have tracked an increase in their B2B photography clients recently. They attribute the uptick to the maturity of their companies, but this also signals that business owners are turning to professional photographers to get the job done. Working with a professional can save you time and provide more consistent results, and they’re “also going to be able to work with the marketing director to make sure that the final product is in tune with what the original vision was,” Neitzert says. But photographers need more than just artistic skill. As an artist and employer of artists, I can say from experience that not all of us are business-minded. When evaluating your options, consider things like punctuality, planning skills, proper equipment, communication, and experience in working under pressure.
M ARKE T IN G
Stock images may seem professional, but they only represent the concept of a business. Gill suggests taking time to evaluate the photographer’s work: “Does the photographer’s portfolio make your heart jump? Does it connect on a human level? Is there something about their work you love? . . . Probably the biggest question is, Do you work well together?” If you don’t have the budget for a professional, DIY photos are still preferable to no photos or stock images. Real faces engage viewers and tell your company’s story. Whichever way you go, keep it consistent. Don’t mix professional headshots with DIY staff photos; it’s a glaring inconsistency to clients. Neitzert says happy, smiling customers are the best subjects. Research has proven that photographs of people grab attention more than anything else. “Featuring photographs of satisfied customers in an ad will make viewers wonder why they are so happy,” Neitzert says. “You also score points with your customers.” Buckman says a must-have in business is an up-to-date and well lit headshot, especially for high-price sales. “At the end of the day, we are all communicating visually in our marketing,” Gill says. “Clear, well lit pictures with good color and compelling subjects rise to the top and resonate with people. So, find someone you want to work with, and make sure their work is something you can fall in love with.” CBT
FEATURED LISTING
15 S 10th Street Columbia, MO 65201 Size: 1,330-8,989 sq ft Zoning: C-2 Price: $1,500-$8,350/month Fantastic downtown location available for lease. Immediate occupancy available. Currently set up as an office but ownership will participate in renovations / changes to the space. Call for additional detail.
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 MP R OV E M E N T • F Y I
New Business Licenses
40 R E D 2 N 0 U 0 2 UNDER 40
SEPTEMBER 2016
JAN UAR FINA NCE Y 2016 ISSU E
2015 JANUARY
E MINDVETH MENT) (ACHIE GAP
CLASS OF
2015
TYSO N HU NT
LOG BRE WIN BOA T G CO.
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DOWNTOWN T PMEN DEVELO DOLLAR CL BY THE
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AS S OF 20 16
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20UNDER4
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RCINGN OUTSOUMA CO TO
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E ' UP TH SHAKIN
BANKS
CE NT BA NK SWRA L AP PAGE 44
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FIG HT ING FR AU D PAGE 53
20/40 20 40 T W EN T Y UNDER FO RT Y
NOMINATIONS OPEN!
Divine Design
Briney Concrete
Mid America
Salon by Heather
Cutting & Coring
Specialty Markets
108 Austin Ave. 573-289-1501 Beauty salon
900 Westwinds Dr. 573-554-2380 Concrete cutting
2800 Forum Blvd. 573-447-4990 Insurance agency
Justin Abel Art
Connie Luebbert Art
Big O Tires
5306 Godas Cir. 417-274-4755 Internet art
3408 Jenne Hill Dr. 573-239-8008 Paintings, illustrations, photos
3915 Peachtree Dr. 573-875-0068 Tires, wheels, and auto maintenance
Columbia, MO LLC
Ugly Mugg
3909 Oakland Gravel Road 573-587-4282 Shed and outbuilding sales
19 N. Fifth St. 660-346-7632 Coffee and alcoholic coffee retail
Belfor Property
Shed Easy
Jennifer’s
WHO
Anyone under the age of 40 who contributes to make Columbia a great city. We are seeking role models who are successful in their chosen fields and demonstrate leadership in our community.
HOW
Go to our website: ColumbiaBusinessTimes.com to fill out a 20 Under 40 nomination form.
When
Nominations accepted until September 30, 2016
pres ente d by
Cleaning Service
Heitkamp Masonry Inc.
2806 Isherwood Dr. 573-825-6968 Home cleaning services
3015 David Dr. 314-393-2119 Storage for masonry construction
AR & CR LLC
4805 Lake Valley Lane 573-442-7954 General contractor Caring Groups
1000 Hulen Dr. 573-446-0628 Nutrition counseling and consulting
Private Duty
109 N. Keene St. 636-812-2374 Home health services for senior citizens
Flyover
Center Pointe
Handbags & More
Hospital Outpatient
2300 Bernadette Dr. 816-263-1490 Women’s retail accessories
601 W. Nifong Blvd. 636-477-2109 Outpatient services Confetti Craft Co.
1201 E. Broadway 573-303-9150 Craft workshop and bar 84 SEPTEMBER 2016
It Is What You Eat
212 E. Green Meadows Road 573-825-6036 Restaurant and bar
Restoration
1204 Rogers St. 636-728-0580 Real property damage restoration Bourbon BBQ
124 E. Nifong Blvd. 931-538-2645 BBQ catering and vending food cart Erdel and Wood
510 Cooper Dr. North 573-473-7425 Retail flooring and home improvement store Stray’s Errands and Appointments
2402 Spruce Dr. 573-881-3154 Errand running and appointment keeper Rooten Tooten
DevelopBeyond LLC
Bar-B-Que LLC
601 Hillsdale Road 573-449-2904 Business development, management services
124 E. Nifong Blvd. 573-356-8170 Mobile food, catering 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 $700,000
$14,800,000
$3,000,000
$1,044,000
Woodridge Properties 2301 Maguire Blvd. LLC American Securities Company of Missouri LT 22 Concorde Office & Ind Plaza Pl 9
C-HILL2 LLC & C-HILL LLC UMB Bank LT 5 Rock Valley Plat 2
TJ Investment Properties LLC Landmark Bank LT 3A Stonebridge Park Condominiums
$12,600,000
Mills Courtyard Apartments LLC Arbor Commercial Funding LLC STR 10-48-13 W/W/SE SUR BK/PG: 312/641 FF Tract 1 And SUR 855/667 W/ Exceptions $6,885,000
GRD Properties LLC Central Bank of Boone County STR 10-48-13 //NE SUR BK/PG: 289/485 FF W/ Exceptions $4,930,000
KDA Management LLC Providence Bank LT 1 Keene Estates Plat #9 FF Except Street Right-Of-Ways $4,100,000
Dittox 10 LLC Colony American Finance Lender LLC LT 1 South Woods Valley Sub $3,000,000
LOF Columbia LLC The Bank of Missouri LT 4H Keene Estates Replat LT4E,LT4C,LT4 Plat 2 FF W/ESMT
$3,000,000
Tompkins Executive Lease LLC Landmark Bank LT 19 Heritage Meadows Plat 1 $2,507,500
Park’s Edge LLC Central Trust Bank LT 3 Parks Edge Sub Plat 1 $2,260,000
Linen King LLC Regent Bank LT 24 Concorde Office & Industrial Plaza Plat 10 $2,085,000
Synergy Property Group LLC UMB Bank LT 2 PT Greenspon Rearrangement $2,000,000
P1316 LLC Central Bank of Boone County STR 32-48-12 //NE SUR BK/ PG: 2537/9 AC 24.35
$999,821
Broadfield Properties LLC Hawthorn Bank LT 2 Old Hawthorne Plaza PL 1 $952,000
Patel, Dirgesh & Shilpa First Midwest Bank of Poplar Bluff LT 145 Copperstone Plat 1 $850,000
Bechtold Properties LLC Central Bank of Boone County STR 7-48-14 //NW $819,000
Walker, Courtnye Allyson & Tillerson, Elbert Jr. Landmark Bank STR 8-47-11 /W/SE SUR BK/ PG: 4331/31 AC 10.01 FF Tract 105
FEATURED LISTING 5,237 SF Turn-key Restaurant Space Available to owner/occupant
2513 Old 63 South Columbia, MO 65201 Price: Type: Zoning: SQ FT: Acres: Cap Rate:
$2,142,850 NNN Investment C-3 9,600 1.47 7%
Net Operating Income: $150,000
This retail strip center was built in 2005 and has a great mix of tenants. The surrounding area includes 5 student-housing complexes, 2 child care centers, and the Bluff Creek subdivision.
$764,000
Stevens, Gregory D & Erin M Central Bank of Boone County Lt 14 Hill Creek Sub Add No 1
$1,840,000
Providence Green Meadows LLC The Missouri Bank II LT 2A Village Subdivision – Plat 3
$700,000
Kochtanek, Kyle & Alyssa Commerce Bank LT 10A Coventry Pointe Condominiums CBT
GINA RENDE
$1,216,000
Ennis, Gary N Tru and Kathleen F Great Southern Bank LT 1 PT Oak Forest Sub Blk 6
747 deeds of trust were issued between 6/27 and 7/22
314-477-4462 gina@malyrealty.com
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 85
3 FRESH PAINT
UPDATED LIGHTS & FAUCETS
B U S I N E SS • P E O P L E • I M P R OV E M ENT • FYI
WAYS TO MAKE
ANY ROOM SPARKLE!
Choose a color that is neutral such as Shaker Beige or Butler’s Silver depending on whether you’d like a brown tone or a gray tone. Bold colors are too decisive for buyers they either love them or hate them.
If your lights and faucets are clean and modern just make sure to have the brightest light bulbs your fixture is qualified to handle. Make sure all dust bunnies are off the ceiling fans. If lights or faucets need replacement don’t go the cheapest route as buyers will know when they see the crystal handles on a master sink they will know you went with the lowest priced product..
Economic Index LABOR
Value of commercial building
June 2016 -
permits: $28,258,468
Columbia, Missouri
Commercial additions and
Labor Force: 99,490
alterations: 23
Employment: 95,577
Value of commercial
Unemployment: 3,913
additions and alterations:
Rate: 3.9%
$3,958,468
June 2016-
UTILITIES
Boone County
Labor Force: 99,490 Employment: 95,577 Unemployment: 3,913
NEW FLOORING
Today’s buyers are smitten with hardwood floors but most can tell the difference between the old style planks and today’s planks. Wood flooring has gone from the choice of the hollow sounding Pergo to individual planks with noise muffling padding pre-installed to make installation easier and the hollow sound a thing of the past.
Rate: 3.9% June 2016- Missouri
Labor Force: 3,168,155 Employment: 3,012,504 Unemployment: 155,651 Rate: 4.9% June 2016- United States
Labor Force: 160,135,000 Employment: 151,990,000 Unemployment: 8,144,000 Rate: 5.1%
Water
July 2016: 49,137 July 2015: 48,291 Change #: 846 Change %: 1.752% Number of customers receiving service on August 1st, 2016: 48,848 Electric
July 2016: 49,480 July 2015: 48,933 Change #: 547 Change %: 1.118% Number of customers receiving service on August 1, 2016: 49,217
CONSTRUCTION Denise Payne, ABR, e-Pro, GRI, CRP Office: 573-777-7274 | Weichert Realtors First Tier 3700 Monterey Drive, Columbia, Mo 65203
Serving the Mid-Missouri Area
Columbia | Ashland | Boonville | Centralia | Fulton Hallsville | Harrisburg | Hartsburg | Jefferson City Millersburg | Rocheport | Sturgeon
For more real estate tips and to see current listings visit:
DenisePayne.com 86 SEPTEMBER 2016
June 2016
HOUSING
Residential building
June 2016
permits: 129
Single-family home sales: 324
Value of residential building
Single-family active listings
permits: $21,990,802
market: 622
Detached single-family
Single-family homes average
homes: 51
sold price: $208,900
Value of detached single-
Single-family homes average
family homes: $12,014,498
days on market: 40
Commercial building
Single-family home pending
permits: 30
listings on market: 195 CBT
FEATURED LISTING
10140 W Alexander Drive Exit 117 off Interstate 70 Price: $2,535,192 Size: 11.64 Acres Zoning: C-G
(General Commercial)
Excellent visibility and easy access off Interstate 70 just west of Columbia. Ideal commercial development site with traffic counts in excess of 36,000 vehicles per day. Utilities to site and lots of potential.
MEL ZELENAK
573-999-3131 mel@malyrealty.com
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 87
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
ADVERTISER INDEX 43TC........................................................................................................................................11 ACCENT PRESS.................................................................................................................80 ACCOUNTING PLUS.........................................................................................................91 ADVANCED RADIOLOGY...............................................................................................80 ANTHONY JINSON PHOTOGRAPHY.......................................................................... 17 BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL MISSOURI..........................................8 BRINGING UP BUSINESS...................................................................................................6 BUDGET BLINDS...............................................................................................................39 CARPET ONE...................................................................................................................... 78 CENTRAL TRUST COMPANY...........................................................................................7 CHIMAERIC........................................................................................................................... 12 CHRISTIAN CHAPEL ACADEMY...................................................................................83 CITY OF COLUMBIA WATER & LIGHT........................................................................ 15 COLUMBIA REGIONAL AIRPORT.................................................................................36 COMMERCE BANK............................................................................................................ 28 COMO CONNECT............................................................................................................. 78 D & M SOUND......................................................................................................................34 DESIGNER KITCHENS & BATHS..................................................................................89 DOGMASTER DISTILLERY.............................................................................................39 FRESH IDEAS FOOD..........................................................................................................10 GFI DIGITAL.......................................................................................................................... 13 GRIZZLY BEAR LAWN CARE.........................................................................................42 H&P CONSULTANTS........................................................................................................20 HAWTHORN BANK........................................................................................................... 92 HEART OF MISSOURI UNITED WAY...............................................................................3 JOBFINDERS....................................................................................................................... 87 JOE MACHENS CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM....................................................... 51
JOE MACHENS HYUNDAI...............................................................................................59 JOE MACHENS LINCOLN................................................................................................. 4 JOE MACHENS NISSAN...................................................................................................16 LANDMARK BANK................................................................................................................2 MALY COMMERCIAL REALTY....................................................................... 83, 85 & 87 MAYECREATE WEB DESIGN..........................................................................................14 MEDIACOM...........................................................................................................................18 MIDWEST COMPUTECH.................................................................................................36 MISSOURI DEPT. OF CONSERVATION.........................................................................5 MODERN LITHO/BROWN PRINTING......................................................................... 22 MORESOURCE INC..............................................................................................................9 NAUGHT NAUGHT INSURANCE AGENCY...............................................................80 PERSONAL TOUCH CLEANING SERVICE................................................................58 PROAM GOLF..................................................................................................................... 28 PROVIDENCE BANK.........................................................................................................42 SOCKET................................................................................................................................44 SPECTRUM BUSINESS.................................................................................................... 40 STANGE LAW FIRM.......................................................................................................... 40 STARR PROPERTIES.........................................................................................................44 STATE FARM INSURANCE - STEPHANIE WILMSMEYER..................................... 78 SUPERIOR GARDEN CENTER/ROST LANDSCAPE...............................................34 THE DISTRICT.................................................................................................................... 73 VISIONWORKS................................................................................................................... 87 WEICHERT REALTY: DENISE PAYNE..........................................................................86 WILKERSON & REYNOLDS WEALTH MANAGEMENT.........................................58 WILSON'S FITNESS.......................................................................................................... 24
COLUMBIABUSINESSTIMES.COM 89
B U SINESS • P EOP L E • IM P R OV EM EN T • FY I
FLASH BAC K
Hittsville & Coca-Cola Plant BY BRENNA Mc D ER M OT T | P HOTO BY M AT T PATSTO N
TODAY, 10 HITT ST. IS HOME TO RAGTAG Cinema, Uprise Bakery, and Hitt Records. The colonial revival building was built in 1935 for the Columbia Coca-Cola Bottling Company. The building has a residential look, probably because most buildings on Hitt Street were residential at the time. The facility was built with a concrete foundation, brick walls, and an asphalt roof, according to the National Register of Historic Places. The front part of the building is 1 ½ stories tall, with a side-facing gable roof and three gabled front dormers. Coca-Cola was created in 1886. By 1910, there were more than 1,000 Coca-Cola bottling plants in the U.S., and more than 95 percent were locally owned and operated. There were other soft drink bottling facilities in downtown Columbia as early as 1877 and through the early 1900s. One of the earliest bottling operations was located at Ninth and Cherry streets.
The company was originally located at 207209 S. Eighth St. and was owned by C.R. McCallister. Ed Roberson purchased the company in 1932 after moving to Columbia from Newport, Arkansas. Roberson’s father had owned CocaCola franchises in both Arkansas and Missouri. Roberson built the 10 Hitt St. plant in 1935, choosing the location for its proximity to the business district and easy access for delivery trucks. According to Missouri Department of Natural Resources paperwork, it is the only surviving building in the downtown area that was associated with the local Coca-Cola franchise. Roberson headed The Coca-Cola Bottling Company, with his wife, Florence, as secretary treasurer and a Mrs. John R. Cobb as vice president, according to a 1940 company directory. The plant operated at that address for 30 years. In 1966, the facility relocated to a larger space, and E.S. Brown Printing Company,
which later became Kelly Press, purchased the building and operated a printing press there until 2005. In 2008, the building became home to Ragtag Cinema, Uprise Bakery, and 9th Street Video. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. In 2013, Hitt Records began operating out of the building as well. In April, 9th Street Video closed and Hitt Records expanded from its location in the attic to part of the building’s first floor. The building’s occupants collectively call the building “Hittsville.” CBT
Hittsville/Coca-Cola Bottling Plant 10 Hitt St. • 573-441-8504 ragtagcinema.org uprisebakery.com hittrecords.com
We love Columbia business history. If you have any interesting photos and stories, please send them to Editor@BusinessTimesCompany.com 90 SEPTEMBER 2016
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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
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Congratulations to Logboat Brewery, the Small Business of the Year. There are big things brewing at Logboat, so it’s good they won this Small Business of the Year award before they outgrow it. We salute Tyson, his whole team, as well as all the other nominees for this prestigious award.
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