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aimer. Take new retail delivery from dealer stock by X/XX/XX. See dealer for qualifications and complete details.
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ED M O N D, O K LAH O MA
APRIL 2014
VOL. 6 | NO. 4
INSIDE
2014
PUBLISHER Karan Ediger 405-341-2121 kediger@edmondsun.com MANAGING Lisa Shearer EDITOR 405-341-2121 lshearer@edmondsun.com
Recycling gives Remy Power Products an edge in business
6
MULTIMEDIA Carolyn Womack-Jenner SALES 405-341-2121 MANAGER cjenner@edmondsun.com
Energy recovery company expands to Oklahoma
SALES TEAM Terri Bohanan Brittany Eddins Greg Dorshaw CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Crandall
8
Jim Denton Cyndy Hoenig Nick Massey Patty Miller Van Mitchell Tim Priebe Terri Schlichenmeyer Mark Schlachtenhaufen
The Business Times is a monthly publication of The Edmond Sun devoted to business in the Edmond area. All rights reserved. Copyright © April 2014.
U.S. Energy Recovery’s first foray into Oklahoma helped Ditch Witch of Perry save more than $280,000 annually in energy costs. And, now the Tempe, Ariz.-based company is working to expand that success here through the Launch Pad FT business incubator at the Francis Tuttle Business Innovation Center at I-35 and Covell Road in Edmond.
Local weather company banks on wind power
10
James Coburn
Miss your Business Times? Call 341-2121 to get on our mailing list. Thanks!
Jeff Lampe says he enjoys working for Remy Power Products, an Edmond manufacturing company whose mission includes making the environment a better place through its recycling efforts.
Wind energy is a growing industry again here in Oklahoma and across the nation. And one Edmond meteorological consulting company is providing business and government entities with weather data to help them maximize their efforts in that industry.
Champion CNG looks to grow conversion business
12
Oklahoma is on the leading edge of the drive toward national energy independence, and growth in the compressed natural gas industry has been a boom for one Edmond business. Champion CNG’s managing partner, Kyle Bengs, is looking to put Oklahoma’s natural gas to work for drivers across the state.
Cover Photo by Karen Moore | Special to the Business Times April 2014 | The Business Times
3
from our Publisher
Recycling part of our green efforts
T
o our readers: I can’t believe it’s April. We’re four months into 2014. This is a really good time to take a look at your marketing plan. Have you accomplished the things you set out to do or is it time to revamp? Sometimes plans look good on paper, but they don’t always work out — especially with marketing. The beautiful thing is it’s never too late to regroup and redo! The marketing plan for The Edmond Sun is busy this year. As I’ve mentioned previously this is our 125th anniversary so along with contests and prizes we’re also in the process of doing some upgrades. As I write this the outside of our building at 123 S. Broadway is getting a much-needed face-lift. We are also upgrading our press for greater color capacity. There will be more information on that coming soon. Inside this issue of The Business Times you’ll learn all about going green and which businesses already have done so. It might interest you to know that The Edmond Sun not only recycles the normal things that come to mind, but we also recycle our newsprint, plates, film and pallets. It’s all about doing our part for the environment. Thank you for reading this issue of The Business Times. Stay tuned for more details about our 125th anniversary!
4
April 2014 | The Business Times
KARAN EDIGER is publisher of The Business Times of Edmond, The Edmond Sun and Community Connection.
Q with
&
A
Jeff Lampe
Recycling gives Remy Power Products an edge in business By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
J
eff Lampe says he enjoys working for Remy Power Products, an Edmond manufacturing company whose mission includes making the environment a better place through its recycling efforts. Those efforts recently were recognized as Remy Power Products, at 3400 S. Kelly Ave., was named as the Edmond Beautiful winner of the 2013 Keep it Clean, Keep it Green award. The award recognizes an Edmond organization that sets and 6
April 2014 | The Business Times
implements a specific goal to beautify, reduce, reuse, recycle or divert waste within the community or as an organization. “We don’t do this stuff for the awards,” said Lampe, environmental, health, safety and security manager at Remy. “We do it because it is the right thing to do.” Lampe, 44, has worked at Remy for six years, a company that is a leading global manufacturer and remanufacturer of alternators, starter motors and electric traction motors.
The company set a goal of attempting to reuse or recycle all materials in order to preserve natural resources. The company recycled more than 750 tons of corrugated cardboard and more than 110 tons of plastic in 2013. Remy was also able to recycle more than 96 percent of all waste that left the company’s facility. Lampe said the Edmond Beautiful award is recognition of Remy’s commitment to recycling. “To get an award for doing this shows that other people are looking at this kind of stuff and what we do does matter,” he said. Lampe said Remy’s recycling efforts has reduced the amount of waste it sends to landfills. “When I started here we used to have eight (trash bins),” Lampe said. “We are down to four (trash bins) now. It reduced the amount of solid waste that goes to our landfills considerably. We recycle every bit of cardboard that comes into here and every bit of plastic. We want to protect the environment as much as possible.” Lampe grew up in Iowa and later did a stint in the U.S. Navy. He moved to Oklahoma after marrying his wife Kara, who is a native of Edmond. He graduated in 2007 from the University of Central Oklahoma with an industrial safety degree and started at Remy in January 2008. Lampe and his wife Kara have two sons, Derek, 21, and Zach, 12. Jack Vollbrecht, senior vice president of business development at Remy International Inc., the parent company of Remy Power Products, said Lampe’s leadership skills made him a natural fit to lead the company’s recycling program. “I think it comes from the leadership of Jeff,” Vollbrecht said. “It gets the employees energized. Jeff is fantastic in regards of energizing that kind of movement.”
Q: What is the favorite part of your job? A: It is definitely interacting with the people. I get to be face-to-face with the people in our building every day. Most of our employees have been here 20 years or more. The turnover rate is very low. I get to know a lot about them and their families. Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your position? A: The most challenging is the language barriers. About 60 percent of our workforce is Vietnamese and another 30 percent are Hispanic. Being able to communicate with everybody is a challenge because I don’t speak Vietnamese or Spanish. Q: How do you handle that language barrier? A: We have employees who serve as translators for us. When we do training I tell them in English and the translators translate to the employees. It has worked out well for us. Q: How do you relax away from work? A: I’m an active leader with Boy Scouts at the district and council level. My son Derek is an Eagle Scout and my son Zach is involved with Boy Scouts as well. I enjoy working with the youth. I also like to hunt and fish.
Q: Why is recycling so important to you? A: I look at it like being a parent. You want better for your kids than what you had so we want to leave everything better for the next generation than the way we found it. So the more we recycle the better the environment is going be. Q: What are your day-to-day duties at Remy Power Products? A: I oversee the safety of our 300 employees. We want our employees to go home the same way they came in. Q: How have you gotten the company employees on board with the recycling efforts? A: It was a culture change and a process to get there but it has gone great. Q: Does Remy have plans to expand their recycling efforts? A: We don’t have a specific plan yet but we will eventually get to a point to look at (recycling aluminum). We just don’t have the volume for that yet. Q: What is your proudest accomplishment at Remy so far? A: It has been more than three years since we had someone injured. We are very proud of that.
Photos by Karen Moore | Special to the Business Times
April 2014 | The Business Times
7
Energy Recovery Company Expands to Oklahoma By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
Photo by Karen Moore | Special to the Business Times
U
.S. Energy Recovery’s first foray into Oklahoma helped Ditch Witch of Perry save more than $280,000 annually in energy costs. And, now the Tempe, Ariz.-based company is working to expand that success here through the Launch Pad FT business incubator at the Francis Tuttle Business Innovation Center at I-35 and Covell Road in Edmond. “We branched out to Oklahoma with one of our first projects being the Ditch Witch facility in Perry,” said Danny Kasalek, energy consultant with U.S. Energy Recovery. “We are saving them $284,000 annually on their utility expenses. We were able to save them enough energy in one year to provide all the power for the homes in Perry for two years. It was a big energy savings.” U.S. Energy Recovery started in 2009 and its mission is to provide energy-efficient solutions and controls to businesses seeking to reduce operating expenses, impact the environment as well as improving lighting qualities. “Our main goal is to help these businesses reduce their monthly energy expenses,” Kasalek said. The Launch Pad FT business incubator is certified by the State of Oklahoma and is the 13th business incubator in the Oklahoma Career Tech system. Launch Pad FT is an active participant in the National Business Incubation Association and the Oklahoma Business Incubator Association. Launch Pad FT serves the needs of entrepreneurs starting a new venture as well as owners of early stage companies facing struggles in today’s economic environment. Fred Green, director of the Launch Pad, said companies must apply and be accepted into the business incubator where businesses will stay anywhere from 12 to 36 months. “Once you are admitted we do a thorough analysis of the company and owners and determine what are their limitations 8
April 2014 | The Business Times
and constraints that might keep them successful down the road,” Green said. “We then put together a timed program of specific milestones that we have to accomplish that will enhance their management skills and their business skills. When we complete those milestones we put them back into the real world.” Kasalek said being accepted into the Launch Pad has been beneficial. “We saw a definite need to expand our Oklahoma division,” he said. “We wanted to seek advice from here and improve our business as much as we can internally and externally.” Kasalek said the business has been growing and he travels the state talking with potential clients about the benefits of using U.S. Energy Recovery’s services. “Reputation is very important to us,” Kasalek said. “The biggest challenge is educating our customers because it is a new industry to them.” Kasalek said part of that discussion process is informing potential clients about rebates available from several utility entities such as the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority in Edmond to help with energy saving lighting projects. OMPA offers the Demand and Energy Efficiency Program, DEEP, which is intended to assist qualified customers in member cities to reduce their electric service energy demands and costs. The reduction of these demands will help keep energy rates as low as possible and delay the need to add additional OMPA generation capacity to the system. Kasalek said businesses typically will recoup their investment from energy savings in a short time frame. “Typically the solutions we are providing have a year-and-a-half to a four-year payback,” he said. “There is a quick return on their investment.” The U.S. Energy Recovery website highlights a variety of success
stories the company has had in Oklahoma including that of Ferguson Buick GMC in Norman. Ferguson decided to upgrade its exterior lighting with cuttingedge LED technology to reduce their overall lighting electrical usage. Ferguson achieved this by replacing (84) of its existing metal halide exterior fixtures with brand new LED exterior fixtures. As a result, they are now receiving a 53 percent reduction in their lighting electrical expense and drastically improved light quality. It saves more than $19,000 in energy savings annually. Gary Burton, general manager of Ferguson Buick GMC, praised the savings result. “The new lights are a huge improvement, but the service that U.S. Energy Recovery offered was awesome,” Burton said. “They handled everything from the order, the installation, the City of Norman, which included the permits, and finally to the cleanup and haul off of the old lights. Bottom line — lights are great, U.S. Energy Recovery even better.” Kasalek said the favorite part of his job is seeing each project completed. “That is what is awesome about this job,” he said. “You get to go out and really get to see these products are being put to use.” FOR MORE information about U.S. Energy Recovery, call 669-9431 or email dkasalek@usenergyrec.com or visit www.usenergyrec.com.
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www.keyhealthinstitute.com www.keyhealthinstitute.com April 2014 | The Business Times
9
Local weather company banks on wind power By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
Photo by Karen Moore | Special to the Business Times
W
ind energy is a growing industry again here in Oklahoma and across the nation. And one Edmond meteorological consulting company is providing business and government entities with weather data to help them maximize their efforts in that industry. WeatherBank Inc. is a completely integrated, full-service, meteorological consulting company providing weather data and products, and custom programming solutions for businesses, government agencies and the general public. The company, which is at 1015 Waterwood Parkway, Suite J, is headed by twin brothers Steven Root, president and CEO and certified consulting meteorologist, and Michael Root, executive vice president and CFO and certified petroleum geologist. Michael Root said Oklahoma and other states suffered a lull in wind power production due to the economic recession, but production is growing again. “Keep in mind we have just come through a five-year period where there was no money available to develop projects and there was a lack of buyers for the electricity,” Root said. “The wind industry today is in far better shape and it is making a strong comeback.” Oklahoma generated 15 percent of its electricity from wind in 2013, putting the state in seventh place nationally, according to new rankings recently released. 10
April 2014 | The Business Times
A published report stated Oklahoma moved up from No. 9 in 2012, when its share of electricity from wind was 10.5 percent. The rankings were compiled by the American Wind Energy Association. Oklahoma ranked fourth for the total amount of electricity generated from wind last year. Texas, Iowa, California and Oklahoma each generated enough electricity from wind to power more than 1 million homes. The association said wind power topped 4 percent of the electricity on the nation’s grid for the first time last year. That made it the fifth-largest generation source, after coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power. The association’s report added that in the Southwest Power Pool, the regional transmission organization that runs the grid in Oklahoma and parts of eight other states, wind made up 12 percent of electricity generated in 2013. Michael Root said wind energy production is up in part due to lower wind turbine costs. “It is very similar to the oil and gas business,” he said. “You can’t drill a well if it is going to take $100 a barrel for that well to pay out and the price of oil is $80 per barrel. Turbine prices have improved significantly. Ten years ago, turbine prices were very expensive relative to the amount of electricity that they generated. Today, turbines are more efficient, kick in at slower wind speeds and are customized to each specific site, and they generate more power per dollar of cost.” WeatherBank Inc. uses in-house staff meteorologists, computer programmers, graphic artists and other professionals along with state-of-the-art technologies to produce a database of proprietary weather products for professionals in all industries and distribute its products via HTTP (browsers), FTP, XML, a digital satellite feed, email and other methods. WeatherBank also provides many specialized meteorological and environmental services that include custom weather forecasting, meteorological monitoring, ambient air quality monitoring, instrumentation and calibration, environmental system audits, data reductions and forensic weather studies for claims verification. The company generates a database of nearly 40,000 weather and environmental products that is of benefit to professionals working in all sectors of the economy. Michael Root said the business of weather is becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Steven Root concurred. “We have started serving our clients with predictions that go beyond weather forecasts,” he said. “We now use weather and
climate data to help predict the success of their business. We are comparing weather conditions to business metrics, such as dollars per day received or units of inventory sold and we are modeling and predicting those metrics through our database.” While wind energy production has grown, future wind development in the state is under review with the state Legislature. Senate Bills 1440 and 1559 would either put a moratorium on development east of Interstate 35 or impose statewide setback and decommissioning requirements on wind turbines. At the federal level, wind developers continue to lobby Congress for an extension of the production tax credit, which expired at the end of 2013. The incentive provided a tax credit of 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity generated from renewable energy and could be claimed for up to 10 years. “That is pretty concerning legislation for any developer operating in eastern Oklahoma,” said Michael Root of SB 1440. “With regard to SB 1559 and our currently low electricity prices, any mandate from the state of Oklahoma that requires adding costs to a wind energy project (in this case a performance bond) will obviously affect our projects and those of other developers. I am hoping that our state legislators will allow for a ‘grace period’ and any projects started before a certain date will not be impacted. At this time, we are moving forward with our projects because we have to.” Steven Root said climate change will have an impact on Oklahoma going forward.
“Climate change is going to have a dramatic impact here in Oklahoma in what we feel in temperature and what we receive in precipitation,” Root said. “These metrics are going to have an economic impact as well. All of the aspects resulting from climate change will have a drastic impact on wind. I see wind energy development continuing and that is good for the state of Oklahoma. We need to be embracing this resource.” Michael Root said Oklahoma has an abundance of natural resources with wind, oil and natural gas. He said the future of wind energy likely will include using a combination of those resources. “Because wind is an intermittent resource, many developers (including us) are looking at the opportunity of combining wind power with natural gas-fired generation of electricity,” Root said. “Natural gas-fired generation can be brought online quickly and creates a base-load generating capability that is desired by most utilities. This is a way to get wind power and natural gas combined together for the benefit of everyone, and Oklahoma has an abundance of both resources. Wind power projects in the future are not going to just be a wind farm. They will be combined with electricity generation from other fuels to create better operating efficiencies.” FOR MORE information about Weatherbank Inc., call 405-359-0773.
April 2014 | The Business Times
11
Champion CNG looks to grow conversion business By Van Mitchell | Special to The Business Times
Photo by Karen Moore | Special to the Business Times
O
klahoma is on the leading edge of the drive toward national energy independence, and growth in the compressed natural gas industry has been a boom for one Edmond business. Champion CNG’s managing partner, Kyle Bengs, is looking to put Oklahoma’s natural gas to work for drivers across the state. Bengs said business has been steadily growing since Champion CNG, at 13915 N. Harvey Ave., opened in November. “Oklahoma is at the heart of the natural gas industry,” Bengs said. “Compressed natural gas is abundant in Oklahoma and we also have drivers and business owners who understand the value of converting to CNG. Those factors, coupled with our fresh approach to CNG conversions, have helped us grow a successful business in a very short span of time. We are excited to bring our customer-centered approach to Oklahomans interested in converting to CNG.” Bengs said clean-burning and less expensive than traditional gasoline, compressed natural gas is one of the fastest growing alternative vehicle fuels in the world. Only California and New York rank ahead of Oklahoma in the number of CNG fueling stations, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center. Bengs, a former teacher and coach, said when the opportunity arrived to be part of this business venture he jumped at it. “We think CNG is the future and it is something that I wanted to be part of,” Bengs said. 12
April 2014 | The Business Times
Bengs has parlayed his belief in CNG to his personal vehicle. “I personally drive 45 minutes to work one way and I save about $250 a month on fuel,” Bengs said. “It is a truck payment. I put about 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year on my truck. At the end of year one I will have my entire investment paid back. Everything on out is pure savings.” Bengs said the average cost for CNG currently ranges from $1.50 to $1.79 per gallon compared to more than $3 per gallon for unleaded gasoline. CNG has become more popular with a number of government and business entities ranging from the State of Oklahoma to OG&E and ONG, which all have converted a number of their fleet vehicles to run on CNG. Additionally, the CNG station infrastructure in Oklahoma continues to grow with businesses like Love’s Travel Stop and OnCue adding refueling stations every year. “There are stations all over in (metropolitan areas) and there is a push to add more stations across the state,” Bengs said. The company’s service to its customers doesn’t end after a conversion is completed. The company also has placed an emphasis on its AfterCare program which provides ongoing customer support for each completed conversion. “Customer service and safety set us apart from other conversion companies,” Bengs said. “We custom fit the best conversion kit to each vehicle to gain peak engine performance. We also install stabilizer bars when we frame our tanks, and we use wire looms to protect wiring from damage and exposure. These extra steps make for a safer and more efficient conversion. We may be a new business, but it’s definitely not business as usual with us. CNG conversion is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ business.” Bengs said he believes there will be continued growth with the CNG industry in Oklahoma and elsewhere for the foreseeable future. “We see this as a great opportunity to grow this business not only in Oklahoma but we want to grow it in surrounding states as well,” he said. MORE INFORMATION can be found at www.championcng.com or by calling 405-286-6955.
7YLTP\T 6MÄJL :WHJL 7YLTP\T 6MÄJL :WHJL *36:, ;6 /64, *36:, ;6 /64, 7YLTP\T 6MÄJL :WHJL 7YLTP\T 6MÄJL :WHJL 7YLTP\T 6MÄJL :WHJL
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David Bohanon David Bohanon David Bohanon David Bohanon BROKER - OWNER David Bohanon
-VY :HSL VY 3LHZL *\Z[VT )\PSK MYVT [V ZX M[ David Bohanon
BROKER BROKER OWNER BROKER--- OWNER OWNER BROKER - OWNER
Southwest Intersection of SouthwestSouthwest IntersectionIntersection of of Southwest Intersection of Southwest Intersection of Kelly & Village Drive Kelly & Covell Covell Village Drive Kelly & Covell Village Drive Southwest Intersection of Kelly & Covell Village Drive Kelly & Covell Village Drive
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405-850-0987 405-850-0987 405-850-0987 | www.covellvillage.info | dbohanon@blackstonecom.com 405-850-0987 405-850-0987
April 2014 | The Business Times
13
GROWING EDMOND
Photos PROVIDED | EDMOND AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Ribbon Cuttings
City, YMCA, schools and chamber dedicate Mitch Park Y
Sunset Veterinary plans new facility
The Edmond YMCA at Mitch Park, at 2901 Marilyn Williams Drive, recently had a ribbon cutting in conjunction with Edmond Public Schools and the City of Edmond to celebrate the grand opening of the new facility. Featuring state-of-the-art equipment, leisure pools and a variety of classes, the new structure also houses a competition pool that is owned by Edmond Public Schools and dedicated to their use by high school swim teams. For more information, call 330-4016 or visit www.ymcaokc.org.
Sunset Veterinary Clinic recently broke ground for its new location at 2109 N. Kelly Ave., which will be the second unit constructed at the Offices at Covell Village. Currently operating at 344 S. Kelly Ave., Drs. Tim Kennemer and Danel Grimmett look forward to moving their practice into the new space sometime toward the end of the year. For more information about the clinic, call 844-2888 or visit www.sunsetvetclinic.com. For more information about construction at the Offices at Covell Village, call Blackstone Commercial Property Advisors at 850-0987 or visit www.covellvillage.info.
Insure it Forward
Eileen’s Colossal Cookies
Eileen’s Colossal Cookies, at 1333 N. Santa Fe, Suite 103, recently had a ribbon cutting to celebrate its 10th anniversary in Edmond. Franchise owner Linda Engel opened the store with her family after moving from Nebraska, where the company was founded in 1982. Eileen’s prides itself on “baking more than delicious treats our customers love to eat. We bake memories, celebrations, messages of encouragement, and so much more.” For more information, call 216-0244 or visit www.eileenscookies.com. 14
April 2014 | The Business Times
Insure it Forward, at 400 S. Broadway, Ste. 8, recently had a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of its new location. Founder Jim Scheihing has 24 years of experience in health and life insurance as well as employee benefits, and the agents at IIF have a combined 45 years. Scheilhing reports that he sold his first agency when health care reform legislation passed and started IIF with a focus on life insurance and giving back by donating 50 percent of his profits to local charities. “The chaos and confusion during the implementation process of the Affordable Care Act created a need for trained agents to guide people through the health care maze.” For more information, call 405-585-0648 or visit www.insureitforward.com.
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15
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Tim Priebe Webifiable
The ins and outs of displaying photos online
M
any organizations have a need to display photos online. It may be for products, services, events, staff, their location or something else entirely. In years past, it was fairly obvious where those photos went: On their website. But now that social media is an option, including some websites that revolve around photo sharing, the water seems a bit muddied. So how do you determine where your photos should go online? Should they be on your website, on social media or on both? The short answer is both. However, you need a primary location where you display most of your photos, and a secondary location (or locations) where a smaller sampling is displayed. The secondary locations serve to funnel people to the primary location. You determine the primary location by looking at your purpose for displaying the photos in the first place. Do you want people to fill out a requesta-quote form on your website? Do you want people to sign up for your email newsletter from your website? Would you like people to make a purchase directly from your website? If your answer includes an action that individuals take on your website, then that should be the primary location. 18
April 2014 | The Business Times
Perhaps you’re looking to spark conversation. Maybe you want to engage past customers or donors on an ongoing basis. Or you may want it to be as easy as possible for people to share the photos with others. Any goal related to engagement or sharing is really a social-based goal. And that’s exactly what social media is built for. If you come to the conclusion that social media should be your primary location, you still need to choose a social media platform. How do you know which one to go with? After all, it seems like there are dozens of options. You’ll need to look at four different aspects of each platform. 1. Audience — How well does the audience on that platform fit with your target market? Sure, a platform may be made specifically for photos and have a big audience. But if your target market is 50plus, and that platform is primarily people in their teens and twenties, it won’t make a good primary location. 2. Capabilities — What are the capabilities of the platform? Not only its photo-related capabilities, but other capabilities you may want to make use of as well. Also look at whether the platform supports a presence at an organization level at all, or just at a personal level. Many photo sharing platforms are only
designed for personal use, and forcing an organization to have a presence there can be awkward and may even be against the website’s rules. 3. Culture fit — How well does the overall culture of the platform fit in with your organization’s culture? If your organization has a fairly corporate feel to it, and the platform is very casual, it may not be a good place to keep your photos. Or if the reverse is true, it may not make sense then, either. 4. Comfort level — Finally, look at the comfort level of whoever will be managing the platform. If they have no experience with the platform and are not comfortable trying new social media platforms out, it probably will be an exercise in frustration. Of course, if you’re working with a professional on your online marketing, this whole process is something they should be able to assist you with. But this information should help you start thinking about where your photos should be. TIM PRIEBE is a public speaker, the author of the book “The Beginner’s Guide To Facebook Timeline for Business” and the owner of T&S Web Design in Edmond. He can be reached by email at tim@tandsgo.com, by phone at 405-285-0348, or online at www.tandswebdesign.com.
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Business matters
Mike Crandall Growth S olutions
Why no one wants to sell R
ecently I was asked to speak to a group of about 50 college seniors getting ready to graduate with Marketing and Advertising degrees. I started by asking them a simple question “How many of you want to go into sales?” It was not surprising when only one member of the group raised his hand. When I followed up by asking several of the group why they didn’t want to go into sales they shared they did not want to be responsible for manipulating or convincing people into buying things. As you can imagine the conversation became interesting after that. The most interesting part of this is not that 49 of 50 college seniors do not want to go into sales — it is why. We have a culture stigma about sales and salespeople. It automatically brings to mind images and/ or experiences that are less than positive, if not completely negative. Why do you suppose this is? Much of it comes from our upbringing and the messages we heard from our parents. As I asked the students who did not want to go into sales more detailed questions about why that might be these two stories stood out. One young lady shared she remembered being a little girl about 7 years old eating dinner with her family at home one evening. The phone rang, her dad answered it and it was a telemarketer selling 20
April 2014 | The Business Times
something. She then went on to share how her dad cursed the salesperson for interrupting family dinner and hung up on her. When he returned to the table he ranted to the family for 15 minutes about how bad salespeople are. She shared how he went on and on about all the negatives of sales and salespeople. The story was such a powerful memory for her that it was a key reason she did not want to go into sales.
“We have a culture stigma about sales and salespeople. It automatically brings to mind images and/ or experiences that are less than positive, if not completely negative.” The other was a young man who shared a story of an experience where his dad and mom were in need of a new car when he was little. He remembered begin drug around for days from car lot to car lot watching/listening to his parents lie to the salespeople about their needs, wants, budget and what the other dealerships
had said. The detail he recalled about the experience and how it made him feel was tremendous. He shared it was the main reason he did not want to go into sales. These were only two of dozens of similar stories these students shared. It is unfortunate, however common, that people, especially young people, have such negative thoughts of sales and salespeople. Owners, executives and managers of businesses cringe when they hear and read things like this, however, they are often the guiltiest of it. Many are the parents that send this messaging to their children and others. So let me say it again — all businesses rely on sales to exist. However we have this cultural messaging that steers many people away from one of the most important roles in business. So let me ask: What messages are you sharing with others about sales and salespeople? Is it the message that your business really needs to send? If not you may want to change it.
MIKE CRANDALL is an Edmond resident and the owner of Sandler Training in Oklahoma City. He can be reached via email at mike.crandall@sandler.com or by phone at 405-844-1700. For more information, go to online to www.customgrowth.sandler.com.
business matters
Nick Massey Astute Investor
Wealth by illusion does not make America any richer I
was reading a report from the Federal Reserve recently and noticed the net worth of American households grew by $9.8 trillion, or 14 percent, last year. (Yes, I know. I need to get a life.) But $5.6 trillion of this increase came from the stock market and $2.3 trillion came from rising home prices. The increase in household net worth is also called an increase in household wealth. Obviously, this increase is a good thing. If this higher net worth or wealth were spent on more goods and services, we would see that show up in increased GDP figures. So far the increase has been fairly small. Households as a group cannot create more consumption of goods and services since the amount spent does not directly rise with stock or home prices. Recalling your basic Economics 101, this is the “fallacy of composition” at work. The fallacy of composition can be seen in monetary economics. If individuals have more money they are wealthier and they can buy more stuff. However, giving the overall economy more money doesn’t necessarily make an economy (i.e. all of us) wealthier.
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April 2014 | The Business Times
Does counterfeiting, which creates more fake money, create wealth? Yes for the counterfeiters who get away with it. They can exchange their fake money for real goods and services. However, since there are not more goods and services to be had, their benefit is at the expense of the rest of us, who have the same amount of money and other wealth, but fewer goods and services available to us.
“There is a fundamental difference between income and wealth created by higher real incomes and saving versus wealth created by rising housing and equity prices.” There is a fundamental difference between income and wealth created by higher real incomes and saving versus
wealth created by rising housing and equity prices. In the past several years we have had less of the former and more of the latter. Higher income increases wealth both in money terms and in real terms. The additions to wealth through income are matched by an equal value of additional goods and/or services being produced. However, if your house and/or your investment accounts went up by 20 percent, you don’t have 20 percent more to spend unless you cash it out or borrow it out. The Federal Reserve has contributed substantially to inflated asset prices. By making us feel better about our finances, they hope a “wealth effect” can increase our willingness to spend and thus create real wealth if we have sufficient slack in the economy. We’ll just have to wait and see if feeling wealthier translates into more spending. Thanks for reading. NICK MASSEY is a financial adviser and president of Householder Group Financial Advisors in Edmond. Massey can be reached at www.nickmassey.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC.
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s a father of two little boys, I understand the importance of protecting our families. We believe in providing Oklahomans with life-saving protection, especially during
severe weather season,” said Chad Godwin, owner of GFS Storm Shelters. GFS Storm Shelters is dedicated to keeping Oklahomans safe. The local business is showing its appreciation by donating 12 free residential shelters to Edmond school teachers and administrators in monthly drawings. Godwin and his team just finished building a commercial shelter at the leveled Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore and are currently constructing a dual-purpose storm shelter at the new Heritage Elementary School in Edmond. The company, which makes both ready-to-sell and custom models, has a showroom in Edmond and is a subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based Godwin Formwork Solutions. GFS Storm Shelters understand what it means to protect you and your loved ones during storm season.
Phil Thompson from Moore, Okla., keeps his family safe with a GFS Storm Shelter.
“Our engineers work hard to ensure all specifications of our shelters exceed FEMA standards. We know one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to storm shelters. We have all the details about our products including safety ratings, pricing and photos. Call us and see what option is best for your home, budget and family,” said Godwin.
Parker Thompson enters a residential GFS Storm Shelter.
Contact GFS Storm Shelters at 405-285-8687, visit us online at http://gfsstormshelters.com/ or stop by our showroom at 3404 S. Broadway in Edmond.
business matters
Cyndy Hoenig S ocial Strategies
Awards mean credibility in any industry O
ne of the best ways to boost the image of your business is to apply for an award. Check local business journals, chambers, small business associations, the business section of your local newspaper, SmallBizTrends. com and other online sites. Like positive news stories, awards confer credibility on businesses and their owners. First, you get recognition and publicity for your business — and that’s just good marketing. On top of that, it’s good for employees. You give your team something to excite them and to rally around. Finally, awards are good strategy: Being nominated and winning can set your business apart from competitors. But remember, you must make it happen by applying for awards. Don’t be shy — nominate your company. Or nominate a customer or client for an award and show them you care about their success and want to honor them. Awards and recognition are important for any business and are more than just
“Awards are good strategy: Being nominated and winning can set your business apart from competitors.” 24
April 2014 | The Business Times
vanity. Awards are excellent for making your business popular as awards help in validating the success level of your business. Plus, awards and recognition are highly motivating elements for you and your employees to do better in the future. A few steps to get you started: 1. Find out what the award is: First analyze the business awards that you wish to apply for. There are many types organized every year and you need to find out which one would be suitable for your organization. 2. Check out the award criteria: Before applying for any business award, you need to find out the various criteria for such award programs. 3. Apply: Until and unless you nominate your business for the award, you will not be eligible for the award program. So get on the Internet and do some research. 4. Follow the rules: For nominating for any business award, there would be certain rules and regulations. Read it carefully and accordingly nominate your business. At times, organizers ask for nomination charges too. 5. Nominate in the right category: For business awards there are various categories and you need to apply in the most relevant category. 6. Highlight the best: Follow the award nomination guidelines properly. After
all, you have to convince the judges that your business should win. Always provide correct and authentic information about your company. 7. Follow up: These business awards are offered the company who wants it most. Make it obvious that you want the award and appreciate its significance. Follow up professionally. 8. Keep a copy: After applying for one business award, save a copy and use the document for applying for other awards in the future. It will make the application process more efficient and save you time. Good luck, and let me know when you win. CYNDY HOENIG is a PR strategist who owns Pure PR in Oklahoma City. She is the author of “600 PR, Marketing and Social Media Tips,” which is available as a free download at http://pureprokc.com/600-diy-pr-tips. She also is the author of the recently released “PR Rock Star.” Email Cyndy at cyndyhoenig@ymail.com or call her at 245-4668 for more information.
April 2014 | The Business Times
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NEW BUSINESS LISTINGS Following is a listing of newly filed businesses in the Edmond area with the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office: 777 Food Mart LLC, 700 S. Broadway, filed March 11 by 777 Food Mart LLC of Oklahoma City.
Lash Couture LLC, 573 Praine Pt., filed March 11 by Michelle Klimek of the same address.
All Dolled Up LLC, 19001 Meadows Crossing Drive, filed March 12 by Daniel Ashby of the same address.
LLBOK14 Investments LLC, 2940 N.W. 156th St., filed March 10 by Frank Naifeh of Edmond.
Angela Schenck LLC, 1985 W. 33rd St., filed March 12 by Evans & Davis PLLC of Edmond.
Longley Enterprises LLC, 2404 N.W. 151st St., filed March 13 by Jenny Longley of the same address.
Boggy Creek Beverage Co. LLC, 6300 S. Rockwell, Cashion, filed March 14 by Boggy Creek Beverage Co. LLC of the same address.
Melissa Testut, 2213 Red Elm Drive, filed March 10 for trade name.
Bonben LLC, 705 Mary Lee Lane, filed March 13 by John Stradal of the same address. Brandon W. Jourdan, 1504 Apollo Road, filed March 12 for trade name. BT Concepts Owasso LLC, 1101 W. Waterloo Road, filed March 10 by William C. Liedtke of the same address. Chat Speech and Language Therapy LLC, 1709 Harvest Lane, filed March 12 by Sam LaValleur of the same address. Chocolate Covered Books LLC, 13300 Shepherd Ridge, Guthrie, filed March 12 by Chocolate Covered Books LLC of the same address. Chocolate Covered Books LLC, 13300 Shepherd Ridge, Guthrie, filed March 12 for trade name. Church News Digital LLC, 509 Country Side Trail, filed March 9 by Timothy Layman of the same address. Cobalt Resources LLC, 10332 E. Coffee Creek Road, Arcadia, filed March 12 by Robert Spencer of the same address. Crookedglass Studios LLC, 2301 Big Cedar Ave., filed March 11 by Sandra Hunt of the same address. Emily Mitchell, 309 Brighton, filed March 10 for trade name. Gabino Lawn & Landscape LLC, 3208 E. County Oaks Road, filed March 12 by Gabino Gomez of the same address. Geogap LLC, 13832 Santa Fe Crossing Drive, filed March 9 by Thomas Arnold of Blanchard.
MHAS LLC, 201 Elwood Drive, filed March 13 by Tammy J. Gaddy of Edmond. Nam D. Tran, 16217 Snowy Owl Drive, filed March 12 for trade name. Oakland Homes LLC, 917 WB Meyer Parkway, filed March 10 by Jagtar Sanghera of Edmond. Oldham & Associates PLLC, 15213 Summit Park Drive, filed March 10 by Tracy Oldham of Edmond. On the Go, Hot Shot Services LLC, 18516 Mesa Road, filed March 12 by Jerry Childers of the same address. Rayson LLC, 2601 Prescott Ave., filed March 11 by Raymond Kaleho of Edmond. Replication LLC, 3324 N.W. 172nd Terrace, filed March 9 by Shane Wharton of the same address. Robin Winsted, 7170 Orchard View, filed March 12 for trade name. Rocco Water Systems LLC, 4701 Silver Charm Lane, filed March 9 by Rocco Chiovitti of Edmond. Tamela R. Harper LLC, 1409 Sims Ave., filed March 12 by Tamela R. Harper of Edmond. Teezee Auto LLC, 9500 S. Portland Ave., Guthrie, filed March 13 by Teezee Auto LLC of the same address. The Law Office of April J. Moaning PLLC, 403 E. Vilas Ave., Guthrie, filed March 14 by April J. Moaning of Guthrie. The Oklahoma Catering Company LLC, 2284 Melody Drive, filed March 10 by Shannon Dowding of Edmond.
Glen Howard, 1820 Chelsea Drive, filed March 13 for trade name.
Upstate LLC, 320 E. Second St., filed March 11 by Upstate LLC of the same address.
Holland Electric LLC, 1212 Sequoyah St., filed March 10 by Daryl Holland of the same address.
Victor Snead, 4025 N. Eastern Ave., filed March 10 for trade name.
Khalili and Brown Properties LLC, 1933 Aurora Drive, filed March 11 by Greg Brown of the same address. L&S Investment Properties LLC, 2804 Woodruff Circle, filed March 13 by L&S Investment Properties LLC, of the same address. 26
April 2014 | The Business Times
Woods Land Services LLC, 3037 N.W. 181st St., filed March 10 by Christopher Woods of Edmond. Your True Destiny MHSA LLC, 2405 N.E. I-44 Service Road, filed March 10 by Martina Paris of Norman.
BUSINESS CALENDAR Edmond Summit Rotary Club 7 a.m. April 1 (Meets every Tuesday) Oklahoma Christian University 2501 E. Memorial Drive For more information, call 405-CUEARLY
City Council 5:30 p.m. April 14 (Second and fourth Mondays) City Council Chambers 20 S. Littler Ave. Visit www.edmondok.com to find the agenda
Edmond Rotary Club Noon April 2 (Club meets every Wednesday) Henderson Hills Baptist Church 1200 W. I-35 Frontage Road For more information, facebook.com/ rotaryclubofedmond
Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 Topic: Mayor Charles Lamb and State of the City address Rose Creek Golf Course 17031 N. May Ave. RSVP required; cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members Edmond Economic Development Authority Board of Trustees 8:15 a.m. April 15 (Third Tuesday) 825 E. Second St. Visit www.eeda.com; call 340-0116
Edmond Kiwanis Club Noon April 2 (Club meets every Wednesday) Cherokee Room in Nigh University Center 100 N. University Drive Edmond Exchange Club 7 a.m. April 3 (Club meets every Thursday) Room 213 in the Nigh University Center 100 N. University Drive For more information about the club, visit www.facebook.com/EdmondMorningExchangeClub REI Women’s Business Center Women’s Business Breakfast 8:15-10 a.m. April 3 Kamp’s 1910 Café 10 N.E. 10th St., Oklahoma City Free parking at Kamp’s and also on Ninth Street. To register, go online to www.reiwbc.org Edmond AMBUCS Noon April 4 (Club meets every Friday) Cherokee Room in Nigh University Center 100 N. University Drive Call June Cartwright at 405-820-9667 for more information Boulevard Rotary Club 6-7 p.m. April 7 (Club meets every Monday) Louie’s Bar and Grill 1201 N.W. 178th St., Suite 101 For more information, http://facebook.com/BoulevardRotary Centennial Kiwanis Club 6 p.m. April 7 (Club meets every Monday) Italian Jim’s Restaurant 13 S. Broadway Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Business Development Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 Topic: Hiring the Right Employee Edmond Chamber 825 E. Second St. RSVP required to info@edmondchamber.com; Cost: $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers
Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Morning Mingle 8-9:30 a.m. April 16 Tinker Federal Credit Union 3142 S. Bryant Ave. No RSVP required and event is free for chamber members Launch Pad FT Discovery at Lunchtime seminar Noon to 1 p.m. April 17 Speaker: Catherine Brown of Initial Call Topic: Market Validation Cost: Free. Call Launch Pad FT Business Incubator at 717-7730 to register Edmond Chapter of National Active & Retired Federal Employees Association 11:30 a.m. April 22 (Fourth Tuesday of the month) Oklahoma Christian University — Gaylord University Center 2501 E. Memorial Road Meetings are open to any current or retired federal employee or spouse. Lunch cost is $8.50. To register, email Jerry Reese at jreese5@cox.net
Planning Commission 5:30 p.m. April 22 (First and third Tuesday) City Council Chambers 20 S. Littler Ave. Visit www.edmondok.com to find the agenda Edmond Young Professionals Networking Event 7:30-9 a.m. April 22 Packard’s Rooftop 201 N.W. 10th St., Oklahoma City RSVP required to mboswell@edmondchamber.com. Cost: Free to EYP members
Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours 5:30-7 p.m. April 8 Reynolds Ford 600 W. Memorial Road No RSVP required for chamber members; cost free
Edmond Noon Exchange Club Noon April 23 (Fourth Wednesday of the month) Italian Jim’s Restaurant 13 S. Broadway To learn more, visit https://www.facebook.com/edmondexchange
Edmond Evening Lions Club 6 p.m. April 8 (Club meets second & fourth Tuesday) Johnnie’s 33 E. 33rd St. For more information, call Bob Austin at 285-4980
Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network Breakfast 7:30-9 a.m. April 24 Speaker: Brian Attebery Topic: Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Oklahoma Christian Gaylord University Center 2501 E. Memorial Road RSVP required; Cost: $20 for members, $25 for non-members
Oklahoma City American Marketing Association 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10 (Second Thursday of the month) Will Rogers Theatre 4322 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, 73118 For more information, www.amaokc.org
17 W. 1st ST. • 405-341-2770 DOWNTOWN EDMOND www.swansonsfireplaceandpatio.com
Launch Pad FT Discovery at Lunchtime seminar Noon to 1 p.m. April 22 Speaker: Kay Stout of CS Consulting Topic: Making Connections Cost: Free. Call Launch Pad FT Business Incubator at 717-7730 to register
Planning Commission 5:30 p.m. April 8 (First and third Tuesday) City Council Chambers 20 S. Littler Ave. Visit www.edmondok.com to find the agenda
Edmond Young Professionals Leadership Latte 7:30-9 a.m. April 10 Speaker: Mary Mélon, president and publisher of The Journal Record Coffee Commission 309 S. Bryant Ave., Ste. 230 RSVP required to mboswell@edmondchamber.com. Cost: Free to EYP members
Join us for the Brown Jordan Spring Sales Event. Save an ADDITIONAL 10% OFF all collections. NOW THROUGH MAY 12.
City Council 5:30 p.m. April 28 (Second and fourth Monday) City Council Chambers 20 S. Littler Ave. Visit www.edmondok.com to find the agenda
TO ADD your business event to this free calendar, email the details to lshearer@edmondsun.com. April 2014 | The Business Times
27
Business Briefs Paycom heads toward public offering
Burney earns certification in veterinary practice
Paycom of Oklahoma Cit y recently filed paperwork with the U.S. Securit y and Exchange Commission to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering of its common stock. The stock price and number of shares is still to be determined for the payroll service company located at 7501 W. Memorial Road. According to the Paycom filing, it will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PAYC.” According to its SEC filing, Paycom reorganized in Delaware as Paycom Software in January. After it goes public, the bulk Chad Richison of Paycom’s stock still will be controlled by Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, a New York private equit y group. The regulatory filing also stated that the private equit y firm now holds a 56.6 percent stake in Paycom and will continue to hold a majorit y stake in the company’s outstanding stock. Paycom founder Chad Richison has a 24.2 percent stake in the company, the filing said. The company was founded in 1998 and employs people from across the Oklahoma Cit y metro area including Edmond. The filing states Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, which invests in information and business services and the healthcare industry, will control four out of seven director seats at Paycom.
Beth Burney recently earned the distinction of Certified Veterinary Practice Manager by successfully passing the certification exam offered by the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association on March 11 in Edmond. VHMA’s certification program measures the knowledge and experience necessary to successfully manage the ever-changing business environment of today’s veterinary practices and requires a continued commitment to further improvement through continuing education. This designation is VHMA’s highest professional Beth Burney distinction. The Veterinary Hospital Managers Association Inc. is an international professional association, created in 1981, to support individuals in veterinary practice management. Its guiding principles include the pursuit of excellence in practice management, opening channels of communication and networking among practices. More than 1,600 hospital managers, veterinarians, technicians and consultants belong to the VHMA. Its membership is international consisting of 10 percent Canadian citizens and 90 percent U.S. citizens. Members of the VHMA benefit from conferences and meetings exclusively devoted to management; newsletters on current management topics, written by managers for managers; benchmark surveys; an online Career Center; a Mentor Program; a complimentary subscription to Veterinary Economics magazine, and most importantly, networking opportunities at meetings and through its List Servs and Practice Issues Forum.
GT Clean hires Turney, DeBolt
Gamino, wireless veteran, to lead experienced sales team
Mark Turney
Barbara Anne DeBolt
GT Clean, an Edmond-based commercial cleaning service, has announced the recent hirings of Mark A. Turney and Barbara Anne DeBolt. Turney has been named superintendent and will oversee the daily cleaning duties of GT Clean’s staff. Turney is a 20-year Navy veteran. “Mark comes to GT Clean with a stellar reputation for his reliability and management skills,” said Cheryl Dillard, GT Clean’s vice president. “Our clients expect top-notch cleaning services and we know they will appreciate Mark’s attention to detail.” A longtime sales and marketing strategist, DeBolt has been named director of business development and community relations. In this position, she is responsible for client development and business growth. “Barbara Anne is a well-known and highly regarded professional with a history of success,” Dillard said. “We know she will be a great fit for our company and we are very pleased to have her on board.” GT Clean provides corporate cleaning for medical facilities and offices, general offices, retail outlets, schools, manufacturing plants, financial institutions and government buildings.
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April 2014 | The Business Times
AT&T announced March 21 the appointment of a new manager at its location at 1255 E. Second St. in Edmond. With more than a decade of wireless and sales experience, Carrie Gamino will lead a team of professional retail consultants who can demonstrate a wide range of products and assist both consumers and businesses with purchasing decisions, customer service and technical support. “AT&T continues to invest in our state,” Gamino said. “We have the best devices on the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network. There’s never been a more exciting time to Carrie Gamino be at AT&T, and I really enjoy working with customers to find new ways to meet their personal and professional wireless needs.” As part of AT&T’s commitment to customer service, Gamino and her team will use wireless technology to gather feedback from customers who shop in their store within hours of their visit. “We’ve found that our customers prefer receiving a text message rather than an email when it comes to providing feedback on their sales experience at our stores. Ultimately, every response we receive helps us deliver better customer service,” Gamino added. To find an AT&T company-owned store in Oklahoma, visit www.att.com/storelocator
Business Book Review
by Terri Schlichenmeyer | The bookworm sez
“The Up Side of Down” by Megan McArdle
c.2014, Viking $27.95/$32.95 Canada 299 pages
Photo Provided | Lara Shipley
Y
ou were at work, but nothing was working. You knew there were problems with that big project, but you moved forward anyhow. Made contingency plans. Asked experts. You became obsessed. But it didn’t work and you failed, but does that make you a failure? No, says author Megan McArdle in her new book “The Up Side of Down,” it doesn’t — especially if you failed correctly. Your idea seemed like a good one at the time until things went bad, your company lost money and you lost face. So what did you learn? Whatever it was, you never got that lesson from a classroom. McArdle says that most schools teach students the basics but there’s no How to Deal with Failure instruction — even though that’s something that “should have been taught in kindergarten.” But failure for a 5-year-old and failure of a multi-million-dollar project are obviously two different things. For a kid, it’s all about trying again. For an adult, knowing how to “fail well” helps get you unstuck and thinking smarter. It also helps you
understand where you went wrong, so you can move on. To understand how failure occurs, you need to know different levels of it, starting with “what failure is not: an accident.” Accidents are coincidences and “the only thing you can do is accept that sometimes, things happen.” A mistake is a tiny failure, in which you probably could have “done something differently, but nothing really bad happens as a result.” Everybody makes mistakes. Sometimes, we’re not even aware of them. Full-out failure is “a mistake performing without a safety net. The fail-safes aren’t failing safely any more.” So how do we change the paradigm and embrace failure? Cultivate a “culture of experimentation.” Avoid “sunk costs” that keep you stuck in a dangerous rut. Learn to recognize bad decisions early, and get yourself off the path that incubates them. Don’t “fall prey” to “groupidity.” Be consistent. Forgive yourself, and reject shame. Above all, remember that “failure is often the best — and sometimes the only — way to learn.” Can’t show your face at work because
of a colossal, career-threatening oops? Take comfort with stories from GM, Coke, Enron, NASA and others in “The Up Side of Down.” Indeed, by using those cautionary tales to illustrate how failure happens and what becomes of a company after it errs, author Megan McArdle helps put failure into perspective. That might not make you feel better if you’ve committed a blunder, but McArdle’s wit and wicked humor serves to cajole her readers toward seeing things in a different light. Also helpful: McArdle tackles problems as diverse as unemployment and law-breaking, giving both the same type of examination as she does with the business aspects of this book. No matter when you blew it, if you’re still kicking yourself over your blunder, this book will show you how to move on and become a better person or employee from it. If you’ve ever erred, missing “The Up Side of Down” may be an even bigger mistake. Terri Schlichenmeyer is a book reviewer in Wisconsin. She may be reached via email at bookwormsez@yahoo.com. April 2014 | The Business Times
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LAST LOOK
Story and Photo by patty miller | The Business Times
RedHawks chef shows off new menu items Brandon Lockwood, executive chef for the RedHawks, is introducing new items for this season’s menu both in the concessions and the suites. Lockwood has been with the RedHawks for three years and makes everything from scratch for healthier, better tasting options.
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atching his grandmother in the kitchen as she prepared family meals created a love for cooking in a young boy. Brandon Lockwood, now 36 and the Oklahoma City RedHawks’ executive chef, said not only did his grandmother, Lindle Lemons, cook for the family she also cooked for the youth from his church, Western Hills Baptist, that attended Falls Creek during summer camps. “I grew up in her kitchen standing next to her,” Lockwood said, “watching my Grandmother Lemons and learning from her.” Lockwood said his grandmother had a garden behind her house and chickens and the children played in the chicken coop when he was growing up. “Grandmother also had her own blackberry plants, and I just grew up with fresh food (and) eating healthy,” Lockwood said. That love of eating healthy carries over in Lockwood’s profession. Part of his job includes developing recipes and coordinating food served in the minor league baseball team’s suites as well as helping develop the menu for the concessions. “This year we are trying to stick with healthier food on our menus, not just what some people refer to as ‘State Fair Food’,” Lockwood said. “Our menu for the suites contains about 80 percent new dishes and the concessions includes a metro deli concept developed by one of our workers, which will be available for all of the guests.” Shrimp, pork ribs, Santa Fe chicken with rice, fried chicken and catfish with baked potato casserole, beans and round crinkle cut fries, parmesan chicken sliders, fried cheese ravioli and six-layer shrimp dip all have been added and will be featured items on the new menu. “The shrimp dip isn’t really a new recipe. It is a different spin on the 9-layer Mexican dip, and is my Aunt Linda Lockwood’s recipe,” Lockwood said. “In addition to our cheesecakes and other desserts, I am adding Bananas Foster to the dessert menu this season,” Lockwood said, “and the folks in the suites will have the option of a personal chef experience who will be making the dessert in their suite.” 30
April 2014 | The Business Times
Lockwood also served a roasted garlic Parmesan Ranch dipping sauce with the fried cheese ravioli at a recent tasting. “I would add ranch seasoning to ice cream if I could,” Lockwood said. “I just think it is the secret ingredient that makes just about everything better.” He shared that his fried chicken recipe came from a cook at the Twin Hills Golf and Country Club years ago. “We do things from scratch including the sauces and dressings,” Lockwood said. “I am open to special requests, and I am not afraid to try to make anything.” Lockwood added there are two lounges on the premises, including the Diamond Lounge, which was renovated last year, and Legends Lounge, a venue across from third base. A 1996 graduate of Edmond Memorial High School, Lockwood said, “We give any food we have left over to the City Rescue Mission. I am glad to be able to give back to the community. “And with that connection, I am especially proud to know my alma mater raised more than $441,000 during Swine Week this year and gave it to the City Rescue Mission.” He said his first job was as a dishwasher working at Around the Corner for Charlotte Worsham. “The best part about being there was that it reminded me of my grandmother’s kitchen,” he said. Lockwood said he grew up an ’89er fan at State Fair Park, but never would have imagined he would be the executive chef for the RedHawks. Lockwood said he loves life and loves living in Edmond, and he takes a lot of pride in what he does. “I love driving from Edmond to Oklahoma City to work, and I love sharing the things I love with the people I meet and the ones I work with,” he said. THE REDHAWKS’ home season opener is scheduled for April 11 and tickets for the season’s games went on sale at 10 a.m. March 26. The RedHawks’ home is in the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district. For more information about the OKC RedHawks, go online to okcredhawks.com or call 218-1000.
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