2016 in business

IN BUSINESS

GLOBE GAZETTE

SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016 |

JUNE 2016

PRITCHARD MOTORS

ON THE MOVE

Auto family has long history in North Iowa PLUS: HENKEL CONSTRUCTION HONORED, FISHING GUIDE GOES ALL IN WITH NEW STORE and EMPHASIZING ERGONOMICS FOR BETTER WORKERS

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J2

IN BUSINESS

| SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE OF IN BUSINESS

On the cover: Pritchard Motors’ on the move Auto family’s long history in North Iowa ............................J3

Also: All in the family 5th generation of Pritchard family in the business ............J6

Fishing is all business Men team up to open bait, tackle store ..............................J8

Focus on ergonomics More worksites adapting to improve workplace .............. J13

Henkel Construction honored Business wins several awards ........................................... J16

IN BUSINESS: JUNE 2016 Editor: David Mayberry 641-421-0524 | davidmayberry@globegazette.com Section Editor: Tom Thoma 641-421-0566 | tom.thoma@globegazette.com Associate Editor: Bob Steenson 641-421-0530 | bob.steenson@globegazette.com Advertising and Circulation: Greg Wilderman 641-421-0545 | greg.wilderman@globegazette.com In Business is a quarterly publication of the Globe Gazette.

Reach us at Box 271, Mason City, IA 50402-0271 or by email at news@globegazette.com

GLOBE GAZETTE

SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSOR

Reasons to consider the cloud

Q

As the owner of a small insurance firm, my livelihood depends on good recordkeeping. I’ve been hearing more and more about storing business files “in the cloud.” Right now, we still have our files on site. Can you give me a few points to consider in deciding whether the cloud is a BRUCE FREEMAN good choice for my business?

A: In a recent survey, 84 percent of small- and midsize-business owners said they thought losing several days of productivity to a records-related problem would result in severe costs and a loss of business. Indeed, how businesses protect and store their data is becoming increasingly important in today’s high-tech world, which is why cloud computing — a setup that allows secure, remote storage of your informa-

tion — is well worth considering.

“The cloud is transforming data protection and recovery strategies like never before,” said Mike Grossman, the CEO of Zetta, an information technology consultancy that specializes in cloud services. “New technology that dramatically increases the speed of recovery while keeping costs low and reliability high is making the cloud a very attractive option for small businesses that need to make sure their data is as secure and quickly recoverable as their larger competitors.”

Grossman offered these tips for business owners thinking about using the cloud for data protection and recovery:  Current file recovery: When you store your files onsite, using old-fashioned tape backup, for example, you are never caught up. Sending your files to the cloud means your files are backed up far more quickly. Should you

need to recover a file, you’ll quickly have the most current version.  Location freedom: Today’s businesses often use mobile devices and operate out of more than one location. If you need to find an archived file for a client, finding that file in the cloud will be far easier than having to locate an old file onsite.  Budget control: Onsite data backup requires expensive hardware investment while cloud backup costs can be controlled by capacity. Furthermore, pricing structures scale as your business and data needs grow.  Disaster protection: If you experience a natural disaster or a system failure, your data will be unavailable if it is onsite. If your data is stored in the cloud, however, you can access it from any location immediately, since you are free from hardware constraints.  Business continuity: Consider a cloud solution that lets you recover not only data files but also

applications. Just recovering data won’t help if you can’t get your business operations up and running quickly after a system failure.

Q: I am an intern in the business school of a respected university and will be graduating next year.

I am considering my first job out of college and don’t know if I want to start my own business or work for a company. What do you suggest?

A: There are many avenues to consider for a young adult who is on the brink of graduating college.

However, the savvy grad will proceed with patience, caution and planning.

In this article, Julio Rivera, a junior at the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University who is currently working as an intern, explores the advantages and disadvantages of various post-college options and has some solid general advice: Please see Freeman, Page J18

(641) 357-2283

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Proud to be Family-Owned & Operated since 1958 GENERAL CONSTRUCTION | DESIGN-BUILD | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • FOOD & BEVERAGE • HEALTHCARE

IN BUSINESS

GLOBE GAZETTE

SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016 |

J3

PRITCHARDS KEEPS EVOLVING Fifth-generation company opens pre-owned dealership in new Mason City location ELDA STONE, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE

Pritchards Pre-Owned staff.

ELDA STONE For The Globe Gazette

M

ASON CITY — Pritchard Family Auto Stores keep evolving to meet demands of car owners in North Iowa and beyond more than 100 years after the first Pritchard began selling cars.

Recently, the fifth-generation

family-owned business consolidated its used vehicles in Mason City at Pritchard Pre-Owned, across from the Cinema West Theatre on Highway 122.

Pritchard’s new-car dealerships are in Britt, Garner, Forest City, Belmond and Clarion. Manufacturers represented are Ford, Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC,

Dodge, Jeep and Ram. “When you pool all those used cars together, you have a big selection to choose from,” said Tim Behm of Mason City, team leader at Pritchard Pre-Owned. “Everybody has used cars at all locations, so that’s a pretty wide footprint.

If a buyer wants a new vehicle, we send them to one of those

Pritchard stores. We have drivers every day, moving cars all over the place.”

Pritchard Pre-Owned is an expansion of a former location on South Federal in Mason City. An extended lot behind the building gives the store room to grow.

“We didn’t have a full-service team before. We’ve grown and

added more employees. There’s a bigger service department and more cars,” Behm said. “We opened in March and already we’ve over doubled what we’ve done in other stores. It’s just being well-received by Mason City and surrounding small towns.”

Please see Pritchards, Page J4

J4 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

IN BUSINESS

Globe Gazette

Pritchards From J3

Behm started selling cars when he was 17 and now has 39 years experience in the business. He got that from his dad, John, who has been selling vehicles 49 years, and shares it with his brother, Scott, 31 years in the business. “Between the three of us that’s well over 100 years of selling,” Tim said. All three work together in Mason City.

Current owners Joe and Pam Pritchard carry on their own family tradition that began when the first Pritchard started in the car business in 1913.

“Joe did a big 100th anniversary celebration,” Tim said. “He gave away over $100,000 to the communities of our stores and gave away a truck. Everybody was invited, not just customers, to this party in Clear Lake’s City Park.

Events like that you just don’t see a lot of in this world.”

With car lots on every other corner, Tim thinks what keeps Pritchard Family Auto Stores competitive is the employees.

“The family-owned atmosphere is pretty good. Plus, we have the diversity of all the vehicles, with access to all the brands,” he said.

“It’s small, but when you put it all together, Pritchard is a pretty big place and covers a lot of territory.”

Many dealerships in North Iowa have turned over owners and evolved in the past five years, according to Tim. “There’s lots of big money in town, making offers that are too big to pass up. Some aren’t making it anymore. It’s a tough market. Kind of like farming, where the small get bought up.”

With 16 employees in Mason City, Pritchard Family Auto Stores employs 121 people in retail in North Iowa and 215 total nationwide including its fleet business.

The growth of fleet sales led to the opening of a new fleet department office in Clear Lake, according to Tim. “Fleet is different than retail.

CHRIS ZOELLER PHOTOS, THE GLOBE GAZETTE‌

There are no walls in the sales area at Pritchard Pre-Owned in Mason City. “We can sit and talk about car deals in front of other customers,” team leader Tim Behm says.

LEFT: The service area at the dealership. RIGHT: Detailing area at Pritchard Pre-Owned.

Companies usually buy multiple Hy-Vee for home deliveries,” he “People are customizing vehi- wheels and tires or a small lift kit. vehicles from Pritchard’s, mostly said. cles quite a bit,” Tim said. “They’re We try to become a specialty used Trends in the pre-owned busi- taking a vehicle and customizing over the phone. For instance, we recently sold over 100 vehicles to ness include customization. it by adding things like special Please see Pritchards, Page JJ6

“The family-owned atmosphere is pretty good. ... It’s small, but when you put it all together, Pritchard is a pretty big place and covers a lot of territory.”

Tim Behm, team leader at Pritchard Pre-Owned

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J5

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IN BUSINESS

Globe Gazette

Pritchards From JJ4

car store, making something no one else has.”

Lower gas prices also are affecting the small car and hybrid market.

“This is a time of year when prices would go up, and we’re not seeing much of that this year because gas prices are so cheap,” he said.

Tim said another key to the success at Pritchard Pre-Owned is the atmosphere.

“We give people the opportunity to make a good decision in a low-pressure atmosphere,” he said.

“We let people take the car overnight. You can take it to your local mechanic and look at it in no-pressure environment. We provide free Car Fax information.”

He pointed out there are no walls in the office, no private closed-door negotiations with a sales manager.

“We can sit and talk about car deals in front of other customers,” Behm said. “We let you make a good decision because we want you back.”

Scott Behm, Tim’s brother and a salesman at Pritchard Pre-Owned, said, “If you’re not feeling good about it, we encourage you not to do it. We don’t try to go to home plate before covering first, second, third.

At end of the day, we will have a happy owner who brings others in. If a customer is not happy for whatever reason, it comes back on us.”

Scott noted that pundits started predicting that store buyers would go away because they’d just order vehicles on their computers.

“But this store proves the opposite. People want that relationship with the same salesperson, knowing they will be taken care of,” Scott said.

He mentioned a couple who came looking for a vehicle and the husband decided on one that his wife wasn’t sure about.

“I wouldn’t sell it to them. I told them to go home and talk about it, because it was important they both be happy,” Scott said.

They came back the next day and had agreed together to buy it, so the deal went through.

“It works both ways, otherwise we’d be out of the business,” he said.

“If you force someone in a car and they come back and you say, ‘Tough luck,’ what have you got?”

SUBMITTED‌

Bill Pritchard (front) with grandson Ryan (left), son Joe and granddaughter Angela.

For Pritchards, auto business is all in the family Company started with Walter Pritchard in 1913

‌Several years ago, a gentleman from Garner walked into the Pritchard Family Auto store there and bought a car.

Then he told Joe Pritchard, “Now I’ve bought cars from your great-grandfather, your grandfather, your dad and you.

I just wanted to buy a car from the next generation.”

Now the company CEO, Joe is seeing the fifth generation of Pritchard family come up in the business that his great-grandfather Walter started in North Iowa in 1913.

“He was one of the original Ford dealers in the country,” Joe said, pointing out a photograph of Walter and his five sons. The first Ford Model A rolled out

just 10 years earlier.

“You know there’s that question, ‘If you could ever spend an evening with anyone in the world, who would that be?’ For me, it would be that group of people right there,” Joe said, pointing at the old photo.

His son Ryan is now vice president of commercial sales and daughter Angela is vice president of operations. Another daughter, Emily, works at a social media company in the Twin Cities but the family business works with her services, and the youngest daughter, Ellen, is in the car business with Carousel Motor Group, also in Minneapolis.

Please see Family, Page J7

IN BUSINESS

Globe Gazette

Family From J6

His dad, Bill, is retired but comes in every day.

Joe started full-time in 1983. He grew up naturally in the business, mowing lawns and washing cars.

“There’s a saying, ‘You’re either a car guy or you’re not.’ I just knew. It’s in your blood,” Joe said.

That doesn’t mean it’s mandatory.

“We have a rule that no family member can come back and work for the dealership until they’ve worked at another job first,” Joe said. “No. 1, we don’t want them to feel the pressure of having to come into the family business.

No. 2, everybody has the right to complain about their boss around the Thanksgiving table, and I’d prefer it not be me!”

After 113 years, the family business has dealer locations in Britt, Garner, Forest City, Belmond and Clarion, representing most of the major American car manufacturers. Pritchard Cos. has a track record of many major awards, including Automotive News 2014 Best Dealerships to Work For (for the second time) and the National Automobile Dealers Association only dealer to be ranked top 5 nationally for sales and service in 2013.

“Our philosophy is that we have two customers, internal and external,” he explained. “Internal

is our employees. You surround yourself with the best people and keep them happy. Without happy internal customers, it’s hard to keep the external customers happy. We’ve got a great team.”

He added, “We know we have to operate in a competitive marketplace. We won’t compromise customer satisfaction while still delivering a quality product at a competitive price. That added value for a customer in any of our communities might mean pick-up and delivery or delivering the customer to their workplace.”

An offshoot of the family’s North Iowa dealerships is a nationwide commercial fleet business.

“It’s always been an aspect of our business and a passion of my dad’s and mine,” he said. “I’ve seen some old pictures of a fleet of bread trucks in Mason City that we sold years ago.”

Starting around 1998, the company started ramping up commercial sales and making a mark.

Recently headquartered in a small building on the south edge of Clear Lake, the commercial arm of Pritchard Auto Co. oversees sales offices in five other states. In 2015, it was named No. 1 for Ford F-Series Super Duty truck sales, topping dealers from across the country.

Joe pointed out that the company is fortunate to have relationships with several North Iowa manufacturers that have national

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J7

“There’s a saying, ‘You’re either a car guy or you’re not.’ I just knew. It’s in your blood.”

Joe Pritchard

SUBMITTED.‌

Great-grandfather Walter Pritchard and his five sons footprints, allowing Pritchard Auto to expand commercial sales into other regions.

Customization is an important aspect of the commercial business.

“That’s what sets us apart from the normal supplier,” Joe said.

“We have a menu list of value options that allow commercial customers to get full utilization of their fleets.”

That’s not all. The company is involved in bus and custom golf cart manufacturing and distribution (SRC-Metro) and tow and recovery distribution for Jerr-Dan Corp. (Wide World of Towing).

The local business, however, will always be the heart of the

company, according to Joe. “There’s continued pressure from manufacturers to consolidate locations in the rural towns, so it’s going to become a challenge,” he said. “They would prefer fewer franchise dealers.

We don’t necessarily share that same opinion. It’s a big issue for us.”

While customers can buy vehicles anywhere now over the Internet, Joe noted issues like trade-ins or how far owners are willing to drive for service and maintenance keep the local dealerships viable.

He said his dad is a former mayor of Britt, his grandfather was a founding member of

the Britt Rotary Club and his great-grandfather was a state Legislature representative.

“A company can only be as strong as the communities it’s involved with,” he said. “We encourage all employees to be involved, whether it’s with the fire department or ambulance, community service clubs, school boards, city councils or whatever.”

Local ties built over the five generations also help keep Pritchard Family Auto competitive, Joe said.

“We believe in supporting local businesses. That person you’re mailing an item to over the Internet is certainly not going to volunteer at the local softball game,” he said. “If you’re not taking care of people, taking care of the community, you’re not going to have a very pleasant economic situation.

“We definitely believe in smalltown America. We call North Iowa our hometown.”

J8 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

IN BUSINESS

Globe Gazette

‘One-stop shop’ for local and visiting anglers Kevan Paul and Chris Scholl hope to make Clear Lake Bait and Tackle a one-stop shop for local and visiting anglers.

Paul said his fishing clients often become bait shop customers, while some visitors to the shop are also booking trips.

“It all seems to feed off of each other,” Paul said.

Paul’s guide service offers full-service ice-fishing and open-water trips on Clear Lake and in the surrounding area.

Basic rates for two people are $200 for a 4-hour trip and $300 for a 7-hour trip. A package option includes a 4-hour trip for two and lodging at the South Shore Inn for $300.

He can also accommodate larger groups and special events on a case-by-case basis.

The bait shop specializes in merchandise that includes locally and regionally made products.

Items are offered individually or as pre-packaged kits, including everything needed to target a particular species. “(Customers) can just come in and they can start fishing,” Paul said. “They don’t have to figure it out.”

Bait shop employees will take the time to show people how to use the equipment and inform them about local fishing opportunities, Paul said.

“If we make people better fishermen, they’ll fish more, and buy more,” he said.

For more information call 641-231-8028 (bait shop), 641-529-2359 (guide service) or go to www.paulsfishing guide.com.

— Tim Ackarman

‌TIM ACKARMAN, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE

Fishing guides Chris Scholl, left, and Kevan Paul hope to make Clear Lake Bait and Tackle one of the best stores of its kind in the state.

IN BUSINESS

Globe Gazette

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J9

For North Iowans, fishing’s

ALL BUSINESS Kevan Paul, Chris Scholl team up to open bait, tackle store TIM ACKARMAN For The Globe Gazette‌

‌CLEAR LAKE — Kevan Paul of Clear Lake has turned his experience in retail and his love of fishing into a multi-faceted North Iowa business venture.

As owner of Kevan Paul’s Guide Service he offers full-service open-water and ice-fishing trips. Although Paul concentrates

on Clear Lake, he will consider bookings on other waters within about a 30-mile radius.

“Anywhere the bite’s good,” Paul said.

Paul partnered with fellow guide Chris Scholl of Manly to found the Yellow Bass Bonanza.

Started four years ago “with a Facebook page and a $25 (DNR) permit,” the Bonanza has grown

into what many believe to be Iowa’s premier ice-fishing tournament.

Most recently, Paul and Scholl teamed up again to start the area’s newest fishing supply store, Clear Lake Bait and Tackle Inc. Opened April 30 at 524 Highway 18 East in Clear Lake, the shop offers an array of bait, tackle and other fishing ac-

cessories with an emphasis on high-quality merchandise and locally or regionally made custom products.

Paul and Scholl hope to offer more than just merchandise at their store.

As active fishing guides, they will be able to provide advice about equipment and techniques as well as frequently updated

fishing reports.

They also plan to organize special events, host fishing seminars and offer product demonstrations.

“We want it to be something that will draw people to the region,” Paul said. “It’s not just about taking people’s money.

Please see Fishing, Page J11

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In business

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Fishing

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J11

Kevan Paul’s tips for success Seek both advice from fellow

Have passion for what you do. business people and professional Embrace social media. “We had support.

2,000 Facebook ‘likes’ in two We want to educate people and days,” Paul said.

Find suppliers you can trust. be ambassadors for the sport.”

Hire the right employees.

From J9

Forest City native‌

A Forest City native, Paul developed his love of fishing as a youngster plying the banks of the Winnebago River.

“I’d ride my bike across town every day and go catch northerns,” Paul said. “I always wanted to be a professional fisherman.”

Instead, during high school Paul worked at the local Pamida, where he was eventually promoted into management.

An opportunity in the company took him to Winter, South Dakota, where he continued to hone his passion for fishing as well as hunting. That’s also were he met his wife, Lisa.

“That’s why I married my wife,” Paul joked. “She had the hunting ground.”

Another transfer took the couple to Iowa, where Paul worked in Chariton and spent his free time

fishing Lake Rathbun.

Yet Paul wasn’t completely satisfied.

“Retail wasn’t for me at that time,” he said, “especially working for someone else.”

He decided to return to North Iowa, settling in Clear Lake.

After a brief stint selling cars, he worked for several years as a salesman with Captain’s Choice Seafood.

By then the Pauls had started a family (their son Houston is now 8 and daughter Navaeh is 7) and the frequent travel required by his job didn’t mesh with his desire to be an involved father.

“I’d come home and I felt like I’d missed a month,” Paul said.

His next job, selling masonry products, kept him home more and saw him laid off in the winter.

Revisited his dream‌

With free time on his hands, Paul revisited his dream of being an angling professional by offering guided ice-fishing trips. His initial aspirations were modest and he quickly exceeded them.

“My first-year goal was 10-15 trips,” Paul said. “I did 35.”

Soon Paul was getting referral and repeat business. His ice clients also began inquiring about open-water trips.

Before long Paul was busy with ice clients most of the winter, while his weekends and vacation days during warmer months were spent guiding on the water.

“I was making more on a week‌TIM ACKARMAN, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE end of guiding than during a week Client Dustin Morrison displays a yellow bass he caught during a May at work,” Paul said.

Before long, demand was outing on Clear Lake. Guide Kevan Paul says clients would often rather have their guide teach them to be better anglers than to concentrate Please see Fishing, Page J12 solely on putting fish in the boat.

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J12 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

Globe Gazette

Fishing From J11

exceeding his supply of free time, forcing Paul to turn down potential clients and presenting him with a difficult choice.

“I need to try it or not,” Paul remembers thinking.

“It” was giving up his job and becoming a full-time guide, a leap Paul took in 2011. The results exceeded his expectations.

“Before you know it I’m doing 200 trips a year,” Paul said. “So far it’s been taking off really well.”

So well, in fact, that Paul needed some help.

Even guiding full-time, demand again began to exceed Paul’s availability. Rather than turn away business, Paul decided to recruit someone to take on a portion of his trips.

Having developed a friendship with Scholl through area fishing tournaments and similar events, Paul was confident Scholl would provide the level of service and expertise he wanted for his clients.

“I knew he was a good fisherman and good with people,” Paul said.

Being good with people is as important — or perhaps more important — than being able to catch fish, Paul has discovered.

He said some guides become so focused on results that they end up catching most of the fish themselves rather than working with clients to help them develop the skills needed to do it on their own. Paul learned quickly this was a mistake.

“Let (clients) catch fish and have fun,” Paul said.

“They want to learn. “It’s not about just going out and catching 100 fish.”

Helping clients become better fishermen helps Paul build a relationship that leads to repeat business, he said. It also buys him some latitude on those inevitable

Clear Lake Bait and Tackle features local and regional products such as these musky lures assembled in Mason City.

TIM ACKARMAN‌PHOTOS, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE

Kevan Paul, left, demonstrates how to use a telescoping cane pole to fish crappies for customers Tim Hopkins, center, and Dennis Weber of Boone. days when things don’t go as planned.

“If they’re not catching anything and they know you’re working hard, they’re going to forgive you for it,” Paul said.

Building relationships is also critical for professional development, Paul noted.

Building a brand‌

Early in his guiding career, Paul became involved with Clam Outdoors, which opened doors for marketing and promotion.

“They’re really the ones who got my name out there and got me off the ground,” he said. “It’s basically about building a brand.”

Through Clam Outdoors, Paul was able to participate in trade shows, media events and fishing seminars, all of which increased his visibility.

“If you don’t have a lot of money, you work a little harder for it,” Paul said.

Clam officials noticed Paul’s hard work and success. They rewarded it by making him an Ice Team Pro, a select group of the best ice anglers in the country.

The reputation and connections Paul developed along the way helped immensely with recruiting sponsors and volunteers when Paul and Scholl decided to start a Clear Lake ice-fishing tournament.

First held in 2013, the Yellow Bass Bonanza, believed to be the largest fishing tournament in Iowa and among the largest in the Midwest, draws over 500 participants and awards over $30,000 in cash and prizes.

Paul stays busy with his guide business and organizing the tournament while Scholl holds a “regular” job as a truck driver in addition to his guiding duties.

Guiding, however, involves long hours and hard work. Paul realized it’s not a pace he’ll want to maintain indefinitely.

“I need a retirement plan down the road,” Paul said.

Open shop

Paul and Scholl realized they were drawing a lot of anglers to Clear Lake and decided it was only logical for them to take advantage of some of the revenue that

generates by opening their own bait and tackle shop.

A brief search led them to the former NAPA Auto Parts building, which was already set up for retail and offered an ideal location.

“There was $10,000 in shelving already here and you’ve got 10,000 cars a day driving by,” Scholl said.

Despite his extensive retail experience, Paul sought lots of advice and assistance to start the enterprise.

Friends in the business world gave him pointers and reviewed many of the associated legal documents.

He also worked with a lawyer, an accountant and a computer specialist who installed a point-of-sale system for inventory and billing.

As with previous endeavors, Paul is keeping his initial expectations modest.

“I want it to be able to support itself and pay the payroll,” he said.

“Right now it’s baby steps,” Scholl said While Paul and Scholl will put a lot of hours in at the shop themselves, they

also have two part-time employees in avid local anglers Dave Van Syoc and Jim Cash.

Paul’s wife has been helping quite a bit as well, and he anticipates it could become a family affair down the road.

“My kids will have something to do when they’re older, maybe,” Paul said.

His visions for the business by that point aren’t

so humble.

“I believe this can be one of the best shops in the state,” he said.

In the meantime, though, Paul is just happy to be living his childhood dream.

“I grew up going to proams (fishing tournaments) and getting autographs from some of the guys I’m working with now,” Paul said. “I could be working in a factory, but I get to fish!”

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Focus on ergonomics for better workplace Globe Gazette

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J13

More worksites adapting to the needs of the employees KRISTIN BUEHNER For In Business‌

‌R

emember when employees were expected to adapt themselves to the job?

Today, more worksites are adapting to the needs of the employees.

“We try to design our work stations to fit the employee,” said Marc Kincade, plant manager at Graham Manufacturing in Mason City.

Graham Manufacturing is one of numerous local businesses making adjustments where possible to improve the health and safety of employees. The longterm benefit for the company is a higher production rate; reduced costs for work-related injuries, associated health claims and time off; and more positive attitudes toward work.

The process of identifying onthe-job risk factors of personal injury and developing controls to eliminate them is part of ergonomics in the workKozitza place, said Chad Kozitza, manager of safety, health and wellness at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.

Ergonomics involves an awareness of the effect common workplace tasks may have upon the employee, Kozitza said. Tools or

KRISTIN BUEHNER, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE‌

Jon Olson (right), radiation therapist at Mercy-North Iowa, and Chad Kozitza, Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa manager of safety, health and wellness, demonstrate the use of a ceiling lift to lift and move non-ambulatory patients. processes are refined to optimize them for human use and reduce the occurrence of fatigue, stress or injury.

Ergonomic solutions may be as simple as raising or lowering a desk or adding special devices to

reduce risk of injury. Ergonomic adjustments are common today in offices, industrial settings or any work environment where potentially hazardous work situations are involved.

Common across-the-board

health risks are muscle strain or fatigue, Kozitza said.

Proper training is an important part of the solution.

Neuromuscular skeletal injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, make up about 40 percent

of work-related health issues, second only to lacerations, said Mason City chiropractor Richard Haas.

Ergonomics entered the public Please see Ergonomics, Page J14

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J14 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

Ergonomics From J13

consciousness in the 1970s as business and industry became more automated, Haas said.

“There is more repetitive work today,” said Haas, who assists companies in thinking Haas ergonomically. The goal is to reduce pain and suffering in the workplace when possible.

“People are not physically designed the same,” Haas said. Employees will have differing levels of risk due to their individual differences.

Often tests designed to identify employee risk levels are missing the mark. An example is the functional capacity test used to determine how much weight individual employees can lift. Although functional capacity testing is useful, most people aren’t going to injure themselves from one lift, Haas said.

“They injure themselves from repetitively lifting smaller loads the wrong way over time,” he said.

Having a detailed job description for the doctor doing the pre-job placement exam would also be helpful in determining risk levels of the employee, Haas said.

Haas administers a biomechanical stress index to new hires to help employers measure the risk levels of employees for specific work stations. He also performs on-site ergonomic assessments of existing work stations.

Ergonomic solutions do not have to be costly.

Start with an office worker’s sitting position at the desk. The armrests should be parallel to the floor, feet flat on the floor, Haas said.

KRISTIN BUEHNER, FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE‌

Mason City City Hall employee Pam Stecker works at her adjustable-height desk.

Employees whose feet do not reach the floor may need a workplace footrest.

Chair heights and armrests should be adjustable.

Computer keyboards and the computer mouse should be at the same level within easy reach, Haas said. The wrist should be at a 15-degree angle when using the keyboard.

The height of the computer monitor should be adjusted so the employee does not have to raise or lower the head to see it, Haas said.

Eye level should be at or near the top of the monitor. Sources of glare on the monitor should be removed.

Desk easels can hold documents for easier typing by data entry employees.

Lumbar cushions can be used to support the lower spine when sitting to pre-

vent a forward posture, which increases muscle tension in the back of the head, Haas said. Sitting on the edge of the chair is also fine if you sit with one foot forward and one foot back.

“What not to do is cross your legs,” Haas said. “It flattens out the curve of the lower back and furthers the head-forward position.”

Haas recommends clerical employees take

micro-stretch breaks throughout the day. Every 10 minutes, roll the shoulder blades, reach for the sky, “do anything to stop that repetitive cycle and improve circulation and lymphatic drainage.”

Give the eyes a rest every 10 minutes by alternating on focusing them close, then far away.

People standing on the job all day face a different set of challenges as standing can be harder on the body than walking, Haas said.

Companies such as Graham Manufacturing use ergonomic anti-fatigue floor mats over the cement flooring at work stations where employees stand for long periods of time, company officials said.

Haas also suggests all employees do warm-up exercises, such as mild stretching, with a team leader the first thing each day and again after lunch.

Ergonomics is a multi-faceted solution, Haas said. “There’s no one fix to reducing health care costs.”

At Mason City City Hall, some employees have requested adjustable-height desks that can be used standing, to strengthen body core, or seated, City Administrator Brent Trout said.

Pam Stecker, assistant to the city administrator, can adjust her Varidesk for standing or sitting. She also

Globe Gazette

sometimes uses a large exercise balance ball for sitting instead of her chair.

“It’s good for the posture,” she said.

Her ergonomic keyboard is curved at a more natural angle for use and has a palm rest across the bottom, Stecker said.

At Mercy-North Iowa, the height of hospital beds was determined according to the needs of nursing staff who frequently bend over them, Kozitza said. The hospital is also installing ceiling lifts to lift and move non-ambulatory patients.

The lifts can hold up to 600 pounds.

Another device in use at Mercy is a patient transport that can lift non-ambulatory patients from a seated to a standing position.

Inflatable air mats, called air-powered lateral transfer systems, are used to transfer patients from a bed to another lateral surface.

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unnecessary strain for hospital nursing staff, Kozitza said.

At Graham, some tools have been redesigned to better fit employees, said Amy Schmitt, Graham safety manager.

Automated solutions such as a pneumatic lift to lift and carry the doors made by Graham, which may weigh up Schmitt to 400 pounds, are also in use, said Kincade. “Ten years ago we did the lifting and carrying manually.”

Graham employees do warm-up exercises at the start of each day, Kincade said.

“We treat our employees like industrial athletes.

Every employee does flexand-stretch exercises before the shift starts.”

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J16 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

Globe Gazette

Honoring Henkel Master Builder awards considered ultimate honors KRISTIN BUEHNER For The Globe Gazette‌

SUBMITTED‌ PHOTOS

Henkel Construction built the new energy center at Mercy Medical CenterNorth Iowa, winning an award from the Master Builders of Iowa.

As part of the Marston Hall renovation at Iowa State, Henkel employees removed 75 percent of the 1903 building’s internal walls to create larger, more open and modern classrooms.

‌MASON CITY — Recent awards presented to Henkel Construction Co. of Mason City represented the ultimate honors in construction awards, Henkel officials said.

The masters and safety awards were presented earlier this year at the annual convention of the Master Builders of Iowa (MBI).

“It was like winning the Oscars,” Henkel President Schmit Gary Schmit said.

“In the masters and safety categories, Henkel Construction was the overall winner for all four awards in which we were a finalist.”

The masters awards are given by the Master Builders of Iowa (MBI).

The safety awards were from the MBI and the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA).

Henkel was recognized as the

ontrol rint C creative

About Henkel Founded in 1892 by William Henkel, Henkel Construction is a full-service design-builder, construction manager and general contractor with offices in Mason City and Ames. Henkel handles projects with budgets of up to $20 million. It has an annual revenue of about $75 million. industry leader in the $5 million-to-$10 million category for its work on the energy center and loading dock at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa.

Deemed a “complicated, labor-intensive” project by hospital officials, the project was completed in 2015.

Henkel also won a Masters Award in the over-$10 million category for its work as trade contractor on the south end zone expansion project at Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University, which was also completed in 2015.

The masters award recognizes “exceptional management skills, imagination, perseverance under unusual and challenging conditions, responsiveness to client

needs and innovative construction techniques,” according to the MBI. “It’s the process of how a building gets built,” Schmit said.

The multi-phased Mercy project included installation of a new emergency power generation and distribution system for the entire hospital.

Henkel crews installed two 2.25-megawatt emergency power generators, the first of their kind installed in Iowa, according to the company. The project also included an expansion of the hospital’s loading dock, waste-removal system, paving, site work and underground storm water retention system.

“The project involved many carefully scheduled shutdowns of all critical areas of the hospital, often at night,” Schmit said.

Henkel’s work at Jack Trice Stadium included metal work on stairwells, railings and exterior concrete work on the enclosing of the South End Zone. For this project, Henkel was the trade contractor.

The $60 million, 40,000-squarefoot Sukup South End Zone Club was completed in August and features two levels of premium seating and club space.

Please see Henkel, Page J17

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Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J17

Henkel From J16

As important to Henkel officials is the Outstanding Company Safety Achievement Award given for its overall safety record. One of the more prestigious safety awards in Iowa for the construction industry, the safety award recognizes the company that demonstrates the best practices in accident prevention and promotes the sharing of the industry’s best achievements to advance safety at all levels, Schmit said.

That is the one that I’m most proud of,” Schmit said. “It’s a credit to our workers, project managers, estimators —everybody.”

The company performed about 180,000 hours of onsite work in 2015 with one reported injury, and had just previously achieved a 12-month period without a single injury, Schmit said.

Julie Weide, Henkel’s safety and training leader, received the MBI’s Safety Professional Award as the top safety professional. Schmit credited this to her training programs for field in employees worksite safety practices and her assistance to project managers and superintendents to ensure compliance with all safety proWeide grams. Under her direction, potential work hazards were analyzed each day and a mitigation program developed.

“Henkel is like family,” said Weide, who started as a laborer at Henkel in 1987 and worked up to field superintendent. When the company created her current position, “I knew it was something I wanted to do,” she said.

Henkel superintendents and employees also perform site safety audits on all current projects on a quarterly basis, Schmit said. A company safety committee meets regularly to look at ways to improve the company’s safety culture.

“We reward people for their safe habits and actions,” Schmit said.

The MBI Safety Champion Award was given to Henkel superintendent Duane Hanley for renovation work at Marston Hall at Iowa

SUBMITTED‌ PHOTOS

Construction work on the south end zone at Jack Trice Stadium at Iowa State University.

State University. In this project, Henkel employees removed 75 percent of the 1903 building’s internal walls to create larger, more open and modern classrooms. During the process, 17 shoring towers extending nearly 70 feet from the roof trusses to below the basement floor were installed to support the weight of the roof while a new steel support structure was Hanley erected.

Two elevators were added and classrooms and hallways “opened up,” said Hanley, a Henkel employee since 1984.

“My job is to direct my help and my subcontractors where they need to be and what needs to be done,” said Hanley, who is in charge of safety, quality and schedule at Henkel.

At the new Mercy energy center, two 2.25-megawatt emergency power generators were installed — the first of their kind in Iowa, according to Henkel Construction officials.

J18 | Sunday, June 12, 2016

Freeman From J2

ADVANTAGES OF GAINING WORK EXPERIENCE BEFORE YOU START YOUR OWN BUSINESS: Work experience provides you with certain skills, such as working in groups, communication and business mindfulness, all of which are reviewed by hiring managers. Gaining work experience will help you develop your abilities and will certainly give you a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

ADVANTAGES OF STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS: One of the greatest differences in owning your own company or organization versus working for one is the feeling of pride you can get from building something from the ground up.

You’ll also have more flexibility and independence. When you work for another person, you rarely get the opportunity to pick who you work with.

SOME GENERAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU GRADUATE: Visiting the career center can help you sharpen your interview skills, boost your resume and explore different career paths.

Visiting career fairs is an excellent way to network and find job openings and opportunities. Talk to recruiters in order to seek information about specific companies or industries.

Seeking advice from mentors or professors can be especially helpful because they can help you find a job opening or recommend you as a candidate.

Apply for internships. The more experience the better.

Bruce Freeman, an adjunct professor and co-author of “Birthing the Elephant” (Random House), is president of ProLine Communications. Readers may send him email at bruce@smallbusinessprofessor. com and follow him on Twitter (@ smallbizprof) and Facebook.

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Globe Gazette

Agents say real estate market isn’t as fun as it used to be

Colorado Realtor Mark Ferguson poses for a picture at his office in Greeley. Real estate agents are flummoxed by a housing market that’s still trying to recover a decade after its historic collapse. “Our team is doing well, but I think in general, if there were more houses to sell, we’d be doing so much better,” says Ferguson, a sales team leader with the Pro Realty agency.

JOYCE M. ROSENBERG AP Business Writer‌

NEW YORK — Real estate ‌ agents are flummoxed by a housing market that’s still trying to recover a decade after its historic collapse.

Agents are getting higher commissions as home prices rise, but have fewer houses to list because homeowners are reluctant to sell.

Many owners don’t want to put their homes on the market until they have more equity to use toward higher-priced properties, agents say. And the uncertain economy has left owners inclined to hold on to their homes. Meanwhile, there are more agents in the market competing for commissions than even just a few years ago.

“Our team is doing well, but I think in general, if there were more houses to sell we’d be doing so much better,” says Mark Ferguson, a sales team leader with the Pro Realty agency in Greeley, Colorado.

Ferguson, who’s been selling real estate since 2001, focused on foreclosed homes during the housing crisis and the early part of the recovery, and went back to traditional home sales in 2013 after most of the foreclosure backlog was cleared.

The current lack of inventory was a surprising turn, and is now limiting any expansion plans.

Ferguson wants to add another agent to his team, but doesn’t have the jump in sales he’d need to justify further hires.

He had nearly $5.8 million in sales during the first quarter of this year, up nearly 6 percent from the first three months of 2015.

The drop in supply can be seen in the latest monthly statistics available from the National Association of Realtors, an industry trade group. In April, the inventory of homes available for sale was down 3.6 percent from a year earlier.

ASSOCIATED PRESS‌

Stiffer competition among real estate agents also makes it harder to make money, especially since the improvement in the economy has made selling real estate more appealing to people in search of work.

Membership in the National Association of Realtors totaled 1.17 million at the end of April, up from the post-collapse low of nearly 1 million in 2012. The Realtors had 1.36 million members in 2006, the year that the housing market began its crash.

“Everyone was dropping out of the business in 2008. Now we’re flooded with real estate agents without a lot of inventory,” says Janine Acquafredda, a broker with House N Key Realty in Brooklyn, New York.

Acquafredda’s sales over the past year are down about 25 percent from the previous year. In addition to a shortage of available homes, she sees fewer buyers with deep pockets from other countries who are able to put cash down and finalize a deal quickly.

One reason: the stock market

drop in China, where the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s major index is down 45 percent since June.

“The business is just not as much fun as it used to be,” Acquafredda says.

When houses do go on the market they can sell quickly because of the small supply. Bidding wars are common on the most attractive properties.

That makes it hard to find enough homes to show a prospective buyer. Deb Tomaro, who owns a one-person Re/Max agency in Bloomington, Indiana, recently picked out 12 homes and began driving the clients around for a quick look. Many of the properties were unsuitable for one reason or another, and two had been sold by the time Tomaro and the clients arrived. In the end, there were just four houses for the clients to seriously consider.

“We’ll have to expand their search higher in price or go further out in the area,” Tomaro says.

Because Tomaro is a solo agent and not part of a team, she has as much work as she can handle. Her

sales have gone from $4 million in 2012 to about $10 million last year, and she expects to stay at about that level in 2016.

Brokerages that are expanding are doing so at a pace that reflects the current market.

“We’re actually about to open our third office in four years.

We’re still growing, but it’s that slow, steady growth,” says Carl Billera, managing broker at BHGRE Valley Partners in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

Billera expects his agency’s sales, which rose 24 percent last year, to match that increase in 2016 because prices are higher.

But he’s not seeing listings at the pace he saw in the last several years.

“It’s challenging for agents to try and grow their business because of listing shortages,” he says.

Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www. twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg. Her work can be found here: http:// bigstory.ap.org/content/joyce-mrosenberg.

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Globe Gazette

Sunday, June 12, 2016 | J19

Who gets the family business?

SPECIAL TO IN BUSINESS

‌ hen it’s time to pass the W family-business torch to the next generation, thorny issues can arise such as sibling rivalries and tax implications.

Yet despite these potentially knotty complications, 73 percent of family business owners say they don’t have a documented succession plan in place, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Attorneys say that’s unwise.

“There are a lot of aspects to an effective succession plan and varying levels of expertise are needed,” says Bryce Mackay, an attorney with Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward, (www. jdsalaw.com), a firm that includes family businesses among its clients.

He and colleagues Lindsey Weidenbach and Evan McCauley say numerous snags may emerge.

“One of the biggest issues is that business owners don’t give themselves enough time to implement a plan,” Mackay says. “Succession planning isn’t something you can do in a week or two.

To be effective, the client should begin planning years in advance.”

Questions also arise about whether younger family members even want to take over. Just 30 percent of family businesses survive into the second generation, according to the Family Firm Institute.

“The next generation doesn’t always have the same passion,” McCauley says. “In small communities, adult children may have moved to bigger cities and may not want to return.”

Whether the younger generation is ready or not, there’s an upswing in the number of family businesses being sold or passed on to someone else.

“A lot of wealth-transfer planning is happening because baby boomers are reaching retirement age,” Weidenbach says.

The attorneys say any family business considering a succession plan should: Act early. “If you come to us on your deathbed and want to transfer your family farm, we may be limited in what we can do,” McCauley says. For example, it can take years to implement tax structures to reduce tax ef-

fects on the transfer.

Set goals. Who do you want to be your successor?

Will it be someone inside or outside the family? Is transferring wealth to family members the goal or is having enough money to retire the objective?

Involve everyone. Family members should be involved, of course, but also professionals such as an attorney, a CPA, an investment adviser and active members of the business’s management.

Choose a succession planner who will be around a while. Succession planning is a long-term endeavor.

It’s best to avoid an attorney who’s likely to retire before the plan is fully implemented.

On occasion a business owner has clear-cut succession ideas. But when attorneys start asking questions, that plan might be revised or abandoned.

“Our goal is to determine whether the client’s initial plan will work from a practical standpoint,” Weidenbach says. “We try to steer the client to the best outcome, even if that’s not what they initially had in mind.”

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