thE NExt GENEratION
YounG leadeRs TaKe on TRadITIon aT THe Ceo RoundTable Page 27
JOB faIr
a bY-THe-numbeRs looK aT loCal emPloYmenT TRends Page 44
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www.ColumbiaCEO.com
Business of Art columbia’s creative community finds itself at a crossroads Page 36
CONtENts
Inside Columbia’s CEO • www.ColumbiaCeo.com • Volume 5, Issue 1
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Opening Bell: The Buzz On CoMo Biz
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Up & Coming: The ladder Report
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Cultural Crossroad: Columbia’s art Scene faces Up To Change
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Job fair: Columbia Climbs Out Of Recession
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CEO at Play: Three Questions
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Regional Roundup
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Business Unusual: Pizza Tree
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Joe Machens Toyota Scion Opens On Vandiver
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Shopping: Get The Skinny On Ties
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Jim Sinek Takes The Reins at Boone Hospital Center
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Networking
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CEO Roundtable: The Next Generation
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Publisher’s Note
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Closing Quotes
aBOut thE COvEr: art meets business in Kevin Shults’ painting, Greed. Shults, who opened Kevin Shults
art & Design in 2012, has worked in the advertising and communications field for more than 30 years.
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staff
INsIdE COlumBIa’s CEO
Publisher Fred Parry fred@insidecolumbia.net associate Publisher Melody Parry melody@insidecolumbia.net editor-in-Chief Sandy Selby sandy@insidecolumbia.net
MEET OUR EDITORIal aDVISORY BOaRD
Copy editor Kathy Casteel kathy@insidecolumbia.net editorial assistant Morgan McCarty morgan@insidecolumbia.net Contributing Writers Lauren Dixon, Anita Neal Harrison Creative director Carolyn Preul cpreul@insidecolumbia.net
RandY CoIl President, Coil Construction
Tom aTKIns President, Tom Atkins Investments
GaRY dReWInG President, Joe Machens Dealerships
Joan Gabel Dean, Trulaske College of Business, University of Missouri
Graphic designers Kate Moore kate@insidecolumbia.net Trever Griswold trever@insidecolumbia.net Photo editor L.G. Patterson lg@insidecolumbia.net director of marketing Kevin Magee kevin@insidecolumbia.net
Paul land Principal/Owner, Plaza Commercial Realty
bob GeRdInG President, Gerding, Korte & Chitwood CPAs
dIanne lYnCH President, Stephens College
GeoRGe PFenenGeR CEO, Socket
sales director Deb Valvo deb@insidecolumbia.net marketing Representatives Rosemarie Peck rosemarie@insidecolumbia.net Joe Schmitter joe@insidecolumbia.net Jamill Teter jteter@insidecolumbia.net
bob PuGH CEO, MBS Textbook Exchange
GReG sTeInHoFF President of Strategic Operations, Veterans United Home Loans
JeRRY TaYloR President & CEO, MFA Oil Co.
TIm WolFe President, University of Missouri System
marketing assistants Jessica Card jessica@insidecolumbia.net Kalie Clennin kalie@insidecolumbia.net audience development specialist Ren Bishop ren@insidecolumbia.net
Please Recycle This Magazine.
Inside Columbia’s CEO magazine 47 E. Broadway • Columbia, MO 65203 • Office: 573-442-1430 • Web: www.ColumbiaCEO.com Inside Columbia’s CEO is published quarterly by OutFront Communications LLC, 47 E. Broadway, Columbia, Mo. 65203, 573-442-1430. Copyright OutFront Communications, 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content without the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Postage paid at Columbia, Mo. The annual subscription rate is $19.95 for four issues. 6
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director of Customer Retention Gerri Shelton gerri@insidecolumbia.net office manager Kent Hudelson kent@insidecolumbia.net assistant Finance manager Brenda Brooks brenda@insidecolumbia.net distribution manager John Lapsley
OPENING BELL
the buzz on como biz
moo-ral Central Dairy Paints A Picture Of The Present On A Piece Of Its Past by morgan mccarty photo courtesy of woodruff sweitzer
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owntown Appliance is sporting a new look these days that’s sure to bring a smile to Columbians and maybe a trace of confusion to CoMo visitors. With the store’s permission, Central Dairy commissioned a mural on the west-facing wall of the building that originally housed the dairy for more than 30 years. The mural features three of the Central Dairy Cows chatting — Tiger Tracks Cow, Vanilla Cow and Strawberry Cow. Each cow is sitting on an ice cream 8
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cone with the Central Dairy farm scene in the background. “It’s quirky and charming, just like the Central Dairy brand,” says marketing director Betsy Dudenhoeffer. Central Dairy’s creative agency, Woodruff Sweitzer, selected Columbiabased artist Gaige Larson to paint the mural. The mural graces the historic building at 1104 E. Broadway that was the home of Central Dairy from 1927 until 1959, when the dairy changed
hands and relocated to Jefferson City. In 1961, Downtown Appliance moved into the empty space; storeowner Herb Helmreich bought the building in 1967. The terra-cotta façade still carries the Central Dairy name, an embellishment that has lured many into the appliance store in search of frozen treats, says second-generation owner Don Helmreich. They usually beat a hasty retreat when they realize the only ice cream-related sales in this building are for freezers.
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OPENING BEll
the buzz on como biz
The State Of Generosity
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t turns out that Missourians make a very mediocre showing when it comes to their level of generosity. The Chronicle of Philanthropy measured the total contributions to charity by the residents of each state and weighed that against the median discretionary income to come up with the percentage of income the average person gives to charities, including churches. Missouri resides in the middle of the list at No. 26. Show-Me Staters, on average, give 4.4 percent of their income to charity. Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina make up the top five, but don’t go to New Hampshire looking for a handout. That state’s residents only give 2.5 percent of their income to nonprofit organizations, which puts New Hampshire last on the generosity list.
Your Lucky’s Day The much-anticipated fall opening of lucky’s Farmers market will be delayed until Jan. 8 — just in time to help out with that “healthy eating” new Year’s resolution. according to lucky’s President bo sharon, a nationwide building boom has created a delay on the delivery of steel for the exterior. “Good news for the economy!” he says, but disappointing news for Columbia shoppers who were planning to buy their Thanksgiving dinner groceries at lucky’s. Job seekers won’t have to wait quite as long. according to sharon, the store will begin hiring in october.
dEGrEEs Of suCCEss The website payscale.com has come out with its 201213 College Salary Report that reports on the average starting salary, mid-career salary and high job meaning score for 1,058 colleges and universities in the United States. The university of missouri landed at No. 329 on the list. Mizzou grads tallied an average starting salary of $42,700 and a mid-career salary of $77,700. Fifty-three percent of Mizzou graduates answered “Very much so” and “Yes” to the question, “Does your work make the world a better place?” columbia college came in at No. 950 on the list. stephens college does not appear in the survey. Where should you send your kids to college if you want them to rake in the big bucks after graduation? Princeton University comes in at No. 1 with an average starting salary of $58,300 and a mid-career number of $137,000. Money may not equal happiness, though. Only 49 percent of Princeton grads believe their work makes the world a better place. Check out your alma mater’s standings at www.payscale.com/ college-salary-report-2013.
share your business news with Inside Columbia’s CEO. Email the editor at sandy@insidecolumbia.net. 10
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OPENING BEll
up & coming
thE laddEr rEPOrt look Who’s moving up In Columbia
The Missouri Association of Insurance Agents installed brian harrison, owner of the harrison agency in Columbia, as the 2013–14 MAIA president at the group’s annual Leadership Conference in July. Harrison has worked with a number of MAIA committees over the past 21 years. He began his service on the education committee in 1992 and subsequently served on the committees for MAIA’s two largest conferences, as well as the technology committee and the PAC fundraising committee. Harrison was also a regional director on the board of directors for six years. In addition to his work with MAIA, Harrison serves on the board of directors for the Cornerstone National Insurance Co. and is active in several local organizations such as Boy Scouts and Rotary.
central trust & investment co. (an affiliate of boone county national bank) has promoted daniel J. monte to the position of senior vice president and chief fiduciary officer. Monte will oversee a group of high net-worth clients for the Columbia office in addition to his responsibility for all aspects of fiduciary risk management for the company; this includes involvement in account acceptance, account opening procedures, discretionary distributions, financial audits and management of the company’s interaction with legal entities. Monte is a member of both the New Mexico and Missouri Bar Associations. He has extensive experience in trust and estate administration as well as assisting clients with sophisticated estate planning techniques. JJ musgrove is the new manager of Columbia’s office of cultural affairs, effective Aug. 29. He replaces chris stevens, who moved to Colorado last month with 12
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his family. Musgrove most recently served as executive director of donor services for the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, in Columbus, Ga. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theater and business, with a concentration in organizational leadership, including a master’s degree from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. chris bouchard has been named state director of mu extension’s missouri small business & technology development centers. Interim director since 2009, Bouchard succeeds max summers, who accepted a three-year special projects assignment with MU Extension. Bouchard has owned and operated two businesses; was an aircraft commander, instructor pilot and comptroller in the U.S. Air Force; and served as overseer for the Missouri quality Award, administered by the Excellence in Missouri Foundation.
Columbia native mike harrison is the new midMissouri regional director for the better business bureau branch in Columbia. Harrison, who has a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Missouri, joins the BBB after serving as an events manager for the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church and working in a variety of positions in the hotel industry. stephanie shumpert has been hired as director of education on the columbia campus of great circle, one of Missouri’s largest behavioral health nonprofits. In her new role, Shumpert is responsible for directing and coordinating all educational, administrative and counseling activities within the Columbia academic school. She oversees a team of special educators, who provide elementary, middle and secondary coursework on the Columbia campus.
Michael Gray
michael gray, general manager of boyce and bynum pathology laboratories since 1968, has begun a half-time retirement track. By the end of 2013, Gray’s executive management responsibilities for the laboratory and physicians’ professional practice will transition to richard cotten, Boyce and Bynum’s newly appointed chief operating officer and general manager. Cotten will be a key architect in evaluating operations, overseeing financial planning and implementing new business development strategies. Most recently, Cotten served as vice president of strategic development for LabCorp and general manager of National Reference Laboratory (LabCorp’s international venture with Mubadala Development Co.) to develop a reference laboratory network across the United Arab Emirates.
OPENING BELL
regional roundup
Capital Region Makes Plans To Expand rendering by simon oswald associates
William Woods Lands $1 Million Challenge Grant
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apital Region Medical Center has announced construction of a 115,000-square-foot expansion of the medical center’s campus at 1125 Madison St. in Jefferson City. The addition will consolidate many specialty physician services provided at various Jefferson City locations to the new facility when it opens in the spring of 2015. “This new expansion project is vital to us in a number of ways,” says Dr. Randy Haight, chief medical officer/vice president of medical affairs. “It will allow us to consolidate specialty care and physician services into one convenient easily accessible setting. Access to great doctors — and thus great medical care — is so vital.
Initially, at least 30 to 35 physicians will be in the new building.” Along with improved access to Capital Region Physicians, the additional space will offer enhanced outpatient services in therapy, pharmacy, radiology, a breast center with mammography, tomosyntheses, ultrasound, stereotactic and other services. When complete, Capital Region officials say the addition will enhance the outpatient experience and services, improve access by creating a single main entrance for patients to enhance wayfinding, and improve the medical center’s ability to recruit physicians to Jefferson City.
sedalia steel wheel manufacturer reaches milestone Gov. Jay Nixon, joined Sedalia city officials and company leaders from Maxion Wheels in August to celebrate 35 years of operation in Sedalia. The company’s anniversary comes as parent company Iochpe-Maxion establishes its presence in the United States through the acquisition of Hayes Lemmerz International, which formerly operated the Sedalia wheel facility. “This company [Hayes Lemmerz] has played a significant role in Sedalia’s economy for decades, providing jobs for hundreds of Missourians,” Nixon said. “I congratulate Maxion Wheels for its
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success and appreciate its continued commitment to this community and its workers.” The Hayes Lemmerz facility, which manufactures steel wheels for passenger cars and light trucks, began operating in Sedalia in 1978. Hayes Lemmerz International was recently acquired by IochpeMaxion. The company is now known as Maxion Wheels and is the largest wheel manufacturer in the world. Through its acquisition of Hayes Lemmerz, Iochpe-Maxion has extended its global presence, increased production and grown the company to 24 locations in 15 countries.
illiam Woods University has received a $1 million challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation toward completion of its Imagine Campaign. “The Mabee Million, as we’ve dubbed it, will allow us to build upon the William Woods mission to distinguish itself as a studentcentered institution and fulfill its vision to be recognized as a progressive and growing leader in higher education,” says William Woods University President Jahnae Barnett. The campaign to “imagine the future” targets three areas for construction at WWU: a Sorority Circle residential complex and amphitheater; the Center for Ethics and Global Studies; and an alumni and visitors’ center. The Sorority Circle will house all four sororities (Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Phi, Chi Omega and Delta Gamma), freeing up space in other residence halls for an increasing number of students on campus. The amphitheatre, with a capacity of approximately 250, is designed for flexible use in theatrical, musical and ceremonial events and festivals, available to all students and the community. The Center for Ethics and Global Studies is an endowment of an academic program that builds on several existing projects. The university also plans to renovate the former presidential residence into the Tom and Claudine O’Connor Alumni and Visitors’ Center. When completed, the center will provide lodging for alumni and visitors, serve as a gathering space for the William Woods community and create a space for university archives. To receive the $1 million Mabee challenge grant, the university must successfully raise an additional $907,611 to complete the Imagine Campaign by May 28, 2014. The Mabee Foundation, located in Tulsa, Okla., aids Christian religious organizations, charitable organizations, institutions of higher learning, hospitals and other organizations of a general charitable nature in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
OPENING BELL
a growing tree Pizza Tree Owner John Gilbreth Serves High-Quality Pizza Fun by ren bishop photo by l.g. patterson
Owner John Gilbreth is always looking for new ideas and inspiration for pizza art pies. He encourages Pizza Tree customers to submit suggestions in person or on Pizza Tree’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pizzatree. 16
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oplin native John Gilbreth arrived in Columbia as a college freshman in 1999. Two weeks after unpacking his bags, he dropped out of school and scored a job at a pizzeria downtown. “I had some friends who already worked at Shakespeare’s, who came up from Joplin before me,” Gilbreth says. “I started as a driver and a dishwasher, and then I eventually worked my way up through the ranks. I was a manager and bartender for a few years. I worked there for seven years, and I loved it.” He eventually quit Shakespeare’s, lived in South America for four months, returned to Columbia and invented Deep Dish Tuesdays at Broadway Brewery. Somewhere along the way, Gilbreth fell in love with the culture of pizza spots — the rush of quick decisions, the thrill of managing an oven on a busy Friday night and the laughter of happy customers. An idea took root in his mind in June 2012: opening his own pizza place. “We got going really fast,” Gilbreth says. “I got the idea for a fun pizza shop, and then I pretty much quit my job and went on my pizza trip, where I ate at pizza places for a month all over the country. Then, I came back and started putting together plans for it. And I just did it. I didn’t plan enough; I wasn’t funded well enough. I just did it.” Gilbreth came up with the shop’s name while planting vegetables in his garden. He told his roommates he needed to leave room for the pizza trees. The name stuck, and on March 18, Pizza Tree hosted its grand opening inside Mojo’s at 1013 Park Ave. More than 100 people attended the pizza party, which featured the Tree’s square slices and a large following both on-site and online. “I don’t know how we got such engaged customers on social media,” Gilbreth says. “It was a total accident. I’m a social marketing genius, apparently. Somebody told me that once. It’s just totally dumb luck, outside of me and the relationship I have with my customers.” Most frequent slicers know the 32-year-old as Johnny G., and he’s always hanging around the so-called treehouse
business unusual
in Mojo’s, interacting with customers, cracking jokes and singing along to the music in the extra-small kitchen. His close-knit staff embodies Gilbreth’s philosophy of relaxed but considerate customer service, partly due to the fact that most of his employees are his close friends. “I absolutely hire friends, because it feels like they’re family,” Gilbreth says. “We’re all on this ship together. The business is so tight right now moneywise that the success of one shift really impacts everything; it determines how far we’re going to be in the red or the black next week. I guess that’s why I try to hire my friends and family, so that they can feel it, too, and can be empowered to make good decisions for the company.” Staff members decide every day to include quality ingredients in every item, particularly on the Tree’s specialty “pizza art” pies. Weekly specials and Pizza Tree favorites such as the Banh Mi, Get It While It’s Hot, Ranch Hands and El Cuban all feature fresh, locally sourced ingredients. “Our ingredients are easily of higher quality than anyone else’s in town,” Gilbreth says. “I like to get my ingredients locally because flavor is king, and 99 percent of the time, the besttasting produce and meat comes from right down the street. I love Columbia, and I want to keep my money here.” Gilbreth has established roots in Columbia and at Mojo’s, and he doesn’t plan to uproot Pizza Tree from its current location anytime soon. This fall, with the help of Mojo’s owner Richard King, Gilbreth is expanding the kitchen to enable higher volume and, eventually, pizza delivery. The pizza shop is only going to keep growing. “In five years, I want Pizza Tree to be the ultimate family, pizza-party restaurant,” he says. “The ultimate pizza party restaurant with a dozen different types of pizza available around the clock, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We’ll have breakfast pizza. I got a menu written out for it, but I can’t reveal it quite yet.”
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OPENING BELL
time for toyota Joe Machens Toyota Scion Opens A New Home On Vandiver by morgan mccarty photo by l.g. patterson
Gary and Rusty Drewing
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bout four or five years ago, Gary Drewing began thinking about building a new facility for the Joe Machens Toyota Scion dealership. “The problem we had was we outgrew our previous facility,” says Drewing, president of Joe Machens Dealerships. “In order to give the right level of service and increase our business, we decided to go to work, get some plans and build a new store.” The new, two-story dealership at 1180 Vandiver Drive was designed by TR,i Architects and built by Little Dixie Construction. “Everything is designed to give better service,” Drewing says. Three covered customer pickup and drop-off lanes hold 15 cars each; express oil and lube change stations are part of the new detail department with four additional detail bays plus a state-ofthe-art drive-through car wash. An onsite, high-tech, automated photo booth will photograph available inventory. The customer lounge sports the newest televisions and entertainment systems alongside refreshments and snacks. “The building will enable us to take care of people and give them the right level of service, sales, parts and just the whole experience,” Drewing says. In order to enhance customer service, the Joe Machens Toyota Scion staff increased by about 30 percent, pushing total Machens employment numbers to nearly 1,000 employees. “We think we will push this Toyota dealership to the No. 1 Toyota dealership in the Kansas City region,” Drewing says. “We also think we can push it to one of the top five dealerships in the state. The key to this business is good people and just our attitude and mindset and how we approach things.”
stay tuned Next in line for renovations in the Machens dealership family? The Joe Machens Ford Lincoln dealership and Joe Machens Automotive Group.
marketplace
numbers to know
66,750 s q uare feet
25,000 s q uare f 0 0 t showroom
38,000 s q uare foot service area
10.8 acres
850
parking spaces
500 new cars
250 used cars
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the conference room
jim sinek A New President Takes The Reins At Boone Hospital by kathy casteel photos by L.G. PATTERSON
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olumbia, meet Jim Sinek. But maybe you already have … CoMo has rolled out the welcome wagon for the 55-year-old new president of Boone Hospital Center, sending an outpouring of friendliness his way the likes of which he’s never seen. “Columbia is the most welcoming, friendliest community we’ve ever been connected to,” Sinek says, “And I don’t say that lightly; we’ve been in a number of communities. It’s been almost unbelievable — the Boone Hospital Center team, the community at-large … they’ve been incredible.”
Sinek and his wife, Stephanie, arrived from Norfolk, Neb., this summer with their 15-yearold daughter Quincy and 13-year-old son Joe in tow to assume the presidency of Boone Hospital Center. Sinek replaces Dan Rothery, who moved on to another position in BJC HealthCare, the St. Louis firm that manages the 92-year-old county-owned hospital. The hospital administrator has no doubts that this move came at the perfect time for the Sinek family. Three things came into play in the decision to move, he says. “Professionally, for me, it was the next level of hospital/health care system for me fall 2013
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the conference room to be involved with,” he says. “It was the next logical scope and size. To make that transition to a hospital that has the rich history that Boone has … it was an easy decision to apply, and it was an easy decision to accept the offer.” The timing was right as well, he says. “With our kids, we knew that if we were going to make a transition professionally, we wanted to do it so we didn’t interrupt their high school careers, so it was perfect timing.” Quincy is a freshman at Fr. Tolton Catholic High School and Joe is an eighth-grader at Our Lady of Lourdes Interparish School. “As a family, we wanted to live in a larger community,” he says. “Access to great sporting events, entertainment … everything that Columbia has to offer, for us, was that third ideal that we were looking for in our next move. Not only is Columbia fabulous, but you have geographic advantages with St. Louis, Kansas City and the Lake of the Ozarks.” Sinek’s enthusiastic embrace of his new hometown will make it easier to find common ground with many Columbians in this city where health care is such a dominant industry. Sinek brings a breadth of skills to his new job, gleaned from 22 years of experience. The Iowa native earned an associate degree in health care administration from Des Moines Area Community College and followed with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. He earned a master’s degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa in 1982 and he graduated from Omaha’s Creighton University School of Law in 1989. Since 1991, he has worked as an administrator in progressively larger hospital and health care systems in Lake City, Dubuque and Storm Lake, Iowa, and then moved to Cottonwood, Ariz. In 2008, Sinek became president and CEO of Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk. His five-year tenure there included construction of a $60 million five-story patient 22
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Sinek’s enthusiastic embrace of his new hometown will make it easier to find common ground with many Columbians in this city where health care is such a dominant industry. care tower, expansion of a loose-knit physician service into a structured multispecialty clinic with double the physicians, and implementation of an electronic medical records system. Sinek also developed a service-line affiliation with Nebraska Medical Center’s Eppley Cancer Center and created the Northeast Nebraska Healthcare System, a network of four hospitals with outreach clinics and an assisted-living facility. Sinek is keenly attuned to the pressures that change is bringing to health care in the 21st century. A conversation with the new Boone Hospital leader reveals a passion for his field and a vision of how the industry may evolve.
What challenges do you see facing Boone Hospital Center as you begin your work here? There are some challenges that all hospitals and health care organizations are going through: continuing to improve in quality metrics and quality outcomes, continuing to improve in patient satisfaction — what we call patient experiences. I think where we’re going in terms of reimbursement and incentives, as it relates to our payments, is moving quickly from what I call episodic care (where you get paid for each episode of care) to more physicians and hospitals taking on the risk of producing a good health care product — good clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and doing it in an efficient way. If you do those three things really, really well, then there’ll be some money left over after you pay your bills. Right now, the more we do the more we get paid. In the historic business plan, hospitals and doctors have gotten paid for every procedure we do. You can imagine from a Medicare standpoint or an insurance standpoint — they lose quite a bit of control over their budget and over their checkbook. Medicare and insurance companies are no longer taking 100 percent of the risk now; hospitals and doctors are having to manage care more efficiently. We’re more concerned with the cost of care to our patients, and we’re taking on more of that risk. If our outcomes aren’t at a very high level and if our patient satisfaction isn’t at a very high level, Medicare now withholds some of our reimbursement money and will pay us only if we hit certain metrics in both those areas. If we don’t, we don’t get that money. I see that as being just another step along the continuum of hospitals and doctors getting a set amount to take care of a population in a geographic area. Whoever is representing a constituency group — whether it’s Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross or United or other insurance — we will negotiate for dollar amounts to take care of that population. Then it will be on us — the providers — to manage and coordinate that care effectively, not only in the patients’ best interest, so they do have quality outcomes, but doing it in a way that is as efficient as possible. That is going to be a burden and a risk that the providers will start taking on more and more over time. That’s going to
be a challenge for us to work together as physicians, hospitals and other health care providers in the community, and I think it’s going to integrate a lot of health care players whether it’s behavioral health care, home care hospice or the county health department, for example. We’re going to have to come together and form some sort of health care fabric, if you will, to provide patients with what they need when they need it and do it in a venue that’s the least costly. I think that’s all going to be good for patients, and while it sounds kind of scary, frankly, I think it’s one of the best changes we’ve ever facilitated. It’s very patientfocused and will cut a lot of waste out of the system. It’s going to align incentives between doctors and hospitals that we haven’t had in a long time. Currently, you have financial incentives from the payers that pit doctors against hospitals. So now, all of a sudden, we’re being challenged to come together as a team and make good decisions for the benefit of the patient. Aligning incentives, connecting through an electronic medical records system, coordinating care — I think it’s going to generate better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction. That’s what Boone Hospital Center and BJC are striving to achieve. How will Boone Hospital Center react to these changes? If you’re going to face all these challenges, I’d rather do it with the team at Boone, with Boone’s rich history. Our starting platform is at a higher level than most hospitals. We’re a magnet hospital — the American Nurses Credentialing Center has designated Boone as a hospital that draws nurses here because of the way we practice nursing care. Our clinical outcomes are incredibly high. Our patient satisfaction historically has been high, and we continue to work on that. We have a talented and experienced medical staff with outstanding physicians who are dedicated to patient care. Our financials have been very healthy. We have a board that is very supportive and generous in terms of supplying the facilities and equipment we need to produce high-quality care. If you’re going to embark on a journey that’s going to change health care almost completely, this is the team I want to do it with.
Now this sea change isn’t going to happen overnight; it’s not a light switch. We’re going to be between one system and another, trying to continue to be successful under the old reimbursement systems as we forge ahead toward this new system of managing care. It’s almost a metamorphosis. We’ve got to change ourselves in terms of how we manage health care and at the same time do it in a way that we can be successful financially under the old systems. How will you deal with the financial pressures of the Affordable Healthcare Act? Out of that work in Congress and as a result of that law being passed, you may have to look hard but I do think some good things are going to come about as a result of it. Not necessarily specific to Obamacare, but just the momentum of change, I think, is going to do some good things for health care as it relates to patients. Regardless of Obamacare, whether it gets repealed or whether half of it ever gets enacted, the momentum now has come about — and I don’t think it’s going to stop — to change the fundamental structure of health care in the United States and it’s leading to those changes of lowering our costs and having physicians and other providers and hospitals on the same team, driven by the same incentives for cost reduction, quality improvement, patient satisfaction improvement, coordinated care connected from a technological standpoint and better management of the processes. It will lead to better care, not only for individual patients but collectively for a population in a geographic area. A lot of that’s going to be preventive; a lot of it’s going to be coaching and managing chronic illnesses, because the last thing we want in that new kind of health care system is that chronic condition to get out of whack and that patient comes into the most costly bed in the entire health care system — that’s the acute care hospital — or for them to walk into the emergency room when if we would’ve just done a better job of managing that chronic condition in the primary care physician’s office … well, it doesn’t take much to do the math. You’re either going to have an expensive health care system, which we have today, or you can have a lot less costly health care system with better patient outcomes. We’re at a crossroads where the entire health care system was going to implode or we had to fundamentally change it. Obamacare, while I wouldn’t credit it 24
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with the change, is certainly a piece of that change. The bureaucracy and the complexity of it is scary. The first blow that came to hospitals was the premise that the reduced reimbursements we’re being forced to accept would be mitigated by most people becoming insured, so everybody pays. The first part is happening already — our reimbursements are lower — but the second thing isn’t happening. So really, there aren’t more people getting insured. We’ve got to get it corrected to get that quid pro quo the government promised us. It hasn’t come through. What are the opportunities for strengthening Boone Hospital Center? One of my goals is to forge a stronger relationship with our medical staff. They are being challenged as much as hospitals to provide medical care. We want to help identify ways the hospital can help strengthen their practices, and thereby strengthen the hospital center. We want to integrate more with the interoperability of electronic medical records so the same information is accessible wherever they see patients and they can follow those patients throughout their care. We’re trying to find win-win opportunities between our physicians and the hospital. Our physicians are leaders, and we have to get them more involved in our vision. We need their input because the more successful our physicians are, the more successful the hospital’s going to be. Some of it’s kind of blocking and tackling, and getting done what we’ve always gotten done. Some of it is being innovative in terms of the change we are going through, and asking how we can lessen the pain of that change. Sometimes it’s coming up with a creative way to implement a difficult change. Always, the focus is on how it is affecting our patients. We also have some opportunities to
build relationships with other hospitals in the area. We have two hospitals affiliated with Boone Hospital Center (in Marshall and Brookfield). I’d like to see that grow to five, six or seven in the future. These are non-BJC hospitals in the area where we are developing relationships. These smaller hospitals can enjoy our greater purchasing power and plug into our telemedicine capabilities. Ideally, they should be treating their patients in their facilities without transferring them. From Columbia, we can support their care in their facilities, but if one of their patients requires a higher level of care than they can provide, we hope to earn that transfer. We already have the information; we’re already on the case. And in the rare case that Boone can’t do something the patient needs, we can get them into another hospital in the BJC system. Are you open to collaboration with your competitors in this town? It takes open minds; sometimes it takes fresh, new people. We do have an opportunity now and [University of Missouri Health Care CEO] Mitch Wasden and I are going to look at what we can do together. One thing I want to talk to him about is: Can we collectively do a better job around mental health? Because if you think about it, that’s something everyone needs and nobody wants to pay for. I’d like to see us develop a behavioral health care system, Columbia-wide and regionally, that would provide the services that are needed in a cost-effective, nonduplicative way where everyone’s connected. We’re always going to compete, but that shouldn’t exclude the opportunity for us to work together to enhance patient care and make care more affordable — just make a better product together instead of trying to do it separately.
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Columbia Business: The Next Generation
A Dynamic Group Of Young Leaders Gathers At The CEO Roundtable by SANDY SELBY photos by L.G. PATTERSON
An under-40 crowd gathered at the most recent CEO Roundtable to discuss local business issues that included everything from civic involvement to development to traffic. The group spoke candidly about the challenges facing businesspeople of all ages in Columbia.
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hey’re energetic, innovative and smart, and they’re all under 40 years old. The participants of the most recent Inside Columbia’s CEO Roundtable represent both the present and the future for Columbia’s business community. At the end of this lively luncheon, one thing was clear: Columbia is in good hands for years to come. Among the participants were lifelong residents and relative newcomers. Moderator and Inside Columbia
Publisher Fred Parry addressed his first question to both. “Is Columbia welcoming to young business leaders with fresh ideas?” he asked. Allen Wells and his wife, Brittany, own businesses in the Missouri cities of Columbia, Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City, as well as Oklahoma and southern Indiana, so Allen was in a unique position to compare different communities. “I feel like Columbia and southern Indiana have probably been the two
most welcoming,” he said. “It’s not St. Louis, where you’re a small fish. You can communicate with more people, build more relationships. There are a few hiccups. We usually deal with city construction codes, which can be a little frustrating, but overall, I think it’s a very welcoming community.” Craig Riordan, vice president and a commercial loan officer at UMB Bank, moved to Columbia from Kansas City just a few years ago. “I didn’t know a single person,” he said. “I very quickly fall 2013
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CEO rOuNdtaBlE felt welcome and was invited to help with community things or business guys getting together. I’ve felt very positive about it and I would invite people to come here just because it’s a place to grow professionally and personally.” Dak Dillon, who recently opened Hub & Spoke, a firm that specializes in branding, design and strategy, said he felt the things that were in place in Columbia to help young entrepreneurs hadn’t been all that helpful to him. “They don’t do all they could be doing,” he said. “It really means you have to get out there and do it yourself and lay that foundation for yourself and make a path for yourself. The chamber has approached me many times, but to me, it seems like an old boys club.” Sidney Neate, on the other hand, found her Chamber of Commerce connection to be valuable; she currently serves as
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president of EPIC (Emerging Professionals in Columbia), the chamber’s organization for business leaders under age 40. She said that when she arrived on the Columbia business scene, she was encouraged to get involved, try new things and meet new people. “Columbia is the little town that wants to be big,” she said. “Paul Land told me, ‘It’s small enough that you can really make an impact, and it’s big enough that you can hide if you want to.’ That is so true. The chamber and what we are doing here have provided me with a lot of great opportunities to meet people. I don’t think people really look at age or how long you’ve been here.” After graduating from law school at the University of Missouri, Jeff Hillbrenner lived and worked in Washington, D.C., for a few years, but
he longed to come back to Missouri to practice law. He found that opportunity at Harper, Evans, Wade & Netemeyer. “It’s been everything I’d hoped it would be,” he said. “I meet all these young, dynamic, motivated people and it makes me more motivated and passionate about what I do. It’s a great community to start your career and grow it.” “To stay motivated and be motivated … I know a lot of people around my age who have graduated and almost feel that it needs to be handed to us,” said Mel Zelenak, a real estate sales professional with Maly Commercial Realty. “You have to prove yourself. You’ve got to prove to people that you know what you’re doing and you’ve got to do it well.” Mills Menser, owner and president of Buchroeder’s Jewelers, said that just because he came into the corporate world
mike grellner Vice President Plaza Commercial Realty
craig riordan Vice President, Commercial loan Officer UMB Bank
david coil Project Manager Coil Construction
Jeff hillbrenner attorney Harper, Evans, Wade & Netemeyer
allen wells franchisee Sumits Hot Yoga, Orange leaf, Pickleman’s
dak dillon Principal & Creative Director Hub & Spoke
sarah emily lemone Project Manager little Dixie Construction
brittany wells franchisee Sumits Hot Yoga, Orange leaf, Pickleman’s
rusty drewing General Manager Joe Machens Dealerships
mills menser President & Owner Buchroeder’s Jewelers
travis wise Commercial Real Estate appraiser Cannon, Blaylock & Wise
tim gerding attorney Rotts, Gibbs & Gerding
sidney neate Relationship Manager Boone County National Bank
mel zelenak Real Estate Sales Professional Maly Commercial Realty
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through a family business doesn’t mean he has it easier than others. “You have to prove on your own that you have what it takes to get the job done,” he said. Menser added that the days of feeling entitled to business from local customers are over. If his business can’t offer a customer the best price on a product, he knows that customer will travel elsewhere. “It’s up to the person supplying the service and the product to give the lowest price and superior service,” he said. “It’s a tough recipe, but if you can get that done, you’ll be rewarded by your customers.”
Thinking Locally Mike Grellner, vice president of Plaza Commercial Realty, arrived in Columbia eight years ago; he felt welcome when he first arrived and still sees that welcoming attitude today. “I think we do a great job, as a populace, of opening our arms. What we have in this community that a lot of other communities admire is great population growth. Some people view population growth as a bad thing. I see
“You have to get out there and do it yourself and lay that foundation for yourself and make a path for yourself.” — Dak Dillon it as a great thing. I think there are a lot of people in this room who are looking for great employees who would like to see population growth because our unemployment rate is so low, and they’re having trouble finding employees.” “I think the expansion of the population is a great thing, especially in terms of real estate and commercial development,” said Travis Wise, a commercial real estate appraiser with Cannon, Blaylock & Wise. “I’ve heard concerns, not only about the pace of population growth, but the pace of development in terms of apartment units on the periphery of the market — development might be outpacing that growth and I think that’s one thing
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ceo roundtable Joe Machens Dealerships General Manager Rusty Drewing said his company would never consider using an out-of-town builder for its projects. “The idea is that Columbia and mid-Missouri have made us who we are,” he said. “The thought of using someone from outside of this community or someone we don’t have a relationship with would be crazy. We have a lot of great contractors right here locally.”
“You have to be competitive. People have the options to go wherever they want, however they want.” — Rusty Drewing
Traffic flow and a stressed infrastructure were big concerns for the Roundtable attendees, who want to see Columbia continue to be ripe for development but are concerned about keeping the city an attractive and livable place. that could be addressed and could be a concern going forward.” Parry asked the rest of the group how they felt about out-of-town developers and builders working on projects in Columbia. Sarah Emily LeMone, project manager at Little Dixie Construction, said, “It’s difficult to see. We just worked on getting a job with a fast-food company that was coming in and we were pretty sure we were going to get it, and they ended up bringing in their contractor from down south.” But LeMone went on to say that she understands that companies forge relationships with their
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favorite contractors, and that Little Dixie also travels to other states to work with some established clients. “Construction companies have changed a little bit and can specialize,” said David Coil, project manager at Coil Construction. “Some do just one, specific type of construction and that’s one way of marketing themselves. With Sarah Emily and myself, our companies are a little bit more focused on the community and hiring people, buying locally, buying United States materials … that’s kind of what we do and we’ll continue to position ourselves strongly in this community.”
The “buy local” philosophy extends beyond the world of construction. “Customers are just more savvy than they used to be,” Dillon said. “They always have their phone, their iPad, and they’re checking around for everything, whether it’s construction bids from out of state or checking the diamond price somewhere else. You just have to keep up with it.” Drewing added, “You have to be competitive. People have the options to go wherever they want, however they want. Even our business had to change significantly over the past couple of years on how we price cars, how we obtain cars, how we do the whole business structure. If we give customers the best price and a decent level of service, they’re going to purchase from us. We try to do that all the time.”
Crime Story With crime and the effectiveness of the Columbia Police Department making headlines, Parry asked the Roundtable participants to weigh in on those topics. “I think ‘problem’ really is a relative term,” Wells said. “I guess if you base ‘problem’ on how it used to be, it’s a little alarming, but if you compare it to problems in other communities like St. Louis or Kansas City, maybe it puts it in a little perspective. Maybe everybody needs to be more educated on what’s actually going on.”
“Jeff Hillbrenner and I both do criminal law so it’s kind of a unique perspective,” said Tim Gerding, an attorney with Rotts, Gibbs & Gerding. “I think it’s more of a national epidemic. I’m not sure you could say, ‘Oh, look at Columbia! It has an escalating problem with serious crime, murder and such.’ It’s obviously more than it used to be, but the town is growing and that’s part of that. They [the CPD] have seemed to be focused a little bit on things like DWIs, when maybe they could be focused on other areas. I’m not part of that … we’re the enemy when it comes to what we litigate. My perspective is that I see less aggressive behavior from officers that I used to see as overly aggressive. I think there has been an effort from the police department to be more community-oriented and be appropriate with a citizen.” “It only takes one or two bad incidents,” Menser said. “We’re lucky to have a vibrant, growing downtown. For years, it was stable. With all these new student housing developments that are going on downtown, it’s going to take one kid to get shot downtown and there are going to be problems. If my daughter wanted to live in one of our apartments and go to school, I’d probably think twice about it.” Brittany Wells agreed with others when she said, “I think the police could maybe switch their focus to the downtown area, away from the DWIs. If your population is going to grow, you have to have the systems in place. Whether it’s law enforcement or the road systems, Columbia has to say, ‘We’re ready for this and we can handle it and we can handle it well.’ Or else you’re going to scare business owners away.” Brittany recalled working downtown as a teenager, and she’s not sure she would feel comfortable allowing a child of hers to work there now. “I don’t have children yet, but you have to be smart about where you park and where you work. Are there other places where you can work that give you the same experience? There are a lot of things to consider.” “I think Columbia is just getting to the point where we’re experiencing
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Attorney Jeff Hillbrenner, far right, believes Columbia is a very generous community and he hopes to see that giving spirit continue with each successive generation. things that other communities that are larger and have more diversity have dealt with for a long time,” Wise said. “Maybe it’s to the point where the focus needs to be directed to other areas because we’ve never dealt with it before.” “I just moved downtown,” Dillon said, “and it’s something I am really aware of because I don’t want to be shot walking downtown. But it’s not really as big of a problem as people make it out to be. It’s an oversensationalized and overhyped thing. And compared to other cities of Columbia’s size and growth rate, it really just doesn’t add up.”
Obstacle Course In general, the group was positive about Columbia as a place to live and do business, but one criticism popped up again and again during the discussion: the stringent and seemingly arbitrary rules that govern construction. Brittany Wells said that when she and Allen moved back to Columbia to open Sumits Hot Yoga, the city was easy to work with, “until we got to the really important 10 days before we opened.” That’s when the project slowed down, impeded by the city’s demands. “We had to move a toilet 3 inches the day before we opened. We had to bust up tile, call in plumbers, because it wasn’t centered in a non-ADA restroom. To a business owner who was opening the next day, that’s 32
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revenue that’s lost and we’ll never gain that back.” “I would agree with Brittany on the pro-business standpoint,” Menser said. “Recently we gutted and renovated our retail store and the city was less than easy to deal with. We had to rip drywall down that we had just put up, even though they knew what was behind it. They wanted to see the actual layout of where all the light fixtures were going, but all of the electric was the same. Columbia has so many great features, but I think the City Council and the planning and zoning committee needs to be pro-business. They need to let folks get open and bring in tax dollars.” Wise agreed. “Every commercial job I do, that comes up. It’s a problem.” “On the banking side, too,” Neate added. Grellner raised another issue that he sees as a growing problem for the city. “How many people think we have a road and traffic problem in Columbia? That’s my big thing. I think we’re facing a crisis when it comes to roads and really, infrastructure in general. Sewer, roads … I know we’re already short on just our annual maintenance budget. That doesn’t even really deal with expansions and new roads. Good roadways are a catalyst to development.” “I think the existing sewer infrastructure really needs to be addressed,” LeMone said. “A lot of people in the Old Southwest residential district are having a huge problem during heavy
rains with the infiltration and inflow of storm water getting into the private sewer and backing up into people’s homes. It’s a little-known problem but it’s huge. I’m actually one of those people who are affected. I think not only expanding but addressing the existing infrastructure is something that Columbia really needs to address.”
Getting Involved Young business leaders who are juggling business responsibilities, volunteer activities and family obligations have plenty on their plate. When Parry asked who among them might be willing to run for Columbia City Council, the formerly animated group got quiet. Zelenak spoke for several when he said, “I’ve got work, I’ve got family, I’ve got everything else on my plate and it’s trying to find that balance. You can talk ’til you’re blue in the face about whatever it might be, but ultimately implementing … that’s the challenge.” Zelenak pointed out that just showing up at a City Council meeting may be all it takes to implement change. “We went through that on some real estate on campus. We went and tried to get a house zoned from R-1 to R-2. All we wanted to do was throw one additional person in the house. That’s it. We had 65 people from the East Campus Neighborhood Association show up and they spoke for four hours, saying the same thing over and over and over again. Ultimately, we lost. When you show up in force, it’s a power-in-numbers thing.” “The Board of Realtors did it recently,” Grellner said. “When the entire room stood up, you could feel the council take notice and they backed down. It’s not enough to send a note or a letter. You’ve got to go there and go in numbers.” Drewing summed up the lunchtime discussion on a positive note. “Going around this room, we talk about some of the negatives and some of the things we’d like to see changes and I’d just like to say I’m very thankful for this community. I think most people in this room believe there’s hardly any better place to live out there.”
Support Our Locally Owned Restaurants When you dine at local restaurants, you help support small-business owners who spend their dollars in the community. These dollars help keep our neighbors gainfully employed; the cycle continues as employees spend their wages on local arts, culture and other areas of the economy. Eating local pays BIG dividends for Columbia! 44 Stone Public House 3910 Peachtree Drive 573-443-2726 Bangkok Gardens 811 Cherry St. 573-874-3284 Café Berlin 220 N. 10th at Park Avenue 573-441-0400 Coley’s American Bistro 15 S. Sixth St. 573-442-8887 Harpo’s 29 S. 10th St. 573-443-5418 Jack’s Gourmet 1903 Business Loop 70 E. 573-449-3927 Quinton’s Bar & Deli 124 S. Ninth St. 573-815-1047
Pickleman’s Gourmet Café 2513 Old 63 S. 573-886-2300 1106 E. Broadway 573-875-2400 3103 W. Broadway Suite 105 573-875-0400 Room 38 38 N. Eighth St. 573-449-3838 www.Room-38.com Shiloh Bar & Grill 402 E. Broadway 573-875-1800 Sophia’s 3915 S. Providence Road 573-874-8009 The Wine Cellar & Bistro 505 Cherry St. 573-442-7281
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Cultural Crossroad Columbia’s Arts Scene Faces Up To Change How do you value the arts? Most people think in terms of beauty, understanding and inspiration. But the arts have tremendous economic value as well. A report released a few years ago by the Missouri Economic Research Information Center demonstrated that artscentric organizations offer not only direct positive economic benefits through employment, retail and tourism but also an indirect positive economic effect by making a region a more desirable place to live and do business. Knowing what’s happening in Columbia’s arts scene is important for anyone who wants to know how Columbia’s economy is doing overall. The arts here are facing a trio of changes these days: the contentious move of two University of Missouri museums from campus, a changeover in leadership at the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and a new start for PS:Gallery. Here’s a closer look at all three. by ANITA NEAL HARRISON photos by L.G. PATTERSON 36
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Joel Sager at PS:Gallery
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Artful Disagreement Have Two MU Museums Found A New Permanent Home? Renovations to University of Missouri buildings are forcing the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology to move eight minutes from campus to Mizzou North, the new name for the Ellis Fischel building, site of the former cancer treatment center. Although some news stories have described the moves as “temporary,” Michael O’Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Science and the director of the Museum of Anthropology, emphasizes that official talk of the museums’ returns is still punctuated with a question mark. “We don’t know when and if that might happen,” he says. The lack of a return plan has many museum fans concerned, and others hopeful, that the moves to Mizzou North will be permanent. It will last at least for the foreseeable future, O’Brien says. “We are looking past five years, easily,” he says. Why Are The Moves Happening? The university is closing Pickard Hall, home of the Museum of Art and Archaeology, to test for radiation levels, a concern because of experiments conducted in the building when it housed the university’s chemistry department. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has ordered Pickard’s decommission by the end of 2013, and some of the uncertainty surrounding the museum’s return to campus comes from not knowing when — or if — Pickard Hall will receive clearance to reopen. Meanwhile, Swallow Hall, home of the Museum of Anthropology, is scheduled for 2014 renovations as part of the $22.85 million Renew Mizzou project, which also includes renovations for Jesse Hall along with the work at Pickard. The Renew Mizzou project follows the Mizzou Stewardship Model, in which buildings close for top-to-bottom overhauls instead of 38
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continuing ad roc repairs on outdated structures. At Swallow Hall, which was built in 1893, plans include redoing the basement — parts of which now have a dirt floor — to create classroom space, and making room for the Department of Art History and Archaeology to join the Department of Anthropology at Swallow. The renovation plans do not include space for the Museum of Anthropology to return. “We’ll have room for both departments but not the museum,” O’Brien says.
The Negative Reaction For most of the museums’ current patrons, visiting Mizzou North is going to be far less convenient. This is an especially big concern among university students, faculty and staff. “Many professors schedule classes in the museum, either to work with specific objects in the collection or in specific galleries,” explains Alex Barker,
director of the Museum of Art and Archaeology. “That’s probably going to be far less frequent because even with a shuttle — if there’s an active shuttle [from campus to Mizzou North] — it’s still not the same.” Because of the likely decrease in university use of the museums, Barker says he hopes the museum’s move is not permanent. “I think we belong on campus,” he says, “because ultimately we are a resource for the campus and for the community, and we need to be in proximity to the folks who use us on a regular basis, and that includes university students, staff, faculty, local schools and the general public.” Another group expressing concern over a permanent move includes supporters of The District. Carrie Gartner, director of The District, is on a committee that Museum Associates — the support organization for the Museum of Art and Archaeology — has charged with encouraging the
museum of art and archaeology
The Collections The archaeological collection of the Museum of Anthropology includes millions of items dating from 9000 B.C. to modern times. Visitors explore Native American life, Missouri’s pioneer and rural history, and cultures from around the world, as well as the world’s most comprehensive archery collection. At the Museum of Art and Archaeology, the permanent collection includes more than 15,000 art objects and artifacts from seven millennia and six continents. The collection of Greek, Roman and Near Eastern artworks and artifacts is especially strong, and there are significant holdings from ancient Egypt and Byzantium. Learn more online at the museum’s websites, anthromusuem.missouri.edu and aha.missouri.edu.
university to bring the museums back to campus as soon as possible. “I agreed to be on this committee because we love having the museums in the central city,” Gartner says. “I think it’s immeasurable the benefit they add to our downtown area.”
Seeing Positives Not all of the reaction to the move has been negative. O’Brien lists several advantages a move to Mizzou North could bring. The first plus is housing the two museums under one roof. At Mizzou North, the exhibit halls for the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology will be across a hall from each other on the building’s second floor, while the Museum of Art and Archaeology’s Cast Gallery will be on the first floor. Mizzou North will also have room for the contents of the Museum Support Center, a 20,000-square-foot facility located about 10 minutes from campus on Rock Quarry Road. This facility houses most of the Museum of Anthropology’s permanent collection;
the campus museum displays less than 1 percent. “All of that will be moved to Mizzou North as well, so it’s going to be one-stop shopping for people in the museum world,” O’Brien says. Another benefit Mizzou North offers is plentiful public parking. “If you talk to people, some will say, ‘I don’t want the museum to move,’ but a lot of people will say: ‘Thank God, because I can’t find any parking on campus. I have to walk half a mile after I find a place to park,’ ” O’Brien says. And while moving off campus is a drawback for students and faculty, O’Brien hopes that being close to Interstate 70 will make the museum a greater regional attraction. “We can do signage, and I think it’s going to put the museums on the map in a way they’re not on there now,” he says. At the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, director Amy Schneider agrees that having one attraction with both museums right off I-70 could be a big draw, and for fall 2013
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museum of anthropology
The renovation plans do not include space for the Museum of Anthropology to return to campus.
that reason, she’s excited, but she adds that she’s also sad to see students lose convenient access to the museums. “I am so torn between both,” she says.
Necessary Changes No matter how long the museums remain at Mizzou North, they will have to develop new programming while there. A major change both Barker and O’Brien foresee is offering more outreach programs. Whereas 40
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now most education programs take place at the museums — for example, through tours, evening lectures and a free film series — in the future, the museums will offer more opportunities for university classes and schools to have objects and education brought to them. There will also be new programming to meet the needs of visitors attracted by Mizzou North’s proximity to I-70. “It’s going to require some rethinking to figure out how to serve a very different kind of visitor,” Barker says.
Affirmation Both Barker and O’Brien offer assurances that the museums remain committed to serving the needs of the
public. Their comments, however, leave some wiggle room on the question of location. “We hope to be back as soon as we can,” says Barker. O’Brien wraps up with, “I think three years down the road, we’ll be looking back and saying: ‘You know, this is a pretty good deal.’ ” While the discussion is sure to continue, one point is already crystal clear: The two museums mean a lot to Columbia. “It’s heartening to hear how much we’re valued by the community,” Barker says. “Whatever concerns people have about the move, what all those folks seem to share is a feeling that the museums are important and valuable, and that means a lot to us.”
Meet JJ Musgrove The New Cultural Affairs Manager Shares His Plan For Supporting Columbia’s Arts
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n Aug. 29, JJ Musgrove became the new manager of Columbia’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Musgrove, who grew up about an hour south of Kansas City in Butler, left his position as director of Donor Services for the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley in Columbus, Ga. He replaces Chris Stevens. In announcing Musgrove’s selection, assistant city manager Carol Rhodes emphasized Musgrove’s 15 years of nonprofit experience, including 10 years in executive management. “His work with the Community Foundation, where he oversees scholarship programs and works with donors to increase philanthropy in the Chattahoochee Valley, is critical, as he will be responsible for building a sustainable Community Arts Foundation in Columbia,” Rhodes said. A conversation with Musgrove shortly before starting his Columbia job reveals a passion for the arts and a knack for creative financing.
what in your background has prepared you for this position with the office of cultural affairs? I think my experience in the arts community — both as an artist and as an arts administrator — and my education — I have both a master’s in the arts and a master’s in business — give me a wide breadth of knowledge of what it takes to create a sustainable organization. As an artist myself, I am very in touch with the passion that arts organizations and individual artists have, and their struggles. I think the other thing I bring to it — and I hope this doesn’t sound trite — I’m a really good listener. It’s important for me to listen first and talk second. I like to have a very good understanding of each individual arts organization, what their mission is, how they want to create a sustainable organization, how they want to have impact
on their community by their art — I like to learn about that first to know how we as an Office of Cultural Affairs can help them do that.
what are some of your priorities? The first thing is to make sure the lines of communication are open. It really is all about getting out there and meeting people and learning about their organizations and how this office can help them with their growth. The other thing that’s a priority, of course, is the Community Arts Foundation fund, to be able to design an effective fundraiser for that, and also to identify different revenue streams to get some money flowing into that fund.
could you explain how the community arts foundation partners with the community
foundation of central missouri to generate funds? It’s much simpler than most people think. It’s basically like a charitable giving savings account: You start a fund for something you want to give money toward down the road. What the city decided to do was to create this Arts Foundation fund that others can contribute to and that the Office of Cultural Affairs manager can help build by having fundraisers. It’s an endowed fund, so 100 years from now, there will still be a Community Arts Foundation fund, and it will have a lot of money in it, and Columbia will be a cultural mecca in Missouri. It’s really a wonderful thing.
your personal experience as an artist is in theater. do you still act? I have acted and directed throughout the years. I like to do a couple of shows a year.
what’s been your favorite role? [laughs] That’s the ultimate actor question there! You know, I did a show called “Dinner with Friends,” and I think in many ways that’s probably one of my favorite roles. It was a four-person show, and it was a lot of fun to do.
what about the columbia arts scene has you most excited? The wide variety of organizations that seem to be doing extremely good work there. There’s nothing broken there that needs fixing, but it’s in prime shape to grow. There’s going to be so much to be a part of. fall 2013
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What PS:Gallery’s Success Reveals About Columbia Want to know the state of Columbia’s arts scene? Take a look at PS:Gallery. The success of this one business reveals much about how arts and culture are developing in Columbia. First to note is the gallery’s location. It resides in the historic Berry Building, the renovation of which earned John and Vicki Ott a Missouri Statewide Preservation Award in 2011. The new life of the Berry Building reflects the larger rejuvenation of the surrounding blocks. As recently as 2007, the area was something of an industrial wasteland, but today it is the North Village Arts District, one of Columbia’s most vibrant areas of growth. Bounded north to south by Walnut and Rogers streets, and east to west by College Avenue and Ninth Street, the North Village Arts District is home to more than 100 artists and offers dozens of art studios, film companies, dance studios, interior design shops, music and live performance venues, galleries, a music school, night clubs, a theater, cafés and a farmers market. Lisa Bartlett, owner of Artlandish Gallery and treasurer of the North Village Arts District board, reports that the area has developed into a major Columbia attraction. “Visitors are now seeking out the arts district,” she says, adding they see it in brochures that the city and the Convention and Visitors Bureau put out. 42
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“We use the North Village Arts District a lot,” adds Amy Schneider, director of Columbia’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “When we bring journalists in, that’s definitely one of the places we show them — just the fact that it’s there, it’s vibrant, and it has so much to offer.” Second to note, is how the gallery has been creative in achieving sustainability. When earlier this year, the gallery’s founding owners, Jennifer Perlow and Chris Stevens, announced their plans to move to Colorado, there was much angst over whether PS:Gallery would close. Then Joel Sager, who had been on staff as a curator, announced he would take over and keep the gallery open — if he could raise $40,000. To do that, Sager did what more and more arts entrepreneurs are doing: He turned to an online crowdfunding platform. He used Indiegogo. “A bit of research quickly revealed there were no other galleries — that we found anyway — that had done it,” Sager says. “We had no idea if it would work, but I knew that I had the drive personally, had — and have — an amazing staff, and the groundswell from the community was overwhelming.” The successful fundraiser leads to the third point to note: PS:Gallery is still open today because Columbia is in the mood to support the arts. Not only did the gallery meet its $40,000 goal in July, it exceeded it by close to $2,000.
That’s awesome but not surprising, says Carrie Gartner, director of The District. “Art has grown by leaps and bounds here in The District,” she says. “I would say the largest leap in retail over the past five years has been in artists and galleries.” Adds Bartlett: “We have a community that is committed to the arts, and they are not going to let any of it go away or recede.” You can visit PS:Gallery for proof of that.
ps:gallery
As recently as 2007, the Berry Building was something of an industrial wasteland, but today, it is the North Village Arts District, one of Columbia’s most vibrant areas of growth.
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job fair
CO LUMBIA CLIMB S O U T O F R E C E S S I O N , O N E JOB AT A TI M E
KATHY CASTEEL ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATE MOORE BY
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t’s time to get back to work, Columbia. The dark days of the Great Recession are fading into a bad memory for many mid-Missouri businesses. Growth and expansion are leading to job creation here, albeit in an altered economic landscape from what prevailed in the first decade of the 21st century. Mid-Missouri’s ongoing recovery has not escaped notice. This spring, while reporting on yearly gains in the third quarter, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that Boone County reported the largest increase in employment last fall at 3.3 percent, the best job creation rate in Missouri in 2012. The Milken Institute is also impressed. In January, the Southern California economic think tank placed Columbia in the top 10 of small cities in its report, Best Performing Cities 2012:
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Where America’s Jobs Are Created and Sustained. Columbia vaulted 15 spots from No. 25 in 2011, catching Milken’s eye with such assets as its stable employment base in government, education, health care and insurance, and its distinction as the only metro in Missouri to have three certified industrial sites immediately available for development. Columbia made it to the upper ranks of job creation on several components, the Milken report says, “and its job market proved more vibrant than initially estimated.” The report cites a steadily declining unemployment rate since 2011 and enrollment growth at the area’s primary employer, the University of Missouri. “A growing student body supports local retail outlets and requires more multifamily property development,” Milken notes, adding that several local companies plan to expand operations and hire more in the coming years.
get a job
columbia’s annual unemployment rate 2009–2012 7% 6% 5%
The classic refrain from the Silhouettes’ 1957 doowop hit is still echoing for some Columbians. Although Columbia’s employment picture has long been the envy of the state — bolstered by job stability in health care, education and government — the area’s historically low unemployment figures have been elusive in the past few years. When the wheels fell off in 2009, Columbia’s annual unemployment rate climbed to a high of 6.5 percent but has dropped every year since then, settling in at an almost prerecession level of 4.7 percent unemployment in 2012. The first half of 2013 has seen a roller coaster pattern of dips and rises in Columbia’s monthly unemployment figures that have vacillated between 4.4 percent in April and 5.5 percent in July. Columbia’s unemployment rate was still well below the national and state jobless rates of 7.4 percent in July.
4% 3% 2% 1%
2009
2010
2011
2012
columbia’s monthly unemployment rate 2013 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1%
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL Source: u.s. bureau of labor statistics
top 10 best-performing small cities 1. Logan, UT 2. Morgantown, WV 3. Bismarck, ND 4. Odessa, TX 5. Fargo, ND
6. Longview, TX 7. State College, PA 8. Midland, TX 9. Tyler, TX 10. Columbia, MO Source: Milken Institute
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Growing The Market Employment has grown steadily in Columbia since the turn of the 21st century, except for two down years in 2008 and 2009. Population growth and rising enrollment at the University of Missouri have fueled this expansion and recovery in mid-Missouri.
from 23,280 to 34,748. The increase in MU student numbers accounts for 42 percent of the city’s population growth. Since the dawn of the 21st century, Boone County has seen a net gain of 12,023 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
In 2000, Columbia’s population stood at 85,936; in 2012, U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the city at the 113,225 mark, a 24 percent increase in a dozen years. Over that same period, the University of Missouri expanded its student enrollment by one-third, going
population, mu enrollment + job growth 2000–2011 6000 5500 5000 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 -500 -1000 -1500 -2000
2000
2001
2002
POPULATION population GROWTH GROWTH
2003
2004
2005
2006
MU ENROLLMENT ENROLLMENT GROWTH
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
JOB job GROWTH GROWTH
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI REGISTRAR, U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC.
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net job gains + losses
I N S E L E C T E D LO C A L I N D U STRIES 2001–201 1
2400
What’s Hot, What’s Not
2200 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 -200 -400 -600 -800 -1000 -1200 -1400 -1600 -1800
Retail Trade
Real Estate & Rental/Leasing Services
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services
Manufacturing
Management of Companies/Enterprises
Health Care & Social Assistance
Government (all public employees)
Finance & Insurance
Private Educational Services
Construction
Arts/Entertainment/ Recreation
Accommodation & Food Services
-2000
A vigorous job growth rate doesn’t do much for the job seeker whose field isn’t growing. In Columbia, the industries producing the greatest growth these days are health care; professional, scientific and technical services; and hospitality and food services. The finance and insurance sector and retail also show healthy increases in job creation. Two sectors that still have not made up for deep declines in earlier years are manufacturing and construction. Since 2000, manufacturing numbers have declined in every year except 2003 and 2011, for a net loss of 1,941 manufacturing jobs in Boone County. The decline reflects a national trend in manufacturing job losses that analysts blame on a triumvirate of causes: the downturn in the national economy; technological innovations that lead to production efficiencies with less manpower; and the offshore migration of U.S. industrial jobs to foreign countries. Yet, things are looking up for the local manufacturing sector; in 2011 (the year for the most recent available statistics), 337 new manufacturing jobs were created in Boone County. After posting steady job growth in the first half of the last decade, construction dropped off with consecutive job declines since 2007, for a net loss of 498 jobs through 2011 (the year for the most recent available statistics). A recent residential building boom in response to the growing student population in Columbia should reflect an increase in construction jobs in 2012 and 2013.
SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC.
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show me the money Wage growth in the past two years has been a shining gem in Columbia’s repertoire of economic development tools. Southern Business & Development magazine this year highlighted Columbia and Jefferson City as two of its “Ten Shining Examples of Economic Development That’s Working in the South.” The two Missouri cities lay claim to an exclusive designation on the magazine’s list, as only 11 markets in the South have seen wage growth over the past two years. The magazine cited the University of Missouri and its record enrollment
growth as a primary economic driver, in addition to opportunities that came with the arrival and/or expansions of companies such as IBM, Carfax, ABC Labs and Veterans United Home Loans. “The wage growth we are experiencing is a result of new jobs created through the combination of existing employer expansions, new employers to the community and entrepreneurial companies that have experienced tremendous growth,” says Mike Brooks, president of Regional Economic Development Inc.
Brooks, whose agency is charged with bringing wealth to the local economy, credits the entrepreneurial approach for Columbia’s vibrant wage market. “The biggest opportunities in Columbia are companies employing one to 10 people,” Brooks says. “Many of these startups are small, but they pay quality wages — created from revenue brought in from outside the community — to people who go out and spend their paychecks locally. It keeps the wealth in the community and multiplies the effect.”
average annual earnings IN SELECTED LO C A L IND U ST R IE S Accommodation & Food Services
key
Arts/Entertainment/ Recreation Construction
2012
2013
=$4,000
Private Educational Services Finance & Insurance Government (all public employees) Health Care & Social Assistance Management of Companies/Enterprises Manufacturing Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Real Estate & Rental/Leasing Services Retail Trade SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC.
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market share of major employing industries 2012 Arts/Entertainment/ Recreation Information Real Estate & Rental/Leasing Services Private Educational Services Management of Companies/Enterprises
Other
Government (all public employees)
Manufacturing
Construction
Finance & Insurance Retail Trade
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services Accommodation & Food Services
where we work
As Columbia climbs out of the doldrums, an altered economic landscape awaits. MidMissouri’s occupational profile is shifting, and with that, bringing a new fiscal reality for wage earners. The dominant industries in Columbia remain:
Health Care & Social Assistance SOURCE: REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INC.
health care, education and insurance. Government jobs — which include public education in the state categorization system — have an overriding influence and offer stability that attracts affiliated businesses to serve the market. “Columbia is a market of changing dynamics,” REDI
President Mike Brooks says. “Some industries are volatile, others evolve and adapt with the issues of the day. Companies have to adapt, not only to survive but to grow. We’ve come a long way in economic development of the midMissouri area, but we have a long way to go.”
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now hiring
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A LOOK AT SOME OF COMO’S JOB CREATORS The businesses creating employment opportunities are a diverse bunch. Here’s a look at a few of the companies that have expanded their payrolls in the past few years.
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ob creation kicked into high gear in Columbia three years ago when IBM opened a technology service delivery center in November 2010. The company received an assortment of state and local incentives worth more than $28 million to create at least 600 jobs at the Columbia facility by the end of 2012. Facility director Jim Chapdelaine says IBM has met its obligation. The delivery center is still hiring to fill a broad range of positions that call for various skill sets, including technical support and software engineers, Chapdelaine says. Although IBM does not provide salary data, the state incentives required the company to provide on-site employment at a pay scale above the average annual wage for those jobs in Boone County. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, local average wages for such technology jobs are about $55,000. The demand is constant for people with the right skills to address the needs of IBM’s clients, Chapdelaine says. “The industry is exponentially growing to address big data,” he says. “Clients are looking for opportunities to maximize their current IT investment through solutions like cloud computing, social business and the emergence of mobile tools.”
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he top job creator in Missouri is Columbia’s Veterans United Home Loans. The country’s leading mortgage lender for U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel has hired nearly 1,000 employees nationwide since the end of 2010. The majority of those employees are working in Columbia, says Director of Communications Jon Galloway. Founded in Columbia by brothers Brant and Brock Bukowsky, the specialized loan brokerage has grown from a three-person outfit in 2002
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ood service management company Fresh Ideas has expanded its employee base by 57 percent since the end of 2010, says Jami Jones, director of strategic management. The majority of that expansion has occurred in central Missouri, Jones adds, noting that 51 percent of those new jobs are within a 45-mile radius of Columbia. The 13-year-old Columbia-based company provides food service and catering to clients throughout the Midwest and Florida. Most of the local jobs Fresh Ideas has added are hourly kitchen staff positions such as cooks, dining hall attendants and utility positions, plus catered event serving staff and salaried management positions. The company offers local market wages and pays competitively, Jones says. The food service industry contributes to a maze of local employment opportunities, she says. “Because everyone eats, the food industry touches many, many other industries.”
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entralia’s Hubbell Power Systems has added 160 to its local employee rolls since 2010. The production facility and distribution center has a little more than 700 working in the Centralia plant. Originally established as A.B. Chance Co. in 1907, the company was the dominant business in Boone County’s second-largest city, a pioneer in the manufacture of earth anchors and other products for the utilities industry. In 1994, A.B. Chance became a subsidiary of Hubbell Power Systems. Today, Hubbell employees produce and distribute civil and construction anchors, pole line hardware and safety products for the utilities industry.
to a nationwide network employing more than 1,430. Last December, Inc. magazine dubbed VUHL the top job creator in Missouri and 29th best in the country. Among U.S. financial services companies, VUHL also ranks No. 1 in job creation. The influx of new employees has sparked expansion of all VUHL departments in Columbia, Galloway says. Job openings occur primarily in the loan origination process, but also include human resources, information technologies and marketing.
“IT developers are in constant and high demand,” Galloway says. “We are also looking to hire a significant number of loan officers by end of the year.” In 2011, Veterans United received $6.1 million in Missouri Quality Jobs and job training and recruitment incentives to create 300 Missouri jobs by 2016. The company has added more than 1,090 jobs nationwide since that time, including more than 760 in Missouri, Galloway says. VUHL employs more than 1,050 in Columbia.
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omegrown success story Carfax has added more than 30 positions to the company’s local payroll since 2010 and has plans for continued growth through 2015, says Joedy Lenz, vice president and chief technology officer. The diverse work force of about 160 at the vehicle research data center includes a range of sales, marketing, account management, administrative and technical positions. “Most of our staff has technical expertise as software developers, systems analysts and system administrators,” Lenz says. Carfax’s average salary for experienced staff in Columbia ranges from $60,000 to $90,000 a year. The company’s culture and longstanding position in the Columbia business community have fed the success of Carfax’s recruitment efforts, Lenz adds. Ewin Barnett founded Carfax in Columbia nearly 30 years ago. The administrative headquarters moved to Virginia in 1993, but the data center has always remained in Columbia. “We have seen continued growth in our core vehicle history report business, and this past year, we launched a new service — myCARFAX — to help consumers take better care of their cars,” Lenz says. “The resurgent U.S. economy has given companies like Carfax the opportunity to accelerate growth.”
ealth care laundry supplier Linen King opened its Columbia facility in late 2010 with plans to employ 30. The company quickly doubled its Columbia workforce to 60, says CEO Leonard McCullough. Linen King plans to add another 30 to 50 jobs to the Columbia facility, “provided we can secure new hospital contracts we are seeking,” McCullough says. The company offers a range of positions, from entry-level production and janitorial to seniorlevel management, transportation, supervision and engineering. The pay scale begins above minimum wage for entry-level production; management positions pay between $40,000 and $85,000 annually. Headquartered in Oklahoma, Linen King operates six facilities in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma certified by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council. Linen King participated in the Missouri Linked Deposit Program, which helped obtain an incentive on the financing of the Columbia operation. The company’s prospects for employment growth look good, McCullough says. “Our business is concentrated almost entirely on the health care sector; therefore, we expect stable growth opportunities on the horizon,” he says.
f you own a vehicle in mid-Missouri, chances are you bought it at one of the many Joe Machens lots in Columbia and Jefferson City. The single Ford dealership that opened in Columbia in 1969 has grown to 13 facilities selling 16 vehicle nameplates. Since 2010, Machens has added roughly 400 employees to its payroll, says Director of Marketing Mary Jo Henry. Machens now employs nearly 1,000 mid-Missourians working in sales or as technicians, office staff, part-time drivers and marketing. When comparing the average salaries published in Columbia demographics, Machens salaries average higher, Henry says. Although the acquisition of auto dealerships has spawned the recent hiring binge, owner Gary Drewing is quick to credit his employees as the driving force behind Machens’ growth, Henry says. “At Joe Machens, we have two goals: make sure our customer satisfaction is spot on, and to be the No.1 selling dealer in the state for that franchise. In order to do the second, you need good people.”
nternet retailer MidwayUSA has added more than 150 jobs since the beginning of 2010, a 42 percent increase in personnel. Expansion at the shooting, hunting and outdoor supply business — which started here as a two-man gun shop in 1977 and grew into a worldwide catalog sales empire — is driven by the aggressive growth in the shooting sports industry, says founder and CEO Larry Potterfield. In 2009, MidwayUSA won the Baldrige Award as the best-run small business in America. Openings at MidwayUSA range from entry-level hourly jobs to professional positions, says Deanna Herwald, vice president of human resources. “We have seen the greatest increase in our IT positions, application development (programming), Web development and Web design, as well as positions in marketing, merchandising and order fulfillment (logistics).” Average time to fill a position runs around 80 days, she adds. Computer technology specialists are in high demand at the company, and are the most difficult jobs to fill, Potterfield says, particularly those for programming, analyst, e-commerce and business intelligence.
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advertising section
Inside Columbia’s CEO Celebrates Columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong!
Other businesses may come and go, but some Columbia companies have become institutions in our city. Over the decades, they’ve built a reputation for reliability and impeccable service. When faced with any challenge, they meet it head-on and emerge stronger. Solid, locally owned businesses play a vital economic role in our community and we celebrate these companies that have been making Columbia a better place to live for 50-plus years.
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong! since 1925
Atkins Inc.
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n the 1920s, T.E. Atkins Sr. exemplified a love for farming and helping folks. In those days, nothing was more important than keeping your farm animals fat and happy. T.E. became known for his special mixture of feed and his miracle worming medicine. In 1925, the Atkins family moved to Columbia and began supplying commercial cleaning supplies as a favor to the city. Over the years, Atkins Inc. has added many services to its portfolio but continues to be a committed service provider to the Columbia community. “I think the community supports us because we are all part of this community, not just as an organization, but as individuals,” senior vice president Emily Thoroughman says. Today, Atkins Inc. is a full-service property maintenance provider. From pest control to lawn care and commercial janitorial services, Atkins is
ready to service both commercial and residential properties. And if they can’t fulfill a request, the Atkins team will recommend a trustworthy person or business that can. “There are a lot of niche companies out there that may perform a service or two that we offer, but there really isn’t another company that is as diverse as we are that we could compare ourselves to — no one offers turnkey service like we do,” Thoroughman says. Atkins prides itself on having the resources that smaller lawn, pest or cleaning companies lack, as well as the local roots and commitment to customer service and flexibility that national companies often can’t provide. “We want the place where we live to be a vibrant, thriving community, and strive to do business in a way that supports that vision,” Thoroughman says.
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong! since 1959
Candlelight LODGE
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hen the Gross Family discovered that the majestic building — originally the historic Pierce Pennant Motor Lodge — was for sale, they were able to fulfill their dream of creating a business that would be of service to the community and begin a caring legacy “where the greatest privilege is to serve.” In 1959, the first residential care facility in the Columbia area was opened with the goal of providing personalized care for seniors. Candlelight LODGE began with the vision of providing a model for health and socialization that would promote active living inspired by the life the Gross Family wanted for their own aging parents. For more than 54 years, Candlelight LODGE has become home to many seniors, even caring for a second generation of some of the LODGE’s original residents. As a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week care facility, the LODGE provides support for the physical, mental and spiritual health of its residents.
It also offers comprehensive nursing, dining, housekeeping and transportation services, as well as social opportunities. “Residents experience moments of joy each day, have connections with family and new friends, maintain wellness and enjoy their golden years,” according to Trina Almond, community outreach manager. The LODGE has expanded in size and services to meet the ever-changing needs of seniors. Besides long-term care, the LODGE also provides shortterm respite care, daytime support and dementia care services for individuals experiencing memory loss. “The LODGE is a heart-led organization that offers peace of mind to families, while ensuring a positive, home-like experience for their loved ones,” says Janice Clark, administrator of the LODGE for the past 22 years. “This family-oriented tradition of excellence in care for seniors is embraced by the Wilcox Family, another Christian family, who has owned Candlelight LODGE since 2001.”
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong!
since 1940
Glenn’s Café in The Tiger Hotel
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lenn’s Café has been through a series of transformations and transplantations over the years. In the late 1930s or early 1940s, Glenn and Tilly Purdy opened Glenn’s Café inside the Shell gas station at the intersection of Sexton Avenue and what was known at the time as Highway 40. The Purdys renovated the building in 1954 to make it more restaurant-friendly. The restaurant passed through the hands of Rolla Williams and other subsequent owners until 1985, when Steven Cupp purchased Glenn’s Café from Ben Shaeffer. In 1988, Cupp relocated the restaurant from Business Loop 70 to the corner of Ninth and Cherry in downtown Columbia. In 2002, after 14 successful years downtown, Glenn’s closed its doors when the building couldn’t keep up with the demands of the business.
In 2006, Cupp was working with the Hotel Frederick in Boonville and getting ready to direct the opening of the hotel’s restaurant when the restaurant’s original tenants’ financing fell through. At the request of the owners, Cupp installed Glenn’s Café into the hotel and enjoyed nearly seven years of successful fine dining in the hotel. This year, Cupp accepted the position of food and beverage director at the historic Tiger Hotel in downtown Columbia, and Glenn’s Café will reopen this October under Cupp’s direction and the Tiger’s ownership. “It’s going to be a little different at the Tiger than it was before,” Cupp says. “It’s going to be a little more modern, and a little more upscale, but not a whole lot. There will be a lot of things that people will remember from Glenn’s before and some new things for them to enjoy as well.”
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong!
since 1934
Riback/DKB
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or more than 75 years, Riback/DKB has provided Columbia with support for plumbing, HVAC, cabinetry and appliance needs. The company’s founder, Morris Riback, transported waste material from Columbia to St. Louis in the 1960s. For a small fee, Riback would bring back materials for local plumbers and builders as a favor. He soon realized he was returning to Columbia with more than he was delivering to St. Louis. Inspired by that revelation, Riback opened a plumbing supply house at Seventh and Ash streets in 1934, and by 1962, the supply house had expanded into seven different buildings, totaling 7,000 square feet. Artwork by artist Sidney Larson adorns the office walls. The work was commissioned by Harold Riback to add a little class to the plumbing industry. The 15-panel mural and three 10-foot soldered brass
statues portray the history and social influence of the products of the plumbing industry over the past 6,000 years. Today, Riback/DKB has 20 locations across Missouri and Kansas; four of those locations feature a kitchen and bath showroom available for both trade and residential customers. Riback customers have access to all national brands and the 19,000 items the company keeps in stock. Open to the public as well as licensed tradesmen, Riback/DKB builds strong relationships with its customers and strives to treat them with honesty and integrity. In order to provide better service to its customers, Riback/DKB is opening a new location in Jefferson City. The new location will combine the plumbing supply and showroom floor into one location.
A DV E RT I S I N G S ECT I O N
CeleBrATIng ColuMBIA BuSIneSSeS More ThAn 50 YeArS STrong! SInCe 1953
Pictured: Dave Schmidt, Brittany Pieper and Jim Riek
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KoMu 8
hen it began broadcasting on Dec. 21, 1953, KOMU 8 aired programming from NBC, CBS, ABC and the DuMont Network. Today, locally owned and operated KOMU 8 is associated with the NBC and CW television networks. Since its inception, KOMU 8 has been an auxiliary enterprise of the University of Missouri. While the station receives no funding from the state or university, it has fulfilled an educational purpose for the world-renowned University of Missouri School of Journalism. It is the only major networkaffiliated, commercially operated station in the United States that has a teaching mission. KOMU 8 also has a rich tradition of supporting numerous organizations, events and causes throughout mid-Missouri, including the United Way, the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri, Honor Flight, Central Missouri Humane Society and Ronald McDonald House Charities, among many others.
In addition to being the first television station in mid-Missouri, KOMU 8 has a legacy of being an innovator in broadcast technology. It was the first television station in mid-Missouri to broadcast in color and high-definition. It was also the first local station to have a website. “Consumption of news and information has changed throughout our history, and we’ve always embraced cutting-edge technology to deliver relevant information to consumers how and when they want it,” says KOMU 8 General Manager Marty Siddall. Nationally recognized with multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, KOMU 8 is the only television station in mid-Missouri to win the most respected award in broadcast journalism. KOMU 8 has also won multiple regional Emmys and a prestigious National Association of Broadcaster’s Service to America Award for Public Service for its support and development of Honor Flight.
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CeleBrATIng ColuMBIA BuSIneSSeS More ThAn 50 YeArS STrong!
SInCe 1909
MBS Textbook exchange
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n Jim Lowe’s 1956 hit song, “Green Door,” written about The Shack that once stood across from Jesse Hall, Lowe sang, “Green door, what’s that secret you’re keepin’?” At MBS Textbook Exchange, they can relate. Many have often wondered what goes on beyond the doors of the big blue building located on West Ash Street, and they’re here to let you in on their secret: At MBS, it’s much more than you might imagine. Inside that big blue building, you’ll find a 350,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution center that ships more than 20 million books per year with 99.9 percent order accuracy. Here, staffers fulfill orders for MBS Wholesale, which serves college bookstores across North America; MBS Direct, the direct-to-student division serving K-12 and higher education institutions through virtual bookstore services; and college students worldwide who are seeking good value and service from MBS’s Internet commerce site, Textbooks.com. On the lower level, the fourth operating division, MBS Systems, is devoted to supporting college bookstore management systems by providing full software development of unique applications and customer training. The suite of retail solutions, including a point-of-sale system, e-commerce platform, mobile app and more, is installed in more than 650 private and institutional bookstores across North America. The apps even give stores the ability to manage their operations from any Web browser through hosting services located on servers in Chicago. Many may also wonder what is going to happen to MBS when digital textbooks eventually replace the print version, and that’s a fair question. Inside that big blue building, MBS has been preparing for the evolution into the digital content world for years. MBS pioneered the first educational e-book solution in 2005, and has continued to make heavy
investments in developing a digital delivery platform located in the “cloud.” This allows customers to read, annotate and underline their digital textbooks, just as they do with print, on practically any device a student might own — be it a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or conventional desktop PC. MBS’s platform also integrates seamlessly with learning management systems in use today by most colleges, universities, distance-learning providers and even many high schools. All of this technology, however, would mean nothing without a dedicated team of more than 1,200 employees, representing 34 nationalities and four generations. As the largest private employer in Columbia, MBS consists of 453 unique job titles, many of which assume administrative roles supporting the four divisions right here in the big blue building. Plus, MBS has a field marketing staff of more than 70 individuals located in 27 states, allowing the company to reach customers and clients more effectively. Beyond the walls of the main facility, MBS also operates two customer contact centers, one on Falling Leaf Lane and another on West Broadway, a large underground warehouse in the Subtera complex on North Stadium Boulevard and a software development office in Boston, Mass. So, the next time you drive by that big blue building, you won’t have to wonder what’s inside. Behind those doors are hardworking people, advanced technology and passion. That’s the way it’s always been at MBS, and the management and staff know that regardless of what challenges their industry may face, that’s the way it always will be.
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong!
since 1928
Missouri Theatre
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n the early 20th century, the original plans for the Missouri Theatre included a movie palace with vaudeville stage, multi-story hotel and an apartment complex with retail shops on the ground level. The Tiger Hotel also announced plans to include a theater in its building. Because they were in such close proximity, neither facility could survive with so many similarities, so they made an agreement. Missouri Theatre halted plans for a hotel and apartment complex and the Tiger Hotel agreed not to include a theater. Since 1928, the Missouri Theatre has enjoyed different ownerships, most recently with the Missouri Symphony Society, which led a major renovation of the theater in 2008. In 2011, the University of Missouri began operating the theater with a commitment to maintaining its historical integrity. From classical music to country, professional traveling shows to local performers, films to speakers, the Missouri Theatre offers a variety of shows for patrons of all interests to enjoy. It also works with a number of community groups, including the Citizen Jane and True/False Film Festivals, Columbia Civic Orchestra, Columbia Public Schools Foundation and many more. Missouri Theatre also rents its lobby spaces, the rooftop patio and stage for local events. “We prioritize customer service, and try to make the eventplanning process as easy as possible for our customers,” says Sarah Powers, special events coordinator. “We also try to foster a safe and pleasant environment for our patrons, to ensure they have a positive experience in our building.”
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong! since 1857 Left: From the left, Kim Barnes, President & CEO; Overton T. Harris, Chairman of the Board; Gary Meyerpeter, Boone County Market President Below: Bank Building 1889–1947, Fifth Street, Fulton, Mo.
The Callaway Bank
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n 1857, during a time of great economic uncertainty, The Callaway Bank was founded upon the core values of fairness, integrity, honesty and respect. After 156 years, The Callaway Bank continues to operate from those teachings and values as a locally owned and independent community bank with locations in Columbia and Callaway County. In addition to functioning as a community bank, The Callaway Bank supports local merchants and farmers, as well as the families, charities and organizations it serves. Employees of The Callaway Bank regularly volunteer for Junior Achievement, the United Way and other worthwhile organizations. The bank shows its school spirit by offering customized debit cards for local schools. In addition to the financial products and services such as lending and deposit accounts, the bank also
offers Callaway Bank Rewards Shop Local, a Local Charities Program, the Gold Leaf Club and The Callaway Kids Bank. The Callaway Bank recently dedicated a Financial Literacy Room at the Boys & Girls Club in an effort to help prepare youth for a healthy financial future. The Callaway Bank has seen mid-Missouri families and communities through the Civil War, World War I and II, the Great Depression, the farm crisis of the 1980s, 9/11 and the most recent recession. “We are the oldest independent, locally owned and operated community bank in Missouri, some even say the oldest west of the Mississippi River,” says President and CEO Kim Barnes. “We do not take our strong foundation for granted; we plan to continue serving mid-Missouri for a very long time.”
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong! since 1898
From the left, Jason Swindle, Charlie Digges, Skip Grossnickle and Rich Miller
The Insurance Group
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he Insurance Group is an independent insurance advisory firm with locations in Columbia and Chesterfield. It specializes in employee benefits, health and performance management, and commercial insurance for companies of all sizes, primarily based in Missouri. Anthem regularly credits TIG with writing the first group policies outside of the metro St. Louis area. TIG excels in giving employers and employees the objective advice, support, insurance services and technology they need to succeed in today’s economy. The Insurance Group traces its origins back to 1898 with three long-standing Columbia insurance agencies: the Columbia Insurance Agency, the Conley Myers Agency and Rollins & Rollins. The Rollins family name paid tribute to James S. Rollins,
who is considered “the father of the University of Missouri” for his successful negotiating of the University of Missouri’s location in Boone County. Willard Duncan Vandiver is credited with making the declaration that gave Missouri its motto: “The Show-Me State.” In 1946, Charlie Digges Sr. joined the agency and eventually the named changed again, this time to Rollins, Vandiver & Digges. In 1971, Gary “Skip” Grossnickle joined the agency after a stint in the NFL. Eight years later, Charlie Digges Jr. joined the agency after a career as a pilot. In 1981, Rollins, Vandiver & Digges and the Conley Myers Agency joined forces to form The Insurance Group. The agency remained in the historic Guitar Building in downtown Columbia until 2007, when it moved into a new state-of-the-art facility south of downtown.
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Celebrating columbia Businesses More Than 50 Years Strong! since 1923
Williams-Keepers LLC
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n 1923, A.G. “Grady” Thompson formed the Columbia Bookkeeping Co. in an office located in the historic Guitar Building in downtown Columbia. Four years later, Thompson sold the business to Paul Williams, a University of Missouri graduate who had worked for Thompson. Williams changed the name of the business to Paul A. Williams and Associates. The firm’s name changed several times over the years as partners were added. It is now known as Williams-Keepers LLC in honor of Paul Williams and George Keepers. Today, Williams-Keepers LLC strives to be a business adviser with an accounting background. “We want to serve as a forward-looking adviser who understands our clients’ issues and helps find solutions,” says the firm’s CEO Jeff Echelmeier, CPA. “We want to be more than a historian who
reports what has already happened via audits and returns.” In addition to providing tax and audit services, Williams-Keepers employs professionals who specialize in business services such as employee benefit plan design, business valuations, litigation support, accounting and QuickBooks consulting, corporate turnaround and bankruptcy management, and health care consulting. Williams-Keepers LLC is also able to offer clients tax and estate planning services, as well as personal financial planning. “In our 90-year history, we’ve seen a lot of changes to the tax code, accounting standards and the regulatory environment, but the quality of the product we deliver must remain the same,” Echelmeier says. “The constant changes mean we devote a lot of time and resources to staying current so we can best advise our clients.”
dIvIdENds
ceo at play
thrEE QuEstIONs We tracked down six busy biz bigwigs and asked them three quick questions. Next time you run into one of them at a cocktail party, you’ll have everything you need for an excellent conversation-starter.
lOOk whO’s talkING alan “patric” mcclure Founder and Head Chocolate Maker, Patric Chocolate
anne moore Owner/CEO, D&M Sound
What song is currently on heavy rotation on your playlist? moore: I’m getting primed for Roots N Blues. Mavis Staples’ “I’ll Take You There” is moving my soul and my feet.
mcclure: “Kick, Push” by Lupe Fiasco
marrero: “The Lightning Strike” by Snow Patrol
tony marrero Director, SoccerPro.com
What’s your favorite food on the planet?
cunningham: Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Michelangelo pugh:
Something my wife has cooked only once in our 51 years of marriage: fried chicken marrero:
A steak sandwich … and a steak sandwich mcclure:
Pork belly
kat cunninham President, Moresource Inc.
bob pugh CEO, MBS Textbook Exchange
marty siddall General Manager, KOMU-TV
cunningham:
“When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars siddall: “Love of the Loveless” by Eels
pugh: I do not own an iPod or a CD player. My favorite song is “The U.S. Field Artillery March” written by Brig. Gen. Edmund Gruber and arranged by John Phillip Sousa.
You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite any three people, living or historical, to join you. Who is on your guest list?
siddall: Veal piccata with a side of angel hair from Nagelo’s in NYC’s Little Italy
cunningham:
Seafood
moore: Roasted
Brussels sprouts with bacon is in heavy rotation at our house — adapted from a Bleu Restaurant appetizer.
moore: Thomas Edison, Eleanor
Roosevelt and Winston Churchill would make for fascinating perspectives and discussion. All three born into the 1800s agrarian society, lived and created the Industrial Revolution with the unprecedented political, business, military and social changes of that time and which created our modern history.
pugh: Margaret Thatcher (she was one tough woman — she and my wife would hit it off), Robin Williams (in order to really confuse things) and Yogi Berra (to make things even more confusing)
siddall: Johnny Carson, Don Rickles and Dean Martin — for the pure fun of it!
mcclure: Nikola Tesla, John Lennon and Leonardo da Vinci
marrero: Let’s make it a fun dinner. Laughter makes food taste better. Will Smith (love this guy — despite “After Earth”), Mike Rowe (he’s got some interesting stories from “Dirty Jobs” and my kids think he is cool) and my wife (she’d kill me if I invited Will Smith to dinner and she didn’t get to join us).
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DIVIDENDS
executive style
get the skinny!
More and more men are giving a commonplace business accessory a trim. Popularized by the Beatles in the mid-’60s, skinny ties began trending again in the hit television show “Mad Men.” Measuring 2 to 2½ inches in width — compared to the standard tie width of 3 inches — the skinny tie is an elegant, streamlined approach to business dress. From a simple, solid color to a classic pattern, skinny ties are making a comeback in a huge way. by morgan mccarty and lauren dixon photos by l.g. patterson
Slim purple tie by Murano, available at Dillard’s ($49.50)
Red and black print skinny tie by Stockmann, available at Absolute Vintage ($16)
Vintage brown skinny tie by Pilgrim, available at Maude Vintage Clothing and Costumes ($7)
Red, brown and black striped skinny tie, available at Absolute Vintage ($12)
Slim tie by Bruno Piattelli, available at Binghams Traditional Clothing ($75)
Did You Know? Stripes on British ties generally run from top left to bottom right, and the stripes on American ties run from top right to bottom left. fall 2013
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DIVIDENDS
networking
Boyce and Bynum retirement party Boyce and Bynum Pathology Labs recently celebrated the achievements and retirement of Steve Pearson, director of managed care and practice finances since 1994; Dr. David Pittman, staff physician/pathologist since 1985, former Boone Hospital Center chief of staff and most recently vice chair of clinical affairs at MU Department of Pathology; and Jan VanSciver, microbiology supervisor since 2001. The celebration took place on Aug. 17 at BBPL’s Central Lab patio in Columbia where more than 130 friends, family and employees gathered for an evening of camaraderie, exceptionally pleasant weather, good food from Jack’s Gourmet, and dancing to music of the Megan Boyer Band. Dr. Michael Curry, medical director, addressed guests by recognizing and thanking the retirees for their significant contributions to the company. Curry also recognized Dr. Bill Birkby, staff physician/ pathologist since 1995, who retired recently but was unable to attend the evening’s event. Birkby most recently served as laboratory medical director at Women’s and Children’s Hospital. (Photos provided by Boyce and Bynum)
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1. Steve and Jeanie Pearson 2. Jan VanSciver with Allison, Tim and Ed VanSciver 3. Jackie and David Pittman with David and Eli Pittman 4. Michael Walker and Karen Gordon 5. Rebecca and Denise Tritz 6. John Carlson with Jeff and Anne Craver 7. Michael Curry and Gerry Therien 8. Kelly and Joel Poor
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DIVIDENDS
networking
fore the house golf tournament Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mid-Missouri hosted its 15th annual Fore the House Golf Tournament on July 29 at The Club at Old Hawthorne. The cornerstone program of the charity, Ronald McDonald House, provides a low or no-cost “home-away-from-home” for families with children receiving medical care at a Columbia facility. The program allows families to stay together when kids need it most. Since opening its doors in 1983, the local Ronald McDonald House has welcomed and cared for more than 25,000 families of seriously ill and injured children. (Photos By Lift Division) 1. Kevin Johnson, Janice Gibbs, Darlene Johnson and Steve Stillman 2. Chris Hanner, George Magyar, Dennis Hanner and Chad Hanner 3. Myles Hinkel, Mike Morgan, Collin McCarty and Brian Neuner 4. Greg Hill, Nick Allen, Larry Herzing and Rob Quinn 5. Nancy Allison, Matt Moore, Landon Clapp and Dan Clapp 6. Joe and Barbara Henderson with Sandy and Bill Breeding 7. Lee and Cheryl Baumann with Rusty and MJ Shelley
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advertisement
ADVERTISING INDEX 44 Stone Public House....................................34 A-1 Party and Event Rental..............................29 Accounting Plus................................................... 9 Ashland Industrial Park.................................... 25 AT&T.....................................................................64 Atkins Inc............................................................. 53 Beckett Taylor Insurance..................................17 Boone County National Bank............................2 Cafe Berlin...........................................................34 Candlelight LODGE...........................................54 Central Trust & Investment Company........... 9 Cevet Tree Services...........................................68 City of Columbia Water & Light.....................19 Coley’s.................................................................. 35 Columbia Landcare LLC......................................3 Commerce Bank................................................66 Creative Surroundings...................................... 32 D&M Sound......................................................... 13 Glenn’s Cafe........................................................ 55 Harper, Evans, Wade and Netemeyer..........70 Harpo’s.................................................................34 Hawthorn Bank.................................................. 76 Houlihan’s............................................................70 Inside Columbia’s Culinary Adventures......... 23 Image Technologies.......................................... 26 Jack’s..................................................................... 35 Job Point’s Local Celebrity Apprentice........68 KOMU 8............................................................... 57 Kilgore’s Pharmacy........................................... 72 Landmark Bank.....................................................5 Les Bourgeois Vineyards................................. 25 Manor Metal Roofing.......................................20 Margheim Consulting....................................... 31 MBS Textbook Exchange.......................... 58-59 Missouri Theatre...............................................60 Moresource..........................................................15 MU Health Care................................................. 75 Quinton’s............................................................. 35 Riback/DKB........................................................56 Smart Business Products.................................. 31 Sophia’s................................................................34 Stephen Rust......................................................68 Stephens College Graduate Program.............11 Stifel Nicholaus..................................................70 The Callaway Bank.............................................61 The District.........................................................20 The Insurance Group........................................62 The Wine Cellar & Bistro................................. 35 UMB Bank..............................................................7 Waddell & Reed..................................................19 Williams-Keepers Inc....................................... 63 72
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
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You Can’t Always Get What You Want
he debate taking place in our your sewer bill cannot build roads,” community over the need for McDavid said. “Each account is separate. more police officers has opened For example, the Water & Light fund the doors to a more contentious will have to pay for upcoming power discussion of city finances and spending line construction and make up for lost priorities. While most revenue from this year’s agree that Columbia cool summer.” would benefit from more McDavid went on to officers, there is great point out that our local disagreement over how police and firefighters we might pay for these are paid out of the city’s additional officers. The general fund. Of the $80 police chief says he needs million in that fund, 35; the city manager says nearly half goes to pay we can afford two. By for police officers and studying the gap between firefighters. An additional our needs and what we 20 percent of the account can actually afford, we goes to pay pension costs. begin to truly understand The city owes much “Times have the great dilemma our of this $16 million to changed and city leaders face in trying former employees, money so now must the to make ends meet in the that doesn’t necessarily city’s spending fiscal year that begins on benefit our current priorities.” Oct. 1. officers and firefighters. – Fred Parry To his credit, McDavid doesn’t miss an Columbia Mayor Bob opportunity to remind McDavid has been trying constituents that the city desperately to stimulate a community is digging itself out of a deep financial dialogue on the economic realities of hole tied to poor decisions city leaders our city budget. McDavid has held press made many years ago about funding conferences, used social media posts and pensions. Once these obligations are local radio talk shows to drive home the covered, McDavid points out, there point that there is limited flexibility in is little left to cover the amenities we setting spending priorities. While pundits appreciate. point to the growth in the city budget over Adding insult to injury, the mayor the last 10 years, they rarely acknowledge notes that Columbia’s general fund has the growing commitments that have been walloped by an almost 15 percent literally hamstrung the city. decline in sales tax revenue during the In a recent Facebook post, McDavid last 10 years. Although these numbers attempted to paint a picture of just how are adjusted for inflation, it’s clear that limited the city’s options are. “Your water the residents of our tech-savvy city are bill cannot pay for police officers, your showing an increasing preference for trash bill cannot pay for firefighters, shopping online with Amazon and other
online behemoths versus spending their dollars locally with mom and pop retailers. Online retailers aren’t required to pay sales tax to local municipalities, a loophole that cuts the city out of this vital stream of revenue that goes uncollected. The bottom line is that there are no easy answers or solutions to our city’s economic challenges. At some point, Columbia City Council members will be faced with choosing between funding police officers and firefighters or funding nonessential amenities such as social services or Columbia Access Television. While some will contend that this is not a fair comparison, the bottom line is that the general fund is only so big. You would be hard-pressed to find another city in America, similar in size to Columbia, that spends $900,000 a year on social services. Most of these agencies in other cities are funded in traditional ways, such as federal and state grants and through private donations. When times were good, the City Council was compelled to be generous to these local agencies. Times have changed and so now must the city’s spending priorities. At some point, sacred cows undoubtedly must be slain. Columbia’s elected leaders face the unenviable task of deciding what gets cut first. They’ll have to decide if we will trim back a few quality-of-life and other “feel good” amenities, or if we will need to break promises made long ago to our police officers and firefighters. This is not a job for the faint of heart. In reality, tough decisions likely will be postponed, forcing the city to dig deeper into its reserves. For the sake of our community, let’s hope our city’s leaders are up to the task sooner rather than later.
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CLOSING QUOTES
What Columbia’s Business People And Community Leaders Are Saying “It’s one of those towns that you will always feel young in because there is a college crowd. So whether you’re 40 or you’re 20, you’re going to feel like you’re young in this town.” — Hub & Spoke’s Dak Dillon at the CEO Roundtable on the appeal of Columbia
“The incredible bureaucracy of Obamacare is in the 2,008 pages of a bill that I actually read. If you ever want to go to sleep sometime, read that thing.” — Boone Hospital Center President Jim Sinek on the ponderous complexity of the Affordable Healthcare Act
“You just have to look at success stories like Veterans United to understand the value of the entrepreneurial spirit. That company is here because two sharp young men liked living in Columbia.”
— REDI President Mike Brooks on why the entrepreneurial approach to economic development appeals to young college graduates and current CoMo residents
“The most challenging aspect of being a job creator is filling a spot in our organization as quickly as possible. Our hiring standards are an important aspect of who we are and we cannot dilute or compromise that by skirting those standards for the sake of immediacy. However, because we are diligent and cognizant of our values, we hire well.” — Jami Jones, director of strategic management for Fresh Ideas
“If you want to fire the police chief or city manager, start by firing me.” — Mayor Bob McDavid at an Aug. 5 press conference to address Columbia’s crime problem
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Inside Columbia’s ceo OutFront Communications, LLC 47 E. Broadway Columbia, MO 65203
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