Lawrence Business Magazine 2012 Q1 by Lawrence Business Magazine

THE SHAPE OF LAWRENCE FITNESS VOLUME 2, NO.1

IN THIS ISSUE: CO N T R IB U TORS :

FEATURES:

VOLUME 2 NO. 1 PUBLISHER:

ORTHO KANSAS: THE BIG BUSINESS OF JOINTS

LAWRENCE PEDIATRICS STEPPING UP TO A PEDIATRIC SHORTAGE

FITNESS CLUBS PREPARING FOR SUCCESS IN A TOUGH MARKET

EAT WELL A HEALTHY RECIPE FOR BUSINESS

BREWING COMPETITION A LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL BREWERIES

LAWRENCE BUSINESS MAGAZINE LLC MANAGING EDITOR: DEREK HELMS CREATIVE EDITOR: ANN FRAME HERTZOG ART DIRECTOR: DARYL BUGNER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: JOE RYAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: DAISY WAKEFIELD, DAVE GREENBAUM, EILEEN HAWLEY, SHANE JONES, LANCE KELTNER, MEGAN GILLILAND, JACKIE EVANS

IN EVERY ISSUE:

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: STEVEN HERTZOG, CASEY WRIGHT, ARTEM BAGIEV

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT: info@lawrencebusinessmagazine.com

Website: LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com Lawrence Business Magazine 1617 St. Andrews Dr. Lawrence, KS 66047 785.766.5669 (P) 785.856.1995 (F)

PROFESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT

MARKETING TIPS

MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

NON-PROFIT SPOTLIGHT

ON THE COVER: LEFT TO RIGHT AMANDA VERVYNCK, TITLE BOXING; SCOTT ELLIOTT, THE SUMMIT; DEMETRIA WHITE, UNDERGROUND LAB. PHOTOS BY STEVEN HERTZOG.

facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine Follow us: @LawrenceBizMag

FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION GO TO LAWRENCEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE

DOWNTOWN

by SUSAN HENDERSON, DIRECTOR LAWRENCE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Rolling out t h e Welcome Mat In 2010, the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) estimates that Lawrence welcomed 716,000 visitors to our community. Those visitors, 401,000 of which were overnight guests, spent an estimated $47.6 million in Lawrence. That money was spent on all the same things that any of us would purchase while on vacation: hotels, food and beverages, fuel and retail shopping. Beyond the direct spending of visitors, those purchases generated $1.08 million in local sales tax that helps fund city services. The Lawrence CVB’s mission is to improve the local economy by attracting visitors, meetings, conventions and events to the city; encouraging economic growth by providing quality services to visitors; responsibly managing transient guest tax funds; and maintaining productive working relationships with partners in the business community. That’s a mouthful and encompasses a wide variety of strategies and activities, but the key element in all of it is partnerships. Quality hotel accommodations are crucial for converting day trips into overnight stays. Quality attractions are vital to luring leisure visitors to the community in the first place. A great combination of these elements sets Lawrence apart from other regional destinations. Travelers – including leisure travelers, meeting attendees and amateur sporting participants and spectators – make choices with their discretionary dollars. Competition for their dollar has never been stiffer. For a community to be a destination, it is crucial that it offer visitors an experience that is authentic and not duplicated in another town just down the road. Lawrence is fortunate to house a number of attractions, including world-class museums on the University of Kansas campus, an energetic arts scene, a top-notch boating and recreational lake. The best example of authentic, however, is Downtown Lawrence. For many communities, the era of a downtown as the central business district, central shopping district and entertainment district, is a long-gone ideal. Historic Downtown Lawrence is an undeniable draw to visitors.

I N FOCU S The Lawrence CVB works diligently to understand why visitors

That kind of visitor loyalty is built on the one-of-a-kind experi-

come to our community and, once they have visited, what keeps

ences Downtown Lawrence offers. While the CVB works to pro-

them coming back. Visitors consistently report, via formalized and

mote all of Lawrence’s attractions and events, Downtown remains

anecdotal research, that Downtown Lawrence is a must-stop. Visi-

a visitor favorite on its own accord.

tors consistently praise the unique mix of stores, the relative safety of the area and the youthful vibe that is palpable on Mass Street. For visitors, whether their hotel accommodations are downtown or not, the district offers an around-the-clock stop that can serve as an anchor in an itinerary that includes other attractions and events throughout the region. Downtown Lawrence evolves throughout a day and visitors express that the different personalities of the area are a primary reason for their repeat visits. From quaint breakfast destination and boutique shopping to fine dining and nightlife, Downtown Lawrence presents options. While many Lawrence visitors have some connection to the University of Kansas, just as many report that Downtown is their first and last stop on any trip. Many guest list being able to shop and dine in locally-owned businesses is a primary purpose for their trip. In a recent Advertising Effectiveness Study conducted on behalf of

The CVB partners with Downtown Lawrence Inc. on specific ad-

the Lawrence CVB, respondents were asked about their satisfac-

vertising projects to market the area as a destination for visitors.

tion with their Lawrence visit. Responses included many specific

The ideal partnership spreads the word not only locally, but region-

references to Downtown.

ally into strong feeders markets like Omaha, Wichita, Tulsa and Des Moines. Partnering allows the participating merchants and the

“We always love to visit Lawrence,” one respondent said. “We espe-

CVB to leverage advertising investments.

cially enjoy the vibrant downtown shopping/dining/entertainment and more dining experience. Downtown Lawrence is always a sure

The CVB also produces an annual Lawrence Visitor Guide, which

thing even when it’s different every time.”

features a section on visiting Downtown. In 2010, 64% of respondents said they visited an advertised shop in Downtown Lawrence

“Lawrence is a great town, another respondent said. “We love the

and 74% reported visiting an advertised restaurant. That kind of

locally-owned stores and restaurants. We’ve always enjoyed the

partnership benefits the CVB, the advertising merchants where

parks, Nature Center and events. It’s a town that has that mix of

visitors shop and the community where the sales tax is left behind.

funky and unique and is also family friendly. I know that we will

That’s a win for all of Lawrence.

choose to visit again.”

DOWNTOWN IN FOCUS

BUSINESS ON T H E H I L L

by JOE MONACO, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

BTBC MAIN FACILITY LANDS ASSURANT, ARGENTA The Bioscience & Technology Business Center at the University of Kansas (BTBC ) Main Facility started the new year with two additional tenants – it’s seventh and eighth – one of which is a Fortune 500 company. Assurant Employee Benefits, a division of insurance leader Assurant, has moved into the BTBC Main Facility specifically to establish a year-round internship program with the KU School of Engineering. As part of the program, the company will hire between six and eight students from the school’s computer science and computer engineering degree programs to help develop industry-specific IT applications.

Assurant – ranked No. 285 on this year’s Fortune 500 listing – becomes the second BTBC tenant to establish an internship program with the School of Engineering, joining navigation leader Garmin. “The BTBC at KU system continues to attract a range of companies, whether they’re KU startups, early-stage companies or Fortune 500 companies like Assurant,” says Matthew McClorey, president of the BTBC at KU system. “The fact that Assurant Employee Benefits chose to come here speaks volumes about KU students and the BTBC as a system for building companies. This is exactly what we envisioned when we created the BTBC – companies coming here to access university talent that doesn’t exist anywhere else. In this case, that talent is School of Engineering students.”

Additionally, global animal health leader Argenta finalized its lease with the BTBC and moved into the Main Facility on January 1st. Argenta had announced in August 2011 that it would locate a laboratory in Lawrence and create up to 27 scientist jobs over five years. The company has already begun hiring and expects to create four or five new jobs each year until it reaches the 27 total. Tim Bachta, application development director for Assurant Employee Benefits, says the company chose to partner with the School of Engineering because of positive experiences with KU graduates and interns. “Assurant Employee Benefits is located in Kansas City, Mo., so we considered other Midwestern schools,” Bachta says. “However, the University of Kansas was the obvious choice because of the experiences we’ve had with KU interns and graduates in the past. KU engineering students are so well-rounded. And once we chose Lawrence, the BTBC Main Facility was easily the best location, thanks to its new space, its business support services and its location on the KU bus route. This is an ideal setup.”

BUSINESS ON THE HILL

Photo by Michael Spillers, of Michael Spillers Photography.

While many companies often buy off-the-shelf information technologies, Bachta says, Assurant’s IT needs are specific enough that they require custom applications. Assurant Employee Benefits is widely regarded as a leader in the creation of insurance industry-specific IT solutions. Bachta says the company’s initial plans don’t include collaboration with KU researchers, but he didn’t rule it out in the future. “Being in the BTBC Main Facility, surrounded by all these technology companies and near KU researchers, is a different environment for us,” he says. “You never know where it might lead.”

The School of Engineering continues to be a draw for BTBC tenants. In addition to Assurant and Garmin, tenants Propylon and 360 Engineers also cited access to the school as a reason they chose the BTBC. “This is a win-win for the School of Engineering and Assurant Employee Benefits,” says Stuart Bell, dean of the KU School of Engineering. “By establishing this internship program, the company has access to some of the nation’s best computer science and engineering students. Meanwhile, our students get to work with a Fortune 500 company right here in Lawrence. It’s an ideal industry-university partnership. We’re so proud that companies are coming to Lawrence just to work with our students.” Argenta brings animal health expertise to Lawrence Argenta became the eighth tenant in the BTBC Main Facility – located on KU’s west campus – and the 14th tenant in the BTBC system, which comprises the Main Facility, the Expan-

sion Facility at 4950 Research Parkway in Lawrence and the KUMC Facility in Kansas City, Kansas. Argenta officials said Lawrence wasn’t even on the company’s original list of potential sites. Instead, Manhattan, Kansas., and Columbia, Mo., were more likely targets because of their university-based veterinary schools. But when regional economic development leaders convinced Argenta officials to tour the BTBC Main Facility – located next to the KU School of Pharmacy – the company began thinking that a connection to KU pharmaceutical researchers would be more beneficial than a close physical presence to a veterinary school. “Once we toured the facility, we were immediately impressed by the BTBC’s amenities and business support services,” says Doug Cleverly, Argenta president and CEO. “We loved the location next to the KU School of Pharmacy, and we received a level of support from local economic development officials that was, quite honestly, unprecedented. The Lawrence Douglas County Bioscience Authority, the Kansas Bioscience Authority, the Lawrence Chamber, the Kansas City Area Development Council, the University of Kansas and the staff at the BTBC went out of their way to make this an easy process for us.”

P R OFES S I ONA L SPOTLIGHT D O UG STEPH EN S ST E P HENS R EAL ESTATE

L B M : How d o you m an ag e you r d ay-to-day st ress of b u sin ess? DS: Real Estate is a very emotional and stressful business, especially lately. We try to take as much emotion as we can out of the transaction. By managing emotions, we are able to keep a level head and control a lot of the stress that comes with our industry.

L B M : How d o you reward exce lle nt work perfor m an ce? DS: We like to hand out awards for top performers. But let’s face it, we work in sales. We reward excellent work performance with financial windfalls.

L B M : How d o you m an ag e p oor p e r formance? DS: We’re lucky in the fact that we haven’t experienced much poor performance. When it occurs, we rely on a lot of coaching with management and training, and re-training when needed, to get our employees where they need to be.

L B M : Wh at is th e b ig g est ch alle n g e your company faces? LBM : Wh at i s yo u r co m pa ny ’s m ost im p o r tant co m m odi ty or ser v ice? DS: We specialize in buyer and seller representation of real estate in the Lawrence, KS area. Staffing is key because we need to build relationships with our clients.

LBM : Ot h e r t ha n m o n eta r y, w h a t is you r co m pany’s most im p o r ta nt p r io r ity? DS: Providing service. In this economy, providing the right service to our clients is more important than ever. Our clients rely on us to give them the best information possible so they can be decisive in their actions. We’ve built our reputation on being the best for our clients.

LBM : Wh at h ave b een th e m ost im p o r tant a s pe c ts of you r s u ccess? DS: Our business model is based on having the best agents in the field. We don’t typically recruit agents from different firms. We recruit folks that are new to the industry and train them in our way of conducting business. Our high-quality staff helps minimize turnover. Our agents stay with us and we all work to support each other.

DS: The current housing recession. It’s a very difficult time for both buyers and sellers. I think it’s the worst real estate market since 1981.

LBM: How many people does your business employ? How many of those live in Lawrence? Does your company encourage people to live in Lawrence? What is the benefit? DS: We have 53 employees, the majority of which are full-time. All of our employees live in Douglas County. I can’t think of a time we’ve had an employee that didn’t live here. I think that’s great. We encourage all of our employees to be active in our community. It helps make us a good corporate citizen.

L B M : Wh at wou ld you ch an g e ab ou t doing business in L awre n ce? DS: We need to start reforming Lawrence as a destination for economic development and job creation. We need high-paying positions in Lawrence. I think to do that we must emphasize all that is great about Lawrence: KU, great schools, our support of the arts.

L B M : How d oes you r b u sin ess m ake a posit ive impact on th e L awre n ce com m u n ity? DS: We encourage our people to be very active in the community. We want our people to be leaders in the community.

LBM: You op e rate in a ver y co m p etitive in d u str y. H ow have you man a g e to rem a in releva nt a n d p rofitable? DS: When I started in this industry, there was something like 3 companies in town. Now there are more than 30 real estate companies that have a share of the Lawrence market. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve remained relevant by keeping our staff and support system.

LBM: O ve r t h e cou rse of yo u r ca reer, w h a t h as b e e n the si n gl e l argest c h a n g e in th e Law ren ce rea l estate envi ro n me nt? The development of buyer representation has really changed the real estate world. Also, the amount of information available online is absolutely incredible.

LBM: Wh at do you fo resee a s b ein g th e b ig g est ch allenge to t h e L aw re n ce rea l esta te m a r ket? DS: Lawrence needs more economic growth and job creation. We need more well-paid clients looking to buy.

YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS:

A KEY TOOL IN MARKETING by DAVE GREENBAUM

Domain names are those things after the @ symbol in your email address. They may seem like a relatively useless marketing tool, but I think they are one of the most visible tools of your business. My business, for example, has calldrdave.com as the domain name for DoctorDave Computer Repair Lawrence, KS. I use it, literally, as a call to action: call me! I purchased this domain for about $10 from GoDaddy and it took me about 10 minutes. If you are starting a business, you may be tempted to use your personal email. Yes, sticking with a familiar email address is easy but please avoid this. A great presentation combined with a classy business card and a killer idea can be tainted when you correspond via catlover64111@aol.com. Every interaction you have with potential clients is a chance to demonstrate your professionalism and capability. An aol.com, att.net or a hotmail.com email address communicates the same unprofessional message as using a PO Box.

Seriously, it will take you 10 minutes and cost about $10 (check availability on godaddy.com). Once you secure your domain name, no matter where you decide to take your business you will have a professional sounding message after the @ symbol. While domains ending in .com are ideal, .net and other codes afterwards are fine. Other popular and professional domain names end with .us or .biz or .me. The goal is to create a professional stakehold on the Internet. Since these domains are so inexpensive, buy ones for all your business ideas. There is virtually no limit to ownership. Instead of advertising your internet service provider’s name each time you send an email, why not advertise your business? Don’t give them free rent on your business, claim your business name and reinforce it every time you send an email.

Image can often be the difference between a great idea and a winning idea. You need to take advantage of every chance you get to impress potential clients. Worst of all, since you don’t control addresses you don’t own, changes to the domain name could severely damage your business. For example, if Knology changes those sunflower.com addresses, how will clients and customers reach you?

Once you secure a domain name, it’s easy to integrate it into your current email program. Almost all web based (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL) or computer based email programs (Outlook, Apple Mail) allow you to have multiple email addresses go into one program. Most have detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to integrate your new domain name and email address. You generally won’t have to go to more than one place to check your email if you don’t want to. Also, integration with your iPhone, Blackberry or Android phone is also a relatively easy process.

The most important domain name to purchase is your business name or, if already taken, a close variation thereof. Buy this now!

You’ve worked hard to create a professional image for your business. Now it’s time your emails reflect that.

MARKETING

LI VI NG A by SHANE JONES

BALANCED LIFE Too many vital things in our lives do not force the urgent as in a child’s scheduled event, they are things that can set on the back burner for years, I call them “the some day things”.

Homeostasis: a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or group of elements of an organism or group. It’s okay, no matter how many times you read it over it still sounds confusing. In general one can gather from the definition of homeostasis that it is referring to “balance”. The word balance becomes very applicable when we think of those things in our lives that push and pull us in directions that cause our decision making to be more difficult…time with spouse, children, maintaining the household, time with friends, extended family, and civic or religious involvement, to name a few. There is no magic formula on how to live a well balanced life. There are, however, principles that can be very helpful in guiding a person in the never ending challenge of how to bring balance to their life. Steven Covey used terms like “urgent” (what just has to be done) vs. “important” (what do I want to be doing). I like using “vital” instead of “important”, for many urgent things in our lives do hold a significant degree of importance, for instance, it’s urgent and important that I pay my bills. Vital, to me, makes me focus on the word vitality, what gives a person a sense of fulfillment, the things that I will hold dear, or will give me that feeling of “a life well lived”. Many things in our lives we believe are vital have not been pushed to also be urgent, as in ”I really want to do this, and I am going to make it happen now”. An example of vital and urgent being accomplished is when a person rearranges their work schedule to go to their child’s school or sporting event they wanted to be part of and it was happening now!

We can all understand the notion of a “bucket list”, especially if you saw the movie. I felt the movie gave the impression that when we are old, yet before we die, is when we try to do many of the things we haven’t done. I like thinking of it more as a “life list”, where a person thinks of what needs to be filling their life everyday to promote the sense of “the life well lived”. I can tell you that none of us want our lives to be measured my most of the things we check off of our “to do lists” every day. However, often our day is filled only with those busy-urgent-it’s-just-got-to-be-done things. We go to bed, and get up the next morning to start it all over again. Much of what we do each day needs to be either omitted or “compressed” to make room for the things that are vital to us. Think of when you are trying to get things done before a vacation, you become really productive, and make faster decisions so as to make room for what you really want to do. Sometimes I have my clients write their own eulogy. It may at first sound morbid to write your eulogy, but it’s really not, to think about when “it’s all over” (the idea is not to think it’s anytime soon) what will others tell the person who is going to deliver my eulogy? What evidence or fruit will be in my life that will stand out to others? We are not to live our lives to impress others so they will simply say nice things about us; we are, however, to live our lives so others will happily and eagerly say the truth about us! This kind of looking forward, or actually going to the future and looking backward, helps us to make better decisions today. Do you and/or your employee’s see coming to work as just a place to spend time? How are you showing value to the things on their life list? Balance is best achieved when a person’s work feels much more a part of the whole of their lives not a diversion from it or something that is in competition with it.

T HI N GS TO C HEC K O N YO UR CO M P UT E R FO R T HE NEW Y E A R LANCE KELTNER UNI COMPUTERS

Now is the time to make sure that some basic checks on your computer and setup have been done. Act now to avoid big failures bringing your productive day, week or year to a screeching halt.

1. CLEAN IT Computers have fans to keep them cool. These fans suck in dust and that dust collects on things inside the computer. Over time, it can build up. Computers need to be cleaned periodically to keep them from running too hot. When computers get too hot, they start doing things like shutting down randomly, failing and not turning on correctly. A way to keep this from happening is to clean them on a regular basis. Your environment will dictate how often that needs to happen. If you have a desktop computer (or tower) and feel comfortable taking the side off, take the computer outside and go to town with some canned air. Don’t worry, you can’t hurt anything doing this. Get it from all angles because the dust bunnies love to hide! If you have a laptop, locate the vent slots in the side or rear and blow canned air through those slots. You should hear the little fan in the laptop spin really fast if the air is going all the way through. If you can’t hear or see the fan spin at all, you need to take it to your favorite computer repair shop to have it disassembled and cleaned. Of course, if you aren’t comfortable with doing any of this, any reputable repair shop can do it for you. Extra tip. Get that desktop/tower computer off the floor. Being at least 6-10 inches off the floor will make a world of difference in the amount of dust collected in a computer.

TECHNOLOGY

2. UPS Ever see your lights in your office flicker? Lawrence has some bad power issues in certain parts of town, and an insecure power source is potentially hazardous to your computer. Computers are designed to run on a very specific amount of clean and stable power. They do this through their own internal power supply, converting the power from the wall to the consistent power that a computer needs to operate. When that power flickers, the computer is not happy. It can have effects such as blown capacitors, failing power supplies, bad memory or even data loss on the hard drive. Be safe and get a UPS. An Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) is like your standard power strip with a big battery in it. It serves two functions: Regulate power coming to your computer, regardless of what the wall is providing; and Give you enough time to save your work and shutdown your computer in the event of a total power failure. A UPS is not very expensive and can save you hours or days of headaches getting your computer repaired because of bad power. Remember that they should be replaced every 2-3 years (or at least replace their batteries), as the amount of time they will run the computer in the event of a power failure diminishes over time (just like a laptop battery).

The #1 repair we do at UNI Computers is virus removal. It accounts for almost 50% of our walk-in repair business. A fair number of these were due to expired antivirus subscriptions or no antivirus protection at all. Keep it current to keep it protected.

purchased have a 1-3 year warranty. Hard drives should last this entire time, but sometimes they don’t. There is no way to tell if it is going to fail if it is running fine. By replacing it every 2-3 years without fail, then you drastically cut down the chances of having a devastating failure. Personally, I change out my hard drives in my home desktop computer every 2 years, and I haven’t had a failure in 10 years.

The same thing goes for Windows (or Mac) updates. Microsoft and Apple put these out for a reason. They discovered a problem, or exploit, and an update is put out. Install these sooner rather than later. Many problems have been fixed by simply having Windows or Mac OS be up-to-date. Some of these updates even fix holes in the system that viruses use to get in. Don’t ignore them.

5. BACKUPS Honestly, this shouldn’t even have to be here. This should be as ingrained in people as putting gas in your car. But it isn’t. We still have people coming in all of the time that have a failed or failing hard drive that never backed up. Or they thought they were backing up but never checked to make sure it was actually working.

4. HARD DRIVE AGE “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That works for a lot of things in life. Hard drives are NOT one of them. Hard drives have moving parts in them. Those moving parts wear out and fail, often without warning. When your hard drive fails, it usually means restoring your system from your latest backup. For a lot of people, they are still going to have to reinstall the operating system, all of their programs (Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader, etc) and THEN put all their data back in.

Backups are critical, because hard drives fail, sometimes without warning (sound familiar?). Make sure you the least have backups of your critical files. Even better would be to have a full system image backup, which makes restoring to a new hard drive a point and click affair that only takes a few hours, instead of days reinstalling software.

3. ANTIVIRUS SUBSCRIPTIONS AND WINDOWS / MAC UPDATES

This can be alleviated to a certain extent by not letting your hard drive get too old before you replace it. Most computers

Once you have backups, make sure you TEST them. Check them out; make sure they actually contain the data they should. Backups are not fire-and-forget; they need to be checked. For most people their business is on the computer, and a failure is a big deal. Make sure those backups are happening.

It’s Time to Get Down to Business and We’re Here to

Serve

Central National Bank is Proud to Announce

Jay Smith Lawrence Market President

“I’m excited about the recent promotional opportunity as well as continuing my focus in the area of commercial lending.” - Jay Smith

Convenient Locations at: 711 Wakarusa Dr. 603 W. 9th St. 3140 Nieder Rd. 3300 Iowa St. (Inside Walmart)

Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

TECHNOLOGY

AN EQUAT I O N FO R

GROW TH by MEGAN GILLILAND - CITY OF LAWRENCE

In elementary school, we learned basic mathematics. 1+2=3 However, as we get older, life gets more complex and equations aren’t as easy as they once were. Mathematicians define equations as a way to express relationships between given quantities, where knowns and unknowns are combined to determine a solution. Is there a good equation for growth? Can economic vitality be calculated as an equation where both sides must be balanced in order for the equation to be true? A + B + C = POSITIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH As a community, we must decide if there is a good equation for economic development. City leaders and those involved in business development believe that it involves multiple parts including quality services, positive community interaction and sound infrastructure development. DETERMINING

A : QUALITY SERVICES

According to the City of Lawrence’s 2011 Citizen Survey, 76% of respondents reported satisfaction with the overall quality of city services provided in Lawrence. Nearly all of the city’s municipal functions, from water service to public safety, ranked high with residents. Lawrence’s composite satisfaction score, which compares 14 major categories of city services, ranked five points higher than the previous 2007 score and outpaced both the national average and the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Quality services, which are seen as a value to residents, are key to attracting, maintaining and expanding business and industrial development. Several city departments have at-

tained high levels of certifications or ratings, which are considered benefits to the community by industry leaders and government agencies. The Utility Department is the only utility in the world to have obtained third-party certifications applicable to environmental management, occupational health and safety management, quality management and the biosolids management. The Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Department is one of five fire departments in Kansas to achieve an ISO Class 2 rating and one of only 143 internationally accredited fire agencies. An ISO Class 2 rating is taken into consideration when insuring property and can lower insurance premiums, especially for commercial properties. In economic development circles, the phrase “quality of life” is often discussed to generalize the overall wellbeing of individuals – health, happiness, access to education and recreational opportunities, etc. Lawrence’s public and parochial school systems consistently maintain high standards of excellence for student achievement. Recreational opportunities are very important to the Lawrence community. With its close proximity to Clinton Lake and more than 50 parks in the municipal parks’ system, Lawrence is home to an avid bicycling and outdoor sporting community. The Lawrence community considers itself an accessible community that offers a robust public transit system for a community of 90,000. The transit system has been honored as the top transit service in the state but also implemented a coordinated route service with the University of Kansas to create a more efficient and user friendly system. Numerous routes are designed to provide service to employment centers in Lawrence, including East Hills Business Park.

DETERMINING

B: POSITIVE COMMUNITY

INTERACTION Partnerships between the City of Lawrence, the Chamber of Commerce, Douglas County, The University of Kansas, the State of Kansas and other organizations interested in the expansion of business in Lawrence, are another key component to economic development. In recent years, the City of Lawrence has been successful in creating opportunities for development in the area of bioscience and technology. The BioScience and Technology Business Center (BTBC), located on the West Campus of the University of Kansas, is a rapidly expanding facility that houses start-up and small businesses looking for ways to commercialize ideas that are spurred from research and creative development within the university setting. Creation of business is necessary to facilitate growth; however, expanding businesses require great communities in which to put

down roots and build relationships. Eighty-seven percent of those living in Lawrence report satisfaction with the livability of neighborhoods and 94% of residents report feeling safe in their neighborhoods during the day. Education plays a major role in Lawrence. From students arriving at either Haskell Indian Nations University or the University of Kansas to expand their educational horizons, to the professors and workforce that are employed by the universities, Lawrence is a community that thrives on education. Local businesses develop strategies based on the influx of students each year and local residents are fervent in their allegiance to collegiate athletic programs. Lawrence has been named a “top college town” by several publications with specific reference paid to residents’ spirit and support of the local universities.

DETERMINING

C: INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Infrastructure development and maintenance is a top priority in Lawrence. Since 2008, the city has provided nearly $5 million annually in funding for street maintenance rehabilitation projects. This is in addition to the voter-approved sales tax which provides funding for infrastructure improvements. Large-scale construction projects, including bridge reconstruction and resurfacing, have been programmed for completion by KDOT. Additionally, addressing congestion and traffic flow in-and-around Lawrence is a top priority for the city and the state. Funding for the long-discussed South Lawrence Trafficway has been allocated by KDOT and, once completed, is expected to have an economic impact of $3.7 billion for northeast Kansas. Although determining the unknowns that come with economic development can be difficult, community leaders have found success in employing the above formula to attract and retain businesses that are looking for strong communities with valuable. Although the equation will never be as simple at 1 + 2 = 3, the Lawrence community has proven that it is competitive and determined to be the desired location for quality business development in northeast Kansas.

40 COTTONWOOD, INC DOING GOOD WORK FOR

COTTONWOOD YEARS by DAISY WAKEFIELD

Cottonwood, Inc., celebrating their forty-year anniversary in 2013, is hardly a cutthroat, dark-suit company that goes hard after big name contracts. Their employees generally aren’t the kind to whip out smart phones and start multi-tasking. And the management isn’t looking to climb a brutal corporate ladder.

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

That doesn’t mean Cottonwood isn’t savvy and looking to benefit from astute business acumen. In fact, with contracts under their belt with companies like the US Military, the US Post Office, Bayer and the University of Kansas, Cottonwood has positioned itself to do something really smart: create an income engine to support its mission of helping developmentally disabled adults to be productive and to work. “Work has always been a big part of Cottonwood,” says CEO Sharon Spratt, “Whether that is by providing day activities or work opportunities — it is a core part of our mission to help our clients be productive and shape their own future.” With an operating budget of $20 million a year and a staff of 238, Cottonwood serves developmentally disabled adults and children through state and federal funding, as well as its own income generation with regional and national companies. Their clientele, mostly disabled adults who would have difficulty finding jobs otherwise, serve as the employees and are paid by Department of Labor wage guidelines, according to productivity. Cottonwood contracts with regional and national companies to do product manufacturing and assembly work. The anchor of these contracts is with the United States Military to produce cargo tie down straps. These straps are used in every branch of the military, but especially with the Army as logistics handlers and first responders. Since obtaining this contract in 1999, Cottonwood has produced about seven million of the straps. They are used in anything from shipping trucks to warplanes, can sustain a 5000 lb. pull weight, and go through all the steps of quality control that are required of an ISO compliant company.

“WE HAVE A 97% SATISFACTION RATE WITH THE CURRENT 35 COMPANIES WE CONTRACT WITH, SO WE DON’T LOSE CUSTOMERS.” -JR CONDRA

Cottonwood’s employees work each step of the production line, broken down into manageable steps and matched appropriately with each employee’s skill level. Employees who are not developmentally delayed are also hired to help meet the necessary quotas and to supervise as needed. Along with the cargo tie down strap manufacturing, Cottonwood also has contracts with companies for assembling, labeling, mailing and packaging. With 22,000 square feet of warehouse space, Cottonwood offers their clients the ability to store raw materials and final products that are ready to be shipped anytime. They also are able to ship the product anywhere the client company directs. JR Condra is a 37-year veteran of the company and the director of Cottonwood Industries, the division of the company that secures contracts for the work services program. He talks about their new campaign, “Outsource to Mid-America,” which aims to identify more companies with which to contract. “We have a 97% satisfaction rate with the current 35 companies we contract with, so we don’t lose customers,” he says. “But with tech-

nology [advances] and the economy the way it is — these things take the jobs that we might have taken 10 years ago. We’re confident that there is work out there, but just like any business, we need to position ourselves to keep finding it.” Job Link is another core part of Cottonwood’s services. The program matches developmentally disabled employees with employers in the community. Job Link is the largest community employment service in the state. Almost 200 area companies employ 250 people, with KU as the biggest employer in the program. Other employers include Neu Physical Therapy, Raintree Montessori, Pachamamas, Hampton Inn, Dillons, Hy-Vee and The Oread Hotel. Sixteen staff members at Cottonwood serve as job coaches, accompanying the employees to their jobs if necessary for training and support. “We have a mission to serve the companies we work with, so it’s got to be a win for them as well as for us,” says Phil Bentzinger, Director of Job Link. “We have loyal and repeat employers who talk about how it adds to their overall work environment to have our employees there. Lawrence has been a very welcoming and open community for our program. And it means so much to the folks

we serve to make an income and be productive in the community.” Cottonwood receives 64% of its funds from the contract work, and the rest from state, federal, and county sources. Cottonwood Foundation operates as a separate entity and processes private donations and gifts, including that from several fundraisers throughout the year. The foundation provides enhancements and services to clients, such as the building of accessible homes. As Medicaid reforms loom and the state budget continues to be diced, Cottonwood feels the pinch. But by being entrepreneurial in their approach to business, they’ve built a cushion of protection around themselves, thin though it might be. The benefits are not for the bottom line — they are for the workers that find meaning, productivity and camaraderie in their work environments. “The people we support are just like everyone else,” says Peggy Wallert, Director of Community Relations. “They identify themselves with their work, and it helps in normal rhythms of life to have a job and a full productive day. What we have learned over the course of time is that people want to work.”

NON-PROFIT

ORTHOKANSAS:

The joint business is booming. Year after year, musculoskeletal pain claims the number 2 spot for reasons to visit the doctor, beat out only by fatigue. It’s a business that involves varying facets of causes — aging, trauma, sports injury, congenital disorders — as well as a complex process of medical intervention that spans diagnosis to rehab.

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

That bad knee of yours? The diagnosis and repair of it contributes toward to $850 billion annually in the US. But consider yourself in good company — more than one in four Americans suffers from a musculoskeletal impairment. And if you missed work because of it, then you’ve contributed to one or more of the 440 million days of missed work for musculoskeletal reasons. Judging by the waiting room at OrthoKansas, local trends mirror national statistics. A constant movement of patients, and not just elderly ones, stream through, either for physician visits or rehabilitation therapy. As the sole orthopedic practice in Lawrence, OrthoKansas receives the bulk of Lawrence patients.

THE

BIG BUSINESS OF

JOINTS by DAISY WAKEFIELD

In order to retain Lawrence patients, OrthoKansas has made several big changes over the past several years. In 2008, they increased their space by 9000 square feet to a total of 22,000 square feet, acquiring space that had been occupied by Lawrence TherapyWorks. Within that acquisition was a gym with exercise and rehab equipment, a heated pool for aqua therapy, and a larger magnetic resonance imaging machine. Over time, the practice hired 4 physical therapists, 2 occupational therapists and 4 physician assistants to expand the mid-level patient care required in rehabilitation. “The goal,” says Dr. Jeffery Randall, one of the seven orthopedic practitioners at OrthoKansas, “is to give patients a one-stop-shop option to get all of their orthopedic and rehabilitation needs met right here in Lawrence. There is always going to be some amount of people going to Topeka or Kansas City, but we are also receiving out of town referrals to our practice.” Trish Hilliard-Emmons, administrator for OrthoKansas, says that patients like the convenience and advantages that working on their rehab down the hall from their orthopedic surgeon offers. About 60% of surgery patients choose to do their rehabilitation at OrthoKansas. The gym and pool are also open to the public for memberships.

OrthoKansas continually recruits specialists to fill the spectrum of orthopedic needs. Dr. Neal Lintecum is a fellowship-trained doctor in hand surgery. Dr. Doug Stull, who specializes in shoulder and elbow, joined the practice in 2007. Dr. Ryan Stuckey joined earlier this year, ending a several year search for the practice to find a spine specialist. Another general orthopedic doctor is coming to the practice next summer. Next on the recruiting agenda is a foot and ankle specialist. Both nationally and locally, the demand for orthopedic care has seen a steady and marked increase over the past decade. Two major studies presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons projected total knee replacement surgeries to increase by 673% by 2030, and projected total hip replacement surgeries to increase by 174% in that same time. With more than 25,000 patient visits in 2011, OrthoKansas is currently the only orthopedic practice in Lawrence. Whether they will continue to be able to meet the rising demands of orthopedic care is the question that may pave the way for even further expansion of the facility or perhaps open the market to another practice. “One of the goals of our facility is to meet the needs of the community,” Hilliard-Emmons says. “We strive to accomplish that goal; however, it is an ever evolving goal and we will continue to work to meet it. That is why we continue to recruit new physicians, in different sub-specialties, to work toward meeting the needs of the community.”

OrthoKansas operates independently of Lawrence Memorial Hospital, but the two have a symbiotic relationship with most of the inpatient surgeries taking place at LMH. Outpatient surgeries are generally performed at Lawrence Surgery Center, which is half owned by the hospital, the other half by surgeons. Local patient retention and out-of-town referrals offer significant benefits to hospital’s economy. As to the reasons behind the massive increase in joint replacements, the brunt of the numbers fall on baby boomers and their desire to remain active. The fastest growing age group for total knee replacements is the 45-54 group, for whom the surgery is projected to grow 17 times by 2030. No longer for “old people,” hip and knee replacements are providing active boomers a new lease on life. “There have been studies that determined that hip surgery is the most cost-effective surgery to have,” Dr. Randall says. “It helps people to remain active and contribute to the working economy for a longer period of time.”

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS PROJECTED TOTAL KNEE

673% BY 2030, AND PROJECTED TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERIES TO INCREASE BY 174% IN THAT SAME TIME. REPLACEMENT SURGERIES TO INCREASE BY

Besides general orthopedics, Dr. Randall specializes in sports medicine, volunteering as the head orthopedic surgeon for KU Athletics. Dr. Sean Cupp, also with OrthoKansas, volunteers as the head physician for KU and Baker University. As well, OrthoKansas is the sponsor for Kansas Center Athletic Medicine, which employs 6 full-time and 3 part-time athletic trainers for the benefit of the athletic teams of local and surrounding high schools. The trainers serve 13 high schools, traveling to their practices and games. OrthoKansas pays their salary and benefits. While time-consuming and costly, these relationships with the schools provide a broad base for future clientele and give a level of exposure to the practice that can be used to recruit other physicians. “This is part of our community service,” says Dr. Randall. “We want to make sure that the safety of student athletes isn’t jeopardized even as school budgets are cut and things get tight.”

by DEREK HELMS

When Dr. Kristen Evans enters into one of Lawrence Pediatrics’ bright, airy clinic rooms, the energy of the room changes. Dr. Evans physical stature certainly isn’t imposing. Her shoulderlength auburn hair and wire-rimmed glasses top a petite frame that may not stand a chance against a strong wind. But her smile changes things. Her eyes squint slightly as an unrestrained grin begets a full smile. It’s the type of smile that lets a nervous child know that every thing will be all right.

Combining extensive experience, her entrepreneurial spirit and that comforting smile, Dr. Evans opened Lawrence Pediatrics (543 Lawrence Avenue, Suite D) in October. Dr. Evans’ path to Lawrence Pediatrics was far from straight. As one of 5 kids growing up in the Northeast (Maine), Dr. Evans was part of a very academic family. Both parents were teachers, and all of her siblings currently work “I DIDN’T REALIZE I SMILE in academia. A campus life seemed to be in the works for Dr. SO MUCH,” DR. EVANS Evans, who holds a Ph D in Ancient Achilles. “I’m really the black sheep of the family,” Dr. Evans says with a laugh. “At Thanksgiving my parents and siblings sit around and make fun of me.”

SAYS. “I GUESS WHEN YOU REALLY LOVE WHAT YOU DO, IT’S EASY TO SMILE.”

While on staff at William Jewell University, Dr. Evans felt an itch for something different. “I knew I wasn’t doing what I really loved,” Dr. Evans says. “I really enjoyed my work, but there was a big part of me that knew it wasn’t the career I wanted. I’ve always wanted to make a direct impact, and I felt a little unsatisfied.”

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Dr. Evans made a decision. She has had an interest in medicine since she was a young girl, and knew that if she was going to make a change, she needed to get started. “I’ve never been one to dip my toe,” Dr. Evans says. “Once the idea of studying medicine emerged, I knew I would give it all I had.” Evans received her medical degree from, and completed her residency at, the University of Kansas Medical School. She specialized in pediatric care. “I’ve always wanted to help kids,” says Evans. “I didn’t want to work in a family practice because I wanted to be able to really concentrate on helping kids. I have a tremendous respect for family physicians, but I knew I could best utilize my talents by focusing on pediatrics.” After graduation, Evans jumped at the opportunity to work in Topeka as a pediatric hospitalist. Hospitalists are a select type of pediatrician. They care for children in many hospital areas, including the pediatric ward, labor and delivery, the newborn nursery, the emergency department, the neonatal intensive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. Pediatric hospitalists work alongside a family’s pediatrician and other physicians and providers involved in a child’s care.

ans says. “You really must be at your best at all times, because if these children are in your hospital, they are in rough shape. It is a very taxing position and one that made me appreciate the people around me, both professionally and personally.” In early 2003, Dr. Evans’ husband accepted a position as the director of the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Dr. Evans and her family (2 children) settled in and Kirsten worked in a Virginia pediatric office. Their time on the East coast was shortlived, however. “I loved being back east, because it was familiar to me,” Dr. Evans says. “My kids, however, really didn’t enjoy it. They are Lawrence kids, born and bred. They really love it here and both my husband and I love it too. We decided Lawrence was home. When his tenure was up, we moved back to Kansas.”

Dr. Evans loved the challenge.

Back in Lawrence, Dr. Evans signed on with the KU School of Medicine as a faculty member in the school’s pediatric department. “Yes, my parents and siblings thought I had finally made something of myself,” Dr. Evans says with a genuine laugh.

“Working as a hospitalist is an incredible experience,” Dr. Ev-

While working in Topeka, Dr. Evans had built a reputation as an

outstanding pediatric hospitalist. When Topeka hospital Stormont-Vail decided to expand their services in 2007, there was one person on their list of people to spearhead the Dr. Evans to head their new pediatric hospitalists program. “Getting that call was really unexpected,” Dr. Evans says. “I jumped at the opportunity to form a group of dedicated, talented people willing to work hard to help kids. It was a fantastic experience and I know we did a lot of good for a lot of kids and their families.” Dr. Evans spent two years putting together a top-notch hospitalist team for Stormont-Vail, working tirelessly for the betterment of the patients. “I am so proud of the work our team did,” Dr. Evans says. “Ultimately, though, I started to wear out. It’s incredibly taxing knowing how sick those kids are and what type of battles they are fighting. I went to work every day dedicated to doing everything I could the help those kids get better. When a child recovered and left the hospital, it was exalting. But when a child and family lost their battle, it was absolutely devastating.” Living in Lawrence since 1989, Dr. Evans knew there was a shortage of pediatricians in town. Countless friends and acquaintances had expressed their frustration and “gently poked” Dr. Evans about the idea of opening an office. “I’ve always thought about being a family pediatrician,” Dr. Evans admits. “The idea of seeing kids and families grow and helping them stay healthy, not just struggle to get back to healthy, was a very compelling thought. As a hospitalist, I often got very close to families, but it was under unfortunate circumstances and didn’t always end well. I’m excited about getting to know families under new conditions and in a less stressful environment.” In the spring of 2011, Dr. Evans made the decision to open her own pediatric office in Lawrence.

“Last winter was especially tough,” she says. “We had an unusual number of terminally ill kids that needed to transfer to Children’s Mercy, and too many deaths. It was too upsetting for me. Though a part of me felt like I was giving up, I know I can help kids and families in Lawrence.”

Dr. Evans had never started a business before, but her husband has a successful streak of entrepreneurship. After running the numbers, doing extensive market research and meeting with multiple banks to discuss start-up loans and conditions, Dr. Evans and her husband decided to self-finance the endeavor. “It was a tough decision, but we really like knowing that this is completely on our backs,” Dr. Evans says. “We have a solid business plan and are very confident in our investment.” Months were spent getting the needed equipment, licenses and insurance in place. Dr. Evans worked with Allison Vance Moore to find the perfect office. When they walked into the space at the corner of Lawrence and 6th Street, they both knew it was a match. “I hate to over dramatize it, but as soon as we walked in, we knew this was the space,” Dr. Evans says. Staffing was, according to Dr. Evans, one of the easiest parts of her start-up equation. While still at Stormont-Vail, she recruited a few of the nurses they had grown to trust, and they were happy to follow Dr. Evans into private practice. After meeting Lori Watson in an interview, Dr. Evans knew she was exactly the person she needed to run the office. “We really clicked, right away,” says Watson, whose bright smile greets families entering the office. “After the initial phone conversation discussing the job, I think we both knew this was going to work. The few months we’ve been open have been great. Dr. Evans is always asking ‘is this

good for the kids?’ or ‘Will this help our patients?’ She’s totally dedicated to helping the families that come here. It’s easy to be motivated to come into work.” Watson’s experience with medical billing, dealing with insurance claims and her general cheery disposition were just what Dr. Evans needed to complete her staff. “When you meet her, you can’t help but like her,” Dr. Evans says with a smile. “She’s the perfect person to help our new patients get comfortable with us and our office. She’s great.” In November, Dr. Evans opened Lawrence Pediatrics to the public. In true start-up fashion, the top priority has been getting “clients” into the building. Traffic has been steadily building thanks to word-of-mouth and minor social media advertising.

“It’s scary,” Dr. Evans says. “The day we opened we didn’t have a single patient file. But, that’s the risk. I’m confident in our ability to provide top-notch care for families and, so far, word-of-mouth has supported that. Many people have expressed how happy they are to have more choices for pediatric care, and we’re happy to help.” As business grows, Dr. Evans isn’t content to stay put. “I have 5-year and 10-year plans,” she says. “When we establish ourselves as an excellent choice for pediatric care, there’s no reason we can’t expand, within reason.” Dr. Evans smiles when she speaks about her past, her current adventure and the future possibilities. The idea of growing a new business is exciting, but that’s not what makes her smile the most. “Being able to see children grow is exciting,” she says as she flashes her big smile. “Being a part of helping families through the bad and the good times is such a great part of life.”

I Love The Merc

“

because of the empl oyees. They are always happy to see me and treat me like fa mily.”

Lisa Allen

Merc Owner since 2000

Your Community Market & Deli 901 Iowa · Lawrence · Kansas 66044 · 785 843 8544 · www.TheMerc.coop

FITNESS CLUBS READY

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

TO WORK OUT by DAISY WAKEFIELD

New Year’s and New Gym Memberships: it might be an exercise in futility, but it’s still exercise - and that’s what counts for fitness centers. It’s that hot affair that rekindles anew at the turn of each year — an annual ritual of resolutions and body pledges which is the Black Friday for the fitness industry, and the one that keeps its doors open all year. But for many new gym patrons, the relationship cools and becomes regrettable by tax time. This fickleness accounts for the notoriously high turnover rates in the fitness industry. According to the International, Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association, about 1 million people join gyms in January, but the retention rate is only about 75%. Worse still, among the retained clientele, only 20% actually use their memberships on an active basis. This amounts to an annual $12 billion in money for an unused commodity. The industry response has been to make fitness experiences new and fresh, highlighting interactive fitness strategies above the same old workout. Some do this by focusing on personal training sessions which are personalized and adaptable, and some by incorporating sports into the fitness routine. And in Lawrence, new fitness clubs are popping up that follow this trend. The following three are confident that they are bringing more than a run of the (tread)mill workout that will keep the flame alive for their Lawrence patrons through the thick and the thin.

ITLE

TITLE BOXING 15TH AND WAKARUSA In a 5000 square foot space, a mostly female

Title Boxing, headquartered out of Kansas City, is the larg-

class has put on their gloves for a fight with a

est manufacturer of boxing equipment in the world. In 2008,

bag. The bags hang in a square area from the ceiling, and the class punches, weaves, and runs around them according to the instruc-

they began the boxing clubs franchise, now with 21 clubs open throughout Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, and Illinois. Jim Thomas, franchise owner, opened up the Lawrence club in November 2011.

tor’s directions. Each participant can modify

the moves to his or her level, but after only a

“I was a club member in Olathe, and I really believed that this

few minutes, everyone is sweating heavily.

kind of club would gain traction in Lawrence. We did marketing research and demographic studies before we came into the market. Lawrence is a very healthy town - there are a lot of runners and bikers and athletes — and this workout really integrates well into all kinds of activities. All sports start with the feet, and that’s where boxing can really help a person improve in any sport, with footwork.”

The club has a few treadmills and free weights, but the majority

When asked what will carry Title Boxing through the gimmicks

of the space is dedicated to the center heavy bag station, where

and fads of fitness, Thomas replies, “How long has there been box-

32 weekly classes take place. A small boxing ring accommodates

ing? Some of the best athletes from the early 1900’s till now have

private training sessions. A 12-month contract is required for the

been boxers — Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Man-

monthly memberships, and there are currently 162 members. But

ny Pacquiao. They’re lean and strong, and that’s what people want.

Thomas envisions an eventual membership of 800 to 1000.

Boxing isn’t going anywhere.”

“LAWRENCE IS A VERY HEALTHY TOWN - THERE ARE A LOT OF RUNNERS AND BIKERS AND ATHLETES — AND THIS WORKOUT REALLY INTEGRATES WELL INTO ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.” - JIM THOMAS

“ALL OF US AS A TEAM WORKING HARD AND LOVING WHAT IS WHAT WILL KEEP US HERE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.”

WE DO —

- FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ

UNDERGROUND LAB FITNESS 29TH AND HASKELL The “underground” in Underground Lab Fitness’ name is appropriate. Situated among warehouses in a no-through side street on the east side of Lawrence, UGL does have the feel of black market. Nondescript loading dock doors shield the facilities, and nothing but a large trailer with buff looking characters (with chains?) give away what goes on inside. But once inside the door, there was no need for a stealth password to get to the boss. Fernando Rodriguez doesn’t wear dark sunglasses and doesn’t have bodyguards. Originally from Mexico City, the fitness buff started into a life of sports from the time he was 6 months old and eventually swam for the Mexican Olympic swim team. After a move to the US at age 15, Rodriguez played football from high school into college and eventually became a personal trainer at Lawrence Athletic Club. In mid-2010, he started UGL with 30 clients, with personally designed fitness programs and “boot camps.”

“This is not a gym - it’s a fitness studio where you pay for our bootcamp programs and training sessions, and the use of the facilities come free with that. We do fitness in conventional and unconventional ways. The reason our clients come is not to use the gym and work out alone — it’s to do group training and private sessions with trainers.” Apparently that philosophy is working, because with only word of mouth marketing, UGL has grown their clientele to 140, with a 100% retention rate. They were operating in the black after 9 months of business and are now looking to expand their space to the warehouse next door. “I haven’t spent any money on marketing so far. We’ve been under the radar, but now that systems and programs are in place, it’s time to go out and be a competitive fitness studio. I’m motivated and hungry, so to speak - and I think the formula I have right now and all of us as a team working hard and loving what we do — is what will keep us here for many years to come.”

THE SUMMIT / NEXT LEVEL 9TH AND NEW HAMPSHIRE “We’re not just a gym — we’re a philosophy,” says Scott Elliott, co-owner of The Summit, the first downtown Lawrence fitness facility. That philosophy is all about attaining balance through nutrition, supplements, and training — incorporating exercise science to build body symmetry. That, and using the iPad. The just opened fitness facility sitting on the ground floor of the new building at 901 New Hampshire is sleek with technology. State of the art Precor equipment with individual 15” television screens and gyroscope stabilizers, docking stations for members’ personal bikes to use in computer simulated paths, saunas that use skin-sensing waves to create heat centered around people — and the aforementioned iPad to track workouts and email them to clients — these are a few of the shiny new toys at The Summit.

“WE’RE NOT JUST A GYM —

WE’RE A PHILOSOPHY” - SCOTT ELLIOTT

But strangely enough, Elliott seems just as excited about the tractor tires lying on the outside courtyard pavement that US Bank workers will be able to peek down on from next door. “I can’t wait till the spring when we can get people out there flipping those tractor tires and pulling 1/2 ton trucks down the alley,” he exults. It’s all a part of the hybrid facility that is half gym — The Summit — and half personal training — Next Level. While Next Level, owned by Chad and Laura Richards, has existed since 2005 in North Lawrence, the move to downtown and the addition of the gym facility is new. The new downtown businesses are co-owned by Elliott and the Richards’, and will expand their workforce from 10 trainers to 15-20 staff total. The clientele will be mutually exclusive, paying for personal training at Next Level separately from the monthly contract memberships at The Summit. As to why their gym is going to last beyond the initial infatuation with iPads and the boulder wall, Liam Kirby, sales manager of The Summit answers, “We already have a proven track record with Next Level and its clients. And we’re not trying to overdo it - a lot of new gyms will overestimate their population — we’re just trying to settle our place in the community and take it from there.”

A HEALTHY

RECIPE

FOR BUSINESS

by MEGAN STUKE photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

The offices of Hilary’s Eat Well above Local Burger in downtown Lawrence, are sunny and friendly, much like the owner, Hilary Brown. Predictably, the offices are busy, generating and emitting a happy energy that is contagious. Brown herself is a bundle of unbridled energy and enthusiasm – bouncing from one project to the next. She’s quick with a smile and these days she has a lot of projects to smile about. In 2005, Brown opened Local Burger on Vermont Street in Lawrence. She had a vision and wanted to provide a different kind of fast food. Her food would be fresh, sustainable, organic, all natural and sourced from the most local providers she could find. In the process of creating the menu for Local Burger (which features elk, pork, buffalo, beef, chicken, turkey and tofu), she developed a veggie burger, knowing a large portion of her clientele would be vegetarian. The veggie burger was an instant success and it wasn’t long before her customers started requesting that she sell it in stores. Brown liked the idea of an additional profit source, but she was a new business owner with a lot on her plate. Learning the ins and outs of mass producing, marketing and selling the veggie burger outside of her storefront was a low priority. She did manage to get the veggie burger into a few places like the University of Kansas’ Memorial Union. Sales were good, but the project stalled when Brown had a baby and went on maternity leave.

“You know,” Brown laughs. “Our baby took top priority.” In 2009, Brown says, she got lucky. Brown hired Mike Sweeney to work at Local Burger and he had experience in industrial food service. “Mike was fantastic,” Brown says. “He was a great employee and took the initiative to get the recipe set and systemize the process of producing the veggie burger.” Two local investors jumped on board in 2010 and Brown started thinking more big picture. “My introduction to the burgers happened at Local Burger in 2011,” says Alison Langham, an investor in Hilary’s Eat Well. “In the summer of 2011, Hilary approached me about investing in her company. I studied the Hilary’s Eat Well business plan, which I found compel-

ling and convincing. I know the organic allergen-free food market is on the rise, and I know Hilary is passionate about her business--all this plus the strength of Hilary’s team made my investment decision easy.” As word of the veggie burgers grew, so did orders. Lawrence Memorial Hospital, The Merc, Checkers and Hy-Vee picked up the burgers. Lawrence restaurants 23rd Street Brewery and Bigg’s BBQ began serving the veggies burgers on their menu. “This is the kind of thing I love,” Brown beams. “Local businesses helping other local businesses. Doug Holiday (owner of Bigg’s) and Matt Llewellyn (owner of 23rd St. Brewery) are great. I can’t say enough good things about them.”

Whole Foods in Kansas City began selling the burgers in their metro shops and they now have approval to distribute to Whole Foods Markets across the country. “It’s grown really fast,” Brown says. “The goal has always been to distribute nation-wide, and we’re getting there. You can find our products on shelves in over 44 states, including Puerto Rico and Hawaii. We get more locations every week through our national distribution contracts, and hope to expand to all 50 states soon!” As the business grew, Hilary added staff. In November 2010 they opened a production facility in east Lawrence, Derick Alexander came on board to be her production manager. She added a strong sales duo: Allen Levine and Marisa Ford, who worked together previously in the natural food supplement industry, and felt strongly about the mission and product of Hilary’s Eat Well. Alyssa Koestner, a former employee at Local Burger, came back to the Drink Eat Well fold to act as administrative coordinator, among other roles. Becky Harpstrite, an independent contractor, acts as the creative director, and developed the logo, branding, web design, advertising and packaging for the company. Everyone works closely together and it’s clear they feel like a family. Brown is proud of her young company, but quick to pass the praise. “I have people who are smarter than me in a lot of

areas,” she says with a mater-of-fact tone. Ford and Levine came on board with a great deal of knowledge about distribution. Alexander is practically a one-man show, handling all of the production development himself. “We need a new packaging machine,” Alexander says, with a far away look in his eyes. Brown hopes they can stay in their current production location at least until the end of year, but the growth has been swift and she’s sure by next year they’ll be looking for more space for more equipment. The success of Local Burger and the emergence of Hilary’s Eat Drink Well have established Brown as a local visionary. “I never really set out to be a veggie burger distributor, but I’ve always been an ‘idea person’,” she says. “I would make lists of products I thought up that should be out there, anything from toothpaste to different foods.” She has painstakingly researched the environmental impact of the ingredients she uses. Having been a farm apprentice at Growing Growers, an organization dedicated to developing organic farms around Kansas, she had a strong understanding of the ecological and health implications of each ingredient she selected. When she talks about her ingredients and her thoughts on farming and agriculture, her eyes light up. Hilary Brown discusses grains the way some women talk about jewelry. Her belief in her products and in the bigger picture of agriculture, health, and sustainability is infectious.

BEING A WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS IS A BIG DEAL FOR A LOT OF CONTRACTS, BROWN EXPLAINS, BECAUSE THERE ARE GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES TO DO BUSINESS WITH FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS.

“It’s about making connections,” she says. “It’s about helping and understanding what happens at each stage. Diversity is good for the system.” In that light, Brown works with growers and the Ag Board to encourage good practices. “Millet,” she says, “is a very important crop. It can be grown in poor soil and is drought resistant. This means it doesn’t deplete groundwater which is so key in Kansas.” Hilary’s Eat Drink Well is a Certified Woman Owned Business, is Certified Non-GMO and Certified Gluten Free. They’re currently working on becoming Certified Organic, and they attribute many of their successes to these key elements of their business. Being a Woman-Owned Business is a big deal for a lot of contracts, Brown explains, because there are government incentives to do business with female entrepreneurs. Brown and her team are now focused on sustaining and growing the Hilary’s Eat Well production, development and distribution as orders increase. The beginning of 2012 brought major news to the small company. “We have been announced as a Whole Foods National launch in May 2012,” says Marisa Ford, who works in sales. “Both of our burgers, The World’s Best Veggie Burger and Adzuki Bean Burger, will be available in every Whole Foods Market starting in May.”

Hilary is particularly excited about one specific recent order. Their products have been picked up for distribution to Federal Departments in the D.C. area. With success comes lessons, and Brown is always learning. “I’ve learned a lot over these last couple of years about how to structure a business,” she says. “I’m thrilled with how much I’ve learned. It’s been a crazy ride, but I’m still smiling.”

23RD STREET BREWERY

FREESTATE BREWERY

photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

BREWING COMPETITION by DEREK HELMS

The good people of Lawrence like beer. Maybe it’s the college vibe or the stress of modern life, but we like to tip a glass. Lawrencians’ affinity for hops and barley bodes well for its two microbreweries, Free State Brewery and 23rd Street Brewery.

Last year, Free State Brewery served nearly 408,000 pints of their original beer. Not bad for a business born from one guy’s basement hobby. When Chuck Magerl, proprietor of Free State Brewery, started brewing beer in the 1970’s the idea of opening a successful brewpub and moving into bottling for regional distribution was far from the target. He liked good beer, and was interested in Kansas state liquor laws.

Magerl was managing at Lawrence’s Community Mercantile and brewing beer in his basement. He had been brewing for a number of years, and had taken an interest in the Kansas Alcohol code that prevented commercial brewing of beer. “Kansas was notorious, as we all know,” Magerl says. “In the 1970’s there was a craft wine boom across the country. I knew there was only a matter of time before craft beer brewing took off. Unfortunately, the laws in Kansas prevented anything other than minor hobby brewing. Local legislatures had hinted at some changes in the governing of alcohol, and I got in the middle of the process.” Magerl immersed himself in the effort to relax commercial brewing regulation. He spent “countless” hours in Topeka researching legislation, meeting with politicos and doing his best to affect the pending regulation. When Kansas alcohol code was rewritten to allow commercial brewing, Magerl and friends got to work. In 1989 Free State Brewery opened as the first legal brewery in Kansas in more than 100 years.

LAST YEAR, FREE STATE BREWERY SERVED NEARLY

408,000

PINTS

OF THEIR ORIGINAL BEER. NOT BAD FOR A BUSINESS BORN FROM ONE GUY’S BASEMENT HOBBY. “Brewing this beer has been a thrill,” Magerl says with a laugh. “I never anticipated our venture being this successful, but I’ve always known that the people of Lawrence like a well-crafted beer. We’ve always put the beer first, and marketability second. Being focused on the quality of our product is a cornerstone of the business. I don’t take for granted that I am able to make a profit from what I used to do as a hobby. If this all went away tomorrow, I’m sure I’d still brew for myself.”

“We have such a strong and appreciative beer community here,” says Steve Bradt, brew master at Free State Brewery. “The homebrew club in Lawrence is a perfect example. They

“The time at Old Chicago was great,” Llewellyn says. “I was

have flourished over the years and I know they help to drive

introduced to a lot of different beers there. It really fueled

interest in our creations. We also have a lot of people in and

my desire to open my own shop and definitely brew my own

near Lawrence who are pretty well travelled, whether for

beer. I like good flavorful beers and I knew the people of

school, business or the military. Many of them were early

Lawrence appreciate high-quality brews. Free State’s success

supporters. They found out about craft brewed beers in oth-

is a testament to both their talent and Lawrence’s desire for

er countries when craft brewing and the Free State were still

great beer. I’m happy to be a part of that.”

in their infancies.” The brew house is home to a 15 barrel Pub Brewing System. Community interest in craft beers was a major motivation

In the past few years, 23rd Street has doubled their produc-

for Matt Llewellyn, owner of 23rd Street Brewery. Llewellyn

tion to exceed 1000 barrels (2000 Kegs) per year and have

took a much different route to beer brewing. After work-

begun distributing to other bars and restaurants throughout

ing as a manager at Old Chicago for 10 years, he partnered

Kansas.

with a Kansas City group to open 75th Street Brewery. Soon, Llewellyn bought the business outright and changed the

Bryan Buckingham, brew master of 23rd Street Brewery,

name.

has, essentially free range to create whatever he wants.

“Matt doesn’t set boundaries or budget restraints

Buckingham and Brandt agree that the kinship between

on our brewing,” the bearded Buckingham says.

brewers is more than just business.

“Having the freedom to create whatever comes to mind is unbelievable. I don’t take that for granted.”

“I stop in for a beer at Free State a few times a week on my way home from work,” Buckingham says.

Buckingham has been brewing for more than a decade, both in his garage and commercially. Originally from Oregon,

“Making the beer is friendly,” Magerl says with a laugh.

Buckingham worked his way up the brewing ladder, starting

“Drinking beer is a social endeavor and I think we’re both

at the bottom by washing kegs.

comfortable doing whatever we can to help the other. I’m a fan of good beer, and I’m happy to help others make it.”

“Yeah, I know the ins and outs of brewing,” he says with a sigh. “I love doing this. And I think all brewers create beer

Magerl is happy to help Llewellyn if they are in a pinch (and

out of appreciation. We have that in common and it creates

vice versa), but he does admit that, at some point, it is busi-

a great community between brewers. It’s not uncommon for

ness. “It’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde situation,” Magerl says

us to help our Free State if they are short on supplies or for

candidly. “We go out of our way to help with production and

them to help us fix equipment. I think we all realize we are

the day-to-day situations that arise, but distribution is cut-

in this together and can appreciate the work, and beer, we all

throat.”

produce.” Llewellyn whole heartedly agrees. Magerl echoes Buckingham’s feelings about Lawrence’s community of brewers.

“I like to drink their beer, and I’m more than willing to help them when I can, but I want everyone to drink my beer,” he

“Without question we all help each other,” Magerl says. “I

says with a laugh.

think our brewers and the crew at 23rd Street talk at least 3 times a week.”

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

B US I N ESS O F THE YEAR by EILEEN HAWLEY - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Two lo cal businesses were honored for their commitment to Lawrence at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting on Jan. 27, 2012. Berr y Plastics and Grandstand Spor tswear & Glassware were selected for the award which ce lebrates companies whose innovation and entrepreneurial spirit benefit Lawrence and Douglas County through investment, job creation and active citizenship.

BERRY PLASTICS Berry Plastics, with its 43-year presence in Lawrence, solidified its investment with the ongoing construction of a 600,000 sq. ft. warehouse on Farmer’s Turnpike. When construction is complete, Berry will consolidate warehouse facilities now located on the south side of Lawrence and in Topeka and move some of its decorating/ printing work into the new facility. The move also preserves the potential for new manufacturing lines to be accommodated at its current manufacturing facility.

The expansion is about far more than cost savings and efficiency, according to plant manager Steve Cooper. “Employees at our remote locations didn’t always feel a part of our larger family,” Cooper says. “Consolidating much of operations means improved communications and a greater sense of connection.” That sense of belonging is key to what Cooper calls Berry’s “gung ho” culture. “That means respect and support. We have such a unique culture at Berry. We come here for a purpose – to support our families –

and we treat each other as family,” Cooper says. Family means keeping one another safe while on the job and Berry uses a number of methods to ensure its excellent safety record. Competitions such as “safety football” and “March Madness” reward employee teams for identifying – and correcting – potential safety hazards. “It’s about educating our family of employees,” Cooper says. “We use these competitions as tools to get people actively involved in ensuring the safety of the entire team. We’re only successful if we get everyone involved.” Commitment to its workforce is one way Berry invests in the community. Cooper said the company works to advance employees, provide them with opportunities and promote from within whenever possible. Outsourcing work to non-profit organizations in Lawrence provides flexibility in managing the workforce while supporting the community at the same time. Each Earth Day, Berry employees visit bring some students in for a tour of the manufacturing facility to learn about recycling and participate in a design competition that results in their artwork being displayed on drinking cups subsequently distributed at charitable events in the area. “This is a great place to do business,” Cooper says. “It has a great geographic location that allows us to serve both coasts easily but more important, there is a great work ethic here. Lawrence is just a very pleasant environment with a great rural feel.”

GRANDSTAND SPORTSWEAR & GLASSWARE Grandstand Sportswear & Glassware has been part of the Lawrence business scene since Chris Piper founded it following his 1988 graduation from KU’s School of Business. A starter on the famed “Danny and the Miracles” 1988 NCAA Championship basketball team, Piper’s transition to owner and president of a sportswear and glassware company in Lawrence seemed a natural one. He’s lived in Lawrence most of his life and manifests his love for KU and basketball in his role as a basketball analyst for the Jayhawk Radio Nation. “I’ve lived in Lawrence since my 3rd grade year,” Piper says. “I went to Broken Arrow Elementary, South Junior High, and Lawrence High. Then I had a fantastic opportunity to play basketball at the University of Kansas. At every step of the way I’ve had wonderful people guiding me in the right direction and instilling in me the qualities that I would need to be able to succeed. In return, I’m committed to doing whatever I can to pay that forward to some degree.”

Cottonwood and the Humane Society. That commitment to giving back to the community is just one part of Piper’s philosophy for his company, its workforce and his community. His next goal is to get an indoor youth facility completed so that children in the community will have opportunities to play, exercise and remain healthy. The Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize Berry Plastics and Grandstand Sportswear & Glassware as the 2012 Business of the Year honorees.

Riding the crest of a surging popularity in the craft brewing industry, and associated demand for high-quality customized beer glasses, Grandstand has enjoyed strong growth. When the opportunity arose, he chose to expand in Lawrence, moving from his current location to the old Sauer Danfoss manufacturing facility in East Hills Business Park. The additional space will come in handy for a company that ships more than 100,000 customized beer glasses per week to support more than 1,000 brewers. That work currently is performed by Grandstand’s 52 employees and Piper expects to add 40 more local jobs over the next five years. “Our goal is to provide a first-rate work environment for our staff,” Piper says. “We want our people to be the highest-paid, besttrained, most quality- conscious staff in the printing industry. Every day we talk about the value of exceptional customer service through all aspects of our business. We have a great group of people working here. They are all dedicated to doing whatever it takes to see the job done accurately, efficiently, and on time. We want people committed to getting better each and every day they step into our facility. If we are not moving forward, we’re moving backwards, so we ask our staff to find ways to make themselves better at what they do every day.” Piper’s passion for Lawrence extends beyond his business interests. Grandstand and its employees actively support a number of causes throughout Lawrence, including the Arthritis Foundation, and provide discounted services for charitable organizations including

SPACES: THE POWER OF LIGHT

photos by CASEY WRIGHT

BY GUEST DESIGNER JACQUELINE EVANS BA/MA Interior & Architectural Design and Owner, Designer, Artist of Evans Design Firm www.evansdesignfirm.com

BARTLETT & WEST ENGINEERS, INC. 544 COLUMBIA LAWRENCE, KS 66049

When Bartlett & West engineering firm needed a new office, they asked Allison Vance Moore of Colliers International and Lisa Lamb with Treanor Architects for it all: a new space with a fresh perspective.

First change: the address, previously located in downtown Lawrence, Bartlett & West now calls the corner of 6th and Lawrence Avenue home. The building offered ample parking, west side amenities, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;fantasticâ&#x20AC;? landlord and co-building tenant InTrust Bank. Guests are greeted with contemporary views of the modern conference space using rolling glass doors and modifiable conference table configuration options. Directly behind the modern reception glass wall features a breakout space fit with raised workbench tables, a wipe off board hung against an inspiring yellow wall. Fresh color choices continue throughout in shades of green, blue and red.

Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workspace has been upgraded with sensitive lighting solutions, creative working document storage, optional raised desks and modern light wood finishes. Based on majority vote, employees of Bartlett & West value the natural light, which is said to inspire connectivity and productivity. Through creative space planning, interior glass walls, transom windows and opaque privacy walls, each workspace is bathed in natural light.

BARTLETT & WEST ENGINEERS, INC. COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL- ALLISON VANCE MOORE TREANOR ARCHITECTS- INTERIOR DESIGNER: LISA LAMB FIRST MANAGEMENT, INC.- CONSTRUCTION

LANDMARK NATIONAL BANK 4621 W. 6TH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66049

An impressive glass exterior and volumetric sun filled entry make Landmark Bank unique in West Lawrence. The lobby or showroom, which currently displays a car, exemplifies Landmarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on community involvement and out-of-the box maverick style. This contemporary space serves double duty; providing banking services during the day and hosting fundraising events at night.

Quarterly art shows featuring the work of local artists are open to the public and provide artists a state-of-the-art environment to display their work.

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls facing a central office and conference room allow natural light to saturate the entire interior corridor, leaving no space less-than illuminated.

When the gallery lights are dimmed and the teller stations are in full swing, modern features are seen throughout. Suspended curved ceiling fixtures, large curved teller windows, angled floor circulation paths and enormous expansive views of Northwest Lawrence provide an environmental twist on a traditional industry.

These unique spaces serve very different purposes, yet share a common link; the power of light.

“Lighting is a powerful and versatile tool that can be used in many ways to enhance interiors and bring a space to life,” says Sally Storey in Perfect Lighting. “In addition to being a functional necessity by providing light for practical purposes, lighting can be used to create zones and points of focus, to manipulate the dimensions of space, to draw attention to an architectural feature, or to add a decorative element-whether by creating a pattern, highlighting an interesting surface, or providing a dramatic effect through the play of light and shadow.”

Interior Lighting for Designers states that designers need to consider what the deserves the light, and work from there.

“What is important is not what makes the light, but which objects and surfaces receive it. The key to successful lighting design is to decide what you want to light first, and then work backward to determine the solution.”

LANDMARK NATIONAL BANK GLPM ARCHITECTS CURRENT GALLERY ARTISTS: JASON DAILEY & KAREN MATHEIS

ST. PATRICK’S DAY AUCTION

RED SHOE FUNDRAISER FOR THE WOMEN’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER

LAWRENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL DINNER

GO RED FOR WOMEN LUNCHEON

DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES

BENEFIT FOR TRINITY IN-HOME CARE

N E WS M A K E RS

P EOP L E O N THE MOV E.

REALTOR PAT MCCANDLESS RECEIVES

EMPRISE BANK PROMOTES GRANT RYAN TO

NATIONAL REAL ESTATE DESIGNATION

SR. VICE PRESIDENT AND COMMERCIAL

Stephens Real Estate is proud to announce that realtor Pat McCandless has recently completed the Kansas Graduate REALTOR® Institute Program, earning the nationally-recognized real estate designation, GRI. The GRI designation is awarded only to real estate professionals who are members of the National, State, their Local Board/Association of REALTORS®, and who successfully complete a minimum of ninety hours of specific advanced coursework. The courses are presented by the Kansas Association of REALTORS®. The courses are taught by an elite, multi-state faculty.

PAT MCCANDLESS

Course topics include Ethics, Legal Issues, Environmental Issues, Diversity, Effective Representation of Buyers and Sellers, Applications of Technology in Real Estate, Residential Construction, Business Planning, Finance, Real Estate Investment, and Taxation. The GRI designation symbolizes exceptional real estate expertise, and a commitment to a higher standard of customer service.

MANAGER Emprise Bank is pleased to announce that Grant Ryan has been promoted to Sr. Vice President and Commercial Manager for the Lawrence Market. Ryan joined Emprise in October 2011 as a Commercial Lender and Vice President. “Grant has quickly become an integral part of our commercial banking team since joining Emprise last year and we are pleased to recognize that commitment with this promotion,” said Cindy Yulich, President of Emprise Bank, Lawrence.

GRANT RYAN

Ryan, a native of Clay Center, Kansas, is a 1996 graduate of Kansas State University with a B.S. in Business Administration. He has 16 years of banking experience, having worked at United Bank and Trust of Clay Center and University National Bank in Lawrence before joining Emprise Bank.

NICHOLSON, DASENBROCK & HARTKEY OPEN NEW OFFICE Nicholson, Dasenbrock & Hartley, LC, is pleased to announce the opening of a new office in the Free State Business Center in west Lawrence.

GERI HARTLEY

Mr. Nicholson will continue to practice out of the firm’s Paola office. His current practice areas include probate and real estate law in addition to extensive corporate law.

Mr. Dasenbrock is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of Houston Law Center. He is licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of Kansas, Missouri, and Texas. Mr. Dasenbrock’s practice includes civil and criminal litigation, divorce and domestic relations, employment litigation, landlordtenant relations, and traffic law.

NEWSMAKERS

Mrs. Hartley is a graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and the School of Business with legal emphasis in Tax Law and Masters concentration in Strategic Business Management. She is licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of Kansas and the United States Tax Court. Heading up the Lawrence office, Mrs. Hartley primarily practices in business formation and planning, employee benefits, estate planning, Medicaid, probate, real estate law, and tax planning and preparation. A member of the legal community in Paola for more that 40 years serving Miami, Franklin, and Linn counties, the firm is excited to provide a convenient location and practical legal solutions for Douglas county businesses and residents. Find out more about Nicholson, Dasenbrock & Hartley, LC, on the web at www.kslegalcounsel.com or call the office at (785) 841-4512.

LANDMARK PROMOTES MOORE Leigh B. Moore has been promoted to Bank Manager at Landmark National Bank. Moore manages Landmark’s Lawrence location at 4621 W. 6th Street. Her Landmark career began as a Personal Banker in March 2009. Moore is responsible for supervising the Bank’s daily operation, supervising bank associates and meeting the deposit and lending needs of customers. “Leigh is a consummate professional and epitomizes what we and our customers look for in a bank manager,” said Brad Chindamo, LandLEIGH MOORE mark National Bank Market President. “Leigh’s success comes from leading by example and recognizing and addressing the individual needs of each customer,” Chindamo added.

HECK LAND COMPANY FORMED In December of 2011 Kelvin Heck of Colliers International established Heck Land Company, which focuses exclusively on the brokerage of farm, ranch and recreational lands. Heck’s background in agriculture began as a child farming with his family in northeast KELVIN HECK Lawrence. Heck has more than 25 years experience in commercial real estate and will continue to serve his commercial clients with under his license with Colliers International. The creation of Heck Land Company will allow more time to be devoted to the land sales. For more information, visit www. HeckLandCo.com.

HASKELL PLANS FOR SPRING EVENTS

Prior to Landmark Moore served as a project coordinator for a construction company. She was also a brokerage services supervisor for Forrest T. Jones & Company and provided technical support and processed claims for Centennial Life Insurance Company.

The Haskell Film Club, Stories ‘N Motion, holds its annual American Indian Film Festival each spring. The free event screens documentary and feature films from across the country. Past attendees include Wes Studi, Gary Farmer, Elaine Miles, Russell Means and Chris Eyre.

Moore has a Bachelor of Science degree from Pittsburg State University. She is a graduate of Leadership Lawrence and current Leadership Lawrence Advisory Board member. She has served on the Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee and on the Board of Directors of Crime Stoppers of Douglas County.

Healthy Haskell is a university group encouraging community participation in physical fitness. The Thorpe Fitness Center features weights, treadmills and other exercise equipment and is open to the public.

PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY HOME CARE AGENCY

The Miss Haskell and Haskell Brave competition takes place in the last weeks of April. Students participating in the competition are tested on their traditional and Haskell knowledge. Champions become the goodwill ambassadors for the school. This competition is open to the public and winners will be announced the first evening of the Commencement Pow Wow after grand entry.

OPENS IN LAWRENCE Craig HomeCare, a leading regional provider of home-based nursing services, has opened a branch office in Lawrence, KS. Not your typical home care agency, Craig HomeCare specializes in pediatric nursing and infusion services that support medically fragile children and their families. The company has a long and rich history in Kansas since it’s founding in 1994, serving every county in the state. The core of what Craig Homecare does is to provide nursing services to medically fragile children so that they may remain in their homes with their families and become active participants within their communities. We are thrilled to base our NE Kansas operations in a town that is known for being dynamic, progressive, upbeat, and that excels in fostering a child friendly community for our kids and families. “This move will enable us to better support the outstanding nurses we employ and the patients we serve by improving access, capability, and quality.” Sean Balke, COO for Craig HomeCare.

Haskell’s academic year ends in May with the annual Commencement and Graduation Pow Wow. Commencement will be May 11th at 10 a.m. and the Pow Wow is a two-day event May 11th & 12th.

SMITH NAMED MARKET PRESIDENT Central National Bank is pleased to introduce Jay Smith as the new Market President of their Lawrence locations. Smith has been with the bank for several years and will continue to office at the 3140 Nieder Road location. Smith has 14 years of banking experience and has worked as a commercial lender since joining Central National Bank in 2009. He previously served as a lender for Security Bank of Kansas City for 7 years.

NEWSMAKERS

Smith earned a Business Administration degree from Pittsburg State University majoring in Finance and Business Management. He has resided in Lawrence for the last 12 years with his wife Melanie and their four children; Madelyn, Isabella, Andrew and Gianna. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and Luncheon Optimist Group. Central National Bank is a family-owned bank based out of Junction City that was founded in 1884. The bank has a total of $890 million in assets and four locations in Lawrence.

SEND US YOUR NEWS: The Lawrence Business Magazine invites you to share news of new employees or promotions in 50 words or less. If you would like to submit an electronic color photo no less than 300 ppi, JPGs or TIFs, save on CD or emailed to NewsMakers@ L awrenceBusinessMagazine.co m. Because of space and layout considerations, photos are not guaranteed to run. Send CD to: Lawrence Business Magazine, 1617 St. Andrews Drive Lawrence, Kansas 66047 All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Lawrence Business Magazine assumes no resonsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in Lawrence Business Magazine are those of the author or advertiser and not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

W H OSE

D ES K?

Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine

NEW BUSINESSES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY JAN - FEB 2012 DLR MOBILE FOODS LLC 501 CALIFORNIA STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

EXCEL PLUMBING COMPANY, LLC 1201 WAKARUSA DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

723 LLC 1101 OHIO LAWRENCE, KS 66044

GASLIGHT GARDENS INC 838 OAK STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

ADVANCED GUTTER SYSTEMS, LLC 834 EAST 12TH STREET EUDORA, KS 66025

HOWARAH LIQUOR STORE, LLC 3550 MORNING DOVE CR. LAWRENCE, KS 66049

AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS GUILD INC. 2269 N 400 RD EUDORA, KS 66025

ILLGATES, INC. 912 TENNESSEE STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

BABYJAY’S LEGACY OF HOPE FUND 2920 FENWICK ROAD LAWRENCE, KS BACKYARD PRODUCE LLC 626 ELM STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044 BISMARCK FARMS, INC. 25800 LINWOOD ROAD LAWRENCE, KS 66044 BLUE AQUA, L.L.C. 1324 NEW HAMPSHIRE LAWRENCE, KS 66044

IN IT FOR LIFE, LLC 4512 BROADMOOR DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049 INTEGRITY MIDWEST INSURANCE, LLC 1980 N 800 RD EUDORA, KS 66025

LAWRENCE ASIAN RESOURCE CENTER LLC 1608 W 9TH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044 LIGHTLYRE FILMS, LLC 309 PARKER CIRCLE LAWRENCE, KS 66049 M & M LAWN AND TREE LLC 3421 MORNING DOVE CIR LAWRENCE, KS 66049 MARGARET A. FARLEY, ATTORNEY AT LAW, P.A. 900 MASSACHUSETTS ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66044

RONALD SCHNEIDER, ATTORNEY AT LAW, P.A. 900 MASSACHUSETTS ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66044 SHOTS LLC 1214 N RANCHERO LAWRENCE, KS 66049

SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE, LLC 4116 SPRINGHILL DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

TADS PIZZERIA, LLC 616 BENTLY DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

MIDWEST TRANSPORTATION LLC 3502 YALE RD LAWRENCE, KS 66049

THE BLUE BEE PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC 5245 OVERLAND DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

CONSULTING LLC MK PO BOX 215 BALDWIN CITY, KS 66006

THE GRIFFITH COMPANIES LLC 2900 ATCHISON AVE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

INVESTERGY LLC 2500 W 6TH ST. LAWRENCE, KS 66044

OSAGE ORGANIC FARM, LLC 1306 NEW JERSEY STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66044

THREE LITTLE BIRDS INC 2135 NEW HAMPSHIRE ST LAWRENCE, KS 66046

KAT KIDS, L.L.C. 312 ELDRIDGE LANE LAWRENCE, KS 66049

R6, L.C. 3616 BUCK BRUSH COURT LAWRENCE, KS 66049

TOMOORONA LLC 3520 W 22ND STREET LAWRENCE , KS 66047

LAWFOLIO, LLC P. O. BOX 4512 LAWRENCE, KS 66046

RIP ENTERPRISES, LLC 3110 MESA WAY LAWRENCE, KS 66049

YOCKEY PROPERTIES LLC 1536 FOUNTAIN DRIVE LAWRENCE, KS 66047

CLEMENT & SUMMERS LLC 713 FOX CHASE CT LAWRENCE, KS 66049

CTS INDUSTRIES LLC 4601 W 6TH STREET LAWRENCE, KS 66049