May
2010
Lawrence i OPEN
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Open for Business! by Natasha Buller
If you haven’t seen the official Lawrence Chamber of Commerce chocolate bar, it reads “Lawrence is Open for Business!” The Chamber gave away about a thousand of these candy bars at the 2010 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This was one way to inform the public about what the Chamber is doing to make Lawrence a better place in which to do business. Because now—more than ever—the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is committed to fulfilling its mission of being an advocate for economic vitality and job growth in Lawrence and Douglas County. “We have learned in recent times how essential a vibrant and growing business sector is to the overall health of our community,” Chairman of the 2010 Board of Directors Matt Hoy stated in his welcome letter to members. “Your Chamber is steadfast in its mission and has embraced its role as the leading business voice in our community.” In the fall of 2008, the Chamber met with a group of area developers, homebuilders and real estate professionals to discuss what could be done to make Lawrence a better community in which to do business. They overwhelmingly indicated that improving the relationship between the development community and the City of Lawrence should be the top priority. “The dialog has been important,” explained Frank Male, Owner of Lawrence Landscape. “Many times, the City staff and City Commissioners don’t understand the unintended
consequences of their policies and procedures.” In response, the Chamber held a number of sessions with representatives from the development community to better understand their concerns and determine possible solutions to this issue. As a result, the Developer’s Forum was established, consisting of six representatives from the development community and six representatives from the City of Lawrence. Representing the development community are local architects, engineers, real estate attorneys, landscape architects as well as Chamber board members and staff. Representing the City are two City Commissioners, one Planning Commissioner, the City Manager and the City Planning Director. Over the past 14 months, this group has been meeting monthly to discuss various matters in an attempt to improve the development code for all concerned. “It’s important to understand the perspectives of all of the many participants of development in a community,” the City’s Planning and Development Service Director Scott McCullough said. “While the Planning Office attempts to identify elements of the city code that could benefit the different stakeholders, there is no substitute for obtaining stakeholders’ priority issues directly from them so that we can work to implement them.”
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T HE
PRES IDENT ’S
M E SSAGE
Tom Kern
Kansas Ranked Number 7 in 2009 CNBC Survey of Top States for Business In a recent survey completed for CNBC, the State of Kansas ranked 7th in the top states for business. The top ten states for business in 2009 were:
1. Virginia
6. Minnesota
2. Texas
7. Kansas
3. Colorado
8. Massachusetts
4. Iowa
9. North Carolina
• Business friendliness – How complex and prohibitive are the state’s laws and regulations that affect business?
5. Utah 10. Georgia It is interesting to look at the criteria that the survey used in considering what makes a state good for business. Surprisingly, it is not just about the cost of doing business. Business costs typically include all types of taxes (state and local property and sales taxes, corporate and individual income taxes, unemployment taxes), utility and rent expenses, etc. If you consider business costs as the sole criterion for a good business climate then Kansas places 23rd. But creating a good business environment is not just about the cost of business. It is also important to consider other factors. For instance, CNBC came up with the following list of additional factors: • Workforce issues – Does the state have an adequate trained workforce for business? • Economy – Is the state’s economy diverse or is it dependent on a single industry? • Education – What educational institutions exist to provide a trained workforce? • Quality of life – What assets does the state have that make people want to live there? • Technology and innovation – What technological assets does the state have and how innovative is it in emerging businesses and industries? • Transportation – How integrated is the state’s transportation system for doing business?
Lawrence is Open for Business!
• Access to capital – How easy is it for businesses to access capital? • Cost of living – What is the state’s cost of living as compared to the national average? When you take into consideration these additional criteria, Kansas quickly moves up in rank. Now, let’s compare Kansas’s respective ranking in the criteria listed above to the number 1 state in which to do business– Virginia. Criteria
Kansas
Virginia
Cost of business Workforce Quality of life Economy Transportation Technology/Innovation Education Business friendliness Access to capital Cost of living
23rd 10th 28th 6th 9th 27th 11th 12th 24th 5th
26th 8th 18th 7th 10th 12th 7th 2nd 18th 27th
It is interesting to see that Kansas is ahead of Virginia in categories such as cost of living and cost of business. Whereas, Virginia is far ahead of Kansas in criteria such as business friendliness, access to capital, quality of life, technology/innovation and education. There is no question that the state of Kansas is a great place to do business. However, as the state continues to develop policies and programs for business recruitment, it would seem that its focus should be on the areas where we fall short of the number one state for business.
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The Development Forum has looked at several issues, including platting requirements, parking, storm water drainage, parking lot landscaping requirements and downtown building requirements.
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President& CEO
The Planning Office has already implemented several amendments to the code such as making parking requirements more reasonable, reducing the amount of landscaping required in parking lots, streamlining the development process for the downtown district and more.
“These amendments have been helpful,” said Mike McGrew, Chairman and CEO of McGrew Real Estate. “But more important has been the establishment of ongoing dialogue that may yet lead to more success in the future.” President and CEO of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, Tom Kern believes that when this type of dialogue happens, people realize that often what is good for one group is also good for the other.
Lawrence Kansas Chamber of Commerce • 734 Vermont, Ste. 101 • Lawrence, KS 66044
May 2010
N E WS & E V E N TS
Coach Turner Gill to Speak at Chamber Lawrence Therapy Services to Guest Speaker Luncheon Host Business After Hours Mixer “What is a Winner?” This will be the topic of Coach Turner Gill’s presentation to the Chamber members on Tuesday, May 25 at 12 p.m. at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire Street.
Turner Gill was named the Jayhawk’s head football coach on December 13, 2009. After turning a one-win Buffalo program into a conference championship team in three short years, Gill, a former Nebraska standout player and assistant coach, returns to his Big 12 Conference roots to take over the Jayhawk program. Help us welcome Coach Turner Gill and join us for a special luncheon. The cost is $15 per Chamber member, seating is limited and advanced registration is required. Click here to register online or call 865-4411.
Come network with your fellow Chamber members and celebrate the 10-year Anniversary of Lawrence Therapy Services. The mixer will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19 at 2200 Harvard Road, Suite 101, off Iowa Street. Lawrence Therapy Services offers therapy programs for adults and children, both in clinic and at home. They have recently expanded their massage therapy and yoga programs. Currently, they offer massage therapy on evenings as well as Saturdays. And their yoga classes are now designed for both individuals and couples. Lawrence Therapy Services will provide snacks and prizes. The mixer is free of charge and requires no reservation.
L eadership Lawrence Below: Lori Reesor, member of the Class of 2010, presents the Don Volker Award to David Ambler. Dr. Ambler was chosen by the class as one who represents the servant leadership exemplified by the founder of Leadership Lawrence, Don Volker.
Above: The Leadership Lawrence Class of 2010 graduated on April 24. A total of 33 new local leaders received their graduation plaques at the graduation ceremony at Alvamar Country Club. More than 200 people attended the event. The program sponsor for the Leadership Lawrence Class of 2010 was Capitol Federal Savings and McDonald’s.
3 785.865.4411 • lawrencechamber.com
NE WS & E V ENTS
eggs
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The program sponsor for the PIECE Class of 2010 was Sunflower Bank.
PCOMING
05/04 Ribbon Cutting: Kurt J. Goeser Insurance Agency 4:30 p.m., 1811 Wakarusa, Ste. 100 05/06 Ribbon Cutting: Dayton Security 4:30 p.m., Chamber Office, 734 Vermont St. 05/06 CYPN – a Night at the Museum! 5 p.m., Spencer Museum of Art, 1301 Mississippi St. 05/07 Start Here Golf Tournament 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Alvamar Public Golf Course, 1809 Crossgate Dr. 05/11 Ribbon Cutting: Lawrence SignUp 4:30 p.m., 1717 W. 6th St. 05/13 Ribbon Cutting: Scrapper’s Paradise 11:30 a.m., 2104 W. 25th St., Ste. C 05/18 Ribbon Cutting: Seamless Data Systems 11:30 a.m., 123 W. 8th St., Ste. 202
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The PIECE Class of 2010 held its graduation ceremony April 28. There were 31 graduates who received plaques at the Lawrence Municipal Airport. After the ceremony, the class members were able to take flights over the city.
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and
The 2010 Eggs & Issues Series had the largest attendance in recent years for all three sessions. The biggest discussion item was the revenue shortfall in the 2011 budget, including cuts to school districts. Legislators who attended the series include Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence; Sen. Tom Holland, D-Lawrence; Sen. Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka; Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence; Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence; Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence; Rep. Ann Mah, D-Topeka and Rep. Tony Brown, D-Baldwin. The Chamber appreciates the following sponsors of the event: AT&T, Black Hills Energy, Westar Energy, U.S. Bank, Lawrence Journal-World, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, The University of Kansas and Meritrust.
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VENTS
05/19 Business After Hours Mixer Hosted by Lawrence Therapy Services 5-7 p.m., 2200 Harvard Rd. 05/20 Ribbon Cutting: Jewelry By Julie 11:30 a.m., 19 W. 9th St. 05/21 RAIN DATE for Start Here Golf Tournament 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Alvamar Public Golf Course, 1809 Crossgate Dr. 05/25 Guest Speaker Luncheon with Coach Turner Gill 12-1 p.m., Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire St. 06/01 Ribbon Cutting: Kamehameha Massage 11:30 a.m., 2311 Wakarusa Dr, Ste. C 06/03 Ribbon Cutting: Abram Brown Financial Consultants, LLC 4:30 p.m., Chamber Office, 734 Vermont St. For online reservations, visit www.lawrencechamber.com
Lawrence Kansas Chamber of Commerce • 734 Vermont, Ste. 101 • Lawrence, KS 66044
BUSI N E SS SP OT L I GH T
May 2010
Interview with The Merc’s General Manager Rita York by Natasha Buller York
It all began in the basement of a member-owner, when a buying club co-op began to evolve into the Community Mercantile Market and Deli, also known as The Merc. Since its beginning in 1974, The Merc has grown to serve over 10,000 shoppers per week. Today, it is a full service grocery store featuring healthy, local and organic foods as well as holistic body care products, explains Rita York, General Manager of the Merc. York has been with the grocery store for 5 years and was happy to answer questions from the Chamber. NB: How is the co-op business model different from a traditional business? RY: A co-op is a jointly-owned and democratically controlled business enterprise. There are in fact many different types of co-ops, including housing co-ops, utility co-ops, farmer and producer co-ops. The Merc is a consumer co-op, which means our ownership is made up of people in the community who shop at our store. Equity shares of the co-op are available for anyone who would like to become an owner. To date, we have over 4,700 owners! However, one half of our sales revenue comes from non-owners. Our store is open to the public and anyone is welcome to shop. Each owner is allowed one vote to elect the members of the Board of Directors. A unique feature of our business model is that all owners have the same voting power irrespective of the number of shares they own. Likewise, we have an equitable system of profit distribution to owners based on the amount of their purchases throughout the year. NB: How did the co-op weather the economic recession? RY: I’m really thankful that we’ve been doing just fine. Our increasing number of shoppers helped us grow sales in 2009 by 6.6 percent. This allowed us to give a cost of living increase to all levels of staff. We’ve been adopting an “Open Book” philosophy–encouraging our staff of 120 to become more involved with finding ways to reach the goals of the co-op. NB: The Merc is not your typical grocery store that suits everybody’s wallet. What “market development” techniques did you use to encourage people to shop at your store?
Land O’ Lakes, Inc. and ACE Hardware. What was The Merc’s annual revenue last year? RY: $11.3 million. This year, we are budgeted to do over $12 million. NB: Are there myths or misconceptions about The Merc that you would like to clear up? RY: Oh yes! I think that being rooted in the 70s as a part of the food revolution has imparted many stereotypes and misconceptions about our co-op. I’m sure there are still folks who think we are a bunch of Birkenstock-wearing, vegetarian hippies that only eat granola! As it happens, we have an excellent meat and seafood department specializing in local, grass fed, naturally raised meats. Another common misconception is our decision-making structure. Oftentimes people equate co-ops with other “co” words like consensus and collective. While we value consensus and all kinds of collaboration, we recognize that leadership and organizational structure is important in operating a successful business. NB: One of the cooperative principals is: “concern for community.” How does The Merc live up to this principle? RY: At The Merc, we work to help create networks and a sense of community and a connection to others. This drives many of our business decisions such as emphasizing our commitment to local producers and working to improve our local food system. Each week, our Education and Outreach department directed by Nancy O’Connor educates people throughout the community about healthy eating by way of health fairs, school classes and more. Within our store, they operate an outstanding class program, which is open to the public. In 2009, we offered 125 classes, which drew 2,614 attendees! Additionally, our sister organization, CMEF (Community Mercantile Education Foundation), has provided healthy lunches for the at-risk youth in the VanGo Arts JAMS (Jobs in the Arts Make Sense) program. Our latest endeavor with CMEF is the garden project at West Junior High School, which has already received astounding support from the community.
RY: This is a tough one because oftentimes shoppers compare the price of an organic or local item to a conventional or commodity product. We conduct pricing surveys of other stores regularly to ensure that we remain competitive on items of the same quality level. Educating the community about the real cost of food is something that we continuously work towards, but it is very challenging. We’ve found that shoppers are willing to pay a little more for food if they feel confident that it is high quality and produced in an ethical manner. We are very supportive of direct sales between farmers and consumers such as the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market and Rolling Prairie CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). NB: In fact, more than 30 cooperatives have annual revenues in excess of $1 billion, including names such as
5 785.865.4411 • lawrencechamber.com
RIBBON CUT TING S
Cardiovascular Specialists of Lawrence ~ 4th Street Health Plaza, 1130 W. 4th St. ~ February 24
Motorsports Unlimited ~ 2300 W. 31st St., Ste. B ~ April 1
Health Care Access Clinic ~ 330 Maine St. ~ April 8
Kansas City Sailing ~ 725 N. 2nd St. ~ April 9
Lawrence Home Builders Association Spring Parade of Homes ~ 610 Wren Dr. ~ April 16
Dr. Kathy Gaumer ~ Lawrence OBGYN Satellite Office ~ 330 Arkansas St., Ste. 215 ~ April 22
6 Lawrence Kansas Chamber of Commerce • 734 Vermont, Ste. 101 • Lawrence, KS 66044
May 2010
M E MB ERS H I P
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ELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Better Business Bureau of Kansas, Inc. Non-Profit 501 SE Robinson Topeka, KS 67211 Phone: 785-232-5035 Fax: 785-232-9677 www.kansasplains.bb.org Jay Perez jperez@kansasplains.bbb.org Care Givers Home Health Home Health Care 1201 Wakaursa Drive, E2-#113 Lawrence, KS 66049 Phone: 785-749-0300 Fax: 785-354-9582 Ed Schulte eschulte@midwest-health.com Carladyne Knox Conyers Individual 1100 Centennial Drive Lawrene, KS 66049 conyers1@hotmail.com Community Wireless Communicators Co. Internet Service Provider 4105 W. 6th Street Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785-371-4214 Fax: 785-331-2086 www.civicwifi.com Johshua Montgomery joshua.mongomery@civiwifi.com ESH Quality Structures, Inc. Contractors - Construction 167 Highway 59 Richmond, KS 66080 Phone: 785-835-6100 Fax: 785-835-6120 www.eshqs.com Kyle Green kyle.green@eshqs.com Firestone Complete Auto Care Automobile Repair and Service 2425 Iowa Street. Lawrence, KS 66046 Phone: 785-841-9700 Fax: 785-841-0312 www.firestonecompleteautocare.com McKinley Garrison torqtuned_mac44272@live.com
Flory Optometry, P.A. Optometrists 3300 Bob Billings Pkwy., Ste 9 Phone: 785-749-1010 Fax: 785-749-4441 www.floryeye.com Dr. Steve Flory Jewelry by Julie Jewelers - Retail 19 W. 9th St. Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785-832-8693 Julie Kingsbury jewelrybyjulie@netzero.net
Scrappers Paradise Scrapbook Stores 2104 W. 25th St., Ste B&C Lawrence, KS 66047 Phone: 785-865-5366 Fax: 785-865-5371 Jamie Knabe scrappersparadise@att.net
KTPK-FM Country Legends 106.9 Radio Station 2121 SW Chelsea Drive Topeka, KS 66014 Phone: 785-273-1069 Fax: 785-273-0123 www.countrylegends1069.com Peter Ritchey peter@countrylegends1069fm.com Lawrence Real Estate Connections Real Estate – Residential & Farm 5040 bob Billings Pkwy., Ste A Lawrence, KS 66049 Phone: 785-856-0011 Fax: 785-856-6599 Sandy Garber sandygarber@sunflower.com Lawrence Sign Up, LLC Sign Shop 1717 W. 6th St. Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785-856-7444 Fax: 785-856-7447 www.lawrencesignup@sunflower.com Ben Koehn lawrencesignup@sunflower.com Refurniche, LLC Antiques 1845 E. 1450 Rd. Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785-843-9595 www.refurniche@gmail.com Jessica Lusk refurniche@gmail.com
Sunflower Paving, Inc. Asphalt and Concrete Paving 1457 N. 1823 Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785-856-4590 Fax: 785-856-4594 www.sunflowerpaving.com Jeff Engroff jeffengroff@sunflowerpaving.com
TIP of the MONTH from our partner KUSBDC Growing your small business is always a challenge. Over the next few months, this space will be the home for some ideas and strategies you can use to move your small business forward. The single most important step you can take to help your business expand is to do a full and honest analysis of the market and your place in it. In order to know where you are going, it helps to know where you are right now. What makes your business unique? What products or services do you offer that are slightly different or better than your competitors? How can you leverage the uniqueness of your business...the things your current customers love…to gain new committed customers? ~ Will Katz Regional Director KU Small Business Dev. Ctr.
7 785.865.4411 • lawrencechamber.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board Past Chair Incoming Chair Treasurer
Matt Hoy, Stevens & Brand Bonnie Lowe, United States Attorney’s Office Cindy Yulich, Emprise Bank Doug Gaumer, INTRUST Bank
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
George Paley, Paley Properties/Caspian Group Delbert Phlipot, Amarr Garage Door Saralyn Reece Hardy, Spencer Museum of Art Steve Brown, Berry Plastics Trudy Rice, Rice Enterprises Brad Burnside, U.S Bank Linda Robinson, KU Center for Research Co-Vice Chair of Economic Development on Learning Terry Campbell, Barber Emerson John Ross, Laser Logic, Inc. Co-Vice Chair of Communications/ Co-Vice Chair of Communications/ Operations Operations Sheryle D’Amico, Lawrence Memorial Hospital Steve Schwada, Meadowbrook Apt. Dr. Rick Doll, USD 497 Superintendent Todd Thompson, Thompson, Ramsdell, Shannon Frost, Hallmark Cards, Inc. & Qualseth, P.A. Bill Fuerst, KU School of Business Allison Vance Moore, Grubb & Ellis|The Co-Vice Chair of Economic Development Winbury Group George Grieb, Lynn Electric, Inc. & Vice Chair of Membership Services Communications Debra Vignatelli Konzem, AT&T Rodger Henry, Lawrence Medical Plaza Vice Chair of Government and Tim Herndon, Landplan Engineering Community Affairs Frank Male, Lawrence Landscape Dr. Linda Sue Warner, Haskell Indian Mike McGrew, McGrew Real Estate Nations University President Jeffrey Morrison, Prairie Asset Management Group Keith Yehle, KU Chancellor’s Office The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce: (785) 865-4411
734 Vermont, Suite 101 Lawrence, KS 66044
STAFF Tom Kern, President & CEO tkern@lawrencechamber.com Beth Johnson, Vice President of Economic Development bjohnson@lawrencechamber.com Cathy Lewis, IOM Vice President of Membership clewis@lawrencechamber.com Sue Hack Executive Director, Leadership Lawrence shack@lawrencechamber.com Hank Booth, Government & Community Affairs Director hbooth@lawrencechamber.com Christy Bogner Accountant/Director of Operations cbogner@lawrencechamber.com Natasha Buller Marketing & Communications Manager nbuller@lawrencechamber.com Adam Handshy Project & Program Coordinator ahandshy@lawrencechamber.com Sandy Winstead Hadley, Administrative Asst., frontdesk@lawrencechamber.com Meredithe McCormick Member Sales Executive mereditheandgary@sunflower.com