OMAHA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
COVER story LINDA ECKLES AND DON ECKLES, CO-FOUNDERS OF SCOOTER’S COFFEE AND HARVEST ROASTING.
Omaha Business Hall of Fame FIVE NEW HONOREES TO BE INDUCTED AUGUST 17 As part of its centennial celebration, in 1993 the Greater Omaha Chamber inducted six local legends — Nebraska Furniture Mart founder Rose Blumkin, investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett, pioneering businessman and university founder John A. Creighton, Valmont founder Robert Daugherty, construction and engineering leader Peter Kiewit, and attorney and Mutual of Omaha executive V.J. Skutt — into the newly established Omaha Business Hall of Fame. Every year since, a new group of civic and business honorees has been inducted, with this year’s class of five bringing the total number of individuals to more than 170. The Omaha Business Hall of Fame pays tribute to leaders whose accomplishments are not only highly regarded, but also deemed historically significant. Individuals may be honored posthumously, and although a new group of honorees are selected every year, there is no set number established of how many must be inducted. The Omaha Business Hall of Fame includes one family, several couples, and a number of multigenerational connections. Nomination criteria is simple: individuals representing large and small businesses who have made an outstanding contribution to the free enterprise system are eligible. A nominee does not have to be the founder of an organization,
only someone who contributed significantly to a Greater Omaha company’s development and success. Civic and philanthropic activities are considered but not the primary factor in selection. Inductees may be honored for achievements from a former association with an organization, and they do not have to reside in the Omaha area at the time of induction. Nominations for the 2023 Omaha Business Hall of Fame will be open from August 25 to December 30, 2022. This year’s inductees — Scooter’s Coffee/Harvest Roasting founders Don and Linda Eckles, The Lund Company founder John F. Lund, Noddle Companies President & CEO Jay Noddle, and North End Teleservices founder and CEO Carmen Tapio — will be honored at the Omaha Business Hall of Fame Gala the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 17, at the Holland Performing Arts Center. The evening includes a pre-event with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, and the induction ceremony is followed by a dessert reception. Presenting sponsors are KPMG, U.S. Bank and Fraser Stryker. Proceeds from the gala support the Greater Omaha Chamber Foundation and maintain the permanent Omaha Business Hall of Fame exhibit at the Durham Museum. Bio information on the honorees provided by the Greater Omaha Chamber and incorporated into the story.
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