Midlands Business Journal August 20, 2021 Vol. 47 No. 34 issue by Midlands Business Journal

AUGUST 20, 2021

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

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VOL. 47 NO. 34

Modern Matriarch distillery sets sights on expanding operations

THIS WEEK ’S ISSUE:

by Brooke Strickland

40 er d Un 40 Tjaden finds ideal career track at Union Pacific. – Page 4

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Retirements, potential tax changes among drivers pushing succession planning. – Page 6

wt ro G rt olnepo c n i R

Housing supply, attracting and retaining talent take center stage in Lincoln. – Page 25

Modern Matriarch is bringing all sorts of flavor to the Midwest. Modern Matriarch is a craft rum distillery that was born out of passion for the community, bringing people together, and embracing friends and family. The goal: create a delicious product that people love, ultimately building a business that can be successful enough to pass onto future generations. The woman-owned company was incorporated in 2018 and each batch of handcrafted rum is made in Iowa. Doreen Blakely is the majority owner and silent partner. She realized that craft distilling is part of her family history. “I recently learned that my father and uncle made their own moonshine in Minnesota,” she shared. “My cousin found their still after my grandmother passed away.” This information fueled Blakely to continue making her products the best they can be. The small-batch, double-distilled spirits are light-bodied, filtered for Continued on page 23.

Owner Doreen Blakely is seeing steady growth for the small-batch distillery. (Photo by Roger Humphries)

Job Share Connect poised to reshape outdated model of work, retain talent by Michelle Leach

From its Midlands nerve center, Jessica Charlsen and Jina Hwang Picarella, Ph.D., are transforming the way that people work and the way they learn through a concept known as “job sharing.” In its second year, the aptly-named Job Share Connect has been on the receiving end of a continuous stream of validation courtesy of everything from local accelerators to state grants to national pitch competitions.

The firm has also refined itself along the way, a series of pivots that defy the notion of a singular, dramatic, pandemic-driven pivot. “We’re on our version seven or eight,” Hwang Picarella said, as it was poised to launch a revamped website. “This is now a business-to-business solution.” Charlsen added “ABC Co.” can set up a profile, cross-train and look for flexible options within their Continued on page 23.

Owners Fatiah Ali and El Ali are eyeing future expansion with opening of vegan sweet shop. (Photo by Roger Humphries)

Marking first year, Naughty Buddha Burger Bar opens vegan sweet shop by Gabby Hellbusch

Founders and CEOs Jina Hwang Picarella, Ph.D., and Jessica Charlsen pivot to connect talent with shared opportunities for cross-training, up-skilling. (Photo by Monica Sempek)

After more than 20 years in the food industry, Fatiah Ali and El Ali have figured out that a simple and streamlined approach is the most effective way to run a business. It’s this model that has led them to growth since opening Naughty Buddha Burger Bar, a restaurant offering vegan-only options, in August 2020. One year later, the owners have used their success to expand the

operation by opening Naughty Buddha Chocolate Bar, a vegan sweet shop, in July 2021. While living a healthier lifestyle has become somewhat of a trend for many during the pandemic, Fatiah Ali said it’s not a new concept for the business. The Alis, who have always embraced the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle of eating well and being healthy, aimed to put a spin on Continued on page24.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

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right place at the right time while working at Rainbow Cone that led to a job opportunity in Washington D.C. that started me on my unique career path. The toughest part of the job: Entering time. There is no close second. The best advice I have received: If you’re in the aisle, don’t be in the aisle. About my family: I have a wife (who is a saint) and five children, ranging in ages between 1 and 18. I also have 14 siblings and 38 nieces and nephews. Something else I’d like to accomplish: I would like to be the Box Tops for Education Coordinator of the Year. How my business will change in the

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Hannah Tjaden, credit manager at Union Pacific, found a passion for accounting at an early age. (Photo by Monica Sempek)

Tjaden finds ideal career track at Union Pacific by Dwain Hebda Her job performance not only served the Hannah Tjaden likes to quip that she could company’s interests but was so notable, she was always tell what her future held simply by the only person among the audit department’s looking around. 60-plus employees to be awarded Leader of “I am from Omaha, born and raised,” she the Year in 2019. said. “In corporate audit that year, we had a numShe often joked that she could see Creigh- ber of departmental task forces and departmenton University from her high school, Duchesne tal initiatives and they ran the gamut of types Academy. of things, whether it was branding activities or “And when I went to Creighton I could see an office improvement initiative,” she said. “I UP. I’ve always kind of been able to see where led a handful of those initiatives, not just as a I’m going.” member but as the actual leader and a couple All kidding aside, Tjaden did see a clear different things came out of them. career path and opportunity in her chosen field. “That was also the first year I started su“Not many people grow up saypervising an audit and supervising ing they want to be an accountant, first-year recruits into the audit debut I went to school, and I really liked partment. At one point, I think our accounting,” she said. “I knew that it team had six new hires and I was was a good foundation for business supervising three of them.” and careers in general. I would say Tjaden’s desire to help mentor accounting is the most pragmatic others to succeed has also led her choice for me, and that’s turned into to play a key role in LEAD, Union things I would never have imagined.” Pacific’s nonprofit women’s organiTjaden also saw tremendous opzation. She said her participation in 2020 portunity through Union Pacific and the group helps pay forward the kind jumped on that early, securing an internship in of mentoring she received when starting out. the company’s real estate department in 2014 as “I feel so fortunate to have had good mena sophomore in college. She turned that into a tors here, especially early on,” she said. “My permanent position in the corporate audit divi- first role in real estate I had such a great managsion by the time she graduated from Creighton er. She taught me the unwritten rules and things University with a degree in accounting. to know, how to advocate for myself and those In Union Pacific's corporate audit depart- types of things. That’s why every time someone ment, she led several teams through enterprise says something kind about me or shows me a risk management and risk-based audits result- path forward on something, I try to make it a ing in improved efficiencies, risk mitigation point to do the same for someone else. solutions and inaccurate payment recollection. “It’s really great when those relationships In February 2020, she moved to the com- happen organically, but sometimes not everypany’s financial credit department and in the one has that opportunity. LEAD is a great way months since, she has overhauled existing for someone who maybe isn’t getting that type credit risk reports to enhance the company’s of guidance in their true professional role for credit monitoring in light of COVID-19. This them to connect to that kind of mentorship pinpointed the company’s most vulnerable relationship or connect to other employee customers based on industry statistics and resource groups.” market information, which helped the company In addition to her accounting degree, Tjaden make educated decisions on customer payment attained the designation of Certified Public reliability. Accountant.

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"BY ESTABLISHING A FORWARD-THINKING SUCCESSION PLAN, WE HAVE HAD A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN LEADERSHIP, ENCOURAGING THE FIRM TO GROW AND FLEX INTO EVER MORE COMPLEX PROJECT TYPES."

HOLLAND BASHAM ARCHITECTS An Innovative and Optimistic Outlook Recently Holland Basham Architects refreshed our brand and website to mark an exciting chapter in the firm's story that will be guided by new leadership and a well-planned succession strategy. We are proud to introduce a leadership team that will propel the firm into the future with an innovative and optimistic outlook. Congratulations to Principals Curt Witzenburg, Kurt Cisar, and Tom Zuk for their dedication to the firm, professional accomplishments, and contributions to the community. Our History In 1989, Tim Holland and Keith Basham formed Holland Basham Architects to serve the Omaha community with outstanding architectural solutions. In 1996, they purchased the Beth El Synagogue, located in the heart of midtown, giving the firm a notable presence in the community. Over the last 32 years, the firm has evolved from a two-person office into a successful team of over 50 talented architects and interior designers with locations in both Omaha and Denver. A few of Holland Basham Architects' milestone accomplishments: • The corporate campus for Level 3 Communications, now Lumen Technologies, in Broomfield, CO, marks a significant point in the growth of project scale and complexity and

started the groundwork for our Denver office. • During the middle of an economic downturn, the firm designed and constructed our first prominent community project, Midtown Crossing, which put Holland Basham Architects on a regional stage and prepared our team for future endeavors of similar complexity. • By developing a 30+ year relationship with John Deere, we earned the opportunity to design multiple projects for the company within the U.S. and overseas. Tim and Keith's succession plan has been built on trust and proven success in building client relationships. As the firm looks forward, Tim and Keith's legacy of building strong client relationships and providing for the community is firmly rooted in the new leadership's outlook towards the future. Our Future While Tim and Keith have transitioned the firm's management responsibilities, we proudly carry on our name, Holland Basham Architects, as it represents the legacy of our Founding Principals and encompasses what we do. By establishing a forward-thinking succession plan, we have had a smooth transition in leadership, encouraging the firm to grow and flex into ever more complex project types. The Holland Basham Architects team is poised for success while continuously serving our clients, as our clients and relationships remain crucial

to the foundation of our firm and culture. We move forward into the future, fully embracing the opportunity to transition the firm in a sustainable and relevant direction. Our Vision We aim to reinforce the entrepreneurial spirit at our firm's foundation to inspire our team, provide growth opportunities, and cultivate future leaders. We will accomplish some truly amazing things by nurturing diversity in our team, embracing project complexity, and respecting client relationships. Our established client-focused approach, superior technical capabilities, and innovative solutions will drive the talent of our team, elevating Holland Basham Architects as a leading design firm.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

BUSINESS SUCCESSION A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

August 20, 2021

Retirements, potential tax changes among drivers pushing succession planning by Michelle Leach

It was a familiar refrain; advisers appealing to business owners to start planning for successions and transitions sooner rather than later. In some respects, COVID-19 did the talking for them, elevating awareness of planning for the “worst.” But it’s just one of many current drivers behind the need to have one’s ducks in a row. “We have seen more interest even before the pandemic,” said RG & Associates Partner Mike Chapman. “The large number of baby boomers facing retirement forced many into having hard conversations. It appears to us that COVID sped up the process, as people had to come face-to-face with the hard questions presented by the pandemic.” He emphasized awareness of the need for more open conversations across members of family-owned businesses. “The biggest sticking point with family-owned businesses is how to be fair to those beneficiaries who are a part of the business and the ones who are not a part of the business,” Chapman said. “Coming to a fair agreement on this treatment is the first step to a successful plan.” The environment has also, Chapman indicated, underscored the need for true independence across one’s advisory team, be it CPA or attorney. This ensures clients receive the best advice.

Mike Chapman, partner at RG & Associates. Foster Group Lead Advisor-Business business through a much different lens.” Development Ross Polking noted how the By that, he noted how the pandemic has pandemic exposed businesses that were ill- taught businesses how to operate remotely and equipped to endure a significant financial service clients virtually. crisis. “This added efficiency and flexibility has “This certainly expedited the planning given owners the bandwidth to potentially efforts by those who recognized that another stick around longer while not having to work such downturn, regardless of cause, would as hard via travel, management …,” he said. further deflate their retirement dreams,” he Valuations, too, have potentially risen in said. “It’s interesting, though. We’ve also seen some sectors as overhead expenditures have a subset of business owners now viewing their dropped.

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“It’s an unprecedented time with lots of new variables to be considered in anyone’s planning efforts,” Polking said. HBE Partner and CPA Jimmy Schulz noted how, many times, it’s tough for advisers to get clients thinking about succession planning when they’re not close to retirement. “They’re just trying to keep their businesses growing,” he said. He acknowledged a shift, driven by several different trends. “Succession was a focus pre-pandemic Polking due to aging business owners,” Schulz said. With the onset of the pandemic, organizations largely went into “panic mode.” “They were really scared about how COVID would affect their bottom line and the value of the business,” he said. Depending on one’s “space,” Schulz indicated that some clients are in a position to market the business to buyers again. Others, may be looking to groom family members to pass the torch on the next generation. And, he continued, a few tax updates are providing more incentive to consider planning strategies (i.e., in the event that rates go up). Schulz also referenced “time-sensitivity” as it relates to estate planning and possibly gifting as the landscape may change drastically due to lower exemption values and limitations on basis adjustments. “The environment for financing is pretty positive right now from a buyer’s perspective,” he said of another factor: the increased appetite for business investments in the M&A world. BKD Regional Tax Director and Partner James M. Anderson referenced the “potential for substantially higher capital gains taxes under a new administration” as accelerating succession and transition plans for many business owners. “Most business owners, like your readers, are concerned about the potential for rising tax rates and increased exposure to estate taxes,” he said. “Whether or not Congress will act and when is still not clear, and the uncertainty can be frustrating. Having continued conversation with advisers is key to being able to respond to a very fluid situation in Washington.” Pivoting to best practices, Anderson said there really is no set timeframe to start. “Every situation is unique,” he said. “In Continued on page 11.

Business Succession • Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Business Succession

Success in transitioning a business starts well before hand-off by Dwain Hebda

Companies waiting until an owner’s retirement are starting succession plans too late, say experts. Without proper planning, succession can be a messy and inefficient process bringing years of momentum to a halt. Merle Riepe, president of SOLVE, said a departing chief executive is only one piece of a successful transition strategy.

Another equally important piece is developing the company’s talent. “We highly recommend cross-pollinating high-potential leaders early in their careers, so they have a broader perspective of the company’s inner workings,” he said. “At least one large bank in Omaha has an introductory management program that rotates participants throughout the company for this very purpose.”

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The key to this process, Riepe said, is starting early to gain the right buy-in. “For a succession plan to work, it needs to be formalized before a leadership void exists,” he said. “It is too late after the fact, as proper talent development can take months or even years. “One of our CEO clients began her succession planning seven years prior to her retirement. Now, halfway through the Riepe process, her senior team has had a great number of development experiences that provide the board great confidence in the organization’s sustainability after her departure.” Andrea Fredrickson, owner of Revela, said many companies overlook the opportunity an impending change at the top can provide to build bench strength. “Most companies don’t actually have a succession plan; they recruit to fill positions. In effect, they have a replacement plan,” she said. “The biggest mistake companies make when developing leaders of tomorrow from within is not doing anything, thinking they have time because the person in leadership isn’t ready to retire.” Fredrickson said strategic planning should always include a succession component in the form of assessing employee skills and developing them for roles of

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higher responsibility. “A strategic plan identifies what is needed in leadership roles now and in the future,” she said. “Then, people within the

Fredrickson Romero organization are assessed and interviewed as to their abilities and interest in future positions. Once people have been identified as potential candidates for future leadership roles, a gap analysis should be done, assessing knowledge, skills and experiences that need to be developed or provided.” Investment in employees pays other dividends, even well before the chief executive leaves. “When employees know they are being developed for other positions that they want, they also tend to stay, especially if the leader development process is solid and timely,” Fredrickson said. “Solid leader development can be an incredible investment in retention.” Of course, all of this depends on propContinued on next page.

Business Succession • Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

How to start and maintain a succession plan by Brooke Strickland

Running a business involves a lot of strategizing and planning. Creating a solid succession plan ensures that the business will continue to operate smoothly.

Success in transitioning

Continued from preceding page. er execution, which is not a given in all companies. “Some of the biggest mistakes companies make when succession planning has to do with their mindset,” said Gabe Romero, founder of Cordova. “Most companies agree it’s important, but in action, it gets relegated to the ‘nice to have’ list instead of making it a priority. “Leaders may also see succession planning as creating their own competition and may need help seeing the roadmap of their own future, so they feel comfortable grooming the next successor for their role.” Romero said a classic example is after a company performs a talent assessment, it may not follow up with training or relevant assignments to develop employee skills. “Help employees identify projects to lead by assigning stretch assignments and other activities beyond their own day-today job. Give them hands-on experience with the skills and experience they need to gain for their next role,” he suggested. “Provide a project mentor who is there as a resource when the team or employee gets stuck. This is how you move people forward.”

Trends in succession planning Clark Youngman, shareholder in the estate, succession, and tax department at Koley Jessen, said that the pandemic has made people think more about the future. “There appears to be an increased interest in succession planning by business owners,” he said. “Operating a business through a pandemic has impacted business owners because the owners have been re-

minded daily of their mortality.” Zachary Petersen, attorney for Dvorak Law Group noted urgency based on the pandemic and recent tax proposals. “COVID provided an opportunity for clients to reflect on their mortality and legacy,” Petersen said. Tips for developing a succession plan Running a business involves managing a lot of moving parts and sometimes

business owners don’t recognize the importance of having a succession plan in place — even if the plan won’t be implemented until well into the future. Recognizing the need for a succession plan is the first step. “The first step is for the business owner to acknowledge that the owner needs to develop a succession plan,” Youngman said. “It is more likely that the succession plan will be seen to fruition if the owner has brought up the need for a succession Continued from preceding page.

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Business Succession

How to start and maintain a succession plan

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Continued from preceding page. plan instead of having it thrust upon the business owner.” In addition, one of the most important things to remember is to begin planning early enough to allow for adjustments to be made. “Start the conversation early and allow for flexibility based on a continually changing environment,” Petersen said. “When putting a succession plan in place, we often Youngman advise clients to plan based on the current dynamics of their family or key management group, while also allowing for certain individuals to grow into roles in the future. Often, clients will delay planning until every potential decision is made, which frequently leads to a proper plan never being implemented.” Next, work with professionals that specialize in succession planning. This gives the owner the opportunity to share more about what their personal or professional objectives are and ensure that they have the options that work best for their unique situation. Establishing trust with succession planning experts and building a solid team of advisers will help the owner flesh out all the details, so when it comes time to implement the plan, there is no confusion. Last, once the plan is developed, it’s important to revisit it periodically to make sure the owner’s circumstances or wishes haven’t

changed. Youngman recommended, “During these reviews, it is important to analyze the progress made on achieving the owner’s stated objectives (and any shifting objectives) and to determine if there are any roadblocks or hurdles that need to be addressed in order for the business owner to successfully transition.” Owning and operating a business involves an incredible investment of time Petersen and energy, so being upfront about your wishes and creating a plan that is unique to you will keep things moving seamlessly in your absence. “Each situation is unique, so we advise clients to establish transparency with key family members and successor fiduciaries to ensure their wishes are properly carried out to the next generation,” Petersen said.

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Business Succession • Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

Retirements, potential tax changes among drivers pushing succession planning Continued from page 6. some cases, it’s as early as when owner starts a business, as exit strategy is one of many considerations involved in choosing an entity type. For others, it’s several years.” For Chapman, it’s never too early to start. “However, 10 years out is a good time to start conversations and begin the planning process,” he said. “The most important item, in my book, is that they have an independent team of advisers who are working together for a common goal. It is important to get out of the client, both the owner and future beneficiaries, exactly what they want to happen.” Consistent, open dialogue is key. “Once you know what the client wants to happen, it is up to the professionals to offer ways to get there, consult with the client the advantages and disadvantages, and let the client make the decision at the end of the day,” he added. Chapman also noted the firm is paying close attention to the debate in D.C. around capital gains tax rate and changes in the estate exemption. “It is so important that you are talking with clients now because, chances are, once changes are made and implemented time will be scarce for our clients to take action,” he said. In fact, Polking noted those who had planned to execute transitions in the near future are now considering expending their efforts. “Simply, because waiting may cost them

Local experts offer advice on selling a business

and/or their heirs more money,” he said. Polking also acknowledged investment banks and private equity firms as options to consider in any succession plan development. “While not a fit for every situation, they could certainly be considered for liquidity and transition purposes,” he said. Largely, succession planning should start before one starts his or her business. “Have an idea of how you will exit the business before you ever open the doors,” he Schulz said. “With the end in mind, business owners will make prudent early decisions to build value in their organization beyond themselves. We’ve been reminded that there is much we cannot control, in this instance a global pandemic. Preparing well in advance provides much more flexibility and peace-ofmind as one’s retirement window nears.” Being objective and rational amid a his-

toric market downturn, he continued, is not easy for anyone. “The value of an advisory relationship for our clients has been significantly reinforced,” he said. “Having a hand to hold during really challenging times can keep investors from making critical mistakes.” Polking emphasized the importance of diversifying outside of one’s business. “While some businesses were thriving during the pandemic, others were shutting Anderson down,” he said. “Not knowing how unpredictable market conditions will impact a business, having uncorrelated investments and savings give owners a ‘lifeboat’ amid a storm.” Transition planning principles hold true — in good times and bad. “Plan early, employ an objective/fiduciary advisory team that will work together to

deliver the best advice relative to your goals, diversify outside the business, hire great people and let them be great. Diversify your services to absorb unfavorable market conditions, [and] build the business in a way that does not tie the value solely to you as the owner being present,” he said. While talking “timelines” is tricky, Schulz’s first instinct was to allot a five-year run-up to prepare one’s business to sell. “It can really vary business to business, especially if you’re looking to build value and prepare the business for sale, you need to be in that ahead of time,” he said. For instance, does one need to groom the next ownership groom so they can succeed? One needs to be asking how to drive up profitability and sustainability of profits. Family businesses, he acknowledged, can present additional challenges to equalize the value among family members. “One thing we recommend doing for a lot of businesses is to get a business valuation done every couple of years,” Schulz said. “So, you can attain a value when you’re ready to retire.”

Elevate the Human Experience Through Design

by David Kubicek

According to Harvard Business Review, 76% of all business sales will fall apart after an offer has been signed. Local experts offer tips on how to make your business attractive to potential buyers. One problem is that the buyer is unable to get financing based on the business itself, according to Cortney Sells, owner of The Firm Advisors. “Make sure you’ve groomed someone on your team who can take Sells over at least partially,” she said. “A buyer doesn’t want a business where the owner does everything. The buyer wants to make sure there are employees [in place] who can lead the company.” Most buyers don’t want to see a business until after an offer has been accepted. “Outside of it being a day care or a restaurant, no one cares what the office looks like so definitely do not spend your time and money on new furnishings or making sure everything’s up-to-date and modern,” Sells said. A firm with a diverse client and vendor base is more attractive to buyers. If you depend on one client or one vendor for more than 20% of your business, the company could suffer if you lose that customer or are unable to get product from that vendor. “Owners who build an exit plan are way more successful,” said Carson Wealth ManContinued on next page.

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

How a Midwestern farm family found the power of peas and changed American food by Kristen Leigh Painter

In their telling of it, siblings Nicole Atchison and Tyler Lorenzen did not have a typical childhood. “Our family was weird. We did weird things,” Atchison said. “What we were doing was like the opposite Agriculture of cool in the farming community.” In many ways, their upbringing was very Midwestern. They worked in crop fields, played school sports and spent ample time together at home in small-town Iowa. But their father, Jerry Lorenzen, had a radical idea: Farmers should mainly grow crops for people rather than animals. Today, more than 35 years after Jerry began an experimental backyard garden, Nicole and Tyler are at the center of a revolution in the American diet — the rise of plant-based protein — because of a gamble the family took on the humble, even unappreciated, pea. The siblings lead Puris, a company based in Minneapolis that has grown quickly over the last few years as a key ingredient supplier to Beyond Meat, a leading provider of meat alternative products. Puris has attracted sizable investment partners, including Cargill Inc. And now, it’s putting the finishing touches on a $150 million facility in Dawson, Minn., that will increase its pea protein production by one-and-a-half. It’s the company’s single largest investment so far. When production begins in September, Puris will be the largest producer in North America of pea protein — a product it first commercialized just seven years ago. But for decades before that, the Lorenzens strived, against odds, to change an entire food system. And when the marketplace finally

Project manager Karl Kratzke grabs a handful of split yellow peas from a 2,000-pound bag, shipped from the PURIS facility in Harrold, South Dakota and used only for testing equipment, not for food production yet. (Glen Stubbe/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS) he felt was a massive inefficiency. caught up, they were ready. “So much of the crops are going to feed aniThe basic inefficiency In the 1980s, Jerry was selling Purina live- mals for the people to eat the animals,” Atchison stock feed to farmers when he noticed something recalled. “He knew that someday people will need to eat the plants, so they better taste good.” Jerry began breeding soybeans in the family’s home basement to try and make them tastier, all the while keeping his day job. company is.” To support his breeding research, he started SDE includes the firm’s profit, the owner’s salary, and the owner’s benefits like health and developing custom corn and soybean seeds for nearby farmers. He and his kids manufactured life insurance and car payments. Sunbelt advises owners who are intensely these specialty seeds in a former school gyminvolved in their busi- nasium. Atchison was 7 and Lorenzen 5 when their nesses to start pulling back from hands-on father quit his job with Purina and went all-in operations and may- on seeds. The kids spent summer breaks and be hire a manager so every weekend working on rented test plots potential buyers don’t near their home in Fremont, Iowa. They would worry that they are run between rows, shuttling soybean flowers looking at a personal back to their dad, who was manually mating the varieties. business. “For a long time, the company was just my “They may worry that the business dad, my mom and the two of us as very little will leak away to the kids,” Atchison said. Haverkamp By the time the siblings were teenagers, the competition once the owner’s gone,” Haverkamp said. “Maximize business — then called World Food Processing your cash flow and minimize your personal — had established strong ties with food processors in Japan, a country where soy-derived foods footprint.” Confidentiality is crucial even after the sale are devoured. The family opened a soybean because during the transition from a seller to a cleaning-and-dehulling plant in Oskaloosa, new buyer is when competitors like to swoop in Iowa, in 1999. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, they comand try to peel away business. Employees should not be told until the deal is signed or you risk mercialized a blended hot dog — part tofu and part free-range pork — that was sold in grocery losing key employees to other firms. With SBA loans about 5.5% on 10-year stores under the brand Bratos. “This was blended fixed-rate loans — 4.5% if land is involved — products way before Applegate started doing it,” it’s a seller’s market. If the value of the property Atchison said. If they weren’t in the field, the siblings were is 51% or more of the total, sellers can get a with their dad at food shows or festivals, like 25-year fixed loan at about 4.5%. “Buyer confidence is really strong, bank RAGBRAI — the annual summertime bike ride confidence is good, and interest rates are the best across Iowa — handing out blended tofu dogs. “Sometimes I block that part out [of memothey’ve ever been,” Haverkamp said. ry],” Tyler Lorenzen said. “All of it felt crazy.”

Local experts offer advice on selling a business

Continued from preceding page. aging Partner Paul West. Perform a financial needs analysis “If you’ve never worked with a financial planner to determine what number you need to live your life the way you want to, then how can you sell if you don’t know that number?” West said. Don’t get fixated on the gross sale number. Determine the post-tax number needed, so you’ll know how much money you’ll be able to keep. Don’t try West to fix everything prior to a sale. Focus on the most important things that will influence valuations. Be prepared to share “If someone’s going to buy your business, they want to know the good, bad, and the ugly, including all financials and key employees,” West said. The professionals who helped at the early stage of your business may not be the right professionals to help with your business exit. Use professionals who focus on selling businesses, and don’t assume prematurely that the sale is done. “When you sell, it’s all about net cash flow, or the SDE [seller’s discretionary earnings],” Sunbelt Business Advisors President Frank Haverkamp said. “The more discretionary earnings we can show on the tax return, the more valuable the

Their dad, always looking ahead, saw another future need: If they were going to ask farmers to avoid chemicals, they needed a solution for weeds and disease. So in 1999, he started a new breeding program for yellow peas. The idea was that farmers could plant peas at different times of the year to act as a natural shield against weeds, Tyler Lorenzen said. “And maybe someday we can pay them for growing those peas,” he added. When the siblings went to college at Iowa State University, their father rented a few acres nearby so the kids could continue testing new crop breeds. Atchison played volleyball and Lorenzen played football for Iowa State, and both hired teammates to work with them. One day in 2004, Lorenzen was walking the test fields in Ames when he saw a pathetic-looking clump of pea plants. “They were all lodged over and their leaves in the mud. They did not look good,” he said.”And I remember calling my dad and [saying], ‘Dad, what are you doing?’“ But, their dad insisted peas were crucial to their future. The limits of soy Tyler Lorenzen spent a few years in the National Football League while Atchison built her career as a biomedical engineer in the Twin Cities. After being cut from the New Orleans Saints in 2011, Lorenzen began working at the company’s recently purchased soy protein plant in Turtle Lake, Wis. This new plant took the company another step down the supply chain, turning their cleaned soybeans into a food ingredient that could be sold directly to food companies. But they faced competition from far-larger agribusinesses in soy. As well, consumer sentiment was shifting about soy protein, with some worried about its effects on hormones or possible links to cancer. “Is there anything wrong with soy protein? Probably not. But there’s a dark cloud on it based on Google results. We needed to make a pivot,” Lorenzen said. He called his dad and asked, “Whatever happened to those peas?” Peas fit the nutritional and environmental traits they wanted: organic, non-GMO, nitrogen fixing and non-allergenic. But very few food companies were buying pea protein at the time. France-based Roquette was the only company with appreciable pea protein production. Skeptical, Jerry Lorenzen told his son, “If you can make it taste good, I’ll back you.” Becoming Puris Tyler Lorenzen and Kushal Chandak, now Puris’ vice president of research and development, tinkered with the yellow pea. By 2014, they had a commercial product. Two years later, Tyler Lorenzen persuaded Atchison to leave her career in biomedical engineering and they began looking for more capital. Two private investors — Charles Chang, founder of Vega, and local investor Chad Hancock — were early supporters of the company, but wanted the siblings to rebrand it. In 2017, World Food Processing became Puris. Atchison is CEO of Puris Holdings, the umbrella outfit, and Tyler Lorenzen is CEO of Puris Protein, which is focused on its main the pea operation. Over the next two years, Minnetonka-based Cargill Inc. invested at least $100 million in Puris to get ahead of the exploding demand for pea protein in the United States. Around the same time, Beyond Meat went public, catching the attention of Wall Street and investors with Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

Hydrogen-powered aviation will be tested on turboprops at new venture by Dominic Gates

The dream — and the hype — of hydrogen-powered, zero-emissions aviation will prepare for takeoff from Moses Lake in Central Washington. An ambitious new project aims to modify small regional turboprop Aviation aircraft there to fly on hydrogen fuel, test and certify them to carry passengers, and potentially offer a long-term solution to aviation’s carbon emissions by demonstrating that hydrogen aviation is economically viable.

Los Angeles-based startup Universal Hydrogen, led by Paul Eremenko, former chief technology officer and leading clean energy visionary at both Airbus and United Technologies, is developing the technology to retrofit mid-sized turboprop aircraft to run on hydrogen. Partnering with Universal Hydrogen are aerospace engineering and certification firm AeroTEC of Seattle, electric motor company MagniX of Everett and New York-based Plug Power, which has a hydrogen fuel cell facility in Spokane. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

“Our goal is to have butts in seats on commercial, revenue-generating flights as quickly as possible, said Eremenko in an interview, adding that he anticipates achieving Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2025. Challenging technology First up for retrofit is the De Havilland Canada DHC-8 turboprop, commonly known as the Dash 8. The version that will be converted is not the larger model flown locally by Alaska Airlines but a smaller one that typically seats about 50 passengers. The company plans to tear out 10 seats to accommodate the large capsules full of hydrogen that will be the plane’s fuel, reducing the capacity to about 40 passengers. Later, the project will do the same modification for the ATR 72 turboprop, with seating reduced to about 58 passengers post-conversion. The technology that must be developed is complex and will require innovation. Universal Hydrogen proposes to set up an extensive logistics infrastructure to deliver to airports twin packs of 7-foot-long, 3-foot-diameter capsules of hydrogen that can be loaded and unloaded quickly. Plug Power, which currently builds ground-based hydrogen fuel cells that generate electricity from hydrogen, will have to develop much lighter fuel cells that are certifiable to airplane safety standards. MagniX will build the motors that use the electricity to turn the propellers. It has already built similar motors for battery-powered electric airplane prototypes. Linking all this together, Universal Hydrogen must integrate all the ancillary equipment wrapped around the fuel cell and the electric motor, including the electronic

control algorithms for the entire system as well as compressors, humidifiers and the cooling systems for the fuel cell and the motor. Batteries will be added for reserve power. AeroTEC’s engineers, meanwhile, will have to modify the airframe — designing a new cargo door through which to load the hydrogen capsules and holding fixtures for all the equipment — and then shepherd the complete aircraft through the FAA certification process. Roei Ganzarski, CEO of MagniX, which employs about 60 people in Everett, said this work represents the future of aerospace. Having it all here in Washington, he said, “puts the state in a position of leadership for all things electric aviation.” Eremenko attributed his choice of Moses Lake to the “tremendous aerospace and cleantech workforce” in the region. Emily Wittman, CEO of the state trade group the Aerospace Futures Alliance, said “the possibilities for our state’s aviation sector are enormous.” Lee Human, president of AeroTEC, which has a total workforce of about 250, said he expects about 30 people to work on the hydrogen project initially, expanding if it’s successful and turns into a full modification line in Moses Lake for retrofitting multiple aircraft. He said he expects to begin modifying an actual aircraft early next year. Testing will begin with one engine using hydrogen and the other conventional gas before both are converted. Certification will take several years. Human sees a large market for zero-emissions aircraft, both passenger and cargo, that can fly out of small, underserved airports at Continued on next page.

Power of peas and changed American food

Answers on page 14.

Continued from preceding page. deep pockets. Meanwhile, Roquette erected a large new pea protein plant in Canada and other smaller competitors emerged. Henk Hoogenkamp, a consultant on plant-based protein to food companies, said the rapid growth of pea protein wouldn’t have happened if Tyler Lorenzen had not met Beyond Meat’s founder Ethan Brown, who then decided to use peas instead of soybeans as the base ingredient in that firm’s now-famous alternative-meat lineup. Beyond Meat’s IPO unleashed a race among restaurant chains, from Dunkin’ to Denny’s to Del Taco,to introduce plant-based items, helping fuel a temporary pea protein shortage. Still, the pea protein market is small compared to soy, the leading source of plant-based alternative protein. Hoogenkamp estimates the pea protein market will reach 300,000 metric tons of production this year — or about one-quarter of the soy concentrate market. Competitive threats In China, several dormant soy facilities have been converted to pea processing plants. Chinese companies buy North American-raised peas, import them for processing in China, and then ship much of the finished protein powder back to the U.S. Pea protein from China is selling for about $4 a kilogram, which is about half the price of U.S. companies, Hoogenkamp said.

With the high cost of transportation and the low prices they are charging, Atchison called this re-imported pea protein “questionable.” The main challenge Puris faces now, she said, is to get more American farmers to plant yellow peas. The company is trying to persuade farmers to plant peas between corn and soybean rotations. But with prices for corn and soybeans near record highs, farmers have relatively little incentive to focus on anything but the two giant staples. “If we were going after this to play the commodity game, we would be set up for failure,” Atchison said. “Our thesis has always been to get [peas] on those acres at different times of the year, so you are not asking farmers to make an either/or decision. It’s a yes/and decision.” The siblings believe their long-running seed-genetics program give them a competitive advantage as the pea-protein business grows. Puris has many breeds that maximize yield, resist disease and grow in various climates. “For so long, my dad had to justify his decisions to his peers in the breeding industry,” Atchison said. “As recently as a year or two ago, I heard him justifying his decisions in a group and I reminded him, ‘You don’t have to anymore. People get it now.’“ ©2021 StarTribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

For unemployed Black and Hispanic women, an uneven economic recovery looms, experts warn by Francesca Chambers

High unemployment experienced by Black and Hispanic women throughout the pandemic will persist long after it is over unless the federal government and employers take targeted actions to bring them back into the workforce, experts are warning. Unemployment rates for both demographic Economy groups rose in June, and were more than one-and-a-half times what they were in February 2020, fueling concerns that the country will have a lopsided economic recovery that leaves many women of color behind. “We’ll end up the same way we did in 2008,” C. Nicole Mason, president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, said referring to the recession. The White House says that President Joe Biden is trying to lessen economic disparity for Black and Latina women with programs in his COVID-relief law and infrastructure proposals that include job training, free community college, investments in minority-serving higher education institutions, paid medical and sick leave and childcare assistance. While those programs are not just for Black and Latina women, White House

officials say they are intended to help them. Council of Economic Advisers chair Cecilia Rouse said in an interview that the administration believes the investments “will help women of color in particular.” “So, it’s not that it’s willy nilly, these are just little pieces that were kind of stitched together. These are areas where we know will be particularly impactful.” A decade after that financial crisis officially ended, unemployment for Black and Latina women in 2019 was at its lowest point in history. Still, the jobless rate remained higher for those women than it did for all other workers, with the exception of African American men. “The number continued to stay above the federal rate. The same is true right now,” Mason said of the warning signals. The unemployment rate for all Americans was 5.9% in June, the Labor Department said, increasing slightly from the month prior as more individuals began to actively seek work. However, that figure does not reflect the total number of Americans who lost or left jobs in the pandemic. Fewer women are participating in the workforce, the National Women’s Law Center says, than they have in the last three decades. And those that are seeking work are

struggling to find jobs. “Men came back to the labor force last month but went straight from being not in the labor force to being employed. And what happened to women is they went from not in the labor force to unemployed,” said Jasmine Tucker, director of research at NWLC. “So men got jobs right away, women are looking for work.” The unemployment rate was even higher for adult Black women — 8.2% of whom were unemployed — and Hispanic women aged 20 and up — 7.9% of whom were out of work — than it was for white men and white women. Adult white men had an unemployment rate of 5.2%, while white women in the same age group had a 5% jobless rate. “This is not a new problem, it’s an old problem,” said Jocelyn Frye, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress who focuses on women’s economic security. “The reality is that Black women and Latinas consistently, persistently have higher unemployment rates than white women.” Frye said that trajectory can change. But it will take targeted efforts that address problems women face in the workplace such as discrimination and low wages. “We have to be intentional about the solutions. Otherwise, it won’t correct itself,” she said.

Hydrogen-powered aviation will be tested on turboprops at new venture Continued from preceding page. very low cost. “There are a lot of candidate aircraft that could be modified,” he said. “Amazon just bought a bunch of ATR 72s.” Silicon Valley backing Eremenko, a Ukrainian-American prodigy who worked at Google and Motorola and led the U.S. government’s drone research unit at DARPA before joining Airbus, founded Universal Hydrogen last year, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The startup secured $20 million in initial funding earlier this year, led by Silicon Valley venture fund Playground Global, with backers including Plug Power, Airbus, JetBlue, Toyota and New York-based hedge fund Coatue. Its advisory board includes former Airbus CEO Tom Enders and the European giant’s former head of sales, John Leahy. Eremenko estimates it will take about $300 million to achieve certification of the regional planes. The company was “born out of my frustration ... with the pace of decarbonization in aviation,” Eremenko said. “Biofuels, synthetic fuels, batteries and various other options out there just aren’t going to work on the timeframe that you need to make the Paris Agreement targets.” “The industry is too slow,” he said. “We need to create an external sort of disrupter to get the industry to move.” Eremenko’s brash plan is to demonstrate this decade that hydrogen aviation can work on the scale of small regional passenger planes so that Boeing and Airbus will also choose hydrogen in the 2030s when they design their next all-new single-aisle jets to replace the 737 MAX and the A320neo. “I founded this company to create irrefutable proof of the fact that you can get affordable hydrogen, you can get it to airports, you can certify it, it can be safe and passengers will fly on hydrogen airplanes,” he said.

Green hydrogen? One issue is that although hydrogen-fueled planes will emit only water vapor, most hydrogen production currently comes from natural gas and is highly energy intensive. For this technology to be truly sustainable, the world needs to produce so-called “green hydrogen” via water electrolysis. Today that’s just 1% of the total hydrogen produced and most projections say green hydrogen may not be available on a large scale until the 2030s. Eremenko believes in a kind of a Moore’s Law for hydrogen technology, certain that it will accelerate as demand grows. “Green hydrogen production is on an exponential trajectory,” he said, projecting a decrease in cost and a rapid growth in capacity. But both Airbus or Boeing envisage a much longer timeline for this hydrogen revolution. “I just don’t believe that is going to deliver anything for us between now and 2050,” Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told Aviation Week in June. And though rival Airbus is actively pursuing hydrogen technology, in a leaked briefing to the European Commission in February it conceded that while it expects hydrogen may power regional and shorter range aircraft from 2035, traditional gas turbine engines will still be required for larger A320-size planes until close to 2050. Eremenko is scornful of those conservative projections. “That’s why this company exists, to persuade and move the industry in a different direction,” he said. “I didn’t go into the aerospace business to be the laggard. ... I expect us to lead in this space as an industry, and make bold bets.” In doing so, Universal Hydrogen is a David stepping out to confront Goliath. So far three regional airlines have signed letters of intent to buy its planes: Icelandair; Anchorage-based Ravn; and Valencia, Spain-

To match non-Hispanic white men’s yearly wages, Black women have to work an average of 214 additional days, women’s groups say. Lower wages, higher unemployment Biden administration officials have repeatedly said they are concerned about Black and Hispanic unemployment rates and the prospect of a recovery that furthers racial and economic disparities. They say that money the administration is seeking from Congress to increase home health care and childcare will create jobs for Black women, who disproportionately work in the caregiving industry. They said the tax credits for families that Biden wants to expand would also help low-income families and Black and Latina women afford those services. Families making less than $125,000 annually would be eligible under Biden’s plan for a reimbursement of half their childcare costs for children under age 13. Through a proposed extension of the Child Tax Credit that Biden wants Congress to approve, low-income families would continue to be eligible to receive as much as $3,600 in government assistance for each young child. “The magnitude of investments here is much larger than what we made at the end of the Great Recession,” said Rouse, who was also a member of former President Barack Obama’s economic team. “The idea and finally understanding that care is infrastructure — that is a game-changing idea.” Biden’s administration recently stood up a $500 million job training and apprenticeship program that it says will focus on Continued on page 21.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 13.

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES MBJ legal notice instructions The following are some guidelines to consider when posting legal notices with the Midlands Business Journal: 1. Submit a written notice in either Microsoft Word or as a PDF document to the Legal Department at legals@mbj.com. For trade names, submit a copy of approved (bar code in upper right hand corner) Application For Registration of Trade Name from the Secretary of State to the same email address. Please include your billing address and the desired duration you’d like your notice to run (trade names run for only one week). As a publisher and not a legal advisor we print notices exactly as they are submitted and therefor only comp reruns when the notice was rejected or messed up due to a MBJ error. All companies submitting notices are responsible for ensuring the content fits with the State’s requirements and are responsible for the cost of republishing the notice if it is rejected due to misinformation or missing information 2. You will receive a confirmation and price quote. Legal notices, except for trade names, are charged per line. The flat fee for a trade name is $50. Payment options are cash or check. 3. Deadline is noon on Tuesday for a notice to start publishing that Friday. 4. All costs include fees to file the notice with the Secretary of State and/or any appropriate courts. 5. You will receive a paid invoice copy the first week it runs.

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF STANDARD HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Articles of Incorporation of Standard Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., a Nebraska corporation, have been amended and restated in their entirety and were duly filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 28, 2021. Included in the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation is an amendment to authorize the Corporation to issue 1,000,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $1.00 per share, all of which are in a class designated as voting common stock. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

MATTHEW T. PAYNE, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 4483 ELLISON AVE, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of 4483 Ellison Ave, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is 4483 Ellison Ave, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 18319 Dupont Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Matthew T. Payne, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 13, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney JAKE T. HOULIHAN, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: BRIANA M. WATSON, 4415 N 60th Ave, Omaha NE 68104, you are hereby notified that on June 10, 2021, American Family Mutual Ins. Co. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI21-10326, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $4,745.00, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 20 day of September, 2021, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication July 30, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF DOUGLAS HALBERT MEMORIAL AMATEUR RADIO CLUB, INC. Frank R. Vondra has incorporated Douglas Halbert Memorial Amateteur Radio Club, Inc., a public benefit nonprofit corporation, with its registered office at 6625 South 91 Street, Omaha, NE 68127, having perpetual existence commencing with the filing of its articles of incorporation, and whose affairs are conducted by the board of directors and the usual corporate officers. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF HIGH LIFE LOUNGE, LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of High Life Lounge, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended changing the name of the company to High Life Gretna, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 12, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION [RESTATED] Notice is hereby given that Clementine Creative LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 2527 South 10th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68108. The Registered Agent of the Company is Thomas E. Whitmore, 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was Amended on August 2, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DAYBREAK, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Daybreak, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 7002 S. 131st Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

CROKER, HUCK, KASHER, DeWITT, ANDERSON & GONDERINGER, P.C. 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, NE 68124 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF THE FIVE FIFTY TWO CORPORATION Pursuant to § 21-2,185 et seq. of the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act, notice is hereby given that The Five Fifty Two Corporation, a Nebraska corporation, filed Articles of Dissolution with the Secretary of State on August 2, 2021. The corporation has no assets or known liabilities. Ron Badley, President, shall wind up and liquidate its business and affairs. If you have a claim against the Corporation, you should mail notice to Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, L.L.C., 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, and include the following information: name of claimant, amount of claim, goods or services covered by the claim, date claim originated, and supporting documentation (if available). Any claim against the corporation will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce said claim is commenced within three years of the date of this published notice. THE FIVE FIFTY TWO CORPORATION By: RON BADLEY, President First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 NOTICE OF CREDITORS ESTATE OF KENNETH LLYOD WOOD, Decedent Case No: PR21-1230 Date of Dealth: January 15, 2016 Notice is hereby given that on the 27 day of July, 2021 in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Intestacy of the Estate of Kenneth Llyod Wood and that the following surviving spouse was appointed as the Personal Representatives of this Estate: Pamela Wood 3043 Hickory Lane Mason, OH 45040 Creditors of the Estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before October 4, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BROKEN A RANCH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Broken A Ranch, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on July 28, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF M&M’S HANDYMAN SERVICES OF WATERLOO, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that M&M’S HANDYMAN SERVICES OF WATERLOO, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 508 3rd Street, Waterloo, Nebraska 68069. The registered agent is MATTHEW T. WILSON. The general nature of the business is to operate a general handyman services business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general handyman services business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on July 21, 2021, and upon its Articles being filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 28, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BRUEGMAN FAMILY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Bruegman Family, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11808 N. 172nd Circle, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

Notice is hereby given that JM BV, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office and registered office of the company is 12341 Westover Road, Omaha NE 68154. The registered agent at such office is Hani Nachef. The general nature of the business to be transacted by the company is to own & operate restaurants. The Company commenced on June 3, 2021, and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by its members. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF AKM ENTERPRISES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that AKM Enterprises, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 18653 Hampton Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68136. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF H&S REGENCY WEST 2, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that H&S Regency West 2, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 13575 Lynam Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES JESSICA E. THOMAS, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 620 PIERCE, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of 620 Pierce, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is 620 Pierce, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Jessica E. Thomas, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

JUSTIN A. SHELDON, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF INCONTRO INVESTMENTS LLC Notice is hereby given that INCONTRO INVESTMENTS LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 6520 South 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68137. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATIO OF WILLIAM L. GIER, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that WILLIAM L. GIER, LLC (the “Company” has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, for any lawful purpose. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11603 S. 117th Street, Papillion, Nebraska 68046. The Registered Agent of the Company is William L. Gier, 11603 S. 117th Street, Papillion, Nebraska 68046. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATIO OF METAL WORKS CORE & RECYCLING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that METAL WORKS CORE & RECYCLING, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, for any lawful purpose. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 224 Cedar Street, PO Box 167, Genoa, Nebraska 68640. The Registered Agent of the Company is Andy A. Kamm, 224 Cedar Street, PO Box 167, Genoa, Nebraska 68640. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

Notice of Organization of Down to Earth Counseling LLC Notice is hereby given that Down to Earth Counseling LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office address of the company is 11605 West Dodge Rd. Ste.4, Omaha, Ne 68154. The registered agent of the company is Heather Hazel and this office is located at 11605 West Dodge Rd. Ste.4, Omaha, NE 68154. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SPECKMANN FAMILY LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TOP5IVE JEWELRY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Top5ive Jewelry, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1860 Robertson Dr. Omaha, NE 68114. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Starla Hulett at 1860 Robertson Dr. Omaha, NE 68114. The limited liability company commenced business on June 11, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Dignity Hearing, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 3407 North 60th Street, Omaha, NE 68104. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process is Andrew P. Deaver, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF H&S REGENCY WEST 1, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that H&S Regency West 1, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 13575 Lynam Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION AND MERGER Notice is hereby given that a corporation was formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska on June 23rd, 2021, and that the name of the corporation is Honest Mortgage, Inc. The corporation is authorized to issue 100 shares of common stock and 100 shares of preferred stock. The name and address of the corporation’s registered agent is Joshua Bassan, 217 N Stark St, Bennington, NE 68007. The incorporator is the same. Notice is also hereby given that a Virginia corporation bearing the same name, Honest Mortgage, Inc., was merged into the new Nebraska corporation, Honest Mortgage, Inc., on July 28th, 2021. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OMNICORP REGENCY WEST, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Omnicorp Regency West, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72 Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra J Ringenberg, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), REBECCA DOTY You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 04/19/2021 on Case Number CI21-7737, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $329.50, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/27/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication December 13, 2013, final January 3, 2013

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), LOIS A BORNMANN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 05/07/2021 on Case Number CI21-8640, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $399.48, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/27/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), ANGELITA M AGUILERA You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 04/09/2021 on Case Number CI21-7166, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $384.99, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/27/2021or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BROKEN A FARM, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Broken A Farm, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on July 28, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NJCB, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that NJCB, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 2915 Marshall Ave, Kearney, Nebraska 68847. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 6, 2021. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF FAST AVE PROPERTIES, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Fast Ave Properties, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Fast Ave Properties, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), SARA J KELLY You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/31/2021 on Case Number CI21-6403, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $8, 157.70, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/27/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 192ND & 370 CARWASH RE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 192nd & 370 Carwash RE, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES JUSTIN A. SHELDON, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BIARRITZ PROPERTIES LLC Notice is hereby given that BIARRITZ PROPERTIES LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 711 North 58th Street, Omaha, NE 68132. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

SCOTT A. MEYERSON, Esq. LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF JACKSON THREE LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of JACKSON THREE LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended as follows: the limited liability company has changed its name to Clark & Company, LLC. The Amended Certificate or Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 28, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PALMER FAMILY HOLDINGS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Palmer Family Holdings, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 9016 Harney Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GRANDVIEW RESIDENCES A, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Grandview Residences A, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 7180 North 122nd Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68142. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF GRANDVIEW APARTMENTS, LLC Notice is hereby given that the Certificate of Organization of Grandview Apartments, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended changing the name of the company to Grandview Residences, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 26, 2021. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OFAMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF RKMM LLC Notice is hereby given that RKMM LLC has amended its Certificate of Organization as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The amended notice of organization reflects the change of Name of Limited Liability Company from RKMM LLC to VW SERVICES LLC. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JW & DW TRANSPORT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that JW & DW Transport, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 17317 Madison Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF FLATWATER PATRIOTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Flatwater Patriots, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TARR FAMILY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Tarr Family, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1340 South 181st Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Sun & Sand LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, with its initial designated office at 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400, Attn: Shaun James, Omaha, NE 68114, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The registered agent is Shaun James, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400, Omaha, NE 68114. The Limited Liability Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The perpetual existence commenced July 29, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by its Members pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the Company. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Deerfield Three LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, with its initial designated office at Attn: John Lund, 450 Regency Parkway, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68114, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The registered agent is Shaun M. James, Smith Slusky Law, 8712 West Dodge Road - Suite 400, Omaha, NE 68114. The Limited Liability Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be formed under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The perpetual existence commenced July 30, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by its Members pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the Company. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

GEORGES D. APETY YOLE LAW PC, LLO 7930 Blondo Street, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68134 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PACOC, LLC Notice is hereby given that PACOC, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 1905 Harney Street, Suite 504, Omaha, NE 68102. It is organized to transact any lawful business for which a Limited Liability Company may be organized under Nebraska laws and its duration is perpetual commencing from August 2, 2021. Its affairs are to be conducted by the manager Christopher C. Odigbo. Its registered agent is Christopher C. Odigbo and his office is located at 1905 Harney Street, Suite 504, Omaha, NE 68102. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF COORSILEE COMPANIES LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Coorsilee Companies LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1429 Grandview Ave. #17, Papillion, NE 68046. The registered agent of the Company is Jennifer Niemier, 1429 Grandview Ave. #17, Papillion, NE 68046. First publication August 6, 2021, final August 20, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BJSD ACQUISITION, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that BJSD Acqusition, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 15810 Ohio Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68116 and designating its registered agent as Erickson & Sederstrom, P.C. a limited liability organization with its registered office at 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-1042. Judge McDermott. Date of Death: May 18, 2021 Estate of WILLIAM FREDERICK SCHWENING, Decedent Notice is hereby given that on the 8th day of July, 2021, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Intestacy of the Estate of William Frederick Schwening and that the following surviving child was appointed as the Personal Representative of this estate. Kristen Schwening 5108 S. 98th Plaza, Apt. 10 Omaha, NE 68127 Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before October 19, 2021 or be forever barred. KELLEY GOLDEN Clerk of the County Court First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KUBAT ltc PHARMACY fremont, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Kubat LTC Pharmacy Fremont, LLC, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 4924 Center Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on August 11, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RED TAIL KARATE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that RED TAIL KARATE, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 21106 Buchanan Parkway Gretna, Nebraska 68028. The Registered Agent of the Company is Benjamin Carpick, 21106 Buchanan Parkway, Gretna, Nebraska 68028. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF WESTHOFF FAMILY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Westhoff Family, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 700 Calvert Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68502. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF JAVELAN, Inc JAVELAN, INC a Nebraska Corporation, filed a Statement of Dissolution with the Secretary of State on 05/04/2021. Notice is hereby given to all creditors or others with claims against the corporation that claims must be sent to the JAVELAN, LLC at Attn: Jodi Teal, 10605 Burt Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68114 and must document the basis for the claim. Any claim must contain sufficient information for the determination of whether it is a valid claim. A claim against the Company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within five (5) years after the third publication of this Notice.” First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION PsychNebraska, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 18651 Webster Circle, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process is Andrew P. Deaver, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), TRRAVON D KITCHEN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/25/2021 on Case Number CI21-5955, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $522.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 09/27/2021or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

GORACKE LAW, L.L.C. 10846 Old Mill Road, Suite #4 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY VH Cabin, L.L.C., with its initial designated office at 10302 Emiline St., LaVista, NE 68128 has been organized effective June 30, 2021. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent is Jim Van Haute, 10302 Emiline St., LaVista, NE 68128. Bruce J. Goracke, Organizer First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF IMMERHAUS REALTY LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Immerhaus Realty LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The limited liability company shall provide real estate services. The designated office of the limited liability company is 4949 Underwood Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68132. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on August 2, 2021. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

GORACKE LAW, L.L.C. 10846 Old Mill Road, Suite #4 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY Rhen Consulting, L.L.C., with its initial designated office at 325 Lakehurst Drive, Waterloo, NE 68069 has been organized effective June 4, 2021. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent is Kim Rhen, 325 Lakehurst Drive, Waterloo, NE 68069. Bruce J. Goracke, Organizer First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF SUN SEEKERS CAFE, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SUN SEEKERS CAFE, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent is ANTHONY L. GROSS. The general nature of the business is to operate a general cafe business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general cafe business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on July 28, 2021, and upon its Articles being filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 10, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF G3 SALES AND LEADERSHIP CONSULTING, LLC The name of the Company is G3 Sales and Leadership Consulting, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite #320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The initial designated office of the Company is located at 203 N 251st Street, Waterloo, Nebraska 68069. This limited liability company commenced business on August 10, 2021 First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SKYLARK DEVELOPMENT, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Skylark Development, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Skylark Development, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 S. 10th Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GIVE, INC. ANTHONY J. VOCELKA, 1702 S. 10 St., Ste. 2, Omaha, NE 68108, President, will manage the wind up and liquidation of its business and affairs. Assets, if any, remaining after paying liabilities will be distributed pro-rata to the shareholders. All claims against the corporation must be forwarded to the corporation at the foregoing address and contain the name of the claimant, the nature and amount of the claim, and the address and a contact person for the claimant. A claim against the corporation is barrd unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three years after publication of this notice. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

ADAMS & SULLIVAN, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys at Law 1246 Golden Gate Drive, Papillion, Nebraska 68046 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 1106 PROPERTIES, LLC The name of the limited liability company is 1106 Properties, LLC. The address of the designated office in Nebraska is: 7728 N. 159th Street, Bennington, NE 68007. It is organized to transact any lawful business. Perpetual existence commenced June 25, 2021. The affairs of the limited liability company are to be conducted by the managers, Bryan Eicher and Christine Eicher. DATED this 9th day of August 2021. Agent for Service: Travis M. Jacott 1246 Golden Gate Drive, Suite 1 Papillion, NE 68046 First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Notice is hereby given that The Gathering Network Church of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, a Nebraska Non-Profit Religious Corporation, has been organized under the Laws of the State of Nebraska on June 1, 2021. The registered agent and office: Alex Rousseau, 2600 N. 70th Street, Lincoln, NE 68507, is the incorporator of the corporation. The corporation will have members. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TAXLOCITY LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Taxlocity, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1608 S 129th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The registered agent and the office of the limited liability company is Tu Nguyen, 1608 S 129th Street, Omaha, NE 68144. The limited liability company commenced business on June 24, 2021. The nature of the business to be transacted is any lawful business. The business shall have perpetual existence. First publication August 13, 2021, final August 27, 2021

AMANDA M. FORKER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JBL STORAGE UNITS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of JBL Storage Units, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is JBL Storage Units, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 4949 South 66th Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68117. 3. The name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Amanda M. Forker, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF RUCK CABINET DOORS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of Ruck Cabinet Doors, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended as follows: the limited liability company has changed its name to Ruck Enterprises, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 12, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

JUDITH A. WELLS, Attorney 5062 South 108th Street, #246 Omaha, Nebraska 68137 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-1282. Judge Hendrix, County Court Judge Estate of JOHN E. MITCHELL, SR., Deceased. Notice is hereby given that on 29 day of July, 2021, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Judge issued a written statement of Informal Probate of Will of said deceased, John E. Mitchell, Sr. and that, John E. Mitchell, Jr. of 436 Jockeys Run, Wentzville, MO, 63385, has been formally appointed via Will as Personal Representative of the Estate of John E. Mitchell, Sr., Decedent named herein. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before October 20, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF QUICKDRAW LENDING, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of QuickDraw Lending, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is QuickDraw Lending, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 • Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES RADLEY E. CLEMENS, Attorney of Law 5717 North 127th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68164 In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR21-1269 Estate of Mary Jean Hope, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on August 3, 2021, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of Will of said Decedent and that Ramasine M. Clemens whose address is 5717 N 127th St., Omaha, Nebraska, 68164 was informally appointed by the Registrar as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 330, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before October 20, 2021 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication August 20, 2021, final September 10, 2021

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION EA Knight Real Estate Sales, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 331 Village Pointe Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Kathryn A. Glissman, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The company is organized to render the professional service of marketing and selling real estate as a salesperson requiring licensure under the Nebraska Real Estate License Act. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68144 NOTICE OF REVOCATION OF POWER OF ATTORNEY To: Diana L. Vassos and Lindsay L. Decker, and all other people or entities THIS NOTICE OF THE IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF THE POWER OF ATTORNEY THAT EACH OF US ADOPTED on September 21, 2020 WHEREIN, JOHN A. LEE and CHARLES R. WOOLEY, JR., individually and in seperate instruments of the same date, AS PRINCIPALS, APPOINTED DIANA L. VASSOS, Agent, and LINDSAY L. DECKER, as Successor Agent, AS MY ATTORNEYS-IN-FACT/AGENTS. This permanent notice of revocation is effective on August 12, 2021 at 12:00 pm CDT. A copy of this notice is being published in the Midlands Business Journal, an approved legal publication in Douglas County, Nebraska. Dated this 12th day of August, 2021. John A. Lee Charles R. Wooley, Jr. 2326 Benson Gardens Blvd. 2326 Benson Gardens Blvd. Omaha, NE 68134 Omaha, NE 68134 Subscribed and sworn to before me and in my presence by, JOHN A. LEE and CHARLES R. WOOLEY, JR., persons known to me, this 12th day of August, 2021. August 20, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Leah Pieper Photography, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 3112 N 187th Plaza Apt 303, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is Leah N. Pieper, 3112 N 187th Plaza Apt 303, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Company was formed on August 12, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Notice of Non-Discriminatory Clause Heartland School does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, citizenship status or economic status, or veteran status, in the administration of any of its employment, educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, recreational, and other school-administered programs. Questions and/or concerns may be directed to Ms. Mary Quiroz; 5731 S 108th St.; Omaha, NE 68137 First publication August 20, 2021, final August 27, 2021

EMILY F. DICKSON, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE BIG THREE, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of The Big Three, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is The Big Three, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 845 S 59th street, Omaha, Nebraska 68106, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Emily F. Dickson, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF THE SMARTS FOR ARTS AND ACADEMICS, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that THE SMARTS FOR ARTS AND ACADEMICS, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 4220 H Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107. The registered agent is SARAH M. WIEDEMEIER. The general nature of the business is to operate a general tutoring business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general tutoring business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on July 29, 2021, and upon its Articles being filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 12, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Jeffrey T. Palzer, Attorney at Law 10828 Old Mill Road, Suite 6 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF NON-PROFIT INCORPORATION 1. The name of the non-profit corporation is MAYA JOLOM KONOB, INC. 2. The registered office of the Corporation is 3505 Washington Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107. The registered agent at that office is Franco Gaspar. 3. The corporation is a public benefit corporation and the general nature of the corporation is to promote Mayan Catholic faith, culture, art and education. 4. The corporation commenced on August 12, 2021, and shall have perpetual existence. The name and address of the incorporator is Franco Gaspar of 13506 Atwood Ave., Omaha, Nebraska 68144. 5. The corporation will not have members. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

ANDREW J. HUBER, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF STEP STONE HOLDINGS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the formation of a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the limited liability company is Step Stone Holdings, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 3157 Farnam Street, Suite 7104-7170, Omaha, NE 68131. The name and address of the registered agent and office is LDM Business Services, Inc, 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The general nature of the business is any or all lawful business. The company commenced existence on August 12, 2021 and shall have a perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement. LDM Business Services, Inc., Organizer First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

RICHARD L. ANDERSON, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THREE IDAHO, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Three Idaho, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, 2120 South 72nd Street First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), ANDREW M DULEY You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 04/07/2021 on Case Number CI21-7170, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $917.04, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 10/03/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: HELP EQUIPMENT Name of Applicant: Help Adult Services Address: 8522 Park Drive Omaha NE 68127 Applicant is a Other (Specify): Non-Profit Organization If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: 07/2018 General nature of business: Non Profit Durable Medical Equipment Provider KURT BUSH Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative August 20, 2021

Scott A. Meyerson, Esq. LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Dr., #100 Omaha, NE 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CONSCIOUS KITCHEN LLC Notice is hereby given that Conscious Kitchen LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial designated office is 16184 Davenport St., Omaha, NE 68118. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial agent for service of process is 5601 S. 59th Street, Suite C, Lincoln, NE 68516 and the Company’s initial agent for service of process at such address is Registered Agent Solutions, Inc. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Julian Young Business Advisors Name of Applicant: Start Enterprises LLC Address: 2928 Ames Ave Omaha NE 68111 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: 12-1-20 General nature of business: business advising and consulting, marketing & management BRITTANY YOUNG Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative August 20, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Law Office of Anastasia Wagner, LLC, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska to provide legal services. The designated address is 15418 Weir Street, #273, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. The registered agent is Anastasia Wagner, 15418 Weir Street, #273, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. The limited liability company commenced business on August 6, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that DOCTAZ LLC has been organized as a professional limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The Designated Office of the Company is 7019 Beth Avenue, Papillion, Nebraska 68133. The Registered Agent of the Company is Bonnie Breitenfeldt, 7019 Beth Avenue, Papillion, Nebraska 68133. The Company's members, managers and professional employees are licensed or otherwise legally authorized to engage in the practice of medicine in the State of Nebraska. The Company was formed on August 14, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Legal notices LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES JAMES D. BUSER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF PIGSKIN PLAYHOUSE, LLC PIGSKIN PLAYHOUSE, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the "Company"), filed its STATEMENT OF DISSOLUTION with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 16, 2021. Persons with claims against the Company must present such claim to: Pigskin Playhouse, LLC, c/o James D. Buser, 10250 Regency Circle, Ste. 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Claims against the Company must include the following information: (i) claimant's name, address and telephone number during business hours; (ii) any facts which may support the claim; and (iii) any amounts allegedly owed by the Company under the claim. Claims not including this information will not be reviewed. Any claims against this Company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce such claims is commenced within five (5) years after the date this Notice is last published. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

ELIZABETH A. SEVCIK, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF EMMA JOHNSON MEDIA, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Emma Johnson Media, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Color Stitch Embroidery LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 4701 N 174th Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Registered Agent of the Company is Corporation Consultants, 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was formed on August 14, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

JENNIFER L. RATTNER, Esq. RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VMM PROPERTIES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that VMM Properties, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Esq., whose mailing address is Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, NE 68154. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

STEVEN G. RANUM, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAINKO CAPITAL III, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Mainko Capital III, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Dan Koch, 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

STEVEN G. RANUM, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAINKO CAPITAL IV, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Mainko Capital IV, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Dan Koch, 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Notice is hereby given that Mobile HR Director Experts Limited Liability Company a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the state of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 9762 Ontario St, Omaha, NE 68124. The initial agent for service of process of the Company is Brent Nicholls, KN LAW P.C., L.L.O., 300 South 19th St, Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68102. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

STEVEN G. RANUM, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAINKO CAPITAL I, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Mainko Capital I, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Dan Koch, 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP, Attorneys 13330 California Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF CONVERSION OF VIRTUED LLC TO VIRTUED INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that VirtuEd LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has filed Articles of Conversion with the Nebraska Secretary of State converting the limited liability company to VirtuEd Inc., a Delaware corporation, effective August 11, 2021. The Company has designated its registered agent as The Corporation Trust Company, with registered office at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

STEVEN G. RANUM, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GET REAL SANDWICHES, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Get Real Sandwiches, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4609 Monroe Street, Omaha, NE 68117. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Croker, Huck, Kasher, DeWitt, Anderson & Gonderinger, LLC, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Richard J. Henkenius Attorney at Law Suite 525 the Douglas Building 209 South 19th St. Omaha, NE 68102-1705 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of DAISY’S CONCRETE & MORE CO., LLC a Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice if hereby given that Daisy’s Concrete & More Co., LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska with its designated office located at 7010 Haskell St., Suite 213, Omaha, NE 68106, to conduct a construction, sales and service business, and any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized. The company commenced business June 30, 2021. The business is conducted by Lucinda D. Beadle, managing member. The registered agent is Lucinda D. Beadle, and the registered address is 7010 Haskell St., Suite 213, Omaha, NE 68106. August 20, 2021

Walentine O’Toole, LLP Jamie M. Hurst, Esq. 11240 Davenport Street P.O. Box 540125 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PAK Group, LLC PAK Group, LLC, with its initial designated office at 13336 Industrial Road, Suite 101, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, gives notice that it filed its Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on August 17, 2021, and that it has been organized as a Nebraska limited liability company under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial agent for service of process is Kimberly Hizer, and her initial mailing address is 7902 South 162 Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68136. The company’s period of duration is perpetual, and the general nature of its business is to engage in any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Jamie M. Hurst, Organizer First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

STEVEN G. RANUM, Attorney CROKER HUCK LAW FIRM 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MAINKO CAPITAL II, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Mainko Capital II, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Dan Koch, 4700 South 222nd Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that PIKI LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 6521 N 158th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Registered Agent of the Company is Patrick E. Iske, 6521 N 158th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Company was formed on August 17, 2021. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SCHMIDT & SIMON INVESTMENTS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Schmidt & Simon Investments, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Schmidt & Simon Investments, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 1222 S. 118th Street, Omaha, NE 68144, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

Notice of Organization Down Home Family Urgent Care, LLC Notice is hereby given that Down Home Family Urgent Care, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 21444 Pacific Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022, and with its initial agent for service of process as Jacqueline Stanzel, 21444 Pacific Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. First publication August 20, 2021, final September 3, 2021

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Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

He thought the pandemic would crush his small business. Instead, his sports card store boomed by Matt Breen

Bill Mason started selling baseball cards 25 years ago by carving a small space in his father’s convenience store, hoping to grab the attention of customers as they bought lottery tickets or paid their utility bill. He had beSmall business come enamored with collecting after scoring autographs at Veterans Stadium, and this — hawking packs of cards after he turned 18 in the summer of 1996 — was a chance to turn that passion into profit. The business grew, eventually moved to its own building next door, and Bill’s Sports Cards and Memorabilia became a mainstay in Northeast Philly. But the outlook of Mason’s business — and the entire sports card industry — felt a bit dire in March 2020 in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. “I was sitting here and saying, ‘Man, sports are done. People aren’t going to have money. We’re going to have to close the store for a little bit,’ ” Mason said at his store on Rhawn Street. “I didn’t know how this was going to play out.” Seventeen months later, it has played out better than Mason could have ever imagined. The trading card industry boomed during the pandemic as collectors rediscovered the hobby or dug even deeper into it while the world was shut down. Cards starting moving like stocks as values for rookie cards and rare vintage cards spiked on resale markets such as eBay. Packs and boxes became so hard to find that collectors were able to flip them for double or triple the retail price. Topps, the leading card company, was valued earlier this year to be worth $1.3 billion. Of the 25 most expensive sports card sales, 24 of them have been made since the start of 2020. The industry boomed. “The current marketplace since COVID has been freaky. It’s just been completely overwhelming,” said Steve MacKenzie, who owns Horsham’s Knuckleball Sports Cards. “My sales since last July when I reopened my store have probably tripled since before COVID.” “I’ve been here 11 years. Nine of them, I

didn’t make any money or I lost money. But this year is going to be an exception. Last year, I made money. It’s going in the right direction. The market is very strong right now and I think a lot of people are home and you finally have time to say, ‘I think I have my old cards in my attic somewhere.’ You dig them out, and you’re into it again.” While many industries took a hit during the pandemic, trading cards and memorabilia actually benefited. The industry is accustomed to peaks and valleys, but this is a higher peak than local store owners had ever seen. Their fears at the start of the pandemic were for naught. “I’ve never seen a thing like it. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was locked down. Nobody was allowed in,” said Jim DeCorso, who has owned Media Cards & Sports since 1993. “People had time. They decided to work on their collection. They also saved a lot of money. They weren’t renting hotels, going on vacations, and buying plane tickets, so they had a lot of disposable income.” “I’ve had stuff for years. Sometimes I’ll put stuff out and it doesn’t sell. I’ll store it away, forget about it, put it back out. Now, everything sells.” Mason tries to schedule an autograph signing once a month, usually bringing a current or former Philly athlete to his shop. The pandemic forced the cancellation of in-person events, but the signings he scheduled — collectors would send items to Mason for him to give to players — outpaced the ones he held before the pandemic.

And it wasn’t just the stars who have created buzz during the pandemic. Mason said collectors used the pandemic to comb through their sets and see which signatures they were missing. So even a player such as Gregg Jefferies, a solid player but not a superstar, became so popular that Mason had to arrange a second signing. Mason had more than 3,000 items sent to him for Jefferies to sign. “That would never happen before,” Mason said. “It was like that for so many players over the last year.” Carl Henderson, who opened his Havertown shop in 1995, said the current market is “the high end of things.” Carl’s Cards and Collectibles was closed for nearly four months last year because of the pandemic, forcing Henderson to get creative just like the other shop owners. Mason held weekly auctions on Facebook, and Gerber stores such as Heidi and Steve Gerber’s Sportscard Playground in Hatboro held box-breaking events online. Henderson created “mystery boxes” and sold some of the vintage cards in his own collection to make sure his bills were paid. His store reopened last summer, and business was better than ever. “We survived,” Henderson said. “Business is thriving now. Business has really come back. People are back into collecting.” “A lot of kids were home from school, home from college; they kind of realized ‘I can buy and resell,’ so a lot of that happened. A lot of situations where they dug back into their childhood collections and said, ‘Man, I can make some money from this.’ That’s really it. It took off.”

Immunosuppressed people grapple with returning to workplace by Victoria Knight

Elizabeth Groenweghe got a kidney transplant 14 years ago. She now takes several medications to prevent her body from rejecting her Workplace transplant organ. But these medications also weaken her immune system, putting her at higher risk of becoming seriously ill if she catches COVID-19.

When the pandemic began last year, Groenweghe, 29, worked from home for the first month and a half. But then in May 2020, as the chief epidemiologist for the public health department in Wyandotte County, Kansas, she returned to the office. “Obviously, I was nervous about it because I’m so immunosuppressed,” said Groenweghe. She felt relatively safe because her co-workers wore masks and strictly fol-

For unemployed Black and Hispanic women, an uneven economic recovery looms Continued from page 14. women, people of color and underserved populations. The program is intended to help workers obtain higher-wage positions that have benefits and opportunities for career advancement. “What I hear all the time is — from companies — ‘We are ready to hire, but people need to have the skills. They need digital skills, cybersecurity skills … data skills, cloud computing skills,’” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo of the program at a White House briefing. “We need to make sure that women and people of color and people in rural areas have those digital skills so they can get those good jobs.” Experts on both ends of the political spectrum questioned the effectiveness of federally run job training programs similar to the one the Biden administration is funding with money from the coronavirus relief legislation at reducing employment for women of color. “We just don’t have a social safety net to even give these families a runway to be able to enter some of these programs and training programs that the administration is talking about,” Mason said.

There have been other high times for trading cards. They peaked in the 1980s, declined in the early '90s, and have had ups and downs ever since. So it has some wondering if this pandemic boom is really just a bubble waiting to burst. “I think there will be a market correction, but I think it’s always going to be stronger than it ever was,” Heidi Gerber said. “There’s too many people who have a respect for like key cards and key rookie cards and want them for their investment portfolios. The industry is just really, really healthy.” “I think there’s a lot more collectors now,” Mason said. “A lot more kids are back into it now. With the way things are with selling online, people are seeing that they can make money off this. It’s going to continue for at least a year.” Gerber closed the doors to her Hatboro store for more than a year as the pandemic forced Sportscard Playground to rely on curbside pickups. So imagine how the Gerbers felt earlier this month when they held their first in-store event since the pandemic hit and a line of customers waited outside throughout the afternoon. They regularly held events before the pandemic, but never had crowds like this. Business was back, and for local shops, it’s never been better. “It was pretty amazing,” Heidi Gerber said. “I don’t know what else to say besides it was amazing. It definitely confirms your faith in the hobby and how strong it is.” ©2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The administration should focus on helping Black and Latina women advance in the industries in which they are already working, Mason argued, namely in health care, education and the service industry. White House officials told McClatchy that women who participate in the federal job training program could put money from the tax credits Biden wants to extend toward their living expenses while in training. Rachel Greszler, a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said past federal job training programs have not increased the likelihood that individuals will even get work in their new fields. “The industries themselves could do a far better job of this,” she said, referring to training programs. “And they are doing it, and they’re forced to do it in the labor market environment that we’re in.” Greszler said employers have a better sense than the government of the skills that workers need to do unfilled jobs within those industries. Role for business The White House says it is also engaging with businesses about what they can do through its Gender Policy Council.

“I think there is a really strong role for business, and, you know I think anytime you want to move the needle on anything including unemployment for Black and Latino women, you need to enlist all your tools,” said Gender Policy Council co-chair Jennifer Klein. Klein said that businesses have recognized that supporting their workforce means offering on-site childcare and hiring back women who lost or left their jobs during the pandemic. “What we are seeing is that businesses really support these care policies, because they know that not only are they good for their workers, but they’re also good for business,” Klein said. Getting the president’s proposals passed by Congress is the council’s current focus, but Klein said the council is also looking at ways that Biden can unilaterally improve pay equity. “We’re also working on developing other actions, executive actions we can take,” Klein said, “to make sure that work is safe and fair and equitable.” ©2021 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

lowed infection control protocols. But now that vaccinations have become widely available, her workplace has stopped requiring or enforcing mask use. There is no vaccine mandate for her office, and she knows some co-workers are unvaccinated. She feels uncomfortable working around them. “I am debating putting a sign on my door that says ‘Please do not enter if you are unvaccinated,’ because I am really concerned about getting COVID … and have even had a couple co-workers test positive recently,” said Groenweghe. “Knowing that I don’t have any protection against COVID, I’m still wearing a mask and I’m trying to avoid in-person meetings,” she added. “It has been frustrating because, at home, my bubble of protection is great; all of my family and friends are vaccinated. At work I don’t have as much control.” While the emergence of the delta variant in the U.S. has made many companies delay the return to in-person work or mandate vaccinations, in other offices, immunosuppressed people like Groenweghe are left to cobble together their own strategies to minimize their risks. The delta variant raises the stakes for many who were already concerned about catching COVID-19 when they return. Those who have the option to keep working remotely have done so — but worry about what it means for their careers as their colleagues return to the workplace. Research showing how well vaccines protect those with weakened immune systems is limited. In part that’s because immunosuppressed people, who make Continued on next page.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Nonprofit hospitals highlight important questions about the charity ‘grand bargain’ by Bruce DeBoskey

The charity “grand bargain” in the U.S. allows nonprofit organizations to perform charitable, religious, educational and scientific purposes for the “public good,” often relieving government from performing those Nonprofits same functions. In return for their contribution to the public good, nonprofits are deemed tax-exempt organizations, which means they typically don’t pay income, sales or property tax to local, state and federal governments. Also, donations to support those organizations are usually tax-deductible, resulting in the loss of additional tax revenue. This arrangement has recently come under growing scrutiny by many observers (including me in earlier columns) because of the lack of clear definitions around what constitutes public good to justify such favorable tax treatment. Nonprofit hospitals provide yet another example of how little clarity or consistency there is about what benefit they provide to society (versus tax-paying hospitals), and the inadequate accountability and oversight they receive. The presumption is that, in return for their enormous tax advantages, nonprofit hospitals will provide charity care to patients who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it and provide other significant benefits that improve community health. The tax exemption — the taxes nonprofit hospitals don’t pay — was estimated in 2015 to be $25 billion, and presumably is even higher today. This doesn’t include lost income tax revenue due to the conductibility of charitable contributions to those institutions. Decades ago, many hospitals were funded by religious groups and philanthropists to provide medical care to indigent patients. The health care environment has changed dramatically since then, and now, nonprofit hospitals actively compete with tax-paying, for-profit hospitals for health care business. Today, nearly 60% of all acute care hospitals

in the U.S. are non-governmental, nonprofit hospitals. Many are among our most respected institutions, often associated with universities and faith-based organizations. “Automatic tax exemption for nonprofit hospitals is a long-standing but poorly targeted policy that has outlived its sell-by date. In its current form, tax exemption provides no assurance that nonprofit hospitals will behave in accordance with their charitable mission,” according to Ge Bai, associate professor of public health at Johns Hopkins, and David Hyman, professor of health law and policy at Georgetown. Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide community benefits that include charity care, community health improvement efforts, medical training and research, and the assessment of community health needs. Except for charity care, most of the community benefit requirements are vaguely defined, hard to quantify, and have been criticized by observers as “squishy, easy to game or, at best, contestable measures of community benefit.” A 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office study revealed that the IRS doesn’t even track community benefit performance when evaluating a nonprofit hospital’s continued

favorable tax status. Because of that lack of oversight, no nonprofit hospital had its tax-exempt status revoked for failure to provide community benefit information in the prior decade. One of the more measurable community benefit factors is the provision of charity care — helping to pay the costs of medical care for those who can’t afford it. Consider these facts: —One study found that only 20% of nonprofit hospitals provided incremental charity care that exceeded the value of their tax exemption. Viewed differently, 80% of nonprofit hospitals in the U.S. didn’t provide incremental charity care in an amount even equivalent to the amount they saved on taxes due to their tax exemption. —In another study, for-profit hospitals — those that are not exempt from taxes and receive no charitable contributions — provided 65% more charity care than their nonprofit counterparts. Many nonprofit hospitals are multi-billion-dollar, multi-faceted businesses, with huge marketing and advertising budgets, big salaries, large fundraising teams, major endowments, and actual net income or profit. When they need police or fire protection, they utilize the same emergency

services funded by citizen taxpayers and tax-paying businesses. Likewise, nonprofit hospitals benefit from all of the state and federal services and support that other taxpayers help pay for, such as public schools, parks, and military and environmental protection. It’s time for the charity grand bargain to be reexamined by asking some very important questions, beginning with: —How does society define the public good or community benefit in ways that will prioritize those nonprofit programs needed by our country now? —Does a careful cost/benefit analysis of the charity exemption and donation deductibility demonstrate that they make good economic and policy sense for 21st century society? —Can our government make the commitment to provide greater transparency, accountability and oversight of the nonprofit sector to ensure that the charity grand bargain works? Let’s make sure that the charity grand bargain actually improves our cities, states, country and world in ways that make sense for the times in which we live. ©2020 Bruce DeBoskey. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Immunosuppressed people grapple with returning to workplace Continued from preceding page. up at least 3% of the U.S. population and include people with cancer, HIV and many chronic health conditions, were not included in the original clinical trials for the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use. Scientists didn’t include them because they needed to conduct the clinical trials quickly and were concerned that this group’s immunosuppressive medicines and increased likelihood of developing infections in general would complicate interpreting the study results. Research does show that those who are immunosuppressed are at higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19, passing the virus to others in their household and getting infected even if vaccinated. A recent study reported that 44% of hospitalized “breakthrough” cases in the U.S. were in immunosuppressed people. Concerns about her elevated COVID-19 risk led Groenweghe to obtain a third dose of the Moderna vaccine on her own — and participate in a Johns Hopkins University research study that involved measuring transplant recipients’ immune response to an extra vaccine dose. Hopkins recently told her she hadn’t produced any antibodies. But, while the third dose might not have helped Groenweghe, early research shows that a booster shot seems to strengthen the immune response for some with weakened immune systems. Israel began distributing additional doses to the immunosuppressed in July. Britain and France have said they plan to start distributing booster doses to high-risk groups in September. However, the World Health Organization recently called for a moratorium on booster shots until more vaccine could be distributed globally to countries with low vaccination

rates. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a July Senate hearing that immunosuppressed people “may actually need a boost as part of their initial regimen in the sense of getting them up to the point where they are protected.” And soon, third doses may indeed become part of the regimen. The Food and Drug Administration reportedly is closing in on amending the emergency use authorization requests for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to allow third doses of those shots to be given to those with weakened immune systems. The vaccine advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was set to meet Friday and is expected to vote on whether to officially recommend that doctors can prescribe third doses to immunocompromised people. Still, federal officials said these third doses would be recommended only for a small number of immunocompromised people, and it’s not yet clear who will be included. Well in advance of this green light, patients were asking their doctors about additional shots. Andrew Clifford is one such patient. (KHN is identifying him by his first and middle names because he fears retaliation from his workplace.) Andrew, a marketing manager from Missouri, is working from home indefinitely and worries about what he might be missing. The 40-year-old has multiple sclerosis and takes immunosuppressive medication. “The fear of missing out is a tremendous anxiety,” he said. Recently his entire team went back to the office for two weeks to meet with an outside agency. While Andrew was able to go in for two days, he

could tell he had missed out on things on the days he stayed home. “I missed out on the lunchtime convos. When I did show up in the Zoom meetings, I was playing a lot of catch-up,” he said. “I was trying to figure out who I was actually talking to and what they did.” Some patients, such as transplant recipient Elyse Thomas, aren’t waiting for new guidance from the U.S. government. (KHN is identifying her by her middle and last names because she is worried about pushback from her employer.) Instead, Elyse, a 30-year-old social worker for a high school district in the Bay Area of California, pursued third and fourth doses of a COVID-19 vaccine on her own since her school district had staff members return in person in early August. “Some of us transplant patients have had to take matters into our own hands,” Thomas said. “We can’t wait for the recommendation while we could be dying.” She asked for an accommodation to continue working remotely during the 2021-22 school year, as she did the year before, but was told all employees must return. Thomas was offered the option to take medical leave without pay if she didn’t want to come into the office, but that would strain her finances. Her workplace does have a mask mandate, but she’s not sure physical distancing will be enforced and she’s even more anxious now that the delta variant is circulating. “I don’t feel safe and I don’t understand why I have to be there in person,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to risk my transplant for a paycheck. I don’t want to risk my life for a paycheck.” ©2021 Kaiser Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

Job Share Connect poised to reshape outdated model of work, retain talent Continued from page 1. organizations as a “streamlined way for organizations to empower their employees and to give them a way to seek out opportunities, to create timelines and transition plans.” In its infancy, the firm built around software to facilitate connections among employees and shared jobs, focused on solutions to support women in the workforce. Fittingly, the duo became acquainted with each other through their work on the Women’s Fund of Omaha; specifically, the Women & Leadership Report conducted at 10-year intervals since 1996. “Over the three decades, there had been no difference in women in leadership and women in board positions,” Charlsen recalled. “We thought, ‘What are we doing to make a tangible difference?’” Charlsen and Hwang Picarella intimately knew the challenges faced by working mothers. “I was seeing friends with wonderful career paths, and then once school and activities start, it becomes, ‘How am I going to do this? How can I feel like my best self? And how do I find something that allows me to have a career and also have time for my family?” Charlsen noted. With a doctorate in organizational psychology, Hwang Picarella formerly worked in the human capital division for a risk management firm. But when her daughters faced health challenges, she had to step away from the office. “I felt a huge loss of personal and professional identity,” she recalled. Through a mutual Women’s Fund contact, Charlsen and Hwang Picarella reconnected, as they were both grappling with questions of how to support women re-entering the workforce. They paired up with The Startup Collaborative by the Greater Omaha Chamber, which provides resources to help budding entrepreneurs. “We ended up identifying that this is not a women’s issue, but a work issue,” Hwang Picarella said. The founders spoke to workforces craving a model outside of the current one launched 100-plus years ago. Acknowledged as a “completely audacious change,” Charlsen said they leveraged networks in Omaha and Lincoln to get their

fingers on the pulse of problems workforces “Then, COVID hit,” Charlsen recalled. truly cared about. They surveyed employees “We couldn’t approach and sell to companies on what it would mean to them if the model who don’t know what is happening, and when changed overnight. people are losing their jobs or being laid off.” “We had hundreds of responses,” she said. They dug in to their TEDx Ted Talk Hwang Picarella emphasized “heartfelt” (“Unlocking Human Potential Through and truly transformaJob Sharing” can be tive responses; every- Job Share Connect found on their new thing from “it would Founded: 2019 by Jessica Charlsen, website’s home page). make me a better part- Jina Hwang Picarella, Ph.D. They also secured a ner” to “I could have Services: smart employee developmatching prototype a career again” were ment software that matches employees grant through the mentioned. to shared jobs with opportunities for Department of Eco“It tugged at both cross-training, up-skilling, or flexibility nomic Development’s our guts and our Website: www.jobshareconnect.com Nebraska Innovation hearts,” she added. Fund (NIF). “We said we had to do something,” she said. Additional funding and resources came From there, the co-CEOs were “full-in” courtesy of Lincoln Partnership for Economic with the collaborative. They would go on to Development’s LaunchLNK program. win a FinTech Fellowship through the colHwang Picarella noted how the 60% vallaborative’s partnership with First National idation of its hypothesis/solution was good. Bank of Omaha. While brainstorming how to But, through the program, they were able to help companies hire consultants, contractors “validate it further.” or full-time employees, Charlsen and Hwang “It pushed us,” she said. “We went back Picarella homed in on job sharing. and talked to companies about what their “It’s a flexible model where two people main HR priorities were. Rather than talking share the role and responsibilities of a full- about new talent, a lot were talking about time position,” Charlsen explained. “We retaining talent.” thought, ‘Why aren’t companies doing this?’” The founders began focusing on building Securing the fellowship, and additional prototypes that worked internally within orgaawards for being the first company to hit tan- nizations. Job Share Connect further refined gible milestones (i.e., businesses that signed its solutions via nationally-ranked startup agreements to explore and find new talent accelerator, gBETA Lincoln. through their system), positioned them well They heard talent in Lincoln was not open to pay for legal fees to incorporate, website to full-time jobs in Omaha (and vice versa) support, and other startup must-haves that but they were open to a job share, which, as otherwise would have depleted their personal they put it, “allows us to better leverage talent savings. between Omaha and Lincoln.” “It also gave us the confidence to know Its status as one of the top five compawhy there weren’t more companies doing nies within the Society for Human Resource [job sharing],” Charlsen said. “It’s difficult Management (SHRM) pitch competition also to find a partner. It’s difficult to help a com- provided validation, national exposure and pany onboard someone. We needed to make resources. it easy to find a job share partner and to help “Our sweet spot is about 1,000 to 2,000 companies hire and match two into one role employees, as low as 500 and as high as with existing employees.” 5,000,” Charlsen said of its clients. “The By summer 2019, the fledgling business teams are really those where revenue is genhad its first clients. erated from talent.” “We spent a good amount of the summer For instance, they spoke to firms within educating people,” she said. “And we got the consulting space — engineering, wealth CTOs to help us build a prototype.” management, technology. With client partnerships and placements “They recognize that, if they lose their soaring, the pair came into 2020 “feeling people, that’s their most valuable resource,” really good.” she said. “They’re the ones who want to build

Modern Matriarch distillery sets sights on expanding operations Continued from page 1. started partnering with Quail Distributing to get smoothness, and use water from the Loess products to residents around Nebraska. Hills. There are currently four products availBlakely explained that the company is able including Silver Rum, Amber Rum, and named after her grandmother, who was the Salted Caramel Rum. The strawberry lemon- family’s matriarch. ade and salted cara“Every person mel flavors have been Modern Matriarch knows a ‘matriarch’ in approved and are Phone: 402-981-1262 their lives,” she said. awaiting labels to go Founded: 2018 “What does it mean to market. to be a matriarch? It’s Service: handcrafted rum distillery “We have learned Goal: To have a successful business to a woman who rules that our process allows pass on to future generation. or dominates a family, the flavors to come Industry outlook: Premium alcohol bev- group, or state, specifalive and enhance the erages are growing in demand; smaller ically: a mother who rum versus overpower brands are traction. is head and ruler of her it,” she said. family and descendants. Website: matriarchdistillery.com The drinks can be Our grandmother was used for mixing or can be enjoyed on their own. the family's matriarch. My grandmother owned After receiving a license from the state of her own business and instilled in me the desire Iowa in March 2020, the distillery launched its to provide for my family.” first product, Silver Rum, in November 2020. Not only are the Modern Matriarch products In May 2021, it got a license for Nebraska and unique, but Blakely said that the other reason

why the brand is succeeding is because of the array of people in the community that are showing their support. She started her career in 1997 in the Omaha metro area and has served on several boards for local organizations over the years. “I have a vast network in the local community … my network is very supportive,” she said. As with any business starting out, there are different challenges to work through. The distillery’s ‘trophy’ bottle has been a challenge for bars carrying it because it wasn’t round. The team has worked on changing up the labels to fit a round bottle and as soon as those are available, they will be ready to go to various places in Nebraska for distribution. Looking ahead at the future, Blakely said that they are excited about what’s to come. They recently purchased land and will be building a distillery that has a larger warehouse, tasting room, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliant bathrooms. The goal is to finish that by the end of 2022.

ways to retain them.” “And they really feel the pain when key people are leaving,” Hwang Picarella added. Charlsen said they see the competitive advantage of looking at careers not as corporate ladders but rather as “career jungle gyms.” “They can seek out other opportunities that they didn’t know existed,” she said. Leadership also noted how they are helping adults learn by sharing the actual work. “Only 10% of adults learn through online training,” Hwang Picarella explained. “Seventy-percent of how adults learn is through actual, on-the-job learning, and 20% is through others. But the majority of companies are spending a lot of money on that 10%. That is not really helping people to learn and it’s adding to digital exhaustion.” The founders also noted how these connections encourage workforces to engage on a deeper level, to understand different ways of thinking, and to promote diversity and inclusion. It’s a model, too, that addresses the “future of work” and how one’s ideal “future” job at age 40 is not what he or she may have wanted at age 20.

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We publish and file trade name applications, notices of organization and notices of incorporation for the State of Nebraska.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

Availability of aviation careers, education in metro provide bright future for prospects by Brooke Strickland

The travel industry — aviation specifically — has just come through one of the most unusual times in history. The pandemic halted how many people use airlines for travel and business, which put significant strain on the aviation industry. Now, things are ramping back up again and aviation professionals are hopeful for a full recovery. Because of this, it is an ideal time for people to consider a career or education in the aviation field. The job market in Nebraska is good for those in the aviation industry. “As the airline industry and other segments of the broader aviation industry continue to recover in the wake of COVID, opportunities for employment will open up,” said Scott E. Tarry, director and professor at the Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. “In short, this is a great time to either begin preparation for an aviation career or seek employment in an aviation career field.” Lisa LaMantia, vice president of national services for Carver Aero, noted graduates are finding jobs primarily at airlines. “After being cooped up during COVID,

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Midlands Business

Journal • NOVEMBER 24, 2017 •

by Michelle Leach

Boys Town Clinic (Courtesy of Calvin L. Hinz Architects)

Sandhills Publishing Cyber Center Rendering (Courtesy of Sinclair Hille)

features, robust economy

result in multi-sector

opportunities

2017

THE BUSINESS

NEWSPAPER OF

GREATER OMAHA,

Technology upgrad by Richard D. Brown

LINCOLN AND

COUNCIL BLUFFS

es keep Interstate

$2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 47

Printing competitive

Interstate Printing ha-based firm founded Co., an Omaby a German immigrant with Business & Industrial a special interest in publishing ethnic Parks/Leasing newspapers, has used its family-ownership as an anchor, placed strong equipment upgrades, emphasis on and maintained a comprehensive Green Arrow Junk list Co. aims to reduce has enabled it to growof services that household, landfill with the needs clutter. – Page Business & Industrial 2 of its commercial printing clients, which are located Park/Leasing throughout much of the country. — inside “For our 100 years OCTOBER 20, we have main2017 tained a low-key approach, which has enabled us to attract business clients THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE: with jobs that we can on,” said William do a good job F. Peter, a third generation family member who became president five years ago. “With each job we to say, ‘This came want to be able from us’ and that both our client and Persistence paves way for will be pleased with their customers 40 for Contemporary Art’s The Union the results,” he community der continued. impact. Un 40 – Page 3 Peter, who formerly practiced law full-time before uncle Eugene Peter succeeding his who retired from Locally owned Aksarben the business at age 88 five years ago, serves large demographicCinema From left, Continued on page with amenities. 8. reached its Senior VP of Sales Jim Mancuso centennial year – Page 2 with investments and President William Peter … in new tech. The printing company has (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville) in 28

der Un

• OCTOBER 20,

2017 • Midlands Business

Journal

October 20, 2017

No slowdown in demand by Michelle

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

as availability presents

ongoing challenges

More buildings may Leach economy with upside be coming out of potential.” ground, but demand the NAI NP Dodge remains brisk. also being constructed “Demand for commercial at described the leasing Associate Kyle Pelster Opportunities are Highway Crossing.” Edney indicated real estate market as “very tight.” loans is very strong,” available for tenants this is driving projects, “At any given and landlords leasing said Stephanie Moline, such as the aforementioned executive vice president to them. time, there are around R&R. These challenges ing with First National of Enterprise Lend- 100 properties, give or Bank. “Commercial A; Edney recalled aren’t limited to Class and industrial loan how the Kellogg take, listed/available demand is growing, building at 10203 Crown at a much slower but in the Omaha/Council Point Ave. near pace.” Fort Blair High Road She said some of had “multiple offers and Bluffs couple of weeks.” in a in late 2016 is being the capital investment said. market,” he “Having said absorbed. “There isn’t much “It would appear that, finding the of that type of product out there, either,” coris lagging the capital the anticipated revenue rect he said. square footage, expenditures,” Moline He also spoke to said. location, rental tures, such as greater demand for certain fearates Growth of C&I clear heights and and building layout dock doors — driven larger about the same as loans, she said, remains can by requirements be very difficult.” a year companies such as “Agribusiness loans ago. as He referred to are up year over year and using third-partyAmazon are growing and commercial Moline more providers. real estate is up Edney “We’re also seeing year over more construction in the last year — year,” she said. Pelster with a lot of interest owner/user buildings “We are finally seeing from investors that Generally, businesses but some spec an increase in new in are spec industrial space are optimistic buildings as well. industrial properties,”looking to invest about potential tax on the market “The new Facebook he reform. project will add after a slowdown in new spec projects again of that interest is coming fromsaid. “A lot “This would cause new infrastructure past,” he said. some monies to outside of in the the Midwest.” along the Highway repatriated and improving be 50 rental rates “The increases in term length, working capital corridor,” Pelster said. “This will Edney referred and operating expenses and money that can break way to to cap rates and be used for acquisitions for new projects and industrial continue ROI as lower steadily rise. or additional investment on the coasts, making one’s parks in that in equipment and/ area.” “The rest of the market Omaha attractive as a secondary or people,” she said. seems to be catch- to He said Thrasher ing up with the rental Chicago, New York or tertiary market and Freightliner more entrants into “There continues to be created rates we are have or Denver. Regarding “behind-the-scenes” from loan productionthe local market; both leaving large new buildings for themselves, of the new construction projects.” seeing out vacancies in their offices OMNE Partners indusprevious locations. Moline is encouraged and FinTechs.” EVP Matt Edney Continued on page “Brook Valley continues Class A industrial by new market 30. entrants as: “People availability remains said to be the leader believe this is a vibrant in new industrial construction hard to find.” “really projects,” Pelster said. “The “And that type R&R Commerce of product is moving Park is pretty quick,” he said.

n me ss Wo ine Bus

Women’s representation in leadership: Ripples adding up to a sea change? – Page 4

in Omaha

Archrival updates 10-year-old Haymarket space, establishe s Los Angeles presence by Michelle Leach

Archrival’s renovated space as one space,” said Clint! RunLincoln ge, headquarters at 720 founder and the unique mix of O St. speaks to director. “We managing creative a mature wanted our space years old and counting firm — 20 be a little further to along the business — and energetic startup spirit that has resulted chain … and at one point that was in campaigns with an ‘aspirational’ Redbull, space, it became Motorola, and expansion Adidas, us and we outgrew with sister mature it. It’s more offices and teams of a business than in the space gon, and Los Angeles.Portland, Ore- felt like.” “We’ve been here The Haymarket for over 10 space breathes years, and wanted to rethink the entire Archrival’s niche in youth cultureContinued on page 10.

yee plo s Em efit Ben

Harness technology to overcome capacity constraints, attract business year-round – Page 6

President Nick upon 30-plus years Cusick … Equipment manufacturer builds soccer; tennis courtof innovation with safety features in volleyball, sports like pickleball.renovations to accommodate rising interest in

Bison makes gains Nebraskan Michael Forsberg focuses as new gyms built lens on Great Plains amid popularity of conservation. sports like pickleball – Page 34 by Michelle Leach

Founder/Managi ng Creative Director Communications Clint! Runge Amy with focus on youth Filipi … Brand communications with Head of culture. firm flourishes

Depending on where pared to that,” said President Nick across Bison’s divisions one looks Cusick, who indicated its focus and product lines, the Lincoln-based was on other areas. “Even without manufacturer’s growth is up at least 5 to a lot of direct marketing emphasis, 10 percent to 30 percent our site furnishing business, BRP, following or amid dealer base and ownership was up 5 to 10 percent.” transitions, and Falling under custom a business unit redesign. trial job shop manufacturerindusIM“Bison overall, its SCORP’s holding company umline, had an incredibleown product brella, wholly-owned year prior subsidiary and this last year was flat com- Bison is joined by SNA Sports Continued on page 10.

THE BUSINESS

NEWSPAPER OF

GREATER OMAHA,

Lamp Rynearson by Richard D. Brown

Drone and innovative scanning technology is giving Lamp Rynearson, Omaha-based civil engineering, a 58-year-old landscape architecture, construction and surveying firm, administration a competitive advantage as it completes a wide range of private and public sector projects. Nancy Pridal, a professional engineer and 20-year son employee who Lamp Rynearto president of the was promoted firm in August, stresses that leading the latest technologywith the use of the employee-owned has enabled increase its revenues company to by more than 100 percent over the while the employee past 10 years creased by 45 percent.count has in“With the investment we’ve made, we want to be viable in the future with the technology provided,” Pridal said. “For example, we can scan a mound and get the typographic data and in scanning stockpiles we can get quantities.” The purchase of a second drone Continued on page 12.

LINCOLN AND

COUNCIL BLUFFS

competes with innova

$2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 42

tive technology

President Nancy

Pridal … Leveraging

La Casa Pizzaria dishes out more options to customers from online orders to food by Michelle Leach truck

tech investments

for variety of projects. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

La Casa Pizzaria Jesse. “Being a family restaurant, is evolving with offerings on wheels — its food our staff lives for interaction.” truck — and via She indicated there technologies such is a balas online ordering, ancing act for the third-generafocused on customerwhile staying tion, family-owned service from and operated the family that has been dishing restaurant, which is still located out its Neapolitan-style at 4432 pizza for the Leavenworth St. in Omaha — almost 75 years. same location that reportedly “Technology plays caught on so well that a part,” said General Manager/Treasure Patane and his family Founder Joe r Nicole “ran out of Continued on page 18.

Ashley Abel, property manager with Cushman Lund Co., for 1415 & Wakefield/ @ The Yard, demonstrates app during the IOTAS’ property grand opening event for the complex.

Smart-enabled apartmen t community delivers plug and play app to renters by Becky McCarville

General Manager/Treasu rer Nicole — from food truck to website and menu Jesse … A heaping of “new” on service, Neapolitan-style updates — blends with focus pizza and pasta.

At the recent grand lifestyle. opening of 1415 @ The Yard The platform also apartment comprovides data plex at 14th and Cuming streets, to property managers so they can property manager Ashley Abel with monitor and control energy usage, Cushman & Wakefield/Lund rent units Co., streamlinefaster through automation, logged onto the property labor costs and add dashboard value to launch the smart apartment app to properties. designed by Portland-based “It helps run the property IOTAS more (Internet of Things As a Service), efficiently,” Abel said, adding that demonstrating the she can control ease new tenant can control at which a ing, heating vacant units’ lightand air conditioning, automated technologyand integrate monitor maintenance to fit their issues as well Continued on page 39.

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uates from our UAS (drone) program as they seek to leverage the power of those technologies to improve various aspects of their businesses. Airports and companies that offer services at airports are also hiring as air travel volumes return to normal.” Jennifer Monroe, recruiting team leader for Duncan Aviation, said there is a great need for skilled technical specialists. “We are currently hiring for techniMonroe cians with skills in airframe and engine maintenance as well as individuals with knowledge of electronics, woodworking and cabinetry, paint and finishes, structures testing, machining, etc. Virtually any aviation company is hiring right now,” she said. As airlines and other commercial service airports begin to see more demand for air travel, those looking to find jobs in the aviation field will be able to do so more easily. Monroe recommended that recent aviation graduates look for internships and research companies that they might be interested in working for. She also said

that making connections with people is important, too. “[Job seekers] should reach out to people they know who work for those companies, talk with the recruiting teams, and set up company tours to get a better idea of the employer’s company culture,” she said. “They should also be sure to work with their school’s career placement center to develop the best possible resume and personal brand.” LaMantia said that taking the time to connect with potential employers or others that may have leads is crucial. “Start making calls and putting feelers out to different people in your aviation network to let them know you are approaching your flight hours or nearing completion of your course and that you will be looking for a job,” she said. Last, job seekers should make sure that they invest in themselves with quality education and plenty of training — the result will always pay off. “Resist the temptation to take shortcuts in your training,” Tarry said. “Seek out opportunities that help you develop as an aviation professional. A successful career in aviation is built on a foundation of education and training that emphasizes safety and professionalism.”

Marking first year, Naughty Buddha Burger Bar opens vegan sweet shop Continued from page 1. both the restaurant and sweet shop, while filling a need in the community. “Our customers have had a hard time finding vegan food or sweet treats,” Fa-

Naughty Buddha Burger Bar

Mixed use building rendering (Courtesy of Studio 951)

Architecture — inside

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

Tarry LaMantia When it comes to specific places looking to hire, LaMantia said that Carver Aero is currently looking for charter pilots, line technicians, customer service assistance, avionics technicians, mechanics, and aircraft washers. Tarry noted that companies like Southwest Airlines and other regional airlines are beginning to bolster hiring efforts again. “Opportunities also exist with other key partners, such as Jet Linx Aviation, which is headquartered in Omaha and offers jet management services around the country,” he said. “Companies are also hiring grad-

November 24, 2017

5055 Building at Bryan Health’s East Campus (Courtesy of Davis Design)

Unique Midlands

Private giving and an economy that any one industry isn’t may stays,” but the level be Midlands “mainDundee harkening and the sheer need of cross-sector activity back to communities for talent to meet in communities withdemand for services are newer-emerging that sprung up on phenomenon streetcar or bus lines. for area firms. He also speaks to “The architecture, engineering and lifestyle and the built a “balance in terms of construction industry the movement from environment”; consider Greater Omaha region is very strong in the and now “hybrids,” cubicles to open spaces at the moment,” said conference rooms which combine smaller BCDM Principal and areas where and employees can still have Director John Sullithat sense of community van, who also isolated but also privacy Sarpy County’s highas needed. growth. “We’re moving Further, Sullivan to that direction, notes strength “nearnot because it’s the trend ly across the board” but because it’s — from office the and right thing,” he said. institutional to private The architecture sectors such as reliand engineering Palandri gious projects which, side of the construction he said, is “unusual” and “won’t last forever.” industry was described “The economic development as “robust,” into and growth Smith of the metro-area the has Design Senior Associatefinal quarter by Davis and the diversificationbeen steady and strong, and Senior Architect of the area economy Greg Smith. — both of those factors add up John Sullivan, principal to things happening “Several projects and in the metro, and that’sgood by Sullivan: “One of the designed recently still in hopes of breaking things that’s unique director at BCDM Architects. necessarily true are not about Omaha across the state, environments, and ground this fall is there is strong many of the large especially and if you’re in an ag philanthropic a shift in what Downtown Lincoln and private support for area and go into expect.” people ects are central or key projects.” projwestern Nebraska gaining inertia,” he AO’s … said. “The interior Palandri speaks to remodel market modities-driven areas,”and some of the com- Palandri Managing Principal Randall trying to attract is also J. nials and a has seen the uptick lifestyle shift, whereby millen- keep contractors busy strong and this will He also referenced he said. in growth that became noticeable during winter months.” the more urban centers the many pockets around two years growth, from newer Many large-scale of main steady ago re- perspective are in demand from a housing Telegraph District’s projects, such as the and offices that to Aksarben Village, areas such as Blackstone attributes in more recent months, which he generation speak to this School/YMCA, Marilyn Moore Middle at the stage where particularly to infill-type are in-demand from sion of that development extenprojects. Hudl, and “There a of the projects featured is occurring. Some opment,” is a lot more emphasis on redevel- perspective. He also speaks, not workplace to form; however, Smith Nelnet, have come necessarily he said. “What really said to “vintage” or here in this section reflect another prominent “traditional” construction mains work in the build-outs. there still redrove it was, materials but to, He referenced trend mentioned there was a pent-up demand for market-rate perhaps, more “traditional” work at Bryan Health’s apartments and neighborhoodEast Campus, in more walkable-type new of with areas such and community-building, EustisLES Operations Center, and projects the for as Benson, Blackstone Autobody at 98th Street and Highway and Continued on next page.

NOVEMBER 24,

people want to go places, which means the airlines activity is increasing,” she said. “There is a need for mechanics both in general aviation and the airlines.”

Phone: 402-315-1212 Location: 707 S. 24th St., Omaha 68102 Service: local vegan restaurant Founded: August 2020 Employees: 5 Goal: To expand throughout Midwest. Website: www.facebook.com/buddhaburgerbar/

tiah Ali said. “We wanted to change that by offering a place for anyone to come to enjoy vegan options, all at reasonable price points. It can be confusing to figure out what you can and can’t eat, and we want our customers to be able to eat freely without worry when they visit us.” Consistency is key when it comes to running the business, she said. The menu, which consists of seven burgers and specials, is purposely made to be uncomplicated for customers. Taking care of the planet is equally important to the Alis so they’ve utilized compostable-only packaging to stay true to messaging. All packaging is made to-go, which has also helped customers feel safer and more comfortable during the pandemic. Supporting local is part of the business’ mission, as well, which is why the Alis teamed up with Ted & Wally’s to create custom ice cream flavors for the sweet shop. Ali said the business also works with local farmers to keep items fresh and flavorful. “We love every part of what we do,” she said. “We love our team, who are in-

trigued and want to learn about a healthier lifestyle, and we love our customers, who thank us for being here. We really try to go above and beyond to put love into every detail of our operation.” There are challenges to running a business, though, and Ali said the biggest hurdle is financing. Being a new small business, especially during a pandemic, has made it difficult to navigate funding. However, this hasn’t discouraged the business owners, who said they intend to be around for the long haul. In fact, the business continues to see daily growth thanks to supportive and loyal customers. “We are on the right path and we look

forward to watching the Chocolate Bar grow and showing our customer base that we won't be going anywhere,” she said. “I think there has been a lack of consistency during the pandemic and we want to send a message to our customers that we are here for you.” As time goes on, Ali said the plan is to continue to expand across the Midwest, first focusing on adding locations in Lincoln and west Omaha. “We aren’t looking to expand to the coasts, as we want to make this something special right here in the Midwest,” Ali said. “This area has been the most supportive place, which makes us work even harder every day to do right by them.”

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

LINCOLN GROWTH REPORT Lincoln Business Journal Pages

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Luke Peltz, vice president of economic development for the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development. (photo by David Kubicek)

August 20, 2021

dent and CEO Todd Ogden, in a year-onyear update to the 2020 Lincoln Growth Report section, referred to how the pandemic has sped up urban trends around the country. “The things we planned for 2018 and 2019 and the downtown master plan, [the pandemic] made those catalyst priorities more important,” he said, emphasizing the priority of making “downtown more of an urban neighborhood.” “We saw an awakening and a huge change in office space, from the ‘8-to-5’ office to the ‘247’ office.” So, while traditional office spaces may have been lost, the area gained those who complement the live-work-play environment. “That has been sped up,” Ogden said. “We are seeing a huge uptick in residents.” In 2010, the area housed 3,000 people; today, there are around 10,000 residents. “A lot of people have been worried

about office space,” he added. “There have been some growing or shrinking pains. But downtown is the perfect spot for new, hybrid workforces.” A “huge class of budding entrepreneurs,” are attracted to the area, no less traditional coworking spaces (like Fuse or The Foundry), or completely new approaches to the concept of coworking; for instance, he referred to shifts in how residential communities are designing common areas. Or, like Hudl, companies are integrating work pods and zones. Flexibility is key to a “liveable, walkable and driveable experience.” The DLA is focusing on a series of smaller events (rather than one big event), going forward, which Odgen indicated supports public health and elements such as social distancing. Events are featured Continued on next page.

Housing supply, attracting and retaining talent take center stage in Lincoln

From left: Allen Chaffee and Matthew Klemke, O.D.

“

by Michelle Leach with a large number of competing offers Opportunities for live-work-play enon the same home,” he said. “There has vironments and to reverse the brain drain been some slowdown from the peak of the that has long characterized many midmarket but, for the most part, homes are sized Midwestern communities are at the selling faster and for a higher price than forefront of housing and talent efforts to what we would normally see.” propel Lincoln forward. There is pressure on all sides of the “The theme for the real estate marmarket. ket over the past 18 months “Housing is a continuum,” centers on three words: ‘lack he said. “People must be able of supply,’” said Kyle Fischer, to move from their ‘first-time executive vice president with home buyer ’ house, to their the REALTORS Association of ‘move-up’ house, to their ‘forevLincoln. “The housing recession er home,’ and later downsizing of the late 2000s and the Great if necessary as they age. Recession that followed, hit the “When there is no room to home-building and home-buying move within the market, bemarkets the hardest.” cause the options aren’t there, There were abundant opinvestors are forced to compete tions for a long time, Fischer for those homes that may otherOgden continued, and the lending and wise be purchased by ‘first-time home-building industries changed their home buyers.’ That raises the base cost practices to adjust to a new reality. of properties and, in turn, drives up the “When the market picked back up, we rent that a renter may have to pay on that were hit with a global pandemic that ate property.” away the inventory we had been slowing Lincoln is seeing parts of the cycle building,” he explained. come to fruition right now, Fischer noted, In fact, Fischer noted the average numacknowledging how local government is ber of days a home is on the market dipped “taking notice of the problem.” into the single digits last year and, again, “If we, as a community, commit to earlier this year. growing and building new homes in ex“That means most homes were selling panding areas of the city, we can be sucwithin a few days of being put on the marcessful,” he said. ket and most were selling above list price Downtown Lincoln Association Presi-

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal • Lincoln Growth Report

Lincoln’s nonprofits stay nimble to withstand pandemic challenges by Dwain Hebda

Lincoln’s nonprofit community persevered through the pandemic by staying light on their feet and adapting quickly. This allowed most of continue to serve their mission within the community. “I was amazed at how quickly our nonprofit organizations adapted to this pandemic,” said Victoria Grasso, president of the Cooper Foundation. “They increased services and added new ones; they quickly partnered with other agencies and the city to meet emergency needs and they did it before they knew how they would pay for it. “Many had to close their doors physically, so they had to deliver services in a completely new way. Some places stayed open throughout the pandemic because of the nature of their services. And of course, they were concerned about keeping their employees and constituents safe.” As a funder of many of these groups, the foundation itself took steps to help the nonprofit community stay afloat during the unprecedented times. “During the height of the pandemic, the Cooper Foundation moved to monthly grant decisions instead of quarterly and streamlined our application process to make it much easier to apply for a grant,” she said. “We replaced some of our forms with meetings via Zoom instead. This allowed us to connect with our grantees and really learn about what they were experiencing and what they needed. And, all our grants were for unrestricted funding, so the

grantees chose how to use those dollars.” laptops and brought them into our gyms The Malone Center was one of the and different classrooms, broke the age nonprofits that didn’t shut down, requiring groups up,” he said. “We were able to leadership to move quickly and keep kids caught up with their make sound decision on how to schoolwork and they were able keep staff and the public safe. to interact with their teachers “We took a week to prepare, one-on-one every day. That was based under the health departwith our youth programs. ment’s guidelines,” said John “With other programs we Goodwin, executive director. have as far as teens, we were still “We made sure everything was able to meet those requirements clean, ready to go. I ordered as well. Our maternal wellness these purifiers that eliminates program pretty much went rethe virus that causes COVID-19 mote, and we also helped with by 99.9% airborne and on surdelivering groceries to families faces. We placed those in our in the community.” Grasso facility and then we opened.” Lisa Guill, communications director Goodwin said traffic management was with City Impact, said the group was a top priority in the center once programs blessed to have committed volunteers who got started. looked to stay connected even during pe“When school went remote, we took riods of lockdown and who returned once

things opened back up. This was on display during Gifts of Love, a program that helps low-income parents buy holiday gifts for their children. “Gifts of Love is one of the longest-running Christmas programs in Lincoln, it’s been around for about 24 years now,” she said. “Most other Christmas programs in town had shut down last year because they couldn’t find a way to make it. We worked with the city, we worked within safety regulations, and we still had more than 500 volunteers come in to help run the store. Parents would shop on Zoom calls and our volunteers provided shopper assistance and ran the items out to their car. “We didn’t have a significant problem filling those spots with volunteers, which was a huge blessing. It speaks to the level of support that the community has had for this program for a long time.”

Housing supply, attracting and retaining talent take center stage in Lincoln Continued from preceding page. on the DLA’s home page. Dan Marvin, director of the city of Lincoln’s urban development department, highlighted a “record number” of redevelopment plans in the last year. “Many of those deal with housing in the downtown, but others address rehabilitation of existing office space that was impacted by a reduction in office demand,” he said. “One example is the Terminal building, which is changing from an office-only building to an office and

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condo building.” ly,” Peltz said. “This provided a new opHe referenced the city council’s adop- portunity to illustrate why recent college tion of the coordinated housing action plan graduates who have moved to larger cities to “encourage a number of new, affordable should consider either continuing their housing projects.” existing careers in Lincoln or exploring Notable projects include Block 65, a new opportunities in a city they already 200-room apartment at 14th and N streets know and love.” that is scheduled to be under construction With the University of Nebraska next year. Alumni Association, LPED launched a “This $50 million project will be a campaign to encourage University of Negreat addition to the downtown,” Mar- braska-Lincoln graduates that had moved vin noted. “And Canopy Park is under away to rediscover Lincoln. construction and is scheduled to open in “With a short-term goal of promoting 2022.” Lincoln as an exceptional place to live, Acknowledging “COVID work and play,” Peltz added, reservation” and the rising num“our long-term goal is to furber of people impacted by new ther build our local workforce variants, Marvin still noted through the recruitment of these much optimism. individuals.” “Sales taxes in Lincoln are The YP Group, for one, is at record highs indicating a fair reportedly among the largest of amount of business transacits kind in the U.S. Also, Peltz tions,” he said. “Unemployment said the Place to Be program is low in both Lincoln and Neis now in its third year and braska and building permits are designed to increase “talent imat record levels. These issues migration” by telling the city’s create their own challenges in story to YPs outside of the state. Fischer terms of filling vacant jobs along with “From this program, additional local rising construction costs.” efforts were born, including our Talent Marvin also referenced Mayor Leirion Forum and Expanding Talent Pools series, Gaylor Baird and the Lancaster County educating recruiters and HR professionBoard of Commissioners’ announcement als on unique opportunities to tap into related to investing $100 million-plus in Lincoln’s available talent pools with an American Rescue Plan State and Local emphasis on inclusivity,” Peltz said. Fiscal Recovery Funding. To existing workforce efforts, he not“There are new funds available through ed its weekly job postings, case manager that program that are tailored to increase tours and career fairs — interestingly, travel and tourism for Lincoln, address job reformatted as drive-thru fairs through training and tools to assist businesses that the pandemic. are struggling with the impact of COVID,” “We have also experienced great Marvin summed up. success with the Lincoln Manufacturing Luke Peltz highlighted the Lincoln Class, a six-week training that provides Partnership for Economic Development’s participants without previous manufactalent attraction and retention priorities. turing experience the skil lset and tools The LPED vice president of economic they need to obtain full-time careers in the development referenced ongoing efforts manufacturing industry,” he said. of its young professionals group, Lincoln The local economy and workforce got the Place to Be Program and workforce an additional lift with recent announcedevelopment. ments, Peltz indicated, such as Kawasaki’s “When the pandemic hit, new oppor- $200 million expansion in July, which reptunities to recruit young professionals resents almost 600 new jobs. Zoetis, too, back to Lincoln surfaced as a result of an reportedly announced their fifth expansion increase in opportunities to work remote- in the past six years.

Lincoln Growth Report • Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

Lincoln educational institutions see students adapt to uncertainty by Brooke Strickland

Nebraska as a whole is seeing fewer students coming through the high school to college pipeline. Instead, there are more people that are heading to college later after they have worked a while. This is especially true since the pandemic hit. People were laid off and many decided to use that time to earn an accelerated degree or obtain certificates to make themselves more competitive in the workplace. In addition, people are using the online option for school more and more. “Doane as a whole, and Doane-Lincoln have seen increases in students choosing to complete more classes in online or hybrid modalities,” said Dr. Lorie Cook-Benjamin, interim chief academic officer at Doane University. “Doane has also seen an increase in the number of non-degree seeking students.” Dr. Tim Frey, dean of the College of Education at Doane, noted that in his department, more students are taking advantage of remote learning. “Our enrollment for the College of Education has held steady through the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years,” Frey said. “But with the emergence of distance education tools like Zoom, we’ve seen more students, particularly from rural areas far from campuses, appreciating the opportunity

for classes/professional development without the long drive.” Dr. Joel Michaelis, vice president of instruction at Southeast Community College, noted that

Cook-Benjamin Michaelis the school provided in-person classes throughout the pandemic and for safety, limited enrollment in most classes. “Because of our commitment to teaching classes face-to-face, our enrollment remained fairly flat over the past year,” he said. “However, for this coming fall we are definitely seeing an uptick in enrollment in our technical programs. Compared to this time last year, our Fall 2021 enrollment is up.” Joan Jurek, director of college planning for

EducationQuest’s Omaha office explained that the pandemic had an effect on high school students that were considering starting college soon. However, there are resources available to help get them enrolled this year. “The pandemic has had a huge impact of higher education,” she said. “It’s caused many high school seniors to change or postpone their college plans due to the uncertainty and financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. “We also saw a decrease in the number Jurek of seniors who completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this past year causing them to miss out on critical financial aid for college. To help seniors and their families, we will conduct Senior College Planning Webinars in August, Financial Aid Webinars in September, and FAFSA Tutorials in October. We will also host Virtual College Fairs in October, November, and December.”

For high school seniors that are looking at starting college soon, Jurek said that one of the best ways to prepare for college entry is to start preparing now. That means, start narrowing college choices and apply to the places that you most want to attend, and complete the paperwork for financial aid as soon as possible. Dr. Frey also stressed the importance of remaining flexible. “Continued flexibility will be key for parents, teachers, and students,” he said. “I expect that teachers and school leaders will have to continue to adapt to changing conditions, expectations, and guidelines in order to have the best educational experiences for students. It is sometimes unnerving to not know exactly what is going to happen next but keeping in mind that everyone is looking out for the best interests of the students makes it easier to cope with changes that will likely continue to be part of education in the coming year.” “Business and industry are alive and well in our area and continues to thrive and grow,” Dr. Michaelis said. “There are some exceptional careers to be made for anyone just starting out in life or anyone wanting to make a change.”

Lincoln ads more entertainment options as economy opens up by David Kubicek

An opening-up economy means more entertainment options available although some pandemic restrictions still apply. From March 2020, until May 2021, COVID-19 forced most touring acts to cancel or postpone shows, according to Tom Lorenz, general manager of Pinewood Bowl Theater and Pinnacle Bank Arena. “No touring shows on the road means no shows at Pinewood,” he said. “We only did one show, in August of 2020, and that was the Beach Boys. The set was social distanced, and mask protocols were in place. Lorenz Limited touring started again in May 2021.” On Sept. 7, nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow makes her first visit to Pinewood Bowl, which is located at Pioneers Park. On Sept. 8, 311, which was formed in Omaha in 1990, returns to Nebraska for its first-time performance at Pinewood. Special guests are Iration and Iya Terra. On Sept. 22, Shinedown, which has played at Pinnacle Bank Arena multiple times, will come to Pinewood with special guest the Struts. The ticket office located in the south lobby of Pinnacle Bank Arena is temporarily closed to the public until further notice. Tickets for all shows are available from www.ticketmaster.com. “Come early in case traffic backs up,” Lorenz said. “Don’t bring chairs or blankets. We have almost 5,000 chairs set to match the reserved seating manifest inside the Bowl.” Patrons should check www.pinewoodbowltheater.com before they come to review the clear bag policy and prohibited items list. From May through September the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed at 599 Oak Creek Drive is open from noon to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m.

to 1 p.m. From October through April, it is open Mondays and Fridays, from noon to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cars and Coffee, a free event open to anyone with a specialty vehicle, is held on the last Saturday of the month from May through October at Speedway Motors Campus. On Jan. 15 and 16, 2022, Speedway will host the LEGO Pit Stop, a two-day event where families can build a LEGO car to race against other families. “Each family will be given a kit of extra pieces to modify their car to help it go faster,” Curator Tim Matthews Matthews said. “The family with the fastest car will receive a trophy made of LEGOs, made by LOLUG. There will be some LEGO creations on display by members of LOLUG. Free snacks and giveaways will be provided for participants.” Private groups may book the museum for a variety of events such as special group tours, catered events, corporate events, business meetings, holiday parties and private events and parties. The event space can hold up to 220 people for dining events and up to 400 people for non-dining events. Due to the recently updated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, masks will be required inside the museum regardless of vaccination status. “The Museum of American Speed has continued to operate throughout the pandemic, and it has not affected our growth or long term plans,” Matthews said. “While we did close to the public, out of an abundance of caution, that gave our staff additional time to work on important projects and new displays which are now on exhibit.” The Museum’s current protocols are posted at www.museumofamericanspeed.com under “Visit.”

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• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

AUGUST 27

RETAIL SPACE D I R E C T O R Y

RETAIL SPACE DIRECTORY

SEPTEMBER 3

FAMILY BUSINESS

SEPTEMBER 10

OMAHA

OMAHA GROWTH REPORT

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REGIONAL LANDSCAPES

Briefs…

Murray Custom Homes, a luxury homebuilder based in Lincoln, purchased 16 residential lots in the Southwest Village Heights community. The purchase includes eight lots in the fifth addition and eight lots in the sixth addition. The lots range from 7,440 square feet to 11,700 square feet and include a variety of walkout, daylight, and flat options. The price point of the lots is between $65,000 to $85,000. The fifth addition of Southwest Village Heights is slated for completion in August 2021, with the sixth edition being finished in October 2021. TS Bank announced a partnership with The 712 Initiative in Council Bluffs to launch a program called AMP, which provides funding for direct homeowner projects, neighborhood block initiatives and down payment assistance. Following the initial announcement of AMP, The 712 Initiative received an anonymous $100,000 donation specially for the program, which now boosts the total $105,000. In addition to the $100,000 donation, the AMP program will also include a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs to aid in the organization’s home repair programming offerings. StarTran has initiated a Transit Development Plan, or TDP, to assess the existing transit services in the city of Lincoln and explore ways to improve the transit system. The study will evaluate existing and projected demographics, land use, transportation options and other important factors and will help identify opportunities for improvement such as accessibility, route efficiency and safety. The public survey is now open. Citizens are encouraged to visit lincoln.ne.gov/TDP where they can find a link to the online community survey and give feedback on their opinions of existing transit and suggestions for improvements. Seventy Five North has added Dena’s Place to the Highlander Accelerator. The Dining Room now features three Blackowned businesses in the heart of north Omaha. Seneca Harrison is the owner of Dena’s Place. The new business venture was inspired by Harrison’s mother, Delena (Dena), who passed away last year. Harrison’s mother and grandmother, Patricia Barron of Big Mama’s Kitchen, were well known in the community for their social gatherings and signature cocktails. Dena’s Place cocktails will add cocktails to food hall, complementing Best Burger and Big Mama’s Kitchen. Global nonprofit the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and recycling service company, Firstar Fiber Corporation, announced a three year collaboration to develop an integrated recycling complex alongside the company’s existing materials recovery facility in Omaha. The aim is to maximize the value of hard-to-recycle plastic waste by developing a sustainable, cost effective model for the recovery, resell and remanufacture of different waste streams.

Education notes…

Since becoming a University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty member in 1990, School of Natural Resources herpetologist and Professor of Practice Dennis Ferraro has advocated for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians. Ferraro’s efforts to support conservation were recognized

by The Wildlife Society. The international organization, which addresses issues that affect the current and future status of wildlife in North America and throughout the world, has named Ferraro its 2021 Conservation Education Award winner. The award honors people involved in long-term efforts that support conservation education. Students can now work toward a career as a veterinary assistant through Metropolitan Community College. The noncredit program prepares students to take the national Veterinary Assistant Exam, offered by the National Workforce Career Association. Upon completion, students enhance their qualifications for veterinary assistant positions with employers who service animals such as a veterinary clinic, animal hospital, farm, animal shelter, kennel or animal day care. Students will learn about the care of animals as well as how to recognize signs of illness and disease. Classes begin Oct. 5.

Health care notes…

A University of Nebraska Medical Center  team   published a study  in CHEST, an online medical journal that adds more insight into COVID-19 and some lung diseases. Other researchers  have reported  that blood levels of  Interleukin-33 (IL33)  were increased at time of hospitalization for COVID-19 and that high levels predicted poor outcomes for the  SARS-Cov-2 infection. In addition to its role in allergic asthma, previous studies have shown elevated IL-33 in the blood and/or lung of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease  (COPD) and end-stage lung disease.

Activities of nonprofits…

The Set Me Free Project, a human trafficking prevention education provider, has been awarded a grant from The Rotary Club of Omaha. The grant awarded to The Set Me Free Project will strengthen its programming so more students, families, and other organizations throughout the Omaha area will receive human trafficking prevention education. AARP Nebraska granted Omaha-based Spark $20,000 to convert an unused parking lot in north Omaha into an interactive public space for murals, a community garden, and seating. It will support social gatherings, meetings, and other community events. Spark is a nonprofit community development organization.

Arts & events…

The second annual Lutheran Family Service Omaha Golf Outing is taking place on Aug. 23 at The Players Club. Check-in begins at 10 a.m., with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. General admission includes 18 holes with golf cart, lunch, a snack, and a premium gift bag. Upgrades are available. Raffle tickets will also be available. Registration is online. Project Harmony, in partnership with the Papillion Area Lions Club, are hosting Hops for Harmony at Werner Park on Aug. 25 from 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Proceeds from this annual event help Project Harmony continue to provide effective and immediate support to children who are victims or suspected victims of abuse and neglect in our communities. Tickets are on sale now — $45 in advance and $55 at the door. Heartland Family Service is hosting the 28th Annual Safe Haven Golf TourContinued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 • REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. nament on Aug. 27 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eagle Hills Golf Course. Proceeds will benefit the Heartland Family Service Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program, including the Safe Haven concealed emergency shelter to protect women, men, and children from violence. The fee is $125, and a team of four players is $500. Registration is available online. The Nebraska State Fair Marathon will be held in conjunction with the Nebraska State Fair on Aug. 28, on the State Fairgrounds. The races include a marathon, marathon relay, half-marathon, 5K and a 1-mile kids run. Push rim wheelchair and hand cycle athletes are encouraged to participate. A virtual option is also available. The course is flat and fast, and is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. It starts on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds and takes runners on the hike and bike trail and residential streets throughout Grand Island before ending back on the fairgrounds. Registration is available online through GetMeRegistered.com. Food-focused entrepreneurs interested in starting and growing businesses in the shared use kitchen at the No More Empty Pots’ Food Hub may compete to earn seed money by participating in the Sixth Entrepreneurship Invitational. The Food Hub programs support youth and adults in cultivating educational and career pathways. The programs are designed to recognize participant strengths and talents and provide access to resources needed to succeed in the workplace, grow small businesses and become self-sufficient — leading to economic resilience. Applica-

tions are due on Aug. 27. Infusion’s Little Bohemia Beer Hall in partnership with the Czech-Slovak Cultural Club is hosting its 2nd Annual Little Bohemia Czechfest. The event, running from noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 28, plus an after party with live music at the Beer Hall, is free to attend. There will be a variety of Czech street food and sweets, as well as vendors selling Czech inspired gifts. The annual City of Omaha Celebrates America concert in Memorial Park is taking place on Aug. 28 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show lineup will include Elvis Costello & The Imposters as well as Wycleaf Jean, followed by a fireworks display presented by J&M Displays. Memorial Park will be open at 5 a.m. for those wanting to put down blankets to reserve a good spot. Sweetstock is bringing the nostalgia back on Aug. 28 at Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park. After almost two decades, the premier ‘90s and ‘00s music event is coming back to the city where it all began. Presented by Hurrdat and Got Live Entertainment, see live music from all of your favorites, including Shaggy, TLC, 98 Degrees, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, LFO, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, The ReUnion of Souls, and more. Tickets are available online. Midwest Pirate Fest is returning to Bellevue Berry Farm on August 28 and August 29. This year’s theme, Fowl Adventures, hints at the featured act for 2021: the Raptor’s Keep. Owls, hawks and other birds of prey will have multiple shows each day, as well as an interactive pirate ship, sword play, pirate performers, and more. Admission if $10 for adults and $7 for kids.

MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Tuesday, August 24 The Professional Insurance Agents for Nebraska and Iowa are hosting a webinar on Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program. Robin Federici will lead the course, which is a requirement for all agents who sell flood insurance. Registration is available online for the event that will run from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Corey Wilkins is hosting a webinar on insurance solutions for the long-term for the Professional Insurance Agents for Nebraska and Iowa. Insurance professionals should expect three things from this course: overview of data and demand for insurance products to assist with financing long-term care needs; interesting societal dilemmas; and structuring a policy and alternative funding sources. Registration is available online and the webinar will run from noon to 3 p.m. The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance is hosting a webinar on “Accounting Update- Recent Developments & Evolving Issues.” Starting at noon, Dr. Terry Warfield will address recent developments and evolving issues in accounting. This webinar will be an interactive presentation of recent new accounting pronouncements at the FASB, including a discussion of international convergence, and emerging issues. Registration is free for AFWA members, and $40 for non-members, and 1.5 CPE credits can be earned. Wednesday, August 25 The three-day HR Nebraska State Conference kicks off on Aug. 25, 2021. Attendees can expect concurrent sessions on trending

topics, opportunities to network, a virtual expo hall, and the opportunity to receive Society for Human Resource Management and Human Resource Certification Institute recertification credits. This event is completely virtual, so attendees won’t have to miss anything. Registration for the event is online. The Nebraska State Bar Association’s Summer Tour Ethics Program will take place at the Tommy Gunz Banquet Hall in Grand Island from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This seminar will cover two ethics topics in one hour: lawyers professional obligations related to pro bono and the support services offered through the Nebraska Lawyers Assistance Program. Registration for the seminar is available online. Kevin Amrhein, CIC, will be giving a presentation on insuring drones in a webinar for the Professional Insurance Agents for Nebraska and Iowa. Registration for the event, which will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., is available online. Thursday, August 26 The UNO Center for Public Affairs Research is hosting the third of four virtual webinars comprising their 32nd Annual Nebraska Data Users Conference Series. The August webinar has presentations on Nebraska State and Local Population Trends; and on Redistricting: Examples and Experiences from Other States. The event ticket includes access to the event recording, or a recording can be purchased separately. The webinar is from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is available online. The final webinar of the series is on the fourth Thursday of October.

Subscribe and pay online today at MBJ.com The Lincoln

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Family Business

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Family businesses overview • Strategic planning for the future of the company Important legal advice for small businesses • Transitioning to the next generation Family businesses reaching milestone years and their secrets to success Coaching and resources for businesses to stay relevant

Issue Date: September 3 • Ad Deadline: August 26

OMAHA A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include the following:

Omaha economic update • The city's changing skyline State of financial services in Omaha • Education opportunities Update from local hospitals • Growth of local nonprofits

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Issue Date: September 10 Ad Deadline: September 2

Accounting Educational Profession Opportunities A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

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A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

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Accounting outlook • The future of accounting software Career outlook • Tax planning Expanding roles of accountants among remote workforce

Update from universities • Trade schools Popular online programs • Continuing education opportunities

Issue Date: September 17 • Ad Deadline: September 9

To advertise your company’s products or services in one of our upcoming sections, contact our Director of Advertising at karla@mbj.com.

Midlands Business Journal • AUGUST 20, 2021 •

In the Spotlight Paid Content

BUSINESS SERVICES

REAL ESTATE

Hired

Michelle Andahl President & CEO Greater Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Bellevue Area Chamber of Commerce announced that Michelle Andahl will join the chamber as the new President & CEO, effective September 2021. Andahl will join the chamber from Sarpy County, where she has served a four-year term as the Sarpy County Election Commissioner since October 2017 after being appointed by Governor

Ricketts. In her tenure as the Sarpy County Election Commissioner, she successfully administered all county elections, including the Presidential Election of 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. A Bellevue resident, Andahl will bring more than twenty years of experience in leadership, government relations, and community development and engagement. Andahl brings a history of successful professional experiences that will benefit the chamber moving forward, including: leading Sarpy County’s Complete Count census community engagement campaign, resulting in Sarpy County being the number one responding county in the State, and one of the top responding counties in the nation. She also

developed and operated a fundraising and consulting business, implementing large-scale fundraising and capital campaigns locally and across the county.

Hired

Gwen Dahl Business Development Manager Fairway Mortgage Independent Mortgage Corporation - Terry Williams Team

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation is pleased to announce that Gwen Dahl has joined the Terry Williams team as a Business Development Manager/Licensed Retirement Mortgage Specialist. Dahl has 11 years of experience in education. In her new role, Dahl’s teaching skills will be utilized to educate others on Reverse Mortgage loans and HECM for purchase loans.

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Business Minute

Paid Content

Mary Drueke-Collins Vice President of Employee Benefits, Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates, Inc.

Associations/Titles: Fellow in the Society of Actuaries (FSA) Hometown: West Point, Nebraska Education: Drake University majoring in Actuarial Science and with a minor in Economics

How I got into the business: In high school, I took an occupational exam listing an Actuary as a good profession for my skills and interests. At the time, Actuaries were also ranked as one of the best professions. So, in college I majored in Actuarial Science. After college I began working as an Actuary at a health insurance company, which introduced me to the Employee Benefits world. Twelve years later, a former co-worker persuaded me to join her on the Broker/Advisor side of the industry. Accomplishments or milestones: At the time I earned my FSA, it was a series of over 20 exams. Even though I’m no longer a ‘full-time’ Actuary, the FSA designation is still the most challenging and rewarding accomplishment.

First job: My first job ever was on my parents’ dairy farm — milking cows, bottle-feeding baby calves, walking beans and baling hay (always on the hottest days of the summer, of course). My first professional job was as an Actuarial Intern at Farm Bureau in Des Moines during college. Biggest career break: I was ‘liberated’ from an Actuarial position at a large insurance company when a former co-worker reached out asking me to join her at Swartzbaugh-Farber. Looking back, it was the best move for me! I thoroughly enjoy assisting employers and their employees with their employee benefit needs. The toughest part of the job: The employee benefits world, especially health insurance, is very complex. Communicating the details of benefit plans and navigating this world can be

challenging, but rewarding! The best advice I have received: You never know what someone else is going through, so do your best to be patient and treat people with compassion and kindness. About my family: My husband of seven years, Rusty, and I have a lazy, spoiled Puggle, named Stella. We also have three grown children (Dustin, Nathan and Kara), a daughter-in-law (Janelle), a son-in-law (Lincoln), four grandpups and three grand-kitties. Something else I’d like to accomplish: I love animals and at some point in my future I would like to start my own animal rescue on our family farm. How my business will change in the next decade: I wish I knew HOW the Employee Benefits world is going to change. One thing

for sure is that it definitely WILL change! My best guess is there will be even more regulatory involvement. Mentor who has helped the most in my career: Our firm owner, Bob Swartzbaugh, has taught me to look at the business world in a completely different way. His insight has made me a better manager, advisor, educator and negotiator. Outside interests: Glamping, traveling, baking, gardening, concerts and live sporting events. Favorite vacation spot: Cabo and the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Other careers I would like to try: I’ve always wanted to own a homemade ice cream and candy shop. Favorite cause or charity: Local animal rescues. Favorite app: Pinterest!

Interested in being featured in the Business Minute? Email news@mbj.com for more information.

• AUGUST 20, 2021 • Midlands Business Journal

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