Midlands Business Journal April 17, 2020 Vol. 46 No. 16 issue by Midlands Business Journal

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Investing for Retirement A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

April 17, 2020

Financial services firms evolve to counsel clients through uncharted waters by Michelle Leach

From floods to pandemics, crisis situations demand change and underscore the importance of planning. “All our associates are working remotely from their homes,” said Lockton Companies Nebraska Partner and President Jack Struyk. “We have equipped them with the needed technology to do their normal work. We do Zoom and conference calls with clients instead of having meetings. It’s possible we will have more associates working remotely in the future, because it’s working well.” Furthermore, he anticipates the pandemic will change the insurance business as it’s currently not covered for business Struyk income. “When the dust settles, I believe coverage will be available and will likely be re-insured by the federal government, much like terrorism is today,” Struyk said. “I believe the upside to all this will be people slowing down their lifestyles and enjoying their families and downtime more.” Foster Group had protocols in place to move operations to a remote environment vir-

Ross Polking, lead advisor-business development at Foster Group Omaha. tually overnight, said Lead Advisor-Business stark reminder of how critical it is to position plans and portfolios to “endure the unknown.” Development Ross Polking. “The worst time to panic and make “Every crisis comes with a ‘new normal’ once we’ve made our way through it,” he said. rash decisions is in the midst of a crisis,” “For us, it may come in how we can reach he said. “Historical data clearly point to the people. Technology has really opened some fact that letting emotions drive behaviors, specifically when it comes to investing, will efficiency doors.” Additionally, Polking indicated this is a derive less-than-optimal results the majority

Reaanddit

of the time. “Since 1980, we’ve had 12 corrections, eight bear markets, and five recessions. Still, the market has historically proven resilient and persevered through those particular times to continue growing wealth.” That said, Polking noted, economic data over the next few months will be awful and unprecedented. “Remember, economic data looks backwards,” he said. “The market is forward-looking and could be into recovery before we get positive economic numbers. If investors wish to wait until things have ‘stabilized’ before they become market participants again, they could miss potential gains.” Swartzbaugh-Farber and Associates COO Deann Uitts said she worked with offsite IT professionals to assure everyone was able to work from home, as several have in the past. At the time of this writing, 50% worked at the office while abiding social distancing and cleanliness. “One thing is that it’s made us test our business continuity plan and realize parts of it may not have been completely seamless,” she said. “We’ve been able to fix those parts so if (and hopefully we won’t have to test it) we need to use it again, we’ll be ready. It’s also made us realize that it is possible to work from home, though not ideal.” Account Manager Life and Executive Benefits Jim Olson said it’s reasonable to assume government actions to confront the crisis will dampen returns insurers see from investments for the foreseeable future, and likely non-guaranteed elements in many existing contracts issued by companies adjusted to reflect that reality. Olson also noted the firm’s counsel has been to “remain as calm as possible and focus on long-term goals,” especially when discussing retirement savings with clients several years away from accessing funds. Behavior modification (going from a non-saver to long-term saver) is a big challenge, VP Jim Farber said, so the potential upside is people realizing they can be better off “preparing in good times to weather the bad ones.” “Maybe this current crisis will get people’s attention like nothing we’ve gone through before,” he added. “Other than the four years it took the market to turn positive after 1929, each downturn — 1938, 1974, 1982, 2000, 2008 — has lasted two years or less. If that length of time repeats, our savings will be buying securities at a discount. When the market starts to recover, our values will, too.”

Reap!

Investing for Retirement — inside APRIL 17, 2020

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

$2.00

VOL. 46 NO. 16

Prime Rigging takes holistic view of projects by Richard D. Brown

Athletico launches nationwide telehealth service for physical therapy patients. – Page 2

40 er d Un 40

Expertise helps Crystal Archer excel in real estate at PJ Morgan Real Estate. – Page 3

n tio ruc t s n Co ate oln Upd c Lin

While types of built projects have evolved, they persist in current climate. – Page 22

The owners of Lincoln-based Prime Rigging, a firm specializing in moving industrial machines, credit the 15-years of success their venture has enjoyed to taking a methodical, holistic and analytical approach to each of their projects. “We don’t do anything fast,” said President Carl C. Applegate. He and his partner Field Operations Director Tim Geis own the company that has moved an array of items including a four-story 40,000-pound printing press and a sculpture head on display at University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Sheldon Art Museum. There’s a good reason for the humor the two entrepreneurs take to their highly specialized projects. Success in their work and the performance of their 10 employees involves the highest of high-ticket items and frequently is done for clients with a high community profile. Prime Rigging works out of 5501 N. 58th Court with offices and crucial warehousing space that Continued on page 10.

From left, President Carl C. Applegate and Field Operations Director Tim Geis … Highly-specialized projects receive comprehensive approach.

The Combine Incubator cultivates high growth agri-food innovators across state by Becky McCarville

The Combine Incubator, an initiative spearheaded by Invest Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, aims to establish a pipeline of tech entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture industries in Nebraska to solve ag-related challenges. As one of Nebraska’s greatest strengths, food production

and the ag sector are ripe for innovation and disruption, but historically have been slow to adoption, said Program Director Matt Foley. From pinpointing precisely where to apply fertilizers or water in a field to monitoring animal health, to using byproducts and biowaste to create recyclable goods, technology can help proContinued on page 26.

Ken Heinze, lab coordinator at the Metropolitan Community College Prototype Design Lab with a face shield that was 3D printed in the lab.

Production lines to signage, companies shift functions to support crisis needs by Michelle Leach

At a Nebraska Food & Ag Technology Meetup networking event … Building a pipeline of tech entrepreneurs in the food and ag sectors in Nebraska to solve ag-related challenges. (Photo courtesy The Combine Incubator)

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series sharing firsthand experiences from local organizations on how their respective industries are adapting to COVID-19. Midlands organizations are adapting to COVID-19 in ways they could never have imagined a handful of weeks ago. In the case of Metropolitan Community College Prototype Design Lab, the team has been

producing masks to fight the personal protective equipment [PPE] shortage. “Nebraska Medicine CEO Dr. James Linder had a discussion with our college President, Randy Schmailzl, who then forwarded the message to our Prototype Design Lab team,” said Lab Coordinator Ken Heinze. “MCC has academic partnerships with Nebraska Medicine and UNMC. So, it is a Continued on page 26.

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Athletico launches nationwide telehealth service for physical therapy patients by Savannah Behrends

build exercises around household items or even a patient’s body weight. So far, McDevitt and Johnk said the responses and feedback have been positive from both clinicians and patients.

An unprecedented pandemic that’s forcing citizens to stay home has spiked demand for Athletico Physical Therapy’s telehealth service, both locally and nationally. The Chicago-based company rolled out its telehealth service in early 2019, a little over a year after it joined forces with metro-based Excel Physical Therapy.

McDevitt Johnk In response to COVID-19, that service has been expanded to all 500 locations, 17 of which are in the Omaha-metro area. “Right now, more than just convenience, [telehealth] is an opportunity to continue their care whereas they might not be able to do so otherwise,” said Tim McDevitt, senior vice president, value-based services. McDevitt used parents as an example. With schools and day cares closed at the moment,

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Midlands Business Journal • NOVEMBER 24, 2017 •

November 24, 2017

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

Unique Midlands by Michelle Leach

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

features, robust economy

Sandhills Publishing

Cyber Center Rendering (Courtesy of Sinclair Hille)

result in multi-sector

Mixed use building rendering (Courtesy of Studio 951)

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 for talent to meet in communities that to communities withdemand for services are newer-emerging sprung up on streetcar phenomenon 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 of the metro-area Smith the has been steady and Design Senior Associatefinal quarter by Davis and the diversification strong, and Senior Architect of the area economy Greg Smith. — both of those factors add up to things happening “Several projects good by Sullivan: John Sullivan, principal and in the metro, and designed recently director at BCDM “One of the things still in hopes of breaking that’s not about necessarily true are Architects. that’s unique environments, across the state, Omaha is there is ground this fall many of the large especially and strong philanthropic if you’re in an ag and a shift in what private support for Downtown Lincoln and area and go into central expect.” people ects are key projects.” projwestern Nebraska gaining inertia,” he or AO’s Managing … and some of the said. “The interior Palandri speaks remodel market Principal Randall modities-driven areas,” com- Palandri is also strong J. nials and a lifestyle to trying to attract millen- keep has seen the uptick contractors busy during and this will He also referenced he said. in growth that shift, whereby the became noticeable urban centers the many pockets more winter months.” 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 speak to this at the stage where particularly to infill-type generation School/YMCA, Hudl,Marilyn Moore Middle sion of that development extenprojects. perspective.are in-demand from a workplace “There and Nelnet, have to form; He also speaks, not come of the projects featured is occurring. Some opment,” is a lot more emphasis on redevelnecessarily mains however, Smith said there still he said. “What really to “vintage” or here in this section reflect another prominent re“traditional” work in the drove it was, materials there was a pent-up trend mentioned demand for market-rate but to, perhaps, more construction work at Bryan build-outs. He referenced apartments and Health’s East Campus, “traditional” new neighborhoodin more walkable-type the LES Operations Center, and community-building, of with areas and projects for Eustis Autobody such as Benson, at 98th Street and Blackstone and Highway Continued on next page.

opportunities

Architecture — inside NOVEMBER 24, 2017

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

Technology upgrade

THIS WEEK 'S I SSUE:

by Richard D. Brown

s 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 list has enabled it to growof services that of its commercial with the needs Business & Industrial 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 THIS WEEK 'S I SSUE: with jobs that we business clients 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 will be pleased with their customers 40 the results,” he der continued. Un 40 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, Senior Continued on page with VP of Sales Jim amenities. 8. reached its Mancuso centennial year – Page 2 with investments and President William Peter … in new tech. The printing company has (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville) 28

der Un

• OCTOBER 20, 2017 • Midlands Business

Journal

October 20, 2017

No slowdown in demand by Michelle Leach

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

as availability presents

ongoing challenges

More buildings may 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,” this is driving “At any given and landlords leasing available for tenants such as the said Stephanie Moline, executive vice president aforementioned R&R. projects, to them. time, there are around These challenges ing with First National of Enterprise Lend- 100 aren’t limited to properties, give or Bank. “Commercial A; Edney recalled 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 rates tures, such as greater demand for certain feaGrowth of C&I loans, clear heights and and building layout she said, remains dock doors — driven larger about the same as can be very difficult.” by requirements 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 buildings as well. are an increase in new in spec industrial space are optimistic industrial properties,”looking to invest about potential tax on the market again “The new Facebook he said. “A lot reform. after a slowdown of that interest project will add “This would cause in new infrastructure past,” he said. “The new spec projects in the the Midwest.” is coming from outside of some monies to along the repatriated and improving be corridor,” increases in term Pelster said. “This Highway 50 rental rates and operating length, working capital Edney referred to and money that can will break expenses continue ROI for new projects cap be used for acquisitions and industrial parks way to steadily rise. as lower on the coasts, rates and one’s or additional investment area.” in that making Omaha in equipment and/ “The rest of the market attractive as a secondary or people,” she said. seems to be catch- to He said Thrasher ing up with Chicago, New York or tertiary market and Freightliner more entrants into “There continues to be created have of the new the rental rates we are seeing out or Denver. Regarding “behind-the-scenes” construction projects.” from loan productionthe local market; both leaving large new buildings for themselves, 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 in new industrial believe this is a vibrant hard to find.” “really construction projects,” Pelster said. “The “And that type R&R Commerce of product is moving Park is pretty quick,” he said.

in Omaha

Green Arrow Junk Co. aims to reduce household, landfill clutter. – Page 2

Persistence paves way for for Contemporary Art’s The Union community impact. – Page 3

n in me ss Wo ine Bus

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

Archrival’s renovated space as one space,” Women’s representation said Clint! RunLincoln ge, headquarters at 720 in founder and managing O St. speaks to leadership: Ripples creative the unique mix of director. “We wanted adding up to a a mature our space to sea change? years old and counting firm — 20 be a little further – Page 4 along the business — and energetic startup spirit chain … and at that has resulted 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 years, and wanted Archrival’s niche space breathes to rethink the entire 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/Managin g 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 manu- a lot other areas. “Even without facturer’s growth of direct marketing is up at least 5 to emphasis, 10 percent to 30 percent our site furnishing business, BRP, following or amid dealer base was up 5 to 10 percent.” and ownership transitions, and Falling under custom a business unit indusredesign. trial job shop manufacturer IM“Bison overall, its SCORP’s holding company umline, had an incredibleown product brella, wholly-owned year prior subsidiary and this last year Bison is joined was flat comby SNA Sports Continued on page 10.

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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 company to increase its revenues 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.

competes with innovat $2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 42

ive 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)

Athletico Physical Therapy Services: Physical therapy, both in-person and via telehealth Employees: 115 regionally Goals: Provide a smooth telehealth service for patients during COVID-19 and beyond.

Physical Therapist Dave Schremmer simulates how safety personnel, such as firefighters, can safely pull or drag someone to safety as part of work conditioning or functional rehab. (Photo courtesy of Athletico) parents might be the sole caretaker of a child fully utilized service due to various challenges and therefore might not be able to make it to a like insurance and education. One of the most physical therapy appointment several times a common initial impressions revolves around week, or in current circumstances, at all. what kind of technology is needed and whether Physical Therapist Kris Johnk is the facility that technology is complex. manager for Athletico’s largest location at 94th So, what’s needed to utilize Athletico’s and J streets in Omaha. She was tasked with telehealth service? Just a high-speed internet overseeing the expansion of telehealth services connection on a device capable of sustaining locally last year. a video connection, such as a laptop with a “With COVID we ramped it up to include webcam or a smartphone. every single clinic and now everyone in our “We reach out to the [patient] the day of the region is able to do it whereas before it was appointment to make sure that they’ve downselective,” she said. “Now every therapist is loaded the app and know how to use it so there’s doing it so the supply meets the demand.” no speed bumps,” McDevitt said. While telehealth has been around for sevPatients also don’t need to have special eral years, McDevitt said that it hasn’t been a equipment — physical therapists are able to

La Casa Pizzaria Jesse. “Being a family restaurant, is evolving with offerings on our staff lives for wheels — its food 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 restaurant, which has been dishing is still located at out its Neapolitan-style 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/Treasurer Patane and his family Founder Joe “ran out of Nicole 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 apartment community delivers plug and play app to renters by Becky McCarville

General Manager/Treasur er 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 complex at 14th and to property managersprovides data Cuming streets, property manager monitor and control so they can Ashley Abel with 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 to properties. apartment app designed by Portland-based “It helps run the property IOTAS efficiently,” more (Internet of Things Abel said, As a Service), demonstrating the she can control vacant adding that ease units’ lightnew tenant can control at which a ing, heating and air conditioning, automated technologyand integrate monitor maintenance to fit their issues as well Continued on page 39.

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Letter from the Editor As a staple publication in Omaha since 1975, we have celebrated business in the Greater Omaha area for 45 years. One thing that many of our subscribers do each week is read through the office copy of MBJ. While we remain close to our roots as a traditional print publication, we’ve had to adjust to many of our readers working from home. If you’re unable to get your hands on a copy, we are offering digital versions of each issue for free through the end of May. Sign up for our newsletter at mbj.com and we’ll send you the link along with weekly highlights right to your email. Our subscribers and advertisers are the lifeblood of our publication, so I want to take time to thank all of the Greater Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs businesses that have continued to subscribe and advertise in the publication. MBJ is here to be your resource for industry trends and in-depth profiles on businesses. In the midst of this crisis, many businesses are stepping up and making

adjustments to stay afloat. We’ll be your hub to both share your stories and read about others in our community. If you know a young professional that has stepped up in extraordinary ways, nominate them for the 2020 40 Under 40 awards. We’ve opened nominations early this year, so while you’re undoubtedly still navigating how to adjust to working from home, think of those essential workers that are risking their health every day, or someone who has flipped your company’s business model on its head to keep serving customers while still balancing workloads, caring for their kids, pets and endless video chat meetings. MBJ will continue to adapt to the changing needs of our business community and we are excited to roll out new features and opportunities to highlight your business in the coming months. Visit mbj.com to subscribe, purchase individual copies of the paper and get more info on advertising. -Tiffany Brazda Editor/VP of News

Making sure that clients know this service is available has been top priority for Athletico. Clinicians have reached out to all their patients while the sales team has been reaching out to partner organizations and hospitals. It’s also continuing to prioritize new patients by continuing to offer free assessments via telehealth with a guarantee to be seen within 24 to 48 hours. “It’s not really comparable for a business, being willing to see people for free to give them advice that may or may not include physical therapy down the line,” Johnk said. But, in her opinion, it’s one thing that makes Athletico unique in an industry with plenty of competition. Another unique service that continues to see growth is Athletico’s work conditioning and on-site services. Work conditioning is for patients who may have been injured at work and had some traditional physical therapy but might need an extra level of care. In the last year it has also expanded four locations, which Johnk attributes to finding the right employees at the right time. “We’re lucky to have great therapists at each of those locations because you can’t just open a clinic and expect it to do well, you have to have good therapists,” she said.

Midlands Business Journal Established in 1975

Founded by Robert Hoig

ADMINISTRATION VP OF OPERATIONS, Andrea “Andee” Hoig

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The Midlands Business Journal (ISSN 0194-4525) is published weekly plus one by MBJ Inc. and is available for $2.00 per individual copy or $75 per year. Editorial offices are 1324 S. 119th St., Omaha, NE 68144. Periodical postage paid at Omaha NE POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Midlands Business Journal, 1324 S. 119th St., Omaha, NE 68144. All submissions to the Midlands Business Journal become the property of the Midlands Business Journal and will not be returned.

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Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Expertise helps Crystal Archer excel in real estate at PJ Morgan Real Estate by Dwain Hebda

Crystal Archer of PJ Morgan Real Estate is one of the most acclaimed young Realtors in the market. But she didn’t even consider her career until the Kansas native moved to Omaha from Washington D.C. following her husband’s promotion. “When we moved to Omaha, we were expecting our first son. My husband traveled quite a bit and we didn’t have family here,” she said. “We both decided that I would stay home for a few years and be a mom. When my oldest was in kindergarten, I started thinking about what I was going to do. I wanted something that could be as flexible as any career can be. I just kind of fell on real estate.” Archer wasn’t entirely without roots in the industry — her grandfather and great-grandfather would flip houses into rental properties before there was a word for it. She took the plunge nine years ago and never looked back. “My first couple years were a lot slower, but you gain momentum and you get your feet under you and figure out, OK, I know what I’m doing, I can do this,” she said. “Working with different people all the time was a fun process; I’m such a people person anyway. “Sometimes it’s not always happy situ-

2019

Realtor Crystal Archer at 10204 Rosewater Parkway in Bennington … Excelling in Omaha real estate market at young age. ations, sometimes there’s divorces and it’s of life as she and for her ability to be equally bad stuff. But even helping them get through effective for buyers and sellers. that smoothly is fun. I enjoy that.” “It’s definitely different working with a Between her entrepreneurial genes seller than it is a buyer,” she said. “When and a willingness to work hard, Archer’s you’re working with a seller, you’re educatsuccess soon came and came big in the ing them on the value of their home and how market. In 2014, she was recognized as to present their home. It does take a certain Entrepreneur of the Year by Women’s amount of suave talking sometimes to get Council of Realtors, Omaha chapter and was back-to-back top agent in residential Proud Sponsors of the 2019 sales transactions at PJ Morgan Real Estate in 2017 and 2018. She said some elements of her success include being able to relate to her clients, many of whom are in the same frame

them to do some of the things to make the house the most presentable that it can be. “Buyers, you educate differently; you’re explaining the buying process and how to write a good offer and what other houses just sold for in that area. So yeah, very different process but fun both ways.” One would think given her age and the era we live in that social media would be a major weapon in her arsenal and it is. But Archer doesn’t give herself overly high marks in this area of operations. “I majored in finance in college and so the financial side of things has come more naturally to me,” she said. “One of the more challenging aspects for me personally is the social media marketing. That’s a constant struggle for me because it doesn’t come as naturally as I would like it to. I think that’s one of the business parts that I could do better at.” Archer holds a degree in business administration from Kansas State University and earned her real estate license in April 2011. She puts this education and her expertise to use to benefit the local industry as well. In 2016 she served as president of the Women’s Council of Realtors, Omaha chapter and in 2017 joined the board of the Omaha Area Board of Realtors, after years serving in various capacities for both organizations.

40 Under 40:

Create office design that centers around experience, comfort by Gabby Christensen

According to local professionals, design and overall experience go hand in hand when it comes to creating a comfortable office environment for employees and customers alike. Brittany Miller, associate at Holland Basham Architects (HBA), said most recent corporate office projects reflect a trend for hospitality areas that are efficient and flexible to give clients the maximum use of space. “We purposefully create break rooms that can quickly transform into training areas but are also seeing these spaces set up as employee yoga studios or emergency work set up for employees displaced by a natural disaster,” she said. Additionally, company culture is on display like never before. “Every element of the design is considered a possible touch-point to communicate the brand, including space programming, artwork, signage, glass film and furniture layouts,” she said. When it comes to whether offices are open or private, it’s about providing the very best individual workstation or office layout for every employee, said Ally Pilmaier, associate at HBA. “We find it is useful for our clients to design a variety of spaces for employees to migrate throughout the day to match their flow of tasks and collaboration,” she said.

Employee health and well-being are at the forefront of most conversations with clients. Providing natural daylight to both employees and customers is a simple solution with a significant impact.

Miller Pilmaier According to Pilmaier, technology is yet another crucial element for employee and customer satisfaction. “Companies are updating and increasing tech availability to provide user-friendly options for conference/video calls and screen sharing,” she said. Travis Justice, director of business development and marketing at MCL Construction, said the company is currently building its new headquarters, which will implement a mix of traditional private offices with collaboration spaces and conference rooms. “Our employees had significant input on the design and layout of the building,

which allows us to maximize overall efficiency in our business operations,” he said. Currently, the company is working on a variety of projects for clients, including office buildings with yoga studios, weight rooms, golf simulators and even bars. “These amenities are perks for employees but also a unique way to get clients to come to your building as a form of entertainment and to expose a client to the overall culture and capability of the Justice company,” he said. In the end, Justice said quality is what matters most. “You can have the best design in the world, but if it’s built poorly or with the cheapest materials possible, people can and will be able to tell,” he said. “There is a lot of competition for talent right now; the quality of the work environment can be a deciding factor on whether or not someone wants to work for you.” At Modern Work Suites & Studios, on-site manager Kate Gallagher said the workspace incorporates midcentury modern design in a whimsical environment. Additionally, an in-house designer is available to help tenants put their own flare

on their space. “We also place a lot of emphasis on community,” she said. “We consider ourselves a neighborhood where people work hard, but also have fun. We have a diverse population and it works as a built-in networking opportunity.” Gallagher said all tenants have their own private studio, which has been especially advantageous during the COVID-19 outbreak. “We offer an alternative to working from home right now, where our tenants can still get out of the house, follow the social distancing guidelines and have a productive day,” she said. “Yet, we still look forward to going back to normal when our tenants can gather again for our various networking events. That sense of community will always be our heartbeat and focus.”

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Investing for Retirement A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

April 17, 2020

Financial services firms evolve to counsel clients through uncharted waters by Michelle Leach

Investing for Retirement • Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Investing for Retirement

Ensure health care provisions are part of retirement savings strategy by Dwain Hebda

Planning for health care is a key element of any retirement savings strategy. While impossible to foresee all health eventualities, there are many vehicles by which people can hedge against future expense, say professionals. “Retirement isn’t much cheaper than your working years,” said Kevin O’Mara, wealth advisor with Feltz WealthPlan. “Health care costs are often greatest in retirement and they O’Mara tend to increase with age. The average retired couple today will spend at least $280,000 to cover health care costs until end of life.” O’Mara said a health savings account can be a very powerful tool when planning for future health care costs. In 2019, a single person could contribute up to $3,500 and a married couple could contribute up to $7,000 to a health savings account, plus a $1,000 catch-up contribution for people over 55. “Available only through high deductible health plans, HSAs are a triple tax-free investment account,” he said. “Contributions are made pretax; earnings and interest on investments are tax-free and withdrawals made for qualified medical expenses are tax-free.” O’Mara said many seniors are better educated on matters of health care planning, but should be careful about where they get

their advice. “There are always bad apples looking to prey on seniors and there are always new Medicare scams coming out every year,” he said. “Feltz WealthPlan partners with Medi-

Dorhout Garlock care Backoffice to provide clients health care cost education and management.” Grant Dorhout, president of Dorhout Retirement Services, said the age of the client goes a long way toward selecting specific products. “Someone in their 40s, does not, in my opinion, want a traditional long-term care policy,” he said. “I much prefer alternatives that serve a dual purpose. You can look to cash value life insurance, which builds up. If done right, by the time you’re in retirement you’re no longer paying any premiums and that [value] continues to grow.” Overall, the key to an effective retirement plan isn’t determined by any one element, Dorhout said, but how well a person makes adjustments as life changes over time. “It doesn’t have to be super complicated.

For people who are nearing or in retirement, the health care landscape should be relatively easy to understand,” he said. “There’s no need for people to overpay for benefits in retirement, especially if they’re a healthy individual. “There are great options out there and they can be explained really, really simply if you have someone that knows the ins and outs of it.” John “Buzz” Garlock, senior vice president with RBC Wealth Management, said it’s also important to understand the numbers behind health care spending versus other expenses. “We take into account that health care costs have historically increased by about 5.5%,” he said. “This is in contrast to normal living expenses, which grow at around 3%. When we start working with new clients,

most are not prepared when we discuss about long-term care or health care costs in retirement.” “We plan for three distinct phases in retirement: the ‘go-go’ years; the ‘slow-go’ years; and the ‘no-go’ years. The biggest unknown for clients is the increase in health care costs usually during the ‘no-go’ years. Some clients live out healthy lives, barely tapping into their reserve money while others’ expenses nearly double during that time.” Garlock said while no strategy is foolproof, careful planning and reasoned adjustments to life changes can help mitigate even unforeseen health expenses. “We sometimes say, ‘Man plans and God laughs,’” he said. “The important thing is to recognize the risk, plan for it, and make sure your assets and spending provide some flexibility during this stage.”

Experts discuss latest trends in 401(k), IRA options by Gabby Christenen

Investing for retirement is a necessary step according to financial professionals, which is why they say it’s especially important to remain up-to-date on how 401(k) plans and IRAs can be used as tools for this process. Matthew Merwald, financial advisor at Mutual of Omaha, said many 401(k) plan sponsors are adding features to help people save more money for retirement. According to Merwald, these features include automatic enrollment for new participants and automatic escalation of

their contribution amounts up to a predetermined percentage. “Adding automatic opt-ins encourages people to begin saving sooner and save more by eliminating extra steps,” he said. “Small businesses may also receive tax credits for adding these valuable features, benefitting both the employees and the employer.” Merwald said there is also a growing interest in Roth IRAs, as people have started planning for their income in retirement. “In our current relatively low-tax enContinued on next page.

Investing for Retirement • Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Experts cover the latest in 401k and IRA offerings, trends Continued from preceding page. vironment, there is potential for taxes to increase, and pre-retirees are considering the risk that taxes could take a larger bite out of their retirement income,” he said. “Roth IRAs present a possible solution for many to reduce those taxes. Fortunately, many company retirement plans are adding Roth 401(k) options to their repertoire. This provides the ability for folks who are above Roth IRA income limits to make contributions, as the Darling income limits do not apply to Roth 401(k)s.” With the recent passing of the SECURE Act, Dan Darling, senior sales manager at WoodmenLife, said there’ve been some changes worth noting. For instance, Darling said the required minimum distribution age has increased from age 70 1/2 to 72, and investors are no longer prohibited from contributing to a traditional IRA if they’re 70 1/2 and older, as long as they have earned income. U n q u e s t i o n a b l y, D a r l i n g s a i d COVID-19 is taking a human toll and impacting economies along the way. “Unprecedented monetary and fiscal policies are now being developed to protect both workers and businesses until we get through the need for social distance,” Darling said. “With the recent spike in market volatility, it’s important to remind

investors that market pullbacks are a normal part of investing.” Kyle McMahan, executive vice president/chief marketing officer at WoodmenLife, said working with a professional and creating a plan that meets one’s specific

credits to help cover the cost. “This is an incentive to help employers help employees prepare for retirement,” he said. On the IRA side of the equation, he said the recently passed CARES Act has eliminated the required minimum distributions on IRAs for 2020. “This has allowed people to keep more of their money in their IRA and avoid some

unnecessary taxes,” Darrah said. He noted the CARES Act has also permitted retirement plan participants who have been impacted by COVID-19 to withdraw retirement plan funds up to $100,000 and increase access to plan loans. “It’s fairly new legislation so there are several questions,” he said. “This illustrates the importance of talking to a plan administrator or adviser.”

Know what to save now to support the retirement lifestyle you choose McMahan Darrah time horizon provides comfort during unsettling times like these. “Establishing investment goals and balancing these goals with your risk tolerance is a better strategy,” McMahan said. “Although this pandemic has created market volatility, our economy has been resilient over time and a diverse portfolio that matches your time horizon should be the focus.” Scott Darrah, private wealth/business financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial, said now more than ever, people should be reviewing plans to ensure the offerings are performing how they are intended. Recently under the legislation of the SECURE Act, Darrah said a new feature for small employers has been added so that if they’re setting up their 401(k) for the first time, they can receive some tax

by David Kubicek Many calculators are available to Knowing the kind of lifestyle you want compute a rough estimate of what you to live in retirement will help you deter- should be saving to meet your goals, but mine what you should save today. the general rule is that each year you’re Do you expect your exin the workforce and see an penses to go up or down in increase in income due to caretirement? Will you do more reer advancement, the greater travel and golfing, or are your percentage you save. interests more low-cost and “Depending on the indilocalized, like volunteering vidual situation, I typically or gardening? Which expensrecommend a balance of saving es will increase, which will slightly more than you’re comstay the same, and which will fortable with, while still having go away? something available to enjoy “If you’re over 50 and fully on discretionary spending,” participating in your employer's Egermier said. Egermier 401(k), you might think you need According to the U.S. Bu$100,000 to live on if that’s your current reau of Economic Analysis, the personal salary,” said Michael Egermier, a certified savings rate in the United States for Febfinancial planner with Egermier Wealth ruary 2020 is 8.2% of disposable income, Management Group. “In reality, you’re up from 3.6% in 2007. living off of $74,000 because the rest is “Household debt has also increased, Continued on next page. being saved.”

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Investing for Retirement

New legislation is cause for reminder to reevaluate financial plans by Gabby Christensen

Recently passed legislation such as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) has already made an impact, industry experts say. For starters, Thomas J. Maher, founder/ CEO of WealthMark, said the SECURE Act has moved the required minimum distribution age to 72, now allowing investors more time for their investments in retirement accounts to grow before having to take distributions and pay taxes Sigerson on those distributions. “This is great news for seniors who don’t need to take withdrawals from these accounts today, but were previously required to at age 70 1/2 prior to the SECURE Act passing,” Maher said. He noted one downside of the act is that it now mandates non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit IRAs to withdraw all assets within 10 years. “We’re going to see beneficiaries having to take much larger distributions, likely during their peak earning years, which will dramatically increase their tax obligation,” Maher said. He noted it will be more important than ever for clients to be working closely with a trusted adviser to navigate the changes happening with the SECURE Act to ensure they are realizing the benefits, while avoiding some of the potential pitfalls. In some cases, Andrew C. Sigerson,

owner/founder of Legacy Design Strategies, said beneficiaries are looking at losing 40 to 50% of the IRA to income tax due to the new mandates that the SECURE Act has established. “Right now, we’re trying to work with clients to structure it differently so that they

Smith Kline don't lose it,” he said. Sigerson said some options might include leaving some of the money to charity or giving to grandchildren who are in smaller tax brackets. Additionally, the coronavirus has heightened the fact that people need to have estate planning in place. “People are not canceling estate planning meetings right now because the virus has caused them to realize that they need to have planning done in case something happens,” he said. “Even during this time, it’s important for people to understand that it’s still possible for people to get their planning accomplished virtually or electronically.” While most of the provisions in the SECURE Act are targeted at company retirement plans, Charles Smith, director of Retirement Plan Advisory Services at First National Bank, said many of the provisions affecting employer plans are not scheduled

to go into effect until 2021 or later. “Other provisions require additional guidance from the IRS or the Department of Labor before plan sponsors or advisers, record keepers and third-party administrators are comfortable implementing,” Smith said. For many, Dan Kline, director of Wealth Management – Financial Planning at First National Bank, said the elimination of the stretch IRA is of little consequence, as their financial plan projects them using the lion’s share of their retirement funds. For others, their financial plan Hopkins foretells a sizable balance upon their passing. “With three significant pieces of legislation impacting people's retirement within the past few years, namely the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) you can imagine how important it is to determine any impact this may have on your financial plan by consulting with your financial planner for professional advice,” he said. Jamie Hopkins, director of retirement research at Carson Group and finance professor of practice at Creighton University Heider College of Business, said the SECURE Act is a revenue generating bill. “With TCJA reducing government revenue by passing a large tax cut, the government started to look at new revenue producing provisions in 2019,” Hopkins

said. “However, with the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, focus shifted again in 2020 with the government now concerned about relief efforts to protect American businesses. The CARES Act gives up a lot of tax revenue and isn’t focused on that issue at all. Instead, the newest legislation is all about getting liquidity into the markets and to Americans to keep businesses intact so that the economy can scale once it's time to get back up and running.” Moving forward, he said individuals should expect the government to continue to react to the current economic conditions.

Retirement lifestyle Continued from preceding page. but when compared to the percentage of disposable income, it’s at near 20-year lows,” Egermier said. Another big piece of the equation is how this saved cash is working for the saver. If it’s sitting in a bank account, it could be losing money because interest rates are low, and inflation is likely to creep up due partially to the stimulus packages that have been passed. “Even though the stock market might not be the most comfortable place to put money right now, for longer term goals such as saving for retirement, now could be an attractive entry point,” Egermier said. Andy Arkfeld, managing partner of Arkfeld Wealth Strategies, said that although the current market environment makes it difficult to predict what will happen in the near future, there are some things investors can do today. “Don’t ignore your investments,” he said. “I hear a lot of people saying they are just not going to look at their portfolio right now and just ride it out. Everyone needs to know the exact type of company they own. If they think a mutual fund is diversified, they may be mistaken. Does your current portfolio have enough cash available and easily accessible to protect you and your family during these unprecedented times? Do you have cash on the sidelines in your portfolio to buy good quality stocks at a discount when they become available?” In this strange period of social distancing and sheltering in place, many people may find they have more availability to work on items that normally get shoved aside until some point in the future, or until they become so overwhelming of a problem they must be addressed. “Many of us have a lot of fat that can be trimmed on our household spending,” Egermier said. “Some of this may be happening naturally in the current climate due to the coronavirus. Retail sales are seeing significant drops, and obviously buying movie or concert tickets are not really an option right now. While we don’t want to see companies go under, we also don’t want to see people get ahead of themselves and spend more than they are bringing in. It may not seem like much, but even a small drop in spending can add up to a lot of savings over time. This could mean the difference of retiring at 55 or 65.”

Investing for Retirement • Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Saving shouldn’t stop after retirement but mindset should by Jasmine Heimgartner

Finally reaching a place in life to retire means many things for many people. Regardless of where one is in life, the financial side of retirement is always present. While a mindset change is needed for the transition, planning and saving remain key ingredients to enjoying retired life. “We often find that people who don’t have a financial adviser go into retirement assuming that the investments they used to get to retirement can remain the same, not understanding that their time horizon and risk tolerance Peplinski changes when they are at the distribution stage,” said Jason Peplinski, vice president and financial advisor at FP Wealth Management. “When saving for retirement, people are focused on long-term growth. When you get to retirement, you want asset preservation and growth to provide income.” Developing a plan to still have growth while funding retirement requires a realistic approach, which means thinking in terms of longevity. “Their investment time horizon is much longer than they think,” said Trevor Kula, vice president, financial advisor and co-director of Nebraska branches at D.A. Davidson. “Dr. Laura Carstensen, founder of the Stanford Center on Longevity and author of ‘A Long Bright Future,’ has produced extraordinary amounts of research on this topic. She has stated that one of the biggest pitfalls to a successful retirement is underestimating the years in retirement. Further, the research states that two in

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three pre-retiree men underestimate the life expectancy of the average 65-year-old man. Of that group, 42% underestimate average life expectancy by five years or more. Roughly half of pre-retiree females underestimate the life expectancy of the average 65-year old woman. Better education around how long their money needs to last will shape the discussion around proper asset allocation and risk/return expectations.” A s p e o p l e a pproach and move in to retirement, that is the prime time to consider the critical points of cash flow and expenses. Kula “Everyone’s individual situation is different,” Kula said. “The most important question in retirement is to have a clear understanding of what does it cost to be you now and in the future (cash flow). Having a great understanding of that will help determine the optimal asset allocation for each individual or family. It could be cash, equities, bonds or real estate. In my experience, a combination of them all is usually better than all or none. Understanding the way in which to properly allocate those asset classes is where your adviser can be helpful.” If trying to grow back what is spent while developing a retirement plan, the risk level of investments and savings needs to be considered both in the short- and long-term. “Money used in the next two or three years should have no market risk, such as cash in the bank or CDs, which are safe, have no cost and are accessible,” Peplinski said. “Some people go beyond that first three years of expected expenses and back it up with another three years’ worth. There are many options available to build interest with limited risk and minimal cost. By putting that structure into place, it allows the rest of the portfolio to be invested for a more long-term focus.”

Retirees also need to prepare to face some unexpected, and expected, expenses and challenges. A clear understanding of the distribution schedule can help people better plan and prepare for taxes, such as capital gains, social security and property, along with potential Medicare surcharges. Estate and succession planning also play an important role in the effective management of wealth, which often means addressing difficult aspects of life.

“First is that the belief that they can be non-emotional with their own investments in order to make non-emotional decisions,” Kula said. “It remains very difficult to ‘stay the course’ when markets are extremely turbulent. Second, and maybe more important, is a succession plan. If an individual is managing the wealth for their family, who steps up to do so if something happens to them? You want to always ensure that the plan you have in place (income, estate, asset allocation, etc.) stays in place regardless of who is managing it.”

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Prime Rigging takes holistic view of projects Continued from page 1. often needs to be adapted to the needs and timetable set by their clients. “We work hand-in-hand with our cus-

Prime Rigging Phone: 402-467-6100 Address: 5501 North 58th Court, Lincoln 68507 Services: moving, industrial machines, turnkey services Founded: 2005 by Carl C. Applegate & Tim Geis Employees: 10 Industry outlook: Firms taking a holistic approach to projects have the best opportunity to be successful. Website: www.primerigging.com

tomers to assess their needs and match our capabilities, knowledge and experience to the unique demands of each project,” Applegate, a Nebraska native, said. “Our holistic approach to our customers’ jobs ensures that every aspect of the job receives the attention it deserves and our customers can rest assured that they have received the best solution available,” he added. As a “restricted access rigger” about 95% of Prime Rigging’s business is done under one roof. Revenues for the firm have increased by 20 to 25% over the past two years. Although the firm’s footprint is regional and has included projects in more than 30 states, Applegate said the cost of doing business — especially fuel for the heavy rigs and housing for personnel while far away from the Lincoln base — can significantly erode profits. “For us to take a job farther away it has to be on the larger end so as to make economic sense,” Geis said. “And the crazy thing is that after 15 years in business there are lots of people that still don’t know we exist,” Applegate said. “That means there’s still untapped opportunity out there for our services.” What is in cement, Applegate said, is Prime Rigging’s laser focus on responsiveness and well-executed customer service. “We will work with a client in whatever situation they want and meet whatever their needs are,” Geis said. One Prime Rigging truckload traveling from one point to another may have $5 million to $7 million of heavy equipment on board. The load can be a 90,000-pound boiler being moved to South Dakota, for example. Such a unit might be 40feet long with a two-inch clearance on either side.

Industrial chillers and boilers are a significant part of Prime Rigging’s business. A trip to Texas at Thanksgiving time was necessary in order to pick up equipment before an industrial plant was shutdown. Geis estimates that Prime Rigging has invested “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in top-of-the-line equipment that is necessary to get work done. “With our approach we’re focusing on problem-solving and we want to be sure we have the tools to take as much off their plate as possible,” he added. Prime Rigging’s 15,000 square feet of warehousing space in Lincoln is important when work contracts involves moving equipment — when manufactured overseas — that arrives in the U.S. at an inopportune time when its installation cannot be immediately scheduled. The warehouse provides space where such equipment can be assembled or disassembled and stored for periods of one to 18 months, on average. With 85% of clients in manufacturing, emergency jobs, such as picking up equipment made at a Des Moines manufacturing and fabrication facility and rushing it to Lincoln where Prime Rigging will switch it out, minimizes impact on the client’s production schedule. “We have had, with big stamping press-

Bank cybersecurity systems more robust than ever to match threats by Dwain Hebda

The world may be consumed with dealing with the coronavirus but for area banks, tackling viruses of the digital kind — along with cyber criminals — is always a top security priority. “What we’re seeing now is IT, identity theft and fraud are really big issues for every member bank and for our customers,” said Richard Baier, president and CEO of the Nebraska Bankers Association. “Twenty years ago, a bank may Baier have had one or two IT people. Now they may have significantly more, or they may have contracted out that service to IT professionals. “We also work very closely with vendors, anybody that’s providing an application online. That could be primary core banking software or some other kind of application. A lot of due diligence goes into vendor management, making sure vendors are doing

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es, quite a gamut of work,” Applegate said. With the closure of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, a six-week project had Prime Rigging breaking down a large printing press, loading it and delivering it to its new owner. A long-term relationship with UNL with multiple building renovation projects as part of its strategic plan tested Prime Rigging in a major way in 2010. Applegate and Geis remember the Theodore Jorgensen Hall science building project well and not just for the 125,000-squarefoot design-build structure and its four floors. Jorgensen — a researcher on the Manhattan Project and the building of the first atomic bomb before contributing to UNL’s high-energy physics program — donated funds toward the building that bears his name. However, the task confronting Prime Rigging was to move the condensed matter physics, atomic molecular and plasma, and astronomy laboratories as well as the high-energy physics research and development programs. The intricacies and sophistication of the research equipment, governed by a number of regulations and best-practices guidelines, made for anything but a conventional move. “We moved equipment from three separate buildings on campus into Jorgensen,”

Applegate said. Another client — a national medical manufacturer with multiple Nebraska facilities and an international presence — has multiple moving needs between its plants. Applegate and Geis point to several reasons for the growth of Prime Rigging. Each of them got their feet wet in the industry by starting as workers for a competitor. The hiring of good employees, a focus on excellent customer service and the philosophy of building an ever-strengthening relationship with each client has been important. “By us working with rather than for them it is easier for us to understand their pain points,” Applegate said. “While we have hundreds of customers we make sure we’re responsive in emergency situations.” They said it’s not unusual for one of them to be at a client’s location as many as four or five times a month. “This brings home the point that we’re bringing value to them,” Geis said. “We don’t shy away from any project.” That means a deepening client relationship, Applegate said. In addition to manufacturing and printing, markets served by Prime Rigging include utilities, energy, medical equipment, machine tooling and the museum industry. Custom rigging requests are also accepted. Sophisticated products can demand turnkey services, which Prime Rigging can coordinate.

what they need to do.” In addition, the association offers its member banks certification through South Dakota-based SBS CyberSecurity. SBS assists these institutions with all aspects of

Harms Romero their security protocols as well as vulnerability and penetration testing. “My favorite one was, one of the SBS guys came in and laid a generic USB on our front counter to see if anyone would plug it into their computer,” he said. “The training worked, because our receptionist looked at it for two days, then sent out an email saying, ‘Did anyone lose this? I don’t want to plug this into our system if I don’t know where it came from.’” Brandon Harms, sales engineer with Infogressive, said the task of IT security is never completed, particularly as it applies to regulated industries. However, the sheer magnitude of the challenge often works against smaller companies. “Regulated industries face unique cybersecurity challenges,” he said. “The compliance controls are in place for a good reason but seem to be created for large enterprises with vast resources. Small and midsized organizations are challenged to adopt technical controls and procedures that can often exceed their staff’s ability and financial capacity.” Harms said Infogressive provides a solu-

tion specifically tailored to the manpower and budgetary limitations of small and medium companies. “We offer enterprise-grade technology and procedures that focus on effective cybersecurity as well as visibility in the form of scheduled or ad-hoc reporting to demonstrate how our technical controls meet compliance requirements,” he said. “We act as an extension of the customer’s team, providing them the access and capability of an enterprise security operations center, which is necessary to meet compliance needs but without the hard-to-overcome challenges of a DIY solution.” Clients aren’t the only ones who must regularly evaluate the effectiveness of their security measures. IT security firms themselves are constantly assessing the veracity of their programs. “As a managed service provider, we experience a wide array of threats and malicious delivery mechanisms,” said Arturo Romero, senior security engineer at Scantron Technology Solutions. “As such, we continuously reevaluate and assess our practices and monitoring to ensure security mechanisms are meeting the needs of our customers. “One of the newest threats currently arising is malicious actors taking advantage of the current climate and of people through the coronavirus, either by faking websites or by spreading malware through email.” Romero said companies have become savvier to their security exposures which has made it easier to see the value of sound security protocols. “Overall, all industries have seen a rise in enforcing better cybersecurity practices,” he said. “The future of cybersecurity will employ a more proactive approach, where organizations change the mentality of, ‘I am not a target,’ to ‘How long before I have to respond to a cybersecurity incident,’ and ‘How do I appropriately respond to them.’”

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

World economy working from home gets a glimpse of the virtual future by Enda Curran

The lockdown gripping much of the world economy has spurred a real-time stress test of the long-heralded digital future. Virtual brown bag lunches have replaced office gatherings; Workplace schools have rushed out internet-based learning; the International Monetary Fund will this week hold its spring meetings online; and the U.S. Supreme Court for the first time will hear arguments by telephone and allow live SUPER CROSSWORD

audio broadcasts. Virus lockdowns have seen millions lose their jobs as waiters, flight attendants, Pilates instructors and other service providers are shuttered. That means sustaining those sectors that can function online has never been more important for a global economy facing one of its darkest periods since the Great Depression. Gauging the exact size of the digital economy isn’t easy: The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development esTAKING OUT THE MIDDLE

timates a range of 4.5% to 15.5% of global gross domestic product. While that varies by country, it’s clear the companies and nations which can migrate the most commerce online will go some way to cushioning the damage. “The futurists are going to have a field day,” said Mark Herlach an international lawyer at Eversheds Sutherland LLP in Washington D.C. “It will change the way we build our cities, the way we move around in those cities and that in turn changes our energy use. A whole series of knock on effects are coming.” Herlach — who has had to steer negotiations between clients and government from his home and has used video happy hours and dinner parties to stay in touch with colleagues and friends — is positive on the experience so far, but worries about a lingering sense of isolation if more opt to work remotely once the lockdowns ease. Cheaper internet connectivity has enabled explosive growth in online tools, allowing many white collar roles to be done at home and keeping managers and business owners in touch with their staff. Users of Microsoft Teams soared to a new daily record of 2.7 billion meeting minutes in one day, a 200% increase from 900 million on March 16, the company said on April 9. Even amid security concerns, Zoom has gone from being used by 10 million office workers a day to more than 200 million people. “‘Zooming’ has become a new verb,” said Michael Bowes, a barrister and joint head of Outer Temple Chambers in London. He and his colleagues hold a ‘Virtual Tea Zoom

Group’ at 4pm every Wednesday, where everyone brings their own tea and cake for a general chat about non-work issues. Already, some companies have an eye on how they’ll change operations even when the virus dissipates. Some are looking at cutting expensive travel and real estate budgets in favor of investing in better technology and home office set ups, said Satish Shankar, regional managing partner of Bain & Company Asia-Pacific. “We are poised for a dramatic wanton increase of the digitalization of our economies,” he said. Viewed through metrics such as online government services, fiber internet connection and the share of people who already work from home, Scandinavian nations score highly in terms of online readiness. In tech rich economies such as Japan and South Korea, the sectors most impacted can’t readily switch to a remote stance, according to London based HSBC economist James Pomeroy. Ed Yardeni, who coined the term “bond vigilantes” in the 1980s, dedicated a recent research note to clients on how he has adjusted to a world of meetings and cocktails over video link during what he calls the great virus crisis, or GVC. “Technology has become a GVC staple, right up there with food and toilet paper,” wrote the president and chief investment strategist of Yardeni Research Inc. Perhaps no sector has been as upended as education, with school closures affecting 90% of the world’s students, or more than Continued on next page.

How to get the most out of your education and make the right move into the workforce by Liz Reyer

Answers on page 12.

Spring brings a fresh start, especially for people finishing their education and entering the workforce. It has been a long time since I have been in that situation, so I talked with a young professional, Hannah, about her experiences as she finished college and moved into the workforce. Careers She shared the following perspectives. Note that these hold true regardless of the route you are taking into the workforce. As a foundation, focus on relationships. If you are still in school, make the effort to know your professors and other instructors. They will have some of the most in-depth information about your strengths related to going into the job market. This relates partly to your knowledge and skills. But they will also be able to comment on your communication skills, ability to work as part of a team and overcome challenges. To leverage their knowledge, you need to ask. Don’t let nerves hold you back; your teachers are committed to your success and are there to help. Request a written letter of recommendation that you can use whenever you apply for jobs. Think about your classes and what you really liked. Imagine applying those skills or working in those settings. It will help you narrow down the jobs you should apply for. Take advantage of all the opportunities your school offers. Get internships, both to learn what you want to do, and what isn’t a fit. Think analytically about the skills you have learned throughout all your experiences. All

jobs teach you something and you just don’t know what will resonate with a potential employer. Remember, every single job has some aspect of customer service, so if you worked in retail or fast food, put it on your résumé with pride. Same with extracurricular experiences. Sports, clubs, social justice, or political engagement all help round out your résumé. Now on to finding jobs. Start early with networking. Expect to talk to a lot of people about your hopes and interests. Hannah noted that you should, “Focus on what excites you. But at the same time be open — don’t close doors.” What does networking look like in this case? Start with your professors. They are a great source of connections. Your parents will know people, and so will your friends’ parents. Then there are people you know through faith communities and your hometown. Start making lists and have a summary ready to share about what you want to do. Be willing to go outside your comfort to build your brand. Get on LinkedIn. This will help your network grow and then you can mine your connections’ networks for contacts. The day will come that you land your job. Once you are there, get involved! Get to know people, learn all you can, and take advantage of the social aspects. Before you know it, like Hannah, you will be established in your field and it will be your turn to help the next wave of emerging people get their start. ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Is Zoom safe to use? Here’s what you need to know by Suhauna Hussain

Zoom, a videoconferencing service created for corporate webinars and meetings, has grown into something more amid the coronavirus outbreak. With the number of daily users exploding from 10 million to 200 million from December to March, it has become a forum for nearly every kind of social function, including happy hours, yoga Cybersecurity sessions, school classes, funeral services as well as Passover, Easter and (soon) Ramadan rituals. But no sooner had many tried Zoom for the first time than they began to hear reasons they might want to stay away. Trolls have crashed meetings, flashing porn or racist slurs on screens. Security researchers released report after report on newly discovered vulnerabilities including leaked emails and bugs that might have allowed hackers to access webcams. Earlier this month, Google warned employees not to use Zoom’s desktop applica-

tion on their work computers “due to privacy and security vulnerabilities.” SpaceX, the U.S. Senate and New York City’s school district have enacted similar restrictions. If you’re among the tens of millions of people who have become regular Zoom users in recent weeks, you may be wondering what all this means for you. Here’s a primer on some of the notable privacy and security lapses and how to keep your calls and data safe. Is Zoom sending my data to Facebook? A Vice investigation showed that Zoom’s app for iPhones sent data about users’ devices to Facebook, including about users who did not have Facebook accounts. The company was hit with at least two lawsuits in federal court, one by a California resident who alleges Zoom violated the state’s new Consumer Privacy Act by disclosing information to Facebook without providing consumers with adequate notice or the ability to opt out. Zoom Chief Executive Eric Yuan said in a blog post March 27 that the company removed code that sent user data to Facebook in an updated version of the iOS app. The

World economy working from home gets a glimpse of the virtual future Continued from preceding page. 1.5 billion people according to UNESCO. That has forced teachers to scramble online courses with little warning, with knock on consequences for the wider economy as parents are forced to adapt their working schedule around their children’s needs. Exam timetables have been threatened as authorities grapple with canceling or postponing critical final year exams, or basing grades on past performance. Wong Mo Yee, a primary school teacher and a member of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union executive committee where schools have been shut for months, said the crisis highlighted the need for clear goals about what should be taught at home instead of rigidly sticking with the in-class room curriculum. She also flagged dangers of too much screen time. “Home learning is completely different, the interaction is different, the dynamic in the so-called video classes is also different,” Wong said. “It’s not so easy to engage students in video teaching.” Poorer children have been hardest hit, where families either have to share devices or don’t have them at all. Families where parents have to leave home for work and cannot supervise their child’s learning have had it tougher still. “The longer children are out of school and not learning, the increased likelihood they will never return to school,” said Heather Simpson, chief program officer of Room to Read. Tech Limits Manufacturers have also discovered the limitations of tech. One of them is Colin Ng, who is co-founder of Hong Kong-based Lincogn Technology Co. that designs and makes smart home appliances such as facial recognition door locks and mobile phone controlled lights for the Hong Kong, China, U.S. and European markets. Travel restrictions on the border between Hong Kong and mainland China have disrupted the main artery between Ng’s small

R&D team in Hong Kong and the company’s manufacturing staff in neighboring Guangdong. That’s complicated the process for when a product is meant to move from the R&D laboratory to the factory floor. “Video conferencing the discussion is very difficult,” Ng said. “It is difficult to explain a lot of the detail through the camera, the conversation becomes very inefficient.” Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Chamber of Commerce in China and a veteran of doing business in the world’s second-biggest economy, said remote working can only do so much for those in due diligence, sales or manufacturing. “Companies are pushing the envelope,” Wuttke said. “But at the end of the day someone still has to get the coal and oil out of the ground and put solar panels together.” There have been other strains too. Surging web usage prompted President Donald Trump to hold talks with telecom giants to ensure the networks could cope. In Europe, Amazon.com Inc., Netflix Inc. and YouTube had to reduce the quality of their video streams to ensure networks can handle increased usage. In China, mobile broadband downloading speed slumped between mid-January and early February before gradually recovering by mid-March, according to network speed testing platform Ookla. Downloading speed in India and Malaysia has started to dip since early March as the pandemic outbreak spread. The shift online has been a crucial safety net for a collapsing world economy and will change how we study, work and play even when the virus passes, said Chua Hak Bin, senior economist at Maybank Kim Eng Research Pte. in Singapore. “Quarantines and lockdowns for such long periods would have been near impossible to impose and bear without the tech devices available today,” he said. ©2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

company updated its privacy policy March 29 after a swell of concern from users. “I think Zoom wasn’t completely honest,” Electronic Frontier Foundation senior technologist Bill Budington said. “I think they are going through a lot of growing pains.” How else might my information have been compromised? Reports of Zoom’s vulnerabilities predate the coronavirus crisis. Last July, security researcher Jonathan Leitschuh exposed a flaw that allowed hackers to take over Mac webcams through the app. The company fixed the problem after a public interest research center filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Thousands of personal Zoom videos were left viewable on the open web, including one-on-one therapy sessions, telehealth calls, and elementary school classes, the Washington Post reported. People’s names, phone numbers and intimate conversations were revealed and children’s faces and voices were exposed. Experts say the company now seems to be making more serious efforts to identify and quickly patch vulnerabilities. It formed an advisory council of chief security officers from other companies and hired Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former chief security officer, as an adviser. “That’s a lot of money being thrown at the problem to improve security. That is not insubstantial,” said Leitschuh, who discovered the Mac camera vulnerability last year. Are Zoom calls encrypted, and does that matter? Zoom marketed its communications as

protected by end-to-end encryption, which makes it, in effect, impossible for anyone, including the company itself, to spy on them. Recently, however, the Intercept revealed Zoom has been using a different type of encryption, called transport encryption, which enables the company to decode the content of calls. That means the company could hypothetically be susceptible to pressure from government authorities to disclose communications, said Bill Marczak, a fellow at the Citizen Lab and a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley. That doesn’t make those calls uniquely vulnerable, however. Cellphone calls and Skype calls on default settings, for example, aren’t encrypted end to end either, and it’s unlikely the average person would need this type of security. But reporters or dissidents under oppressive regimes, government officials discussing classified information or big companies that want to keep their business strategies confidential might want to use a more secure platform, Budington said. What information does Zoom give my boss or co-workers? If you’ve been part of a long, boring webinar, you perhaps thought there would be no harm in checking your email or your Facebook feed to pass the time. So many were alarmed at the revelation of an “attention tracking” feature that allowed the meeting host to see when participants clicked away from the active Zoom window for more than 30 seconds. The company announced it had removed the feature in an April 2 blog post. That’s not the only way hosts can gather information on attendees. They can also record audio and video from meetings and save a record of group chats. Some Zoom users Continued on page 18.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Mom and pop stores need cash now. But a federal rescue is still mired in confusion by Russ Mitchell

Restaurants. Shoe stores. Dog groomers. Dry cleaners. An estimated 30 million small businesses serve customers throughout the U.S. — or did, before the coronavirus pandemic forced many to close their doors. Now they are desperate for cash and struggling with a balky rescue program. In an attempt to prevent economic implosion in the Small Business face of massive unemployment, Congress has authorized $350 billion in loans to small businesses. That includes the Paycheck Protection Program of forgivable loans to small businesses that agree not to lay off workers for eight weeks. But 10 days after the PPP took effect, many businesses report they still haven’t received the money. The federal Small Business Administration, banks that administer the loans and the intended recipients are sorting through bottlenecks, with chaos and confusion. Many would-be applications report they haven’t been able to even apply yet. “Small businesses are still waiting, uncertain how much they’ll get or when it will be,” said Holly Wade, director of research and policy analysis at the National Federation of Independent Business. The trade group has mobilized to help small business owners through the crisis. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said PPP applicants should have loans approved by the end of the week. Meanwhile, 50% of the members surveyed by the NFIB said their cash won’t last more than two months under current conditions. “Unfortunately, time is not their friend,” Wade said. Members report that some money has begun trickling out in recent days. Some banks are telling customers the program is already oversubscribed. If Congress doesn’t allocate more money, and the loan-approval process doesn’t improve fast, “more small businesses will have to close their doors, and more employees will be laid off,” Wade said. An additional $250 billion is hung up in Congress in part over Democrats’ demands that it be part of a package that includes aid to hospitals, states and local governments. Here’s how three small businesses are trying to keep their heads above water in the meantime. The dog groomer Lena Swann first picked up clippers 30 years ago, as a teenager, learning her craft from handlers who worked with show dogs. “That’s how I learned to groom every breed,” she said. Swann built a mobile grooming business and, by 2008, had a storefront in Emeryville, near Oakland, named All About the Dogue. She attracted a loyal clientele. “We opened up before Petco came in with their own grooming service. Petco came, Petco closed — and we’re still here,” she said. Swann employs four workers: a full-time groomer, a part-time groomer and two bathers. Before the virus hit, the shop groomed about 20 dogs a day. Swann is still paying her employees. “I don’t want to put them on unemployment,” she said. But she’s not sure how long she can continue. “The number of dogs we did a day are necessary to bring in the money to pay the bills,” she said, including $4,500 a

month for rent. Her workers qualify for direct payments of $1,200 promised by the federal government, but they are still waiting. “That money hasn’t showed up in anybody’s account,” Swann said. Mnuchin said Monday that the money is expected to show up in bank accounts by Wednesday. Swann is seeking a $47,500 PPP loan, but the process has been painful. The second the PPP opened for applications on April 3, Swann was at her computer, trying to call up up the relevant page at Wells Fargo, her commercial banker. “I made several attempts,” she said. “It just crashed and crashed. I tried to call them. No answer.” A man from her Wells Fargo branch finally called her back to “check in to see if you need anything.” She said she needed a PPP loan. “We ran out of money,” she said the bank rep told her. “Log on later today; it will open up again, keep trying.” Finally, she was able to file an application. Now she’s in “the queue.” Where in the queue, or even what it means to be in the queue, she has no clue. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo is sending her emails suggesting she try other banks in her neighborhood. Asked about such problems, Wells said a cap on lending limited responsiveness to PPP applicants. That cap, imposed by the Federal Reserve after the bank was found to have created millions of fake bank accounts, was temporarily lifted on April 9. For now, Swann has been able to raise about $8,300 from a GoFundMe campaign

she set up, with the goal of raising $15,000. She knows she’s lucky to have a customer base that can afford donations. Still, she said, “It’s a mess. It’s truly a mess.” The pawnshop Danny Justman manages Pawnmart Jewelry & Loan in Norwalk, Calif., which has been in business since 1978. Pawnshops serve as a lender of sorts for the down and out. “It’s a real need,” Justman said. “A lot of these people need cash but have no access to credit.” Like Swann, Justman tried to apply for a loan April 3 — in his case, $89,200. Like Swann, he was getting nowhere with his main banker, Wells Fargo, so he looked elsewhere. He tried US Bank, where Pawnmart also has accounts, but was turned down flat — because, he assumes, he runs a pawnshop. “Thanks for considering US Bank,” the rejection message said. “Unfortunately you’re not eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program.” He tried again, with a different industry code: secondhand stores. This time, his request went through, but he was told by email to be patient, that everyone is in a holding pattern as thousands of businesses apply. The bank said he would be informed when it was possible to fill out an application. He’s still waiting. Pawnmart’s 13 employees are still being paid, Justman said. He doesn’t want to say how long he can hold out, but at some point his cash will run low. Some of his regular customers, he knows, are desperate. The fact that banks are overwhelmed doesn’t surprise Justman, but “they’re taking

a poor posture on this, treating these as if they are regular loans” even though they are guaranteed by the SBA, he said. The church Vicki Broach chairs the board of the First Congregational Church of Riverside, which has a congregation of about 300 and two parttime and two full-time employees, including the pastor. She’s befuddled about why it’s taking so long to get a $20,000 PPP loan. The church’s regular banker said it wasn’t participating in the loan program. “I tried to file through Wells Fargo, which is my (personal) bank. I did get in the queue,” she said. “But they keep sending me emails that say ‘still in queue, still in queue.’” She turned to a local bank, which asked for a number of documents Wells hadn’t asked for, such as articles of incorporation. “All the banks ask for different records. Everyone wants something different,” she said. If there were a common application with a consistent set of required paperwork, small businesses could apply at more banks, making it easier to find someone that will grant a loan, said Broach, a retired lawyer. “These loans are guaranteed,” she said. “It shouldn’t be an issue” if the goal is to get cash fast to businesses who need it. She has talked to administrators at churches around the country who’ve tried to apply and has yet to hear of any that has received a PPP loan. “We can go a couple months here,” she said, “but then we’ll be flat broke.” ©2020 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

by Eric Newcomer

doesn’t mean they should. One legal and ethical wrinkle is baked into the language of the bill: As part of the application process, companies are asked to certify that "current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the applicant." What’s necessary? There’s so much uncertainty in the world of startups. Most venture-backed companies are just trying to make it to their next financing round. If runway is running short, it might be tempting to take a government loan along the way to your Series B. Indeed, some people think their companies should qualify like everyone else. Startup founder George Arison tweeted that the government shut the economy down and it “feels like eligible businesses should be treated equally.” If the goal of the loan program is to keep people employed, there is a logic to funding startups. Employees are usually one of tech companies’ biggest costs, so cash-strapped startups lay off their employees to try to stay afloat like everyone else. Those layoffs are happening. And in general, these scrappy upstarts are more sympathetic than, say, Boeing Co., whose planes were crashing before the coronavirus slammed its stock. (Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya made the case against bailing out shareholders in big corporations.) But most startups, which raised near-record levels of funding last year, don’t need the money in the way that local restaurants or repair shops need the money. And many laid

off tech employees will find themselves better off than dishwashers or mechanics who lose their jobs. Indeed, some founders have concluded that the funds wouldn’t be necessary for their companies’ near-term survival, and that they therefore shouldn’t apply. The problem, of course, is that the loan program is finite. Those restaurants and barbershops, without any access to VCs or other forms of capital, could lose out because a startup put in an application first. If the system works well, a business like Nopa—the San Francisco restaurant favored Continued on page 27.

Tech startups can apply for US relief funds. Should they? Should startups take money from the government? Silicon Valley is puzzling over the answer right now. Some venture capitalists seem more than happy to say, yes, please take that sweet government money. “If the U.S. government didn’t want to support VC-backed businesses, they easily could have excluded them and they knowingly did not,” writes venture capitalist Mark Suster. The pool of cash we’re Economy talking about is the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, part of Congress’s coronavirus bailout effort. Small businesses of all stripes are now rushing to apply for the program’s $349 billion in available loan money (and possibly another $250 billion if an expansion goes through). The so-called PPP loans turn into grants if companies keep their employees in their jobs. At first it seemed like venture-backed startups, along with companies funded by private equity firms, didn’t have much of a shot at getting government funding. But after a few tweaks in the requirements, the situation is now more ambiguous for venture-backed companies. The government is no longer requiring that minority investors risk criminal consequences if the startup misappropriates the funds—a breakthrough, even though startups will still have to make complicated disclosures about their investors. (Private equity-backed companies at this moment seem mostly out of luck.) But just because tech companies can,

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• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

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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 COMMISSION FUND 6, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Commission Fund 6, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 11011 Q Street, Suite 101B, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. 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 March 27, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 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 COMMISSION FUND 7, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Commission Fund 7, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 11011 Q Street, Suite 101B, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. 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 March 27, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KJK PROPERTIES LLC Notice is hereby given that KJK 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 101 S. 14th St., Ft. Calhoun, NE 68023. The agent for service of process for the Company is Amanda Rossman located at 1143 S Hwy 30, Blair, NE 68008. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

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 COMMISSION FUND 8, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Commission Fund 8, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 11011 Q Street, Suite 101B, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. 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 March 27, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of a Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given the registration with the Nebraska Secretary of state’s office of Mateo Landscaping, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: The name of the company is Mateo Landscaping, LLC. Registered agent and office of Mateo Landscaping, LLC is Mateo Diego Matias at 2506 S 35th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68105. The designated address is 2506 S 35th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68105. Initial members: Mateo Diego Matias. General nature of the business is to transact any and all lawful business for which limited liability companies are allowed by statute. The LLC was organized on March 2020 for the perpetual duration and is managed by its members. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

DANA ROCHE, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF GOLDENROD AUGUSTA PLYMOUTH OPERATIONS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Certificate of Organization of Goldenrod Augusta Plymouth Operations, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the entity to GCA Plymouth Operations, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on March 24, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MATLOCK INVESTMENTS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Matlock Investments, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is Matlock Investments, LLC. 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP, Attorneys 13330 California Street, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ASHTON BUILDING MASTER TENANT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Ashton Building Master Tenant, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on March 12, 2020 (the “Company”). The Company has designated its registered agent as Kendra J. Ringenberg, with registered office at Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, NE 68154. The Company’s initial designated office is at 1536 Cuming Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Company shall be governed by its managing member. The general nature of business is any lawful purpose. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), DIANE R CRAIG You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 12/22/2019 on Case Number CI19-28255, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $1140.30, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 06/01/2020 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF S-CAPE FITNESS, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that S-CAPE FITNESS, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 5052 North 155th Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The registered agent is JON AGENOR. The general nature of the business is to operate a general gym 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 gym 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 February 18, 2020, 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF EK Marketing, LLC Notice is hereby given that a limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is EK Marketing, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128. The designated office is located at 21871 Marinda Street, Elkhorn, NE 68022. Dave Ekdahl, Member First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Semper Roofing, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 10043 Scott Circle, Suite 101, Omaha, Nebraska 68122. The registered agent of the Company is Drew Vamosi, 7370 N. 122nd Avenue Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68142. The Company was formed on March 30, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF D&M ROOFING AND SIDING, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of D&M Roofing and Siding, Inc., a Nebraska corporation, have been amended and were duly filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on March 27, 2020. Included in the Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation is a name change from DNDM Roofing, Inc. to D&M Roofing and Siding, Inc. and does not affect, exchange, reclassify or cancel any issued shares of the corporation. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF IMAGINE ENVELOPES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Imagine Envelopes, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 16317 Hascall Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 and designating its registered agent as Erickson & Sederstrom, P.C. a limited liability company with its registered office at 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF IMAGINE DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Imagine Document Solutions, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 16317 Hascall Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 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 68114. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 N OTI C E OF OR GA N I ZATI ON A N D A MEN D MEN T TO CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that C&C Properties, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), was duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114 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 68114. On March 23, 2020, the Certificate of Organization was amended to change the name of the Company from C&C Properties, LLC to 303 Fulton Investment, LLC. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 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 LIND THOMAS CREATIVE, LLC The name of the Company is Lind Thomas Creative, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 3124 South 134th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on March 25, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF MERGER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Articles of Merger of The 3500 Corporation, a Nebraska corporation, with and into 3500 Family LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on March 27, 2020, in accordance with the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The merger was effective as of March 31, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. The surviving entity in the merger was 3500 Family LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF IOWA AGRI INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on December 4, 2019, IOWA AGRI INVESTMENTS, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Model Business Corporation Act of Nebraska, with a designated office at 11213 Davenport Street, Suite 116, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Company’s initial agent for service of process is National Registered Agents, Inc., 400 E. Court Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50309. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TRIFECTA INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Trifecta Investments, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 2106 South 91st Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124 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 68114. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF AJ CRUZ CREATIVES, LLC Notice is hereby given that AJ CRUZ CREATIVES, 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 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118. 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RHK PROPERTIES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that RHK Properties, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 21874 Martha St., Omaha, NE 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 THOMAS H. PENKE, Attorney 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that WAIIC Properties, LLC, has organized pursuant to R.R.S. Section 21-101 et seq. The registered office is 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 and the registered agent is Thomas H. Penke. The designated office is 13510 Giles Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The nature of the business to be transacted is any lawful business. The business will commence on December 1, 2019, and is perpetual. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by the President, Secretary and Treasurer. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF FARMERS AGENTS CHARITIES OF OMAHA INC Notice is hereby given that Farmers Agents Charities of Omaha Inc, a Nebraska non-profit corporation, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its registered office at 19326 Spencer St, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. Eric Petersen is the registered agent. The Corporation is a public benefit corporation, which is organized exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 509(a)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1988. The Company commenced its existence on January 8, 2020, and its duration is perpetual. The corporation will not have members. Its affairs are to be conducted by the Board of Directors who shall appoint officers including a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Jennifer R. Petersen, Incorporator, 19326 Spencer St, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022 First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 CAMERON M. RIECKE, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF A&E HAWLEY, 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 A&E HAWLEY, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 733 Road, Brock, NE 68320. 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 February 19th, 2020 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF J&C SIMMENTALS LLC Notice is hereby given that J&C SIMMENTALS 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 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118. 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney CARLSON & BURNETT, LLP 17525 Arbor Street Omaha, NE 68130 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JESPOPHOLDINGS, LLC Notice is hereby given that JESPOPHOLDINGS, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company’s initial registered agent is Matthew Wurstner, whose address is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The address of its registered office is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, NE 68130. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and such activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which is not prohibited by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced on March 26, 2020, and will have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is to be managed by its initial Members of the Company who are Jesse Kruse, 12025 N. 225th Street, Valley, NE 68064, Gary Kruse, 21402 Cedarwood Rd, Elkhorn, NE 68022, Matthew Wurstner, Organizer First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney CARLSON & BURNETT, LLP 17525 Arbor Street Omaha, NE 68130 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GYMHOLDINGS, LLC Notice is hereby given that GYMHOLDINGS, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Company’s initial registered agent is Matthew Wurstner, whose address is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The address of its registered office is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, NE 68130. The purpose of the Company is to engage in any lawful business and such activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which is not prohibited by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced on March 26, 2020, and will have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is to be managed by its initial Members of the Company who are Jesse Kruse, 12025 N. 225th Street, Valley, NE 68064. Matthew Wurstner, Organizer First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 TIEDEMAN, LYNCH, KAMPFE, McVAY & RESPELIERS, Attorneys 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68106-1045 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that H MARCHIO, LLC, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska with its designated office at 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The initial registered agent is John S. Kampfe, and the registered agent’s address is 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The general nature of the business is to engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized. The limited liability company was formed on March 26, 2020, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by its Manager. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 TIMOTHY J. BUCKLEY, Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR20-465 Estate of Leonard C. Bausback, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on March 27th, 2020, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Will of said Decedent and that Jeffrey D, Bausback, whose address is 15363 Nicholas Street, Omaha, NE 68154 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. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before June 3rd, 2020 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BOURBON BIRD, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Bourbon Bird, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 11600 Seabiscuit Lane, Walton, Nebraska 68461. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Bourbon Bird, LLC, Attention: Rahul Razdan, 11600 Seabiscuit Lane, Walton, Nebraska 68461. The limited liability company commenced business on March 11, 2020. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SMITH & HASCALL FAMILY DENTISTRY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Smith & Hascall Family Dentistry, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 17725 Welch Plaza, Suite B, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. All members, managers, professional employees and agents of the Company dentistry services are licensed, certified or otherwise legally authorized to render dentistry services in this state. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020

RUSSELL J. KREIKEMEIER, Attorney KREIKEMEIER LAW OFFICES 126 East Grove Street West Point, Nebraska 68788 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given of the organization of Stavas Medical Imaging, LLC, with its registered office address at 126 East Grove, West Point, Nebraska 68788 and the registered agent at such address is Russell J. Kreikemeier. The designated office location of the Company is 662 North 63rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The purpose or purposes for which this Company is formed is to specialize in diagnosing injuries and diseases using medical imaging procedures such as X-Ray, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and ultrasound; from body imaging to diagnostic radiology, mammography, to molecular medicine/imaging, interventional radiology procedures and medical consulting. The Company will conduct any other matter(s) including the transaction of all or any lawful business or engagement in any commercial venture permitted by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act, as amended, and all other applicable law. The initial capital of the Company has been contributed and evidence of membership in the Company will be issued by the Management Board. The Company commenced doing business on November 6, 2019, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company shall be conducted by a Management Board and such other Officers and Managers as may be provided for in the Operating Agreement of the Company. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 THOMAS H. PENKE, Attorney 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR20-479 Estate of JOHN L POVONDRA, JR., Deceased Notice is hereby given that on the 21st day of March, 2020, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, DEREK J. O'BRIEN, whose address is 28026 Sunrise Court, Valley, Nebraska 68064, has been appointed Personal Representative of this estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before June 3rd, 2020 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 SEAN D. MOYLAN, Attorney MOYLAN LAW, LLC 1010 South 120th Street, Suite 320 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF MALLARD REMODELING, INC. Notice is hereby given that MALLARD REMODELING, INC., a Nebraska Corporation, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, by its incorporator Kevin Clanton, whose address is 19903 Elkhorn Ridge Drive, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The initial registered agent is Sean Moylan located at the initial registered office, 1010 S. 120th Street, Suite 320, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The corporation is authorized to issue 300 shares. The purpose for which MALLARD REMODELING, INC. has been established is to engage in the remodeling business, and any and all lawful businesses for which a corporation may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. Perpetual existence commenced on December 4, 2019. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 ROBERT J. LIKES, Attorney LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PATRONUS PROPERTIES LLC Notice is hereby given that PATRONUS PROPERTIES LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office and registered office of the Company is 1803 North 173rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68118, and the Company’s initial agent for service of process at such address is Jeremy Warren. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DPL CONSULTING, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of DPL Consulting, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is DPL Consulting, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 2116 N 179th St, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. 3. 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 April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF Charred SP LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Charred SP LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 2132 S 181st Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jason Kuhr, 2132 S 181st Circle Omaha, NE 68130. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES LEGACY DESIGN STRATEGIES 9859 South 168th Avenue Omaha, NE 68136 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION TAX SMART, LLC Notice is hereby given that Tax Smart, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial agent for service of process as Colin Kastrick, and with its initial designated office at 13710 FNB Pkwy, #105, Omaha, NE 68154. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 LEGACY DESIGN STRATEGIES 9859 South 168th Avenue Omaha, NE 68136 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION SMART WEALTH, LLC Notice is hereby given that Smart Wealth, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial agent for service of process as Colin Kastrick, and with its initial designated office at 13710 FNB Pkwy, #105, Omaha, NE 68154. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 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 ABH CONSULTING, LLC The name of the Company is ABH Consulting, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 1111 Elk Ridge Drive, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on April 3, 2020. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CASH UNLIMITED, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Cash Unlimited, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 2929 California Plaza, Apt. 4170, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF A.L.F. ROOFING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that A.L.F. Roofing, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 5144 North 17th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68110 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 68114. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 JODIE L. HAFERBIER MCGILL, Attorney MCGILL LAW, P.C., L.L.O. 1411 N. 72nd St. Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TREE OF HOPE THERAPY GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has formed a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, as follows: The name of the company is Tree of Hope Therapy Group, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 13304 West Center Road Suite #110, Nebraska 68144 and the initial registered agent is Jodie McGill, 1411 N. 72 St, Omaha, NE 68114. The company is organized to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any and all lawful business, other than banking and insurance, for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of Nebraska. The limited liability company commenced existence on the filing and recording of its Statement of Qualification with the Secretary of State on April 1, 2020 and shall have a perpetual period of duration from the date the Certificate was filed with the Secretary of State. Management of the Company shall be vested in its members in proportion to their contribution to the capital of the company, as adjusted from time to time, to reflect additional contributions or withdrawals by the members. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF DOMORE CONSULTING COMPANY. DoMore Consulting Company has been incorporated under the laws of the state of Nebraska. The Articles of Incorporation were filed on March 6, 2020. The street address of the corporation's registered office is 10341 Rockbrook Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68124 and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is James Mackiewicz. The corporation is authorized to issue 1.000,000 shares of common stock. James Mackiewicz, Incorporator, 10341 Rockbrook Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68124 First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020

CAMERON M. RIECKE, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF COONEY HEALTHCARE 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 Cooney Healthcare Holdings, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 14488 Erskine Street, Omaha, NE 68116. 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 April 6th, 2020 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 April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 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 LINCOLN STRUCTURAL REAL ESTATE, LLC The name of the Company is Lincoln Structural Real Estate, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 8930 South 137th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on March 31, 2020. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SR PROPERTIES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SR Properties, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 13045 Craig Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68142. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 W. Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: ASA FETHERSTON You are hereby notified that on 10/29/19, the Plaintiff Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska, against you shown as Case Number CI19 23867. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of 440.98, plus court costs, pre-judgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable. The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the Complaint on or before 05/24/20 at the COUNTY court of DOUGLAS County, OMAHA Nebraska. Danielle Ihle #26177 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, NE 68802 (308)398-3801 Attorney for Plaintiff First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: BRIAN S. LAFFERTY, PO Box 214, Williston, OH 43468, you are hereby notified that on December 19, 2019, American Family Mutual Ins. Co. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI19-27700, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $4,546.33, 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 1st day of June, 2020, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication April 10, 2020, final May 1, 2020 WAYNE S. RASMUSSEN, Attorney SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VT MANAGEMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on February 14, 2020, VT Management, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, with a designated office at 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. the Company’s initial agent for service of process is Wayne S. Rasmussen, 8712 West Dodge Rd., Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MPR, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that MPR, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 16114 S Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of MPR, LLC is Peggy S. Hoover, 803 Matthies Drive, Papillion, NE 68046. First publication April 10, 2020, final April 24, 2020

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF B3 Capital, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of B3 Capital, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is B3 Capital, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Cr. 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: MIGUEL A. NAVARRETE-ARCHULETA, 3819 Terrace Dr, Omaha NE 68134, you are hereby notified that on January 23, 2020, American Family Mutual Ins. Co. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI20-1649, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $15,168.06, 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 25th day of May, 2020, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 24, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 N O T I C E O F O R G A N I Z AT I O N O F S T R A I G H T L I N E DEVELOPMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Straightline Development, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 16255 Woodland 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 April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PLATFORM LIFE OUTDOORS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Platform Life Outdoors, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 185 South 3rd Street, Springfield, NE 68059. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 3, 2020, final April 17, 2020 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: DHW Coaching Name of Applicant: Precise Accounting Services, Inc. Address: 2507 N 166th St Omaha NE 68116 Applicant is a Corporation If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: 3/21/2020 General nature of business: Personal Finance Coaching, Run Fitness Coaching, and Business Finance Coaching GARY WASSERMAN Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative April 17, 2020 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: big tractor mowing Name of Applicant: Parallax Properties Address: 8704 Boyd St. Omaha NE 68134 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: 3/1/2020 General nature of business: Commerical mowing and any other legal business activities DENNIS A. KOSMICKI Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative April 17, 2020 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Lotus Lawn Care Company, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 11124 Hilltop Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68164. The registered agent of the Company is Glen L. Kieckhafer, 11124 Hilltop Ave, Omaha, Nebraska 68164. The Company was formed on April 8, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Meta Enterprises, Inc. a Nebraska corporation, filed Articles of Dissolution on April 13, 2020, with the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office. The terms of the dissolution provide for the payment of liabilities of the corporation and the distribution of any remaining assets. Garth Paulsen, as President, is to manage the corporate affairs relating to the dissolution of the Corporation. Any Corporation assets will be distributed in accordance with the Corporation’s plan of dissolution and it has no known liabilities. The Corporation requests that persons with claims against it present them in accordance with this notice. Any claimant shall send notice of a claim to the Corporation to the above address. A claim against Meta Enterprises, Inc. will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within three (3) years after the publication of this notice. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Corporate Name: CRC Ag Consulting, Inc. Registered Agent: Erickson & Sederstrom P.C. a limited liability organization Registered Office: 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 Authorized Number of Shares: 10,000 Incorporator: Daniel I. Dittman Erickson & Sederstrom, P.C. 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

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 BOU*QUET BY JH, LLC The name of the Company is Bou*Quet by JH, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 1223 South 112th Plaza, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on April 9, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 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 LMD3, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that LMD3, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 19525 Pearl Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68022. 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 April 10, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 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 1535 RIDGEWOOD, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 1535 Ridgewood, 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 Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 14, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

LINDSEY A. SCHULER, Attorney C R O K E R , H U C K , K A S H E R , D E W I T T, A N D E R S O N & GONDERINGER, L.L.C. 2120 S. 72ND STREET, SUITE 1200 OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CHASING FREEDOM, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Chasing Freedom, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2120 S. 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Lindsey A. Schuler, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

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 BRYNFIELD, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Brynfield, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 13020 Seward Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. 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 April 14, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of Less the Agency, LLC Notice of organization is hereby given that Less the Agency, LLC has been organized in accordance with the laws of the state of Nebraska, commencing 4/16/2020. The designated office address is 7520 North 106th Ave,Omaha, NE 68122. The registered agent is Nebraska Enterprise Fund, 330 Oakland Avenue, Omaha, NE, 68045. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MATTHEW'S CONCRETE LLC Notice is hereby given that MATTHEW'S CONCRETE 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 107 S. 50th St., Omaha, NE 68132. The agent for service of process for the Company is USCA, Inc. located at 1603 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 68102. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

GNUSE & GREEN LAW OFFICES, P.C., Attorneys 11311 Chicago Circle Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TECHNO METAL POSTS OF OMAHA, L.L.C. A Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given that Techno Metal Posts of Omaha, L.L.C., a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 22007 Trailridge Blvd, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The general nature of its business is to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the limited liability company’s initial registered office is 11311 Chicago Circle, Douglas County, Omaha, NE 68154 and the name of its’ initial registered agent at such address is Rodney G. Gnuse. The Certificate of Organization was filed in the office of the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 13, 2020. The Company commenced business thereon and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company are to be conducted by the Members. Rodney G. Gnuse, Organizer First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF Haley Cameron Photography, LLC This Certificate of Organization of Haley Cameron Photography, LLC (the “Company”) is being executed by the undersigned for the purpose of forming a limited liability company pursuant to the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 21-101 et seq. 1. Name. The name of the Company is Haley Cameron Photography, LLC. 2. Initial Agent for Service of Process and Address. The initial agent for service of process of the Company is Haley Cameron, whose address is 17510 Browne Street Omaha, NE 68116. 3. Initial Designated Office. The initial designated office of the Company is 17510 Browne Street Omaha, NE 68116. IN WITNESS HEREOF, the undersigned, an authorized person of the Company, has caused this Certificate of Organization to be duly executed as of the 3rd day of May, 2019. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of a Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given the registration with the Nebraska Secretary of state’s office of Grandeza Divina, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: The name of the company is Grandeza Divina, LLC. Registered agent and office of Grandeza Divina, LLC is Fernando Jeronimo Pascual at 1614 Washington Street, Omaha, NE 68107. The designated address is 1614 Washington Street, Omaha, NE 68107. Initial members: Fernando Jeronimo Pascual. General nature of the business is to transact any and all lawful business for which limited liability companies are allowed by statute. The LLC was organized on April 2020 for the perpetual duration and is managed by its members. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Renken Trucking, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 5124 S. 122nd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. The registered agent of the Company is Andy Renken, 5124 S. 122nd Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. The Company was formed on April 14, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GREAT DANE REAL ESTATE, LLC Notice is hereby given that Great Dane Real Estate, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 4613 N. 134th Ave, Omaha, NE 68164. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Douglas Dean Hansen, 4613 N. 134th Ave, Omaha, NE 68164. The limited liability company commenced business on March 18, 2020. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

CAMERON M. RIECKE, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF LEGACY INSURANCE SERVICES, 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 Legacy Insurance Services, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 17808 S. Reflection Ave., Bennington, NE 68007. 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 April 13th, 2020 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 April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 DENNIS W. MORLAND, Attorney EGLEY, FULLNER, MONTAG, MORLAND & EASLAND, P.C. 2424 Taylor Avenue P.O. Box 33 Norfolk, NE 68702-0033 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is given of the organization of a limited liability company known as Luxury Crates, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is: 3101 North 216th Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Amanda M. Rose, 3101 North 216th Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. It is organized to transact any lawful business pursuant to the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 AMANDA M. FORKER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MALT REAL ESTATE CO, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of MALT Real Estate Co, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is MALT Real Estate Co, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 11205 South 150th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. 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 68114. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 GNUSE & GREEN LAW OFFICES, P.C., Attorneys 11311 Chicago Circle Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BHP HOLDINGS, L.L.C. A Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given that BHP Holdings, L.L.C., a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 909 S. 184th Avenue Circle, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The general nature of its business is to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any and all lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the limited liability company’s initial registered office is 11311 Chicago Circle, Douglas County, Omaha, NE 68154 and the name of its’ initial registered agent at such address is Rodney G. Gnuse. The Certificate of Organization was filed in the office of the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 3, 2020. The Company commenced business thereon and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company are to be conducted by the Members. Rodney G. Gnuse, Organizer First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF RED LION ENTERPRISES, INC. The name of the Corporation is Red Lion Enterprises, Inc. The address of the registered office of the Corporation is 16006 Arbor St., Omaha, NE 68130 and the registered agent of the said Corporation is Marco A. Rojo Leon. The designated office of the Corporation is 16006 Arbor St., Omaha, NE 68130. The Corporation has One Thousand (1,000) shares of common stock authorized, each having the par value of $1.00. The corporate existence began on April 3, 2020, when Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State. First publication April 17, 2020, final May 1, 2020

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Coronavirus closed your local art-house movie theater. Can streaming help save it? by Ryan Faughnder

Before the coronavirus shut down the movie industry in mid-March, the biggest threat to art-house cinemas was people watching movies through streaming services and video on-demand sites instead of going to their local theater. However, with revenue and concession sales reduced to zero for the foreseeable future, some small Entertainment theaters have resorted to a surprisingly tech-savvy tactic: showing movies online. Logan Crow, founder of the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, Calif., is one of dozens of indie cinema owners who have partnered with studios and distributors to create “virtual cinemas” that allow patrons to pay to watch certain movies on the web while audiences are stuck at home. Best of all, the nonprofit Frida gets a cut of the revenue. “Streaming is certainly not new,” Crow said. “But distributors partnering with art houses to stream movies in a way that supports theaters with revenue certainly is new.” A growing number of distributors, such as Kino Lorber, Film Movement and Magnolia Pictures, have worked with small cinemas to make their theatrical movies available through the theaters’ websites. Major specialty chains, including Alamo Drafthouse and Laemmle Theatres, have signed onto the distributors’ plans. New York-based Bleecker Street on Monday joined the trend, saying it will stream its Javier Bardem feature “The Roads Not Taken” by working with theaters, including Bow Tie Cinemas and Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas. In the innovative arrangement, viewers go to their favorite cinema’s website and pay a $12 fee to watch a film, which is then available for them to view on their computer, phone or smart TV for three to five days,

depending on the distributor. That money is split between the studio and the theater operator. The so-called virtual screenings have become increasingly common amid the coronavirus closures, which have hammered the biggest chains such as AMC and Regal, as well as the mom-and-pop-run bastions of art-house dramas and international fare. Theaters have been forced to furlough or lay off almost all their employees, most of whom are part-time and hourly. Owners hope relief is coming in the form of loan guarantees and small business benefits promised by the recently passed $2-trillion federal stimulus package. Amid the shutdowns, Kino Marquee, the on-demand system set up by New Yorkbased distribution firm Kino Lorber, has grown to nearly 200 theater locations. The distributor, which specializes in foreign film and indie rarities, has used the program to sell the Brazilian thriller “Bacurau,” Ken Loach’s “Sorry We Missed You” and the horror-comedy “Extra Ordinary.” For the viewer, it’s similar to renting a movie from iTunes or Amazon, but only through a local theater’s website. “This is putting the power back in the hands of the theater owners,” Kino Lorber Chief Executive Richard Lorber said. “Kino Marquee has basically given them a chance to capture revenues that they otherwise would’ve lost.” The program provided a much-needed outlet for the makers of “Extra Ordinary,” a paranormal rom-com that features Will Forte as a has-been rock star with a satanic plot to rekindle his fame. The low-budget movie was released in 32 theaters March 6 and had expanded to dozens more before the coronavirus outbreak forced its distributor, Good Deed Entertainment, to pull the plug.

“The film had some nice momentum,” said Kristin Harris, Good Deed’s head of acquisitions and distribution. “We basically just had the rug pulled out from under us.” The studio, based in Ohio and Los Angeles, teamed with Kino Lorber to put the film out for on-demand viewing last week through theater websites. To promote it, Good Deed also released a video Q&A session with Forte and others in the cast and crew. Good Deed CEO Scott Donley acknowledged that the virtual cinema is no substitute for the real thing, but the strategy can help studios cut their losses on films that were counting on box office sales. It also allows locals to support their area cinema through a desperate time. “If we can all help each other survive through this, we’ll all be better for it,” Donley said. Distributors including Kino Lorber and Film Movement declined to disclose revenue figures, as did theater companies. Film Movement President Michael Rosenberg, whose virtual cinema program has let theaters screen movies including Polish Oscar nominee “Corpus Christi,” said the sales pale in comparison to actual box office receipts. Cinemas, meanwhile, aren’t just missing out on box office but also on popcorn and soda sales. Yet the costs are generally lower to distribute online, and every little bit helps theaters, he said. “It’s not enough revenue to offset what the theaters lost by being closed,” Rosenberg said. “But it’s something.” Theater operators including Greg Laemmle, president of Los Angeles-based family-owned Laemmle Theatres, said he’s still waiting to see the figures from some distributors, which are themselves small operations with reduced workforces.

Continued from page 12. were surprised to learn that if they use a tool that allows them to save the chat log from a call on their local devices — which many use as a way to document meeting minutes — that record will include private chats they’ve sent in addition to messages the group has sent. What is ‘Zoombombing’? Because Zoom is so easy to use, it has also been easy for people to exploit the app to sow mischief or chaos. “Zoombombing” is when uninvited participants interrupt or derail a meeting. Sometimes it’s harmless trolling, but often it rises to the level of harassment. As USC and local school districts transitioned to online meetings, they reported getting Zoombombed with racist taunts and pornographic images. On Tuesday, Berkeley High School students were in the middle of a video conference when a man joined the Zoom meeting, exposed himself and shouted obscenities, the Mercury News reported. The New York Times found scores of accounts on Instagram and on Reddit and 4Chan message boards where users coordinated to share meeting passwords and derail Zoom meetings. Zoom’s default setting allowed anyone to join video calls if they had the meeting ID, which is a number 9 to 11 digits long. These meeting IDs are easy to guess — with an automated tool (called “war-dialing”), one

could access thousands of meetings within a day by simply making a lot of guesses. What are some steps I can take to make Zoom safer to use? Be careful about how you share meeting IDs. Don’t post them publicly. Generate a new ID for every meeting you launch using the options panel, instead of using your personal meeting ID. That way, if someone gets ahold of your personal ID, future meetings won’t be disrupted by Zoombombers. You can toggle settings to ensure meeting participants need a password to access the meeting, which will further protect from disruption. Enable Zoom’s “Waiting Room” feature, which lets meeting hosts keep would-be participants in a digital queue until they approve them to join the session. Beginning April 4, Zoom enabled the Waiting Room feature by default, requiring additional password settings for free users. Zoom has a guide to the feature on its website. You can switch off a host of features that could be abused, if needed, including private chats, file transfers and custom backgrounds. The annotation feature, for example, could allow trolls to draw offensive shapes. You can also toggle the “allow removed participants to rejoin” option. Zoom has a guide to host controls on its website. Keep your desktop app up to date, so that

any patches Zoom makes to security vulnerabilities are added to your device. If you want to be extra careful, use Zoom only on a mobile device, such as an iPad or an Android phone, because these versions go through review in the app stores. What are some alternative platforms? Signal and WhatsApp communications are encrypted end to end. WhatsApp allows encrypted calls with as many as four people. This is a suitable option for highly sensitive conversations. There are also other video chatting services, such as Skype, Google Hangouts, Webex from Cisco, and FaceTime on Apple devices. Microsoft also offers powerful web, audio and video conferencing tools through its Microsoft Teams platform. The bottom line The reality is you can’t see your friends, your classmates and maybe your co-workers right now. You can’t eat at restaurants and you definitely can’t go to bars. Zoom is one of the platforms people have ubiquitously adopted to replace these in-person interactions amid the coronavirus outbreak. And it works relatively well. It’s OK to use Zoom, experts say. Just be thoughtful about what you’re using it for and observe a few precautions. ©2020 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Is Zoom safe to use? Here’s what you need to know

He’s optimistic about the system, which he sees as a way to keep Laemmle engaged with its customers while his buildings are closed. Distributors are eager to help indie theaters outlast the pandemic, he said. Art houses not only provide a big-screen platform for smaller movies, but also help promote films. “We’re working with distributors who are also hard hit by this, and they’re incredibly reliant on the art-house cinemas,” Laemmle said. “Let’s face it, they want to see us survive, and vice versa.” Austin, Texas-based indie chain Alamo Drafthouse, known for its special events for cinephiles, has taken the concept a step further by adapting its Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday repertory series to the new digital realty. Last week the company offered rentals of the 1982 Hong Kong film “Centipede Horror” from its site for $7.75. The quirky chain on Tuesday said it will use its online platform to rerelease the 1981 cult classic “Roar,” a notorious production in which an estimated 70 cast and crew members were injured in animal attacks. “It’s not just about giving people films to watch at home,” said Alamo Drafthouse programming director Sarah Pitre. “It’s how do we give them the Alamo experience at home.” The surge in digital viewing comes as some industry insiders worry that the COVID-19-related closures will accelerate the audience’s move to streaming video. This weekend, Universal Pictures releases DreamWorks Animation’s “Trolls World Tour” on iTunes and other sites for a $20 rental. (None of that money is going to theaters.) Paramount Pictures sold its comedy “The Lovebirds” to Netflix. Last week, Disney said its big-budget fantasy “Artemis Fowl” would skip theaters and debut on streaming service Disney+. SXSW recently announced it would move its canceled film festival online by screening films on Amazon Prime Video. So is indie cinema’s virtual push a wolf in sheep’s clothing for bricks-and-mortar theaters? Participating operators say they doubt it. Laemmle, for example, is hopeful that the business will eventually return to normal once patrons feel comfortable returning to public spaces. “Obviously we have an audience that may gain a familiarity with video on-demand,” Laemmle said. “But I think they’ll still consider the theater to be the main source. My hope and belief is that we will return to the basic business model.” However, the streaming idea may be here to stay for some indie cinemas, even after they reopen. Crow, the Frida Cinema owner, said his two-screen theater could benefit from the additional revenue stream because he can only show a limited number of movies in the physical building. That means he sometimes has to turn down films for which he wishes he had space. Being able to show movies online could let the theater generate more sales. “I don’t know that the streaming is going to stop after we reopen,” Crow said. “We might be able to say, ‘Well, we can’t put your movie in our theater, but I can put it on our streaming site.’” ©2020 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Lawmakers prod USDA to aid local food growers hit by pandemic by Ellyn Ferguson

More than 30 senators from both parties called on the Agriculture Department to provide robust aid for small growers and meat producers who are the backbone of the farm-to-table movement. In a Thursday letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, 29 Democrats, independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Agriculture and Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said public health restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus have imposed extra expenses for packaging, sanitizing and transportation, or closed restaurants, university dining halls, farmers markets and other venues that these farmers depended on for sales. Food businesses that remain open are operating under social distancing requirements and limited service, which means fewer orders for their suppliers. State and local officials have been particularly divided over

how to address farmers markets, with some shuttering them and others declaring them an essential service that should continue, albeit with restrictions. Senate Agriculture ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., were among the lawmakers who signed the letter. Specifically, they said small farmers who can show that at least 25 percent of their total income comes from local sales should be eligible for direct payments administered by the Farm Service Agency to cover lost revenue and additional costs to comply with COVID-19 health guidelines out of $9.5 billion that Congress included in the third coronavirus economic relief package as a pool of aid money to address financial distress spreading across various segments of agriculture. Supporters of locally and regionally focused agriculture say they have a claim on the funds since the law specifically mentions

“producers who supply local food systems” along with specialty crops — including fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops — livestock producers and dairy farmers. The producers involved in direct-to-consumer sales or who participate in regional food hubs that help them sell to wholesale, retail and institutional customers are focused on domestic buyers. They usually don’t have federal crop insurance and do not qualify for conventional farm subsidy programs. In March, as Congress worked on what became the third coronavirus bill, Dawn Thilmany and Rebecca Jablonski, both economists at Colorado State University, former USDA official Debra Tropp and former USDA Economic Research Service analyst Sarah A. Low calculated possible losses for farmers selling to local markets and regional food hubs at $1 billion by the end of 2020. Their briefing paper was done for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, an umbrella organization for agriculture,

respect that and will appreciate your skill in managing a group. They don’t have time to waste. That’s not to say there isn’t skill involved. Think about your meeting exemplars from your past or research meeting management tactics. Learning smooth ways to get people back on track, curtail overly long explanations, and manage conflict among proponents of differing views will serve you well. Get buy-in from people in advance on contentious topics. Knowing where key people stand can help you manage the group to get a decision. Keep your attendees comfortable. If it’s a longish meeting, build in a break and provide water and a light snack to keep the energy up.

Prepare yourself, too. Take a few minutes to center yourself before the meeting (a short breathing exercise for example). Don’t skip breakfast or lunch, as being hungry could add to your stress level. Appreciate each person as a valuable contributor, setting aside concern about titles. Corporation position only matters in your meeting when it affects achieving your objectives. Follow up with action items and documentation of decisions, again, an oft-neglected step. Finally, let this preparation show in your assurance in leading the group, and let yourself enjoy it! ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

How to lead top-notch meetings at work by Liz Reyer

Q: In my new role, I’m leading a lot of meetings, many with senior people attending. It makes me nervous and the first ones haven’t gone as well as I’d like. What do you suggest? -Marcie, 32, marketing lead A: Preparation will equip you to succeed and ease your nerves. Learn from meetings you have attended in the past. What stood out from the good ones? How about the ones that you suffered through? Workplace Consider ways the meeting leader managed the sessions, including pre-meeting work, time management, and people management. Give preparation due time by setting a meeting with yourself to plan. Determine who you need, the topics that need to be covered, and the decisions to be made. Be sure you have all the information you need. This may be prework for you or you may need to send out “to-dos” to attendees so they can be ready. Challenge yourself on whether a meeting is actually needed. We have all been in pointless meetings on topics that could have been handled by a phone call or e-mail. Send the agenda in advance so attendees know what they are signing up for. There are people who, reasonably, will not accept a meeting without one. If you need to hold time while you develop the agenda, say so and get the agenda out as soon as you can. Once in the meeting, stick to the agenda. This is where time and people management come in — and is probably the part that triggers some nerves. It will help to review the agenda at the start of the meeting and get agreement on the needed outcomes of the gathering. If you have three topics, make the point that you need to allow time for each. Further, promise that you are going to be managing the time closely, and stick to it. You might be afraid that you will make people angry by holding them to the point. In fact, with a senior-level group, they will

consumer and environmental groups. Thilmany, an agriculture economist, said in March that many of the markets cultivated by producers have “all been decimated.” “When you don’t have university accounts, K-12 accounts or restaurants being viable or having to move to this pickup-curbside delivery model, what the heck do you do?” Thilmany asked. Tropp, who formerly administered USDA regional food programs, said farmers markets often are an easier way for beginning farmers to develop buyers for their products. The 2017 Census of Agriculture found the average gross income for farmers engaged in local food sales was less than $75,000 a year. The census found that total sales by 159,00 farmers amounted to nearly $11.8 billion. Local food sales represented an estimated 3 percent of the value of total U.S. agricultural production in 2017. Tropp said these farmers often hold offfarm jobs that provide additional income and health insurance benefits. “People are not making a whopping amount of money,” Tropp said, noting that those off-farm jobs may be in jeopardy as the economy slows down because of COVID-19 closures. The current economic package could help with off-farm job losses with the extra $600 a week in unemployment payments. She said there is room for innovation. Tropp said food hubs, which helped farmers become suppliers to restaurants, could change their focus. “They may make it up, frankly, by selling to hospitals and health care,” she said, noting that they are busy under COVID-19. The post Lawmakers prod USDA to aid local food growers hit by pandemic appeared first on Roll Call. ©2020 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A boss who doesn’t always respond may be looking for you to take charge by Liz Reyer

Q: The vice president I report to is hard to get in touch with. She used to be more accessible but now she skips our catch-up meetings and isn’t good about answering my e-mails. My best tactic is to catch her in hallways between meetings for impromptu questions. Now that we are all working from home, I’ve lost this opportunity. What can I do to get the decisions I need? —Les, 38, operaWorkplace tions director A: Rethink what you believe you need from her. Realistically, you are not going to change her. And, as you move up in an organization you need to become more self-reliant. That’s not to say that her behavior is good. At the very least it’s rude. However, it does free you to step up and lead your part of the business. Reading between the lines, this may be her objective. When you were first in your role, she may have been being more available to provide support. This can become a detriment to you if it goes on indefinitely. It goes from training to

hand-holding, wasting her time and limiting your growth. Think about the questions you have for her and the decisions you want from her. In the absence of input, what are you doing to move forward? It’s simple — either you are not taking actions that are needed or you are figuring it out, but perhaps with more stress than is necessary. Once you have accepted that it makes sense to create a new model for working with her, consider what you would like that to look like. If she, like many VPs, has many areas within her scope, she probably isn’t a subject matter expert in your realm. Consequently, if you need technical guidance, it would help to have other resources to consult. Who are the people you can reach out to? Keep in mind it may well be one of your own team. She also doesn’t appear to be a strong mentor-style leader. In order to develop your leadership skills, seek out other options. HR training programs or finding a personal mentor could give you someone to talk with when you are facing a management dilemma that you would have brought to her.

Yet, she surely has knowledge that would be valuable to you. Perhaps she is extremely savvy about business strategy and navigating organizational politics. You would do well to consult her specifically on these matters. At the same time, you can’t just go silent; you have a responsibility to keep her informed. You can also define your approach for this. Use short communications, one topic per e-mail, with a direct statement of your need and planned action. Have a “will proceed unless you disagree by (date).” This keeps you from being frozen in place but keeps her in the loop. Then when there is a highly sensitive or high-risk situation, you won’t have worn her out with minor questions and will be more apt to get her attention. As you move forward, your confidence will grow. You will learn how to manage anxiety around making decisions and your status with your peers and leaders will also increase. Everyone benefits and the work gets done. ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

APRIL 24

SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS

ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRY MAY 1

COUNCIL BLUFFS GROWTH REPORT

ADVERTISING AGENCIES PART 1

To advertise your company’s products or services in one of our upcoming sections, contact one of our MBJ advertising representatives at (402) 330-1760 or at the email addresses below. Julie Whitehead - Julie@mbj.com • Karla Steele - karla@mbj.com Space and materials deadline is the Friday prior to the publication date. You may email us your insertion orders directly, or fax them to us at (402) 758-9315. We will acknowledge receiving your instructions.

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES

COVID-19 Business Updates …

In response to COVID-19 the following RED Development properties are offering carryout and delivery options to remain open. At One Pacific Place: Nothing Bundt Cakes, carryout; Pokeworks, carryout and delivery; Scooters Coffee House, drive-thru only; Wheatfields, carryout. Regency: Bonefish Grill, carryout; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, curbside carryout; Paradise Bakery, curbside carryout and delivery. Village Pointe: Cold Stone Creamery, carryout; Firebirds, carryout and delivery; Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, carryout; Kona Grill, carryout and delivery; Paradise Bakery, curbside carryout and delivery; Saltgrass Steakhouse, carryout. ActionCoach Omaha announced a fivepoint ‘Plan Don’t Panic” program to assist small business owners in the Omaha metro area. ActionCoach Omaha will be airing the 11 Steps Your Business Must Start Today webinar, presented by the founder of ActionCoach Brad Sugars, on Zoom with opportunities for questions daily. Local ActionCoaches will provide free online coaching sessions with as many business owners as possible. Success Omaha by ActionCoach has two free online courses for anyone looking to implement work-from-home strategies. Plan Don’t Panic Open Online Forum is available for business owners to share ideas, concerns and latest news. Its regular free monthly workshops are now available online. Some of the programs Heartland Family Service is providing remotely include its homeless prevention, mental health counseling, and substance use treatment programs. If clients live in Nebraska and would like to access its mental health or substance use treatment services, call 402-552-7400. For services in Iowa, call 712-322-1407. Additionally, based on guidance from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, all child welfare and in-home services are being delivered via video conferencing. Goodwill Omaha is issuing a public service announcement to Omaha-area communities regarding donation drop-offs at Goodwill locations. Because Goodwill stores and donation centers are temporarily closed while the threat of the novel coronavirus/ COVID-19 is high, donors are asked to hold off on dropping off donations until it reopens donation centers. TAGG is offering a free text-to-give platform and is asking people to consider making a contribution to help their favorite local restaurants and retailers suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. To contribute, text GIVENOW to 313131 and you will receive a link that when visited, will prompt you to select a business to support (or support all evenly) and choose a contribution amount. All of the funds will be distributed to the business(es) chosen for use in paying employees or to cover other expenses as needed, with the exception of the standard Stripe processing and text fees. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles office is postponing the opening of a new, purpose built service center, located at 17077 Burt Street, until further notice due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Omaha metro area. The new service center will replace the two existing DMV offices located in Millard and at 108th & Maple streets. Following the closure to walk-in traffic of the

County Treasurer’s office in Millard, DMV services at that office were suspended earlier this month. As part of the wider transformation of services in the Omaha metro, the Millard office will not reopen, and services will no longer be offered at the 108th & Maple location from end of day Thursday, April 2. Omaha Children’s Museum is extending the date that it will be closed to the public through April 30, 2020. There is no known exposure or diagnosis of COVID-19 at the museum. The decision was made based on the directions by Douglas County Health Department, and Nebraska’s publication of guidance on cancelling events and limiting the number of people in public gatherings. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the situation, the museum will provide updates at ocm.org as well as on Facebook. At this time, all museum programs, events, birthday parties, and rentals are postponed or cancelled through the end of April.

Briefs…

Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican received the Nebraska State Bar Foundation’s Public Service Award. Heavican was a chief deputy Lancaster county attorney before being elected County Attorney. He served 10 years as assistant U.S. attorney and five years as U.S. attorney before being appointed to the Supreme Court. He is a Distinguished Foundation Fellow. He chairs the Foundation’s Bench Media Committee. On the national level, Heavican is chair of the Criminal Justice Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices, former president of the Conference of Chief Justices and former member of the Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction of the Judicial Conference of the United States. Inc. magazine ranked redthread, a Nebraska-based ad agency, No. 63 on its inaugural Inc. 5000 Series: Midwest list, the ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Companies on this list show stunning rates of growth across all industries in the 12 Midwest states. Between 2016 and 2018, 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 360% and, in 2018 alone, employed more than 27,000 people and added $13 billion to the Midwest’s economy.

Health care notes…

OneWorld Community Health Centers has been selected to receive a donation from Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union Wade. This donation was made to support health care for the LGBTQ community during the COVID-19 crisis. As an LGBTQ Healthcare Quality Leader, OneWorld is one of the five providers chosen to receive this funding based in cities where the couple has lived. OneWorld is accepting donations at any of its clinic locations and on its website https://www. oneworldomaha.org/donate/. Research conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center shows that a new, chemical-free cleaning solution eliminates at least 99.9% of bacteria living on nonporous solid surfaces. The findings have led researchers and CleanCore Solutions to test its effect against viruses, beginning with coronavirus. UNMC is finalizing a study that will test CleanCore’s formulation against the coronavirus, but it may be weeks before results Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 • REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. are known. Because it was a University innovation, UNeMed secured the patent for the new formulation, and licensed the technology to CleanCore. It has met the rigors needed for clearance as a certified sanitizer. College of Saint Mary has donated all of its remaining personal protective equipment to local health clinics in an effort to combat the shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSM nursing department donated over 1,000 medical gloves, 400 protective masks, and nearly 150 gowns to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals in Omaha. The occupational therapy program donated gloves, masks, gowns, tissues and disinfectant wipes to the Pediatric Therapy Center in Papillion. The physician assistant program also donated several boxes of masks, gowns and gloves to a local clinic.

would like to aid in the COVID-19 relief efforts are encouraged to visit the PCCF website. All donations from individuals will receive a 10% match through PCCF. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Autism Action Partnership has established the Pandemic Response Fund to provide financial assistance for families and individuals living with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Individuals and families with one or more members of a household living on the autism spectrum are eligible to apply for needs-based funds of up to $250. These funds may be used to offset lost revenue and/or assist in covering increased expenses as a direct result of the pandemic (such as specialized child care, in-home therapy services, medical expenses, etc.). Autism Action Partnership will also match up to $5,000 for every donation made.

Education notes…

The Omaha Storm Chasers will be hosting Drive-In Fireworks at Werner Park on April 18. The event is free. The parking area will open at 8 p.m. that Saturday night, and the fireworks are slated to begin at 8:30 p.m. Families are invited to watch while remaining in their cars in the parking lots. There will be no concessions or restrooms available during the event. Ali Khan, M.D., M.P.H., dean of the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health, will discuss COVID-19 on April 21 at 10 a.m. as part of the Omaha Science Café series. To continue social distancing this Science Café will be offered via Facebook Live. Khan’s professional career has focused on health security, global health and emerging infectious diseases. He completed a 23-year career as a senior director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and where he led and responded to numerous high-profile domestic and international public health emergencies.

With Financial Literacy Month this April, and with thousands of Nebraska school children away from school due to the COVID-19 virus, Nebraska State Treasurer John Murante announced a free, interactive online resource designed to give Nebraska students access to financial education resources during extended absences from school. Lessons will include topics such as financial readiness, mental wellness, career exploration and character development. For more information visit https:// treasurer.nebraska.gov/ or http://get.everfi.com/ parent-remote-learning. Students graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in May 2020 will have the opportunity to take part in a commencement ceremony Baxter Arena in December. Meanwhile, recognizing the urgency of individuals’ receiving their degrees, students will receive their diplomas and be recognized through an online streaming commencement ceremony in May. UNO’s May 2020 Commencement Ceremonies will be held in this online format on May 8, 2020 as originally scheduled. About 2,000 students are expected to be recognized for their academic achievements at Spring Commencement.

Activities of nonprofits…

In attempt to lessen the impact of the Coronavirus in our community, the Midlands Community Foundation has established a charitable fund named the Coronavirus Response Fund. The community can donate to the fund and donations will be pooled to provide emergency food, supplies, utility and other financial help for the hardest-hit households within Sarpy and Cass counties. The Coronavirus Response Fund will partner with other nonprofit organizations, government, and business partners who are united to deploy resources to community-based organizations within Sarpy and Cass counties. The fund will provide flexible resources to organizations in the joint service area working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic consequences of this outbreak. The Iowa West Foundation, Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, and Council Bluffs Schools Foundation have created a fund that both members of the public can contribute to and nonprofits as well as public health organizations can access as needs mount in southwest Iowa communities. The Southwest Iowa COVID-19 Response will support everything from public health resources to emergency child care for those on the front lines of the pandemic. Individuals, corporations, as well as private foundations who

Arts & events…

MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Monday, April 20 No. 2 in a series of complimentary virtual presentations, the CRE Summit presents one of the most sought-after speakers in the CRE industry and known for his appearances on Bloomberg, Cramer’s Mad Money on CNBC, Fox Business and PBS: Spencer Levy, Chairman, Americas Research & Senior Economic Advisor, CBRE. The free 45-minute virtual discussion with Levy will discuss the economic impacts and outlook on commercial real estate today. Moderated by the CRE Summit’s Jerry Slusky and Alex Epstein. The discussion will take place using Zoom at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 21 The Heartland Women’s Network will be virtually holding its April presentation through Zoom from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Garry Clark, TEDx speaker and author, will talk about leadership, impact, and inclusion. Clark currently works as the president & CEO of the Greater Fremont Development Council. He is the vice president of the National Rural Economic Developers Association and has served as the Northeast Development Network chair in 2015. He currently serves on the Nebraska Economic Development Association board. In 2018, Clark was awarded the Midland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award. The event is free but registration is requested by April 19.

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Midlands Business Journal

• NOVEMBER 24, 2017

•

November 24, 2017

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

Unique Midlands by Michelle Leach

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

features, robust economy

Sandhills Publishing

Cyber Center Rendering (Courtesy of Sinclair Hille)

result in multi-sector

Mixed use building rendering (Courtesy of Studio 951)

Private giving and an economy that any one industry isn’t may be Midlands stays,” but the level “mainDundee harkening and the sheer need of cross-sector activity back to communities for talent to meet in communities that withdemand for services are newer-emerging sprung up on streetcar phenomenon 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 of the metro-area Smith the has been steady and Design Senior Associatefinal quarter by Davis and the diversification strong, and Senior Architect of the area economy Greg Smith. — both of those factors add up to John things happening “Several projects good by Sullivan: “One Sullivan, principal and director in the metro, and designed recently at BCDM Architects. of still in hopes of breaking that’s not necessarily true are about Omaha is therethe things that’s unique across the state, ground this fall environments, and many of the large especially if you’re in an ag a shift in what and private support is strong philanthropic Downtown Lincoln and area and go into central expect.” people for key projects.” ects are gaining inertia,” projwestern Nebraska or AO’s Managing … and some of the he said. “The Palandri speaks to Principal Randall remodel market modities-driven areas,” comPalandri has seen is also strong and interior nials and a lifestyle trying to attract millenthe uptick in growth J. this will keep contractors busy He also referenced he said. shift, whereby the became noticeable that during winter months.” urban centers are the many pockets more around two years growth, from newer Many large-scale in demand from a of main steady in more ago housing perspective and recent months, which reTelegraph District’s projects, such as the to Aksarben Village, areas such as Blackstone offices attributes particularly he at the stage where generation are in-demand that speak to this to School/YMCA, Hudl,Marilyn Moore Middle sion of that development extenfrom a workplace “There is a lot more infill-type projects. and Nelnet, have come perspective. He also to form; however, emphasis on redevelof the projects featured is occurring. Some speaks, not necessarily opment,” he said. Smith said there to “vintage” or here in this section “What really drove mains work in the still rereflect another prominent “traditional” construction there was a pent-up it was, build-outs. He referenced materials but to, trend mentioned demand for market-rate work at Bryan Health’s perhaps, more “traditional” apartments and East Campus, neighborhood- and in more walkable-type new LES Operations of Center, and projects the with areas such as community-building, Eustis Autobody for Benson, Blackstone at 98th Street and and Highway Continued on next page.

opportunities

Architecture — inside NOVEMBER 24, 2017

THIS WEEK 'S I SSUE:

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

Technology upgr by Richard D. Brown

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Printing competit

ive

Interstate Printing ha-based firm founded Co., an Omaby a German immigrant with Business & Industrial a special interest in publishing ethnic Parks/Leasing has used its family-ownnewspapers, anchor, placed strong ership as an 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. of Business & Industrial its commercial printing – Page 2 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 I SSUE: with jobs that we can do a good job on,” said William F. Peter, a third generation family member who became president five years ago. “With each job we want to be able to say, ‘This came 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 er community continued. impact. Und 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 demograph Cinema From left, Senior Continued on page ic with amenities. 8. reached its centennialVP of Sales Jim Mancuso and President William – Page 2 year with investmen Peter … The printing ts in new tech. company has (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville in ) 28

er Und

•

OCTOBER 20, 2017

•

Midlands Business Journal

October 20, 2017

No slowdown in demand by Michelle Leach

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

as availability presents

ongoing challenges

More buildings may economy with upside be coming out of potential.” ground, but demand the NAI NP Dodge also being constructed remains brisk. “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,” this is driving projects, “At any give and landlords leasing available for tenants said Stephanie Moline, such as the aforementioned executive vice president to them. time, there are aroundn R&R. These challenges ing with First National of Enterprise Lend100 properties, give aren’t limited to Bank. “Commercial A; Edney recalled Class or and industrial loan how the Kellogg take, listed/available demand is growing, building at 10203 Crown at a much slower but Point Ave. near in the Omaha/Council pace.” Fort Blair High Road She said some of had “multiple offers and Bluffs market,” couple of weeks.” in a he in late 2016 is being the capital investment said. “Having absorbed. said “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 he said. rect square footage, expenditures,” Moline He also spoke to said. location, rental rates tures, such as greater demand for certain feaGrowth of C&I loans, clear heights and and building layout she said, remains dock doors — driven larger about the same as can be very difficult.” by requirements a year companies such as “Agribusiness loans ago. as He referred t are up year over year and using third-partyAmazon are growing and commercial Moline more construction o providers. real estate is up Edney in the last year — “We’re also seeing year over year,” she said. more owner/user Pelster a lot of interest “We are finally seeing from investors that buildings but some with Generally, businesses buildings as well. are looking to invest an increase in new spec spec industrial space in industrial properties,” are optimistic about potential tax on the market again “The new Facebook he said. “A reform. after a slowdown of that interest is project will add “This would cause in coming from outside lot new infrastructure past,” he said. “The new spec projects in the some monies to the Midwest.” of along the Highway repatriated and improving be increases in term corridor,” Pelster rental rates and operating length, working capital said. “This will break 50 Edney referred to and money that can for new projects expenses continue cap rates and be used for acquisitions to steadily rise. ROI as lower on and industrial parks way or additional investment the coasts, making one’s area.” in that in equipment and/ Omaha “The rest of the market attractive as a secondary or people,” she said. seems to be catchHe said Thrasher or tertiary market ing up with the rental to Chicago, New and Freightliner more entrants into “There continues to be rates we are seeing York or Denver. created large new have of the new construction out buildings for themselves, Regarding “behind-the-scenes” from loan productionthe local market; both projects.” leaving vacancies offices OMNE Partners indusin their previous locations. Moline is encouraged and FinTechs.” EVP Matt Edney Continued on page “Brook Valley continues Class A industrial said by new market 30. entrants as: “People to be the leader availability remains in new industrial believe this is a vibrant hard to find.” “really construction projects,” Pelster said. “The “And that type R&R Commerce of product is moving Park is pretty quick,” he said.

en ss Womsine Bu

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

in Omaha

Archrival updates 10-year-old Hayma rket space, establishes Los Angeles presen by Michelle Leach ce

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

ee ploy s Em nefit Be

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

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

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

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

to that,” said President on where Nick across Bison’s divisions one looks Cusick, who indicated its focus uct lines, the Lincoln-ba and prodwas on other areas. sed manu“Even facturer’s growth a lot of direct marketing without is up at least 5 to emphasis, 10 percent to 30 percent our site furnishing business, BRP, following or amid dealer base was up 5 to 10 percent.” and ownership transitions, and Falling under custom a business unit redesign. trial job shop manufactu indusrer IM“Bison overall, its SCORP’s holding own product company umline, had an incredible brella, wholly-ow ned subsidiary year prior and this last year Bison is joined by SNA was flat comSports Continued on page 10.

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

Lamp Rynearson by Richard D. Brown

Drone and innovative scanning technology is giving Lamp Rynearson Omaha-based , a 58-year-old civil engineering , landscape architecture, constructio n and surveying firm, administration a competitive advantage as it completes a wide range of private and public sector projects. Nancy Pridal, a professiona l engineer and 20-year son employee who Lamp Rynearto president of the was promoted firm in August, stresses that leading with the use of the latest technology the employee-owned has enabled increase its revenues company to by more than 100 percent over the while the employee past 10 years count has increased by 45 percent. “With the investmen t 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.

competes with inno

$2.00

VOL. 43 NO. 42

vative technology

President Nancy

Pridal … Leveragin g tech investmen ts for variety of projects. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville )

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

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

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

Smart-enabled apartm ent community delivers plug and play app to renter by Becky McCarv s ille

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

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

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• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Construction Lincoln Business Journal Pages

Update

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

April 17, 2020

While types of built projects have evolved, they persist in current climate by Michelle Leach

Builders and related partners are on the receiving end of clients’ wariness about allowing outsiders into their homes, with clients’ desires to improve their personal sanctuaries. General Manager/Designer Pam Magner noted Reynolds Design and Construction’s clients are expanding or re-working kitchen and bathroom layouts; for instance, cabinetry storage such as roll-out shelves. “Some of our subcontractors are in ‘high-risk’ categories,” she said. “So, they often drive our decisions to start a project or not, assuming that the homeowners want to proceed with the work. We have had a few cliRongisch ents choose to put their projects on hold, while we have had others that want to continue as planned.” The firm, which specializes in interior projects, hasn’t had any “new business” since the pandemic began. “So, the existing sold projects are what is driving the demand for the work that we are completing,” Magner said. Uncertainty adds to challenges. “We do not want to tear out a kitchen and then find ourselves in a statewide shelter in place order or be unable to get products due to supplier shut-downs or shipping difficulties,”

Pam Magner, general manager and designer at Reynolds Design and Construction. she said. “That would create a terrible hardship custom showers, upgrades such as TVs on the for our clients that we just aren’t willing to put backside of glass panels, and built-in benches. Owner Joe Rongisch further noted requests for them through.” Longer term, Magner expressed concerns upgraded appliances, such as air fryers, and about potential defaults on mortgages as mil- built-in butcher-block sections. “In new construction, we have seen a shift lions of people lose incomes; renewed interest from the small efficient house to people incorin the home and family represent an upside. Vantage Design and Construction has had porating not only their must haves, but also the most requests in the past 12 months for their wish list, sacrificing smaller spaces for

the space they really want — larger pantries, big living spaces and a spacious kitchen,” he said. Remodel-wise, Rongisch said customers are more cautious about letting people into their homes. So, they’re keeping busy with exterior projects; for instance, sunrooms, decks, and landscaping such as a custom tiki bar. On the other side of the crisis, he sees a large backlog of interior projects currently on pause. “I do not think the industry will take a huge hit, at least not long term,” he said. “It may slow down for a bit, but luckily our business is not as easily affected as bars, Maniktala restaurants, concerts, theaters … right now, it’s a little harder to get things done as quickly as before, it also takes a bit longer for deliveries. But it’s something that is easily dealt with … Honestly, there could be quite a bit of good trends that remain after this crisis.” For example, safety precautions taken now would be a good standard going forward. “We are researching and trying to be on the leading front of keeping water out of our homes,” Rongisch said. “The weather patterns are changing faster than the industry’s construction practices.” And, he noted, old standards aren’t keeping homes dry. Building consultancy firm BranchPattern’s clients have expressed more interest in onsite photovoltaics for projects, said Principal Nate Maniktala. “Last year, our firm added a team of renewable energy design professionals to help us keep up with this demand,” he said. As a sector- and geography-diverse firm, Maniktala said the team has remained busy with education, health care, government and industrial projects. “Construction in most areas has been deemed essential business,” he said. “So, we have had to make sure that we are taking the right steps to complete this work while also protecting our team and our communities.” Maniktala, too, sees social and environmental benefits on the other side of COVID-19, but: “I think it is still too early to say what the upsides will be. I have been extremely proud of our staff’s resiliency during this time. Many of them have been home-schooling their children while also continued to take care of our clients. I have been encouraged by how well everyone has responded.”

Lincoln Business Journal Pages • Construction Update •

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

Construction management software and tech elevating the field by Gabby Christensen different sites, often with different labor markets New technology and software is taking the and political and economic constraints.” construction industry to the next level, accordMark Moravec, business development ing to local industry experts. manager at Chief Construction, said the comRecently, Jay Puckett, director of the pany has recently made the switch to new Durham School of Architectural Engineering software that allows for easy collaboration & Construction, said building information between subcontractors, vendors and project modeling is significantly changing the industry. superintendents. “BIM is a 3D model of the project that “The software is very intuitive, but also evolves from the architects, engineers and con- very simple to use,” Moravec said. “We can structors,” Puckett said. “The model begins to share the same files of information to our project support automation of quantity takemanagers, design team, superinoffs, 4D, modeling the construction tendents and subcontractors. If a process in time. This supports change is made, it’s automatically identifying constructability issues updated so that everyone can access early in the modeling rather than in it from their fingertips, as well.” the field.” He said this provides a unique Not yet commonplace, he said benefit that will help streamline and the trades are using the 4D model manage all projects and the sharing in a virtual gaming environment to of information. see what work needs to be complet“Features of this software allow ed, layout geometry using virtual us to walk through a jobsite, take a software that overlays the real-world photo of a certain part of the space Puckett construction project. and match it to the location on the “Very new are robots for repetitive tasks drawing right from a phone,” Moravec said. such as laying brick or blocks,” Puckett said. Over the years, he said the biggest advance “Also forthcoming is 3D printing that is scaled in the industry has been the use of phones and to the size of buildings. Entire homes have been mobile equipment on the job site versus having printed in concrete in some parts of the world.” to walk back to the job trailer and search for a He said construction management pro- paper trail of the plans. fessionals are involved with the “business” of “We’ve been doing construction the same construction. way for a long time, and the technology is fi“Construction is a complex manufacturing nally catching up with the industry,” Moravec involving planning, estimating and scheduling said. “The software and technology continues projects and then executing the construction that to change the field and make it better.” involves many processes, people and technoloAndrew Sherwood, director of MBA and gies,” Puckett said. “Unlike traditional manu- Project Management Certificate at Midland facturing, every project is different, located on University and director of innovation lab at

Boston Mutual Life Insurance, said it’s evident that technology is becoming a game changer in the industry, as the Omaha market now has companies that specialize in the very niche market of construction oriented technology. “Bigger companies are recognizing this need for new technology and are actually building companies to solve for it,” he said. According to Sherwood, these innovations are reducing waste and creating more effective and efficient organizations. “Technology doesn’t build the buildings, but it makes the people who do work more

effectively,” he said. “The project management software and tools mean there’s less wasted man hours and better collaboration.” For example, Sherwood said the industry can now put tracking technology on their machines to understand whether they are being effectively operated and properly maintained. “For an industry that traditionally did not look at technology in this way, it’s a very pleasant surprise to see them understanding the benefit,” he said. “The companies who are adopting this approach are going to win against their competitors.”

Top to bottom, construction hurting for skilled labor by Dwain Hebda

Lincoln’s construction market, as in cities across the country, is hurting for skilled labor at every position say local experts. A combination of retiring baby boomer craftsmen and a bustling pre-COVID-19 economy are in part to blame. “There isn’t one particular trade hit harder than another,” said Herb Reese, president of the Home Builders Association of Lincoln and owner of Reese Construction. “Every business in the industry struggles to find skilled, reliable workers. As baby boomers are retiring, this increases the skilled labor shortage as there are not enough young people entering jobs in the construction trades. “This labor shortage makes it so companies do not have the ability to complete the work for the calls they receive. We lose jobs because of the backlog of work and not having enough manpower to produce as many jobs as we can sell. In general, people

do not like being put on a long wait list to start work.” Reese said HBAL works to combat this shortage through initiatives designed to incent young people to get into the trades. “The Home Builders Association of Lincoln offers both scholarships to seniors graduating high school and planning to pursue construction-related degrees and students who are enrolled at Southeast Community College in Milford in a construction-related program,” he said. Katie Wilson, executive director for the Nebraska Chapter of Associated General Contractors of America, said another factor is lack of awareness as to the potential for skilled careers. In February the organization launched a new social media campaign to help change that. “The ‘Road Rebellion, Pave Your Own Way!’ campaign targets potential employees Continued on page 27.

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Investing for Retirement

Prefabricated construction growing in popularity by David Kubicek

Prefabricated construction’s popularity is growing, driven in part because it is less affected by local labor shortages and weather-related delays. “The work is done in a factory, so waste is minimal, and there is little on-site waste,” said Patrick Jensen, AOI vice president of marketing and business development. “A lot of the manufacturing is done with wind and solar, so it’s a very green way to build, and you have consistency.” For instance, a new bank branch in North Platte will look the same as branches in Lincoln and Grand Island, and parts will be interchangeable. “If you decide you don’t want that office in front, you can take it down and put it in back, store it for later, or move it to another branch,” Jensen said. Prefab construction is also less labor-intensive. “Before COVID-19, construction was super busy, and it was hard to get labor,” Jensen said. “You couldn’t hire your way

out of the demand. Prefab is the wave of the future for construction because it solves lots of issues, especially as people are aging out of the trades and there aren’t as many coming in.” Stages of construction can overlap, speeding up the work, and prefabrication requires less staging room. In areas that have a tight urban landscape, trucks can deliver completed structures, which are then craned up on the building. “In response to [a natural disaster], prefabrication gives us the ability to build clinics in a short period of time,” Jensen said. “[The clinics] can be kept in a warehouse, and when a natural disaster strikes, they can be rolled out and assembled in a matter of days.” Concrete Industries builds concrete pipes for pipelines and structural precast components for bridges and various types of buildings, including hospitals, parking structures, food processing plants, and schools. The wall panels have the architectural features already placed Jensen into them, such as the openings, the color, and the electrical boxes and tubing for the electrical wiring that will be installed at the jobsite. “We can pre-do a lot of things, and we’re starting to see [prefabricated construction] more and more,” General Manager Mark Lafferty said. “They want more things done in the factory.” Prefab flips the construction schedule so the things that are normally done first, such as framing and the drywall, are done last, and the things that are normally done last — like the electrical, plumbing, carpet, and ceilings — are done first. “In interior construction, when you’re using prefab, you’ll do all of your ceilings and floors first, so all of your carpets are down, which makes it fast and easy to install,” Jensen said. “Plus, you don’t have to use ladders so much. Then come your walls, then electrical and hookups, some of which will be put in place in the infrastructure part of it.” The popularity of modular homes is also growing, according to Ron Ratzlaff, general manager of Lifetime Modular Homes of York. Normally a modular home can be built and installed in 90 to 120 days. The factories are currently shut down because of COVID-19, but Ratzlaff expected to be back to full building within a couple of weeks. The firm has four sample houses, which can be customized to the customer’s floor plan. “I built one 25 years ago off a napkin,” Ratzlaff said. Customers also can have a more accurate idea of how much their home will cost. “When I price my product, it includes appliances, water heater, furnace, central air, and delivery,” Ratzlaff said. “The price will not change unless they change something in the house. The house is built in a factory environment where there’s no rain or snow, so they can work all the time.”

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

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

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Salute to Small Business overview • Finding and attracting investors to startups Tips on marketing your business • Buying local • Expanding Finding the right storefront • Assembling the right team • Finding capital

Environment Industry Topics may include: The Environment Industry overview • New tech in the environmental field Energy management/audits • Water conservation Building Green • Environmental consultants, engineers and site assessments

Issue Date: April 24 • Ad Deadline: April 16

Council Bluffs Growth Report

Advertising Part 1 Agencies

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Council Bluffs Growth Report overview • Construction update • Education Arts & Entertainment • Health care • Real Estate

Marketing trends • Reconfiguring your brand after the pandemic • Digital strategy What to look for in a marketing agency • Top marketing mistakes

Issue Date: May 1 • Ad Deadline: April 23

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

The Combine Incubator cultivates high growth agri-food innovators across state Continued from page 1. ducers use fewer resources more efficiently while increasing profitability. “I think more and more companies are recognizing they need to be looking at the cutting edge and looking at what is potentially going to disrupt them,” Foley said. “You’re seeing a lot more investment and corporate acquisition

The Combine Incubator Address: 2125 Transformation Drive, Lincoln 68508 Services: Supporting high-growth agrifood technology startups in Nebraska. Founded: Oct. 2019 Website: www.nebraskacombine.com

activity from large companies in the food and ag space because they’re recognizing that consumers’ tastes are changing, their preferences are changing. At the same time, a lot of young farmers and younger growers are doing a great job of being conscious of looking after the environment and making sure they’re stewards of the land, and that naturally means that some practices are changing and … some of the machines and chemicals and equipment used also need to change.” Launched in October of 2019, the incubator program consists of three initiatives to help support young startups: a physical space for early stage entrepreneurs, a commercialization curriculum that helps founders plan and raise capital, and the Insights Network that taps farmers and ranchers in Nebraska who are looking to adopt new technology and give feedback to young companies — creating potential customers. “In Nebraska, there are a lot of strong, larger corporations and private agribusinesses that are interested in seeing — how can we help the next generation of companies crop up here in Nebraska?” he said. Not only is physical space an important factor for young startups — getting out of a garage or basement — but also mentorship and connecting with “other high growth founders” is vital. “So, we thought, how can we replicate and emulate that for future food and ag technology companies,” he said. With about 1,700 square feet of office space in the Rise building at the Nebraska Innovation Campus adjacent to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to “work alongside other like-minded founders who have a vision of building an impressive company,” Foley said. “Since the launch we’ve

accepted five companies into the program and farms, Nebraska startup companies with an it’s a real diverse group of entrepreneurs. People ag focus have an advantage over tech startups working in irrigation technology, animal health, originating on the coasts. data management and digital infrastructure for “They kind of have the goldmine of what a tracking farm information. It’s really exciting to lot of startups on the coast would like to have — see how these young companies are continuing that’s firsthand, boots-on-the-ground experience to grow and move their companies forward.” of actually doing this with … dirt under their Companies currently in the incubator pro- fingernails if you will,” Foley said. “It’s a great gram include DigiExt, Dynamic partnership and we’re starting to see Motion, Terrace Ag, Ag Water Harsome exciting companies come out vester, Dawson Tire and Platform of that program.” Cattle. Other companies working in In the first year, Foley said the the space include AgBuild Studio, organization is hoping to help two FarmAfield, CropX and Fiddleback companies grow and raise $50,000 Consulting. in capital, which will also provide The Combine Incubator accepts benchmarks for metrics of success. companies on a “rolling basis” and “Long term, the way we there’s no application deadline. measure success probably won’t “Typically, these are companies change,” he said. “With Invest that have not raised any sort of Nebraska, we’ve invested in over Foley funding before applying,” he said. 70 companies by now and those “They’re at a very early stage, maybe an idea, companies have gone on to raise over $120 a customer or two but they’re really not quite million in capital. Granted, none of those comsure — what would it look like to grow this panies had been Combine Incubator companies business and what is needed to move forward?” because we just started in October, but as far With partnerships like the Engler Agri- as the goal we set for The Combine Incubator, business Entrepreneurship Program through they’ll be set along the same lines of how many the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and entre- companies go through the program and how preneurs who have grown up on farms or near much capital can they raise.”

However, raising capital isn’t the only measure of success. “We’re going to be tracking the number of jobs they’re creating in the state and the revenue that they’re producing,” he said. Foley, who previously helped found an ag tech startup and has been part of a couple of early stage investments in ag technology, was eager to lead the program. The Invest Nebraska team helps maintain office hours for The Combine program. Invest Nebraska CEO Dan Hoffman initiated the ag-tech incubator conversation with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The Combine Incubator has a number of public/private partnerships across the state, including the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Nebraska Corn Board, NuTech Ventures, Husch Blackwell, Water for Food, Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, Nebraska Innovation Campus, UNL Office of Research & Economic Development, Nebraska Farm Bureau, the IANR and the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, among other supporting sponsors. “[They] all have a vested interest in seeing this succeed in Nebraska,” he said. “That was kind of the impetus of it.”

Production lines to signage, companies shift functions to support crisis needs own. They have also been able to find additional Continued from page 1. materials. There is still a need for facemasks, natural fit.” Prior to mask-making, the lab had already and many individuals have been sewing these.” Before COVID-19, EVP Mike Compton limited student access to meet group safety requirements. Since then, the team opened up described Renze Display’s business as “booming.” It has since adapted, with additional rooms to accommodate COVID-19 response signs and social distancing. By early April, structures; for instance, a portable the lab had produced around 5,000 temperature testing station, facemasks. And it’s serving additional to-face desk guards and sanitizer critical functions. products’ stations. “The employees working on the “We have a talented team of mask production line are not able to designers and fabricators and basiwork their normal jobs remotely, so cally sat down as a group and asked, this keeps them employed,” he said. ‘How can we help stop the spread “Many of them are academic lab of this virus, while also keeping our technicians, maintenance workers staff busy and intact?’” Compton or serve in other roles that have said. “We are just as available to our Compton been reduced due to classes going clients as we’ve always been, and will continue to e-learning formats.” In early April, the lab had sufficient mate- even if we are eventually ordered to shelter in rials to produce 10,000 face shields, with more place.” Precautions include online (versus in-persupplies on the way. Elastic was in short supply. “VA has been a huge help,” Heinze son) meetings; some clients are following suit said. “They are picking up and delivering ma- with large-group Zoom meetings and “virtual” terials and may be starting production of their tradeshows versus traditional gatherings.

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When asked about the “new normal” emerging from this crisis for the industry, Compton said he has faith people will want to get back to face-to-face meetings. “After all, we’re all human and we crave social interaction,” he said. “I believe that will be our saving grace. We were concerned about the same situation after 9/11, but tradeshow and event marketing came roaring back.” During the interim, Area Sales Manager Josh Snyder said U.S. Cellular has temporarily closed select stores, with the balance operating at reduced hours. “We do have stores open for critical needs, such as essential device and accessory purchases and urgent troubleshooting,” he said. “We have added stricter policies to ensure cleanliness and social distancing, such as only allowing 10 total people in a store at a time (that includes associates) and using strategically-spaced workstations.” Through the end of May, overage charges have been eliminated for consumers on plans with data limits, and U.S. Cellular added 15GB of hotspot data for Unlimited Everyday or Even Better plan customers (accommodating shifting work arrangements). The carrier signed the Keep Americans Connected Pledge to not terminate service because of customers’ inability to pay bills due to COVID-19-related disruptions. “On the network side, we have seen an increase in voice, SMS and data traffic in recent weeks,” he said. “Our network teams have been consistently monitoring usage and making modifications and enhancements as needed to ensure continuous service.” As companies shift to remote working, Snyder said there will be more needs for video conferencing and connectivity. “After years of seeing a decline in voice usage as more people use text messaging and social media, we have seen an uptick in recent weeks,” he said. “Clearly, it becomes more important as employees and families can’t be in person as much as they are used to, but it is still nice to know that sometimes nothing can replace a phone call.”

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 17, 2020 •

In the Spotlight Paid Content REAL ESTATE SERVICES Awarded

Denny Sciscoe CCIM Overall BIG Deal Award Cushman & Wakefield/The Lunch Co.

Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Company is proud to announce that Denny Sciscoe, Director of

Industrial Services was awarded with the CCIM Overall BIG Deal award. Awards are given for the largest transaction in the office, retail, industrial and multi-family sectors, along with the overall largest transaction completed in 2019. The Overall BIG Deal award was presented to Denny Sciscoe for the sale of 10808 S. 132nd Street, a 535,000 SF industrial building in Omaha, NE for $25,160,000.

Submit your company’s employee announcements to Spotlight@mbj.com

Top to bottom, construction hurting for skilled labor Continued from page 23. with two objectives,” she said. “One, to create awareness that jobs are immediately available with on-the-job training, great pay, benefits and a career path. “Second, to connect potential workers with our members through our website, paveyourownway. com. It’s in the early stages since we launched in early February, but initial analytics show we are getting good engageWilson ment.” Wilson said such efforts face a tough challenge, to undo decades of image problems from which skilled careers typically suffer. “Technical education has taken a back seat over the past two to three decades; instead, we have pushed students to go to four-year colleges to earn a degree,” she said. “Construction isn’t for everyone; but if you aren’t afraid of a little hard work, working outdoors and making a good living then it’s a great place for you.” Demand is also heavy for positions in construction management, said Matt Barrows, assistant professor of practice at University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Durham

School, part of the College of Engineering. “Coming out of our program, [construction management] students are very sought-after,” he said. “These internships our students are going for are starting in freshman and sophomore year. If companies do not get in early and decide they want a senior that’s graduating as an intern, impossible. They’re already spoken for. “I teach a senior level capstone class. I Barrows would say before the current semester started half of my students had already signed full-time offers. Everyone had multiple offers.” Barrows said local companies are also feeling the labor pinch for such grads as a result of out-of-state competition. Construction companies are looking well past their local markets to get the people they need which puts a strain on local resources. “Local companies, honestly, are having a little bit of trouble getting some of the UNL people because people are coming from farther away into Nebraska to hire,” he said. “The Denver market is coming hard into Nebraska. Everyone’s hiring radius is getting a little bit larger to try to get more people.”

Tech startups can apply for US relief funds. Should they? Continued from page 13. by tech types for its perfect $20 grilled cheeseburger—would get the bailout over the startup offering to do its delivery. Startups fail fast, pivot and come back, but beet hummus is irreplaceable. If you read one thing Businessweek's latest cover story is a deep dive on Zoom. CEO Eric Yuan talks about sleepless nights worrying about Zoombombing, keeping the company's servers from getting overwhelmed with traffic, and the never-ending conference call grind. “It’s too many Zoom meetings,” he says, via Zoom. “I hate that.” Read it here. And here’s what you need to know in global technology news Amazon is building a lab to test employ-

ees for Covid-19, part of an effort to protect its warehouse workers and delivery drivers from the disease. There are now more than 100 million people using Google Classroom, a free service teachers can use to send out assignments and communicate with students, double the number at the beginning of March. The conspiracy theory that 5G is causing coronavirus (that's won a few celebrity converts) may be fueled in part by a state disinformation campaign, researchers say. The economy is in crisis, but there's still money to be spent. Index Ventures has raised $2 billion for new funds. ©2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

2020

We are now accepting nominations! Deadline to submit: July 31, 2020

The 19th annual 40 Under 40 Awards will take place Nov. 20 at Embassy Suites La-Vista. Midlands Business Journal is currently seeking nominations for professionals in the Greater Omaha and Council Bluffs area under the age of 40 who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and career accomplishments. Our judges will seek out individuals that have made impacts within their organizations and our community. We want to hear about the entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners in your lives. Involvement in nonprofits and community organizations will show judges how much candidates care about the Greater Omaha area. Nominees must be under the age of 40 as of Dec. 31, 2020 for consideration and cannot nominate themselves. Bottom line, we want to honor young professionals that are making a difference. Visit MBJ.com to fill out the nomination form now!

Key information to include in the nomination: • • • • • • • •

Current company Current position Age Company address Company phone Email address Degrees earned Business accomplishments (promotions, projects, company initiatives) • Community involvement (volunteer work, seats on boards, local and national organizations) • Achievements (awards, recognitions, accreditations) • Supplemental materials such as articles on the nominee, written works, videos, photos, etc.

Sponsorship opportunities are available today!

What better way to get your company’s name in front of some of the most influential business leaders in the Greater Omaha area than sponsoring the 40 Under 40 Awards. Your company will receive recognition in the popular 40 Under 40 special section and at the award banquet that is anticipated to draw 600 attendees. Contact us at karla@mbj.com or call 402-330-1760 to learn more.

• APRIL 17, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal