Midlands Business Journal April 24, 2020 Vol. 46 No. 17 issue by Midlands Business Journal

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Small Business

April 24, 2020

Support takes on many forms, from Payment Protection Plan guidance to virtual events by Michelle Leach

While May’s National Small Business Week is among a myriad of canceled or postponed events, Midlands-area organizations’ support of entrepreneurs persists when the need is great. “What we are hearing at this time from our consultants across the state is that small business owners are frantic, trying to understand and evaluate the resources available to them,” said Nebraska Business Development Center Director Cathy Lang. “There is so much Lang information.” As their consultants know best what businesses want or need, they’re encouraged to share program descriptions, which are posted on the “NBDC Business Resiliency Resources” tab on its website. “NBDC is not the only resource provider,” Lang said. “For some, their best resource may be a banker. For others, their best resource is the NBDC. We wanted to develop a business resource page that had as concise of a description as possible … and we didn’t want to restate [others’] pages.” She emphasized the site’s clear business rather than health focus. Lang recalled prior floods and business-specific resources amid an abundance of community offerings. “How do we think through disruption and resiliency? And how do we make sure that our business is best prepared for when it happens again?” she said, referencing a three-part video series, among assistance available at its resources hub. As a financial partner, SBA Relationship Manager Melissa Glenn said Core Bank has changed almost every aspect of how it does business. “At first, the changes were made in order to protect employees and clients,” she said. “A few short weeks later, we were presented with a huge stimulus bill and have implemented massive processes and functions in order to facilitate funding for the Payment Protection Plan — a program designed to support small businesses through the COVID-19 fight.” As a community bank, Glenn indicated Core Bank is able to make quick decisions

Melissa Glenn, SBA relationship manager at Core Bank. and implement major changes in 48 hours. facing some sort of challenge throughout But Glenn’s main message is “don’t lose this crisis. But I have seen more help, more support, more compassion and understandhope.” “To say this environment is challenging ing for each other than ever before.” Second, keep moving forward — slowis a severe understatement: It is simply unprecedented,” she said. “Everyone is ly or change direction. But don’t stop.

Reaanddit

“Do the next best thing possible, then do the next best thing after that,” Glenn said. “Panic robs so many of us of our potential, but action leads to opportunity.” Use this time to work on the business and be ready to capitalize once the economy bounces back, she said. In early April, Vic Gutman & Associates announced cancelation of the June Omaha Summer Arts Festival; however, OSAF is set to support juried artists and others with a one-day virtual experience June 6, featuring a Gutman gallery for shopping, live-streamed music, food vendor recipes, and craft “how-to” videos. The Omaha Farmers Market is slated for the first weekend of June (versus the traditional May), with extra safety measures and regulations, according to President Vic Gutman. “[OFM] will continue to operate on Saturdays in the Old Market and Sundays in Aksarben Village, although the location in each district may change to accommodate social distancing requirements,” he said.

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Salute to Small Business — inside APRIL 24, 2020

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

$2.00

VOL. 46 NO. 17

Werner targets dedicated trucks for revenue stability in changing landscape by Richard D. Brown

Overcoming the pandemic hurdle: Peak Performance plans to sprint toward future growth. – Page 2

40 er d Un 40

Leo A Daly’s Klebba builds architecture portfolio around award-winning projects. – Page 4

l nta me ry n o t vir us En Ind

Current environment rife to test lasting sustainable solutions to heal the planet. – Page 22

Omaha-based Werner Enterprises, a publicly-traded truckload company that is among the five largest carriers in the U.S. with $2.5 billion in annual revenues and more than 13,000 employees — 1,700 of them at the global headquarters at 14507 Frontier Road — is finding that a contract-based dedicated trucking approach, which was started in earnest about five years ago, is enabling the firm to more profitably travel the nation’s highways. Werner President/CEO Derek Leathers, a 21-year veteran of the industry who established Werner’s operations in Mexico, said his focus well before the pandemic has been on “quality-first execution and resiliency.” “We are proactively leveraging our talent and technology to quickly and effectively adapt to the changes in the freight market,” he said. “It has involved repositioning Werner over the past several years, increasing our agility and ability to successfully Continued on page 24.

President and CEO Derek Leathers … Growth through contract-based approach is complemented by adaptability to current economic climate. (photo courtesy of Werner Enterprises)

Omaha’s Midwest Regional Health Services enlists EMR cloud platform Canvas Medical by Becky McCarville

When a fortuitous direct mail advertisement from San Francisco-based electronic medical record startup Canvas Medical landed on Dr. Donald Darst’s desk, the owner of Midwest Regional Health Clinic saw a potential answer to one of the leading causes of physician burnout: the amount of time spent documenting patient records in EMRs.

“It’s not only the time spent but also the rigidity of the requirements of how you step through the different fields,” he said, adding that giving full attention to patients while trying to input info into an EMR can often be impractical and distracting, taking away from doctor-patient time in the exam room. While the original purpose of EMRs was to digitize patient reContinued on page 26. Jill Davie, president of TEAM Software.

Organizations pivot to keep teams busy, maintain seamless services by Michelle Leach

Dr. Donald Darst at his practice in the Oakview Medical Building … After losing two physicians due to burnout from time spent filling out electronic medical records, MRHS turns to Canvas Medical, an intuitive, cloud-based EMR platform.

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. If Midlands organizations aren’t pivoting to stay afloat or demonstrate value, they’re helping clients pivot amid unprecedented change. In recent weeks, Carolyn Sutton PR has been flooded

with client work — ensuring message platforms maintain trust, positivity, and calm; for example, when a client shifted from linens and bedding to making 20,000-plus masks for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, messaging shifted in kind. It’s messaging that Sutton’s clients are most concerned about — how to navigate on social media and when/ if interacting with media. Her Continued on page 3.

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Overcoming the pandemic hurdle: Peak Performance plans to sprint toward future growth by Gabby Christensen

Nearly 30 years ago, Mike Ewoldt and his brother Jim Ewoldt set out to fulfill a need for a running store in the Omaha community by co-founding Peak Performance. Today, the business has expanded to include six locations

Peak Performance Phone: 402-398-9807 (Central Omaha Location) Address: 519 N. 78th St., Omaha 68114 (Central Omaha Location) Founded: 1994 Service: local business specializing in footwear, technical apparel, running accessories and training needs Employees: 29 Goal: To help the everyday runner and walker achieve success in their own goals. Website: http://www.run2peak.com

— four in Omaha and two in Iowa — with 29 employees. Additionally, the business has formed a race management company under the name of U2CanRun, hosting various running events throughout the area. Founded in 1994, the business primarily

Co-owner Mike Ewoldt … Aiming to maintain solid team to re-emerge when city reopens. serves fitness enthusiasts who run, walk or wear, technical apparel, running accessories and cross train. training needs. Co-owner Mike Ewoldt said the shop also “We specialize in shoe fitting with the goal sees various medical referrals and track or of matching the customer’s foot with the right cross-country students. shoe,” Ewoldt said. “Each of our staff memThe shop assists customers with their foot- bers is trained in a doctor-approved standing

Business Minute

Paid Content

Anne Harris

Director of Marketing and Client Solutions, Cox Media Associations/Titles: Women in Cable Telecommunications Heartland – Executive Advisor and Immediate Past President; Girls Inc. – Board Member; Harris House – Mom, head of household, Uber driver, short-order cook. Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, minor in communications

How I got into the business: Family friends had connections that led me to Cox. Interestingly, the woman who helped with that introduction turned out to be a very important business partner. Over the years she’s became a mentor and friend. Accomplishments or milestones: I was honored to be selected as President of the Year for my work with WICT Heartland. We were also recognized as Chapter of the Year. First job: Cashier at Baker’s Supermarket, unless you count all the babysitting I did before I was of legal working age. Biggest career break: I feel my career at Cox has been incredible. Over 19 years, I’ve been able to learn, grow, and take on increasing responsibilities. The toughest part of the job: Though it may be considered tough to some, the consistent change in our industry is the reason I’ve stayed at the same company for so many

years. As consumers interact with media in different ways and as marketing trends evolve, we must change to remain competitive. We’re constantly challenged to come up with innovative solutions to new opportunities. The best advice I have received: Don’t live a life of “should.” Do what is right for you and your family and don’t worry about what others think. About my family: I’m a mom to two teenage boys. Normally, that means a busy schedule of driving them around to school, social, and sports events. But this recent pandemic has been a blessing in disguise, forcing us to slow down and spend more time at home. Something else I’d like to accomplish: With limited time to enjoy my children at home, I really want to slow down and soak it all in. It’s the driving reason behind making an investment in a pool. I’d like to be better about finding ways to be as present as possible and enjoy the moments! How my business will change in the next decade: Our business evolves as consumer behavior changes. Over 10 years, it’ll change many times over. The way businesses connect with consumers will be different. The types of products/ services consumers need/want may be different. Values and ideals may be different. But one thing will remain consistent: good

marketing involves the right product with the right message reaching the right people. Mentor who has helped the most in my career: I have been fortunate to have so many wonderful people guide me throughout my career, some formal, others informally. Outside interests: Travelling, attending concerts, discovering new artists and music, motorcycle and jeep rides, Pilates. Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere that I can sit on a beach and hear the sounds of the ocean. Other careers I would like to try: My sister and I have a dream to start a consulting business one day. Her expertise is in social and influencer marketing, mine in traditional and digital. Together, our experience can add value to businesses in need of marketing strategy support. Favorite cause or charity: Girls Inc. Their mission is so important during normal times. During this pandemic, girls are unable to come into the center. Some are without food, others don’t have access to educational resources. Girls Inc. is working hard to come up with creative ways to support the girls. Favorite app: I’ve been spending time in Robinhood investing in stocks that are at all time lows. And Spotify is my favorite music app.

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

gait analysis. The standing gait analysis takes a holistic approach to your bio-mechanics and is then able to match a shoe to your needs and wants. This way, you are better able to meet your fitness wants, desires and goals.” He said it’s been especially important to secure the right managers and employees, which can sometimes be challenging. As the business builds on referrals, Ewoldt said it’s also critical to ensure that employees remain motivated and up to date on training. During the pandemic, he said the lack of foot traffic has allowed the store to focus on making sure employees are prepared for when business picks back up. “We’ve survived 9/11, the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009, and we’ll survive this, too,” Ewoldt said. “This will pass and we will come out stronger.” Over the years, there has been hardships and trials for the company, but the good times have always outweighed the struggles. “One of the reasons I believe we’ve been so successful is because we all have our own expertise and we stay in our lane,” he said. “My background is in accounting and finance, while my brother’s background is in sales and training. We’ve made a good team because of this.” As a business owner, Ewoldt said there’s also great satisfaction in watching both his staff and customers progress and advance. “We love teaching our employees new things and watching them grow,” he said. “It’s just as rewarding to see our customers see improvement or meet their fitness goals.” Moving forward, Ewoldt said the business plans to continue striving to improve the lives and health of runners and walkers in the Omaha and Sioux City area. “Now more than ever, there’s a focus on health and wellness,” he said. “The current circumstances have really highlighted certain issues and addressed the importance of being as healthy as possible. We hope to help others achieve their fitness goals, while also benefiting their health.”

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Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Organizations pivot to keep teams busy, maintain seamless services Continued from page 1. team has proactively connected with clients to “get ahead of the dialogue.” “There are no rules or verified road map to navigating COVID-19,” she said. “It is changing our country on an hourly basis. But, when it comes to media relations, we’re looking to how we can be an advocate for our clients and the media during the immediate changes in the landscape.” Stories are told fast. So, it’s imperative to jump on them. “Also, it’s crucial to have legit sources and experts for your stories and on behalf of your brand with prepared brand messaging,” Sutton said. Don’t appear “tone deaf;” messages must align with daily happenings in the greater media. “We are sharing authentic, real stories and angles, being sensitive and patient,” Sutton said. Team Software supports two industries deemed “essential” during the outbreak: cleaning and security. “In many cases, customers are dealing with an increase in demand with requests for in-depth cleaning or those looking for more

guards to handle changing needs,” said President Jill Davie. “They are balancing these requests with keeping their mobile workforce safe and healthy.” A c c o r d i n g l y, TEAM’s toolkit on its 24/7 help site features crucial resources on their software — from scheduling and messaging tools, to direct deposit and additional employee “self-service.” “We’ve also been paying attention to the Sutton recent paid sick leave and compliance laws that are changing, and helping our customers manage the new requirements in our software,” Davie said. As a company with global offices and reps, TEAM’s transition to “work-from-home” was seamless. “We had been preparing for a work-fromhome scenario prior to encouraged social distancing recommendations, so we were able to

troubleshoot any issues before they affected our day-to-day,” Davie said. “As we have shifted to a completely remote operation, our customer service surveys have increased in ratings and our team has pulled together to provide extra support to clients. It’s been inspiring to see team members across all departments jump in with an ‘all hands on deck’ attitude to help any way they can.” Before “workfrom-home” was daily parlance, the architecPalandri tural design team at AO saw continued demand for flexible, less static work areas balanced with acoustically-private solutions such as phone booths, conference room pods, and increased requests for services outside the architectural/engineering services scope; for instance, artwork selection and graphics design. Of particular relevance now, Owner Randall J. Palandri noted increased integration of technology, and increased teleconference abilities.

“We meet electronically several times a week to keep with work and each other,” he said. “When you have a collaborative business model like our office, we are at our best when we can bounce ideas off of each other on a moment’s notice. Trying to do that on a schedule online is not as effective but, for now, we will adapt.” As the firm relies on clients to move forward with projects, keeping productivity up is “difficult.” “[Projects] under construction are moving forward but we do not know for how long,” Palandri said. “The building permit process was slow before the pandemic and I’m sure that it will take even longer now that … City Hall is closed.” Under-development work is subject to how clients feel about the future, and their desire to spend funds for professional services, or to wait and see what happens. “We are optimistic that as the virus becomes contained and as optimism comes back that we will see a surge of activity in the A/E/C industry,” he said. “The economy was moving strongly before the outbreak and hopefully it will ramp up quickly as the virus becomes less intensive.”

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Leo A Daly’s Klebba builds architecture portfolio around award-winning projects by Dwain Hebda

Zach Klebba became captivated by architecture and design at an early age when he used to look through his father’s blueprints. Over time, that interest has only deepened and become more layered. “I think initially the allure came with creating really cool-looking design, right? Like, aesthetically how do I make something that’s eye-catching,” he said. “There was this blend of left brain and right brain; kind of this calculated, mathematical, science component to architecture that blended really interestingly with the artistic and creative side. “Having been in the industry now going on seven years, it has shifted for me and become all about the client and designing for people and spaces that impact human experience. So while it’s still, I think, important to remember why I got into it in the first place and maintain a creative design eye, for me, I’m totally motivated by people now.” Klebba, architectural designer for Leo A Daly, has surpassed expectations on all fronts during his short professional career. Among his array of accolades are a Team Award for Wynn Hotel Casino and Resort in 2013 and Cloisters on the Platte for Achievement in 2016. He’s a two-time winner of the American

2019

Architectural Designer Zach Klebba … Emphasizing client relationships with growing portfolio of projects. Institute of Architects Central States Award, in are making waves internationally. 2015 and 2017. In 2014, he won the Grassroots “So, I think we’re definitely on the map, Award from the American Institute of Archi- but we’re not necessarily known for high detects, resulting in three of his submissions sign. I don’t think you’ll find the most center being selected for display at the national AIA spread magazine-worthy designs in Omaha, conference in Washington, D.C. but some of that work is coming from Omaha. Such prize-winners are nice, but Klebba We’re just designing it for other cities and othsaid they represent a mere fraction of an archi- er clients. That ultimately comes down to the tect’s total body of work. Thus, he finds equal clients themselves and designing for kind of a satisfaction on projects that may not win an award but delights the client. Proud Sponsors of the 2019 “Omaha, specifically, is a booming area in terms of the construction industry and the amount of work we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of globally known design firms, like Leo A Daly, headquartered here in Omaha that

local aesthetic, something that fits the context of the city. Ultimately, we view what we do as a success when we are providing clients with spaces that inspire them and motivate them and help them perform whatever task it is that we’re designing for them. We just look at it through a different lens.” Klebba said his work methodology is to leverage past experience without letting it predispose him to a certain look or aesthetic. “I enter every design opportunity with a clean slate, not having these preconceived notions about people or place,” he said. “Starting a new project for a new client or a new project within the community, I want to come in and really hear what it is they’re looking for, reassess and re-evaluate, discover what it is the unique opportunity is offering. “I think a lot of times we do ourselves a disservice by assuming we know coming in. By keeping that perspective fresh, it’s inspiring as a designer coming in knowing this could be something completely different, something that I’ve never thought about before.” Klebba’s also noted for his community endeavors, which includes founding and leading Omaha Midnight Run, a nonprofit aimed at transforming Omaha by partnering with existing charities. In its first three years, OMR raised more than $85,000 for Abide Network and Hope Center for Kids.

40 Under 40:

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Small Business

April 24, 2020

Support takes on many forms, from Payment Protection Plan guidance to virtual events by Michelle Leach

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Salute to Small Business

Supporting local business remains necessary during pandemic by Gabby Christensen

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more vital than ever to shop local in order to keep Omaha thriving, and local businesses are finding unique ways to continue to serve and reach clients even when storefronts are closed. With record unemployment numbers, Nick Huff, co-owner of Hutch, said a lot of people are looking for ways they can support their community. “Supporting your local food banks or community foundations is pivotal in helping our community,” Huff said. “Another way you can do that is to support organizations where the money is funneling directly to the Omaha economy.” During this time, he said Made in Omaha has rolled out a care package program in which people can choose their own product mix on its website, or choose from premade, preselected care packages that include items like candles, toffee, coffee mugs, hand soap, body soap, tea, honey, jams, chocolate and granola. “If you are in a place where you are able and comfortable to spend money at this time, we encourage you to check in with loved ones, support your local nonprofit organizations, local restaurants and bars and your favorite retail locations,” Huff said. “Everyone is doing their best to navigate operations during this time, and anything helps.” Leslie Fischer, co-founder of TAGG (Together A Greater Good), said restaurants and local retailers will be taking a

huge hit with the loss of the NCAA Men’s College World Series and the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting canceled. “In this time, we especially need to do everything we can to ensure that each

Huff Fischer of our restaurants, retailers and service industry businesses reopen once this is over,” Fischer said. She suggested consumers can help by purchasing a gift card or ordering online from those businesses that have these options available. “TAGG has also created a fundraiser to help those local businesses who need support to join our text to donate program,” she said. According to Fischer, over 50 businesses have already registered. “We want people to continue TAGGing to support both the local businesses and nonprofits,” she said. “While shorter-term businesses may feel the impact to their reduced business hours, nonprofits are also taking a huge hit with donors that have

been impacted by the stock market changes and spring fundraising events canceled. TAGGing helps support both the local business and nonprofit at the same time.” Casey Logan, deputy director at Film Streams, said it’s a challenging, unprecedented time for everyone, and support for businesses and nonprofits can really make a difference. “For Film Streams, we really believe there’s no replacing the cinematic experience,” Valentine Logan said. “There’s something special about people joining together for the shared experience of watching a great movie on the big screen, in a theatrical environment. But during this crisis, we’ve been really excited to work with some wonderful film distributors to present ‘virtual screenings’ of films that, in normal times, would be playing in our theaters. We’ve also been hosting various ‘live’ events and watch parties on Twitter and Instagram, and pointing our audiences to content they might find fulfilling or even just a pleasant distraction during stressful times.” Kelly Valentine, owner of Scout: Dry Goods & Trade, said buying local is always important, but it’s especially critical during this global crisis. She said shopping local allows for

product diversity, competition and environmental sustainability. Valentine said entrepreneurship also fuels America’s economic innovation and prosperity and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class. “When shopping locally, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more city services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement and promote community development,” she said. Currently, Valentine said Scout is selling items through its Instagram page and on its website and is offering shipping or curbside pick-up. “Omaha is unlike any other city in the world,” she said. “By choosing to support locally owned businesses, you help maintain Omaha's diversity and distinctive flavor.”

Salute to Small Business • Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Capital funding for small businesses, nonprofits is tricky due to COVID-19 by Dwain Hebda

Emergency funding for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot keep up with the scope of the need or has taken a back seat to other priorities altogether. That’s the message from several local entities. “We are learning about need from our nonprofit and philanthropic partners and adapting our process as needs unfold,” said Kali Baker, vice president of community investment for the Omaha Community Foundation. “It’s an unprecedented time Baker and need is growing exponentially.” The foundation supports nonprofits in six key focus areas — $400,000 worth last year, Baker noted – and four resident-led grant programs. Once the coronavirus set in, the group pivoted to meet even more demands. “We launched the COVID-19 Response Fund for nonprofits working with our most vulnerable community members, focused on food security, health care, emergency housing, emergency financial assistance, housing stability and support for seniors,” Baker said. “The fund has raised about $900,000 so far. After proactively reaching out to 25 nonprofits serving on the front lines of this crisis, we distributed $250,000 in rapid-response grants and are working to distribute a second round of funding.” Baker said in addition to serving greater need from OCF clientele, many nonprofits are suffering from the cancellation of events. “Many nonprofits are struggling due to a loss of earned revenue or a loss of fundraising. They are in need of operating support,” she said. “We are continuing to stay in close contact with our initial group of nonprofit partners and are also learning from nonprofits as they share what needs their clients are experiencing. We will continue to distribute grants on a rolling basis.” Small businesses got a dose of good news when Washington approved the $1 trillion coronavirus relief fund that included $350 billion for payroll protection, to be administered through the Small Business Administration. However, banks reported being drained of available funds almost overnight, forcing Congress to approve additional funding. Leon Milobar, director of the SBA Nebraska District Office, said the response through his office was nothing short of an avalanche. “The first day, the first eight hours, we did three times the average loans in terms of dollar volume,” he said. “We did 1,200 loans in less than eight hours for somewhere around $360 million to $370 million.” Milobar said processing the crush of applications was handled with relatively few hiccups, although there were some technical issues to be worked through. “It took God six days to create heaven and earth and he rested on the seventh day. We were given six days to put this program together,” he joked. “Yes, we had some technical issues that we continue to overcome and things are smoothing out. “The demand has been so significant; our lenders, some of them, had a few thousand customers here in Nebraska that were applying for loans. Some of our bankers worked around

the clock to get all of the loans in for their borrowers. It’s been a good effort.” Some organizations have turned their attention to more pressing needs. Todd Andrews of the Salvation Army’s Western Division, said other priorities have been pushed to the

Milobar Andrews front of the line. “You know, our focus now is on helping individuals and families chiefly via providing food, as well as assistance with things such as utility bills,” he said.

Andrews said those short on food should report to the Burrows Center at 6101 Northwest Radial Highway to pick up a box of food between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and again from 1

p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Those seeking assistance with utility bills should call 402-898-6090.

by David Kubicek

“It’s a time to get creative and withstand instead of shrinking back,” Boyd said. “I’ve seen quick operational changes from Omaha businesses, which really helps dictate the direction of the marketing for the business. It’s allowing them to stay relevant to their customers and meet them where they are at this time.” Boyd said digital, billboard and TV and radio messages shorter than 15 seconds can help supplement longform options. “Do what you do best in your business and figure out how to tell your customers what you are doing,” she said. “If they love your team, they love your brand [and] they will engage. Continued on next page.

Imperative for small businesses to adapt marketing to changing economic climate Small businesses need to stay on their toes now that the pandemic has shifted business models. “Right now, we’re seeing through a few different lenses in regards to marketing for small businesses that are impacted by COVID-19,” said Shana Boyd, a partner in Eleven Twenty-Three. “For the majority, we’re taking an agile approach and changing messages at a quicker pace than usual.” Some businesses have had to adjust their marketing and advertising efforts for a few weeks to allow for cash flow over the next few months.

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Salute to Small Business

Small businesses need to adapt marketing to changing economic climate Continued from preceding page. Don’t be shy right now. Video is a great way to get information out there.” Celeste Pille, marketing manager at the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce, said it's hard to say exactly how COVID-19 has impacted small business marketing when everyone is actively adapting to a fluid situation. “Just about everyone is in a situation where they need to Boyd quickly communicate a lot of big changes,” she said. No industry has been left unaffected, but if a business relies on people gathering or on close, personal contact, it must come up with a significantly altered business model. “Adaptations I’ve seen include going to take-out, creating portals for online ordering, and pushing gift cards,” Pille said. “Small busi-

nesses shouldn’t overlook building a network and relationships as effective marketing tools. Creating those bonds between your business peers can build steady source of referrals. You

Pille Comstock can see big returns when someone personally knows you and your business.” COVID-19 has forced business owners to look at their firms from a marketing and a technological standpoint, BCom Solutions CEO Brent Comstock said. “Do they have the infrastructure in place so people can work from home to reach customers

in more ways than [they’ve traditionally used],” he said. Businesses should think quality over quantity. When a business goes online everywhere, its quality decreases. Determine where your customers are and focus on them. “If you’re reaching a younger demographic, look at Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok,” Comstock said. “If you’re reaching a highly professional service-based demoPankoke graphic, maybe step up your blogging and LinkedIn game. Make sure that what you’re sending out to your customers is relevant. If you’re sending something out just to stay in touch with them, the quality isn’t there, so over time they’ll start to tune you out.” Ryan Pankoke, owner of Blueprint Advertising Agency, said broadcast TV is a good source for small business advertising.

For instance, with more people home watching TV, a show that normally has 10,000 viewers may have 20,000, but advertisers are still paying the lower rate, which was set up months ago, he said.

High demand businesses expand remote operations by Gabby Christensen

While many businesses are being negatively affected by the COVID-19 shutdown, others are in high demand. During this pandemic, Donna Blum, worksite healthcare solutions consultant at Visio Health, said businesses are expanding remote

Martin Barger operations and searching for solutions to ensure employees remain healthy and productive. “The Working Clinic, provided by Visio Health and Technical Solutions, Inc. in Omaha, aids businesses in this effort,” Blum said. “Community health resources are now reserved for COVID-19 patients. Many suffering from less severe illnesses are unable to get care. The growing shortage of health care professionals will further reduce access to care.” She said employers recognize the need to protect employees and their dependents by providing contracted medical care both now and in the future. “Just as technology is enabling businesses to conduct remote operations, telemedicine is enabling remote health care,” Blum said. “Using an innovative approach that pairs U.S. primary care doctors with advanced medical diagnostic technology and onsite paramedics, The Working Clinic guarantees subscribers have access to care.” In locations where employees continue to work onsite, she said the embedded paramedic acts as a trusted local infection control adviser to the employer, serves as floor chief to reinforce proper social distancing and hygiene, and identifies employees exhibiting symptoms to mitigate the spread of the virus. For employees working remotely and those who are quarantined, Blum said clinic doctors are available 24/7 via a smartphone video app. For established businesses who already understand their marketplace, Blake Martin, CFE/franchise specialist at FranNet, said a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis is a good way to identify growth goals right now. “Think deeply about strengths you can leverage, weaknesses you can improve and opportunities and threats that can inform new directions you may want or need to take,” Martin said. “This is a great way to illuminate the most feasible and logical growth opportunities, and particularly true in high demand industries where competitive entry can rapidly change the landscape of your marketplace. Moreover, the SWOT analysis forces you to analyze and adapt to that competitive entry.” During this time, he said janitorial and Continued on next page.

Salute to Small Business • Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Research, resources, mentors can aid startups on the bumpy and often lonely ride by Jasmine Heimgartner

When inspiration hits, turning that idea for a product or service into reality is often a long journey with many bumps in the road. Although the idea may seem novel and oneof-a-kind, before the process can truly come to any semblance of fruition, taking a strategic approach and validating it is necessary. “Evidence-based lean startup is a methodology in which an entrepreneur may have the idea, but that idea needs to be put aside,” said Ken Moreano, president of Scott Data Center. “It is counter to coming up with an idea and trying to sell it. IdealMoreano ly, you find a problem in the market to solve. Instead of forcing an idea or product into a market, you find a problem and validate it with data to determine if enough people care or others have already tried to solve it. You can then glean a variety of opportunities to solve it.” This starts with asking questions like: What problem is being solved? Who would the customer be? Can the idea be executed? Luckily, startups in the Midwest have plenty of resources available to assist with this first piece of the successful startup puzzle, research and discovery, as well as throughout the journey. “First, there are great organizations to help companies get started like the Nebraska

Business Development Center and Nebraska Enterprise Fund,” said Ben Williamson, senior investment associate and general counsel, Invest Nebraska. “Second, there are fantastic community events to provide networking and education like 1 Million Cups and many events put on by respective city chambers. Third, there are some amazing

Oldfather, director of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development. “If you get too set on the tunnel vision of that idea, you may miss the target. If you find you are down the road but need to pivot, the entrepreneurial programs and resources available, as well as being surrounded by people that are in the same situation, can be really beneficial.” The customers benefiting from the po-

tential solution can also help steer startups in the right direction. “If they can build a relationship with a customer, they can get unique insight into the market that can help them develop their offering,” Moreano said. “Some of the competitive advantages are that they can find out if the right customer is targeted and get better aligned. Within the walls, they can see how Continued on next page.

High demand businesses expand operations

Williamson Oldfather accelerators and incubators that help ‘highgrowth’ companies plan, go to market and grow, like NMotion and the Startup Collaborative. Lastly, there are organizations that provide operational assistance throughout the entire company life cycle (idea stage all the way through fundraising and beyond) and also invest in high-growth technology companies.” During the research stage, many startups quickly realize that their “great” idea may not be that great after all. “One misconception is that someone comes up with an idea and they are set on that idea, falling in love with the idea and not the problem they are solving,” said Christina

Continued from preceding page. damage restoration businesses are integrating Centers for Disease Control-compliant cleaning services that mitigate COVID-19 spread. Additionally, Martin said tutoring businesses are expanding online content to accommodate home-based student learning. He said fitness businesses are even launching virtual training sessions, keeping current members engaged and aware of their membership’s value. “It’s important to never stop marketing your business during an economic downturn,” Martin said. “If cash flow is an issue, adjust to lower-cost, or free, online marketing & advertising. But you need to retain consumer awareness in order to thrive after this downturn.” Jim Barger, certified business coach at ActionCoach, said growing any business in a sustainable way requires having the basics in place. “This means a clear vision of where you want the business to go, a detailed plan on how you will get there and focused determination to

execute the plan,” Barger said. Although, he said it is not unusual for business owners to have none of these. “Rather, owners just react and go where the daily demand takes them,” he said. “As an established business, the owner must break out of a past/present viewpoint, focusing on what happened and what is happening now. They must develop a present/future mindset, which analyzes what is happening currently, and plan on how to achieve the goals and vision for the future.” Barger said this forward vision is what sets the stage for all decisions to be made, sometimes requiring short term dips in profits and cash flow in order to invest in capacity and tools. Currently, some businesses, such as the landscaping and construction industry, are not affected directly by the shutdown. “These companies are full speed ahead on their existing projects,” he said. “But the concern is about how long their pipelines can stay full. The economy will shrink demand for all products eventually.”

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Salute to Small Business

US retail sales plunge record 8.7% after paychecks disappear by Reade Pickert

U.S. retail sales tumbled in March by the most on record as the coronavirus forced thousands of the nation’s merchants to close and left millions of Americans without a paycheck. The value of overall sales fell 8.7% from the prior month, Retail the biggest decline in records dating back to 1992, Commerce Department figures showed. Estimates ranged from no change to a 24% drop, with a median projection of an 8% decline. Eight of 13 major categories decreased, led by a 50.5% plunge at clothing stores and a 26.8% decline at furniture and home furnishing stores, while restaurants and bars were down 26.5%. Food and beverage stores posted a 25.6% surge as Americans stocked up on essential goods; sales also rose at health and personal care stores, general merchandise stores

and nonstore retailers. Virus containment measures escalated quickly in the month as states began closing restaurants and bars to dine-in customers and urging residents to stay home. Now, almost every state has issued a stay-at-home order and many businesses have temporarily shuttered in the wake. The month was also defined by millions of layoffs, which have continued into April, and sharply reduced spending power. A separate report showed manufacturing in New York State shrank in April at the fastest pace on record, highlighting the severe impact of the economic stoppage designed to combat the pandemic. Key Insights Retail sales were down 6.2% from March 2019 after a 4.6% year-over-year increase in February. The so-called “control group” subset of

sales, which excludes food services, car dealers, building-materials stores and gasoline stations, unexpectedly increased by 1.7% from the prior month, reflecting purchases at grocery stores and general merchandise stores. In more normal times, the measure is viewed as a better gauge of underlying consumer demand, though that’s less the case now. Filling-station receipts dropped 17.2%, which likely reflected both lower fuel prices and less demand as Americans stayed home. At the end of March, the average nationwide price for a gallon of gasoline was less than $2, the cheapest since early 2016, according to AAA. Sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers plunged 25.6% from the prior month. Excluding automobiles and gasoline, retail sales fell 3.1%. ©2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Research, resources, mentors can aid startups

Continued from preceding page. to implement the solution. Our community has many examples of companies doing that. Many industries are willing to open their doors and share examples, which is a unique offering that our community has. If you are solving a problem they care about, you can develop a beneficial arrangement.” Finding a mentor is another important way to avoid potential pitfalls. Whether the mentor is in another industry or a has similar experience and can provide honest advice, it can open new lines of thinking, as well as ease some of the mental stresses that go with creating something new. “You often hear that entrepreneurship can be a lonely road and experience because, oftentimes, if you are not at a point where you are successful, you aren’t necessarily sharing with everyone,” Oldfather said. “You might not have anyone to talk to about the lows you are experiencing. Find those mentors and find your tribe of entrepreneurs at a similar stage. Just having people to bounce ideas off of and who understand those lows can be extremely helpful.” Adaptability, honesty and perseverance all play roles during the journey. “The struggle is guaranteed, the success is not,” Williamson said. “One of the keys to being a successful startup founder is to learn how to minimize the emotional impact of both the highs and the lows. There are a couple of effective ways to navigate the bumps, including setting expectations properly, building in optionality to your business model and utilizing a lean startup methodology.”

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Manufacturing, construction, warehouses, prisons still operating despite coronavirus by Stephen Singer

Unlike office employees who take their laptops and smart phones home to help tamp down the spread of coronavirus, workers in factories, warehouses, construction sites and prisons must stay put. Sherine Bailey, a Workplace correctional officer at the Carl Robinson Correctional Institute, a medium-security prison in Enfield, Conn., said the state Department of Correction is making available plenty of cleaning supplies, and outside volunteers and visitors are SUPER CROSSWORD

restricted. “At home, we’re stepping up precautions. Coming into work, you’re hoping everyone is on the same page,” said Bailey, who spoke as a member of Local 391 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “At the end of the day, we’re essential staff. We’re needed.” For manufacturers navigating through a pandemic, that puts pressure on workers’ health, the supply chain and even cash flow at small businesses. Meeting deadlines and filling customer orders is a challenge. WHOO-HOO!

“Everyone is nervous,” said Jason Jarvis, president of Jarvis Airfoil, a family-owned manufacturer of fan, compressor and turbine blades and vanes for military and commercial jet engines. Interactions between workers at the Portland, Conn., plant are moved to larger places from small offices to make it harder to transmit the virus, Jarvis said. Such shop floor changes are easier for machine workers who are “naturally distanced from each other,” but it’s more difficult to impose on supervisors and inspectors who work more closely with other employees, he said. In addition, all points that are routinely touched, such as doorknobs and surfaces, are cleaned regularly, and any of the 91 employees who don’t feel well are urged to stay home. Understanding that many employees work paycheck to paycheck, he said accommodations are made to allow use of vacation time to account for time off related to health. Seeing a “great thirst out there for information and guidance,” Eric Brown, vice president for manufacturing policy and outreach at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said 120 manufacturers participated in a conference call Monday to discuss best practices. Participants discussed the need for a “pandemic flu plan administrator,” “pandemic flu plan team,” the effect of “mission-critical system failures” and employee absenteeism, supply chains and other issues related to keeping a business going during a public health emergency. Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney has imposed travel restrictions, self-quarantine procedures, employee social distancing, remote work, flexible schedules, enhanced paid leave and “continuous and comprehen-

sive deep cleaning and disinfecting” of the plant and offices, said Michele Quintaglie, spokeswoman for parent company United Technologies Corp. Construction companies have put similar plans in place, said Don Shubert, president of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, which represents large commercial construction companies. Job site meetings are kept as small as possible or are conducted by phone or videoconferencing, he said. Hand washing stations are being established, and congregating is discouraged, Shubert said. He’s nervous what the pandemic might do to the industry’s well-being. While service businesses have been devastated by the virus that forced movie theaters, restaurants and other public places to shut, employment in Connecticut’s construction industry was flat before the coronavirus flared up. The industry’s 59,800 workers in January were down from 60,000 in January 2019, according to the state Department of Labor. A spokesman for UPS said workers who exhibit symptoms are asked to seek medical care and to not come to work. The shipper’s large facilities have several shifts, and workers are assigned to work stations that are spread across the facility. Greater distance between workers is characteristic of UPS’s “more highly automated facilities,” he said. A spokeswoman for the Teamsters union, which represents UPS workers, said sorting facilities are “unlike a bar, restaurant or more contained area” that allow for distancing. ©2020 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

by Liz Reyer

takes a bite of time out of each day. In the time before you start, get warmed up by starting your day at the same time you will need to once you are in your job. Wake up, do your morning cleanup, have breakfast, all the usual stuff. If you are going to have some peaceful morning time, figure out how early you need to get moving. Then do it starting now. Likewise, start going to bed at a time that will give you enough rest. If you have been a napper, break the habit now. You won’t have the option once you’re back in an office. Prep your wardrobe. Make sure your work attire fits and is ready to wear. This will avoid last-minute panic and let you go into your first week feeling put together. Visualize your first days on the job, setting the stage for success. Picture yourself ready to learn, bringing your curiosity and your active-listening skills. If you have a tendency to take over, envision yourself sitting back, asking good questions and soaking in the things you need to know. Know your stress triggers. There are any number of opportunities for anxiety to kick in, from having to quickly learn lots of new information to meeting many new people in a short period of time. This could be especially acute if you are Continued on next page.

Make a plan to adjust to a return to work after an extended layoff

Answers on page 12.

Q: After being laid off for several months, I’m going to be starting a new job. This is great news but I’m worried that I won’t be in the workday groove after all this time off. How can I best prepare now and adjust when the time comes? At some level I’m going to miss the freedom and Workplace flexibility I’ve had. -Sandra, 47, organizational development leader A: Congratulations on your new role! And kudos for your awareness that preparation will serve you well as you move into your next phase. What’s your day-to-day life right now? Consider the aspects you particularly like and those that may no longer fit when you’re working full time. How much structure have you created? If you have been very loose in managing your time, it will be a bigger adjustment than if you have had a daily schedule that you’ve kept to, at least somewhat. Or, you may have created a daily structure that includes, for example, prolonged morning self-care in the form of meditation, exercise or other activities. These needs won’t go away, but your approach may need to evolve. Commuting is also likely to be re-entering your life, unless you are working from home. This also will require planning and

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

How a coronavirus economy could harm recent college grads by Katherine Long

Canceled internships. Rescinded job offers. Students who graduate from college this spring, or who had lined up an internship for on-the-job training over the summer, will enter a vastly different job market than the one that existed even a few months ago — and if the downturn becomes a recession, it could have long-term impacts on their earnings, economists say. In the face of the Careers COVID-19 national health emergency, there’s early evidence that at least some entry-level job offers for college grads are being rescinded, and many internships are being moved online; a few are being canceled altogether. Experts say the modern world has never had an economic downturn like this, making it difficult to predict how college students and recent graduates will fare in the wake of a pandemic-induced slowdown. For example, if the sharp economic decline is followed by a quick and sustained recovery, “the consequences for college grads likely won’t be nearly as bad as the high unemployment rates would otherwise suggest,” said Jesse Rothstein, director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment at the University of California, Berkeley, by email. “On the other hand, if we allow the economy to crawl back from the downturn, with high unemployment for many years, this could be many times worse than the Great Recession,” said Rothstein, who has studied the long-term effects of that recession and found it permanently lowered employment and earnings of recent grads, even after the economy recovered. There is a dearth of data on how first-generation, low-income and minority college grads fared in the last recession, but experts suspect those students had a harder time getting jobs and paying college loans. Low-income students and students of color are more likely to rely on loans to pay tuition bills, said Persis Yu, director of the National Consumer Law Center’s Borrower Assistance Project. For most spring graduates, the first loan repayments begin in November — and “the chances they’ll be on their feet by November is very slim,” Yu said. What’s more, hiring discrimination may worsen in a time of high unemployment,

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when there’s so much competition for any job opening, she said. It’s an example of how disadvantage can exacerbate problems: Low-income students, especially students of color, are more likely to attend K-12 schools that don’t prepare them for college, and those who do get a degree may have a harder time paying off loans and finding jobs. Conversely, grads from well-off families may be able to borrow from “the bank of mom and dad,” then launch a job search when the economy comes back to life, said James McCafferty and Hart Hodges, co-directors of the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University. Young people hold a vulnerable position in the workforce because they have less tenure in their jobs and little to no experience. To get a job, they must compete against experienced workers, said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, a labor economist with Washington’s Employment Security Department, via email. As well, young people disproportionately hold jobs in the service sector — restaurants, bars, retail, to name a few — and those industries were hardest-hit when stay-at-home orders were rolled out in late March. Summer interns For students still in college, job experience will be harder to come by this summer. And many internships will be done remotely. In a small, ongoing poll conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 12% of employers say they’re revoking offers to summer interns; a handful of respondents said they’re also revoking offers to full-time recruits. About 30% of employers are going ahead with internship programs as planned, while others have made the internships virtual, reduced the length of the internship, or moved events online. Microsoft and Amazon have canceled plans to bring more than 10,000 summer interns from around the world to their headquarters. They’ve shifted to virtual internships online. Microsoft, which has hosted students for more than 30 years, said it was prepared to welcome more than 4,000 interns in what was to be its largest class in the program’s history. Instead, interns will participate remotely, connecting with each other and senior company leaders in a variety of events. Deferrals to next year’s class are being offered to students unable to participate in the remote program, the company said. Amazon was preparing for the arrival of more than 8,000 interns, also its largest class ever, according to the company. In past years, they have packed Metro buses and swarmed Amazon’s already bustling Seattle campus. Under the new approach, the vast majority now will join in an entirely virtual experience. Not everyone has been so lucky. Christie Zhao, a junior studying computer science and drama at the University of Washington, lost an internship she’d been offered by Nordstrom. Zhao, an international student from a small city in China, doesn’t know what she’s going to do this summer. “I’m mainly confused. I can’t just sit around the house doing nothing,” she said. Yash Raj Sinha, a UW junior from Singapore, said in an email interview that his summer internship at a scientific instrumentation

company in Waltham, Mass., was canceled. “As the COVID situation developed I got even more excited because there was a potential to work on projects directly for pandemic research and relief,” Sinha said. “It took a lot of work to get and I was super excited about it.” Students seek internships because there’s good evidence from national surveys that a student with internship experience is more likely to get hired than equally qualified candidates who didn’t, said Briana Randall, executive director of the UW’s Career & Internship Center. A lost internship might not be as big a deal when everyone’s having to cope with the same issue, McCafferty said. “It’s not like you decided to go sit on the beach in the summer,” he said. “Everyone has the same loss.” Blue- and white-collar divide Randall has been sharing data culled from different sources suggesting that while there’s clearly a downturn in hiring, employers are still actively recruiting UW students. A web page outlining the situation ends on a positive note: “The hiring may not be as robust as before, which I know can feel disappointing and scary, but there are some positive glimpses,” it concludes. Randall said her office is normally inundated with students getting ready to launch job searches in April, but this year they aren’t booking virtual appointments. Perhaps there is too much uncertainty now, she said. Many white-collar jobs, especially those in the tech sector, are “COVID-proof” because they can be done remotely, said Nicole Smith, chief economist for George-

town University’s Center for Education & the Workforce. The pandemic is “shining a light between the huge divides that exist between white collar and blue collar workers,” she said. Even in a downturn, one thing still holds true: A degree or credential is a good investment. “We know that workers with more postsecondary education, beyond high school, are usually in demand for jobs,” Smith said, “and they’re the ones that usually get higher wages.” ©2020 The Seattle Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Employers operating despite coronavirus

Continued from preceding page. a perfectionist. You won’t know everything right away and you will make mistakes. Have some strategies to ease your stress in these situations. It could also trigger some Imposter Syndrome, the feeling that you are not really good enough for the role you are in. Trust your organization’s decision to hire you and set this aside as best you can. Don’t be surprised when you are really tired at the end of the day, and cut yourself some slack. Try to lighten the load in terms of after-work commitments for the short term, and nurture yourself as you make the adjustment. ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Lawmakers’ inaction on loans adds uncertainty to small business by Jim Saksa

The coronavirus has plunged the U.S. economy into its darkest period since the Great Depression, and community bankers say Congress’ decision to allow a major response program to run out of money will leave small businesses without essential funds. The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program ran through its $349 billion alloSmall Business cation, less than two weeks after it started. The PPP, part of the roughly $2 trillion relief package passed by Congress in March, offers forgivable, federally guaranteed loans through private lenders to small businesses capped at 2.5 times their monthly payroll. If the debt is used to cover payroll and other fixed costs for eight weeks, it will essentially convert to a grant and borrowers won’t have to pay it back. With the PPP well at least temporarily dry, some banks have stopped taking applications, while others expect Congress to soon appropriate more funds. But for small businesses drowning in unpayable bills, community banks say the pause in the bailout has made an already challenging time worse. “These are the people who so desperately need it,” said Cynthia Blankenship, president of Bank of the West in Grapevine, Texas. Negotiations to refill the PPP purse are set to continue over the weekend. Republican have pushed for a clean bill to add $251 billion to the program, while Democrats have pushed to set aside a portion of the additional PPP funds for lenders that work with underserved communities, and also provide $150 billion for states, $100 billion for hospitals and an increase to food stamp allocations. If a deal is reached, the Senate could pass it by unanimous consent and the House could follow suit. Blankenship said several of her regular customers dropped off applications overnight last Wednesday that her staff couldn’t get through the SBA’s approval platform before the funds ran dry Thursday morning. “They had to be told ‘Sorry, we can’t do anything for you,’” Blankenship said. “That’s a hard position to be in.” After her staff readies the “couple of hundred (applications) that were very incomplete,” Blankenship says they’ll continue to take new applications, in the expectation that Congress will allocate more funds soon. Blankenship’s bank processed 428 applications totaling almost $63 million. The lending “represents well over 7,000 jobs,” she said. Randall Leach faced a similar scene in Portland, Ore., where his Beneficial State Bank received more than 2,000 inquiries from small businesses seeking PPP funds. After processing more than 300, “we’re not even halfway through,” said Leach, the bank’s CEO. ”We’re maybe 15% of the way through the inquiry list that we have.” Beneficial will still take new applications, but Tioga State Bank in Spencer, N.Y., won’t until Congress acts, said CEO Robert Fisher. “We don’t know what the next round is going to look like,” Fisher said, adding that Tioga State would finish preparing the incomplete applications already received. “Once we get word that the next round is coming out and we know the details, we will reach out to customers that are trying to apply…. But we don’t want to have stale applications waiting around.” Tioga State processed 263 loans totaling $25.4 million, Fisher said, supporting 3,400

jobs. That’s more than half of what the bank would lend in a normal year. On Wednesday, Wells Fargo, one of the nation’s largest banks, announced it would also continue to prepare the applications already received and would submit them once more funds became available but would not take new applications until then. Hiccups at SBA Smaller banks reported having difficulty getting on the SBA’s loan authorization platform early on, meaning they filed most of their applications this week. “I think the big banks were getting in there and making it crash the first few days, but once we got up that following week, we were able to churn and burn,” said Blankenship. Blankenship also lamented how the SBA launched the program just for small businesses at first, and then a few days later for independent contractors and sole proprietors. “They really didn’t get a fair shake,” she said. “They basically only had a few days to get access to this funding.” The tiniest companies had more work to do preparing the paperwork than slightly larger businesses that have an accountant on staff or pay for automated payroll services. Those delays probably cost them, the bankers said. The bankers said Congress cannot delay adding funds to the program again. “Obviously, No. 1: fund another round of PPP,” said Fisher. “We’d also like to see 25% of those dollars earmarked for community banks, because community banks are the only physical banking presence in one in five of our counties throughout the United States.” Fisher’s call echoed that of Independent Community Bankers of America, who urged Congress on Thursday for “an immediate $250

billion in new PPP funds,” plus a 25% earmark for banks with $50 billion or less in assets. The rapid depletion of the PPP funds caused a run, said Leach. While many companies applied quickly because they desperately need the funds to stay solvent, others rushed to get in line just “because the money was going to run out.” There’s still no real certainty when the shutdowns might end, and that uncertainty is making it almost impossible for owners to plan on a reopening. The PPP debt is forgivable for up to eight weeks-worth of payroll and other fixed costs, but companies getting money today can’t be sure they’ll be able to reopen by midJune, said Fisher. “So, many of these businesses that are getting funds are finding they’re not necessarily going to be able to bring back work staff to put them back on payroll,” he said, noting that New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo extended the state’s shutdown to May 15 on Thursday. “We had one customer withdraw his application because he knows he’s not going to be able to utilize the money.” That’s the same issue Greg Schwegman is facing right now. Schwegman runs the business side of his wife’s small dental practice in Fort Thomas, Ky., which has been closed since March 18. Even though he was worried about the funds running out, Schwegman held off on applying for a PPP loan because he isn’t sure when they’ll be able to reopen. “It’s been a real juggle for us, seeing how long we can finance until we need to apply for the (PPP) loan,” he said. “What we’re asking for, it’s not an exorbitant amount,” Schwegman said. But taking the PPP loans prematurely, then rehiring staff only to have to let them go again before reopening if the forgivable money runs out would be worse

for everyone, he said. Schwegman and his wife are an in fairly enviable position — they recently bought the practice from her father. “He’s been pretty understanding,” Schwegman said. “I told him we’d get him on the backend.” A survey from the Job Creators Network, a trade group, released Friday showed that 65% of small businesses have applied for a PPP loan. To provide businesses a bit more flexibility, Fisher said the SBA should relax the requirement that banks fund the loans within 10 days of approval. Fisher and Leach also both want the SBA and Treasury Department to lengthen the loan’s amortization, which is now set at two years even though the statute allowed for up to 10 years. Stretching out a loan’s term reduces the size of each repayment. It can also mean the borrower pays more in interest, but there’s no penalty for early repayment of PPP debt, so companies would effectively have the option of paying it back faster if they wanted. Given those debt concerns, Tioga State is advising clients to set aside any of the loan amount that can’t go to forgivable uses — like when employees refuse to get rehired because they get paid more on unemployment because of the $600-a-week bump Congress provided in the relief package — for repaying the debt. They would essentially just hand that money back rather than using it to reopen their businesses. “We don’t want our customers and client and even non-customers to be in a worse position than they are currently,” Fisher said. ©2020 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trump’s restart of US economy to hinge on Mexico, Canada help by Jenny Leonard

As President Donald Trump and his economic advisers look to start reopening the U.S. economy in May, a central question is emerging for companies with supply chains stretching across North America: What if Mexico and Canada don’t have the same timetable in mind? Manufacturers in sectors ranging from chemicals to electronics have suppliers across the continent’s national borders. The automotive industry, which halted operations weeks ago to protect workers from Economy the COVID-19 pandemic, is also contemplating how to reboot in North America. Much of the uncertainty about timing revolves around Mexico, which so far has taken an even stricter approach than the U.S. and Canada in the way it has designated essential businesses allowed to still operate during the health crisis. The lack of coordination between the three signatories of the revised NAFTA agreement that passed earlier this year — renamed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement — has caused chaos for many industries. And that’s only going to increase when economic activity in one of the nations resumes. On Thursday, Trump plowed ahead with his plans to reopen the U.S. economy — releasing guidelines that could allow some states and employers to resume business and work within a month. “A national shutdown is not a sustainable longterm solution,” the president said in a briefing. “To keep vital supply chains running, these

chains have to be taken care of so delicately. We must have a working economy and we want to get it back very, very quickly.” The shutdown of the American economy and the paralysis of normal life brought with it more than 22 million unemployment claims within four weeks, increasing the pressure on a White House that’s gearing up for re-election to ease the economic pain for businesses struggling to hang on. Auto Industry Some of the big carmakers have indicated plans to reopen starting in early May. But for the auto industry in particular to get back to producing vehicles, it’s not enough to just reopen parts of or even the entire U.S. economy. “When we reopen, the fact that everything reopens in a coordinated sequence is very important,” said Kristin Dziczek, the vice president of industry, labor and economics at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Auto supply chains across North America are so intertwined that a smooth reopening means auto-producing states in the U.S., provinces in Canada and Mexican states have to get on the same page, said Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association. Washington, Mexico City “Industry is so integrated across the three countries that it’s so dependent on coordination at all times,” he said. “If any one auto state doesn’t have the same commitment to safe back-to-work protocols, this thing won’t work.” While the business communities in the U.S.

and Mexico are aligned on the goal to ensure a smooth reopening, coordination between Washington and Mexico City so far hasn’t been as tight. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador last week pledged to reopen the country’s vehicle and auto-parts plants three to five days ahead of the U.S. schedule to ensure supply chains can get back up and running. Yet, some business executives in Mexico and the U.S. are skeptical that the promise will be put into action, noting that nothing has been put into writing to make his plan official. “What I make of his comments is that they are receiving pressure from the industry about the supply chains being disrupted,” said Sergio Gomez Lora, U.S. representative of the Mexican Business Coordinating Council. “They are showing some flexibility.” Other executives consider Lopez Obrador’s comments a welcome signal that acknowledges the importance of North American integration after weeks of his administration taking a conservative approach on maintaining even limited economic activity during the shutdown. Safety Precautions Even in a best-case scenario in which the nations and states cooperate on the timing and scope for a reopening, the logistics will be more complicated for individual companies and plants. Industry safety playbooks like the one released by automotive seat supplier Lear Corp. include recommendations on plant opening protocols and worker training. Among them: Continued on page 24.

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES MBJ legal notice instructions The following are some guidelines to consider when posting legal notices with the Midlands Business Journal: 1. Submit a written notice in either Microsoft Word or as a PDF document to Beth Grube at legals@mbj.com, fax to 402-758-9315 or mail: 1324 S. 119th St. Omaha, NE 68144. For trade names, submit a copy of approved (bar code in upper right hand corner) Application For Registration of Trade Name from the Secretary of State to the same email address. Please include your billing address and the desired duration you’d like your notice to run (trade names run for only one week). 2. You will receive a confirmation and price quote. Legal notices, except for trade names, are charged per line. The flat fee for a trade name is $50. Payment options are cash or check. 3. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday for a notice to start publishing that Friday. 4. All costs include fees to file the notice with the Secretary of State and/or any appropriate courts. 5. You will receive a paid invoice copy and a courtesy proof of the notice the first week it runs and a copy of the affidavit filed with the courts the last week.

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 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 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 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

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

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 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 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 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

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 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 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 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 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

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 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 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 JAGUAR GROUP 11225 Davenport Street Suite 108 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF KERNEN FAMILY INVESTMENTS, LLC Notice is hereby given that Kernen Family Investments, LLC has filed a Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State effective April 2, 2020. The terms of the dissolution provide for the payment of liabilities of the company and the distribution of any remaining assets. Notice is hereby given to all creditors or others with claims against the limited liability company that claims must be sent to the Company at: 533 North 86th Street, Omaha, NE 68114. Any claim must contain sufficient information for the determination of whether it is a valid claim. A claim against the company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within five years after the third publication of this Notice. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 JAGUAR GROUP 11225 Davenport Street Suite 108 Omaha, NE 68154 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT Notice is hereby given the Certificate of Organization of Kernen Holdings, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended as follows: the limited liability company has changed its name to Kernen Family Education 2.0, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 2, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 EYA FAFA ASSIGNON, Attorney LAW OFFICE OF FAFA ASSIGNON 1941 S 42nd Street, Suite 514 Omaha, NE 68105 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF Sher Home Repair, LLC Notice is hereby given that Sher Home Repair, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 5225 Fowler Avenue Omaha, Ne 68104. It is organized to transact any lawful business for which a Limited Liability Company may be organized under Nebraska laws and its duration is perpetual commencing from March 23, 2020. Its affairs are to be conducted by the manager Kaw Sher. Its registered agent is Maw Taw Car, 6415 Whitmore street Omaha, Ne 68152. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KYLE J. HASCALL FAMILY DENTISTRY P.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Kyle J. Hascall Family Dentistry P.C. (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 are licensed, certified or otherwise legally authorized to render dentistry services in this state First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 RUSSELL S. DAUB, Attorney 2800 South 110th Court, Suite 1 Omaha, Nebraska 68144-4818 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION FOR LINDSAY THOMSEN PHD, LLC Notice is hereby given that a Company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The name of the Company is LINDSAY THOMSEN PHD, LLC. The address of the Initial Designated Office is 12708 N. 182nd Circle, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The address of the registered office is 12708 N. 182nd Circle, Bennington, Nebraska 68007 and the name of the company’s initial registered agent is LINDSAY THOMSEN, PHD. The Company shall engage in any lawful business for which a Company may be formed under the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced business on April 13, 2020, and its duration shall be perpetual. The affairs of the Company are to be conducted by its Members. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020

• APRIL 24, 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

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 Fagan Realty, LLC, with its registered office address at 222 South 15th Street, Suite 316, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 and the registered agent at that address is Joseph P. Naatz. The designated office location of the Company is 17117 Burt Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The purpose or purposes for which this Company is formed is act as principal, agent, sales person, or broker, as the case may be, and on commission or otherwise to buy, sell, exchange, lease, let, grant, or take licenses in respect of, to improve, develop, repair, manage, maintain, and to operate real property of every kind for itself and for others and generally to do everything suitable, proper, and in compliance with the Nebraska Laws. 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 laws. 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 effectively on January 1, 2020, 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 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MBJ INVESTMENTS LLC Notice is hereby given that MBJ INVESTMENTS LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The address of the initial designated office of the company is 1324 S. 119th St., Omaha, NE 68144. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118-3121. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 DANA ROCHE, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 6855-6901 MERCY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 6855-6901 Mercy, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 8750 Frederick Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 DANA ROCHE, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF MERGER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Articles of Merger merging TSK14 Phase II, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, into TSK14, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, were filed with Nebraska Secretary of State on April 14, 2020, in accordance with the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The surviving entity in the merger is TSK14, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 DANA ROCHE, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF MERGER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Articles of Merger merging TSK14 Phase II Class B, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, into TSK14 Class B, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, were filed with Nebraska Secretary of State on April 14, 2020, in accordance with the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The surviving entity in the merger is TSK14 Class B, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 WEALTHPLAN PARTNERS BEHLEN TEAM, LLC The name of the Company is Wealthplan Partners Behlen Team, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 101 South 108th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. 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 17, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RSUN Group, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that RSUN Group, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 17203 U Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The Registered Agent of the Company is Rambabu Kallepalli, 17203 U Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020

MATTHEW WURSTNER, Attorney CARLSON & BURNETT, LLP 17525 Arbor Street Omaha, NE 68130 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HOLIDAY LIGHTING MANAGEMENT, LLC Notice is hereby given that HOLIDAY LIGHTING MANAGEMENT, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The initial designated office is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, NE 68130. The initial registered agent is Matthew Wurstner, whose address is 17525 Arbor Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The purpose of the Company shall be to engage in any lawful business and activity, as may be mutually agreed upon by the Members from time to time, and which are not prohibited by the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act. The Company commenced with filing its Certificate of Organization on April 14, 2020. and shall have a perpetual period of duration. The Company is to be managed by the Manager of the Company. The initial Manager is Loren A. Roper 8101 S. 87th Street, Apt. 7, Omaha, Nebraska 68128. Matthew Wurstner, Organizer First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF TRAVELERS EDUCATION GROUP Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Incorporation of Travelers Education Group have been amended and restated in their entirety as follow: Article I states the name of the Corporation as Travelers Education Group. Article II states that the Corporation is a public benefit corporation. Article III states the Registered Office of the Corporation as 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, and the Registered Agent as Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. Article IV states the purposes of the Corporation. Article V states the powers of the Corporation. Article VI states the Corporation shall have no members. Article VII states the provisions relating to dissolution. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 15, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 WEALTHPLAN PARTNERS O’MARA TEAM, LLC The name of the Company is Wealthplan Partners O’Mara Team, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 101 South 108th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. 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 16, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 WEALTHPLAN PARTNERS O’BRIEN TEAM, LLC The name of the Company is Wealthplan Partners O’Brien Team, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 101 South 108th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. 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 16, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 SAL2, LLC The name of the Company is SAL2, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. 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 21, 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 STRATEGIC ASSET MANAGEMENT, 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 Strategic Asset Management, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 1311 South 185th Cir., Omaha, NE 68130. 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 16, 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 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 300 SOUTHWEST BOULEVARD, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 300 Southwest Boulevard, 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 12231 Emmet Street, Suite 1, Omaha, Nebraska 68164 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 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 CAMERON M. RIECKE, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF LESS IS MORE LIFE SOLUTIONS, INC. Notice is hereby given that a corporation has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the corporation is Less Is More Life Solutions, Inc. The corporation is authorized to issue 1,000 shares of common stock. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on April 16th, 2020 and shall have perpetual duration. The name and street address of the corporation’s initial registered agent and office is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and address of the incorporator is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. LDM Business Services, Inc., Incorporator First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF PANORAMA INSURANCE ADVISORS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of Panorama Insurance Advisors, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended as follows: the limited liability company has changed its name to Panorama Risk & Insurance Solutions, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on April 17, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 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 WEALTHPLAN PARTNERS R. FELTZ TEAM, LLC The name of the Company is Wealthplan Partners R. Feltz Team, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 101 South 108th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. 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 16, 2020. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 JODIE L. HAFERBIER MCGILL, Attorney MCGILL LAW, P.C., L.L.O. 1411 N. 72nd St. Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION TRUE BLUE INTERIORS, 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 True Blue Interiors, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 403 North Happy Hollow Boulevard, Omaha, NE 68132 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 17, 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 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: big tractor mowing Name of Applicant: Parallax Properties LLC 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 24, 2020

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LOLY TANKER TRANSPORT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Loly Tanker Transport, 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 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. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SK CREATIONS, 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 SK CREATIONS, 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, Bennington, NE 68007. The designated office is located at 7636 State Street, Ralston, Nebraska 68127. Shannon Keenan, Member First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION ERDBAU, INC., whose registered agent is Thomas V. Strauss and registered office is 14730 Weir Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, was formed on April 20, 2020 to engage in any lawful business. The corporation has authorized 10,000 shares of capital stock. The name and address of the incorporator is Thomas E. Whitmore, 7602 Pacific St., Ste. 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. Thomas E. Whitmore, Incorporator First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of a Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given the registration with the Nebraska Secretary of state’s office of BTF Rocks, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: The name of the company is BTF Rocks, LLC. Registered agent and office of BTF Rocks, LLC is Edgar Isidro Moreno at 2732 I Street, Omaha, NE 68107. The designated address is 2732 I Street, Omaha, NE 68107. Initial members: Edgar Isidro Moreno. 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 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Triple-I Ventures LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing addresses of the initial designated office of the company are 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing addresses of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Randall C. Hanson, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 SCHMIT LAW FIRM, LLC 1246 Golden Gate Drive, Suite 3 Papillion, Nebraska 68046 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Counsel for Coaches Name of Applicant: Schmit law Firm, LLC Address: 1246 Golden Gate Dr., Ste. 3, Papillion, NE 68046 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: 08/02/2019 General nature of business: Legal services and business consultation ANGELA SCHMIT Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative April 24, 2020 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Buccellato and Company Name of Applicant: R2 Commodities, LLC Address: 14116 Ogden Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68164 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: upon filing General nature of business: commodities brokering ANDREW COLLINS Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative April 24, 2020

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), KAREN D MEDINA You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 01/07/20200 on Case Number CI20-746, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $130.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 06/08/2020 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), SAMANTHA J BARRETT You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 01/07/2020 on Case Number CI20-749, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $106.56, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 06/08/2020 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TRIRASU Group, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that TRIRASU Group, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 17055 Corby Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116. The Registered Agent of the Company is Rajeev Doddapaneni , 17055 Corby Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68116 First publication April 24, 2020, final May 8, 2020 KATHRYN J. DERR, Attorney BERKSHIRE & BURMEISTER 1301 South 75th Street, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 LEGAL NOTICE Notice is given that on April 14, 2020, a Petition was filed in Douglas County District Court, Case No. CI20-2586 by Lydia Joy Serafino requesting an order of the court to change her name to Lydia Joy Johnston. You are further notified that the Petitioner intends to present the application for change of name to the Court on June 15, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., or as soon thereafter as may be heard. At that time, anyone objecting to such name change may be present and present their objection to the court. First publication April 24, 2020, final May 1, 2020

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• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Financial advisers must calm their clients — and themselves by Patrick Kennedy

Financial planners are used to customers calling them when stocks are on the downside — and they are skilled at giving soothing and thoughtful advice. But the coronavirus crisis brings layers of complexity and stress not evidenced by their calm demeanors. First, while investment firms have models for downturns, Financial the volatility amid the coronavirus has planners constantly studying tweaks to formulas and predictions of what’s to come that are unprecedented. They also need to figure out how to deliver that information as their own businesses are turned upside down because of the stay-at-home orders — all while coming up for a plan for their own families. They have found themselves counseling not just on the economy and personal portfolios but also discussing health, and the return to work and normalcy with clients, said Kelly Olson Pedersen, founder of Caissa Wealth Strategies in Bloomington, Minn. “It’s more the human side of our business right now rather than the math,” Olson Pedersen said. Matthew Tuttle, an adviser in an Edina office of Ameriprise, said his daily challenges are very similar to his clients’, so he, like his colleagues, can relate: “managing our workday with children at home, dealing with slower internet, a smaller workspace than we are accustomed to, less human interaction given all meetings are virtual, and most importantly, our normal daily routine has changed significantly.” Michelle Young, owner of Confetti Wealth, which is an Ameriprise practice, also feels the burden of making sure that the workday struggle for her employees is going OK — including the technology, resources and balance — and that their families are doing well. Olson Pedersen has her staff of five working from home. They are tweaking communication strategies and workspaces while also educating themselves on tax and other financial implications of legislation passed to address the coronavirus crisis. As a small-business owner, Olson Pedersen also is trying to address how those apply to her practice and how regular management tasks are done in this age. For example, she has a new employee starting June 1 and doesn’t know if it will be an office or virtual introduction. “I think we’ve educated (our clients) well so they are not having the anxiety that I think a lot of people are feeling who don’t have good planning behind them,” Olson Pedersen said. “Our stressors really are more self-induced as (certified financial planners) right now,” she said, “because of all these new tax laws coming out right now practically on a week-to-week basis. It’s not just tax laws, it’s opportunities.” The legislation has addressed business assistance but also has changed restrictions on minimum distributions for retirement accounts, and each change has its own deadlines and fine print. There’s also extra stress in addressing clients’ vulnerability and anxiety in a crisis, said Martha Pomerantz, a portfolio manager and manager of the Minneapolis office

of Evercore Wealth Management. “This has been unusual in the speed that the market has declined and the unprecedented daily swings,” Pomerantz said in an e-mail. “This is made worse by the fact that people are worried about their health and the well-being of those around them,” she said. “In my work with my clients over the years, I have learned that people have little tolerance for financial uncertainty when they are worried about their health.” Ginger Ewing, a wealth adviser in Ameriprise’s Inver Grove Heights office, has resorted to reaching out to her clients en masse with summaries after big market swings. “I recently hosted a 20-minute conference call for all clients and will do it again as needed,” she said. Ameriprise advisers also are instituting a call campaign for 15- to 20-minute virtual meetings with each client because of the high volume of people reaching out to them. “We haven’t tried such a process before, but so far, it’s going well,” Ewing said in an e-mail. “Now, I’m rarely getting calls between visits because clients know we are going to have our time to connect. We’ve been more efficient and effective that way.” All the extra anxiety can add to her own stress, she said.

“I have to recognize when I’m stressed and do things in my control to fight it — eat well, sleep well, have quiet time, exercise, connect with family and clients, choose to be grateful,” she said in an e-mail. “A couple of my favorite ways to cope are to play music or board games, something that forces me to be present and not think about the demands put on me from day to day.” That extra care from advisers does make a difference, though, said Doug Bechtold, a senior manager with a local software company who lives in Bloomington with his wife and two kids. He is thankful that he started working with a Thrivent adviser eight or nine years ago to help with financial balance and planning for college. The ongoing relationship makes him more comfortable with the phone, e-mail and Zoom instead of in-person meetings. He usually speaks with the adviser four or five times a year, including during tax season and when his annual bonus comes, but has had more contact this spring, which he appreciates. He said the extra effort has relieved his anxiety about the markets. For Minneapolis-based Thrivent, the virtual call technology was already in place, but the company added more ways to connect.

“We’ve added the ability to text safely and appropriately from a regulatory standpoint with our members,” said Nikki Sorum, senior vice president of membership at Thrivent. Thrivent also has stepped up its investment team’s commentary on the markets to help advisers, Sorum said. Usually, it’s quarterly. “Because of the market volatility and turmoil, we’ve ramped that up very substantially,” she said. “In the last few weeks we’ve been doing daily updates and we’ve being making that available for our financial planners to make that available for their customers.” Now that the crisis is a few months old, some advisers are finding that their clients are now shifting their focus from how to get through it in their own personal portfolios and budget management as they worried about their own security. Now, some people are asking about how they can help others, Sorum said. “We’ve been overwhelmed by how amazing our members are, in the last two weeks as of March 31. What we are seeing 45,000 Thrivent members have generated $12.5 million of support to 11,000 nonprofits or churches,” Sorum said. ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Rush for thermal cameras boosts Flir before factories reopen by Ed Ludlow

First, it was ventilators for hospitals. Now, it’s thermal body scanners for factories. Demand for thermal-imaging equipment to screen workers’ temperatures is soaring as manufacturers and businesses prepare to return to operations while trying to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Two of the industry’s biggest manufacturers — Flir Systems Inc. and closely held Seek Thermal Inc. — say they’re rushing to meet demand. Manufacturing “When the virus moved in to Europe and North America, it was more Fortune 500 companies, hospital and health-care networks and immediate needs from essential business that were required to operate,” Flir Chief Executive Officer Jim Cannon said in an interview. Now, talks with customers have transitioned to what will be required to keep workers safe when they’re allowed to return to work. Flir’s shares gained more than 18% Monday and Tuesday, buoyed by prospects for the industry after Reuters reported on Amazon.com Inc.’s plans to use thermal cameras at its warehouses and Whole Foods locations. Amazon wouldn’t identify the company making its scanners, and Wilsonville, Oregon-based Flir declined to comment. Seek Thermal said it has not supplied equipment to Amazon. Automakers including General Motors Co. have also confirmed they’re using thermal scanners, without naming their suppliers. Big Demand Scanners can be used to detect higher body temperatures, a common symptom of Covid-19. They measure temperature on the skin’s surface using infrared light to create a thermal image. They come in different forms from complex, fixed-position scanners to

more basic hand-held devices. Costs can range from $2,500 to $15,000 each. Santa Barbara, California-based Seek Thermal, a younger and much smaller company than Flir, says it’s the second-largest producer by volume but focuses on lower-cost products, such as sensors that can be installed and used without training. Flir, by comparison, offers more complex solutions along with installation and training for thermographers. Even so, Seek Thermal developed a body scanner in six weeks after demand first surged in Asia. “We have been inundated,” Bill Parrish, a Seek Thermal co-founder, said in an interview. Calls are coming from larger Fortune 500 companies, he added. “They are doing demos and evaluations to help them open up their factories. There is a big demand.” Broader Use Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, sales of thermal-imaging equipment and scanners was largely to the military and government authorities for use in border checks. About a third of Flir’s revenue comes from the U.S. government, according to supply-chain data compiled by Bloomberg. On an earnings call in February, Cannon had said he didn’t expect Covid-spurred demand for thermal cameras to be a “needle mover” for the company, which had $1.89 billion in sales for 2019. That might be changing now that impact on the U.S. economy has become more evident, an analyst said. “It is likely that thermal cameras will be more commonly used as a screening device for large gatherings” such as sporting events, factories, and entertainment venues including Broadway theaters, Louie DiPalma, an analyst for William Blair & Co., wrote in a recent report. He maintained the equivalent

of a buy rating on Flir. Flir and Seek Thermal’s executives both said they’re confident they can meet the demand, but some customers may have to wait because of the intricacies of the technology and tight supply of some materials, such as aluminum used for the casings. “If overnight huge industries place huge orders, that certainly will take time to satisfy those orders,” Flir’s Cannon said. The company is prioritizing sales to health-care providers and essential businesses, particularly as the lead time for manufacturing lengthens. Fulfilling Orders Seek Thermal has intellectual property-sharing arrangements with Raytheon Technologies Corp. and NXP Semiconductors NV, giving it some supply chain flexibility. Even so, building the equipment’s core or chip set takes time. “The problem is that when this pandemic turned up and you open the valve and say you want these tomorrow, you’re actually many months away,” Parrish said. “So it comes down to how many units you had in your inventory.” And the technology does have limits. “I am very careful to say that while we can measure a body temperature, that does not mean they are infected,” Cannon said. “There are other things that can cause elevated temperature.” Seek Thermal’s Parrish shares the sentiment. “Thermal imaging is not a panacea for determining whether or not you have a fever or whether or not you have Covid-19,” he said. ©2020 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

Robots on the rise in the COVID-19 economy by Henry Payne

The streets are empty of cars in Ann Arbor, but robot traffic is up. Refraction AI’s robot restaurant food delivery service has seen demand increase by four times since the COVID-19 crisis shut down Michigan last month, and the company’s engineers are working furiously to expand the company’s small fleet of threewheeled REV ’bots. Technology Refraction is part of a surge in robot activity as the U.S. economy struggles to get back on track while maintaining self-distancing and exposing as few workers as possible in the workplace. The virus is accelerating robotics trends — from auto plant assembly lines to grocery store cleaning robots to security patrols — and that is likely to have enormous implications for the jobs of the not-so-distant future. “This moment is a call to arms for robotics makers to really bring their technology to market that helps people. Particularly now in a time when there are so few options for doing tasks that we don’t want to put people at risk for,” said Refraction AI CEO Matthew Johnson-Roberson, an associate professor of engineering at the University of Michigan with 20 years of experience in the robotics field. Refraction autonomous REVs (Refraction Electric Vehicles) began restaurant food deliveries at the first of the year from four restaurants to a small group of beta customers within a 2-mile radius in downtown Ann Arbor. With the state’s closure of in-restaurant dining and subsequent shelter-in-place order, Refraction’s customer list has ballooned to 400, taxing the startup’s five robots which have been hustling to and fro along the edges of abandoned city streets. “A bunch of new restaurants have said we have to have delivery now. The big limiting factor is the number of robots we have,” said Johnson-Roberson, 36. “We’ve been working to expand to groceries, which is the more important need of the moment than takeout food.” Johnson-Roberson says the shutdown has accelerated customers’ acceptance of robots as fear of COVID-19 has drawn them to technologies — think of the Zoom chat revolution — that they were unaware of before. “It really changes consumer behavior across the board,” he said. “A lot of what we’re getting help with here is people getting comfortable with robots.” That comfort has been reinforced with strict safety guidelines to mitigate virus spread. The robots are wiped down between every delivery; upon food delivery, customers can open the 5-foot tall robot’s door by phone instead of keypad; and the company has installed UV lights — a coronavirus killer — in the interior to disinfect the compartment and food. With the added demand, the 15-person autonomous startup is looking to hire in these job-lean times. Some of its new employees come from the hard-hit restaurant industry. “We’ve always thought about robotics as to how to improve people’s lives. It can do things people don’t want to do like bomb disposal robots, nuclear inspection robots,” said the robotics professor. “They’ve figured out a task that’s unpleasant for human beings and can do it better.”

One of those unpleasant tasks is cleaning grocery aisles after hundreds of patrons have filed through in a typical COVID economy day. San Diego-based Brain Corp. is the world’s largest maker of autonomous navigation software for robotics giants like Minuteman, Tennant and Karcher. Its business has expanded as grocery retailers like Walmart have brought in more cleaning robots. “As retailers are required to clean more frequently and deliver more cleaning coverage, BrainOS-powered autonomous floor care robots are providing 8,000-plus hours of daily work — over 250,000 hours over the next 30 days — that otherwise would have to be done by an essential worker,” said a company spokesperson. “This allows workers to focus on other tasks that are essential during this health crisis.” Walmart is one of Brain Corp’s biggest clients and 110 BrainOS-powered robots are in service across Michigan in retail, grocery, and education applications. Security robots are also in demand as companies have abandoned workplaces and employees work from home. For example,

autonomous Cobalt Robotics bots are patrolling Metro Detroit businesses. The U.S. auto industry is not likely to be immediately impacted with more robots in part because it is already heavily automated to reduce costs. Today, humans are scarce in giant assembly plants except at the assembly-line tail — and are therefore spaced safely. Stamping, painting, and body welding departments are crowded robot zones. But with the enormous travel restrictions caused by COVID’s spread, industry insiders say the auto supply chain is going to change drastically — and robots will play their part. In pursuit of lower costs, the supply chain in recent decades has expanded to China, Vietnam, and elsewhere. “Now, we see huge risk of the supply chain when something like this happens,” said Doug Betts, a manufacturing veteran and president of J.D. Power’s auto division. “The management of risk will reel the supply chain back in to the U.S. Labor costs are going to be high and that supply chain is likely to be established here with more robotics than what’s used in other markets.”

Example? A paint supplier abroad might use the cheaper labor of local people to spray paint onto parts. As those jobs move back to the U.S., they will be filled more by robots than people for safety, environmental and cost reasons. Says robotics expert Johnson-Roberson: “Part of what we’re talking about is job displacement and that is something that is a concern. We want to be careful that whatever we are doing here is making life better on the whole.” Amidst the coronavirus business devastation in Ann Arbor, he says robotics can help provide job and health security. “People who run restaurants aren’t sure they can come through this,” said the Refraction CEO. “The fear that 25-to-50% (of) restaurants will go away is terrifying to me. And the jobs from dishwashers to bus people to caterers to line cooks — their livelihoods depend on their customers. If (the COVID crisis) goes on for six months — with one wave after another — we have to come up with a sustainable way to do this.” © 2020 The Detroit News Visit The Detroit News at www.detnews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

COVID-19 reveals how many actually can work from home by Liz Farmer

Working from home? The world’s in a miserable and frightening pandemic right now, but try for a moment to think of only this: Do you prefer working from your home, skipping the commute and the time wasted at the office? If so, give yourself a side project in the weeks and months ahead when so many of us are sheltering in place and won’t be going to the office or other workplaces: Document for yourself, and possibly your employer, your time saved, improved Workplace productivity, better life balance and personal wellbeing. All difficult to separate out amid a crisis that has many worried, literally, about staying alive. But when the dust settles from COVID-19, you may be armed with the information to show to a newly flexible boss that coming to the office isn’t so important. And that could have an enormous impact on your happiness, your personal finances and your health. And it’s entirely possible that the long-expressed resistance of companies and individual bosses to WFH arrangements will decline markedly after they see how well the arrangement has worked during this emergency. Now, some news: In March, Researchers at the University of Chicago, analyzing government data on employment, incomes and industries, concluded that 34% of U.S. jobs can “plausibly be performed at home.” The jobs tend to be higher-skilled and professional, though not all, and are most concentrated in metropolitan areas heavy with technology employers. Thus those 34% of all jobs represent 44% of all wages in the U.S. The San Jose, Calif., area is No. 1 on the list, with an estimate that 48% of its jobs can be done at home. Just 75 miles away, in Stockton, where incomes and education levels are lower, a national low (among the 100 largest metro areas by employment) of 26% of jobs can be done at home, the study estimates. Rounding out the top five are the Washington, D.C., area (46%); Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. (43%); Austin-Round Rock, Texas

(43%); and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (42%). The link to the University of Chicago study has a nice map showing the concentration of workable-from-home occupations across the country, and one might surmise that these areas, already outperforming the national economy in many cases, could snap back from the COVID-induced recession faster and also have greater long-term prosperity. A full list of the 100 metro areas and a ranking of occupations by work-from-home plausibility can be found here: https://github. com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome All right, back to your situation. As you’re stockpiling ammunition to argue for a WFH arrangement, you might ask yourself a further question: If I could truly work remotely, coming into the office, say, quarterly, at most, where would I really like to live? In a pre-crisis column, I wrote about taking your big city paycheck to a smaller metro area with cheaper housing, nice schools, attractive weather and recreation opportunities: https://www.rate. com/research/news/work-home-savings And for that discussion with your boss — what’s in it for the company? — my colleague Neal Templin wrote about the substantial savings and increased productivity companies and workers enjoy from WFH arrangement: https:// www.rate.com/research/news/persuade-bosswork-remote The savings could be roughly $24,000 per employee. Also: lower turnover and absenteeism, far less global-warming pollution, and other benefits. Here’s another tool for estimating benefits: https://www.owllabs.com/ blog/remote-work-statistics Keep in mind, your experience during a social distancing mandate won’t be a true representation of what telework is like because so many of the benefits — running errands, hitting the gym at off-peak hours — aren’t available. And if you’re a working parent, you’re probably feeling even more burdened with the dual role of employee and home-school teacher. But there are some hard numbers you can crunch right now. Use a commuting cost cal-

culator to see how many thousands of dollars a year you’d save on gasoline, parking, depreciation of your car and other items. Just as valuable is the time you save. Don’t just think about your transit time, but factor in your time spent saying hello or goodbye to coworkers, stopping for coffee or whatever rituals are included. For example, my actual commute on public transit used to be about 40 minutes. But in real time, my commute took an hour each way. Next, think about your routine in the office. Let’s be honest — who really works eight hours straight through the day? We all take breaks, talk with coworkers or otherwise have little respites to recharge. For myself, those little breaks conservatively added up to about an hour each day. Add that to the commute time, and I get three “found” hours each workday. That roughly works out to about 30 days of time a year. When I first started working from home part-time, I thought I would use the extra time to visit my then-baby at daycare. Instead, I found myself cleaning, running errands, working on side projects and pulling weeds in the garden. I took care of the annoying, ankle-biter tasks that I’d previously designated for weekends. So, I gained family time on the weekends. When my husband and I started working from home full time, we moved out of the burbs and to the country. We got more house for our buck, a lower cost of living, and public schools just as competitive as the ones we left behind. The COVID-19 WFH mandate, your own experience in the weeks and months ahead, and the University of Chicago study, should help you make a case to continue working from home, if that’s your preference. ——— For more personal finance news, go to Rate.com/research/news ——— ©2020 Rate.com News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

MAY 1

COUNCIL BLUFFS GROWTH REPORT

ADVERTISING AGENCIES PART 1 MAY 8

ADVERTISING AGENCIES PART 2

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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…

Black Hills Energy plans to donate $375,000 to COVID-19 relief efforts across its eight-state service area, including $50,000 in Nebraska. This investment is supported in part by the Black Hills Corporation Foundation, the charitable arm of Black Hills Energy. Black Hills Energy partnered with state and local nonprofits to identify and address needs and allocated $50,000 for immediate relief efforts in Nebraska. Additionally, Black Hills Energy offers assistance options for customers who may be financially impacted by COVID-19, including 12-month payment arrangements and budget billing, as well as temporary suspension of nonpayment disconnections. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson announced $200 million in Indian Housing Block Grants to American Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities across the country to respond to COVID-19, including $1,981,739 to four Tribes in Nebraska. This funding will be used to help Tribes and TDHEs carry out affordable housing activities to protect the safety and health of their tribal members and communities. CapStone Technologies has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by producing personal protective equipment face shields for area health care workers. As part of a collaborative effort with other local companies and individuals, CapStone has dedicated the output of two 3D printers to assist with efforts. In alliance with University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Innovation Studio, CapStone began using two 3D printers, Fused Deposition Modeling and Stereolithography machines, to produce parts for PPE face shields. A number of state agencies and private organizations have received inquiries from Nebraska manufacturers that have the capabilities to provide needed medical equipment for hospitals and medical providers. The Nebraska Department of Administrative Services has partnered with the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership to help organize the manufacturers with these capabilities and connect them with the medical community. Manufacturers can visit https://go.unl.edu/criticalmanufacturing to register a company and list the products a company is able to produce in short deadlines. Attorney General Peterson joined a letter with 32 Attorneys General urging Amazon, Facebook, eBay, Walmart, and Craigslist to better monitor price gouging practices by online sellers using their services. The letter lists several examples of price gouging on these marketplace platforms, all of which took place only in March: on Craigslist, a two-liter bottle of hand sanitizer was being sold for $250; on Facebook Marketplace, an eight-ounce bottle was being sold for $40. The Attorney General recommend several changes to protect consumers from price gouging, including enhanced policies to detect and prevent price gouging during emergencies.

Briefs…

RDG Planning & Design received three awards at the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association Conference. The conference brings together planning and zoning professionals and citizen planners throughout the state. RDG Principal Martin Shukert, FAICP, was recognized with APA Nebraska’s highest honor

of service, the Wozniak-Selander Planning Pioneer Award. This award honors pioneers of the profession whose personal and direct innovations in American planning have significantly and positively advanced planning practice, education or theory with long-term results. CoStar Group shared this year’s Power Broker Award recipients, recognizing the industry’s brokers, power players, and deal makers who closed the highest transaction volume in commercial real estate deals in their respective markets in 2019. Top Industrial Leasing Broker: Denny Sciscoe, Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Co., and Brett Cook, Darland Properties. Top Office Leasing Brokers: Jeffrey Wyatt, Colliers International, and JP Raynor, Investors Realty, Inc. Top Leasing Firms: Colliers International, and Investors Realty, Inc. Top Sales Brokers: Allan Murow, N & M Brokerage Services, and Trenton Magid, NAI NP Dodge. Top Sales Firms: Cushman & Wakefield/The Lund Co., and Investors Realty, Inc. First National Bank of Omaha is continuing its partnership with the Nebraska FFA Foundation by sponsoring an agriculture education program and donating to local FFA chapters across the state. FNBO is sponsoring the Nebraska FFA Launch Program for the third year with an $11,500 donation. The funds will support the year-long program that serves as a catalyst in entrepreneurship-based education for Nebraska FFA members and agricultural education students. In addition, FNBO is donating a total of $4,250 to local FFA chapters across Nebraska as part of the bank’s broader efforts to celebrate National Agriculture Week. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $425,000 in combined funding to the City of Lincoln Nebraska and Family Housing Advisory Services, Incorporated in Omaha. HUD’s grants are provided through the Department’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program and the Fair Housing Assistance Program to help people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination and to educate the public and housing providers on the nation’s fair housing laws.

Education notes…

While Omaha Children’s Museum is closed to the public, the staff at the museum are busy creating online videos based on familiar programs and characters to keep young children engaged. Videos are shared daily each morning on the museum’s Facebook page. Staff members from the Education Department and Guest Services Department are creating videos based on popular science experiments, Kitchen ABCs recipes, and Tinker Lab activities, as well as creating new programs like Princess Storytime and games that can be played at home. The videos are short, often between two to six minutes, in order to best engage their young audience. Researchers from the University of Nebraska at Omaha are working alongside law enforcement and the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs to bridge gaps in reporting for missing and murdered Native American women and children in Nebraska. LB 154 requires the Nebraska State Patrol to produce a report on the number of missing Native American women and children in Nebraska and identify barriers to reporting. Tara Richards, Ph.D., assistant professor within UNO’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Emily Wright, Ph.D., professor and associate director of the Nebraska Center for Justice Research, Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. received $170,000 in funding through the National Institute of Justice to carry out this research.

Health care notes…

Council Bluffs Comprehensive Treatment Center began offering medication-assisted treatment for adults age 18 and older who are struggling with an addiction to heroin, prescription painkillers, or other opioids. Treatment includes both a medical and therapeutic component. Patients follow a collaborative and personalized treatment plan that is established through assessment of their unique strengths, needs, and goals. Right at Home is assisting the American Red Cross. To show its support, Right at Home is selling “Because I Love a Senior” shirts to draw awareness to the importance of staying home during this time and will donate $5 from every shirt sold to the American Red Cross. Right at Home has set the goal to raise more than $50,000 by May 31. Proceeds will go directly to the American Red Cross. Shirts cost $10/each and can be purchased online. Right at Home asks and encourages supporters to create a positive social movement by posting a selfie wearing the shirt and sharing how a senior loved one has impacted their life. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska board of directors has elected Karen B. Aman as board chair. Previous board chair George G. Beattie will continue to serve on the board as vice chair. The following board members were re-elected to three-year terms: Anthony F. Raimondo, Jr.; John B. Jenkins; and Jeffrey L. Schumacher. Keith Olsen retired from the board after 17 years of service. Other members of BCBSNE’s board of directors continuing to serve are Leslie R. Andersen; Dan E. Ernst; Anthony L. Goins; Steven H. Grandfield; Dr. John C. Mitchell, II; and Robert E. Synowicki, Jr. Two local community health centers will receive federal funding to assist with their operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grants are authorized as part of the Health Center Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funding and administered through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Grant Service Office. The Charles Drew Health Center, Inc. received $886,475 and the OneWorld Community Health Centers Inc. received $1,883,060.

Activities of nonprofits…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cooper Foundation has changed its grantmaking to focus on the critical needs of nonprofit organizations and those they serve. Grants will be awarded monthly for unrestricted general operating support with a simplified application process through September 2020. It contributed $10,000 to the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund and $10,000 to the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools for the LPS: COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund and awarded grants to seven nonprofit organizations including: Big Brothers Big Sisters Lincoln, Community Services Fund of Nebraska, Multicultural Coalition, Nebraska Appleseed, Nebraska Civic Engagement Table, Nebraska Land Trust, and Nebraskans for the Arts. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands was recently selected as one of the 2020 Best Nonprofits to Work For. The NonProfit Times, a national business publication for nonprofit managers, has partnered with Best Companies

Group to identify nonprofit organizations where leaders have excelled in creating quality workplaces. This survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the nonprofit industry, benefiting the industry’s economy, workforce and businesses. The list is made up of 50 organizations. Heartland Family Service is now accepting nominations from the community for the 2020 Salute to Families recognition program. This event is held in conjunction with National Family Week on the third Thursday in November. Each year, the agency honors four families and one family advocate who exemplify strong family values and commitment to our community. Nominations are accepted for families or individuals who live in Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, or Washington counties in Nebraska. To nominate a family or family advocate, you can do so online, via email, or by mailing the PDF available online by May 1, 2020. Big Brothers Big Sisters in the U.S. and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Canada have joined forces to collaborate in support of mentoring relationships that ignite the power, promise, and potential of youth during the coronavirus pandemic. The Big Brothers Big Sisters of North America Coronavirus Task Force will work together to: Identify funding that can be used to save agencies from closing their doors; align messaging, thought leadership, and best practices for the North American BBBS network and; pursue options for virtual engagement so the strong mentoring relationship continues between the mentor and mentee, as well as provide support for families as needed. Completely KIDS has partnered with Food Bank of the Heartland to pack and distribute 200 bags of food each week. It’s supplementing those bags with an additional 250 for our own families in need. It’s also identified 34 families who are unable to access food pantries or food distribution sites because of a lack of transportation. Completely KIDS is purchasing, ordering, packing and delivering food to the doorsteps of each of these families. It’s purchasing and distributing 250 activity bags with the food as well as distributing 75 Art Venture bags provided by the Joslyn Art Museum. Adult education is being provided both in take-home and online formats. The Goodcents Foundation is sponsoring an initiative encouraging customers to “pay it forward.” Customers will now be given the option to donate a pound of meat or cheese for $5. The bulk items will be delivered to the nonprofit Open Door Mission. Customers can “pay it forward” by adding a pound of meat at checkout to delivery, curbside, or pickup orders or calling the restaurant to place an order. If Goodcents’ pledged donation exceeds the total amount of fresh food that Open Door Mission can reasonably receive, the Foundation will donate the value equivalent in cash. MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Wednesday, April 29 The American Marketing Association Omaha chapter is hosting a virtual version of The Workshop from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Regina DeMars, who works at First National Bank of Omaha on content marketing and social media strategy, will give a talk on “Money Talks But Experiences Sell: How to Best Reach Gen Z and Millennials.” Registration is available online.

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 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Environmental Industry A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

April 24, 2020

Current environment rife to test lasting sustainable solutions to heal the planet by Michelle Leach

Greenhouse gas emissions authority, the Global Carbon Project, estimates carbon dioxide output will plunge by 5% in 2020, the largest decrease since World War II and the first dip (at 1.4%) since the 2008 recession. “There is no question that global greenhouse gas emissions will go down this year because of the decrease in activity, but that’s not sustainable economically,” said Verdis Group Managing Principal Craig Moody. “What can we learn from this? It’s a missed opportunity if we return to ‘normal.’ As an office, we have a great opportunity to rethink and reimagine.”

Akin to how “everyone has been forced into a pilot program, where people are working remotely … and where business owners are learning new ways to manage people that are remote,” Moody said opportunities to work at least part of the time from home will help to continue to eliminate emissions. Just days prior to the outbreak, Moody’s team relocated to a new space, an accomplishment fueled by the likes of national work in markets such as Minneapolis, Dallas and Seattle. “In Lincoln, we have a big project to do a climate action plan,” he said. “The new,

Craig Moody, managing principal at Verdis Group. visionary mayor has made climate work a In its 50th year in the environmental/ high priority.” solid waste niche, Miller said SCS EnSignificant private sector traction, gineers tends to be “recession-proof,” as Moody noted, aligns with national and work is tied to compliance (not necessarily international trends. economic growth like traditional “curb and SCS Engineers gutter” engineers and in the past year has planners). That said, remained busy with many states and the solid waste-relatEPA are exploring ed (landfill develregulatory relief to opment design) mitigate economic and energy-related pandemic-related (landfill gas, digesteffects. er gas) projects, and “This balancing VP/Project Direcof protecting the entor Michael Miller vironment and the said they’ve seen a need to protect peoMiller Maniktala significant uptick in ple from infection is environmental studies and support roles somewhat unprecedented,” he said. “Impact for large-scale solar energy projects. An on our work is yet to be fully recognized, “essential critical infrastructure” industry, but we do not foresee the ‘discretion’ Miller said its work and clients’ needs offered significantly altering our clients’ must be served through the crisis (with needs to comply with laws, regulations precautions such as proper use of personal and permits.” protective equipment); for instance, due to An Omaha Public Power District Trade low cost of money and interest rates, work Ally, BranchPattern submits rebate applipersists for Phase I and II environmental site cations on behalf of local business clients. assessment related to significant refinancing “This relationship is significant,” said and the purchase of commercial real estate. Principal Nate Maniktala. “It helps us stay “Should the pandemic subside by late informed on the various rebate programs Q2, we think this market will remain intact, that incentivize investments in energy especially locally,” he said. “And there will efficiency.” be a relatively small hiccup as we progress Over the past year, Maniktala said, into what is otherwise expected to be a more clients are exploring onsite photostrong second half of 2020.” Continued on next page.

Environmental Industry •

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

From building management to wetlands analysis, new tech improving environmental industry by Gabby Christensen

The environmental industry, like many others, is seeing new tech that is improving capabilities and moving the field further. Stephen McGreer, president of Asset Environments, said the biggest technology change in the field is the options for remote connectivity. “You can now do all kinds of things with your buildings’ operation using a web page or app on your phone,” he said. “It’s not just limited to changing the thermostat; you can monitor how much electricity you’re using, know if there are people in the building and adjust major equipment. Once it’s digital almost anything is possible.” McGreer said building owners and managers can not only check on their buildings remotely but can also make changes as long as they’re connected to the internet. “You could literally be in Mexico on vacation and turn your boiler on and off from your phone if that’s useful for you,” he said. “It does add a layer of complexity though, so we recommend only adding the

Solutions to heal the planet Continued from preceding page. voltaics for their projects. “Last year, our firm added a team of renewable energy design professionals to help us keep up with this demand,” he said, adding its sector- and geographic-diversity (education, health care, government, industrial) keeps BranchPattern busy. OPPD’s President and CEO Tim Burke said, with many customers working under quarantine or caring for children and other loved ones, “we know they need power now more than ever.” “We don’t want them to have to worry about electricity on top of everything else,” he said. “In Burke addition, we’ve seen many workplaces lose business, cut back hours, or close altogether, at least for the time being.” For these reasons, Burke said, OPPD has responded by extending the suspension of disconnections for non-payment to 30 days past any direct health measure within OPPD’s 13-county area. Manager-Customer Care Services Stacey Bryant noted they’ve received reports of scammers claiming to represent the utility, even spoofing numbers to appear legitimate, and aggressively demanding payment, threatening disconnection, and claiming they need to replace equipment. Bryant emphasized: “Any threats of immediate disconnection are false. And we do not charge customers for meter replacement.” Director-Customer Sales and Services Jim Krist said OPPD has also launched Business Energy Advisor at oppd.bizenergyadvisor.com, featuring energy management strategies and technologies — by business and tech types — to find savings during these challenging times.

controls infrastructure and features that add value to your operation.” Alexander Skillman, engineer at Energy Studio, Inc., said there’s been an increase in the use of data science techniques to better manage existing buildings. “Many modern buildings have at least

McGreer Skillman some level of automation systems that are capable of recording data, such as building schedules, loop temperatures, equipment performance or lighting systems,” he said. “Analysis of historical data points can take different forms to suit users’ needs via direct analysis in programming languages or through proprietary dashboards.” Skillman said leveraging data science increases the accessibility of identifying savings related to energy cost, operational improvements, or preventative maintenance, including non-intuitive relationships in complex building systems. “In the future, analyzing data from buildings as they age may give a more complete picture of how systems and equipment operate compared to design-phase assumptions,” he said. “Feedback into the design process may provide additional metrics for designers in selecting systems and equipment that provide the owner with the best long-term

building operation.” Skillman recommended that building owners and operations staff leverage existing control systems and start recording operational data for major building systems, even if the data is not used today. “Additionally, consider reviewing available control sensor locations to verify necessary points are captured,” he said. “Useful historical data will be a benefit in trying to diagnose problems should they arise.” Richard Besancon, project manager at Burns & McDonBesancon nell, agreed there are many tech innovations happening in the industry, like using GIS and tablets to perform wetland delineations as well as virtual site visits. “We can and are doing some really

cool desktop analyses with LiDAR/hill shading,” he said. “It can greatly increase efficiency in the field during wetland delineations, for example. It also can identify micro-depressions like trail ruts still present on the landscape from the Santa Fe Trail, which helps our archaeologists with their cultural resources evaluations.” Besancon said drones with LiDAR and infrared on them are also being utilized to help the client determine plant health, which aids in evaluating existing and constructed wetlands from the air, reducing labor and improving overall efficiency. Additionally, Besancon said wetland delineators are testing mobile software that allows for exporting sample plot, GPS and metadata directly from tablets in the field to USACE data forms, which allows for reduced office time and administration time. According to Besancon, these tools are impacting the industry by improving overall efficiency, reducing time and streamlining the overall system.

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• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Werner targets dedicated trucks for revenue stability in changing landscape Continued from page 1. execute through different macroeconomic environments.” At the beginning of this year Werner had 4,630 trucks dedicated to long-term contract accounts of which 60% of the revenues came from retail customers. Two-thirds of these revenues came from large national discount

Werner Enterprises Phone: 402-895-6640 Address: 14507 Frontier Road, Omaha 68138 Services: global transportation and logistics company Founded: 1956 by Clarence Werner; went public in 1986 Employees: more than 13,000 overall; 1,700 at Omaha corporate office One-year goal: Adapt to changing national and global situations as necessary while maintaining structurally sound company. Industry outlook: Everything is shifting and changing and strong management and execution through different macroeconomic environments will be hard work, require smart and fast decision-making in order to control the controllable. Website: www.werner.com

retailers. The largest client is Nashville-based Dollar General. Werner is its largest carrier. Leathers, who has an economics degree from Princeton University and was one of the first foreign members of Mexico’s national trucking association, said he first took an interest in the “dedicated” approach, and about five years ago helped send Werner down that path of specialization. Werner now has 220 dedicated trailers in its fleet. “The dedicated work is more sustainable and the margins, instead of being up and down, are more consistent,” he said.

Restart of US economy Continued from page 13. staggering shifts, taking temperatures and rearranging work stations to allow for social distancing. Safely reopening a plant also requires sufficient supply of personal protective equipment for workers, which will likely be a problem given the shortages of gloves and masks in the U.S. “If we learned any lessons from China, it’s that the restart will be staged,” Volpe said. Plants in China that cycled through the virus outbreak and came back online didn’t restart at full production, in part because the demand wasn’t there and because the workplace had to be restructured to protect employees’ safety. Still, more important than reopening is getting the reopening right. As everyone will start production without revenue initially, the most important ingredient is working capital, Volpe said. And very few can afford to restart and close again if something goes wrong. “The auto industry would be financially devastated if they have to cycle through phases of zero production and ramp-up repeatedly,” Dziczek said. “They’re going to need the restart to stick.” ©2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Inventory restocking is a large part of the runs, but Leathers said Werner has become an important partner to clients such as Dollar General by helping them optimize their sales floor space, adjust inventory and even offering counsel as to the arguments for and possible barriers to supplying new stores in a site-selection process, which Leathers said is fairly rigorous. “As a partner/carrier we help our dedicated clients identify and understand solutions,” he said. “It’s a hard-to-serve marketplace and it’s where you can differentiate yourself — we like that.” The alternative — continuing to be too dependent on over the road long-haul business — removes Werner from being overly dependent on the “you call-we haul” revenues, which he said can be a sizable factor in the current economic climate. In other diversifying initiatives, logistics work has become a growth area for Werner. The firm, with a 10-employee satellite office in downtown Omaha, plus offices in Mexico, Canada and China, has grown logistics work to more than $500 million in revenues annually. One collaboration project with Blume Global has helped identify ways to move beyond a web-based equipment portal to a dynamic API (application programming interface)-enabled communication strategy. The initiative helped produce meaningful outcomes, achieve quantifiable results and drive supply chain excellence. Werner Logistics’ portfolio includes truck brokerage, freight management, intermodal, internal and final mile services. International services are provided through Werner’s domestic and global subsidiary companies and include ocean, air and ground transportation, freight forwarding and customs brokerage.

Werner mobilized its network of drivers recently to deliver gloves, masks and thermometers to hospitals and public health agencies throughout Nebraska for use in fighting COVID-19. The firm’s logistics operation secured 500,000 protective gloves, 300,000 medical N95 masks and 5,000 infrared thermometers from its global supplier base. Earlier this year, Werner Enterprises won an Alliance Award given by SMC(3) and Logistics Management. “Change and innovation in our industry are accelerating, which perpetuates the need for new approaches to solving problems including new ways to use technology,” Leathers said. Some of the innovation is going to require a number of years before it can make a maximum impact on Werner’s operations. An example is electric-powered trucks. Earlier this year Werner announced its first electric-powered truck pilot program, a joint partnership venture with Peterbilt, Meritor and TransPower. Leathers said the study involves the first fully collision mitigated TransPower vehicle, which can haul up to 80,000 pounds. The truck is 100% electric, releases zero emissions, and requires a five to 10-hour charge time. The test operation will be in the Los Angeles metroplex. The California Climate Investments program is funding the tractor that will run for a year on a dedicated Werner account. “Werner continues to be at the front edge of technology and we are committed to finding alternative ways to keep our trucks environmentally-friendly while using renewable energy,” Leathers said. Drawbacks, however, include a load capacity of from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds less per

truck, below 200 miles per charge and five to seven hours necessary for a charge to be completed — drawbacks for traditional overthe-road uses. “Local applications seem to make more sense,” Leathers said. “Regular use is probably a decade away or perhaps a little sooner.” For the sixth consecutive year, Food Logistics, an industry journal, named Werner a FL100+Top Software and Technology Provider for its development and use of innovative transportation and logistics products. “Technology is the battlefront of today,” Leathers said. “Our technology investment has tripled in the last five years.” “Information flow is important as we need to know where goods are all the time because this can lower inventory costs, and lead to better skew-level cost analysis,” he added. Werner Enterprises late last year was named one of the nation’s top companies to work for in the transportation sector by the Women in Trucking Association. It is the second consecutive year the Omaha-based firm won the award. Leathers said Werner’s women workforce is double that of the national average and continues to grow. He cited his firm’s aggressive efforts to attract more women, and said they tend to have a keener eye toward safety and security issues, plus they have been documented as having less accidents and vehicle service needs, compared to male counterparts. He enjoys reporting such information in many of the town hall drivers meetings Werner sponsors. Werner Enterprises was founded in 1956 by Omahan Clarence L. Werner. The company went public in 1986. Clarence Werner, who turns 83 this year, is executive chairman of the board.

US agriculture faces $20 billion loss from coronavirus by Bryce Gray

Meatpacking plants have closed. Milk prices have cratered. Supply chain disruptions have led to a “perfect storm” beating on U.S. farmers. Altogether, the new coronavirus outbreak could lead to $20 billion in U.S. agriculture losses this year, according to a report from the University of Agriculture Missouri released this week. The report paints a grim picture of the virus’ far-reaching toll on agriculture. Instead of seeing the U.S. ag economy grow by 2.8% this year as originally projected in January, the report now expects consumer expenditures to drop by 2.2% relative to 2019 — amounting to a 5% overall drop from the forecast, or a $20 billion loss of net farm income. Collectively, the effects to farmers stretch “pretty much across the board,” said Pat Westhoff, a professor and director of the school’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, which produced the report. Impacts can vary from product to product, the report notes, but the loss of key, high-volume buyers like restaurants and schools has led to falling prices for many commodities, from livestock to crops. For example, school closures have hurt milk demand and cratered prices, explains Westhoff. The same goes for cotton, as people hold off on buying clothing, he adds. But it’s not just low prices. Food production, processing and shipment have all been affected, Westhoff said. For instance, worker

illnesses have sparked recent meatpacking plant shutdowns and created supply chain bottlenecks for livestock producers like hog farmers. It’s a “perfect storm” of negative impacts and uncertainty, Westhoff said. Prices for feed cattle have fallen 11.5% compared with earlier projections for the year; hog prices have dropped 9.1%; milk, 8.8%, the report says. So far, shocks to demand for various commodities have been easier to quantify than the effects of those supply chain hurdles. Although the new report did not focus on the latter, high-profile anecdotes already signal that those issues are escalating, and significant. In South Dakota, a meat processing plant that reportedly accounts for 4% to 5% of U.S. pork production is temporarily closing after hundreds of employees contracted COVID-19. Earlier this month, a similar work stoppage went into place at a Pennsylvania plant billed as “the largest beef facility east of Chicago” by its operator, JBS, after a virus outbreak. Elsewhere, low prices have driven some farmers to destroy products such as milk and eggs, or to not harvest crops of vegetables, according to news reports. (Westhoff said he was not aware of any recent examples of that in Missouri.) And the thousands of layoffs facing St. Louis area workers have included some involved in food production, such as Baily Foods, a cookie and cracker maker with

facilities in the Metro East. Could all the industry’s turmoil result in food shortages or insecurity? That’s hard to predict, Westhoff says. As is true across many industries, he believes that answer and the general economic toll will ultimately be determined by the duration of the disruptions. “While supply chain disruptions,” the report says, “are likely to be resolved within the span of several months, a contraction of consumer income may take longer to recover and have broader effects.” Westhoff said that production of labor-intensive crops, such as fruits and vegetables, could be most affected by the pandemic, because of their heavy reliance on manual laborers who could be at risk from the virus. Emergency border closures could prevent migrant workers from coming into the country to work those fields, he said. At the same time, Westhoff notes that the aging demographics of U.S. farmers closely align the group with those at greatest risk from the disease. “That’s obviously a population that’s more vulnerable,” he said. The prevalence of the outbreak has so far been “pretty low in most rural areas,” he said, but it remains to be seen how those factors might balance out. “Things are happening very quickly,” said Westhoff. “We don’t pretend that we know what’s going to happen.” ©2020 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

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

Issue Date: May 1 • Ad Deadline: April 23

Advertising Part 2 Agencies

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Energy & Utilities

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Digital strategy • What to look for in a marketing agency Top marketing mistakes

Energy & Utilities update • Energy & utilities companies stepping up during crisis A look at how energy & utilities are stored Tips on conserving • Rise of renewable energy

Issue Date: May 8 • Ad Deadline: May 1

• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Omaha’s Midwest Regional Health Services enlists EMR cloud platform Canvas Medical Continued from page 1. cords to provide easier access for patients no matter where they’re at, to save money and time, and to enable better care, the reality is that software systems have had technological problems and can be difficult to use. Darst can attest to the frustration felt

Midwest Regional Health Services Phone: 402-230-7945 Address: 2727 S. 144th St., Suite 280, Omaha 68144 Services: independent primary care practice Founded: 2002 Website: mrhsomaha.com

by physicians across the country and in his own practice that he founded in 2002. He has lost two physicians over the years because of the so-called pajama time that was spent navigating EMRs —seeing patients during the day, trying to spend time with family in the evening and then inputting patient reports later at night. When Darst first started out, he could see around 25 patients a day, spend about an hour dictating patient reports using a voice recorder, place it on the secretary’s desk for transcription and then go home to his family. After MRHS experienced a cash crunch at the beginning of 2019 — many companies had switched to high deductible insurance plans and patients had a hard time adjusting to paying out-of-pocket costs — the practice began a review of its expenses and discovered that computer costs had soared 70% over five years. “At the same time, physicians were continuously complaining about pajama time — they were doing charting for the day at night,” he said. “We tracked that and found that for every three hours in the office, they were spending about three hours in documentation. “I thought well, rising costs, decreasing functionality and for all the things that I wanted to do to keep up with [security compliance, insurance and Medicare], I needed to have a better machine, better equipment.” After requesting a demo from Canvas Medical, “we found that they had combined a lot of the trivial tasks that physicians ended up having to do in an EMR that don’t have anything to do with actual thinking about the patient … they had automated all of that stuff.” After about a year-and-a-half “courtship,” MRHS signed with Canvas Medical in the summer of 2019 and released it into the practice in the fall of 2019. “Now, with a few simple clicks, you’re doing things that took several days to do,” he said. Building a symbiotic relationship While EMR functionality and addressing clinician burnout were key drivers when CEO Andrew Hines first started Canvas Medical in 2015, he said that solving that one problem is necessary, but not enough. Health care in America has bigger problems than just EMR functionality: “It’s too expensive, it’s too hard to access

and it’s not good enough,” he said, adding us what’s working, what’s not working.” that health care carries a massive adminisCanvas has also been working with trative burden, affecting the productivity MRHS to improve efficiencies on the fiof providers, which ultimately affects the nancial side of the practice and is helping cost of insurance and patient expenses. with patient population management and That’s why his company is now focus- its COVID-19 response. And while MRHS ing on building a platform that connects has always reached out to its patients, primary care clinicians with insurers — now it’s a more efficient process through to help doctors make better, more timely automation. decisions about patients, with “Really, it’s their expertise immediate answers from insurand workflows, and then us ance companies for prior authobuilding the technology to make rizations for tests, medications it more efficient,” he said. and the like. And through the Other practices across the company’s software developcountry have benefited from and ment kit for insurers, insurers leveraged MRHS’ input. can make better, science-backed Since knowledge about corodecisions for patients. navirus — symptoms and diag“Our guiding light is helpnostic capabilities — have been ing doctors and insurers work changing at such a fast pace, together to keep patients healthy updates need to be made quickly. Hines and out of the hospital,” he said. “What everyone fears is “What that means is, we have to think folks falling through the cracks,” Hines about not just what we’re doing with cli- said, adding that the company has already nicians in the exam room and their office updated its lab compendium with regional and how to make their lives easier with pathology services — the University of their decision-making, but also how we Nebraska Medical Center — three times take the burden of insurance compliance since the disease outbreak started and has off of them.” updated the COVID-19 risk assessment at As a level 3 patient-centered medical least three times. home, certified by The National ComCoronavirus takes toll on providers, too mittee for Quality Assurance, Midwest The economic pain of coronavirus has Regional Health Services has provided spread even to primary care providers, and feedback to Canvas Medical and helped MRHS has had to lay off one-third of its with proof of concept. employees, even though the clinic’s new Darst’s forward thinking and embrace patient count has increased 12 to 20% over of technology and innovation isn’t typical the last couple of months. Darst is hoping of most doctors, according to Hines. to hire back these employees when the “Their team is already performing at a pandemic subsides. really high level and our job is to not limit With a total of six physicians, one that function but to accelerate it,” he said. physician assistant and one nurse prac“Compared to our other practices, they are titioner, MRHS is still seeing patients in by far the highest performing — our most clinic, separating healthy patient visits comprehensive scope of service and high- from sick patients and taking other preest performing. So, we rely on them to tell cautions. Telehealth visits, a relatively

underutilized service prior to COVID-19, have increased, including mental telehealth visits with its three staff psychologists. Drive-up assessments are also an option. “Not only do we have a financial issue, but we also have an access issue for the patients because if they’re self-quarantining, what are they doing at home that they should not be doing?” he said. Patients might not know that MRHS practitioners are available and offering services — the practice has been reaching out first to patients with existing conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. “There is a mental health burden out there — that can be done over telehealth as well, but the patient has to know that it’s available and that we’re here and we’re open,” he said. Darst is pragmatic about the tough road ahead for his practice, and like many other business owners, he has applied for a small business loan. “One thing that we hope comes out of this — we’re hoping that our patients understand that we want to be there for them, we have their backs, so to speak,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to try to keep them safe, keep them healthy. It’s these increased efforts around the COVID epidemic [that’s] an indicator of our interest. Maybe that will secure their relationship with us in the years going forward.” Darst is equally passionate about the business side of his practice. “I am more fascinated by how this works than when I was fascinated with physiology,” he quipped. “When I was in medical school I thought, this is just the coolest machine ever, I just love this stuff. And now that’s all kind of behind me career-wise and now I’m doing this, and it’s just as complex.”

Getting your far-flung team to adjust to work amid the virus by Liz Reyer

Q: As a result of “stay at home” rules, my team is working remotely. Some people are used to it while it’s new to others. But everyone is being a bit inconsistent in how they’re working together, managing their time and generally adjusting to the Workplace new normal. I’m not looking for ways to have them “perform better.” My goal is to be an effective and compassionate leader during this traumatic time. What should I be doing? —Trey, 38, director of financial analysis A: You nailed it by knowing that compassion is the key. We all need that now. We need it from our family and friends, from our co-workers and bosses, and from the broader community. And most of all, we need it from ourselves. As an aware leader, you are laying the foundation for your team to experience compassion and then be able to share it. It happens that just this week I attended a webinar from the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. At this session, Dr. Kaz Nelson offered a practical structure for coping with our current situation based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

As a refresher, Maslow outlined five levels of human needs. At the foundation is the body — the basic requirements of physical existence. Next are safety, connection and mind. At the top is self-actualization — the place where creativity resides. Now imagine these applied to our lives within the pandemic. Some days we may be just struggling to get by, coping with loss of appetite or inability to sleep. Other days we may shine, seeing life’s potential, developing new skills and able to be really present for others. We don’t remain at one level. Rather, this framework offers a new level of insight as well as ideas on actions that support people regardless of the level they’re at. To apply this as a leader, have a look at the framework Dr. Nathalie Martinek provides. You can find it here: hdrnathaliemartinek.com/gettinghelp. In one example, if a person is at Level 2, safety, self-soothing behaviors and boundary setting will be best. If they are at Level 3, connection, community, empathy and humor may be available to them. Simply sharing this with your team and discussing how everyone will be moving among these levels may be enough to help people feel supported. You may even find

yourselves using the levels as a common language, as in, “Heads up, folks, it’s a Level 1 day!” Moreover, it will give you the ability to assess where people are on a given day and offer the appropriate type of support. Look for subtle ways to connect the dots; the last thing you want as their boss is to violate their privacy. The key is connecting as humans all facing the same challenge. Let it be uniting. When people are under stress, their instinctive response may be to withdraw or lash out. By understanding this and speaking to their real needs, you will build trust that transcends the situation. ©2020 Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Midlands Business Journal • APRIL 24, 2020 •

In the Spotlight Paid Content

BANKING

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Selected

Promotion

Christine Volcek

Jessica Goodrich

Lincoln Branch Manager

Senior Project Manager

Bank of Bennington

Goodrich recently received a promotion to Senior Project Manager with Project Control. She holds over 10 years of project management

Bank of Bennington is pleased to announce the selection of Christine Volcek as Branch Manager of our new Lincoln location opening soon. Christine brings 19 years of community banking and leadership experience to this position. She will be instrumental in growing Bank of Bennington’s presence in the Lincoln market and offering superior service to meet the needs of our customers.

BANKING

Project Control

experience in the Architect, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Her responsibilities include representing owners in management of their complex construction projects. She is actively involved in the community, specifically in the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Added

Mel Stuart

Hired

Brett Wasko

Senior Vice President, Omaha

Project Manager Project Control

Frontier Bank

Kevin Munro, Frontier Bank’s Omaha Market President, is pleased to announce Mel Stuart as Senior Vice President of the Omaha banking team. An Omaha native, Stuart brings over 20 years of banking experience to Frontier Bank. Most recently, he was a Senior Private Banker at Wells Fargo where he worked with business owners to support both their personal and business needs. Prior to working as a Private Banker, Stuart managed a commercial banking portfolio and was active in business development in the Omaha market. Munro said, “We are thrilled that Mel has joined our team. He brings a broad breadth of banking experience and has a reputation of being a strong customer advocate.” In addition to his banking career, Stuart raises his three young children with his wife, Tracy, and has been active in the community working with Mosaic, Omaha Rotary Night Club, and the American Heart Association. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a master’s degree from Bellevue University. Founded in 2005 by a group of partners and friends, Frontier Bank is a financial institution providing full-service banking solutions. Headquartered in Omaha, Frontier has over $900 million in assets and 8 locations throughout Nebraska. Frontier is one of the fastest growing banks in the state and has become one the largest community banks in Nebraska.

Wasko joins Project Control as Project Manager bringing over 15 years’ experience in the Architect, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)

industry, most recently serving as Project Manager for a Lincoln-based contractor. His responsibilities include managing projects on behalf of owner clients. He is actively involved in First Free Church, Northern Plains Boxer Rescue, and serves as a YMCA youth sports coach. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Hired

Patti McAtee Director of Business Development Project Control

With over 25 years’ experience, McAtee joins Project Control as Director of Business Development. Most recently, McAtee served as Senior Director of Fund Development at the Greater Omaha Chamber. This new position will allow Project Control to expand their existing project management portfolio in Nebraska and Iowa. She also serves on the boards of the Council Bluffs Airport and World Speaks.

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• APRIL 24, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal