Midlands Business Journal December 18, 2020 Vol. 46 No. 51 issue

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

Engineering Profession A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Trevor Larsen, structural engineer at TD2 Engineering.

Education to aviation, diverse projects keep firms busy in environment unlike anything we’ve seen

by Michelle Leach

From one-of-a-kind aviation projects to educational projects with an eye on readying tomorrow’s business, veterinary science, and engineering leaders, the pandemic hasn’t stopped activity for essential services providers in the local engineering space.

“We continue to see a consistent workload,” said Brian Chaffin, Nebraska region leader at Olsson. “Currently, signs seem to indicate that the economic effects within large portions of our footprint won’t be as bad as we feared on day one.”

In fact, initially, the year was incredibly promising; Chaffin said there was a sigh of

relief — no repeat of the flooding from March 2019. So, there was time to finish up with repairs and every economic indicator seemed to be pointing up.

“We had a fairly seamless transition,” Chaffin recalled. “All the credit for that goes to our IT department. They gave us the tools to [work from home], and our people just made it work. We’ve never been put in a full-scale situation like this before. So, it was all brand-new to everyone.”

For the first time, the industry as a whole is broadly and widely accepting working from home.

“We have proven during this pandemic

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Lincoln Business Journal Pages

December 18, 2020

that it can work in our industry,” he said. “It remains to be seen if this will have a longterm effect.”

While Chaffin acknowledged some learning curves and adjustments, he said most of the firm’s employees are working from home.

“The remote work hasn’t been as challenging as we thought it would be,” said Anthony Dirks, SVP-Lincoln Division Manager with Alfred Benesch & Co. “By and large, we’ve been very successful, though it certainly looks different this year.”

To specific projects, Dirks highlighted the firm’s work on the largest active transportation project in the state: the Lincoln South Beltway.

Reportedly, the Chaffin $350 million project spans two system interchanges, three service interchanges, 43 miles of roadway alignments, 23 bridges and 11 roundabouts.

“It’s been under construction since this spring,” he said. “When we were working on the final design, we had close to 100 staff involved.”

Benesch served as the lead consultant for the Department of Transportation related to the final design and was reportedly responsible for around 75% of the design effort and the environmental permitting.

“It is truly changing the landscape of south Lincoln,” Dirks said.

The project completes the transportation network, which has existed only on the north and west sides — moving traffic around the city’s congested areas and improving flow and interstate connectivity.

VP and Senior Project Manager Andrew W. Beil, also with Alfred Benesch & Co., and his team have worked on unique features associated with Offutt Air Force Base’s relocation to the Lincoln Airport.

Beil noted the project was driven by the reconstruction of the runway at the base in Bellevue.

“They’re going to tear up the runway and reconstruct it, so they have to relocate the mission because the aircraft can’t fly out of Offutt,” Beil explained.

They looked at various bases to relocate to.

“It was a no-brainer to come down to Lincoln,” he said.

To p r e p a r e , though, required Dirks $24.5 million in upgrades to accommodate the mission’s needs.

Benesch partnered with Denver-based Jacobs, overseeing construction and completing quality assurance material testing.

Notable upgrades included bringing an old Goodyear hangar up to current standards, and the construction of a temporary fabric hangar structure to house USAF aircraft during maintenance operations.

“Crews are scheduled to relocate the first of February,” Beil said. “To put it in perspective, approximately 500 to 600 employees will be moving from and reporting from Offutt every day. And it’s a 24/6 operation … it’s good for the local economy.”

In Lincoln, TD2’s work revolves around the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

According to Structural Engineer Trevor Continued on page 21.

LBJ Engineering Profession — inside DECEMBER 18, 2020

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

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VOL. 46 NO. 51

Lincoln’s Pratt Industries seeks to enhance market presence

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

by Richard D. Brown

JAN-PRO of Omaha leverages customized cleaning services to meet demand amid pandemic.

– Page 2

40 er d Un 40 Beresford brings compassionate dental care to community at Bluffs Family Dentistry.

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2020 brought new opportunities in tech, put spotlight on representation in workforce.

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Most Nebraskans, including many Lincoln residents, don’t know what goes on between two buildings located at 6600 Fletcher Ave., each with 40,000 square feet of space, 20 employees and technologically updated. With a rebranding initiative, Pratt Industries is positioned to play a greater role in meeting the regional needs for the design and production of corrugated mailing packaging.

“We’re probably the best-kept secret in Nebraska,” said Chuck Gregg, general manager of Pratt Industries’ production facility.

The building was opened in 1963 and has received more than $1 million in upgrades over the past two years. It’s augmented by a second facility at 48th & Superior streets, which was added about 15 years ago.

Gregg, an Illinois native and ‘81 Grinnell College graduate who joined Pratt Industries in 2007, directs operations in Lincoln, which consistently have increased annual Continued on page 9.

General Manager Chuck Gregg … Rebranding and tech updates have helped boost reach with diverse corrugated mailing products.

NEDCO helps bolster statewide lending capacity; shatters loan volume records

by Michelle Leach

Persistent low interest rates and the need to support financial institutions during the pandemic are driving record partnerships with banks and record loan volume for NEDCO, the Nebraska Economic Development Corp., which has facilitated financing in the state for more than three decades.

“Our total projects are up to

$73 million in a pandemic,” said President Scott Sailors. “This would be a high-volume year; we’re at 50 projects. To put that in perspective, in an average year we have between 35 to 40 projects.”

At the time of this writing, the Lincoln-based certified development company that administers the SBA 504 Loan Program Continued on page 8.

Co-founders Kellee Mikuls and Richard Tom … Like an Uber for scheduling babysitters, the “fam-tech” app is growing up in Silicon Prairie, with buy-in from parent-aged investors.

Swishboom meets child care need during the pandemic and beyond

by Becky McCarville

President Scott Sailors … Diverse project types, from auto repair to lawn care, and partnerships with banks drive demand for SBA 504 program even as pandemic puts brakes on historically strong hospitality projects.

When co-founders Kellee Mikuls and brother-in-law Richard Tom set out to build an app that makes scheduling babysitters faster and easier while relying on personal networks, they had no idea that a looming global infectious disease would spotlight the difficulties of finding quality child care. In fact, the original impetus for Swishboom was so that Mikuls and her sister, who have six kids between them, could spend time together and with

their spouses.

Swishboom is a platform that leverages users’ connections to find trusted babysitters, a differentiator from other platforms where parents might not have a personal connection to the sitter. The app builds on what many parents do naturally, which is asking friends/family for referrals or suggestions.

“Swishboom, at the end of the day — when COVID opens up — will be used for date nights Continued on page 10.

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

JAN-PRO of Omaha leverages customized cleaning services to meet demand amid pandemic

by Gabby Hellbusch

In a time when clean environments are more critical than ever before, JAN-PRO of Omaha, a commercial cleaning franchise, has worked diligently to ensure the safety and health of its clients by utilizing new cleaning technologies, efficient cleaning disinfectants and safe equipment, according to owner Tumi Oluyole.

JAN-PRO of Omaha Phone: 402-493-4516 Address: 5404 N 99th St., Suite B, Omaha 68134 Founded: 2003 (Omaha location) Service: commercial cleaning services Employees: 36 business owners/franchisees Goal: Increase client base and grow team of business owners/franchisees.

Website: https://jan-pro.com/omaha/

Since Oluyole purchased the franchise in 2016, its customer base has grown over 50% and the franchise has nearly doubled its team of business owners/franchisees, which now total 36.

The company offers a range of commercial cleaning programs for clients across various industries, including medical facilities, apartments, office buildings, restaurants, day cares, schools, financial institutions and fitness centers. Cleaning services are customized for every

Owner Tumi Oluyole … Use of proprietary cleaning system and serving customers across industries has enabled the business to grow during the pandemic. client, with cleaning plans designed by the same tion — JAN-PRO’s proprietary EnviroShield JAN-PRO owner-operators who perform the system, which enables us to treat areas and cleaning services. surfaces others can’t reach. And our disinfectant “We offer hard floor refinishing, expert car- kills 99.99% of harmful bacteria on contact, pet cleaning, window cleaning, power washing including MRSA, H1N1, E. coli and listeria.” and almost any special commercial cleaning During the pandemic, Oluyole said this and maintenance service a facility needs,” he option has been especially in high demand, said. “We also offer a unique disinfectant solu- as people want a solution that is safe for the

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Jeff Johnson

Associate Principal, Alvine Engineering

environment but very toxic on germs.

“We guarantee great products and service for our partners,” he said. “We hold ourselves to the highest standard of integrity. Any service issues are resolved within one business day, and franchisees offer a complimentary cleaning if it falls short on these promises.”

In addition to making customer satisfaction a top priority, giving back to the community by partnering with local organizations is a priority for the company.

For Oluyole, it’s the interaction with the community and franchisees that makes coming to work every day so gratifying.

“I love watching our business owners develop and grow their own business,” he said. “I also love knowing that we are helping to keep people safe every day.”

That’s not to say the industry doesn’t face challenges at times.

“It can sometimes be difficult for our business owners because reward and progress take time,” Oluyole said. “We don’t always receive a lot of accolades for what we do in the professional cleaning industry, either. During the pandemic, we never stopped — we couldn’t stay home from work, as we needed to keep our partners safe. It can be the challenging part, but it's also rewarding to know we're making a difference.”

Over the course of this year, business has increased significantly, specifically when businesses began opening and needed to be thoroughly disinfected on a frequent basis.

“Clean environments will always be needed,” he said. “I expect that our services will continue to remain in high demand in the future, which also means there’s a lot of room for growth. At JAN-PRO, we plan to double our current business owners, increase our customer base, and do our part to partner with the community as much as we can. We strive to create cleaner environments in order to keep our community’s loved ones alive and healthy.”

Midlands Business Journal Established in 1975

Associations/Titles: PE RCDD Hometown: Deshler, Nebraska Education: BS Electrical Engineering - UNL

How I got into the business: Internship at local MEP engineering firm.

Accomplishments or milestones: Receiving PE and RCDD licenses.

First job: Hired farmhand — operation of agricultural equipment, maintenance, manual labor, planting/harvesting on a large family farm.

Biggest career break: Transitioned from the Marine Corps to General Electric Power Systems and then eventually back to the Midwest which led me into the engineering consulting profession.

The toughest part of the job: Keep-

ing up on current design trends and staying informed of the latest electrical and energy codes. I’m excited to overcome these challenges in order to provide our clients with the most innovative designs and solutions to enhance their facilities for optimal energy savings and sustainability.

The best advice I have received: Adapt and overcome the challenges in front of you.

Strive to learn something new every day and be a lifelong learner.

About my family: I have been married to my wife Anne for 18 years and have five children — Grant, Luke, Clara, Josie, and Lauren.

Something else I’d like to accomplish: Restore a late 1960’s era Ford Mustang.

How my business will change in the next decade: In the near future, the building system industry and construction in general will have an increased emphasis and focus on net zero energy design and reduced carbon footprint. We are actively involved in these

processes and studies with Lincoln Public Schools on a new elementary school design.

Energy modeling, healthy building strategies, and evidence based design approaches will continue to play an important role in maximizing the unique blend of energy usage, ease of operations, and occupant comfort in the built environment.

Mentor who has helped the most in my career: Richard Noel of Noel Engineering.

Outside interests: My family and I live on a farm east of Lincoln where we raise show cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep.

Favorite vacation spot: Any lake where we can boat, fish, and relax.

Other careers I would like to try: Weatherman for the Weather Channel.

Favorite cause or charity: Catholic Social Services.

Favorite app: My favorite app is Lincoln Pius X, so that I am able to stay engaged in my kids’ activities.

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

FOUNDER, Robert Hoig

ADMINISTRATION PUBLISHER, Andrea “Andee” Hoig

EDITORIAL EDITOR & VICE PRESIDENT OF NEWS, Tiffany Brazda EDITORIAL ASSISTANT, Savannah Behrends STAFF WRITER, Becky McCarville

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING CONSULTANT, Julie Whitehead OFFICE OFFICE ASSISTANT, Rosemary Gregurich

(402) 330-1760 Zane D. Randall (1925-2006) Co-founder LeAnne M. Iwan (1932-1986) First News Editor

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

Written permission must be obtained from Midlands Business Journal and MBJ, Inc., to post any of our stories or other published materials on a website. Under no circumstances, because of spamming potential and other issues, will permission be granted to transmit our stories by email.

-The Publisher.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Beresford brings compassionate dental care to community at Bluffs Family Dentistry

by Dwain Hebda

Caitlin Beresford decided in middle school she wanted to be a dentist, but she didn’t envision it would lead her back to her hometown of Council Bluffs. Now she’s making the most of every opportunity to improve dental care for all, regardless of their circumstance.

“Being a Council Bluffs hometown gal, I have been aware of the socio-economic status of this side of Iowa and the smaller surrounding communities,” she said.

“When I went to dental school, they told us if we all take a little bit of the population who doesn’t have insurance or has 2020 Medicaid, everyone in our state can be taken care of.

“When I moved back here and started practicing, it was really easy to take those patients and make dentures or do whatever it is they needed for free. I am fortunate that donating my time like that isn’t going to make or break me, but for that person it makes a huge difference.”

Beresford graduated from the University of Iowa and was granted early admission to its dental school, earning her DDS in 2008.

She joined Bluffs Family Dentistry that same year and by 2013 had become a partner in the practice. She said the five intervening years were critical to learning the business side of her profession.

“I cannot say I knew anything about business; in dental school you get two eight-hour days of business-type classes thrown into the

Dr. Caitlin Beresford … Reaching partner at the dental practice at a young age, dentist gives back to the community. middle of all your dental curriculum,” she said. coming into things that were already set up.”

Beresford, who was recognized as the Iowa “Since those were not things you knew you were going to be tested on immediately, they Dental Association’s New Dentist of the Year weren’t things that you paid too much attention in 2017, has also dived headlong into industry and community groups. She’s past-president to at the time.

“When I joined the practice in 2008, the of the Southwest Iowa District Dental Assogoal was always to become partner and buy in. So, they did a lot of on-the-job training in Proud Sponsors of the 2020 terms of how we run our business, how we do our payroll, these are the taxes that are due. As an established practice, Bluffs Family Dentistry is a well-oiled machine, so I benefited from

ciation and served as a delegate to the Iowa Dental Association House of Delegates. She’s also a member of the Dental Lifeline Network, providing free dental care to people with disabilities, the elderly or medically fragile.

Outside of her profession, she’s equally involved in nonprofit work, most notably as chairperson of the Methodist Jennie Edmundson City-Wide Pink Out Committee for the past nine years. The committee raises awareness of breast cancer by organizing various activities and events to raise funds for patients and public education efforts. “[Breast cancer] is a cause that’s near and dear to my heart, based on family history,” she said. “My only aunt on my mom’s side passed away in her 40s from breast cancer, and my parents were always very open with us in talking about what Aunt Judy was going through.

“Everything we do here, the money stays local. All of the funds we raise help patients out with gas money if they’re traveling from an hour and a half away and they can’t financially make ends meet to make it to their chemo appointments.

“Or, if they don’t have insurance that covers a mammogram, we make up the difference of that. That goes back, again, to taking care of my neighbors and trying to do as much as I can to support Southwest Iowa and my hometown.”

40 Under 40:

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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

December 18, 2020

2020 brought new opportunities in tech, put spotlight on representation in workforce

by Michelle Leach

Society-altering shifts in 2020 are supporting an array of new opportunities in technology, both in terms of more positions for those with the right skill sets and the emergence of never-before-seen niches.

“2020 has been a year like no other in the AIM Institute’s 25plus year history,” said Monika Philp, director of tech leadership development. “While the pandemic has caused some challenges, such as adapting to remote work, it's also spurred Tapio our organization to pivot our programming to virtual delivery formats.”

Educational and career training opportunities continue to be accessible to all, Philp said, from local elementary school students to seasoned technology professionals.

“Some great examples of this include AIM Tech Leadership Academies,” she said. “By moving to an all-virtual format, we were able to include emerging tech professionals from overseas for the first time, with three participants from the United Kingdom.”

Its flagship Heartland Developers Conference, Infotec and the AIM Tech Awards events have been held on the Hopin virtual platform.

“While there definitely was a learning curve, these conferences and events were well received by participants,” Philp said. “We also had hundreds more attendees than our traditional, in-person events.”

While a tough year, she reinforced the big picture: AIM’s programming as a force behind the development, growth and retention of local tech talent — critical to the success of the area’s business landscape.

Carmen Tapio and her business, North End Teleservices, has also been a force behind the tech talent pipeline.

Founded in partnership with the Omaha Economic Development Corporation, NET’s services include customer support, sales, reservation sales, back-office, and overflow and after-hours to the insurance, travel, hospitality, financial and retail sectors.

“Our culture is informed by our mission: to create jobs and change lives,” she said. “We partner with a number of local organizations and agencies and also utilize a variety of recruitment sources to ensure we are inviting a

diverse group of people to become a part of the NET family.”

The public health crisis has underscored racial and socioeconomic inequities. The EEOC reports that high-tech sectors employ a larger share of white employees (nearly 69%) and men (64%) than the overall private industry (around 63% and 52%, respectively). The inverse is true of African Americans, Hispanics and women, which account for 7%, 8% and 36% of the tech industry but 14.4%, Van Deun 13.9% and 48% of the private sector as a whole.

Tapio referenced NET’s active involvement in the community, which expands its “audience” and the potential to recruit a more diverse workforce.

An Aksarben Workforce initiative, the Nebraska Tech Collaborative is made up of business, government, education and nonprofit partners on a mission to grow the state’s tech talent ecosystem, bolstering sustained economic prosperity.

President Jona Van Deun said the company specifically serves companies that seek tech workers and entrepreneurial types within the technology space. She referred to how its growing number of partners (more than 100) are working to increase the number of tech workers and tech startups, as well as to improve diversity and social awareness around the state’s tech landscape.

Opportunities abound in those areas of technology that are currently characterized by pivotal advancements: agriculture, financial and investment services, health care and advanced manufacturing.

“Nebraska has a lot to be excited about and a lot to share with our friends and neighbors across the country,” she said.

Despite the challenges of 2020, Van Deun indicated there has been considerable innovation within the state’s technology space. She doesn’t see a slowdown.

“There’s a place for anyone who wants one within Nebraska’s tech ecosystem,” she said.

An NTC partner, Techtonic is actively moving into new cities and new disciplines.

Chief Executive Officer Nicole Craine referred to Denver and Omaha as it relates to specific Continued on next page.

Monika Philp, director of tech leadership development at AIM. (Courtesy of AIM)

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Technology

Cloud services accelerate for businesses of all sizes

by Gabby Hellbusch

The future of cloud services is quickly advancing, especially as more people are working remotely, local tech professionals say.

Opportunities in tech Continued from preceding page. communities, and disciplines of apprentice software developers, QA engineers and DevOps. “And considering the current state of the nation, related to employment rates and the shift to remote workplace, our apprenticeship program is well-positioned to support those looking for a new career opportunity and those companies who are desperate for high-quality tech talent,” she said.

Techtonic has pioneered a new way to hire tech talent and new hiring process that, Craine noted, that reduces risk, increases employee loyalty and is cost-effective.

Growth is anticipated in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics and data analytics throughout the Midwest.

As organizations continue to look for the best delivery platform for its business processes, Brad Grabill, director of sales and general manager at Sirius Computer Solutions, said expanding cloud services will become a foundation.

“Primary application providers continue the move to the cloud by delivering their solutions as software as a service (SaaS) offerings,” Grabill said.

“Organizations looking to leverage the flexibility and scale the cloud Grabill offers will look to expand their cloud services to create an optimized, multi-cloud environment.”

To fully recognize the benefits of the cloud and the innovation it can provide, organizations should consider adapting their operational models.

“Legacy structures put in place years ago

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to architect, implement and manage technology are not suited to maximize cloud services for the business today,” he said. “Automation and orchestration tools and expertise are needed to effectively manage the growing number of connected cloud services deployed.

The massive increase in remote work that companies have experienced this year has put additional strain on remote access and endpoint security.”

The cloud is a great Garren business enabler, but Grabill said it’s not a simple undertaking to completely digitize an enterprise.

“Combining the right mix of design and implementation services with managed service offerings for operational efficiency, organizations can better leverage the benefits of the cloud to build and protect their brand,” he said.

Brian Peterson, CEO of Cloud Shift Strategies, a consulting firm that assists businesses that are transitioning information technology assets into the Amazon Web Services public cloud, said the company is planning to release a SaaS product that automates many of the best practices the firm has been been helping customers implement.

“This product will allow customers to get these benefits in a self-service fashion with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that will be very attractive,” Peterson said.

Adoption of the public cloud for IT was already accelerating at a brisk pace prior to

2020, he noted.

“This year, as many businesses transitioned to work from home, they realized that having computers trapped in the basement of the office building with nobody there doesn’t really work,” he said. “So, the adoption of public cloud is accelerating. But, businesses should know that the public cloud can be a hostile place, where misconfiguration can have dire consequences.

Leveraging expert consultancies like Cloud Shift Strategies to help make this journey safe is essential. Software solutions like the one we will be releasing in early 2021 will be a critical part of staying safe.”

Raymond Garren, managing partner of Midwest Cloud Computing, said the technology of cloud services is becoming highly enabling for the customer.

“However, cloud service providers (MSPs) are becoming larger in numbers and their abilities to deploy newer technology is becoming more questionable,” he said. “It seems like any technician who has five to 10 years under their belt feels enabled to go out on their own as an MSP. The good news is the technology is becoming more and more of a commodity and price competitive. So now we’re back to a ‘buyer beware’ mentality when moving your business technology into the cloud.”

According to Garren, companies are seeing providers stack service offerings and, in some cases, getting double charged for services.

“Customers who haven’t heard from their provider for years, is becoming more of a common complaint,” he said. “Security is becoming a huge benefit as cloud services become available. Service providers are far more motivated to invest in security as nobody wants to be the next provider that gets hacked. I’m still a believer that an outsourced cloud-based security strategy is better than home grown and staffed security.”

Experts share how to make the most of startup accelerator experience

by Dwain Hebda

In the lifespan of a young company, an accelerator can provide a crucial infusion of expertise, experts say, if the entrepreneur approaches the opportunity with the correct mindset and motivation.

“The primary function of an accelerator is surrounding a young company with critical resources the founders need to explore a new business model and vet potential technology,” said Matt Foley, program director with Invest Nebraska.

“The most important things gained from Foley participation include making connections, gaining mentorship and a sense of urgency and speed to market.”

Foley’s best advice for maximizing a company’s accelerator experience is to commit to the process.

“Participation in an accelerator works best when the entire founding team is on board and the vision aligns with what the program is offering,” he said. “A great way to conduct due diligence on an accelerator is researching its alumni network and learning about how their experience was.

“A company can best maximize the opportunities of an accelerator by doing

their research on both the program as well as the staff running the accelerator. Some accelerators provide capital investment in exchange for equity, others strictly provide services for equity and others take no equity at all. Founders should certainly map out the goals they hope to achieve during participation and see if they align with the program’s goals.”

Companies should also keep an open mind as they participate in accelerators as the experience often shows entrepreneurs the need to change their game plan.

Preheim “Companies that are often accepted or participate in accelerators are nascent and finding their way,” said Nathan Preheim, co-founder of Proven Ventures and the Startup Collaborative. “Very often, the assumptions they had initially advance, evolve or are invalidated based on new customer discovery insights.

“If you want to get the most out of an accelerator, you have to be prepared to shift your thinking and admit that what you think is true might not be the best path forward.

Sometimes founders really struggle with this, because they fall in love with their solution Continued on next page.

Technology •

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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Taking technology to the next level requires big commitment of time and money

by David Kubicek

A small business that wants to take its technology to the next level must commit to investing the time and money.

“The cost and time involved to spec and build software are factors I focus on with potential customers before they commit to taking their business to the next level with custom software,” said Michelle Weiss Brozek, president of Method Development. “Spec’ing software scenarios, building and testing software, and processing feedback all take time.

These work best if there is a bi-weekly or

monthly agile-like review process so you get to see your software evolve.”

Many small businesses are not aware of the cost beyond building the new technology.

In addition to the new features, you will need to upgrade underlying frameworks, patch security issues, update software libraries and be aware that end user devices such as browsers and mobile devices change.

“If you don't maintain your software, it may run for a while but just like anything else it will break down,” Brozek said. “Maintenance is key to long-term systems.”

Make the most of startup accelerator experience Continued from preceding page. an accelerator takes, tending to both the and become so dug-in they aren’t open to program’s curriculum and the day-to-day adjustments, tweaks or modifications.” running of the business.

Preheim said choosing the right accel“We have had a number of partner starterator follows the same line of ups participate in accelerators. thinking as choosing any other Those who gained significant adcritical member of the team — do vantage from participation built your homework. strong relationships within the “First, apply some scrutiny larger community surrounding to the executive director. I am althe accelerator,” said Bill Udell, ways dubious of someone leading chief operating officer with Don’t an accelerator that has not been Panic Labs. a founder,” he said. “Then, look “It seems like accelerator closely at the advisers and the culture is generally beneficial, curriculum. but from the outside it seems like “Look at the portfolio of sometimes it could occasionally Udell companies that have participatbecome a distraction. Creating a ed. And then ask them what they thought business is a grind and so there may be a of the experience. Would they recommend draw to the social or cultural activities of participating? Was it a worthwhile activity?” the accelerator. There probably needs to be Participating entrepreneurs should some discipline to remain laser-focused on also be aware of the mental commitment solving your business problem.”

Do the research to see if there are existing -How fast can the new technology be off-the-shelf applications or software as a deployed? service (SaaS) models that do what you need -Can any old data be migrated or accessed before investing in a software build. If you from a historical perspective in the future if decide to create your own software, choose needed? a team that specializes in the tech you are “If you’re creating a new digital business looking for and who you feel comfortable model or launching a new product that relies talking to. heavily on technology for differen“Don't ignore security, espetiation and monetization, you will cially if your systems store sensilikely need to invest in a skilled IT tive user data,” Brozek said. “Think staff and/or use skilled trusted third two-factor authentication [and] parties for technology consulting data encryption — both data in and implementation services if you motion and at rest. Make sure your can’t ramp your existing IT staff team has experience and a lengthy fast enough,” Jansen said. “Over history working with software time, you may want to completely systems that need to be secured.” outsource the day-to-day manBefore investing in a tech agement and operations of your heavy operation, know precisely technology to allow your in-house Jansen what your strategic goals are and IT staff to focus on more core line what pain points you are intending to address, of business applications and free up their time said Chris Jansen, senior account executive for strategic and innovative IT projects that are and district OEM sales lead for OneNeck IT key to the growth of your business.”

Solutions.

Work with a hybrid IT provider who has Jansen suggested questions to ask yourself: expertise that spans a wide variety of plat -What business problems or opportunities forms and technologies, including on-premise, am I trying to address? colocation, hosted private cloud, or managed -Which technologies do I want to pursue public cloud services and has managed thouand why? sands of tech implementations.

-Can my existing technology be lev“Whenever you implement new tech, it’s eraged or integrated with the new technol- crucial to review your old processes and upogy, and is the expected impact worth the date them,” Jansen said. “Implementing a lot investment? of technology requires a lot of change, which -Does my current security posture support can cause serious disruptions in your business. the new technology?

Make sure you’re taking the steps necessary to -Does my existing staff or IT Team have mitigate the risk, while taking advantage of the the ability to onboard and consume a new opportunities new technology brings so you technology? can chart a reliable path forward.”

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

NEDCO helps bolster statewide lending capacity; shatters loan volume records Continued from page 1. statewide, also had 13 more projects in the works.

“It’s a very diversified list of businesses,” Sailors said, referencing the borrowers behind the projects that account for the total SBA 504 project money infused into the Nebraska economy.

Via this report, projects ranged in value from $160,000 to more than $5 million.

Of the 50 total projects, 14 were in transportation (such as auto repair, dealerships, trucking, car wash locations), eight were in trades (including plumbing), and another five were in the health care industry. There were also a number of projects in education and housing, including residential construction and lawn care.

More than half of the loans supported organizations’ projects in Lincoln and the Omaha metro. The balance of projects are based throughout the state — Fremont, Scottsbluff, Alliance, North Plate, Grand Island, Beatrice, Kearney, Henderson, Plattsmouth, Fullerton, Cozad, South Yankton, Grand Island, Crete and Columbus.

“There has been a very large uptick in the average number of years that people retain their cars,” Sailors said of factors driving activity among auto repair and other car-related businesses.

He indicated consumers are also micro-focused on home improvements.

“We’ve seen a big uptick in storage and landscaping companies that are buying buildings and equipment,” Sailors said.

Even restaurants are doing well, as long as they have a drive-through window or accommodate for social distancing.

“They’re really busy, if they conform to what the public demands,” he said.

Perhaps the biggest departure in those projects that are being financed comes from the hospitality sector.

“We were the state’s largest underwriters of hotels by far,” Sailors said. “They continue to be under as much stress as I’ve seen them under. We are not financing any more hotels, because the hospitality industry is so strained as the result of COVID-19.”

In fact, he alluded to conversations about repurposing these spaces, which already function as living quarters, to meet demands for memory care and assisted living.

Likewise, exciting conversations have revolved around another stressed industry: movie theaters. Sailors described potential projects that would revive the outdoor

cinema experience with state-of-the-art technology. When the drive-in theater isn’t in use, it could be booked for events or even church services.

Generally, not specific to sector, Sailors said more banks are using NEDCO now.

“Banks bring in NEDCO due to their lending limits,” he said. “They’re being very careful and have a number in mind. They’re not willing to do more.”

Here in Nebraska, people are very familiar with NEDCO’s product: 504 lending and SBA lending in general.

“The misconception was if it involved the SBA there would be too much paperwork or it would be more complicated,” he said. “It’s so streamlined now.”

From efficiencies via software programs to efficiencies at centers, the SBA has been intentional in making the process fast and hassle-free, according to Sailors.

To accommodate record loan volume, Sailors said NEDCO has hired another team member and was embarking on adding a second new employee last month.

“Staffing is one issue … but another big investment is in computer infrastructure,” he said.

Sailors noted the organization is able to access quality hardware and tech support; plus, it’s consistently reviewing processes and tweaking them.

“It’s really incumbent upon the state to capture as much of the long-term discounted money as they can,” he said. “And interest rates will go up at some point in time. You can have all that money sitting and growing, and growing jobs, and it’s pretty much unlimited.”

In fact, the SBA 504 Project report details that the afore-referenced 50 total loans created or retained 419 jobs. Sailors indicated that figure is conservative; it doesn’t account for the “domino effect” or multiplier that occurs when an auto repair business, for instance, inspires the development of other businesses such as parts suppliers.

The program’s low-interest, fixed 20- or 25-year rate generally allows businesses to elevate cash flow and operating margins by aiding with fixed capital asset needs like real estate and heavy equipment.

NEDCO was recognized as Rural Small Business Lender of the Year in 2019 by the Coleman Report, which is regarded by industry peers as an “SBA authority” that is relied upon for “technical and leadership guidance in a number of areas.”

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

9

Lincoln’s Pratt Industries seeks to enhance market presence Continued from page 1. production by at least 10%. Boxes produced in Nebraska’s capital city are shipped within a 150- to 200-mile radius to about 100 customers a month in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri and Colorado.

Pratt Industries Phone: 402-464-7477 Address: 6600 Fletcher Ave., Lincoln 68507 Services: design and production of boxes Founded: Lincoln plant opened in 1963 as Lincoln Corrugated Box Co. Employees: 40 One-year goal: Increase volume of boxes produced or sales volume by at least 10%.

Industry outlook: Growth opportunities can best be achieved by taking an outcomes-driven rather than a process-driven approach.

Website: prattindustries-Lincoln.com

“Over the past 20 years the biggest driver has been e-commerce and boxes to ship items directly to a customer’s home,” Gregg said.

Pratt Industries’ Lincoln operation is rolling out a new website to accompany its corporate site and to enhance the public information and overall purchasing experience.

“We’re now providing easy access to information and resources for local businesses and customers looking for packaging solutions,” Gregg said.

Specific descriptions of available products and services, local contact information, industry updates, and answers to commonly asked questions are among the information provided on the website.

Equipment upgrades are important to the widening menu of services and choices being offered to customers tthat might want 8-by-8-inch insert boxes for a single razor to be shipped, to much larger boxes such as

a 48-by-40-inch pallet totes for bulk-picked products.

Gregg said over 60% of the work at the Lincoln plant involves the design and manufacture of corrugated boxes often used by food processors for items ranging from meats to bakery items.

As retail stores nationally trim their space on sales floors and more items are shipped directly to customers from warehouses, Gregg — who started in the business in the 1980s — said Pratt Industries has seized much of the demand for point-of-sale displays. The Lincoln plant over the past two years has used eye-catching graphics and unique designs to capture customer attention toward impulse buys such as specialized lighting equipment offered near checkouts in hardware stores.

“The display we design might sit on the counter and with the graphics and unique design emphasize the low price of something such as home lighting equipment,” Gregg said. “It is a growth area for us that we expect to continue to develop.”

The addition of two new die-cutting machines and a “flexo folder gluer” have been important additions to the Lincoln plant. The latter technology prints, cuts, and does other multiple functions as boxes are glued, in one pass-through.

Through the years, conveyor systems have replaced hand trucks.

Home-based startup businesses selling a wide variety of products are an increasingly important growth area for Pratt Industries.

With more sales on the internet, packaging products are in high demand.

“One of our challenges is the fact that we are nearing capacity constraints,” Gregg said. “We’re going to be continually looking to find more space beyond our 55-year-old building.”

Job openings unexpectedly rose to a 3-month high

by Vince Golle

U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in October to a level that’s consistent with a gradual improvement in the labor market as employers seek to adjust headcounts against a backdrop of changing demand and coronavirus infection Jobs dynamics.

The number of available positions increased to 6.65 million during the month from a revised 6.49 million in September, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed recently. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for 6.3 million vacancies. Openings that involve workers recalled from layoffs or positions that are only offered internally are not counted in the figure.

Some 3.09 million quit their jobs in October, while the number of layoffs and discharges increased to 1.68 million from 1.44 million a month earlier.

The number of vacancies has leveled off after surging in the three months immediately following the depths of the pandemic. In industries most impacted by the virus, employers are challenged both by demand uncertainty and churn as some workers quit because of health-safety concerns.

The recent trend in job openings is also consistent with more subdued payroll growth. In November, employment slowed

considerably, according to separate Labor Department data that also showed more people leaving the workforce altogether.

Job vacancies increased in health care, construction and manufacturing, the JOLTS report showed. Openings improved more moderately in leisure and hospitality and federal government. They fell in retail and business services.

Openings picked up in all four U.S. regions, including 2.61 million vacancies in the South that was the most since January.

The number of hires, which includes rehired employees, was little changed at 5.81 million in October after 5.89 million a month earlier. The hires rate decreased to 4.1% from 4.2%.

Separations, which include layoffs and quits, rose to 5.11 million from 4.84 million, and the rate of layoffs and discharges climbed to 1.2% from 1% in September, the first increase since March.

Competition among those looking for work remains elevated, with 11.1 million unemployed Americans in October, leaving 1.66 jobless workers vying for every job opening during the month. That stands in contrast to a two-year trend before the pandemic during which job vacancies exceeded the number of unemployed. ©2020 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

A vacant lot immediately east of the Fletcher Ave. building may be part of the answer.

Beginning in the 1980s Pratt Industries undertook an initiative to target recycling and the multi-national firm has gained recognition for its integrated corrugated box manufacturing and reclamation successes. Old boxes, newsprint and office waste are involved.

Pratt Industries’ paper mills in the U.S. are located in Conyers, Georgia; Staten Island, New York; Shreveport, Louisiana; Valparaiso, Indiana; and Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Pratt Industries in Lincoln is a converting plant division of the conglomerate’s hub and spoke network dedicated to providing the packaging industry’s best and most environmentally-friendly packaging. It is one of 36 converting facilities placed strategically through the country.

Corporatewide, Pratt Industries is placing more emphasis on large and profitable partnerships, continually reinvesting in new technologies in machinery, robotics and analytical systems and, under the direction of

Executive Chairman Anthony Pratt, aiming to reach $10 billion in revenues in Australia and the U.S. by 2026.

An outcomes-driven rather than a process-driven approach is being advocated by Pratt.

The U.S. head office is in Conyers. The firm is America’s fifth largest corrugated packaging company and the world’s largest privately-held 100% recycled paper and packaging company.

For Gregg in Lincoln, the challenge is to identify upcoming stars and then developing them. An alliance with Southeast Community College is helping train workers in robotics, manufacturing and assembly line work.

“Overall, we have a good mix of seasoned veterans and those new to the industry,” Gregg said.

And with double-digit growth as a perennial goal that continues to be met, there’s likely not going to be any let up, he added.

“We make boxes but we’re not a high-visibility industry,” Gregg said. “However, everyone everyday has their life impacted by something that came in a box.”

10

• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Swishboom meets child care need during the pandemic and beyond Continued from page 1. and concerts, but how will it be used now to best help people,” Mikuls said, adding that it’s gaining traction as an employee benefit offered by employers. “And then we are also offering

Swishboom Services: subscription-based child care scheduling app Launched: July 5, 2020 Goals: Boost subscription count to 10,000 in next 12 months.

Industry trends: The pandemic has spotlighted the need for child care solutions.

Website: swishboom.com

it to health care workers, which we are most proud about, trying to provide them a backup care plan when they need to go in and schools are canceled.”

For example, it’s been used by doctors who plan their on-call schedules ahead of time, and it’s responsive enough to book a sitter if something unexpected comes up.

Working moms have been disproportionately affected during the pandemic — juggling work expectations, child care, managing online learning for their kids along with the day-to-day responsibilities — and many have had to make tough decisions between working and taking care of their kids.

Mikuls, a commercial real estate broker, previous MBJ 40 Under 40 winner, and mom to three kids, has personally experienced the conundrum: “Because I’m the independent, commission-based [parent], I have to have been the one to step up in child care.”

Now more than ever, employers are realizing that to retain their employees, child care

must be a top priority.

“I always knew personally that child care is the reason that women are not being able to ‘lean into’ the workplace, so I always hoped we’d be able to solve those problems but now I feel like we’re much more targeted and much more focused to say, OK, here’s how we are actually doing that,” she said. “For us that’s been a really huge part of it, and for employers, is — how do we keep women in the workplace, how can we allow women to have the option to stay in the workplace if that’s something that they want … this app is so timely because it is a tool that people can use to have that backup care so that child care isn’t an issue.”

Two large Omaha-based health care organizations are looking to Swishboom to offer as a benefit to their employees.

“It’s really exciting to see how employers are supporting it,” she said. “They said they’ve never really thought of child care when it comes to benefits but because of 2020, child care is front and center — whether it be doing a Zoom call and you see your kid’s running naked behind you in a call — it’s very much in the face of every employer. So that’s one of the things I’m really looking forward to for a long-term effect, whether it be Swishboom as a solution or other solutions, start to see that child care is something that employers [consider as] part of the conversation.”

When people download the Swishboom app, they can add their personal contacts and trusted sitters to leverage their networks and book jobs faster. The bigger the network, the faster a job is booked; however, it’s also helping people who might not have their own network.

The subscription-model app is $4.99 per month via the App Store or Google Play, is

free to sitters and right now, free to health care workers. Parents are still responsible to pay the sitter, but the app offers transparency on how much the job will pay and the method of payment preferred. The app also has a brief health questionnaire filled out by the babysitter and the family.

“Swishboom doesn’t say, based on the results, you can’t book a job, or you can’t claim a job,” Mikuls said. “It creates transparency, so it tells the parents hey, here’s what the sitter’s practices are and see if it aligns with your family.”

Sitters are required to wear masks in the homes of families, reminded about frequent hand washing and encouraged to stay six feet apart when feasible.

Swishboom has been part of the Startup Collaborative and recently closed its first round of funding. The company was also awarded a Nebraska Prototype Grant — funds provided by the state to help spur tech talent and startups.

“The Omaha community has been really supportive of the app and the feedback we’ve gotten has been really great,” she said. “The cool thing is our investors … have all used the app as parents. There’s something to be said that the end users are investing in you and so I think that’s really exciting for us — they’re all local family parents with kids.”

The goal is to increase the subscription count to 10,000 in the next 12 months and grow the business as part of Silicon Prairie’s startup

ecosystem.

As a scheduling app, the co-founders see the company expanding into sectors like education, health care and telehealth.

“Swishboom is changing the way you schedule, and how you schedule is through your network of people you trust,” Mikuls said, whether it’s a hospital system needing to fill a shift or a school finding a substitute teacher.

“That’s kind of what we want Swishboom to be, is where people schedule through how we naturally look — who do you suggest, who do you refer — that’s what we want to kind of take it back to a little more intimate [platform].”

Mikuls said that the partnership with Tom is complementary and they each play to their strengths. She handles more of the marketing and sales side of the business while Tom, who has a tech background as a full stack software developer and previously worked for Object Partners, built the app.

“It’s been a really good partnership and obviously being family, you know that we’re working as hard as we can because we have really big goals that we wanted to achieve as a family,” she said. “We were driven a lot more than just being pure partners.”

When brainstorming the company name with her sister, “swish” references their high school basketball days and the satisfaction of a perfect, natural “swish” basket. The “boom” was feeling like they were “winning as parents.”

COVID-19 sets the stage for the future of cybersecurity

by Dwain Hebda

Cybercriminals are not slowing down for the pandemic, say local cybersecurity experts, as criminal tactics take aim at shifting work environments leading the cybersecurity industry in entirely new directions for the future.

“We did notice a bit less movement in March and April of 2020, but cybercrime is definitely not slowing down,” said Brandon Gordon, president of Run Networks. “The biggest change we have seen over the last year is more and more research and effort the attackers are putting forth prior to the attack.

“On top of that, the ‘attack’ is turning into a situation with Gordon the attacker requesting the user to do something rather than something automated behind the scenes.

This usually involves a request to purchase gift cards, pay taxes with a credit card or wire money.”

Gordon said the tactics of today’s cybercriminal call for active security teams in the coming years over passive security measures.

“Some trends that we see in security protection are related to endpoint protection and services that combine an agent with active monitoring by a team of security professionals,” he said. “A proactive security agent alerts when a malicious foothold is discovered. It doesn’t actually clean up anything but notifies the contact so they can take appropriate action.”

Denise Mainquist, CEO of ITPAC, said the most impactful part of the pandemic thus far has been employees working remotely.

As long as that continues, cybersecurity will

have to evolve rapidly to head off breaches.

“There has been an increase in phishing attacks and those kinds of malware attacks on networks just because I think there’s a lot of distractions this year,” she said. “The fraudsters are taking those opportunities to try to catch people while they’re distracted and install malware into systems and steal online credentials. I believe there has been an increase just because there’s a lot more

Mainquist Struyk business being done online this year.

“Also, we’re seeing some permanent workplace changes emerge like employees working remotely. There will also be less travel going forward, less flying to places for in-person meetings, replaced by more online meetings. So, those are the places that hackers and fraudsters are going to look to get into now, because that’s the way business is being done.”

Mainquist said in addition to existing VPN and multifactor authentication protocols, she expects a whole new generation of antivirus software to emerge going forward.

“Some of the more advanced antivirus-type systems, like Cylance, are actually doing more with quarantining things that look suspicious and making sure those things don’t get set off in the network,” she said. “I think we’ll see more in that area as more things are Continued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

11

Survey: More than two-fifths of households say income hasn’t recovered from initial coronavirus hit

by Sarah Foster

The coronavirus pandemic instantly knocked millions of Americans into hardship — but the recovery is shaping up to be months, if not years, in the making.

A new Bankrate surEconomy vey finds that half of U.S. households’ incomes took a hit when the novel virus outbreak first catapulted the U.S. economy into the worst recession since the Great Depression.

But even after a sharp initial rebound, nine months later more than 2 in 5 (or SUPER CROSSWORD

42 percent) say their wallets still haven’t fully recovered. Meanwhile, just 1 in 6 (or 17 percent) report that their incomes have returned to normal.

Casting a dark shadow on that picture are soaring virus cases, renewed lockdowns and soon-to-expire federal relief programs in the midst of steep Congressional gridlock.

“Forty-two percent of households say their incomes are still below pre-pandemic levels, speaking to the widespread financial impact that remains,” says Greg McBride, POP TRIOS

CFA, Bankrate chief financial analyst.

“Even as Americans are returning to work, many households are earning less than they were before COVID-19.”

Key takeaways: —Among the half of U.S. households that took an income hit, 21 percent report being laid off or furloughed and 19 percent report having their hours cut.

—A majority of respondents (51 percent) expect a full recovery to take at least six months or longer, while an additional 6 percent think their income will never recover.

—Highest-wage earners are more than twice as likely (30 percent) to have already made a full recovery than lowest earners (9 percent).

—Overwhelming majority of Americans (85 percent) are worried about their household’s income taking a hit, regardless of whether they felt an impact at the start of the pandemic in March.

Nearly 1 in 5 report being laid off or furloughed or having their hours cut The coronavirus pandemic caused tremendous financial hardship when it wreaked havoc on the job market, with nationwide restrictions forcing businesses to close and lay off workers en masse — putting as many as 1 in 4 Americans on unemployment benefits at the worst of the crisis.

Bankrate’s survey reflected the job market’s upheaval. Of the half of U.S. households who experienced an income disruption, more than 1 in 5 (or 21 percent) say their wallet took a hit because either they or someone in their household was laid off or furloughed, the most likely of the reasons for experiencing disruptions.

Other causes include having hours cut (19 percent), being unable to operate business as usual (16 percent) or taking a pay cut (10 percent). A marginal 5 percent preferred not to say whether their finances were negatively impacted, while 12 percent said the cause was something else.

Less than half (45 percent) of households report that they didn’t experience an

Future of cybersecurity

Answers on page 12.

Continued from preceding page. going to be done online.”

Given the sophistication of bad actors these days, many more companies are carrying cyber insurance to help protect them against cybercrime.

“Cybersecurity is one of the biggest and most prevalent risks a business faces today,” said Jack Struyk, president of Lockton Companies. “Cyber liability insurance has become a necessity of businesses.”

Struyk said while such coverage is readily available and prices have leveled off over the past 18 months, companies are still subject to an extensive underwriting process to qualify.

He said this has led firms such as Lockton Companies to provide additional services for clients.

“Lockton has a large dedicated team of insurance professionals focused solely on cyber liability,” he said. “We do have resources to help clients with security audits, employee education and seminars. And, with good relationships with all the large carriers both in the United States and London, we have the ability to negotiate the broadest coverage terms and the best pricing.”

income disruption because of the pandemic.

These findings compare with a similar iteration of Bankrate’s survey, which found in June that 49 percent of U.S. households had experienced an income disruption, with the most likely culprit being a layoff or furlough (20 percent) or a reduction in hours (19 percent).

Younger workers, minorities more likely to feel an income squeeze The likelihood of experiencing an income disruption varied little among male and female respondents, regions and income groups, according to Bankrate’s poll, suggesting that the financial pain has been widespread. When it comes to age and race, however, that pain has been tougher on some.

About 58 percent of Hispanic and 55 percent of Black households report that their incomes took a hit, compared with 47 percent of white workers. Meanwhile, 63 percent of both Generation Z (those between the ages of 18-23) and millennial households (between the ages of 24-39) report that they were negatively impacted. That compares with just 37 percent of baby boomers, though more than half (54 percent) of Generation X (ages 40-55) households felt a squeeze.

Most respondents (51 percent) expect a full recovery to take at least six months or longer The U.S. economy has charted a dramatic reversal from its initial downfall. Joblessness has shrunk by more than half, and U.S. employers have brought back roughly 56 percent of the 22.2 million positions lost between February and April.

But Americans aren’t feeling it hit their wallets just yet. Just 17 percent of U.S. households say their incomes have returned to normal, and very few expect their financial situation to rebound anytime soon More than half (or 51 percent) expect a full recovery to take six months or longer, Bankrate’s poll found. That’s up significantly from the 37 percent of Americans who expected needing that time frame in Bankrate’s July survey. Another 6 percent think their income will never recover.

Of those responses, 20 percent say they think their wallet will need between six to 12 months to recover, while 31 percent say it will take one year or longer, the largest cluster.

At the same time, 14 percent expect needing between three and six months, while 8 percent foresee a recovery taking between one month and up to three months.

Just 4 percent say their wallet will need less than one month to fully rebound.

Higher-income earners are more than twice as likely to have already made a full recovery than lower-wage earners But at the heart of that picture is a growing disparity, with upper-income Americans more than twice as likely than low-wage earners to have already recovered.

While 30 percent of those earning $80,000 or more a year report having already recovered, that’s true for just 9 percent of those who earn less than $30,000 a year and 15 percent who make between $40,000 and $80,000 annually, Bankrate’s poll found.

Whites are also twice as likely as Black and Hispanic workers to have made a full Continued on next page.

12

• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

Hedge funds eye distressed malls and hotels

by Adam Tempkin

Hedge funds are eyeing malls, hotels, and office buildings hobbled by the Covid-19 pandemic Real Estate in what some say may be the most lucrative commercial real estate move of 2021.

Investors are looking to provide loans and invest in bonds for restructured commercial real estate assets in trades that could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Vaccine developments have buoyed commercial real estate, along with other risk assets.

“The distressed loan pipeline is build-

ing,” Leo Huang, senior portfolio manager and head of commercial real estate debt at Ellington Management Group, said in an interview this week. “This has been a cycle that is so sector-specific that we’ve seen good opportunity.”

Commercial real estate and mortgage-backed securities have become a credit pickers’ market, bringing a wide dispersion in performance and losses among deals. Asset selection and credit work in the coming year will be key, market participants say.

“For commercial real estate loans and first mortgages, there’s a need to source and underwrite them,” Huang

Continued from preceding page. recovery (at 21 percent versus 11 and 13 percent, respectively). That’s in line with similar job market disparities. While unemployment soared across all demographics at the start of the pandemic in March, white joblessness has since fallen at a much faster pace than Hispanic and Black unemployment.

Majority of Americans are worried about their household’s income taking a hit, regardless of whether they felt an impact at the start of the pandemic in March Underscoring those financial expectations, many Americans are highlighting concerns about the months ahead. An overwhelming majority of all U.S. households (85 percent) say they fear that their income will be negatively impacted by the pandemic — regardless of whether they reported an income disruption.

A staggering 95 percent of households that have already suffered an income drop during the pandemic are worried about taking another hit in the coming months, including 2 in 5 (or 40 percent) who say they’re very worried. Just 5 percent say they’re not at all worried.

At the same time, three-fourths (or 75 percent) of U.S. households that did not experience any negative impact to their income to date are worried about facing one in the coming months, up from 62 percent in June.

That doesn’t bode well for consumption, the powerhouse of the U.S. economy, with Americans saving at a higher rate than before the pandemic. At the same time, it also shows just how heavily consumers are influenced by the outbreak, with many of those fears likely tied to the resurgence in cases and a lack of new federal relief.

Experts say consumer apprehension is what ignited the initial downturn, with the pullback in spending happening long before any states had imposed restrictions.

“The vast majority of Americans, 85 percent, are worried about a hit to their household income in the coming months due to the pandemic,” McBride said.

“This widespread worry and hesitancy to spend will weigh on the pace of economic recovery.”

What to do with your finances in the months ahead Americans’ fears aren’t that far behind from economists’ worries. Some worry about the prospects of a double-dip downturn, with lockdowns and rising cases

tipping the financial system over again.

Even with some bright spots surrounding vaccine development, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said during a recent December congressional testimony that the economic recovery is still “extraordinarily uncertain.”

All of that means Americans aren’t in the wrong if they want to put a firewall around their finances in the coming months. Consider taking these steps: —Focus on income and expenses: Your financial situation is like a two-way intersection, with money leaving every month to pay for expenses and money coming in every month to pad up your income.

Focus on mitigating how much goes out and boosting how much comes in — in as many ways as you can. If you’re jobless, that includes applying for unemployment benefits while saving and cutting back on as many purchases as you can.

—Consider refinancing or taking advantage of a forbearance program: While the clock is ticking before they expire, lawmakers in Washington have already taken steps to help federal student loan borrowers with an interest- and payment-free forbearance program through the end of January 2021. Meanwhile, homeowners with a federally-backed mortgage can request a 180-day forbearance if they’ve been impacted by the coronavirus. Take advantage of those programs while you still can and pocket the freed-up cash.

In the meantime, you can also consider refinancing your mortgage, which might shave hundreds of dollars off your monthly payments with rates now at historic lows.

—Work directly with firms you regularly pay a bill to: It doesn’t hurt to see if you can work out a new payment or forbearance program that suits your individual financial situation.

Methodology Bankrate.com commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,750 adults.

Fieldwork was undertaken on November 11-13, 2020. The survey was carried out online and meets rigorous quality standards. It employed a non-probability-based sample using both quotas upfront during collection and then a weighting scheme on the back end designed and proven to provide nationally representative results.

(Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com.) ©2020 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Income hasn’t recovered from initial coronavirus hit

said. “It’s messy and fragmented. We like that business.”

Huang says that his firm will be able to make investments into distressed loans next year. Ellington has been an active buyer of the riskiest slices of transactions known as B-pieces, which are the first to take losses but potentially the most lucrative.

Low, Not Zero Property valuations may generally be lower going forward, though there will still be numerous opportunities, said Arena Investors’ Chief Executive Officer Dan Zwirn. Assets may need to be fitted with capital structures that make sense for what will now be reduced values.

“We’ve been very active in participating in the restructuring of commercial real estate assets, in terms of hard money lending, bridge funding, and buying whole loans off of the banks,” Zwirn said in an interview. “That trend has only just begun. We want to be a financier of the beneficiaries as much as those in distress.”

The CMBS market has struggled this year as Covid-19 kept shoppers out of malls, travelers away from hotels and workers home from offices. But some property segments — such as warehouses and cold storage units — have benefited, and even among troubled malls and hotels, there are many that will survive and even thrive, market observers say.

Therefore, investors are not viewing the downturn as black and white, but have a nuanced outlook that assumes certain properties will recover, depending on how

well borrowers are capitalized and on a variety of other factors, such as location and demographics.

While retail and hospitality have suffered the most, parts of the multifamily sector may benefit from the move away from cities, while life science research centers, telecom towers, cold storage and industrial properties have all seen an increased flow of business during the pandemic.

In terms of valuations for troubled sectors, it’s simply a different world now: there are assets that don’t have zero value, but substantially diminished value. “But there’s a non-zero value that makes sense,” Zwirn said.

While hotels may yet recover, and experts offer varying opinions on the return of urban offices, weaker regional malls, which were troubled even before Covid, may never come back.

“In retail, I think there is real pain, a culling of the weaker assets,” said Huang.

“Properties that are well located and sponsors with deep pockets and the right demographic zone might be able to survive or reinvent themselves. Otherwise, properties may be turned over to the lender as a deed-in-lieu.”

There is a world of assets out there where, ironically, the vaccine is a scary thing, Zwirn said.

“The need for a vaccine could be used as an excuse for short-term poor performance,” he said. “When that excuse is removed, and we see what the new world looks like — especially for retail — it will be bad.” ©2020 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES MBJ legal notice instructions The following are some guidelines to consider when posting legal notices with the Midlands Business Journal: 1. Submit a written notice in either Microsoft Word or as a PDF document to the Legal Department at legals@mbj.com, 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).

As a publisher and not a legal advisor we print notices exactly as they are submitted and therefor only comp reruns when the notice was rejected or messed up due to a MBJ error. All companies submitting notices are responsible for ensuring the content fits with the State’s requirements and are responsible for the cost of republishing the notice if it is rejected due to misinformation or missing information 2. You will receive a confirmation and price quote. Legal notices, except for trade names, are charged per line. The flat fee for a trade name is $50.

Payment options are cash or check.

3. Deadline is noon Tuesday for a notice to start publishing that Friday.

4. All costs include fees to file the notice with the Secretary of State and/or any appropriate courts.

5. You will receive a paid invoice copy the first week it runs and a copy of the affidavit filed with the courts the last week.

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GCP III MIRACLE HILLS 11650, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GCP III Miracle Hills 11650, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 10340 North 84th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68122. The Registered Agent of the Company is Zachary A. Wiegert, 10340 North 84th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68122.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF a Limited Liability Company NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that WISDOM PAINTING HOME SERVICES LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The designated office of the limited liability company is 6312 N 46th Ave Omaha, NE 68104. The registered agent of WISDOM PAINTING HOME SERVICES LLC is Miguel A Lopez 6312 N 45th Ave Omaha, NE 68104.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that 3H Consulting, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 7713 N 158th Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The Registered Agent of the Company is Heather Hamilton, 7713 N 158th Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The Company was formed on November 13, 2020.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

HALEY REAL ESTATE GROUP, LLC 10703 J Street, Suite 101 Omaha, NE 68127 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION FOR PARACHUTE & THERAPEUTIC SERVICES, LLC A Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State for Parachute & Therapeutic Services, LLC (the “Company”) on November 24, 2020. The address of the Company’s designated office is 10703 J Street, Suite 101, Omaha, NE 68127. The name and address for the Company’s registered agent is Carl J. Troia, Jr., 10703 J Street, Suite 101, Omaha, NE 68127.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), CONSTANCE M BARBAS You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 08/12/2020 on Case Number CI20-14939, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $195.43, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs.

You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 01/18/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly.

CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

Jeffrey T. Palzer, Attorney KELLOGG & PALZER, P.C. 10828 Old Mill Road, Suite 6 Omaha, Nebraska 68154-2647 NOTICE OF NON-PROFIT INCORPORATION 1. The name of the non-profit corporation is THE HOUSE EXPERIENCE, INC. 2. The registered office of the Corporation is 6012 N. 102nd Street, #642021, Omaha, Nebraska 68164. The registered agent at that office is Jeffrey T. Palzer.

3. The corporation is a public benefit corporation and the general nature of the corporation is to restore and strengthen marriage and family relationships using practical holistic and traditional Christian principles and approaches.

4. The corporation commenced on November 17, 2020, and shall have perpetual existence. The name and address of the incorporator is Donna Blum, 6012 N. 102nd Street, #642021, Omaha, Nebraska 68164.

5. The corporation will not have members.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF JGW CONSULTING, 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 JGW Consulting, Inc. The corporation is authorizied to issue 10,000 shares of common stock. The name and street address of the corporation’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery- Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164, and its incorporator is Jeremy Wilhelm, 1855 S. 110th Street, Omaha, NE 68144.

Jeremy Wilhelm, Incorporator First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VAE, 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 VAE, 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., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 17217 Emiline Street, Omaha, NE 68136.

Victoria Eremeeva, Member First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 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 OTC L STREET, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that OTC L Street, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 14321 Cornhusker Road, Omaha, Nebraska 68138. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., whose mailing address is 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on November 24, 2020.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), EMILY A HARTMANN You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 07/31/2020 on Case Number CI20-14084, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $1,170.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 01/18/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly.

CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION South Arrow Coffee Company #2, 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 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Thomas J. Malicki, Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

13

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION 1. The name of the Corporation is Jared M. Homan, D.D.S., P.C. 2. The Corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $1.00 each.

3. The Registered Office of the Corporation is: 11840 Nicholas Street, Suite 210, Omaha, Nebraska 68154, and the Registered Agent at such address is Jared M. Homan, D.D.S. 4. The corporate existence began on November 24, 2020, when Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State.

5. The name and address of the Incorporator is: Jared M. Homan, D.D.S., 11840 Nicholas Street, Suite 210, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

JENNIFER L. RATTNER, Esq. RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF REDDOG CONCRETE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that RedDog Concrete, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 2526 South 148th Avenue Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Registered Agent of the Company is Jennifer L. Rattner, Esq., Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

BENJAMIN J. PICK, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ASSET PURCHASERS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Asset Purchasers, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is Asset Purchasers, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 12500 I Street, Suite 160, Omaha, Nebraska 68137, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Benjamin J. Pick, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

LAW OFFICES OF EVELYN N. BABCOCK 16264 Rolling Ridge Road Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Fair Deal Leasing, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on September 17, 2020.

The street and mailing address for the initial designated office is 17750 Burt Street, Omaha NE. The street and mailing address for the initial agent for service of process is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The name of the initial agent for service of process is George T. Babcock. The general nature of the business is any and all business which is lawful under the Uniform Limited Liability Act of the State of Nebraska. The business of limited liability company will be conducted by its Members. George T. Babcock, Organizer First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF OMNICORP GRETNA LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Omnicorp Gretna LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72nd Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

BROWN & WOLFF, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1925 North 120th Street, One Bennington Place Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VERTICAL BUILDING GROUP, LLC NOTICE is hereby given that Vertical Building Group, LLC is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of its Registered Agent is Scott Brown and the registered office is 1925 North 120th Street, Omaha, NE 68154. The purposes for which the Company is organized are to engage in any and all lawful businesses for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Company commenced on the 15th day of October, 2020, and shall have perpetual existence. The Company shall be managed by one (1) manager, Jeff Hartung, and the designated office address is 1925 North 120th Street, Omaha, NE 68154.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

14

• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

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

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

GNUSE & GREEN LAW OFFICES, P.C., Attorneys 11311 Chicago Circle Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF I LOVE PAD THAI II, INC. Notice is hereby given of incorporation of I LOVE PAD THAI II, INC. under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The number of shares that the corporation is authorized to issue is up to 10,000 shares of voting common stock.

The name and address of the incorporator and the initial registered agent is Rodney G. Gnuse, 11311 Chicago Circle, Omaha, Nebraska, 68154.

The Corporation shall engage in any lawful business for which a corporation may be formed under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. Perpetual existence commenced December 1, 2020, when articles were filed with the Secretary of State. Affairs are to be conducted by the Board of Directors and Officers authorized by the Bylaws and the Board.

Rodney G. Gnuse

Incorporator First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PJ55 INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that PJ55 Investments, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability 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 December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

Notice of Organization of JJJC Investments, LLC Notice is hereby given that JJJC Investments LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 10603 S 180th St, Omaha, Nebraska 68136. The Registered Agent of the Company is Linda M Dolinsky, 8007 N 31st St, Omaha, Nebraska 68112.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), CARI J GANS You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 07/16/2020 on Case Number CI20-13376, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $344.25, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs.

You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 01/25/2021 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly.

CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

LAW OFFICES OF EVELYN N. BABCOCK 16264 Rolling Ridge Road Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that PWC Aviation, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on September 17, 2020.

The street and mailing address for the initial designated office is 10360 Ellison Circle, Omaha NE. The street and mailing address for the initial agent for service of process is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, Nebraska 68135. The name of the initial agent for service of process is George T. Babcock. The general nature of the business is any and all business which is lawful under the Uniform Limited Liability Act of the State of Nebraska.

The business of limited liability company will be conducted by its Members.

George T. Babcock, Organizer First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

CATHERINE E. FRENCH, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF T & K HASENAUER, 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 T & K HASENAUER, LLC. The address of the company’s initial designated office is 22603 Schram Rd, Gretna, NE 68028.

The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on November 23, 2020 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the manager as prescribed by the Operating Agreement.

LDM Business Services, Inc., Organizer First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT Article IV of the Articles of Incorporation of Quality Refrigerated Services, Inc., a Nebraska corporation, has been amended so as to provide that the corporation is authorized to issue a total of 6,250 shares of Voting Common Stock and 18,750 shares of Nonvoting Common Stock.

Article VII of such Articles of Incorporation has been revised to limit the personal liability of directors of the corporation to the corporation or to the shareholders of the corporation in accordance with the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. A new Article VIII has been added to such Articles of Incorporation to provide for indemnification of and advancement of expenses to directors of the corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GCP III MIRACLE HILLS 11808, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GCP III Miracle Hills 11808, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 10340 North 84th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68122. The Registered Agent of the Company is Zachary A. Wiegert, 10340 North 84th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68122.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 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 OON LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that OON LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 19314 Ruggles Circle, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022-5218.

The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Daniel J. Woodhead, 19314 Ruggles Circle, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022-5218. The limited liability company commenced business on November 25, 2020.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

CATHERINE E. FRENCH, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF NORTHERN STAR PARTNERS, 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 NORTHERN STAR PARTNERS, LLC. The address of the company’s initial designated office is 200 South 31st Avenue, #4303, Omaha, Nebraska 68131. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc., 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, NE 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on November 25, 2020 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the manager as prescribed by the Operating Agreement.

LDM Business Services, Inc., Organizer First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

ERIN K. ARTZ, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP, Attorneys 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF PEARSON FITNESS, 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 Pearson Fitness, LLC. The address of the registered office is 19006 Ohio Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The name and address of the registered agent is LDM Business Services, Inc, 10306 Regency Parkway Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The general nature of the business to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on November 20, 2020 and shall have perpetual duration. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by the Members, as prescribed by the Operating Agreement.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

TERMINATION OF NOTICE OF COMMENCEMENT Notice is hereby given that a Termination of Notice of Commencement was recorded at the Register of Deeds, Douglas County, Nebraska on November 24, 2020 as Instrument No. 2020138824.

Contracting Owner: Entertainment Ventures, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company located at 9140 W Dodge Road, Suite 404, Omaha, NE 68114. The Notice of Commencement to which this Termination applies was recorded on May 17, 2018, as Instrument No. 2018037266, in the records of the Register of Deeds, Douglas County, Nebraska.

The Notice of Commencement identified above shall be terminated as to the property described below, effective December 24, 2020. All lien claims for which a notice of lien is not recorded by the termination date may be defeated by a transfer of the real estate.

The properties for which the Termination of Notice of Commencement applies are the following eight parcels: Lots 99, 101, and 100 of Coventry, A Subdivision, as Surveyed, Platted and Recorded in Douglas County, Nebraska; and Lots 1, 3, 4, and 5 of Coventry Replat 10, A Subdivision, as Surveyed, Platted and Recorded in Douglas County, Nebraska.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

JODIE MCGILL, Attorney MCGILL LAW, P.C., L.L.O. 1411 N. 72nd St. Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF WILKINSON INDUSTRIAL, 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 Wilkinson Industrial, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2821 Grebe St, Omaha, NE 68112 and the initial registered agent is Jodie McGill of McGill Law, P.C., L.L.O., 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 November 30, 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 December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

JESSICA E. THOMAS, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF AVENUE ONE MASTER OWNERS ASSOCIATION Notice is hereby given of the incorporation of Avenue One Master Owners Association under the laws of the State of Nebraska, as follows: 1. The name of the Corporation is Avenue One Master Owners Association.

2. The Corporation is a mutual benefit corporation.

3. The address of the initial registered office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is James D. Buser.

4. The name and street address of each incorporator are as follows: Curt Hofer, 16820 Frances Street, Suite 206 Omaha, Nebraska 68130 Jeffrey Hofer, 16820 Frances Street, Suite 206 Omaha, Nebraska 68130 Jeffrey Perdue, 16820 Frances Street, Suite 206 Omaha, Nebraska 68130 5. The Corporation shall have members.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF S. 125TH & WEST GILES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that S. 125th & West Giles, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

Notice is hereby given that Wren Leather LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office is at 7912 Clover Ct. La Vista, Nebraska 68128. The registered agent for the company is Jennifer Bell at 7912 Clover Ct. La Vista, Nebraska 68128.

First publication December 4, 2020, final December 18, 2020

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Timmerman Four LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the company is 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The name and street and mailing address of the initial registered agent of the company for service of process are Howard J. Kaslow, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

THOMAS H. PENKE, Attorney THOMAS H. PENKE, P.C., L.L.O. 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Untoxic, LLC, has organized pursuant to R.R.S. Section 21-101 et seq. The registered office is 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 and the registered agent at that address is Thomas H. Penke. The nature of the business to be transacted is any lawful business. The Designated office address is 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The business will commence on December 6, 2020 and is perpetual. The affairs of the company are to be conducted by the President, Secretary and Treasurer.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PRIMO’S 2, LLC Notice is hereby given that a professional limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is Primo’s 2, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Barbara Taylor, 2221 S. 60th Street, Omaha, NE 68106. The designated office is located at 5914 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68106.

Travis Taylor, Member First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF JANE CIUMMO, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Jane Ciummo, Inc., a Nebraska corporation (“Corporation”), has filed Articles of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on December 4, 2020, and the Corporation is in the process of voluntary dissolution. The terms and conditions of such dissolution are, in general, that all debts and obligations of the Corporation are to be fully paid and satisfied or adequate provision is to be made therefore. The President, Jane E. Ciummo, will wind up and liquidate the Corporation’s business and affairs. The Corporation has no assets or liabilities as of the date hereof.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

TIEDEMAN, LYNCH, KAMPFE, McVAY & RESPELIERS, Attorneys 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68106-1045 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that McGUIGAN ARTS ACADEMY, LLC, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska with its designated office at 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The initial registered agent is John S. Kampfe, and the registered agent’s address is 6910 Pacific Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The general nature of the business is to engage in any lawful business for which a limited liability company may be organized. The limited liability company was formed on December 4, 2020 and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the company shall be conducted by its Manager.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103 Omaha, Nebraska 68164 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SANTA EXPRESS OMAHA, LLC Notice is hereby given that a professional limited liability company has been formed under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and that the name of the company is SANTA EXPRESS OMAHA, 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., 11102 Blondo Street, Suite 103, Omaha, NE 68164. The designated office is located at 20816 W. Gruenther Road, Suite 101, Gretna, NE 68028.

Bryan Boyce, Member First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TRIPLE NET ACQUISTIONS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Triple Net Acquisitions, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra J Ringenberg, whose mailing address is Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

JOHN Q. BACHMAN, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PNUTL, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of PNUTL, LLC. 1. The name of the limited liability company is PNUTL, LLC. 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10855 West Dodge Road, Suite 270, Omaha, Nebraska 68154, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is John Q. Bachman, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 2511 S. 140TH STREET CARWASH RE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 2511 S. 140th Street Carwash RE, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

CRAIG F. MARTIN, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF VINTAGE CUSTOM HOMES, 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 Vintage Custom Homes, LLC. The address of the company’s initial designated office is 10814 South 231st Street, Gretna, NE 68028. 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 to be transacted is all lawful business. The company commenced existence on December 3, 2020 and shall have 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 December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that FNM Auto Repair, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the Company is 4621 S 88th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68127.

The Registered Agent of the Company is Mavlyandzhon Tuychiev, 14211 Marinda Plaza Apt 3, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The Company was formed on November 20, 2020.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

DAVID M. HOHMAN, Attorney FITZGERALD, SCHORR, BARMETTLER & BRENNAN, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 10050 Regency Circle, 200 Regency One Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3794 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION HARMONIC MOTION LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office of the Company is 3948 “V” Street, Omaha, NE 68107. The name, street and mailing address of the initial agent for service of process of the Company are Vanicsa Czarnick, 3948 “V” Street, Omaha, NE 68107.

Dated this 9th of December, 2020.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

15

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF CONVERSION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY SERVICES, INC. AND ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY SERVICES, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Community Pharmacy Services, Inc. has been converted into Community Pharmacy Services, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office of the company is 21689 Northstar Drive, Gretna, Sarpy County, Nebraska, 68029. The Registered Agent is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. at 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, 68124. The conversion of the corporation into the limited liability company was accomplished by the filing of Articles of Conversion and Certificate of Organization with the Nebraska Secretary of State on November 30, 2020.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION notice is hereby given that Wee Wisdom Christian Preschool and Academy, Inc., a Nebraska Non-Profit Religious Coporation, has been organized under the Laws of the State of Nebraska on November 30, 2020. The registered agent and office: Richard Kennedy, 5201 Old Cheney Road, Lincoln, NE 68516, is also the sole incorporator of the corporation.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

MARTIN P. PELSTER, 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 MDC PFLUG PARTNERS, LLC The name of the limited liability company is MDC Pflug Partners, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 11550 I Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68137. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is John Hughes, 11550 I Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68137.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF FLATROCK MANAGEMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Flatrock Management, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11225 Davenport Street, Suite 108, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 5601 S. 59th Street, Suite C, Lincoln, Nebraska 68516.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

Notice is hereby given that SANDERSON GROUP, INC., has incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The general nature of the business is any lawful business. Authorized capital is 1,000 shares of common stock, with a par value of $0.00 per share. Foster & Dolleck CPAs is the incorporator and the registered agent. The incorporator’s address and the address of the registered office is 11516 Nicholas Street, Suite 302, Omaha, ne 68154. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by the Board of Directors and such officers as it may elect.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given of the dissolution of REAL WORLD HVAC INC as of December 9, 2020. The affairs of the corporation will be wrapped up by David E. Swett, President and Sole Shareholder. All creditors have been paid, and remaining assets have been distributed. Total assets: $0.00.

Total liabilities: $0.00.

David E. Swett, President and Sole Shareholder First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 88 TACTICAL BUILDING GROUP II, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 88 Tactical Building Group II, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 South 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra J. Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

16

• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES GROSS & WELCH, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 2120 South 72 Street, Suite 1500 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GATES 5, LLC a Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given that GATES 5, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 1404 North 189th Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022, its registered agent is Frederick D. Stehlik, and its registered office located at 2120 South 72 Street, Suite 1500, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The general nature of its business is to engage in and do any lawful act concerning any and all lawful business, other than banking or insurance, for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Certificate of Organization was filed in the office of the Nebraska Secretary of State on November 25, 2020, the Company commenced business thereon, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company are to be conducted by the Managing Member.

Frederick D. Stehlik, Organizer First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

ANDREW J. HUBER, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF OMAHA FLIP, 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 Omaha Flip, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 16908 Virginia Street, Omaha, NE 68136. 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 December 7, 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 December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

ERIN K. ARTZ, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP, Attorneys 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF JSHC INVESTMENTS, 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 JSHC Investments, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 5641 South 85th Circle, Omaha, NE 68127. 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 November 30, 2020 and shall have 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 December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: BRANDON PRUSS You are hereby notified that on, 08/18/20, the Plaintiff, Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska against you shown as Case Number CI20 14769. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of $619.00, plus court costs and prejudgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable.

The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the petition on or before 01/24/21, at the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, OMAHA, Nebraska.

BY: MEGAN L BISCHOFF, #25206 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, Nebraska 68802 308 398-3801 Attorney for the Plaintiff First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

KENDRA RINGENBERG, Attorney RINGENBERG & RATTNER LAW 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF 140TH STREET CARWASH, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 140th Street Carwash, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office Address of the Company is 222 S. 15th Street, Suite 1404S, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. The Registered Agent of the Company is Kendra Ringenberg, Ringenberg & Rattner Law, LLC, 14301 FNB Parkway, Suite 204, Omaha, Nebraska 68154.

First publication December 11, 2020, final December 25, 2020

MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OFAMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF EVENTIVE MARKETING LLC Notice is hereby given that EVENTIVE MARKETING LLC has amended its Certificate of Organization as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. The amended notice of organization reflects the change of organization name from EVENTIVE MARKETING LLC to OMAHA UNCOVERED LLC. First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LLC Notice is hereby given that SOUDER ENTERPRISES, LLC (the "Company") has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska.

The Designated Office address of the Company is 20908 Camden Avenue, Elkhorn, NE 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is Steven Ahlf, 11590 West Dodge Road, Suite 1, Omaha, NE 68154.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION of a Non-Profit Organization.

Notice is hereby given that the ProSIghtful Foundation, Inc has been incorporated under the laws of the state of Nebraska on 11/24/2020. The Registered Agent and initial designated Office is Gerald C. Igboanusi, 14204 Huntington Ave, Omaha, NE 68164. The general nature of business is providing mental, spiritual, and health care services. The organization shall be Board-managed.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Dustin McMurry CPA, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The limited liability company shall conduct the practice of accountancy. The designated office of the limited liability company is 17316 Woolworth Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Dustin McMurry CPA, 17316 Woolworth Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska 68130.

The limited liability company commenced business on December 8, 2020.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SEDONA SUNSHINE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Sedona Sunshine, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 8419 Loveland Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on December 9, 2020.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF LAKESIDE CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Lakeside Construction Group, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), filed a Statement of Dissolution with the Nebraska Secretary of State on December 10, 2020.

The terms of the dissolution provide for the payment of liabilities of the Company and distribution of any remaining assets.

The Company requests that persons with claims against it present them in accordance with this notice. Any claimant shall describe the claim and the date on which the claim arose and mail the claim to the above address.

A claim against the company will be barred unless a proceeding to enforce the claim is commenced within five years after the publication of this notice.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MOVING MOUNTAINS DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES, L.L.C. Notice is hereby given that Moving Mountains Developmental Services, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 1724 Spring Street, Omaha, NE 68108. 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 December 4, 2020. Its affairs are to be conducted by the manager Katrina J Harris. Its registered agent is Katrina J Harris and her office is located at 1724 Spring Street, NE 68108.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

MICHAEL K. HUFFER, Attorney CASSEM, TIERNY, ADAMS, GOTCH & DOUGLAS 9290 West Dodge Road, Suite 302 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LOYAL LAWN CARE, LLC A NEBRASKA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Loyal Lawn Care, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its initial designated office at 1517 William Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68108 and with its initial agent for service of process being Michael K. Huffer whose office is located at 9290 West Dodge Road, Suite 302, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The general nature of its business is to engage in any lawful business. The company was organized and commenced June 16, 2020, and its period of duration will be perpetual, unless terminated earlier. The affairs of the limited liability company shall be conducted by its Members until such time as a successor or successors are selected pursuant to the Operating Agreement.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JG FITNESS, LLC Notice is hereby given that JG FITNESS, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 6463 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, NE 68106. 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 October 7, 2020. Its affairs are to be conducted by the manager John George. Its registered agent is John George and his office is located at 6463 Poppleton Avenue, Omaha, NE 68106.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BARB DETLEFSEN, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Barb Detlefsen, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF BARN SWALLOW, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Barn Swallow, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GARY LEHMER, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Gary Lehmer, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF KAREN R STACEY, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Karen R Stacey, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 • LEGAL NOTICES Notice of Organization of Hope Korner, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Hope Korner, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska for the purpose of providing independent mental health services. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11414 West Center Road, Suite #300, Omaha, NE 68144. The registered agent of the Company is Northwest Registered Agent Service, Inc., 530 South 13th Street, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68508.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MARQUARDT COUNSELING, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Marquardt Counseling, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MEG QUINTANA, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Meg Quintana, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: SHAWN THOMAS You are hereby notified that on,07/07/20, the Plaintiff, Credit Management Services, Inc., filed a Complaint in the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska against you shown as Case Number CI20 12241. The object and prayer of which is a judgment in the amount of $470.00, plus court costs and prejudgment interest and attorney fees, if applicable.

The Complaint prays that judgment be entered against you. You are hereby notified that you must answer the petition on or before 01/31/21, at the COUNTY Court of DOUGLAS County, OMAHA, Nebraska.

BY: STEVEN J MORRISON, #24708 P.O. Box 1512 Grand Island, Nebraska 68802 308 398-3801 Attorney for the Plaintiff First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MARK D. ZIEGENBEIN LIMHP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Mark D. Ziegenbein LIMHP, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JONES FARRELL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that JONES FARRELL, LLC, a Nebraska professional limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 10824 Old Mill Road, Suite 21, Omaha, Nebraska 68154 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. The company has been organized to render mental health counseling services.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: A1 Garage Doors Service Name of Applicant: Atlantis Garage Doors inc Address: 1707 N 42nd st, Bay 6, Omaha, NE 68111 Applicant is a Corporation If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Nebraska Date of first use of name in Nebraska: 11/13/2020 General nature of business: Garage Doors ADAM OFRI Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative December 18, 2020

LAW OFFICES OF EVELYN N. BABCOCK 16264 Rolling Ridge Road Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that D S Avionics Unlimited, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on August 3, 2011.

The street and mailing address for the initial designated office is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, NE. The street and mailing address for the initial agent for service of process is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, NE 68135.

The name of the initial agent for service of process is George T. Babcock.

The general nature of the business is any and all business which is lawful under the Uniform Limited Liability Act of the State of Nebraska. The business of limited liability company will be conducted by its Managers.

George T. Babcock, Organizer First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

LAW OFFICES OF EVELYN N. BABCOCK 16264 Rolling Ridge Road Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Aircrew Leasing, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on May 31, 2012. The street and mailing address for the initial designated office is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, NE. The street and mailing address for the initial agent for service of process is 16264 Rolling Ridge Rd, Omaha, NE 68135. The name of the initial agent for service of process is George T. Babcock. The general nature of the business is any and all business which is lawful under the Uniform Limited Liability Act of the State of Nebraska. The business of limited liability company will be conducted by its Members.

George T. Babcock, Organizer First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ROBERT J. KIRBY, Incorporator and 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 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF SCRUB-A-DUB-DUB, INC. Scrub-a-Dub-dub, Inc. has been incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The Articles of Incorporation were filed on December 10, 2020. The street address of the corporation's registered office is 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, Nebraska, 68124, and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is Robert J. Kirby. The corporation is authorized to issue 3,000 shares of common stock.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

17

WAYNE S. RASMUSSEN, Attorney SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 N O T I C E O F A M E N D M E N T O F T H E A RT I C L E S O F INCORPORATION OF FARMSTEAD ACRES, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on December 9, 2020, the Articles of Incorporation of Farmstead Acres, Inc. were amended by action of the shareholders and directors to change the name of the corporation to: Schwer Farm, Inc. First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

MARTIN P. PELSTER, 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 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF RUSTIC RIDGE DEVELOPMENT, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Rustic Ridge Development, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 1941 South 42nd Street, Suite 550, Omaha, NE 68105. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Martin P. Pelster, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

ROBERT M. GONDERINGER, 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 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF WYATT BROKERAGE SERVICES, LLC The name of the limited liability company is Wyatt Brokerage Services, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Robert M. Gonderinger, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

BENJAMIN C. DEAVER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PAUL LUTHER, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of Paul Luther, LLC 1. The name of the limited liability company is Paul Luther, LLC 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 6803 N. 68th Plaza, Apt. 401, Omaha, Nebraska 68152, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is Paul J. Nelson, 6803 N. 68th Plaza, Apt. 401, Omaha, Nebraska 68152.

First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Walnut Family Dentistry Name of Applicant: VWC13 LLC Address: Registered Office -- 11811 I Street STE 204 OMAHA, NE 68137 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: 10-03-2018 General nature of business: Dental Practice STEPHANIE VONDRAK, DDS, Managing Member Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative December 18, 2020

CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION LIMITED LIABILTY COMPANY l. Name. The name of the limited liability company shall be Fountain Ridge Office Park East, LLC (the "Company").

2. Designated Office. The street and mailing addresses of the Company's initial designated office are as follows: 13616 California Street, Suite 110 Omaha, NE 68154 3. Agent for Service of Process. The name and address of the agent for service of process is as follows: Michael Jon Homa, 13616 California Street, Suite 110 Omaha, NE 68154 4. Effective Date. The effective time and date of this document is the time and date of its filing with the Nebraska Secretary of State.

EXECUTED by the undersigned this 7th day of June, 2018 By: Wendy E. Ogden, Organizer First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION LIMITED LIABILTY COMPANY l. Name. The name of the limited liability company shall be R&R Realty Group, LC (the "Company").

2. Designated Office. The street and mailing addresses of the Company's initial designated office are as follows: 735 N 162nd Street Omaha, NE 68118 3. Agent for Service of Process. The name and address of the agent for servce of process is as follows: Michael Jon Homa, 735 N 162nd Street Omaha, NE 68118 4. Effective Date. The effective time and date of this document is the time and date ofits filing with the Nebraska Secretary of State.

EXECUTED by the undersigned this 28th day of July 2017.

By: Wendy E. Ogden, Organizer First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION LIMITED LIABILTY COMPANY l. Name. The name of the limited liability company shall be ICON Companies, LLC (the "Company").

2. Designated Office. The street and mailing addresses of the Company's initial designated office are as follows: 13616 California Street, Suite 110 Omaha, NE 68154 3. Agent for Service of Process. The name and address of the agent for service of process is as follows: Michael Jon Homa, 13616 California Street, Suite 110 Omaha, NE 68154 4. Effective Date. The effective time and date of this document is the time and date of its filing with the Nebraska Secretary of State.

EXECUTED by the undersigned this 6th day of October, 2020.

By: Chris J. Langpaul, Organizer First publication December 18, 2020, final January 1, 2021

18

• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

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Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

Engineering Profession A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Trevor Larsen, structural engineer at TD2 Engineering.

Education to aviation, diverse projects keep firms busy in environment unlike anything we’ve seen

by Michelle Leach

From one-of-a-kind aviation projects to educational projects with an eye on readying tomorrow’s business, veterinary science, and engineering leaders, the pandemic hasn’t stopped activity for essential services providers in the local engineering space.

“We continue to see a consistent workload,” said Brian Chaffin, Nebraska region leader at Olsson. “Currently, signs seem to indicate that the economic effects within large portions of our footprint won’t be as bad as we feared on day one.”

In fact, initially, the year was incredibly promising; Chaffin said there was a sigh of

relief — no repeat of the flooding from March 2019. So, there was time to finish up with repairs and every economic indicator seemed to be pointing up.

“We had a fairly seamless transition,” Chaffin recalled. “All the credit for that goes to our IT department. They gave us the tools to [work from home], and our people just made it work. We’ve never been put in a full-scale situation like this before. So, it was all brand-new to everyone.”

For the first time, the industry as a whole is broadly and widely accepting working from home.

“We have proven during this pandemic

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Lincoln Business Journal Pages

December 18, 2020

that it can work in our industry,” he said. “It remains to be seen if this will have a longterm effect.”

While Chaffin acknowledged some learning curves and adjustments, he said most of the firm’s employees are working from home.

“The remote work hasn’t been as challenging as we thought it would be,” said Anthony Dirks, SVP-Lincoln Division Manager with Alfred Benesch & Co. “By and large, we’ve been very successful, though it certainly looks different this year.”

To specific projects, Dirks highlighted the firm’s work on the largest active transportation project in the state: the Lincoln South Beltway.

Reportedly, the Chaffin $350 million project spans two system interchanges, three service interchanges, 43 miles of roadway alignments, 23 bridges and 11 roundabouts.

“It’s been under construction since this spring,” he said. “When we were working on the final design, we had close to 100 staff involved.”

Benesch served as the lead consultant for the Department of Transportation related to the final design and was reportedly responsible for around 75% of the design effort and the environmental permitting.

“It is truly changing the landscape of south Lincoln,” Dirks said.

The project completes the transportation network, which has existed only on the north and west sides — moving traffic around the city’s congested areas and improving flow and interstate connectivity.

VP and Senior Project Manager Andrew W. Beil, also with Alfred Benesch & Co., and his team have worked on unique features associated with Offutt Air Force Base’s relocation to the Lincoln Airport.

Beil noted the project was driven by the reconstruction of the runway at the base in Bellevue.

“They’re going to tear up the runway and reconstruct it, so they have to relocate the mission because the aircraft can’t fly out of Offutt,” Beil explained.

They looked at various bases to relocate to.

“It was a no-brainer to come down to Lincoln,” he said.

To p r e p a r e , though, required Dirks $24.5 million in upgrades to accommodate the mission’s needs.

Benesch partnered with Denver-based Jacobs, overseeing construction and completing quality assurance material testing.

Notable upgrades included bringing an old Goodyear hangar up to current standards, and the construction of a temporary fabric hangar structure to house USAF aircraft during maintenance operations.

“Crews are scheduled to relocate the first of February,” Beil said. “To put it in perspective, approximately 500 to 600 employees will be moving from and reporting from Offutt every day. And it’s a 24/6 operation … it’s good for the local economy.”

In Lincoln, TD2’s work revolves around the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

According to Structural Engineer Trevor Continued on page 21.

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Engineering Profession • Lincoln Business Journal Pages

Engineering career outlook remains sturdy

by Gabby Hellbusch

There is no better time to seek a career in the engineering profession, experts say. In fact, this trend is expected to continue into the future.

Dr. Cale Stolle, assistant professor of physics and engineering at Doane University, said engineering, as a profession, has never experienced a more exciting time in history.

“Many companies are automating hazardous tasks as ways to fill high-demand technician positions, and engineers are being brought into companies to utilize problem solving, comStolle munication, modeling, programming and design skills to solve new, complex problems arising in industry as a result of robotics, Lean Six Sigma principles, DFMA policies, technician shortages, and new, novel manufacturing methods,” he said. “Engineers

with experience are being moved into other positions, used to open new areas of research and development, or even being promoted to management. This leaves a void for novice engineers who are being hired to succeed their more experienced counterparts.”

The requirements for graduating engineers are changing, though.

“Many new engineers are expected to understand DFMA, Lean Six Sigma, design programs and project management,” Stolle said. “These new practices require hands-on Villwok understanding of hardware, integral competence with software, collaborative teamwork, effective communication, critical thinking and objective decision-making skills.

As we continue to transition into AI-enabled, intelligent systems, these skills are guiding the young workforce to redefine the way problems are solved, and this is why we are at the zenith of the engineering profession.”

Nicolette Villwok, human resources director for E & A Consulting Group, Inc. located in both Lincoln and Omaha, said there is a greater effort to begin shaping talent at an early age.

“Technical programs like welding and drafting are now available to many high school students,” she said. “There are also mentorship programs that connect students with professionals in the industry.”

According to Villwok, it’s a perfect climate to hone technological behaviors to be ready to connect with this talent pool.

There was a fear this past spring that impacted the talent pool.

“Many employers backed out of their summer intern programs, unsure of how to manage interns when so many employees were working from home,” she said. “While there were some challenges and adjustments, we found that maintaining our program was manageable and beneficial for all involved.”

Villwok said investing in talent has never been more important than it is now to continue pushing and developing professional and technical skills.

“Engineering on the whole is a great career and those who are hardworking and willing to take time to develop their technical and non-technical skills will find great success,” she said.

“Engineers are encouraged to look at where we are today and see that as an opportunity to develop their non-technical skills, specifically in the area of relationships. If ever there was a time for us to connect, it is now.”

Kirby Taylor, program director of Precision Machining and Automation & Manufacturing Engineering at Southeast Community College, said the job market for the manufacturing engineering sector as a whole is very lopsided, as there are more job offerings than there are graduates.

“There are always going to be certain lines of work, especially during COVID-19, that are affected by consumers choosing to not spend their money in certain areas,” he said. “Overall, as a whole, manufacturing has not really slowed down that much. Obviously, the industry had to take lots of extra precautions to keep doors open and certain manufacturers that make medical supplies have been extremely busy. Yet, as far as job opportunities for the manufacturing sector, things have been healthy for a long time and we don't see that changing a whole lot.”

Lincoln Business Journal Pages • Engineering Profession •

Education to aviation, diverse projects keep firms busy in environment unlike anything we’ve seen Continued from page 19. problems associated with existing undersized Larsen and Civil Engineer Gary Norton, its stormwater infrastructure. work spans more than 24 civil and structural “It plays a significant role in removing projects, small and large, from sculpture contaminants from site run-off before it flows footings to high-profile projects like the into the adjacent creek,” he said. current College of Engineering and recently Works in progress at UNL, according completed College of Business. to TD2 information, include the College of Larsen highlighted the latter project, Engineering, Barkley Memorial Center, and Howard Hawks Hall, at 14th and Textron Field, whereas projects Vine streets and spanning 240,000 recently completed with the city square feet. The “C”-shaped buildof Lincoln include a diverse ing features a dramatic architecturrange — St. Michaels, Gateway al effect with limestone facades, a Senior Living, Tabitha and Rocket multi-story glass curtainwall, and Car Wash. grand stairs and landings.

Generally, COVID-19 has Larsen said it was one of his shifted the firm’s work to telefavorite projects. conferences “almost exclusively,” “It demonstrates TD2’s strucNorton said. tural department’s ability to handle “Communication is chalsubstantial and complex projects lenging anyway; conferencing Beil with multiple architects, local remotely makes it hard to ‘read and national,” he said, a reference to Alley the room’ to see if everyone is on the same Poyner Macchietto and Robert A.M. Stern page,” he added.

Architects.

Larsen also noted the ubiquitous nature Norton highlighted the Nebraska Veteri- of Zoom. nary Diagnostic Center, located at 4040 East “I miss going to the architect’s office and Campus Loop North and spanning 68,760 meeting in person,” he said. “While a Zoom square feet. meeting is functional, it is not as good for “This project was a big deal for the team-building.” university to provide modern diagnostic, The American Council of Engineering research and educational opportunities in Companies has also embarked on its Resveterinary science,” he said. cue/Rebuild/Recovery advocacy program TD2 provided services such as full site to promote significant investment in physdevelopment and a bioretention basin, which ical and critical infrastructure to support reportedly reduces the surcharging and other the economy.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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Environmental engineering helping protect health and reduce expenses

by David Kubicek

Although environmental engineering is important to protect human health and the environment, it also protects investors, purchasers and developers from unexpected expenses.

Much of the environmental aspect is compliance-driven, helping clients avoid costly fines, project delays and shutdowns, but the other piece is to protect natural resources, according to Zachary A. Jilek, environmental Jilek services department manager at E & A Consulting.

“We have one environment,” he said.

“One river, one lake, one stream, so we have to protect these natural resources while building subdivisions and sanitary improvement districts.”

On the compliance end, fines can come from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), and they can be in excess of $37,000 per day per violation.

There are many specializations in environmental engineering. E & A’s focus includes hydrology and hydraulics (H & H) — which deals with surface water — erosion sediment control design, industrial

stormwater permitting, wetland design, and avian nester surveys.

“A lot of younger people are going into the field right now,” Jilek said. “There are a lot of job opportunities. Rules and regulations from the EPA and NDEE aren’t going away and are actually getting more strict.

It’s a good career path to get into because it’s a growing field.”

The key component of environmental engineering is looking for softer, cleaner solutions to problems Heller and being able to design them in a way that’s beneficial for both the client and the end user, according to Mike Heller, senior environmental scientist with JEO Consulting.

An example would be bioswales and green infrastructure, which helps reduce strain — and maintenance costs — on the infrastructure in a snow water runoff system.

“Often there’s a solution to a problem that can be strictly engineered, but there’s a way we can conduct that in an environmentally beneficial way that will be beneficial to everyone,” Heller said. “For example, if we’re working with the city on snow water conveying or treatment, one solution may be to move Continued on page 23.

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Engineering Profession • Lincoln Business Journal Pages

Engineering firms adjust to COVID-19 to better aid clients, internal operations

by Dwain Hebda

The pandemic has dramatically reshaped elements of the engineering profession throughout the Midlands. For starters, clients are looking to integrate new amenities and change indoor spaces in direct response to coronavirus.

“Clients are considering higher levels of air filtration, increased building ventilation to dilate the viral concentration load and humidification systems,” said Todd Mack, mechanical engineer and DLR Group principal. “These elements together can help to limit or reduce exMack posure, but they are not a substitute for social distancing and following local and national protocols.

“Plus, clients must realize these items come at a cost. Providing additional filtration requires upsizing fan motors to be capable of the added filter pressure drop and additional conditioned outside air results in increased utility costs.”

“Before the pandemic, organizations saw they needed increased space flexibility to meet indoor environmental quality focus and needs of different departments,” said Marcel Harmon, BranchPattern senior associate. “This required a mix of private and public spaces, in some cases being handled through work-from-home strategies.

The pandemic has forced organizations to really look at how to make these strategies more effective.

“We’re a social species, evolved for faceto-face interactions. I don’t think we have a good understanding yet of the impact of a potential future of significantly more of us working from home.”

Engineering firms themselves are not immune to these issues as many have revamped operational protocols in response to COVID-19, to varying degrees.

“We’ve all worked remotely and used platforms such as Microsoft Teams to communicate throughout the company,” said Jim Lange, president of Lange Structural Group. “We then moved into our new office, which had more space and allowed us to feel distanced while still working in the same configuration.

“When the weekly positive test numbers increased, we installed UV disinfection in our mechanical system and rearranged our space where each person’s workspace is 15 to 20 feet from the nearest workstation.”

“The biggest Harmon positive of the COVID-19 situation was it pushed us to embrace a fully digital, or nearly fully digital, working style,” said Mike Eisenbarth, principal at R.O. Youker, Inc. “We’d already been doing this with some projects, however there remained the old tendency to print to paper for review. With all our team members being out of the office, this was not an option.

“The main thing that developed in the engineering and design community are video chats and conferencing with contractors in the field. Previously we would need to schedule a visit to the project site when a complication developed, whereas FaceTime and other platforms allow us a more meaningful conversation to develop solutions and maintain construction flow.”

Training methodologies have also had to quickly and radically shift to provide students an effective and safe learning environment.

“In the virtual YouTube and internet era, it’s possible to teach online, even the tangible elements, to some degree,” said Kirby Taylor, program director for Manufacturing and Engineering Technology at Southeast Community College. “We all have webcams and GoPros and high-end video and audio Continued on page 24.

Lincoln Business Journal Pages • Engineering Profession •

Environmental engineering Continued from page 21. that water as quickly as possible through the pipe and outlet, but that wouldn’t be the most environmentally sensitive solution. Instead of putting everything into a pipe and getting it out of the system as fast as possible, [we can] look at bioswales to help treat the snow runoff and lower the hydrograph.”

Donna Matlock, senior geologist at Thiele Geotech, said it’s important to investigate how a property is used now, how it was used in the past, and how properties in the vicinity were used. Even if there is Matlock no suspect past use for the property such as use as a dry cleaner, gas station, auto repair, fertilizer plant, printer or railroad yard, a nearby property may be a threat to future occupants because contaminants could migrate to a property via the groundwater.

“The industry has placed more emphasis on adverse health effects from inhalation exposure to toxic chemicals as well,” she said.

“This occurs when contaminant vapors encroach into indoor spaces from contaminated groundwater and soils. They can also create an explosive concern in enclosed spaces if there are great enough concentrations of the volatile contaminant.”

Companies specialize in the type of environmental work they do. Some are more involved with large-scale brownfield redevelopment that might encompass an entire community and others might be experts with defining and remediating contaminated property.

Degrees in engineering, geology and environmental science provide a good background for entering the environmental engineering profession. Valued traits include project organization and report writing with attention to detail and thoroughness. Biologists and archeologists are other disciplines that are needed for conducting biological or cultural surveys and providing expert opinion on the impacts of a project to the environment.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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Experience, organization keep projects on track

money, so once we’re on the quick hitters,

by David Kubicek Although good organizational skills are we go until we’re done. Many things are essential to keeping projects on track, the out of our control, so we focus on things we can control.” other element of a project manOn bigger projects with ager is on-the-job experience, longer time frames — such as according to local authorities. a design period of a year or “We also use advanced and more — there is more potential robust project management softfor delays, so time for delays ware that allows our engineers is “sort of” built in, but they and project managers to see data aren’t specific line items on the in real time, to analyze what’s schedule. happening as we go through a “ T h e d e s i g n t e a m i s n ’t project rather than just setting working 40 hours a week every the expectation up front and nevweek all year on the project,” er looking back on it,” said Ben Schmitt Schmitt said. “We all have Schmitt, a mechanical engineer with Farris Engineering. “This gives us other projects and responsibilities. There the opportunity to make adjustments. We are review periods, meetings and design have weekly meetings to make sure we’re decisions. There’s a process.”

Often the firm must respond to changstaying on track.”

On shorter projects the firm doesn’t es made by the owner, architect or other consultants on the project. For instance, build in any time for delays.

“It doesn’t do us or the client any fa- the scope or budget may change or there vors,” Schmitt said. “It costs us and them may be a delay in exchanging information

between team members.

“Our No. 1 focus is to satisfy the client and make sure they get what they’re asking for,” Schmitt said. “But for us to stay in business we have to make sure we do things on budget and on time internally as well, so a process must be in place to make sure all of those things happen.

“Project management’s not something you can get a real firm grasp in without really doing it. You can take classes and learn how to use tools and processes. Those are helpful and necessary, but ultimately, it takes some time and experience to become good at it. I learn something new every day.

It’s all about selecting and analyzing data.”

Amy Cherko, a project scientist for Olsson’s Nebraska Environmental team, said early, frequent and honest communication with clients and using technology effectively for planning and executing those plans is important.

“Crafting regular check-ins to ensure Continued on page 25.

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Engineering Profession • Lincoln Business Journal Pages

A rendering of an electricity-generating solar carport. (Courtesy of Morrissey Engineering)

Design, technologies look toward future of communitywide health, safety, conservation

by Michelle Leach efficiency requirements,” he said.

Engineers are powering communitywide Multiple standards focused on energy transformations in how everything from conservation, sustainability, and health and traffic flows to how power is used, with an safety have been developed (LEED, WELL eye on utmost efficiency, safety and health.

Building, ASHRAE Net Zero, 2030 Chal“One trend that has been gaining mo- lenge, Living Building Challenge), which mentum is to ‘electrify everything,’” said Dupsky said go above the minimum code Jared Friesen, LEED Accredited requirements and are shaping Professional at Morrissey Enfuture codes. gineering. “The idea here is to “Additionally, health has been maximize the opportunity to serve at the forefront of everyone’s conenergy needs from renewable encerns due to the current pandemergy sources that are most easily ic,” he said. “With some simple available to consumers in the form changes and/or added equipment, of electricity.” a building’s HVAC can reduce While not all electricity comes the risk of pathogen transfer and from nonpolluting sources today, improve occupant health.”

Friesen said there is confidence Increasing the ventilation rate that the pollution impact of elecand filtration efficiency, or proFriesen trically-powered devices will viding a system like bi-polar iondecrease as more renewable electricity gen- ization or UV-C, render pathogens inactive. eration, like solar, comes online.

Statewide, Dupsky said entire neigh“While much of our lives are already borhood developments have been planned powered with electricity, it is still a challenge around energy efficiency and sustainability. for electric space heating and cooking to Nebraska adopted the more stringent 2018 compete with natural gas, and still a chal- IECC energy code, which includes requirelenge for electric transportation to compete ments for daylighting control, improved with gasoline and diesel,” he said. building envelope performance, energy Engineering Technologies, Inc.’s Tony efficiency levels, and lighting and HVAC Dupsky, an architectural engineer-mechani- controls. cal associate, noted interest in renewable en“It now requires commissioning on ergy systems has increased as technology and large commercial buildings, which ensures availability improves, and costs decrease. the building systems operate as intended,” “Similarly, this happened with LED he said. lighting 10 to 15 years ago, and now LED Building owners like Lincoln Public lighting is standard, and pretty much a code Schools have established energy use intenrequirement based on the latest energy code sity requirements for facilities, set during design to ensure efficiency meets or exceeds expectations. Dupsky said the building is modeled based on system efficiencies and expected usage.

Continued from page 22.

“These models can then be compared to editing software as part of the tools we use.

We can do some pretty good stuff virtually. actual usage after construction to determine The kicker for going virtual is, it can be up to if the goal is meet, or what areas may need adjustment,” he said. six times less efficient to teach online.

HDR’s Jon Markt spoke to the Nebraska “If you want a silver lining to all of this, many of us in this field were hoping to get to Department of Transportation’s system in the a state where we taught certain class elements western part of the state to enhance travel and media online, but we weren’t planning on safety during winter weather on I-80. The getting there for another three to five years. traffic engineer and transportation planner So, if you want to look at what COVID-19 did said the system will be designed to adjust for us, it forced us to implement a three-year speed limits to appropriate weather conditions Continued on next page. growth plan in three months.”

Adjusting to COVID-19

Lincoln Business Journal Pages • Engineering Profession •

Design, technologies look toward future of communitywide health, safety, conservation Continued from preceding page. and allow communication between roadside weather centers and special radios on trucks.

“The system is an expansion from the successful Wyoming DOT Connected Vehicle pilot and has U.S. DOT sponsorship,” he said.

Pivoting to ramp metering, which generally regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways according to current conditions, Markt said the strategy has broad applications and has benefited many cities.

“Deployments in Kansas City and Salt Lake City add to longstanding use in Minneapolis-St. Dupsky Paul to show that it’s a strategy that works in metro areas of all sizes and parts of the country,” he said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports an initial evaluation in Kansas City showed crash reductions as significant as 64% on a seven-mile section of I-435.

“When you are seeing stopped traffic on the freeway, it’s time to consider ramp metering,” Markt said. “Conditions at the back of the traffic jam are going to be unsafe because of high on-coming speeds. Ramp metering costs a fraction of adding a new freeway lane.”

Morrissey’s Friesen said an emerging tech contributing to the “electrify everything” concept is the modern electric vehicle.

“We see this technology moving closer to mainstream adoption as corporate clients, educational institutions and developers prepare for and begin to install distributed

Keep projects on track Continued from page 23. both the client and firm are connected and providing regular key status updates from the project manager to the client to keep our clients keyed in are crucial to maintaining the success of the project and relationship with our clients,” she said.

Some of the most regular causes to project delays are changes in project scope, poor planning, poor communication between stakeholders, and a misalignment between the project objectives and deliverables and potential constraints, such as staffing and timelines.

“Solid project management means talking about risks such as delays early in the project process, building a project management plan that identifies risks, outlines mitigation when the risks arise, and communicating that to the project team,” Cherko said.

The main concern of project manager is meeting the needs of their clients and delivering high-quality work.

“In my experience, communication is the most important component of project management,” she said. “You have to be willing to be upfront and honest with both your client and your project team in order to deliver a successful project.”

EV-charging devices,” he said.

Modern electric vehicles offer performance, ride quality, maintenance and operating cost advantages; they also have no tailpipes. So, no ozone and particulate matter are emitted into the air.

While not apparent to the general public, the impact of ozone levels has been seen as problematic for the metro and e-vehicles are well-suited to provide relief, he said. “ A d d i t i o n a l l y, the electricity used to charge these vehicles can be sourced from renewable sources like solar, making them a win-win for increasingly positive environmental impact within the comMarkt munity and region,” he said.

ETI’s Dupsky isolated a project: The rebuilt Nebraska National Guard’s Camp Ashland Training Site, which was damaged after the 2019 floods. Spanning seven new buildings, each was designed to meet LEED Silver standards.

“ETI designed a solar panel array system that will offset an estimated one-third of the electrical usage of the seven new buildings,” he said.

They’re also working with multiple school districts to add bi-polar ionization, reducing the risk of pathogen transmission, and improving student and staff health and safety.

Cogeneration plants are on the rise to produce onsite electric power. Rejected heat is used for space or water heating.

Dupsky said typical grid power is around 30% efficient; cogeneration can achieve up to 90% efficiency.

“However, cogeneration is not common in Nebraska as the utility rates are low enough the savings do not outweigh the cost,” he said.

So, they’re more common in areas with higher rates and that can benefit from heat recovery all year. Systems are being considered, he said, for projects in Arizona and Wisconsin.

When addressing “high-impact” strategies, HDR’s Markt said Mobility on Demand will be easier for public agencies to afford and leverage with 5G deployment; for instance, he referred to new micro-mobility (bike-share and e-scooters) and ride-hailing in a system with transit and personal vehicles.

“MOD will make the most sense to downtown and midtown residents, but with smart policy and planning, use of MOD could spread to the entire metro area to reduce the burden of car ownership on the poor, young, physically impaired, and the elderly,” he said.

ORBT’s launch will help expand the ability of families and individuals to reliably and conveniently get to work or points of interest, ditching their car if they live along a station.

In turn, Markt said an MOD partnership could take ORBT and the future bus system to a broader audience, allowing for better access to stations to serve locally based trips.

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 •

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal

• Engineering Profession • Lincoln Business Journal Pages

Local engineers highlight current Lincoln, Omaha projects

by Gabby Hellbusch

While current projects throughout the Lincoln and Omaha metros have been affected by the pandemic, engineering professionals say progress continues.

Michael Hromanik, mechanical engineer at Prochaska & Associates, said the COVID-19 pandemic is causing those involved with the design of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems to look at their design approaches and priorities from an entirely new

perspective.

“One has to go back 100 years, to the Spanish Influenza Pandemic, to find a comparable event,” Hromanik said. “Just as now, societal efforts to slow the spread of the Spanish Influenza, which had a mortality rate in excess of 2.5%, centered on avoiding large group gatherings. In addition, an emphasis was made on exposure to fresh air. It was correctly determined that the poor to non-existent ventilation in offices, factories and large tenement buildings

Davis Design is designing a new ambulatory surgical center and clinic for TNNG, LLC in Lincoln, which will include include two surgical operating rooms and a procedure room, along with pre-op and post-op patient areas. (Courtesy of Davis Design) exploded the spread of the illness. Work and patient tower.

“The new addition will house 59 new private activities were moved outside. Windows were left open continuously, even in the middle of patient rooms on two floors, with state-of-the art the winter. And steam radiator heating systems amenities for both the patient and staff, including were developed to provide sufficient heating on patient lifts, seating area for family and private bathrooms,” Dalton said. “The building will the coldest day of the year.” include a new central Hromanik said plant that will produce COVID-19 is going hot water and chilled to reverse the 40-year water to be distributed trend to reduce ventito chilled beams that lation rates in buildings will provide temperain order to save energy. ture control in each “Architects need to space. To maximize ‘rediscover’ operable floor-to-floor space at windows in commerthe connection to the cial buildings,” Hroexisting building, the manik said. “The chalstructure uses a unique lenge HVAC system Hromanik Meisinger composite steel beam designers will face is how to maintain energy savings while ventila- system, called Deltabeam, believed to be used for the first time in this portion of the country.” tion rates profoundly increase.”

Dalton said Davis Design is also designing Jon Dalton, senior electrical engineer at Davis Design, said the firm is currently working a new ambulatory surgical center and clinic in with Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals on a Lincoln for TNNG, LLC, which will include building addition and renovation project that two surgical operating rooms and a procedure will enhance the patient and family experience. room, along with pre-op and post-op patient Dalton said the new addition will include a areas.

Mark Meisinger, principal at Felsburg Holt large lobby that will contain a reception station, access to registration and passage to the new & Ullevig, said the firm is currently working on a number of projects.

“In Sarpy County, we conducted a study and designed a mini roundabout at the intersection of 114th Street with Lincoln Road, which just opened to traffic the first week of December,” Meisinger said. “In Omaha, we optimized traffic signal timings on West Center Road from 60th Street through 192nd Street in October. FHU is also currently designing traffic signal system upgrades on multiple corridors for the City of Omaha, including 144th Street, Q Street and north 90th Street. These upgrades will modernize traffic signal equipment and provide fiber optic communications, controllers, vehicle detection and flashing yellow arrow signal heads.”

Meisinger said the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted a number of projects — most significantly trip patterns, public involvement and funding.

“Some of our municipal clients are heavily reliant on sales tax revenue for project funding and delayed the start of planned projects this spring,” Meisinger said. “We have heard that sales tax revenues have been down, but perhaps not as much as anticipated. We are cautiously optimistic moving into 2021 that funding will rebound, particularly if a vaccine and other measures slow the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Midlands Business Journal • DECEMBER 18, 2020 • REGIONAL LANDSCAPES

Briefs…

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, along with a coalition of 33 additional attorneys general, announced a $113 million settlement with Apple, Inc. regarding Apple’s 2016 decision to throttle consumers’ iPhone speeds in order to address unexpected shutdowns in some iPhones. Under the settlement, Apple will pay Nebraska $1,339,427. Apple recently entered into a proposed settlement of class action litigation related to the same conduct, and under that proposed settlement Apple will pay out up to $500 million in consumer restitution. Consumers can find additional information online.

When Kelly Valentine started clothing re-sale shop Scout in Omaha’s historic Dundee neighborhood, she was 27 and had never worked in retail, managed other people, or owned a store. She found inspiration from Denver’s Buffalo Exchange, a vintage clothing retailer, and, 13 years later Scout will soon be opening another location in the same 5,000-square-foot storefront that sparked Valentine’s inspiration. Scout will be taking over the old Buffalo Exchange storefront at 51 Broadway in Denver with

the grand opening date set as Jan. 2.

Education notes…

Angel Flight - The Soaring 20s​ was Skutt Catholic’s first virtual, multi-venue event, with more than 40 couples enjoying an Angel Flight Date Night from their homes, and more than 450 guests tuning in from smaller hosted parties happening all around town. There was also an unlimited number of virtual attendees watching and bidding on auction items and raising the paddle for the President’s Wish List, raising over $400,000 for the more than 700 students attending the school this year.

Activities of nonprofits…

The Omaha World-Herald and United Way of the Midlands have partnered to administer the Goodfellows program. The Omaha World-Herald established the Goodfellows program in the 1890s to help those in our community who had fallen on hard times, including people between jobs, the elderly, the ill, those who have experienced abuse and those facing a personal crisis with nowhere else to turn. UWM will manage Goodfellows donations separately and invest them according to Goodfellows’ previous guidelines.

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In the Spotlight Paid Content

BANKING

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Union Bank & Trust

UBT recently promoted Ryan Wittmann to Vice President – Wholesale Business Solutions Manager. Wittmann has been a part of Union Bank since 2006. In his new role, Wittmann will develop business strategies within the wholesale lending division and work with internal departments to prioritize projects and resources to meet strategic objectives.

UBT is pleased to announce the addition Anita Schinstock as Talent Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Schinstock brings 10 years of general human resource, talent acquisition, learning & development, and diversity and inclusion experience to her new role, in which she will be responsible for designing, implementing and overseeing UBT’s external recruitment, and talent alignment strategy.

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• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal