Midlands Business Journal July 12, 2019 Vol. 45 No. 28 issue by Midlands Business Journal

• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Nonprofits

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July 12, 2019

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Opportunities to connect volunteers to nonprofits flourish in sixth-ranked state for volunteering by Michelle Leach

New avenues to donate time, skills, monies and needed items, and services to maximize every available dollar, are contributing favorably to Nebraska’s robust nonprofit industry. “Prior to SHARE Omaha coming on the scene, interested volunteers had to reach out to organizations individually to discover who had what volunteer needs,” said Executive Director Marjorie Maas. “Now, in one spot, volunteers can see the needs of the Omaha metro and sort volunteer postings by cause, group size, skills needed and Olson more.” Maas said this ease of identifying needs has increased volunteer leads across the metro. “SHARE Omaha is illuminating the needs of the entire nonprofit community, giving all organizations a chance to be seen and heard regardless of size, cause or budget,” she said, while a search via its site for organizations that match one’s passions was referenced. “This has leveled the playing field for many small nonprofit organizations.”

Marjorie Maas, executive director of SHARE Omaha. SHARE Omaha has also noticed the said a designer’s creation of a brochure or impact those “skills-based volunteers” are a lawyer’s legal help frees resources for having on organizations; for instance, Maas nonprofits to reallocate toward their mission.

“This skills-based volunteerism extends to nonprofit committees and board positions as well,” she said. “Nonprofits are having success using SHARE Omaha as a platform to find individuals who match their committee and board seat needs.” Maas said families are also volunteering together. “Much of our website traffic is exploring volunteer opportunities for kids aged 5 to 12 and 13 to 17,” she said. “Parents are using volunteering as a way to bond as a family.” In addition to cash donations, supporters are shopping Amazon Tulipana wish lists created by nonprofits to pay for goods that they need; nonprofits are also sharing resources to work together on community initiatives. “For example, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is supporting Omaha Rapid Response, Heartland Hope Mission and others by sharing volunteers and assisting with volunteer scheduling related to flood assistance,” she said. SHARE Omaha is rolling out its Giving Tuesday campaign Dec. 3 (right after Cyber Monday). American National Bank, in a post on the Omaha Gives blog, highlighted its support of financial literacy (for instance, its partnership with New Cassel Retirement Center to bring a branch and personal banker to residents each month), and its 24 hours of volunteer time off for employees to support a nonprofit of his or her choice. First VP Treasury Management Amy Olson also works with organizations on a suite of products and services designed specifically for nonprofits; for instance, deposit and savings account options that provide flexible access to funds while maximizing earnings. “Our treasury management professionals will create a customized package based on the unique needs of the nonprofit, which may include remote deposit capture, ACH origination and fraud mitigation services,” Olson said. She also referred to the bank’s extensive experience in nonprofit construction financing and working capital lines of credit. “Every dollar counts for nonprofit orContinued on page 6.

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Nonprofits — inside JULY 12, 2019

THE BUSINESS NEWSPAPER OF GREATER OMAHA, LINCOLN AND COUNCIL BLUFFS

THIS WEEK 'S ISSUE:

$2.00

VOL. 45 NO. 28

Nox-Crete increases sales by stressing complementary products by Richard D. Brown

Nebraska has something for everyone to do amid peak travel season, year-round. – Page 2

40 er d Un 40 Baird Holms’ Lawrenson strives for inclusion, diversity in the legal field. – Page 3

ess sin es u a B ag ah al P OmJourn

Exist Green brings zero waste market and boutique to Omaha. – Page 27

Changes at Nox-Crete, a 63-yearold Omaha-based firm that has relied on a concrete product engineering approach, have multiplied in recent years as the firm has sought to increase its revenues by offering products in addition to those developed by the company. In the past 13 years, the business that is operated in about 150,000 square feet of production, warehouse, and office space on both sides of the 1400 block of South 20th St., has grown from 35 to 50 employees, seen a substantial investment in its facilities and transitioned from family ownership to an ESOP. Among its growth, it has elevated an energetic Texas-born executive, Lori R. Reid, from the firm’s CFO to presidential responsibilities. Reid, who came to Omaha in 2015, said her move to the president’s office last month has caused her to shift her focus from being on key metrics, development of financial and operations strategy, asset preservation and financial reporting toward more Continued on page 10.

President Lori Reid … Expanding business by offering additional products to best suit the customer’s needs. (Photo by MBJ / Becky McCarville)

Availa Bank bolsters its assets with additional markets in Iowa by Michelle Leach

Over its nearly 150 years of operations, what started as the German Bank of Carroll County grew with the opening or acquisition of banks in at least five western Iowa communities; today, united under the name and brand of “Availa Bank,” the family-owned financial institution boasts around $900 million total assets and employs approximately

150 people. Availa Bank acquired three new markets on June 24, 2019, according to Council Bluffs Market President Matthew D. Gronstal. “The new markets include Ames, Ankeny and Sioux City,” Gronstal said. “These markets will add approximately $130 million in total assets. This acquisition will bring the total assets of Continued on page 10. CEO Zach Dice … Geared to expand its commercial data projects in the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on the Midwest.

Dice Communications responds to rapid industry changes over the past decade by Becky McCarville

Council Bluffs Market President Matthew D. Gronstal … Mix of technology and smaller community bank-style service propels almost 150-year-old bank’s growth.

In the 10 years since the firm was founded, Dice Communications has evolved from a “very voice-centric company” to about 60% data projects and 40% voice, said CEO Zach Dice. If the company continues with this trajectory, it expects data projects to bring in around 75% and voice 25%. Dice Communications started to work on more data projects

through the company’s primary manufacturer, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, which called on the telecom company to help fix “troubled customers.” “We’ve got a really good reputation of being able to fix the complex issues that were out there,” he said. “But then as we continued to grow, they would bring us into more and more data projects and Continued on page 22.

• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Nebraska has something for everyone to do amid peak travel season, year-round by Michelle Leach

Peak travel season is well underway; as state tourism and attraction reps remind visitors to take advantage of what Nebraska’s “backyard” has to offer. “Every winery in Nebraska is unique and visitors enjoy learning about the wines, the stories of how wineries got started, the tasting rooms and what makes them special, as well as strolling through the vines,” said Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association Executive Director Lori Paulsen. Wineries, including vineyards, create opportunities for visitors to see “Nebraska wines from vine to glass,” she said. “Nebraska wineries attract visitors from throughout the world and positively impact Nebraska's economy,” Paulsen noted. Citing Wine America’s 2018 economic impact study, Paulsen said the state’s wine industry has produced nearly 20,000 tourist visits and $8.1 million in tourist expenditure. “In addition, those visitors enjoyed meals at local restaurants, stayed in local lodging and took in local attractions,” she said. Paulsen said wineries pack the summer months with unique events — be it music, fun runs, or festivals. “The Nebraska Wine Passport encourages

Melissa Panella and Joel Jorgensen of Lincoln use a new canoe and kayak access point on Decker Creek at Platte River StatePark in Cass County. (Courtesy of Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission) visitors to stop by wineries from Scottsbluff to from May to September, and encourages people Brownville and everywhere in-between,” she from across the state to visit various locations said. and landmarks, according to Nebraska Tourism The Nebraska Passport program takes place Commission Spokesperson Emerson Belitz.

Business Minute

John Hallgren

Co-founder of Mission Direct Primary Care Associations/Titles: Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians. Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas. Education: Medical Doctor, Uniformed Services University; Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, United States Air Force Academy.

“The summer months are the best time for travel throughout the state, because of all the unique and exciting events; from the Wayne Chicken Show to the Testicle Festival, Nebraskans celebrate just about everything,” he said. In the first 40 days, Belitz noted more than 15 people had already visited all 70 stops in the Passport program. “With most stops reporting a sizeable increase in attendance during the last month, and many people posting about their adventures, the turnout for the first quarter of the program has been great,” he said. While Belitz acknowledged some popular destinations have experienced flood damage and loss, he emphasized that Nebraska is “still open” and affected communities could use the support of travel and tourism “now more than ever.” “Think outside the box, stray from the beaten path and leave the misconception that ‘there’s nothing to do here’ at home, because there is so much to see,” he said. “We hope to challenge people’s false perceptions of Nebraska by playing directly into them. The Nebraska Tourism Commission wants to encourage people to take a closer look at our so-called ‘flyover state’ and see how special it is.” While expanded services and promotions are driving park venues as “year-round destinations,” Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Parks Administrator Jim Swenson anticipates high visitation this summer as travelers enjoy the warm months following an extended winter season and cool, damp spring. “I credit much of our appeal to the diverse and family-friendly programming, amenities and activities we offer across the state, at 76 unique locations,” he said. “Considering the investments we are making into updating facilities and developing new and trending activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy.” Swenson isolated water-based activities, Continued on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal Established in 1975

PUBLISHER & FOUNDER, Robert Hoig

ADMINISTRATION

How I got into the business: I had been following the direct primary care movement, a concept that brings doctors and patients together without insurance hassles, for several years. After retiring from the Air Force, I joined a practice in Colorado using the direct primary care model and loved it. It was a great job, but we missed Omaha and decided to move back after a couple of years. After much discussion, my wife and I decided the best way to offer primary care in the manner we thought it should be was to open our own practice. So here we are, opening our own medical practice that offers relationship, access, and value for its patients. Accomplishments or milestones: I had a successful career in the Air Force, and am most proud of my participation in combat and

disaster response, including treating victims of the U.S.S. Cole bombing at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany and mass casualty response to an F5 tornado in Oklahoma, as well as two deployments to central and southwest Asia. I commanded the medical operations squadron at Offutt for three years and have taught for both UNMC and my medical school alma mater. Getting Mission Direct Primary Care running successfully will be a great addition to these. First job: dishwasher and busboy for Cousin’s BBQ, Fort Worth, Texas. Biggest career break: getting accepted to the Air Force Academy. The toughest part of the job: educating people about a “new” model of health care, which is actually simple — you have a direct relationship with your doctor, no middlemen to limit access. The best advice I have received: Do the easy things, and life will be hard; do the hard things, and life will be easy. About my family: A beautiful, smart wife who is also my business partner, two great sons just entering independent adulthood, and a couple of dogs. Something else I’d like to accomplish: Start a self-funding direct primary care family

medicine residency. Book I finished reading recently: “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz. Something about me not everyone knows: I occasionally brew my own beer. How my business will change in the next decade: We’re starting small, so I expect to grow to several partners and possibly multiple clinic locations. I’m looking forward to establishing direct primary care as the preferred way of delivering primary care and mutually supporting other independent practices, pharmacies, and other medical services. Mentor who has helped the most in my career: Jeff Schievenin, M.D. Outside interests: outdoor activities generally, especially running, skiing, and golf. Pet peeves: auto-correct, automatic transmissions, and Oxford comma deniers. Favorite vacation spot: Puerto Rico. Other careers I would like to try: safari camp host. Favorite movie: “The Black Stallion” (1979). Favorite cause or charity: Dean Fricke Food Pantry. Favorite app: Toss-up: GoodRx for finding the cheapest drug prices.

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

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Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 • construction and renewable energy projects both in Omaha and across Nebraska. A sample of the deals that bear her imprint include The Cloisters on the Platte; Landmark building hotel redevelopment; Carson Wealth Management, Thrasher and Core Bank headquarters; Dundee Theater redevelopment and a number of commercial grade wind and solar energy projects from across Nebraska. Along the way, she’s also been a role model for up-and-coming women attorneys, even heading up Baird Holm’s women’s initiative and a member of the firm’s diversity and inclusion committee.

In these capacities, she looks to mentor new lawyers in the same way she was mentored by strong women in the field. “One of the biggest hurdles that we always are trying to work with is how do you become the rainmaker or the really successful attorney when you might want to balance having a family and being a mother,” she said. “I’m not a mother myself, but I don’t want it to ever be a situation where we, at Baird Holm, would ever lose somebody because they felt they couldn’t be a mother. It shouldn’t be either/ or in my opinion; you should be able to have those things.”

Proud Sponsors of the 2018 40 Under 40:

Partner Amy Lawrenson … A leader in real estate law, aiming to grow diversity the profession.

Baird Holms’ Lawrenson strives for inclusion, diversity in the legal field

Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of profiles featuring Midlands Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winners — entrepreneurs, business owners, managers and professionals under 40 years of age.

by Dwain Hebda

As quickly as she’s climbed the ladder of success, Amy Lawrenson, partner with Baird Holm, admits there are some things she’s yet to figure out, like where she’d like to see her career ultimately go. “I’ve always been a pretty goal-driven person, but I don’t have that next thing completely identified,” she said. “But I do know on the smaller scale I want to continue to see the field of law grow to be more diverse. And that’s not just gender-based. I mean diversity across the board has to happen in the legal field, so we truly have our community represented. That’s something I’d like to be a supporter of and help move the chains.” It’s not the first time the South Dakotan had a somewhat fuzzy view of her future. As a college sophomore, her plans for becoming a physician started dwindling with the discovery that she didn’t have the stomach for the sight of blood. Little did she know that as one door closed, another opened. “It was kind of a Hail Mary my sophomore year,” she said. “I worked for the legislature in South Dakota and that was

the first time I had ever met a female attorney. She happened to be from my home jurisdiction, Union County, South Dakota. She was one of the people that I had to support as an intern for the legislature and it was a really eye-opening experience to me. “At that point, I actually thought I’d go down the route of going into politics, not as a politician myself but as a cabinet member of some sort. Working for her, that’s when I first really started thinking that maybe this would be something I would enjoy.” Lawrenson changed her major to political science, a degree she’d earn with an emphasis in women’s studies and political philosophy from the University of Minnesota, followed by law school at Creighton University. “I had gone directly into private practice out of law school, but I had gone into real estate when the market was in the midst of a torpedo downhill; 2007, 2008 turned out to be pretty terrible timing to try to be a real estate attorney,” she said. The time may not have been right then, but six and half years ago it was just what Baird Holm was looking for. Today she’s a partner and a highly sought-after real estate attorney who’s had a hand in real estate,

• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

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

July 12, 2019

Opportunities to connect volunteers to nonprofits flourish in sixth-ranked state for volunteering by Michelle Leach

Nonprofits •

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Experienced professionals offer insight on forming nonprofit organizations by Gabby Christensen

Before forming a nonprofit organization, area experts say there are a number of steps that need to be taken. Nikki Snow, CPA at Bland & Associates, said it’s important to first determine a name and year-end goal, obtain employer identification numbers, file articles of incorporation, apply for IRS exemption using form 1023, as well as determine a board of directors. After these processes have been completed, Snow said all other licenses and permits must be obtained and a bank account and accounting system should be established. “It’s also wise to Snow determine budgets and make sure you’re aware of filing requirements so as to not miss filing deadlines, as penalties can be pretty steep,” she said. Alec Gorynski, vice president of community development and corporate philanthropy at First National Bank, said a tremendous amount of infrastructure and expense is involved in forming a nonprofit and forming a nonprofit should not be taken lightly. “It’s critical to carefully consider why the nonprofit organization is needed and what community issue it will solve,” Go-

rynski said. “It’s also important to establish a strategic plan at the very beginning.” In the beginning, he said the founding board will take on a lot of the work, which is exactly why it’s important to be very intentional when selecting a team. When it comes time to create the bylaws of the organization, Gorynski said it’s wise to engage a lawyer. He also recommended partnering with a community foundation that can act as a fiscal agent so that the agent can receive contributions on behalf of the new nonprofit prior to receiving approval from the IRS for exempt status. “There are great community resourcDovali es and experts out there so I advise reaching out to those people early on in the process,” he said. Ralph Dovali, partner at Hancock & Dana, said there are many different types of nonprofit organizations, but one of the most common types is the 501©(3) organization. Dovali said one of the most critical components of forming and operating a nonprofit effectively is good governance. “The IRS grants an organization its tax-exempt status, but it also holds the power to revoke such status if it finds the nonprofit organization is not acting in the

Alec Gorynski, vice president of community development and corporate philanthropy at First National Bank. best interest of the public nor in accordance considered best practices for nonprofit with its governing documents,” Dovali organizations. said. “For organizations required to file “It is of the utmost importance that Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt the organization maintains a skilled and from Income Tax, it should pay careful engaged board of directors,” Dovali said. attention to the nonfinancial portions of “This governing body is charged with the the filing.” monitoring and oversight of the organiDovali said there are a significant zation, ensuring it is following the rules amount of questions concerning gover- set forth by the IRS and is operating in nance, management, compensation and accordance with the terms outlined in the other matters that will outline what is governing documents.”

• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

• Nonprofits

New and existing donors key to nonprofit success by Jasmine Heimgartner

No matter how great the cause, a nonprofit can only make the lasting impact it strives for with the help of strong supporters. Even if a nonprofit has built a successful foundation of donors — whether they are contributing time, money or both — constant effort is required to keep the momentum going. “It may surprise people to learn that the largest percentage of donations by far (68% in 2018) came from individuals, not foundation grants, corporate sponsorships or bequests,” said Clover Frederick, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Nebraska Chapter. “Nonprofits can bring in revenue through other means like government contracts or social enterprise, but most nonprofits need individual donations in the mix in order to meet their mission.” Oftentimes, simple engagement and showing appreciation goes a long way in keeping people actively engaged. “Consistently thank your donors whether they are giving large or small amounts,” said Holly Baker, co-founder, TAGG (Together A Greater Good). “I use our mobile app at participating businesses who will donate a portion of my purchase to a nonprofit of my choosing. When I receive an email, or better yet a thank-you card in the mail, that goes a long way and encourages me to choose them over and over again.” While a written note or email can go a long way, developing a tiered approach to a donor program, such as physical gifts for larger donations, can entice a donor to take their support up a level. People also want to know how they are making a difference. If possible, break down a donation amount into what it actually supplies. This will resonate with people and help them make

Holly Baker, co-founder of TAGG. the connection to the cause. you thoughtfully ask for a gift, they are Maintaining relationships and being more likely to donate.” transparent in how the nonprofit operates While current and long-time donors are can greatly influence donor retention. vital, the growth of a nonprofit and what “Invite donors on private tours of your it can achieve means actively recruiting nonprofit to see their donation in action, or new donors. meet them for coffee to learn more about “Because donors are so important, nonthem,” Frederick said. “I see nonprofits profits should make an effort to find their make the terrible mistake of getting a do- next (younger) generation of supporters innation and then not communicating with stead of focusing only on existing supportthe donor again until they are ready to ask ers,” Baker said. “At TAGG, we encourage for money again. Make it a part of your nonprofits to utilize our platform to attract donor engagement plan to reach out to younger generations of supporters, since donors regularly to show them how their you don’t need to spend your own money to donation is at work within the organization financially support them. The idea is once and remind them that they played a role in you have them using TAGG to support you, the success. If you do this, the next time Continued on next page.

Opportunities to connect Continued from page 4. ganizations who are focused on enhancing operating efficiency, increasing earnings and protecting their accounts from fraud,” Olson said. President and CEO Pete Tulipana highlighted Iowa West Foundation’s investment in the Mid-America Center corridor and economic development efforts there — moving the area closer to an “entertainment destination for families.” “This year we have begun the construction for the new Iowa West Sports Plex, a new indoor soccer and turf faHindery cility,” he said. “We are currently finalizing construction for the addition of pickleball courts to the Iowa West Field House. The opening of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel provides a place for families and athletes to stay nearby, and is a great attraction for hosting conventions.” Tulipana also highlighted the groundbreaking of Council Bluffs’ first craft brewery in the retail shops as a “significant new attraction to animate the area.” “Soon we will have new signage to brand the district and to improve the walkability,” he added. When asked about year-on-year progress, Tulipana referred to continued transformation of West Broadway and South Main Street investments. “Coupled with the Mid-America Center corridor initiatives, these projects come together to make our community a more attractive place for families to live and for businesses to locate,” he said. In all, there are 13,340 nonprofits in Nebraska that are furthering respective missions (or seven per capita, versus 4.8 per capita nationwide), according to the 2019 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report developed by Category One Consulting and commissioned by the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands. NAM President and CEO Anne Hindery noted the report creates awareness about the size of the nonprofit sector in the state. “Nonprofit organizations have a significant impact on the quality of community life across the entire state of Nebraska,” she said. “However, many Nebraskans do not see the full impact that nonprofits have on their lives and their communities.” More than 90,000 people (or one in 11 Nebraskans) are employed in mission-driven jobs by nonprofits, and nonprofits paid $263.8 million in payroll taxes alone in a given year (2015). The report referred to an “economic ripple effect” tied to the organizations, of which 36% are in human services, followed by 14% each in education, health, and “public” services, and 11% in the arts. Nebraska also reportedly ranks sixth in terms of volunteerism, with nearly half of Nebraskans volunteering their time. NAM also underscored its Aug. 6 and 7 nonprofit conference in Kearney and its annual nonprofit summit Nov. 7 in La Vista, the former of which will explore topics such as building a strong brand and volunteer culture, and engaging voters and lobbying for policy changes.

Nonprofits •

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Nonprofits leveraging social media, branding to reach constituents, donors by Dwain Hebda is paramount. The days of nonprofits making an “With nonprofits, reputation is evannual appeal to donors is long gone, erything, so the branding message has to replaced by sophisticated branding strat- be consistent top to bottom,” he said. “It egies. can’t just be a mission statement and a “Brands for nonprofits are focused on logo; it has to be what everyone believes. broad, long-term goals and where they are If [people] start seeing inconsistencies, the headed,” said LeAnne Morman, reputation will dip.” senior account executive with Marketing views the stated Lukas Partners. “It used to be, mission through the lens of the ‘We need to have a brand to be nonprofit’s work and the people visible and show how we difit serves. Wroblewski said techferentiate ourselves from other nology has assisted this effort nonprofits.’ Now it’s more about, greatly. ‘What does this brand really say “Nonprofits’ blood is in about the cause that we’re worktelling stories and that feeds pering toward?’” fectly into videos,” he said. “Not Answering such a question that long ago, if you wanted to satisfactorily is critical, espewatch a video on a website you cially to the oncoming generahad to install a plug-in and you Morman tion of supporters. got a window that popped up “The younger generation wants to the size of a postage stamp. Now it’s just support causes. They’re looking to support ingrained in everything we do.” brands like the iconic Red Cross, which Michael Murphy, marketing director symbolizes help in the time of disaster,” with Stephen Center, said taking a strategic Morman said. “They want to see more of approach is critical to a nonprofits looking what [a nonprofit] is all about, because to leverage free social media platforms to them, it’s more about building a rela- internally. tionship.” “One of the greatest things about FaceDan Wroblewski, vice president of book is the analytics,” he said. “I created interactive marketing for Envoy, said as a table of the posts that were the most in all healthy relationships, authenticity

Key to nonprofit success Continued from preceding page. which is no extra charge to them, you can then engage with them to turn them into a standard donor.” Technology has made reaching out to those younger generations easier, as well as created new platforms to get the word out more cost-effectively and at a click of a button. Email marketing and social media can quickly reach potential new donors. Creating and sharing a compelling video can have surprising results. Maintaining a balance between tradition and technology is still important to reach the right people. “Tell stories that encourage donors to want to get on board with your cause,” Frederick said. “Illustrate the need and how they can be the hero in meeting the need. If you are trying to reach new people, who are most likely to care about your cause? Are they more likely to be on social media or reading the newspaper. Don’t feel the need to be everywhere — just where your audience is.”

successful and took note of the language being used. We found what worked and we found out what time of day and what day of the week was the most popular and we stuck with it.” Another key is to talk less about the organization and more about the cause. “Just this year we launched a podcast and each one will have between 1,500 and 2,000 views on Facebook,” Murphy said. “The goal of the podcast is not to talk about Stephen Center, the goal is to talk about homelessness, addiction and poverty and highlight our community partners because what we do, we don’t do alone. When we lift other people up, we look even better.” Ally Freeman, communications manager with Omaha Community Foundation, said another key to a successful internal campaign is client engagement. “Omaha Gives! is a great example,” she said. “Social media is the basis of our marketing; we develop social media share graphics, banner images, Facebook frames and other branded collateral for participating nonprofits to use in the weeks leading up to Omaha Gives! The brand is then amplified through the hundreds of nonprofits that are sharing and communicating about the day.” Keeping up with the pace of change

in social media without chasing every new thing that comes along is another challenge. “Social media is constantly evolving, so staying on top of latest trends is important,” Freeman said. “There are so many social media channels out there you have to think about what your staff has the capacity to do well. Don’t feel like you need to be present on every single platform.”

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• JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

• Nonprofits

Nonprofit partnerships with local businesses prove to be beneficial on both ends by Gabby Christensen

Community partnerships can be a very powerful tool for both nonprofits and local businesses, according to area professionals. Derek Rayment, public and media relations manager at Metropolitan Community College, said the college partners with many local organizations. “These partnerships can create new job training programs, helping people earn better paying jobs while benefiting the local business community,” Rayment said. “MCC also partners with businesses through advisory councils.” MCC’s public-private partnerships are part of the recently announced plans for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and automotive training center at the MCC South Omaha Campus, he said. “These two new academic facilities will train today’s workforce while preparing tomorrow’s,” he said. MCC’s partnership with No More Empty Pots is a 15-week non-credit Culinary Workforce Training program taught by MCC culinary instructors and will provide skills training, work experience, career development and job support to prepare participants for entry-level jobs in the food and beverage industry. Michelle Chartrand, chief advancement

officer at Omaha Children’s Museum, said one way the museum partners with local businesses is through its community engaged exhibits program. “When building our community engaged exhibits, the museum meets with local organizations not only for financial support, but also for information about how their businesses serve our community,” Chartrand said. “The museum also partners with local businesses and organizations to support its access programs.” She said collaborating with local businesses has allowed the museum Rayment to expose children to a number of career opportunities through daily programs and exhibits. Becky App, co-founder of eCreamery, said each month, the ice cream shop partners with a different Omaha-based nonprofit to create a custom flavor exclusively for that organization. “The primary purpose of our program is for an eCreamery ice cream flavor to serve as a vehicle for an organization’s unique message,” App said.

During the month, eCreamery also offers a single day of “Scoops of Support Day” when 10% of the total daily weekday sales are donated to the organization. “The point of the partnership program is simply to bring people together to support meaningful causes and enjoy some ice cream together,” she said.

App Barks Brian Barks, president/CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland, said companies that want to make a philanthropic investment in their communities partner with the Food Bank to make a meaningful impact. “Many businesses offer opportunities for their employees to take time away from work to come to the Food Bank’s volunteer center to sort fresh produce, pack food bags for at-risk children in our backpack program, or help in another capacity,” Barks said. “These employees are learning about our organization’s mission and operations while making a difference for our food insecure neighbors.” Barks said companies may even host food and fund drives or participate in initiatives hosted by Food Bank for the Heartland. “Last year, we distributed more than 22 million meals across our 93-county service area,” Barks said. “Food Bank for the Heartland’s impact in the community would not be so widespread without the strong, dynamic partnerships with our local

businesses.” Becki Frishman, community relations manager at Omaha Storm Chasers, said the Performance Community Organization of the Night, which is held at Omaha Storm Chasers home games, is a great way for nonprofits to set up a table, have an on field interview, radio interview or first pitch to offer to board members, volunteers, or the people they help. “The impact that this has not only helps nonprofits find new volunteers and possible donors but it also helps get the word out about their organization,” she said. “Not only do we highlight over 70 nonprofits during games, but also volunteer our time at different organizations throughout the year. Being able to give back to the community that supports us is the most impactful thing that we can do.” Sierra Salgado Pirigyi, COO at Urban Abbey, a nonprofit coffee shop, bookstore, and progressive United Methodist Church located in downtown Omaha’s Old Market, said the organization donates 10% of all coffee bar sales to local nonprofits through its Community Partnership program. “Since 2011, we have given more than $80,000 in unrestricted funds to organizations such as Nebraska Appleseed, Visiting Nurse Association and Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) to do life-giving work in the community,” Pirigyi said. “We also invite our community partners to hold events in our space. In 2018 alone, we hosted 120 conversations about a variety of topics, including health care access, immigration reform and payday lending reform. We want to make the church and the world different, so partnering with these organizations and supporting them both financially and as an event venue helps us increase the positive impact that both we and they can have in the Omaha community.”

Recruiting and managing volunteers is both challenging and rewarding by David Kubicek

Although nonprofits sometimes struggle to find enough volunteers, the organizations and the volunteers are rewarded when they see the impact their efforts make on the community. United Way of the Midlands works with its corporate partners to help them better

understand the impact of their donations, according to Director of Volunteerism Dani Ohlman. “We coordinate a number of volunteer events with agencies that receive investments from United Way,” she said. “This way volunteers can learn more about the agencies and our organization.” United Way has two large community events: Day of Action in June and Day of Caring in September. The organization begins its outreach months in advance of each event through Turgeon advertising, social media, and its donor engagement team encourages corporate partners get involved. The organization reaches out to individuals who want to volunteer but are unable to leave their offices by bringing volunteer opportunities to them. United Way provides a volunteer manContinued on next page.

Nonprofits •

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Two Chicago business groups step up efforts to provide resources, training to Latino entrepreneurs by Abdel Jimenez

When Maria Santacruz set out to open an eyelash extension parlor in 2016, she had very little in the way of business skills and

Nonprofit partnerships Continued from preceding page. agement portal — Get Connected — that allows individuals to go online and find volunteer needs in the community. They may sign up and prepare for events. The portal tells them the date and location of the event, what they will need, and gives them reminders. “Once we’ve recruited them we thank them,” Ohlman said. “We thank them a lot. Volunteers are the lifeblood of every nonprofit organization. To retain the volunteers we must gauge their interest — a lot of which is done through our Get Connected system — and we keep them updated on needs in their interest areas. We make sure to convey the importance of their time and the impact their work is having on the community, and we want them to understand that their time is never wasted no matter what they’re doing. That helps them feel good about volunteering so they want to come back to volunteer more.” Many firms are asking for volunteer opportunities far in advance so they can fill their volunteer calendars for the year. “We launch our volunteer opportunities now much earlier than we did in the past so we can get on those corporate calendars,” Ohlman said. “That’s one of the newer efforts we’ve done, and it has lead to a 48% increase in the number of volunteers we engage annually.” Volunteer recruitment is one of the top priorities at Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands, according to President and CEO Nichole Turgeon. “We recruit our volunteers through word of mouth, participating in community events and with a limited advertising budget,” she said. “We have a small team of staff dedicated to recruiting volunteers to empower the potential of our youth.” Recruiting enough quality volunteers is always a challenge, but recruiting male volunteers and volunteers of color is especially difficult. “We currently have more than 130 amazing youth on our waitlist,” Turgeon said. “These youth are ready to be matched with a caring adult volunteer who will spend four hours per month with them doing activities in the community they both enjoy.” Volunteers complete an orientation, training and screening process so they understand what is expected of them, and are equipped to build a friendship with a youth. “We get to know the volunteer through an interview process so we can match them with just the right child from our waiting list, which ensures that the relationship is long and strong and everyone’s expectations are being met,” Turgeon said. “After we introduce a volunteer to their Little Brother or Little Sister we support their relationship every step of the way through a dedicated match support specialist and ongoing match activities and trainings to ensure the volunteers have the resources they need to be successful and enjoy their volunteer experience.”

almost no funding. Nothing was going to stop her from achieving the American dream, so she used all of her savings to open Fabulash Beauty in the Lincoln Park area. But as an immigrant entrepreneur, she didn’t know what support was offered to guide her through the complexities of forming a Nonprofits business. “I live in the South Side, and there are no resources for Latino-owned businesses,” Santacruz said. “I had to travel downtown to get to programs that would offer some help.” Latino-owned businesses like Fabulash make up a small but growing force in the local economy. There were more than over 14,000 Latino-owned businesses in the Chicago area in 2016, according to the most recent census data. However, Latinos face a wide range of challenges in trying to kick-start their businesses, from opening company bank accounts to finding funding. And while business train-

ing programs like the one Santacruz sought help from are available to Latinos, the organizations that offer them don’t heavily market them, and some aren’t conducted in Spanish. Organizations that offer resources to minority groups don’t always have the money to advertise training programs to members within the community, said Juan Mundel, a DePaul University assistant professor of public relations. But at least two groups — Rogers Park Business Alliance and the Little Village Chamber of Commerce — are looking at ways to bring those resources to Chicago’s Latino community. The business alliance, a nonprofit focused on economic development in the culturally diverse Far North Side community, is expanding its business training program to include a Spanish-speaking instructor and an office on Clark Street, close to the dozens of Latino-owned businesses along the corridor. Executive Director Sandi Price said the group’s business training curriculum was so

successful in English it decided to offer it in Spanish with the help of a $114,000 grant from the Coleman Foundation, a philanthropic group that supports a range of efforts including entrepreneurship education. The alliance noticed a need for the program because Latino businesses in the neighborhood never consistently attended workshops being offered in English, Price added. “We have a lot of Spanish-speaking businesses. A lot of them are small and independent and about 70% of them are on Clark Street,” Price said. The alliance also hopes finding an office close to Latino businesses on Clark Street will help attract those owners to the training program. The Clark Street address will be separate from the alliance’s headquarters. The alliance’s training program, called Grow, teaches entrepreneurs how to start and maintain their own businesses and will be offered in Spanish. The Little Village Chamber of Commerce Continued on page 21.

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Availa Bank bolsters its assets with additional markets in Iowa Continued from page 1. Availa Bank to over $1 billion.” The Gronstal family’s banking and western Iowa roots run deep; in 1949, Gronstal’s grandfather, B.A. Gronstal, acquired majority interest in the former German Bank (the bank became Carroll County State Bank during World War I). “At the time, B.A. Gronstal was living in Council Bluffs and was president of the orig-

Availa Bank Phone: 712-322-1700 (downtown); 712322-3300 (mall) Address: 117 Pearl Street, Council Bluffs 51503; 1751 Madison Avenue, Council Bluffs 51503 Services: personal and business banking; loans (mortgage, consumer, commercial/ ag) Founded: 1870 (as German Bank of Carroll County, then Carroll County State Bank) Employees: around 150 Website: www.availa.bank

inal Council Bluffs Savings Bank,” Gronstal said. “After this acquisition, my uncles Joe Gronstal and John Gronstal moved to Carroll, Iowa to run Carroll County State Bank.” Gronstal’s father, Phill Gronstal, remained in Council Bluffs and was an executive at the former First Federal Savings and Loan, while Gronstal’s uncle, Paul, also remained in Council Bluffs and was an executive at the former Council Bluffs Savings Bank. “All four of the brothers were once members of the board of directors of Carroll County State Bank,” he said. “Today the ownership is

still controlled by the Gronstal family.” Bank and holding company board members remain “in the family,” including Matt Gronstal, his mother, Rosemary Gronstal-Faulkner, and cousins — Tom, Carol and Robert Gronstal. “Over the years, new banks were opened or acquired by our holding company in the western Iowa communities of Pocahontas, Fort Dodge, Nevada, Holstein, Coon Rapids [and others],” Gronstal said. “These banks all operated under different names. This became inefficient and confusing as we continued to grow.” While he noted the board decided to continue expansion in southwest Iowa, in order to do so it was decided to operate under one name. “In 2017, we decided to merge all of the banks owned by our holding company to one charter and one common name,” Gronstal said. “Availa Bank was formed when Council Bluffs Savings Bank, Carroll County State Bank, Community Bank of Nevada, and Citizens State Bank of Pocahontas and Fort Dodge

were all merged into one entity.” Gronstal indicated it’s a balance that has enabled Availa Bank to grow to around $900 million in total assets, with $1 billion on the horizon. “Our structure within Availa Bank allows us to offer the personal service of a smaller community bank, yet we have the financial resources and technology that you would expect of a much larger financial institution,” he said. Specific to the metro area, Gronstal noted the bank opened in Council Bluffs in 2003 — originally as Council Bluffs Savings Bank (under the Carroll County Bancshares, Inc. holding company). “We have seen tremendous growth since 2003 and today we have approximately $175 million in total deposits in Council Bluffs,” he said. Furthermore, what started as a temporary facility near Mall of the Bluffs blossomed into a permanent facility near the mall in 2004. “We soon outgrew this location and began looking at options for a second location,” he

said. “In 2008, we opened our new downtown office on Pearl Street.” Across the street to the east of Bayliss Park, readers may recognize the space as the former home of the Daily Nonpareil. “The building was completely renovated on the inside while retaining the historic nature of the exterior of the building,” he said. “We felt it was a great way to salvage a historic building in downtown Council Bluffs while also serving a functional use as our bank facility.” The bank employs 25 people in Council Bluffs. “Employees in Council Bluffs are actively involved in many organizations including the chamber of commerce, the Iowa West Foundation, the YMCA, the Historic General Dodge House, Mercy Hospital, Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Union Pacific Railroad Museum … being active in our community is important because we are all working towards the same goal: to make our community a better place to work and live,” he said.

Nox-Crete increases sales by stressing complementary products Continued from page 1. emphasis on developing and implementing the company’s strategic vision and adapting as the industry and customers’ needs continue to evolve. Reid, a native of Amarillo, Texas who came to Omaha with both an undergraduate degree in accounting and an MBA from Texas Tech, said a 25-year female CEO mentor sent her off with a brief reference that she’s unlikely to forget: “She’ll earn whatever you pay her!”

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While Nox-Crete’s annual sales have in- products, it has expanded its product line to creased on-average 15% in each of the past 10 include tilt-up cure and bondbreakers, liquid years, Reid said the impact of the system-ap- floor handlers, joint fillers, curing and sealing proach of bringing accessory products to the compounds, and water repellents, among others. A third chemist was added to Nox-Crete’s firm’s customer base has resulted in sales projeclab last year. A lab mantions exceeding goals ager oversees the work by 10% this year. If Nox-Crete of the three. the success continues, Phone: 402-341-2080 “We always want to numbers at year’s end Address: 1444 S. 20th St., Omaha 68108 be on the cutting edge could reach 20 to 25%. Founded: 1956 by Carl Linn of product developThat’s good for the Service/product: chemical solutions for ment,” Reid said. executive team of five concrete problems “Where I’m strong that Reid heads. Owners: employee stock ownership is where my company “We’re continuing Number of employees: 50 needs me,” Reid said. to look for creating One-year goal: Expand sales of comple“We’re small enough product suggestions mentary products to customer base. to be nimble and adapt that can be useful to our Industry outlook: Strong growth opportuto the needs of our cuscustomers,” Reid said. nities because of continued use of concrete tomers.” Nox-Crete’s foun- architecturally and decoratively. Nox-Crete operdation was built in the Website: www.nox-crete.com ates with two shifts. A 1950s when its founder Carl Linn introduced the world’s first chemically fourth marketing manager was added last year active release form agent. That came about after to specialize in flooring systems. Rhea Gross Linn noticed that concrete contractors were was recently hired as accounting/administrative using the company’s oil and grease compounds manager. In addition to sales in the U.S., products to prevent fresh concrete from bonding to forms. He found the oil and grease compounds difficult from Omaha are distributed globally in about to work with, and the resulting concrete was 20 countries. Users tend to be in first and secdiscolored and unpaintable. Plywood items also ond world countries where there is concrete construction. Of the 35% of products exported, suffered, failing after a few pours. While concrete workers had been struggling a large amount goes to Canada, along with with such issues for years, Linn decided to New Zealand, Australia and the Scandinavian develop a chemically active release agent — countries. As the use of concrete increases in India, so Nox-Crete Form Coating — and a chemically active form maintenance product — Nox-Crete does the number of shipments. Overall, about 20% of Nox-Crete’s products Deactivator. The form-coater enabled contractors to pro- are shipped to plywood mills, where they are duce concrete that looked better and wood forms applied as a wood treatment at the mill. “We have hundreds of SKUs here,” Reid that lasted longer and the deactivator concrete buildup could be safely and easily removed from said. “Our products have gotten more sophisticated and now there are more options that the tools and equipment. In 1959 the Federal Highway Adminis- design-builder can take to the customer.” Prior to her move to Omaha, Reid served as tration approved the form coating for use on bridges being built nationally by the Eisenhower financial controller for Advanta US in Dallas, administration as part of what was to become vice president of business development and administration for American Star Energy & the Interstate highway system. “Our success continues to come from the Minerals in Amarillo, and accounting manager superiority and quality of our products,” Reid at McCleskey Harriger Brazill & Graf in Lubsaid. “What differentiates us is that we continue bock, Texas. Former Nox-Crete president Mike Linn is to innovate on behalf of our customers.” While Nox-Crete continues to manufac- now CEO of the firm and will assist Reid as she ture its original form coating and deactivator takes on additional responsibilities.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Fair Oaks videos may push more milk drinkers to try alternatives. But dairy farms are innovating by Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz

Gerri Tucker knew exactly what she wanted when she entered the milk aisle at Mariano’s: Silk’s Almond and Cashew blend, which in bold lettering boasts of 10 grams of protein per serving. Trends “It’s rich, it’s thick, it has a wonderful taste,” said Tucker, 74, who was turned on to the milk substitute by neighbors who swear by it. “It has everything I need.” Tucker, a retired massage therapist, gave up dairy 45 years ago because of lactose intolerance, but she only recently discovered her ideal replacement. Soy milk, the only alternative for a SUPER CROSSWORD

long time, upset her stomach, and almond milk, which has dominated the scene for the past 15 years, was a little thin for her taste. Now the dairy aisle is crowded with milk alternatives made with cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, oat, rice, hemp, pea, and bananas, many with sweetened or vanilla-flavored variations and fortified with extra nutrients. Sales of plant- and nut-based milks, which sell for more than twice the price of dairy milk, jumped 44% between 2013 and 2018, to nearly $2.4 billion last year, according to market research firm Euromonitor, as tastier options emerged and consumers cut back on animal-based food for reasons including digesILK-CONCEIVED

tion, health, ethics or environment. The plant-based explosion has caused headaches for the dairy industry, which for years has been grappling with falling milk consumption and sales. Though dairy milk is still in 95% of U.S. households, per capita consumption has fallen 25% since 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retail sales of dairy milk declined 18.8% from 2014 to 2018, to $15.6 billion, and are projected to drop to $13.7 billion by 2023, according to Chicago-based market research firm Mintel. The dairy industry is fighting to compete by introducing new products, making farms more efficient and pushing the government to prohibit nondairy products from being labeled as “milk.” The Food and Drug Administration, concerned that the term “milk” leads consumers to believe plant-based beverages have the same nutritional attributes as cow’s milk, is reviewing 13,000 comments submitted on the matter before deciding whether to issue a new rule. The outcome is being watched closely as battles simmer over terminology in the fast-growing plant-based protein market, including whether meatless burgers can be called burgers. The pressure from the plant-based revolution comes as the dairy industry already contends with a long list of challenges: low commodity milk prices, limited export markets because of the trade war, fierce competition from other beverages like bottled water and smaller households that have dampened demand for a gallon. More than 2,700 licensed dairy farms across the country closed last year, including 30 in Illinois, according to the USDA. Not helping dairy’s cause are recent undercover videos recorded at farms, the latest of which showed calves being hit, kicked and dragged by some workers at Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana, a large dairy known for promoting the good care of its cows. Fair Oaks and Fairlife, which makes a popular brand of ultrafiltered milk and counted Fair Oaks among its supplying farms, swiftly promised reforms and increased animal welfare audits, and Mintel senior beverage analyst Caleb Bryant doubts the dairy industry as a whole will feel much impact. The primary reason people consume alternatives to dairy is digestive health, Bryant said. But the images of suffering cows could be

the final straw that pushes some people toward dairy alternatives now that there are so many to choose from. “It solidified my decision to go away from dairy,” Gary Hebding, 30, said of the videos as he put a carton of Simple Truth’s unsweetened vanilla almond milk in his basket at Mariano’s. “You can’t really abuse almonds too much.” The rise of plant-based milks The recent boom in alternative milks was spurred by the success of almond milk, because companies that wanted in on the action sought ways to stand out from the pack by tapping other plant sources and touting specific health benefits, Bryant said. Investors last year sank $200 million into startups making plant-based dairy alternatives, more than any other food and beverage category, according to a recent report in industry publication Food and Tech Connect. California-based Ripple Foods got $65 million for its pea milk, which it claims contains as much protein and calcium as dairy but less sugar, and uses far less water than growing almonds. Oat milk is the fastest growing dairy alternative, popularized by coffee shops that find its creaminess good for making lattes. When Chicago-based Intelligentsia introduced Oatly, a Swedish brand, to its milk lineup in 2016, it saw orders for almond and soy milk drop dramatically within just a couple of weeks as consumers made the switch. “It was crazy, it was just something people responded really well to,” said Intelligentsia CEO James McLaughlin. More than 10% of drinks sold at Intelligentia’s coffee bars now include oat milk, while 4.1% use almond milk and 2% use 2% milk. The coffee company also distributes Oatly in the U.S. Starbucks, one of the largest milk consumers in the U.S., introduced oat milk this year in select Reserve locations in New York, Seattle and San Francisco. Chicago-based Quaker Oats, owned by Pepsi, muscled in this year with the launch of its Oat Beverage, bringing oat milk into more retail locations than any other brand. It avoided the “milk” term in case the FDA forbids it. Quaker uses a fine milling process to isolate the oat bran, rich in heart-healthy beta-glucan, which allows it to make a heart health claim on Continued on next page.

Nebraska has something for everyone

Answers on page 12.

Continued from page 2. and how the growth in recreational vehicle ownership has spurred increased use of campgrounds — one of three key trends. These purchases, especially by younger consumers, are bridging generations and cultures, according to Swenson. “Those families spend quality time together and develop fond memories,” he said. “Visiting the parks becomes a traditional activity and they develop a sense of ownership and appreciation for the public resource. Another trend is the development of ‘pet-friendly’ parks. “We have witnessed a steady increase in the number of visitors who bring their pets to the parks; therefore, we are working to create amenities such as ‘off-leash’ exercise areas and special events for pets.” Then there is the “social connection” — a result of special events and educational programs. “Photos shared via social networks, showing family and friends gathered togeth-

er and having fun creates a desire for others to join in,” he said. Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum Sales and Marketing Director Aly Rasmussen encouraged readers to visit its website’s “What to Do” tab for upcoming events (like its Apollo 11 moon landing celebration and makers market), which she said are part of general admission and free to museum members. “Our peak season is from Memorial Day through Labor Day,” she said. “We get a variety of visitors, but the majority of our traffic is local.” Occasionally, tourists who have seen their hard-to-miss billboard-airplane on the interstate will stop by, too. “I still hear the same comment, ‘Nebraska is a flyover state,’ but we are hoping that the perception will change soon, as we as a state [and] community can offer so much that people don’t know about,” Rasmussen said.

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Startup aims to help car dealerships compete online by Zachery Eanes

When Hunter Gorham was working at the car financing bank Ally Financial earlier this decade, he noticed that many of the car dealerships he worked with were struggling to sell their cars online. For years, due to a lack of expertise or want, he watched as traditional car dealerships ceded ground to startups that were trying to make online Startups car buying easier, while the dealerships themselves struggled with the simple fact of needing customers to actually show up on a car lot to complete a purchase. So Gorham left the bank and founded Joydrive, a company he set up in Raleigh and then

quickly expanded to Seattle, to see if he could change the equation for those dealerships. Now the company has a marketplace of around 30,000 cars and partnerships with dealers in 14 states. Joydrive has also raised $10 million in funding, a number that has grown quickly in just the past six months. A few months ago, the company announced it had brought in a then fresh $3 million, raising its total funding to a little more than $4 million. Most of the investors have been the largescale dealerships the company works with, a statement of faith, Gorham said, that the Joydrive model can help keep local dealerships competitive in an environment where upstarts like Carvana are expanding and the e-commerce

behemoth Amazon appears to be getting in the game. “There are 17,000 franchise dealerships in the U.S. that need a digital answer and don’t have one,” Gorham, now Joydrive’s CEO, said in a phone interview. “Our view was, let’s unite them together.” How Joydrive works Unlike some of its e-commerce competitors, Joydrive doesn’t own any of the cars it sells. Rather it acts as matchmaker, connecting users with a dealership that has the particular car they are looking for. “Just like Uber and Airbnb doesn’t own their cars (or homes), we shouldn’t own the inventory,” Gorham said of its asset-lite men-

Fair Oaks videos may push more milk drinkers to try alternatives. Continued from preceding page. the packaging that it hopes serves as a differentiator, said Koen Burghouts, the company’s vice president of innovation. It also added chicory root to increase the fiber content of the product to 4 grams per serving. Despite the health-focused marketing, nutritionists warn consumers to read the labels on dairy alternatives carefully. Many brands have added sugars or sweeteners and some types of plant-based milks, such as rice milk, have little protein, said Ginger Hultin, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, in its comment to the FDA regarding use of the term “milk”, suggested that rather than ban dairy terminology for nondairy products, it should require plant-based milks to disclose on packaging when certain key nutrients are present in lower amounts than in dairy products, such as Vitamin D, calcium and protein. That’s especially important for young children, who get a lot of their nutrients from milk, it said. Dairy fights back The dairy industry is arming itself against the competition with innovations of its own, after years of disinvestment. Dairy Management Inc, based in Rosemont, Ill., and funded by a mandatory fee on farmers, has shifted its focus from traditional advertising to working with milk manufacturers to launch new products that address the consumer interest in health. The group helped launch Fairlife, which uses a special filtration process to produce a lactose-free milk that is higher in protein and lower in sugar than regular milk. The group also worked with Dean Foods to launch TruMoo After Dark, a line of adult-focused milks with flavors like “vanilla and chai spice” and “dark chocolate salted caramel.” Those products are indulgences but also can be used to highlight milk’s melatonin content as a way to promote sleep, said Paul Ziemnisky, vice president of innovation at the organization. Despite its challenges, dairy milk is seeing growth in some segments. Whole milk sales are rising as wellness trends reject the anti-fat ethos that drove dieting culture 20 years ago, as are sales of flavored and lactose-free milks, Ziemnisky said. Some companies are collaborating directly with dairy farmers to engineer milks that fit their needs. Intelligentsia, in addition to its oat milk investment, works with Kilgus Farms in Fairbury, Ill., to produce “supermilk” from its Jersey cows, a product that has even higher fat content than whole milk. The a2 Milk Company, which this year brought its product to the Chicago market,

works with farmers on cow genetics to produce milk it claims doesn’t cause digestive issues. The a2 Milk Company, an Australian company with U.S. headquarters in Boulder, Colo., claims many people who have trouble digesting dairy aren’t intolerant of lactose but of the a1 protein naturally found in about a third of cows, so it creates a supply chain of milk sourced only from cows that produce the a2 protein. The brand is 11% of the milk market in Australia, and hopes to find converts in the U.S. “We feel this is part of the savior of the U.S. dairy system,” said CEO Blake Waltrip. “There are many dairy farmers that are beginning to switch their cows to a2.” At their small dairy farm in Campton Hills, Ill., near St. Charles in Chicago’s western suburbs, Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis have invested heavily in other innovations to remain viable amid the pressures squeezing the industry. Part of the goal was to make the job more comfortable for themselves. They also want the farm to survive so that their son, Lucas, now 11 months old, has the option of taking it over in the future. They built a new barn for their 90 cows that is almost fully automated: A giant squeegeelike contraption crosses the floors at regular intervals to scrape the manure into a pit underneath the barn, where it is then pumped through a machine that squeezes out all the liquid, to be used as fertilizer, while the leftover fiber is laid over rubber mattresses in the stall beds where the cows rest. Another machine, a Roomba-like robot they have nicknamed Frank, pushes feed toward the cows when it gets spread out while they eat. Two robotic milkers operate 24 hours a day, allowing the farm’s cows — referred to by their individual nicknames — to enter and milk when they wish, typically three times a day. Enticed by feed pellets, the cows line up at the machine like they’re waiting for the bathroom at a nightclub. The machines can detect which cow is entering and attach and detach the milkers from the teets without human hands. With cameras positioned on all of their cows and equipment, Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis monitor the operation through closed-circuit TVs or data pushed to their smartphones. Sensors that hang around the cows’ necks monitor how much they are eating and ruminating — when they chew, burp it up and keep chewing — and flag issues suggesting a cow may be unwell. The system allows the farm to make do with just one full-time herdsman, the same amount of labor it used when it had less than half the number of cows. The farm’s milk goes to a Dean’s processing plant in Rockford and gets made into cottage cheese, sour cream and other soft products. While a major investment, the system also

allows the couple to spend time on other projects, such as developing public tours to educate consumers about dairy farming. Sarah Lenkaitis, who grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and studied dairy science in college, hopes inviting people to see their cutting-edge operation inspires a next generation of dairy farmers. She and her husband also hope to encourage more consumers to keep cow’s milk on the dinner table. Andy Lenkaitis, an agricultural engineer who grew up on his family’s livestock farm, said he is bothered by the marketing that suggests plantbased milk is better than the original. “I don’t feel threatened by the product itself, I feel threatened by the way it’s presented,” he said of the plant-based incursion. “That’s what scares me.” ©2019 Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

tality. “Used cars depreciate 2% per month and all these other (competitors) own their assets.” Instead it’s about making it easier for the consumers and the dealerships make deals. After a sale, Joydrive will arrange home delivery — sometimes as fast as one day — and gives buyers five days to return a vehicle after buying it. (The company notes that less than 1% of sales are returned.) Deliveries are free for the first 100 miles; Joydrive charges a fee beyond that. In this way, it provides an outlet for dealerships to sell cars to a much wider audience than, say, just the Seattle area; Gorham noted that a resident of Portland, Oregon, could buy a car from a Washington dealership online and have it delivered the next day. It is also streamlining a process that can be more confusing in person, Gorham said. “New cars have a massive amount of incentives and rebates,” which can lead to two dealerships offering different prices for the same car, Gorham said. “So we only let (customers) see one price, so you don’t need a decoder ring to figure it all out.” Another advantage to partnering with dealerships, Gorham said, is access to brand new cars. Because of state regulations, new vehicles usually have to be sold through a franchised car dealership, which is why Carvana only sells used cars. But because Joydrive is selling through franchises, its marketplace can sell new, used or leased vehicles. For customers, no fee comes with the purchase. Joydrive brings in money by collecting a monthly subscription fee — which is “in the single-digit thousands,” Gorham said — from the dealerships. The partnerships with dealerships are crucial to Joydrive’s ability to operate. Gorham said Joydrive is very careful about Continued on next page.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle on page 11.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

All that online grocery shopping is causing a cold storage shortage by Roger Vincent

Deep in a Vernon warehouse, barrels of frozen mango puree from Mexico are stacked four stories high. Hams for Christmas are flash-frozen as June temperatures climb outside. Inside this dimly lit chamber of the Lineage Logistics Lineage is the biggest player in the country’s cold storage industry, a business consumers seldom see but one that plays a crucial role in keeping edible fare fresh from the time it’s harvested until it reaches the kitchen fridge. Logistics Now, changes in the way people shop have the “cold chain” scrambling to keep up. Consumers, particularly younger buyers, are turning more and more to online grocery shopping and prepared meal services, which means more refrigerated warehouses are needed to keep that stuff cold. To keep pace, the country will need 100 million square feet of new cold storage warehouse space over the next five years, according to a report by real estate brokerage CBRE. It’s a particularly hot corner in the mushrooming warehouse business California is the biggest user of cold storage, with an existing 16.5 million square feet, and Los Angeles will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coming boom in cold storage construction because of its large population and position as a global transportation hub. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s biggest container port complex, have more than doubled their refrigerated container capacity in recent years to address increasing import and export demand for fresh and frozen food products including meat, pork, poultry and animal feed, CBRE said. Demand for cold storage is also being

elevated by consumers’ growing aversion to chemical food preservatives. Refrigeration is a highly effective food preservative that can keep crops such as apples fresh-tasting for months without chemicals by slowing ripening and decay. “Now, even hamburger buns need delivery through the cold chain,” said Spencer Levy, chairman of Americas research for CBRE. “You are seeing an increase there as demand for non-preservative food rises.” One of the country’s largest agricultural regions is California’s Central Valley, where the cold chain starts in the field when heat-sensitive crops such as raspberries and cherries are quickly chilled in cold water or through other techniques before being transported in refrigerated trucks to cold storage facilities. Online grocery shopping is still in its infancy compared with other retail categories, suggesting there is room for it to grow. Just 3% of U.S. grocery spending occurs online, while 20% of footwear and 40% of electronics spending occurs online. The desire for online shopping is accelerating for both prepared meals and groceries, said Art Rasmussen, a CBRE broker who specializes in cold storage facility sales and leases. “We are turning to e-commerce for convenience, making consumption decisions for dinner at 4 or 5 and having it on the table at 6

or 7,” Rasmussen said. “That’s a trend that’s not going to stop.” Millennials, who are in their 20s and 30s, take it for granted that they can get what they want with a few mouse clicks. “Part of their lifestyle is quick delivery response to demand,” Rasmussen said. “Once that becomes a learned trait, it is very difficult to reverse.” Not that anyone seems to be trying to roll back such expectations, even among baby boomers who grew up waiting weeks for mail-order goods and for the most part have yet to embrace online grocery shopping. Although the baby boom generation isn’t a big user of online grocery shopping today, this age group — with 10,000 people retiring every day in the U.S. — is expected to use online grocery shopping more as the technology and experience improve, CBRE said. In addition, decreasing mobility that comes with age is bound to make home grocery delivery more appealing. Demand for refrigerated warehouse space is also benefiting from the food industry’s increasing propensity to outsource the storage and distribution of their products to refrigerated warehouse providers such as Lineage and United States Cold Storage. Historically, the food industry handled these activities in-house, but rising costs of

operation, including increasingly complex and expensive technological systems, have made outsourcing more attractive, even though cold storage doesn’t come cheap. Space in a typical 100,000-square-foot cold warehouse is about $150 a square foot per year, CBRE said, roughly triple the rent of a standard warehouse. Lineage Logistics’ Vernon warehouse is one of its smaller facilities with a capacity of about 30 million pounds of goods, serving as many as 1,000 trucks a day, company executive Kevin Marchetti said. To keep up with demand, the company is working on a big expansion of the warehouse. Inside, tall doors pop open and close quickly for bundled-up workers zooming about on forklifts equipped with cameras that show operators what they are loading or unloading from high in the shelves. Visitors are assigned insulated coats and admonished to “stay close” to their guide in the frigid chambers. Chilled space is rented to clients and includes fare such as ice cream, pizzas, peas and poultry. Or as Marchetti put it: “Anything you see in the frozen aisle or perishable section of your grocery store.” ©2019 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

by Ellie Silverman

nancially powerful generation ever,” the report states. “In the coming years, their distinctive habits will play an outsized role in shaping American culture and commerce.” This younger generation, which the report defined as Americans born between 1997 and 2012, began spending money when two-day

delivery was common, “driving high expectations about convenience,” according to the report, based on a May survey of about 3,000 U.S. adults, including about 1,000 adults ages 18-to-21. Still, 55% of Gen Z women said they preferred going into stores. That number is lower for Gen Z men, at 40 %, and is 53% for all other adults. Two-thirds of the younger generation shoppers go shopping for fun Trends at least once a month. “Gen Z adults are enamored with major technology and social media brands but also enjoy shopping in-person,” the report concludes. Gen Z shoppers are aware of the technology brands they are buying from. Google, Google Search, YouTube, Gmail and Instagram are the top five brands Gen Z survey respondents said they are most likely to use daily. The next five are Google Chrome, Snapchat, Netflix, Apple iMessage and Apple iPhone. The top three most critical threats Gen Z sees as facing the U.S are: Terrorism, climate change, and racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. The top three political issues to Gen Z are: Health care, civil rights, and the price of education. “This filters into how they view politics, interact with brands, and approach personal life decisions,” the report says. Thirty-seven percent of Gen Z adults identify as Democrats compared to 14% identifying as Republican. Almost two-thirds had an “unfavorable view” of President Trump. Almost 40% of Gen Z adults who say they are liberal boycotted a brand in the last year for political reasons, according to the report. When they do shop online, 41% of Gen Z adults said consumer reviews and ratings are Continued on page 26.

Generation Z still prefers shopping in stores, study finds The youngest adult consumers still prefer shopping in stores over using their laptops, Instagram feeds or Amazon’s Alexa, according to a recent Morning Consult study. “Gen Z is on track to be the largest, most ethnically diverse, best-educated, and most fi-

Startup aims to help car dealerships compete online Continued from preceding page. which dealerships it partners with but that it is continuing to add new partners. It now works with dealers in 14 states, but Gorham hopes to have complete coverage across the U.S. in the next year, so that deliveries can become quicker and more efficient. No North Carolina dealerships are currently part of the Joydrive network — so if you bought a car on Joydrive it would be delivered from another state, like Virginia — but it could be part of the company’s expansion in the coming months. Raleigh roots The Joydrive team has 20 employees — a number it says is growing — split between Raleigh, Seattle and those who work remotely. About half of those employees work in the company’s office on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, Gorham said. Gorham, who worked at Ally for 14 years before leaving in 2016, said choosing to start in Raleigh was a “key decision” for the company and that the expansion to Seattle was the result of an important relationship with some large dealerships in the Pacific Northwest. “We can’t just be on one coast,” Gorham, who is originally from New Mexico, said. “But I knew I wanted (to start) on the East Coast. We looked at New York, Boston, Charlotte and Atlanta. “But when I came to Raleigh and walked around downtown for the first time,” he continued, “I saw that this was a growing tech scene and it felt special to me. I think it is in

a sweet spot … where we are getting here still early in the game. It’s not like Seattle, where it is baked out now.” An added bonus was that Raleigh had a strong contingent of developers who specialized in the coding language Elixir, which is critical to the company’s marketplace. Early days Gorham contends it is still early days for the online car sales market — and that the room for growth is tremendous. There is little data available for how many cars are sold online or even how many dealers offer the option, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, in part because the definition of an online sale sometimes includes shoppers who processed just a portion of the sale online. But it’s a market that is clearly growing fast. Carvana said it sold around 94,000 cars last year, a 113% increase from the year prior. Amazon is also starting to get into the game, launching Amazon Vehicles, where it currently sells parts and accessories, though many think it will one day try to sell cars, too. Research from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) found that car dealerships are becoming less important because their online presences are lacking. BCG noted that while 95% of people spend more than four hours doing research online before they visit a dealer, overall visits to dealerships are dropping. “Over the past

decade or so, total dealer visits per sale have dropped from about four to 1.4,” the BCG report says. “Our view is that the customer is screaming that they want to buy from home,” Gorham said. But “the reality is that we are not selling deodorant, and a vehicle for most Americans is their second largest purchase. So you have to get trust and legitimacy right for the customer to buy into this.” For that reason, the company is upping its marketing on the West Coast, where most of its current customers live, to increase its name recognition. To bring in more revenue, Gorham sees the company taking a few different approaches in the next few years. First, it believes it can continue to grow its subscription revenue by bringing in more dealers and slowly raising prices as online sales grow. And second, it plans to branch into more services for customers. It recently launched the ability to sell your car to a dealership through its online marketplace. And Gorham said the company is also eyeing the possibility of adding a financing and insurance arm to its network. “That is the goal that we are marching toward now,” he said. “We have been fortunate to make good progress on that.” ©2019 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

To construe the Constitution, look to the Declaration

On this 243rd anniversary of the beginning of the best thing that ever happened — “The Great Republic” was Winston Churchill’s tribute — many of today’s most interesting arguments about America’s nature and meaning are among conservatives. One concerns the eorge relevance of the Declaration of Independence to the contested ill question of how to construe the Constitution. The crucial question is: What did the Founders intend — what was their foundational purpose? Mark Pulliam, who might disagree that this is the crucial question, certainly thinks the Declaration is not pertinent to construing the Constitution. Pulliam, a lawyer and contributing editor of the excellent Law & Liberty blog, notes portentously that the Declaration is not mentioned in the Constitution. This, however, is as obvious as it is obviously irrelevant. Neither is democracy “mentioned,” and the Declaration is hardly mentioned in the Federalist Papers. However, the Declaration expressed, as Thomas Jefferson insisted, the broadly shared “common sense of the subject.” Rather than belabor the Declaration’s (to them, unremarkable) assertions, the Constitution’s framers set about creating institutional architecture that would achieve their intention: to establish governance Opinion that accords with the common sense of their time, which was that government is properly instituted to “secure” the preexisting natural rights referenced in the Declaration. Also obvious and irrelevant is Pulliam’s observation that Jefferson, the Declaration’s primary author, was not at the Constitutional Convention. (He was a U.S. diplomat in Paris.) What is obvious — and, concerning the Constitution’s original meaning and continuing purpose, dispositive — is this: The Declaration’s role is the locus classicus concerning the framers’ intention, which is surely the master key to properly construing what they wrought. Judith Shklar, a Harvard political philosopher, correctly noted the “momentous novelty” of the Constitution’s first three words, “We the People.” They announced a “declaration of independence from the entire European past,” a root-and-branch rejection of all prior attempts to ground the legitimacy of government in anything other than the consent of the governed. The Constitution was, however, written by men of the Enlightenment who were not confident that the rationality they practiced and espoused could be counted on to constantly characterize the republic for which they wrote. The Declaration did not mention majority rule, which the Founders embraced because they considered it, when public opinion is properly refined and filtered, the best — although hardly a certain — mechanism for protecting the natural rights affirmed in the Declaration. Those rights, not a procedure (majority rule), were their foundational concern. The equilibrium of James Madison’s constitutional architecture is currently in disarray, with congressional anemia enabling presidential imperiousness. Nevertheless, the architecture was designed to “secure” — the crucial verb in the Declaration’s second paragraph — the natural rights the Declaration affirms. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s genius — he was, in a sense, the final Founder — was in understanding what the University of Pennsylvania’s Rogers M. Smith terms the “Declaration of Independence-centered view of American governance and peoplehood.” Over the years, this stance of “Declarationists” explicitly opposed Jacksonian democracy’s majoritarian celebration of a plebiscitary presidency, and the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act’s premise that majorities (“popular sovereignty”) could and should — wrong on both counts — settle the question of whether slavery should expand into the territories. The learned and recondite disputes currently embroiling many conservatives, disputes about various doctrines of in-

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In North Carolina special, national questions intrude on local issues by Salena Zito

By the end of the summer, towns such as this will be flooded with national reporters covering the special election for the 9th Congressional District. In normal times, reporters would ask voters how they think Republican Dan Bishop or Democrat Dan McCready would represent their local concerns Retirement in Washington. But these are not normal times. Instead, the questions will mostly be about Donald Trump, and about Kamala Harris or Joe Biden or Pete Buttigieg. The very existence of this race is abnormal, in fact. Voters in this district, which reaches from here to central Charlotte, have to come back for a do-over because of voter fraud in the November 2018 election. terpretive constitutional “originalism,” are often illuminating and sometimes conclusive in constitutional controversies. But all such reasoning occurs in an unchanging context. Timothy Sandefur, author of “The Conscience of the Constitution,” rightly sees the Declaration as the conscience because it affirms “the classical liberal project of the Enlightenment and the pervasiveness of such concepts as natural rights.” Furthermore, Sandefur says, this explains the Constitution’s use of the word “liberty,” which “does not refer to some definitive list of rights, but refers to an indefinite range of freely chosen action.” Which means that the Constitution should be construed in the bright light cast by the Declaration’s statement of the founding generation’s general intention to privilege liberty. Pulliam dismisses as “inapt Biblical imagery” Abraham Lincoln’s elegant formulation that the Constitution is the frame of silver for the apple of gold, which is the Declaration. Lincoln’s mission was to reconnect the nation with its founding. The frame, Lincoln said, is to “adorn” and “preserve” the apple. Frames are important, and silver is precious, but what is framed is more important, and gold is more precious. So, by the light of some sparklers, read the Declaration, which illuminates what came next: the Constitution and a nation worth celebrating. The Washington Post

The 2018 Republican nominee, Mark Harris, the center of the tainted votes, has dropped out of the do-over race, citing health issues. Instead Bishop, a state senator, will face McCready, the businessman who lost to Harris in that race. Bob Orr, a former justice on the state Supreme Court, is one of those voters whose visceral distaste for Trump has incensed him so much that he abandoned his Republican roots to support McCready over Bishop, a man he admits he knows. “I’ve always had a cordial relationship with Dan,” Orr said. “Dan Bishop’s an ideologue. He is a very, very conservative ideologue and if elected will go to Congress and just fall in line with whatever the Trump crowd tells him they need to do.” Orr was the state chairman of John Kasich’s campaign in 2016 and a delegate to the Republican convention—until he walked out in protest of Trump. “I’m adamantly opposed to the NRA using the Second Amendment as a fundraising tool,” he said, but he admits there is a slight hypocrisy because the Democrats do the same thing in reverse. “A plague and pox on both houses,” he answers. He is an example of the suburban moderate Republican who fled the Party and handed Democrats the House in 2018. Bishop understands the risks of the race becoming too nationalized in the closing weeks this summer because of voters such as Orr who let their distaste for the president veer them away from their conservative roots. He said: “I run into that some. Not as much as you might think. I was the only Republican to be reelected in November of 2018 in Mecklenburg County, where the wins were running in the other direction and there was some sentiment running against the President. I think that sentiment has attenuated.” Many of the suburban voters in his home base of Charlotte have overcome their reservations about the president, Bishop says, “and have come to see him as an essential fighter.” Bishop also keenly understands that a realignment has happened in his party and he needs to adapt if he’s going to be a good representative. His focus, he says, is on affordable health care, school choice and lifting up the economics in the rural areas. “In Charlotte, where I’m from, it had been an up-andContinued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Casualty of trade war: Chinese investments in US grind to a halt, blocking new jobs by Don Lee

When a relatively unknown Chinese company called Jushi built a state-of-the-art fiberglass factory in the pine woods of South Carolina not long ago, it made a big splash. In a chronically depressed area where the most conspicuous features include small churches and bail-bond offices, some 400 people flocked to the new plant for jobs. Jushi, which means giant rock in Chinese, began production in May. It looked like a happy reversal of an all-too-familiar pattern: Instead of U.S. factories fleeing to China and leaving thousands of American workers flounEconomy dering, here was a Chinese company setting up in the United States and offering good old-fashioned factory jobs to Americans. Unhappily, like many other potential bright spots in the U.S. economy, new plants like Jushi’s have become a casualty of the yearlong trade conflict between the U.S. and China. And although President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a ceasefire in the trade war when they met at the G-20 conference this weekend in Osaka, Japan, the truce, even if it holds, seems unlikely to undo the damage. Chinese foreign direct investments in the United States, including new plants and commercial developments, sank last year to just $5 billion, from $29 billion in 2017 and $46 billion the prior year, according to the Rhodium Group, a New York-based economics research firm with a specialty in China. Jushi has plans for a second phase of its $400-million project, but that, and the additional jobs it would provide, are now on hold, say local government officials. The company declined to comment. Rising tariffs and tighter scrutiny over Chinese managers’ visas already made for a bumpy opening, and officials say it’s no surprise the company has put its expansion plans on ice. “When I see them, I know what I hear,” said Jeff Ruble, economic development director at Richland County, where Jushi is. “Tariffs and visas are the first things they talk about.” Jushi is not an isolated case.

In North Carolina special Continued from preceding page. coming, booming urban center,” he said. “There’s tremendous economic opportunities there. It has its own challenges, but bridging that gap and extending those opportunities to the more rural areas of North Carolina are absolutely critical.” And that begins, he says, with health care: “There are a lot of folks who have hospitals that have closed or are in danger of closing at all points. The national health care policy that we’ve seen towards a bigger government-dominated health care space, insurance that may be provided through ACA (Affordable Care Act) but with deductibles that they can’t afford to use it.” “It is something that is not serving people’s needs,” he said. “They need a highly competitive health care space that will result in transparency, so that consumers are brought into the decision making and can over time help bring down costs, and yet make health care access better. That’s critical.” McCready, for his part, isn’t ceding 1 inch of his chances or the issue of health care to Bishop. The former Marines captain who served in Iraq sees Obamacare as essential. He said: “We need to stick to the ACA. I would say the problem is not coming up with common-sense reform to lower health care costs, while maintaining coverage. The problem is that we don’t have the people in Washington who will sit down and work together to do it.” Like the lesser-known new House moderates who won in swing suburban districts across the country last year but often exist in the shadow of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, McCready would like join the bipartisan House “problem-solvers” caucus. He says: “The thing that I found with North Carolina is that you have the vast majority of people want to put country over political party. Whether you’re a Republican or an independent, or you’re a Democrat.” Both men are bracing for the race to go national in the final stretch and are trying to keep the focus on issues rather than personalities. Copyright 2019 Creators.com

About 80 miles to the north, another Chinese entrepreneur, Zhu Shanqing, had been turning the clock back to an earlier era of American manufacturing strength by investing in a Southern industry long crushed by foreign competition. In recent years, Zhu has plowed more than $200 million into building two yarn-spinning facilities near Rock Hill, once a bastion of South Carolina’s cotton textile industry. The 53-year-old says his new American mills, part of the Keer Group based in Zhejiang province, along the Chinese coast south of Shanghai, would have 650 employees today, not 400, were it not for tit-for-tat tariffs from both countries. Zhu, a self-made millionaire with a fondness for fishing and mai tai, had drawn up plans with some hometown buddies to develop a 1,000-acre, $1-billion industrial park in South Carolina. “In the current climate,” he said, “we had to put it on hold.” One of Keer’s two plants is dark at the moment. It was equipped with the latest open-end spindles for spinning yarn, but the cloth the plant produced was for export to China — that is, until the tariff wars wiped out $40 million in sales last year. Still, Zhu vows to make a profit by the end of next year, trade war or not. He bought an office in Charlotte, N.C., and a Tudor-style house in an upscale suburb where he stays when he visits every three or four months. Cotton prices are a third less here than in China, he says, and he relishes the idea of making it in the world’s largest market. “We will succeed,” he said, raising a glass of mai tai as he dined on braised duck and stir-fried tofu prepared by his personal assistant at his North Carolina home. “Come back next year this time,” he tells a visitor. The plunge in Chinese investment in the U.S. has been felt particularly hard in South Carolina, which had pulled far more than its weight in the competition to attract investments from China. Over the last decade, Chinese investors have spent more than $10 billion on greenfield projects in the United States. South Carolina captured 10% of that, much more than Michigan, Illinois and Washington. Like other states in the South, South Carolina marketed cheaper operating costs and nonunion labor. It also spruced up the port of Charleston and offered a boatload of incentives to lure manufacturers from around the world, including BMW, Samsung and Michelin. The result is that South Carolina has become heavily dependent on international trade and very susceptible to trade conflicts. “It’s like a domino effect. With a trade war going on, people cannot have stability,” said Joyce Dickerson, chair of the Richland county council. She blamed Congress for letting the tariffs get out of hand, and Trump for starting it all. “He can’t negotiate with people’s lives like this. His approach is not making America great.” For South Carolina, the China bonanza took years of groundwork. The state’s Commerce Department was one of the earliest to dispatch a rep to China, stationing John Ling in Shanghai in 2005 to go after new investments. A native of Chongqing in central China, Ling had come to the United States in 1991 as an exchange student, enrolling at a Baptist university in Charleston where his uncle was pastor of a church. Ling graduated not with a degree in theology, but an MBA. He went to work at the state Commerce agency, and in 1999, cracked the China market by persuading Haier Group Corp., a Chinese firm, to bypass Florida and Connecticut and open a refrigerator plant in Camden, a 40-minute drive from Columbia. The $30-million investment created 250 jobs. Jushi was Ling’s biggest catch. Ling remembers making his first sales pitch to the company in 2013 and being told by the company’s chairman, who was seated at a square table with five executives on each side, that Ling had just wasted everybody’s time. But later that year, the chairman and his executive team came for their first visit to South Carolina, eventually settling on a stretch of woodsy land on the outskirts of Columbia, the state capital. What drew Jushi was partly logistics, to be closer to the U.S. market, and cheaper and more reliable utilities. Another

plus was that South Carolina is replete with kaolin, a type of clay used in making fiberglass. Labor costs in South Carolina were more than double those in China, but wages were rising rapidly there. And state and local governments in South Carolina offered Jushi an attractive package: 250 acres of free land; tax credits and rebates; help with worker training and road improvements; and several million dollars in cash grants. Jushi agreed to spend $400 million and hire 800 workers, breaking ground in December 2016. The company is partly state-owned, and its U.S. head, William Woo, declined to comment for this article, citing the trade conflict. “It’s actually a good deal for Chinese companies because land is so expensive and taxes are a pain” in China, said Frank Xie, a business professor at the University of South Carolina at Aiken. But it’s getting harder for them to invest abroad, he said, as Beijing has tightened currency controls to prevent flights of capital. “They have the money, but they can’t get the foreign exchange, the hard currency,” he said. The biggest investment constraint, though, is largely self-imposed and not likely to lift soon. “On one side I’ve never seen such a strong pipeline of projects. On the other side, I’ve never seen such anxiety from them,” said Ling, 53, who launched his own consulting firm after leaving the state government and currently has about a dozen deals, now basically frozen. On average, Jushi’s workers earn about $18 an hour, according to economic development officials. That’s decent pay, especially in this hardscrabble area where living-wage jobs are scarce and a low unemployment rate masks significant structural problems in the labor market. Antonio Pringle, 36, was hired as a welder for $18 an hour. He had earned more at welding jobs in Charleston’s shipyards, but the work wasn’t steady. A single man with an affable smile, Pringle said he hadn’t been following the trade dispute closely, but knew that much of it was in Trump’s hands. “If he could actually cause this place not to succeed, that would suck,” Pringle said, speaking from inside his car in Jushi’s parking lot. “The company has room to grow.” Others in the area are waiting, or at least hoping, that Jushi will go ahead with its expansion plans and hire more people. “Oh, yeah, that could be good,” said Britney Mack, 29, who works nearby caring for a disabled man at his home. From that house, she looks out at a grove of pine trees just outside Jushi’s large complex. She recently earned a certificate in forklift driving, Mack says, and her eyes lighted up when she heard that Jushi was paying $15 an hour for that work. That’s $5 an hour more than what she says she’s earned as a home-care worker for the last four years. Mack says she would have no reservations working for a Chinese-owned company. “Heck no, I get all kinds of stuff from China,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t mind at all.” ©2019 Los Angeles Times Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A growing percentage of Americans have no emergency savings whatsoever by Amanda Dixon

Many of us would be at a loss if we were suddenly forced to replace a car engine or items lost in a house fire. Nearly three in 10 (28 percent) U.S. adults have no emergency savings, according to Bankrate’s latest Financial Security Index. One in four have a rainy day fund, but not enough money to cover three months’ Economy worth of living expenses. Getting into the habit of regularly saving money is critical, experts say. If you’re making automatic contributions to a 401(k) plan at work, you might as well have a portion of each paycheck deposited into a vehicle such as a high-yield savings account. Unfortunately, it’ll take a lot more than that to solve the so-called savings crisis. Unprepared for a rainy day Just 18% of Americans say they could live off their Continued on page 26.

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

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

PHILLIP G. WRIGHT, Attorney 103 East 4th Street Papillion, Nebraska 68406 NOTICE OF FILING OF LEGAL SEPARATION TO: RANDY KITCHEN whose exact whereabouts are unknown. You are hereby notified that your wife, Cheryl Ann Kitchen, has sued you and has filed papers with the Clerk of the District Court of Sarpy County, Nebraska, found at Case ID: CI 19-915 requesting a legal separation from you. In order to defend this lawsuit, you must file an answer to the Complaint within 30 days of the last date of publication of this notice or a judgment will be obtained against you. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that JLC Enterprises, L.L.C., a Nebraska professional limited liability company, is organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its registered office at 5605 S. 126th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68137. The general nature of the business is to engage in and do any lawful business, other than banking or insurance, for which a limited liability company may be organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, and for all other purposes authorized by law, to the extent as natural persons might or could do. The limited liability company was formed on July 5, 2019. Its affairs shall be conducted by the members pursuant to an Operating Agreement duly adopted by the company. Johnathan L. Colling, Organizer First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HERITAGE PINNACLE HOLDINGS LP Notice is hereby given that HERITAGE PINNACLE HOLDINGS LP 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 16934 Frances Street, Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68130. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118-3121. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), NORMA GUTIERREZ & FRANCISCO J GUTIERREZ You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/27/2019 on Case Number CI19-6473, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $379.18, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/19/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SIEBRANDT COMMERCIAL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SIEBRANDT COMMERCIAL, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 712 N POLK ST PAPILLION, NE 68046. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Kristina Siebrandt 712 N Polk St Papillion, NE 68046. General nature of the business is develop commercial real estate. The limited liability company commenced business on May 3rd, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

MATTHEW T. PAYNE, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF DLT ENTERPRISES, INC. Notice is hereby given of Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation of DLT Enterprises, Inc. as follows: Article I of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended so that, as amended, said Article shall provide that the name of the Corporation shall be Clear, Inc. The Articles of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State of Nebraska on June 25, 2019. In all other respects, the Articles of Incorporation remain unchanged. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DANIEL J. WATERS, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF JSM GROUP, 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 JSM Group, LLC. 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 June 24, 2019 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 June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF KAMO, INC. Notice is hereby given that Kamo, Inc. was incorporated under the Nebraska Nonprofit Corporation Act effective May 8, 2019, with its initial registered office at 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The initial registered agent and sole incorporator at that address is Clay M. Rogers. The corporation is a public benefit corporation, has no members and shall have perpetual duration. Clay M. Rogers, Incorporator First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION Ultimate Drain, Inc. has been incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The street address of the corporation’s initial registered office is 8712 West Dodge Road, #400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is Clay M. Rogers. The corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 shares of common stock. The name and street address of the incorporator of the corporation is Clay M. Rogers, 8712 West Dodge Road, #400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 SMITH SLUSKY POHREN & ROGERS LLP 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 400 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION New Beginnings Recovery, Inc. has been incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The street address of the corporation’s initial registered office is 8712 West Dodge Road, #400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name of the initial registered agent at that office is Clay M. Rogers. The corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 shares of common stock. The name and street address of the incorporator of the corporation is Clay M. Rogers, 8712 West Dodge Road, #400, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 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 MINKSTERS 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 115 S. 204th St., Elkhorn, NE 68022. The name, street address and mailing address of the initial agent for service of process of the Company are David M. Hohman, 10050 Regency Cir., Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68114. Dated this 26th day of June, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 ALLAN M. ZIEBARTH, Attorney 1702 South 10 Street, Suite 2 Omaha, Nebraska 68108 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MIDWEST HEMP FIVERS, LLC Designated Office: 1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 Initial Agent/Address For Service: Allan M. Ziebarth/1702 S. 10 St., Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68108 First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF NEBRASKA FOR ELEPHANTS, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Articles of Incorporation of Nebraska For Elephants, Inc., a Nebraska corporation, have been amended to change the name of the corporation to: “For Elephants, Inc.”. The Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on May 30, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: ROBERT BLAKE HILLARD, 2226 R Street, Lincoln NE 68503, you are hereby notified that on January 16, 2019, State Farm Fire & Casualty filed a suit against you in the Lancaster District Court at docket CI19-175, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $155,481.26, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Lancaster County Court on or before the the 19th day of August, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 19, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that 5404 Poppleton, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the Company’s designated office is 2214 S 86th Ave, Omaha, NE 68124, and the name of the registered agent at such address is Yuri Paskar. The general nature of the business is any legal and lawful activity allowed pursuant to the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act and the laws of the State of Nebraska and elsewhere. The Company commenced business on 6/20/2019 and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company are to be managed by its managers. Yuri Paskar, Member First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given of the dissolution of PARTY PICS TO GO, INC., as of June 19, 2019. The affairs of the corporation will be wrapped up by Diane Kolvek, Shareholder & Director. All creditors have been paid, and remaining assets have been distributed. Total assets: $0.00. Total liabilities: $0.00. Diane Kolvek, Shareholder & Director First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Too Many Leads, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 16930 Pasadena Court, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The registered agent of the Company is Chris Driscoll, 16930 Pasadena Court, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The Company was formed on June 19, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 STEVEN G. RANUM, 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 JK HOUSING, LLC The name of the limited liability company is JK Housing, LLC. The address of the initial designated office is 7842 North 151st Street, Bennington, NE 68007. The name and address of the initial agent for service of process is Steven G. Ranum, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 LAW OFFICES OF EVELYN N. BABCOCK 3240 North 159th Avenue Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Bogard Aviation, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska on November 7, 2017. The street and mailing address for the initial designated office is 9609 North 29th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68112. The street and mailing address for the initial agent for service of process is 16264 Rolling Ridge Road, 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 June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 • LEGAL NOTICES AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), DEYZA ORDUNA You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 04/16/2019 on Case Number CI19-9482, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $235.68, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/19/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), NIKITTA MOORE You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/13/2019 on Case Number CI19-6465, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $536.56, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/19/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), DESTINY BEST You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/26/2019 on Case Number CI19-7162, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $271.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/19/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), KRISTINE MATTHEIS You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/12/2019 on Case Number CI19-6476, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $262.50, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/19/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: RYAN MERRILL DAVIS, 8206 Wilson Dr #2, Omaha NE 68127, you are hereby notified that on May 29, 2019, AMERICAN FAMILY MUTUAL INS. Co., S.I. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI19-11749, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $42,010.00, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 26th day of August, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 26, 2019 CHARLES E. DORWART, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR19-947 Estate of Gary V. Wells, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on June 27, 2019, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Intestacy of said Decedent and that Mary Leanne Wells Kendall, of 9938 Devonshire Drive, Omaha, NE 68114 was informally appointed by the Registrar as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 5, 2019 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ON 680 ZONE I, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that On 680 Zone I, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72 Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc. 9500 W. Dodge Rd., Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF CERES GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Ceres Group, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 11225 Davenport St., Suite 108, Omaha, Nebraska 68154. The Registered Agent of the Company is CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 233 South 13th Street, Suite 1900, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ON 680 ZONE II, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that On 680 Zone II, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72 Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc. 9500 W. Dodge Rd., Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF PLATTE INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Platte Investments, 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 CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 233 South 13th Street, Suite 1900, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JIM BROWN ELECTRIC, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Jim Brown Electric, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 21045 Timber Lane Circle, Elkhorn, NE 68022 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 June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 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 KAIZEN MEDICAL SOLUTIONS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Kaizen Medical Solutions, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 18758 Sahler Street, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on May 29, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 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 645 BALD EAGLE, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that 645 Bald Eagle, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on May 30, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Name: EC CONCRETE TRANSPORT, LLC Date of Organization: May 31, 2019 State of Organization: Nebraska Registered Agent: Esteban Chavez Registered Office: 3023 Marcy Street, Omaha, NE 68105 Duration:Perpetual Capital Contribution: $5,000.00 First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 RICHARD A. DEWITT, 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 IVY PROPERTIES, INC. Ivy Properties, Inc. has been incorporated under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. The Articles of Incorporation were filed on May 24, 2019. 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 Martin P. Pelster. The corporation is authorized to issue 10,000 shares of common stock. Martin P. Pelster, Incorporator 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF DARNER GROUP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Darner Group, 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 CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, 233 South 13th Street, Suite 1900, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 ABRAHAMS KASLOW & CASSMAN LLP, Attorneys 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Redding Financial, 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 Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 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 Andrew P. Deaver and Abrahams Kaslow & Cassman LLP, 8712 West Dodge Road, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF GCP II KC-UPTOWN, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that GCP II KC-Uptown, 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 Zach Wiegert, 10340 North 84th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68122. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF SCM LONGVIEW OMAHA 1303, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of SCM Longview Omaha 1303, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to SCM FFA 1303, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 17, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF SCM LONGVIEW OMAHA 5110, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of SCM Longview Omaha 5110, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to SCM FFA 5110, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 17, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF SCM LONGVIEW MANAGERS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of SCM Longview Managers, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to SCM FFA Managers, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 17, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF HUDSON HOUNDS LLC Husker Hounds 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 is 3570 S 203rd Cir, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The name, street and mailing address of the initial agent for service of process is Amen Business Law, L.L.C., 3420 Cape Charles Rd W, Lincoln, NE 68516. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF Titan Comic Pressing, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on July 5, 2019, Titan Comic Pressing, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, with a designated office at 12805 Westwood Lane, Omaha, NE 68144. The Company’s initial agent for service of process is Patrick Cavanaugh, whose address is 12805 Westwood Lane, Omaha, NE 68144. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: GARY R. SAUL, 3612 Gayle Ave Apt 5, Bellevue NE 68125, you are hereby notified that on March 26, 2019, Credit Acceptance Corporation filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI19-6807, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $10,099.20, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 19th day of August, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: ANDREW M. WARD, 5907 N 33rd Ave, Omaha NE 68111, you are hereby notified that on May 29, 2019, AMERICAN FAMILY MUTUAL INS. Co., S.I. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI19-11753, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $7,147.23, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 19th day of August, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 19, 2019 MARY E. VANDENACK, Attorney VANDENACK WEAVER LLC 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3 Omaha, Nebraska 68118 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF TORNADO WASH LINCOLN LLC Notice is hereby given that TORNADO WASH LINCOLN 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 18520 Van Camp Drive, Omaha, NE 68130. The agent for service of process for the Company is VW Agents, LLC located at 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 3, Omaha, NE 68118-3122. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF THE ATHLETIC CLUBS BY TRUFIT INVESTMENTS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of The Athletic Clubs by TruFit Investments, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to The Athletic Clubs by TruFit Midtown, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 18, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION of Fitzpatrick Financial, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on June 19, 2019, Fitzpatrick Financial, LLC was organized as a limited liability company under the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, with a designated office at 11840 Nicholas Street, #205, Omaha, NE 68154. The Company’s initial agent for service of process is Brian Fitzpatrick, whose address is 11840 Nicholas Street, #205, Omaha, NE 68154. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 MYRON J. KAPLAN, Attorney McGILL, GOTSDINER, WORKMAN & LEPP, P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 11404 West Dodge Road, Suite 500, First National Plaza Omaha, Nebraska 68154-2584 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF DR. PATRICIA RYAN, P.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Dr. Patricia Ryan, P.C. is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The aggregate number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue is 10,000 shares. The initial registered office is 11404 West Dodge Road, Suite 500, Omaha, Nebraska 68154, and the initial registered agent is Myron J. Kaplan. The name and street address of the incorporator is Patricia Ryan, M.D., 19803 Blondo Parkway, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022 Patricia Ryan, M.D., Incorporator First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of ABQ Opportunity Zone, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), have been amended and restated as follows: The name of the Company is NM OZ Fund, LLC The Designated Office of the Company is 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is Andrew A. Snyder, 17007 Marcy Street, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. The purpose is to invest in qualified opportunity zone property by acquiring qualified opportunity zone partnership interests or qualified opportunity zone stock in one or more first-tier subsidiaries or by directly acquiring qualified opportunity zone business property and to engage in other activities incidental or related thereto. The Company intends to be a qualified opportunity fund and cause any first-tier subsidiaries it invests in to meet the requirements for a qualified opportunity zone business. The Amended and Restated Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 21, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

DENNIS P. LEE, Attorney LEE LAW OFFICE 2433 South 130th Circle, Suite 300 P.O. Box 45947 Omaha, Nebraska 68145 NOTICE OF SUIT TO: SUSAN HANSEN, 5506 S 94th ST, Omaha NE 68127, you are hereby notified that on March 27, 2019, AMERICAN FAMILY MUTUAL INS. Co., S.I. filed a suit against you in the Douglas County Court at docket CI19-6964, the object in prayer of which was to secure a judgment against you in the amount of $6,159.70, together with court costs, interest and attorney's fees as allowed by law. Unless you file your Answer with the Douglas County Court on or before the 19th day of August, 2019, the Petition against you will be considered as true and judgment will be entered against you accordingly. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 19, 2019

WESLEY E. HAUPTMAN, Attorney 17826 Monroe Street Omaha, Nebraska 68135 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF SOLEIL NAIL SALON AND SPA, INC. NOTICE is hereby given that the undersigned has formed a corporation under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: 1. The name of the corporation is SOLEIL NAIL SALON AND SPA, INC. 2. The address of the initial registered office is 9815 Giles Road, LaVista, NE 68128 and the initial registered agent at that address is Khien Pham. 3. The general nature of the business is to engage in the business providing nail services, and any other lawful activity allowable under the Nebraska Model Business Corporation Act. 4. The corporation shall consist of duly elected members and shall hold an annual meeting to transact the corporate business. 5. The corporation commenced existence on the 17th day of June, 2019 and shall have perpetual existence. 6. The affairs of the corporation shall be conducted by a Board of Directors, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and subordinate officers and agents as may be prescribed by the Bylaws, or appointed by the Board of Directors. WESLEY E. HAUPTMAN, Incorporator First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), MATTHEW BRIGGS You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/26/2019 on Case Number CI19-7146, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $363.00, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/12/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF B&H ATHLETICS, 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 B&H Athletics, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara MedberyPrchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128. The designated office is located at 21218 Shiloh Drive, Gretna, Nebraska 68028. Alaina Phelps, Members First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019

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 i40 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 3204 S. 184th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68130. The name, street address and mailing address of the initial agent for service of process of the Company are Sommer Hahn, 3204 S. 184th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68130. Dated this 1st day of July, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DANIEL J. WATERS, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF BLAHA & SON ROOFING, 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 Blaha & Son Roofing, LLC. 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 June 26, 2019 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 July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JOINT FINANCIAL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Joint Financial, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106 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 July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 ERICKSON l SEDERSTROM, P.C., Attorneys 10330 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF JOINT FINANCIAL, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Joint Financial, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been duly organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with its designated office located at 2111 S. 67th Street, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68106 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 July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF STITCH POWERSPORTS, LLC Notice is hereby given the registration with the Nebraska Secretary of state’s office of Stitch Powersports, LLC under the laws of the State of Nebraska as follows: The name of the company is Stitch Powersports, LLC. Registered agent and office of Stephanie N Irvin of 1243 Limerick Road, Papillion, NE 68046. Initial members: Stephanie N Irvin. General nature of the business is to transact any and all lawful business for which limited liability companies are allowed by statute. The LLC was organized on June 2019 for the perpetual duration and is managed by its members. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 N OTI C E OF OR GA N I ZATI ON OF S C M LON GV I EW I MANAGEMENT, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SCM Longview I Management, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72 Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 W. Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SCM LONGVIEW I GP, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that SCM Longview I GP, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 1303 South 72 Street, Suite 209, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., 9500 W. Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 • LEGAL NOTICES THOMAS H. PENKE, Attorney 12020 Shamrock Plaza, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68154 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR19-906 Estate of TIMOTHY C. TOREK, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on June 26, 2019, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, CINDY L. O'NEILL, whose address is 102 Sam Houston Circle NW, Madison, Alabama 35757, has been appointed Personal Representative of this estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 5, 2019 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DEAN F. SUING, Attorney GOVIER, KATSKEE, SUING & MAXELL, PC, LLO 10404 Essex Court, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 LEGAL NOTICE In the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. PR19-949 Estate of Sanford W. Crampton, Deceased Notice is hereby given that on June 27, 2019, in the County Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, the Registrar issued a written statement of Informal Probate of the Will of said Decedent and that Stephen G. Crampton, whose address is 2236 South 163rd Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130, was informally appointed by the Registrar as Personal Representative of the Estate. Creditors of this estate must file their claims with this Court, located at Courtroom No. 30, Third Floor, Probate Division, Douglas County Hall of Justice, 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha, NE 68183, on or before September 5, 2019 or be forever barred. CARROL L. MILLS Registrar First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 FREDERICK D. STEHLIK, Attorney GROSS & WELCH, P.C., L.L.O. 2120 South 72 Street, Suite 1500 Omaha, Nebraska 68124 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF AE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS, LLC a Nebraska Limited Liability Company Notice is hereby given that AE INSURANCE SOLUTIONS, LLC, a Nebraska Limited Liability Company, has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with 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 June25, 2019, 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 July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF SCM LONGVIEW OMAHA 3003, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of SCM Longview Omaha 3003, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to SCM FFA 3003, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 28, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF NABITY BUSINESS ADVISORS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Nabity Business Advisors, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 9802 Nicholas Street, Suite 105, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Registered Agent of the Company is DDLG Business Services, Inc., whose mailing address is 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION DAVID ECKLEY INSURANCE AGENCY LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that David Eckley Insurance Agency LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 5356 S 72nd ST Ralston NE 68127. The Registered Agent of the Company is David Eckley with his office at 5356 S72nd ST Omaha NE 68127 First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

DANIEL J. WATERS, Attorney LAMSON, DUGAN and MURRAY, LLP 10306 Regency Parkway Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3743 NOTICE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF CHEWLER, 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 Chewler, LLC. 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 June 13, 2019 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 July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF E & A CONSULTING GROUP, INC. Notice is hereby given that the Articles of Incorporation of E & A Consulting Group, Inc. have been amended and restated in their entirety as follow: Article 1 states the name of the Corporation as E & A Consulting Group, Inc. Article 2 states the Registered Office of the Corporation as 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, and the Registered Agent as Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. Article 3 states the purpose. Article 4 states the number of shares the Corporation is authorized to issue as 50,000 shares of common stock having a par value of $1.00 per share, which may be designated as either Class A voting common stock or Class B nonvoting common stock. Article 5 states the Corporation shall have perpetual existence. Article 6 states the provisions relating to amending the Articles and Bylaws. Article 7 states the provisions relating to director liability. Article 8 states that the shareholders shall not a have a preemptive right to acquire the unissued shares of the Corporation. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 25, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 ROBERT J. LIKES, Attorney LIKES MEYERSON HATCH LLC 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF LK HOLDINGS LLC Notice is hereby given that LK Holdings LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company (the “Company”), has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The street and mailing address of the Company’s initial designated office, and the street and mailing address of the Company’s initial agent for service of process, is 444 Regency Parkway Drive, Suite 100, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company’s initial agent for service of process at such address is Robert J. Likes. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 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 FIT FOOD VENDING OMAHA, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Fit Food Vending Omaha, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 110 South 184th Court #309, Elkhorn, Nebraska 68022. The registered agent and office of the limited liability company is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The limited liability company commenced business on June 28, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 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 ADARA HOLDINGS, LLC The name of the Company is Adara Holdings, LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 555 Riverfront Plaza, #303, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Katherine G. Lichtas, 555 Riverfront Plaza, #303, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. This limited liability company commenced business on June 28, 2019. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF READY DELICES, LLC Notice is hereby given that Ready Delices, LLC has been organized as a limited liability company under Nebraska laws, with its designated office at 2214 Alexandra Rd, Papillion, Ne 68133. 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 May 30, 2019. Its affairs are to be conducted by the managers Ines Akouyovi N Dagnon and Komlan M Dagnon . Its registered agent is Eya Assignon, 1941 S 42nd street, suite 514, Omaha, Ne 68105. First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019

RICHARD L. ANDERSON, 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 DRLB 34, LLC The name of the limited liability company is DRLB 34, 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 Richard L. Anderson, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 RICHARD L. ANDERSON, 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 DRLB 12, LLC The name of the limited liability company is DRLB 12, 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 Richard L. Anderson, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 RICHARD L. ANDERSON, 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 DRLB 56, LLC The name of the limited liability company is DRLB 56, 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 Richard L. Anderson, 2120 South 72nd Street, Suite 1200, Omaha, NE 68124. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 BREASCH FINANCE & TAX CONSULTING INC. 4879 S 132nd Avenue Omaha, NE 68137 CERTIFICATE OF ORGANIZATION OF OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC A NEBRASKA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY 1. The name of the limited liability company is OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC 2. The period of duration for OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC is perpetual. 3. OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC is organized for the purpose of conducting any and all business as permitted by the Nebraska Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. 4. The address of the initial designated office for OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC in Nebraska is 8974 J Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68127. 5. The name and address of the registered agent for OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC in Nebraska is David Baratta, 8974 J Street, Omaha NE 68127. 6. Additional provisions, not inconsistent with the law, for the regulation of the internal affairs of the limited liability company shall be provided for in the Operating Agreement. 7. Paul Taylor and Old World Inc, organizer(s) of OLD WORLD ROOFING LLC has signed the Foregoing Certificate of Organization effective this 3th of June, 2019. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 AMANDA M. BARRON, Attorney P.O. Box 597 Fremont, Nebraska 68026 LEGAL NOTICE TO THE DEFENDANT(s), JOSHUA RAUMAKER You are hereby notified that Credit Bureau Services, Inc., a corporation, filed its complaint in the County Court of DOUGLAS County, Nebraska on 03/26/2019 on Case Number CI19-7159, the object and prayer of which is to recover the sum of $160.83, plus interest, attorney fees and court costs. You are required to answer the complaint of the Plaintiff on or before 08/26/2019 or the allegations in said complaint will be taken as true and judgment entered accordingly. CREDIT BUREAU SERVICES, INC., A CORPORATION First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 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 FOR ELEPHANTS, INC. INTO FOR ELEPHANTS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that For Elephants, Inc. has been converted into For Elephants, a Nebraska nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of Nebraska. 1. The name of the nonprofit Corporation is For Elephants. 2. The nonprofit Corporation is a public benefit corporation. 3. The Registered Office of the nonprofit Corporation is: 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124, and the Registered Agent at such address is Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O. 4. The name and address of the Incorporator is as follows: Justina A. Piatek, 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. 5. The Corporation shall have no members. 6. The Articles of Conversion and Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on July 3, 2019. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF ALO, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that ALO, LLC has been organized as a NE professional limited liability company, under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The Designated Office Address of the Company is 18416 Dewey Ave Elkhorn, NE 68022. The Registered Agent of the Company is Andrea L Oster 18416 Dewey Ave Elkhorn, NE 68022. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF KAZ CHRISTOPHER LONG, P.C., L.L.O. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that KAZ CHRISTOPHER LONG, P.C., L.L.O., has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the Registered Office of the Company is 209 South 19th Street, #525, Omaha, Nebraska 68102, and its initial Registered Agent is KAZ LONG. The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in the Profession of Law. The Corporation is a Professional Corporation within the meaning of Section 21-2205 of the Nebraska Corporations Code. The total number of shares which the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is 10,000 shares of Common Stock. The Incorporators are: Kaz Long, 209 South 19th Street, #525, Omaha, Nebraska 68102. The Professional Corporation commenced its existence on January 1, 2019, and its Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State and its duration is perpetual. KAZ LONG, Incorporator First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF NAVIGATE OMAHA REAL ESTATE, P.C. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that NAVIGATE OMAHA REAL ESTATE, P.C., has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the Registered Office of the Company is 14901 Bodmer Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007, and its initial Registered Agent is BRIGETTE MARTINEZ. The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in the Profession of Real Estate. The Corporation is a Professional Corporation within the meaning of Section 21-2205 of the Nebraska Corporations Code. The total number of shares which the Corporation shall have the authority to issue is 10,000 shares of Common Stock. The Incorporators are: Brigette Martinez, 14901 Bodmer Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The Professional Corporation commenced its existence on January 17, 2019, and its Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State and its duration is perpetual. BRIGETTE MARTINEZ, Incorporator First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF AESTHETIC WELLNESS, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that AESTHETIC WELLNESS, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 2011 South 189th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The registered agent is VALERIA KETTLEHUT. The general nature of the business is to operate a general spa business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general spa business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on June 3, 2019, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE RUDE SHRIMP CO.SHRIMP DECK, 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 The Rude Shrimp Co.- Shrimp Deck, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128. The designated office is located at 801 N. Front Street, Suite 9, Waterloo, Nebraska 68069. Lisa Lahners, Member First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 BARBARA MEDBERY-PRCHAL, P.C., L.L.O., Attorney 10305 Joseph Circle La Vista, Nebraska 68128 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF MARTIN FIREWORK GROUP, 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 Martin Firework Group, LLC The name and street address of the company’s initial registered agent is Law Offices of Barbara Medbery-Prchal, P.C., L.L.O., 10305 Joseph Circle, La Vista, NE 68128. The designated office is located at 1015 N. 98th Street, Suite 100, Omaha, NE 68137. Jim Prchal, Member First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019

NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF DAOUDIS SUPPORT SERVICES, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that DAOUDIS SUPPORT SERVICES, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 15902 Bancroft Court, Apt. #1137, Omaha, Nebraska 68130. The registered agent is MOHAMAD JAMAL DAOUDI. The general nature of the business is to operate a general counseling business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general counseling business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on June 5, 2019, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the ByLaws, and the offi¬cers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF TRISTAN & HEATHER, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that TRISTAN & HEATHER, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. The registered agent is ANTHONY L. GROSS. The general nature of the business is to operate a general sales business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general sales business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on June 5, 2019, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF INCORPORATION OF HAJ SERVICES, INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that HAJ SERVICES, INC., is incorporated under the laws of the State of Nebraska, with a registered office at 7113 North 154th Street, Bennington, Nebraska 68007. The registered agent is JO ANN HAJEK. The general nature of the business is to operate a general computer software services business, to own, operate and perform services of every kind and nature whatsoever, which are not inconsistent with law, which are necessary, suitable, proper, convenient or expedient to the operation of a general computer software services business. The authorized capital stock is $10,000.00, consisting of 10,000 shares of stock having a par value of $1.00 each, which stock shall be paid for wholly or partly by cash, by labor, by personal property and by real property. The corporation became a corporate body on June 6, 2019, and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the corporation are to be conducted by a Board of Directors, the number of directors to be provided in the By-Laws, and the officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as shall be designated in the By-Laws. ANTHONY L. GROSS, Incorporator CATHERINE L. WHITE, Incorporator 3018 South 87th Street, Omaha, NE 68124 First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 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 OEC REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that OEC Real Estate Holdings, LLC has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the limited liability company is 16353 Webster Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68118. 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 June 11, 2019. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 KOLEY JESSEN P.C., L.L.O., Attorneys 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, One Pacific Place Omaha, Nebraska 68124-1079 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: OpenPlacement Name of Applicant: OpenPlacement Acute, LLC Address: 13808 F Street Omaha NE 68137 Applicant is a Limited Liability Company If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Delaware Date of first use of name in Nebraska: July 3, 2019 General nature of business: Healthcare coordination software and related products LUIS CASTILLO Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 12, 2019

STATE OF NEBRASKA PAROLE BOARD HEARINGS NOTICE A total of 154 cases will be heard by the Board in July, 2019. The following case(s) sentenced in Douglas County will be seen by the Board of Parole. July 19, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Omaha Correctional Center, Omaha, Nebraska Sorensen, Kenneth 44678 Burglary, Sexual Assault 1st Degree (3 counts), Use Deadly Weap to Commit Fel (2 counts) Thompson, Reginald 47232 Burglary, Sexual Assault 1st Degree Pierce, Travis 71134 Robbery (3 counts) Minnard, Joseph 72733 Sexual Assault of Child 1st Degree Brayman, Allen 82210 Burglary Bregg, Nicholas 83359 False Imprisonment 1st Degree, Sexual Assault 2nd Degree Ventura-Gonzalez, Eliseo 83509 False Imprisonment 1st Degree, Sexual Assault 2nd Degree Bornhoft, Zackery 83817 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I, Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop (3 counts) Chumley, Daniel 84318 Burglary, Driving While Intoxicated Vargas, Jesus 85311 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I (5 counts) Hurt, Robert 85991 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I (2 counts) McClanathan, Christopher 86686 Sex Offender Reg Act Violation (2 counts) Durand, Tracy 87183 Theft by Shoplifting Travis, Seth 87307 Operate Motor Veh/Avoid Arrest, Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Sexual Assault 1st Degree Preiksaitis, Derrick 87837 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Evans, Robert 84598 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug July 22, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. Nebraska State Penitentiary, Lincoln, Nebraska Smith, Katara 68526 Robbery (2 counts), Use Deadly Weap to Commit Fel (2 counts) Fernandez, Christopher 71882 Robbery (3 counts) Door, Duop 75432 Robbery Wright, Antonio 82424 Sexual Assault 1st Degree, Sexual Assault of Child 3rd Degree Suarez-Mesa, Ricardo 84790 Child Abuse, Sexual Assault 1st Degree Fleming, Brevin 86206 Escape, Robbery (2 counts) Mejia, Francisco 86465 Sexual Assault of Chile 3rd Deg (2 counts) Schaub, Richard 86863 Robbery Knight, Dale 88633 Robbery Timm, Adam 87943 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I July 24, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. Community Correctional Center - Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska Muhleka, Leonard 75732 Assault 1st Degree Robar, Tyler 75957 Motor Vehicle Homicide Stockfleth, Anthony 86250 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug (2 counts), Poss/Receive Stolen Firearm Patterson, Rocky 88031 Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Theft by Unlwfl Taking or Disp Ross, David 88538 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I July 25, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Community Correctional Center - Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska Thomas, LT 47456 Assault 1st Degree, Murder 2nd Degree, Use Firearm to Commit Felony (2 counts) Hatch, Kenneth 75239 Terroristic Threats, Use Firearm to Commit Felony Lewis, Darnel 80792 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I (4 counts) Reynolds, Rickey 80841 Forgery 2nd Degree (5 counts), Theft by Unlwfl Taking or Disp Delong, George 82450 Sexual Assault of Child 1st Deg, Sexual Assault of Child 3rd Deg Krisor, Donald 83611 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug Smith, Kenneth 84216 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Morelos, Javier 84951 Driving While Intoxicated Brewer, Anthony 86159 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Arps, Tyvell 87270 Poss/Receive Stolen Firearm July 26, 2019 – 8:30 a.m. Community Correctional Center - Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska McInnis, Jerome 85804 Domestic Assault Jimenez Campos, Juan 86849 Driving While Intoxicated Bass, Lamar 87181 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Howard, Jeff 81471 Child Abuse Do, Antonio 87521 Robbery (2 counts) Bass, Lorenzo 88089 Sexual Assault 1st Degree July 29, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Tecumseh, Nebraska Martinez, Miguel 82885 Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug, Resisting Arrest, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Fletcher, Dustin 85052 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Hill, Delyahn 86145 Robbery Peters, Kevin 86472 ,Pos Cntrl Sub Except Marijuana, Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Whitehill, Aaron 86759 Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop (2 counts) Holmes, Jonathan 88119 Burglary, Theft by Unlwfl Taking or Disp July 29, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. Lincoln Correctional Center, Lincoln, Nebraska Candler, Kelsey 73585 Child Abuse Smith, Jaron 82191 Burglary (2 counts), Poss Deadly Weap by Felon/Fug Moten-Roddy, Steveaun 82644 Assault 2nd Degree, Escape Azpeitia, Juan 82759 Burglary (2 counts), Theft by Receiving Stolen Prop Miller, Charles 88937 Viol of Financial Trans Device Cheloha, Jacob 89487 Sexual Assault of Child 3rd Degree Galligo, Jonathan 89529 Manu/Dist/Del/Disp or Poss W/I Martinez, Efren 89277 Robbery July 31, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, York, Nebraska Edie, Kayla 99912 Carry/Poss Concealed Weapon, Manu/Dist/Del/ Disp or Poss W/I ROSALYN COTTON, CHAIR NEBRASKA BOARD OF PAROLE July 12, 2019

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 • LEGAL NOTICES STATE OF NEBRASKA PARDON BOARD HEARINGS BOARD OF PARDONS MEETING JULY 30, 2019 1:30 P.M. THE GOVERNOR'S HEARING ROOM NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL AGENDA 1. Roll Call 2. Notice of hearings by news release and publication in state papers 3. Announcement of location of Open Meetings Act Information 4. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of March 12, 2019 5. Applications for Commutation of Criminal Sentences (No Testimony Permitted): 1 Adams, Brian 2 Alhakemi, Ali 3 Anderson, Brian P. 4 Arrellano, Joseluis 5 Bailey, Nicholas 6 Benish, Richard 7 Bland, William 8 Camacho-Felix, Jose 9 Castor, Wilma 10 Cook, Todd 11 Daisley, James 12 Detwiler, Paul 13 Diego-Francisco, Lorenzo 14 Dominguez-Pineda, Jose 15 Felix-Beltran, Hector 16 Feller, Jason 17 Garcia-Velasco, Nemias 18 Garza, Robert 19 Graves, James 20 Jacabo, Alvardo 21 Johnson, Damion 22 Johnson, Jeremy 23 Journey, Ricky 24 Kern, Clayton 25 Kirby, Ronald 26 Krutilek, Dennis 27 Lathrop, Daniel 28 Lopez, Norma 29 Lovette, Marvin 30 Lugo, Ernesto 31 Malina, James 32 Mays, Mark 33 McHenry, Darrin 34 Mumin, Dukhan 35 Nicholson, Juan 36 Novascone, Colton 37 Pererill, Douglas 38 Phelps, David 39 Pittman, Jariel 40 Quintana, David 41 Reinders, Justin 42 Rhodes, Kenneth 43 Richardson, Caroline 44 Robin, Dennis 45 Rodriquez-Rojas, Roman 46 Rogers, April 47 Rouse, Roy J. 48 Schlondorf, Jerry 49 Schnecklot, Larry 50 Smith, Loray 51 Smith, Scott 52 Surber, Irvin 53 Swenson, John L 54 Tucker, Willie 55 Vera, Edmundo 56 Witmer, Jason 57 Vo, Thoi 58 Yager, Jodi 6. Applications for Reprieve or Commutation of License Revocations/Suspensions (No Testimony Permitted): 59 Barsness, Hans V. 60 Bowie, Gregory D 61 Butler, Awanda 62 Choutka, Jeremy A 63 Clark, Jeramy A 64 Dunham, Joshua L 65 Franks, Jason W 66 Gonzales, Roberto 67 Grieser, Zachary J 68 Hofmann, Clayton T 69 Maxwell, Elisha 70 Murphy, Steven R 71 Myers, David 72 Neff, Craig H 73 Notaro, David 74 Orellana Rivera, Jose 75 Reichardt, Eric J 76 Rush, Timothy 77 Tanner, Jerry 78 Therien, Samuel J. 79 Viets, Jonathan

7. Applications for Reprieve or Commutation of License Revocations/ Suspensions (Testimony Will Be Heard by Board): 80 Armstrong, Jay 81 Bogard, Dennis G. 82 Bogenhagen, Shawn 83 Brain, Gregory E 84 Butler, Herleen 85 Campbell, Georgina 86 Fights Over, Matthew 87 Fricke, William D. 88 Green, Cynthia K 89 Jones, Damon 90 Lith, Lazarus 91 Loge, Daniel E 92 Lucas, Randall 93 Marcos, Cynthia L 94 Marshall, Stephen Jr 95 Martinez, Ernesto 96 Monaghan, Lisa M 97 Osler, Gary L 98 Red Feather Jr., Arnold 99 Tipler, Nathan A 100 Ustohal, Brandon 101 Wiemer, Edward 102 Wuestewald, Richard 8. Public Comments 9. Adjournment July 12, 2019

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 STEPHEN L. BARTLETT LLC The name of the Company is Stephen L. Bartlett LLC. The Designated Office of the Company is: 8008 North 124th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68142. The Registered Agent and Office of the Company is: Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O., 1125 South 103rd Street, Suite 800, Omaha, Nebraska 68124. This limited liability company commenced business on July 5, 2019. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Buldyk, LLC (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The address of the Company’s designated office is 7402 Blondo St, Apt 3, Omaha, NE 68134, and the name of the registered agent at such address is Anton Buldyk. The general nature of the business is any legal and lawful activity allowed pursuant to the Nebraska Limited Liability Company Act and the laws of the State of Nebraska and elsewhere. The Company commenced business on 6/30/2019 and shall have perpetual existence. The affairs of the Company are to be managed by its managers. Anton Buldyk, Member First publication July 5, 2019, final July 19, 2019 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: MBA LAWN CARE Name of Applicant: ESMERALDA BRITO ROMAN Address: 3209 T STREET, OMAHA, NE 68107 Applicant is an Individual If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Date of first use of name in Nebraska: UP ON FILING General nature of business: MOWING, TRIMMING, MULCHING, EDGING, BLOWING, AND BUSH TRIMMING ESMERALDA BRITO Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 12, 2019 JAMES D. BUSER, Attorney PANSING HOGAN ERNST & BACHMAN LLP 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300 Omaha, Nebraska 68114-3728 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION OF SMK NE INVESTMENTS, LLC Notice is hereby given of the organization of SMK NE Investments, LLC: 1. The name of the limited liability company is SMK NE Investments, LLC; and 2. The street and mailing address of the initial designated office is 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114, and the name and street address of the initial agent for service of process is James D. Buser, 10250 Regency Circle, Suite 300, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 DVORAK LAW GROUP LLC 9500 West Dodge Road, Suite 100 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF AMENDMENT OF SITE DEVELOPMENT LEASE SIX OZ FUND, LLC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Certificate of Organization of Site Development Lease Six OZ Fund, LLC, a Nebraska limited liability company, has been amended to change the name of the company to NIC OZ Fund, LLC. The Amended Certificate of Organization was filed with the Nebraska Secretary of State on June 27, 2019. First publication July 12, 2019, final July 26, 2019

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE LLC 7602 Pacific Street, Suite 200 Omaha, Nebraska 68114 NOTICE OF ORGANIZATION Notice is hereby given that Folk, L.L.C. (the “Company”) has been organized under the laws of the State of Nebraska. The designated office of the Company is 5621 Pine Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68106. The registered agent of the Company is Thomas E. Whitmore, 7602 Pacific Street, Ste. 200, Omaha, Nebraska 68114. The Company was formed on June 25, 2019. First publication June 28, 2019, final July 12, 2019 APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF TRADE NAME Trade Name to be registered is: Omaha Curb Painting Name of Applicant: Todd Heyne Address: 6602 N. 114th Ave. Omaha NE 68164 Applicant is an Individual If other than an Individual, state under whose laws entity was formed: Date of first use of name in Nebraska: May 1, 2018 General nature of business: Painting of addresses on curbs TODD HEYNE Signature of Applicant or Legal Representative July 12, 2019

Two Chicago business groups step up efforts to provide resources Continued from page 9. is also stepping up its effort to serve Latino businesses with the creation of Xquina Cafe, a coffee shop that also will operate as a business incubator with a wide range of entrepreneurial workshops. The project includes an art gallery for local artists to display their work. By adding the gallery, Xquina Cafe aims to serve as a community hub for Little Village residents. Xquina Cafe will be established in a vacant storefront with the help of a $250,000 grant from the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. In exchange for increased density in downtown buildings, developers pay a fee into the fund, which supports projects in neighborhoods that lack funding. The project, originally expected to open this year, has been delayed until next year because the chamber found a larger space for the project on 26th Street, executive director Blanca Soto said. “The layout will include a cafe in the first story, the second floor will have business conference rooms and a media room, and the third floor will house the art gallery,” Soto said. The language barrier and limited support resources haven’t kept some Latino entrepreneurs from opening their first businesses. Carlos Vazquez, owner of Jireh Electric, a Chicago-based electrical installation company, said his limited English made it difficult to learn the ins and outs of running a business. “I didn’t know what steps to take. I didn’t even realize I needed a banking account for my business, let alone how to register my company,” Vazquez said. It was a learning process the first three years for Vazquez, who opened his firm in 2013. He found support from a bookkeeper whose ability to speak both English and Spanish assisted him in making business decisions. This year Vazquez said he attended a business training program. Vazquez said the program was helpful for an established firm like his, even though it was geared toward small business owners starting out. “There are a lot of people that want to start their own business, but they simply don’t know how to,” Vazquez said. ©2019 Chicago Tribune Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

Dice Communications responds to rapid industry changes over the past decade Continued from page 1. wireless LAN projects and now it’s a huge focus for us and that side of the business is really growing.” Dice and his wife, President Tina Dice, founded the company in 2009 after a technology integrator they were working for closed its doors, he said.

Dice Communications Phone: 402-597-2923 Address: 4509 S. 143rd St., Suite 5, Omaha 68137 Service: comprehensive network planning, design, optimization and integration for communications needs for commercial, government and education markets. Founded: 2009 Employees: 31 Goal: Grow the brand in the local market; increase active, large accounts from 150 to 200 in the next five years. Industry outlook: Companies are looking to solutions providers to manage their phone systems and data storage as cloud migration ramps up. Website: dicecommunications.com

With a reputation of solving complex problems for manufacturers and clients Dice’s brother brought on after a partner company he worked for in Tulsa went out of business, the company quickly expanded. Dice Communications experienced leaps in growth in 2014 and 2015 and was ranked on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies both years. In the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, the company focused on operations and engineer training to ensure that it could sustain its growth goals. The company was named the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise National Partner of the Year for 2017 and 2018. “We took that model that we used on a daily basis that we just didn’t have written [down] because it was just what Tina and I did every day in sales — she was selling it, I was installing it,” he said. “We put it down on paper — here’s our proof of process, this is the model that we need to follow — that white glove experience that they should have. So we focused a lot on getting our operations ready, implemented the Traction/ EOS model and really were able to get operations to a point where we could scale and that’s when we started growing with the sales team again.” Chris Davlin was brought in as VP of business development at the end of 2018 to focus on sales processes and “getting the right sales people in place.” Although headquartered in Omaha, Dice Communications has a strong presence in the northeast and in Texas, accounts in all 50 states, and is looking to drive awareness in the Midwest through its rebranding, advertising, social media and email campaigns. It’s also launching into Canada within the next year. “We have sales presence and sales engineers in north Texas and the New York markets,” Dice said. “We have strong relationships with our manufacturers and state contract vehicles in those markets.” The telecom company is geared to move into more commercial work. Currently, 45% to 50% of its business is with K-12 and higher education, 15% with state and local

government and the remainder with commercial entities. In the higher ed market, one client is Alamo Community College, which has about 75,000 students. Dice services all its wireless and voice needs. The college recently constructed a new district office in San Antonio, Texas with all new wireless infrastructure built by Dice. Campus safety for schools is a driver for the company and requires much more than just a phone system. A complete safe campus solution integrates access control systems and cameras, with the capability to broadcast messages to the entire district and the school if a situation arises and pinpoint the exact location to communicate to responders. Dice also supports a large county/government with 12,000 telephones as well as all the networking, wireless and security. In the commercial arena, a large Kansas City-based real estate firm is one client migrating from an on-premise based voice system to a hosted cloud platform. “For a lot of our clients, they’re typically

in the medium to large enterprise space,” he said, noting that those companies have revenues in the $50 million- to $500-million-dollar range. “Maintaining a phone system is not something they look forward to, so migrating that to the cloud is something where we take ownership of the day-to-day management — 100% for them — and they can focus on their business.” With a data center in Dallas, the goal is to convert many of its on-premise users into the hosted cloud. “I think we’ve got about half a million telephony users we support today, and the goal is to get at least 25% over to a hosted platform,” Dice said. With increasing complexity in the industry, customers rely on technology partners and vendors to advise and manage systems. “The biggest change for us is just the interaction with our clients continues to build and we continue to become more of that clichéd term, trusted adviser, but the projects just keep getting so complex and the integrations between all these technologies

are so complex that your typical staff doesn’t have the ability to get it done,” he said. Dice implements technology equipment and solutions that manufacturers develop for network infrastructure, telephony, servers, virtualization and storage, and security. The market continues to consolidate and every manufacturer that Dice Communications works with has a cloud offering, he said. The company’s engineers test and evaluate equipment in-house and document procedures before taking solutions to clients. In addition to partnering with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, the company works with Avaya; Aruba/HPE; XMedius, which is now AVST; and Violin, which acquired X-IO, among others. With integration and consolidation comes more training for engineers, who often work on certifications and training during down time. The company is on track for 20% growth this year and 25% in the coming years and will hire salespeople and engineers in relation to that growth.

Ergonomics helping reduce repetitive office injuries, but there’s still a ways to go by Dwain Hebda

There was a time when carpal tunnel and other repetitive use injuries simply came with the territory with long-term work at a computer terminal. But new advancements in ergonomics and office furniture design are helping take the sting out of these job duties. “To be honest, I do not get many requests for ergonomic assessments as I did five to eight years ago,” said Brenda Halbmaier, occupational therapist, certified hand therapist and certified ergonomic assessment specialist with Methodist Fremont Health. “More industries are aware of the danger of repetitive use and importance of proper ergonomic set-up of office settings.” Halbmaier is quick to add there’s still a long way companies need to go to fully address potential injuries in the workplace. Sitting stationary for long periods is detrimental as is prolonged upward or downward tilting of the head to view computer screens or keyboards. And emerging issues include maladies that should probably come as no surprise to even the most casual observer of human behavior. “More people are complaining of pain in their thumbs or getting carpal tunnel-type symptoms from phone use,” Halbmaier said. “There’s poor posture of the wrist and hand while holding onto the phone and texting and also some of the issue could come from the neck as we are often looking down into our phones, straining the neck muscles and possibly increasing nerve tension down the arm into the hand.” Cell phones aside, there are simple steps every company can take to help reduce the prevalence of repetitive injuries according to Holly Hollenbeck, director and work comp consultant at WorkFit. “I always like to say, ‘Before a pain becomes a claim, let’s get ergonomic improvements to these work stations,’” she said. “Helping [companies] get the exact distances and measurements for their work stations that’s customized to the individual’s body type and size is an area of preventive services has really expanded in recent years. “My physical therapists go out and do

quite a bit of ergonomic evaluations of work stations and not only in the sedentary environment but in the industrial, construction and many other areas as well.” Hollenbeck said in most cases, these

Hollenbeck Schuring wrist- and neck-saving adjustments can be made using the same equipment, just configured properly. “On a lot of workstations, the chair just needs to be adjusted to the proper height, the distance to the keyboard adjusted and provide a type of support under the wrist,” she said. “There’s all kinds of very low-cost solutions to making sure the distances are correct and by making adjustments to desk heights and

chair heights.” Office furniture manufacturers and retailers have also taken steps to provide products that are easier on users. “The major enhancements have been specific technology of the LEDs,” said Doug Schuring, vice president sales administration with All Makes Office Equipment. “They offer heightened color rendering index levels and higher lumen outputs, both of which allow for more accurate document viewing. This relates to injury prevention as it reduces potential eye strain and promotes better posture.” Schuring said the future lies not only in product improvement, but also in proper use training to demonstrate to users how to realize maximum benefit. “Companies are starting to realize the importance of ‘post installation training,’” he said. “This helps the employees to not only understand how to properly use the product that their company has invested in for them, but also the benefit that it brings to the employee. A company can invest in products that promote wellness, but if the employee isn’t educated on the proper way to use the products, the benefit is often missed.”

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

EVENT LINCOLN A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

GROWTH

PLANNING

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Report

Topics may include:

Economic outlook • Lincoln thriving with major projects Shopping in Lincoln • Commercial/Office/Industrial Real Estate • Residential Banking & Financial Services • Health care • Activities and tourism Issue Date: July 19 • Ad Deadline: July 11

Topics may include: Event Planning overview • Focus on sustainability Integration of technology/social media into events Tips for selecting venues • Measure event marketing Issue Date: July 19 • Ad Deadline: July 11

Senior COMMERCIAL Living OFFICE SPACE A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Journal

Topics may include:

Senior Issues overview • Independence for seniors • Life After retirement: Dementia/Alzheimer’s • Investing for retirement • Tips for staying fit Need for rehab centers after injury or surgery

Commercial office space market overview • Re-energizing developments Automated building controls • Financing a business move or expansion Furnishing new office • Keeping buildings safe and healthy

Issue Date: July 26 • Ad Deadline: July 18

To advertise your company’s products or services in one of our upcoming sections, contact one of our MBJ advertising representatives at (402) 330-1760 or at the email addresses below. Julie Whitehead - Julie@mbj.com • Catie Kirby - Catie@mbj.com

24 •

JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

UPCOMING

SECTIONS

IN THE MIDLANDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

JULY 19

LINCOLN GROWTH REPORT

EVENT PLANNING

JULY 26

SENIOR LIVING

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

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES

Briefs…

Nebraska Cattlemen’s Market Reporting Service electronic fed cattle market information delivery system for producers has launched an upgrade. Available exclusively to NC Market Reporting Service subscribers, the new smartphone applications ensure instantaneous delivery of market information and also streamline subscribers’ ability to communicate with Market Reporting Service staff via efficient “one click” built-in email communication media as well as an interactive feature for reporting of cash fed cattle trades. In addition to the real-time cash fed cattle sales information and market news feed, the apps will also feature CME Group/Chicago Board of Trade futures quotes as well as DTN’s exclusive newly released weather module. Pottawattamie Gives! raised $591,582 in donations for 104 nonprofits serving Pottawattamie County during the fifth annual event. These figures include organizations that serve both southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska. The Iowa West Foundation again added to the pool of incentives available to nonprofits participating in Pottawattamie Gives! by offering $20,000 in Iowa Incentive Funds for organizations providing services in Pottawattamie County that meet the Foundation’s focus area criteria. New to the event this year were 12 Pottawattamie Gives! hourly prizes of $1,000 each given to Pottawattamie nonprofits. Metropolitan Area Planning Agency has been awarded $50,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust for its Little Steps Big Impact campaign. Little Steps Big Impact is an ozone awareness and education campaign coordinated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency with project partners to create awareness of the Omaha metro area’s air quality situation and encourage residents to take small actions to help improve it. The Omaha metro is the only area in Nebraska near non-attainment for ground-level ozone. The grant will help fund the campaign’s outreach activities such as the project’s school ozone monitoring program. Clear Channel Airports, the Americas-based airports business of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., announced Omaha Airport Authority’s Eppley Airfield awarded the U.S. airport media leader, CCA, a new three-year extension of its existing airport advertising contract. This agreement continues a relationship that began in 2009 when CCA invested nearly a half million dollars in deployment of first-to-market digital media to OMA. Through this investment, and a robust go-to-market sales strategy, CCA nearly doubled the annual revenue of the previous concessionaire during the course of contract term. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s Suzanne and Walter Scott Aquarium will be receiving renovations. All renovations will be complete by May 2020 and the aquarium will remain open. The aquarium will have a redesigned façade with lighting and sound. The entrances to the aquarium and the Aquarium Conference Center will be defined by a 4-foot by 12-foot videoboard. Sea Turtle Café will have digital menu boards, upgraded equipment and an additional concession window. The plaza area will be updated with tile and the underside of the canopy will also be updated. Exhibit enhancements, filter upgrades, new carpeting and renovated restrooms are also a part of the project. After serving the Grand Island community for over five years, Clearwater Counseling,

PC, a private practice offering mental health services to children, adolescents and adults, will be adding a new location in Omaha at 7701 Pacific St., Suite 100A. Co-owners Kayla Coghlan, MS, LIMHP, LIPC, and Nikki Frenzen, MS, PLMHP, who took over the business in June 2018, will expand its services, as well as assist more individuals who are struggling with mental health. Clearwater Counseling works with clients who are struggling with a wide variety of mental health diagnoses including depression, relationship issues, grief/ loss/trauma, addiction, as well as others. Cellar 426 was awarded a Double Gold Medal and a Best of Class Award for its Sunflower White Wine at the INDY International Wine Competition. The Best of Class award designates Cellar 426’s Sunflower White as the best wine made from the Edelweiss grape at the competition. Cellar 426 also won silver medals for its semi sweet white wine Linoma Lighthouse, lightly sweet rosé Wild Rosé and its semi sweet rosé 2 Hearts 2 Souls. The winery, which opened in 2012, has won over 100 medals at International Competitions. West Corp. introduced West Unison, a workflow solution that empowers clients with greater capability, efficiency and insights for its communications programs by providing them with integrated applications and at-aglance performance reporting. Unique to West Unison is its ability to aggregate data across these solutions and provide a detailed look at the performance of an activity, or series of activities, to understand message effectiveness and trends in audience engagement. Clients can also compare the performance of their activities against industry peers based on region, sector and company type. Iowa Workforce Development launched the new IowaWORKS online employment services system across the state. The IowaWORKS site provides a variety of employment resources, tools and services to meet the needs of customers, employers and staff members. Iowa Workforce Development modernized the system to align with the regulations of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, which streamlines employment resources and makes services more accessible. New and existing users can connect to the IowaWORKS system at regional IowaWORKS offices and anywhere they have internet access. Marian and Dennis Cihacek have owned and operated the three Great Harvest Bread Co. bakeries in Omaha for over 24 years, and now the time has come to pass on the apron. They are looking to sell the bakeries. The business has brought countless baked goods, thousands of loaves of bread and sandwiches to Omaha over the years. Young Black & Influential Omaha announced its third year of award recipients. Recipients in the Youth category include: Nadia Spurlock, advocacy; Riaunna Preston, creativity; and Kelsay Brown, innovation. Recipients in the 20s category include: Keenan Tomlinson and Cameron Jackson, creativity; Camron Hairston, advocacy; and TyVon Merritt, innovation. Recipients in the 30s category include: Folly Teko, creativity; Lindsey Williams, advocacy; Andrew Aleman, advocacy; and Luper Akough, innovation. In the 40s category: Judy Kiagiri, creativity; Alisa Parmer, advocacy; and De Chapman, innovation. Erica McGruder was named Mentor of the Year. The Society for Human Resource ManContinued on next page.

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

REGIONAL LANDSCAPES Continued from preceding page. agement awarded The Human Resource Association of the Midlands its EXCEL Platinum Award for HRAM’s accomplishments in 2018. The EXCEL Award aligns individual chapters’ and state councils’ activities with SHRM’s aspirations for the HR profession. The award recognizes major accomplishments, strategic activities, and tactical initiatives that elevate the profession of human resources. Omaha was named one of the best small cities in America by Resonance Consultancy. For the second year in a row, Omaha has earned the No. 2 spot among 50 U.S. cities with a population of less than one million. The top 50 cities were determined based on six criteria: the quality of arts, culture, restaurants, and nightlife; key institutions, attractions and infrastructure; economic prosperity; and promotion via stories, references and recommendations shared online. Highlights of Omaha’s ranking include: No. 6 in culture, nightlife, dining and shopping; No. 5 in attractions and cultural institutions; and No. 1 in economy and standard of living. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking to raise awareness of hazards in the electrical industry. OSHA has resources to help keep workers safe from industry hazards, such as electrocutions, falls, fires and explosions. Its recommended practices for safety and health programs assist employers with identifying and fixing hazards before they cause serious or fatal injuries. OSHA’s OnSite Consultation Program offers no cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.

torneys general. The settlement will result in debt relief of more than $168 million for more than 18,000 former ITT students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The settlement is with Student CU Connect CUSO, LLC, which offered loans to finance students’ tuition at ITT Tech. ITT filed bankruptcy in 2016, amid investigations by state attorneys general and a move by the U.S. Department of Education to restrict ITT’s access to federal student aid. The University of Nebraska at Omaha has partnered with the National Defense University and U.S. Strategic Command to create The Joint and Combined Warfighting School satellite course, which provides Joint Professional Military Education, phase II credit. The course is being administered by faculty from the Joint Forces Staff College. The coursework, which is designed to teach effective planning for operational-level warfighting involving joint and combined military forces, will specifically benefit USSTRATCOM members, whose headquarters is located on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Health care notes…

Arts and Events…

U.S. News & World Report has once again ranked Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in its 2019-20 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings in five pediatric specialties: cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & GI surgery, orthopedics and pulmonology. The 13th annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties. The rankings’ methodology factors in patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices. Cyrus Desouza, professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, co-authored an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine about the fiveyear clinical research study that determined that if you have pre-diabetes, taking excessive amounts of vitamin D to prevent diabetes won’t help. One hundred and seventy study participants were recruited from UNMC and the Omaha VA Hospital. At the end of the study, which took place at 22 sites, diabetes occurred in 293 of 1,211 participants in the vitamin D group and 323 in the placebo group that also had 1,211 participants.

Education notes…

Nebraska Attorney General Peterson’s office has secured $1,767,021 in debt relief for 176 former ITT Tech students in Nebraska as part of a settlement with 43 other state at-

Activities of nonprofits…

Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue was among 57 national organizations honored by the FBI with the 2018 Director’s Community Leadership Award. The FBI’s Omaha Field Office selected Saving Grace for the award because of the nonprofit agency’s work redirecting excess perishable food destined for landfills to those who need it. Since operations began in October 2013, Saving Grace has rescued and redistributed more than 3.3 million pounds of healthy perishable food. The addition of a fourth refrigerated truck in April is helping Saving Grace meet increased demand for its food rescue and delivery services. This expanded capacity enabled Saving Grace to set an ambitious goal of rescuing 1,290,000 pounds of excess food this year. Heart Heroes is hosting The Red Carpet Affair, in partnership with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Colby Red Wine, on July 14 at 140 Regency Parkway, Omaha. This event will offer a five-course gourmet experience with two seating times of 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. This inaugural event will offer an exclusive gourmet experience with wine pairings, valet parking, parting gift and much more. The Alliance Française Omaha is throwing a Bastille Day Celebration on July 14 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Corkscrew Wine and Cheese in Rockbrook Village. The event will include French wine, food, fun activities for all ages, and the music of Omaha’s popular Cajun-French band The Prairie Gators. Admission is $10 at the door and $8 for those who register online. Children under the age of 10 are admitted free. A variety of French wine and French cuisine, including crepes, meat and cheeses, chocolates, breads and pastries from the French bakery Le Petit Paris will be on sale to support the programs of the Alliance Française Omaha. Union Pacific’s newly restored Big Boy locomotive No. 4014 will pull a special fundraising excursion benefitting the Union Pacific Museum on July 15. The train consisting of rare passenger cars will travel from Omaha through western Iowa to Boone, where guests will disembark the train and luxury motor coach back to Omaha. Ticket holders will be invited to stay the weekend

and experience Railroad Days free of charge. Passengers must be 18 years or older to board. The University of Nebraska at Omaha and KANEKO present a two-day event with Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and president of PEN America, on July 18 to July 19. Egan will read from her most recent novel “Manhattan Beach” on July 18 at 7 p.m. in the KANEKO Bowtruss Gallery. After the reading, Egan will answer audience questions and sign copies of her work, which will be available for purchase by The Bookworm. On July 19 at 10 a.m. at KANEKO, Egan will present on the mission of PEN America. Both events are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Brit Floyd is coming to the Orpheum Theater on July 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available to the public online. Brit Floyd, a Pink Floyd tribute show, returns in 2019 with its special 40th Anniversary celebration of Pink Floyd’s iconic rock opera, ‘The Wall’. Released in November 1979, a semi-autobiographical concept album from the mind of Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters, ‘The Wall’ remains one of the biggest selling albums of all time, and a major moment in rock music history. PowerTech is hosting an open house at its new building — 2614 Railroad Hwy, Council Bluffs, Iowa — on July 19 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. PowerTech is a multi-faceted commercial and industrial service provider with specialties including: electrical, generator sales and service, and facility maintenance. It offers customized facility

maintenance plans to keep future problems minimal and 24/7 emergency support. PowerTech specializes in clients with multiple properties, often spread over a wide geography including all of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Northern Kansas. Retired Astronaut Clayton Anderson will take the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum stage at 9 a.m. on July 20 for a presentation on the future of space flight and will lead guests through a new exhibit entitled “Space: Humanity’s Longest Journey.” The exhibit includes art and artifacts themed from a time when humans’ curiosity led to the space race between the U.S. and Soviet Union. The museum will offer activities such as a virtual reality game to experience Apollo 11 moon landing, make and keep a planet, photos with an inflatable astronaut, a free planetarium show and the Apollo 11 launch video. Council Bluffs launched its website for the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) 2019. The website, www.ragbraicb.com, and theme builds on the city’s UNlike Anywhere Else campaign, asking the community to “UNleash Council Bluffs” for its biking visitors. The website includes information for residents, riders and prospective vendors and will release more details as the event draws nearer. This will be the 47th year of the seven-day bike ride that attracts an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 riders from around the country and the world. RAGBRAI 2019 begins on July 21.

MEETINGS AND SEMINARS Monday, July 15 The Nebraska Mediation Association is offering a 30-hour, four-day, Family Mediation Training. Participants build on their Basic Mediation Training and focus on parenting plans. The training also touches on property, finance, and child support issues. A key component is a section on domestic violence. Participants study the power dynamics of family violence and learn techniques designed to successfully screen-out cases inappropriate for mediation due to domestic violence and child abuse. Completion of this training satisfies the training requirements for mediators established in the Nebraska Parenting Act including the family violence screening and awareness requirement. Tuesday, July 16 The Nonprofit Association of the Midlands is hosting a Mental Health First Aid workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop is for anyone who is interested in learning more about mental health, how to identify a person who may be in crisis and gaining skills in starting the conversation with a person who may be experiencing a mental health challenge. Participants who complete the course are certified in Mental Health First Aid for three years. Registration is available online. The Heartland Women’s Network is hosting its July Meeting at Security National Bank featuring Angie Petersen-Green, chief freedom officer of Vision Maps. Petersen-Green will be talking about vision boards: what your dream is, how to map out a vision board and tools to create a powerful board. The lunch is from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. and registration is available online.

Wednesday, July 17 Mentor Nebraska is hosting a workshop on Screening Applicants For Effectiveness (SAFE). The SAFE training helps evaluate current methods and offer suggestions for strengthening mentoring program practices. The workshop focuses on characteristics of child predators, the grooming process, and red flags that will cue programs to take a closer look at potential mentors and ensure they are the right fit. Participants take away tools and approaches for the screening process that range from first contact with a potential mentor until long after the match is made. Registration is online. Friday, July 18 The Embassy Suites La Vista Conference Center will host the local chapters of American Institute of Graphic Arts, American Advertising Federation, American Marketing Association, International Association of Business Communicators, and Public Relations Society of America for ON Brand 2019. Speakers from across the country will share their knowledge of branding, strategy, social media, and more. Registration is now open and online. The Sarpy County Modern Professionals group is hosting guest speaker Ron “Gus” Gustafson at its meeting, running from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Raised on a farm in Lyons, Nebraska, Gustafson was a standout basketball player in high school in spite of having lost his right arm and shoulder in a tragic childhood farm accident. After a knee injury ended his collegiate basketball career, he was devastated. But his faith and courage sustained him and he redirected his energies, building outstanding academic and business careers. He has started and sold numerous businesses. Registration is online.

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Seeds of Hope food share makes fresh food more accessible by Colleen Schrappen

Fitting squash, scallions, beans and beets in a 2-foot cardboard box is no trouble. But adding in an outsize head of napa cabbage? That’s where the system starts to break down. Jen Loui of Seeds of Hope farm arranges and rearranges the produce to accommodate the cabbage’s crinkly leaves, but they are just too prolific. Jake Smith, the farm manager, tells the small assembly line of volunteers that the Nonprofits cabbage will have to be bagged separately. Smith oversees the community-supported agriculture farm behind St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Spanish Lake. Throughout the growing season, two to three dozen different crops will be harvested from the three-quarters-acre lot donated by the church. Each Seeds of Hope farm box has a market price of about $20; sponsors pay $28 to subsidize shares for low-income members. For members with incomes at

less than 125% of the federal poverty level — about $32,000 a year for a family of four — an income-tiered share costs $12. The Double Up Food Bucks program for food stamp recipients can bring that down to $10. The farm is one of 22 projects under the umbrella of the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, a federally funded organization focused on ending poverty. It started in 2012 as a way to “increase physical accessibility and economic access to fresh food,” said Randy Tempel, the community garden coordinator. In Spanish Lake, 19% of residents fall below the poverty line, though CSA members who buy subsidized farm shares can be from any part of St. Louis County. Each Thursday from late May to late October, customers can pick up their boxes at the farm or the Community Action Agency in Overland. Tempel also drops off several sponsor boxes for employees of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The nonprofit farm partners with the

University of Missouri-St. Louis to host cooking classes and community dinners at nearby Bethany-Peace United Church of Christ. UMSL also works with the Hazelwood School District to take students on field trips to learn about small-scale farming. “It’s a way to pair production and education and increase supply and demand at the same time,” Tempel said. “If people know more about fresh fruits and vegetables, they’ll demand them more often.” Zora Guthrie already requests carrots for snacks at home. The 6-year-old also is a cabbage fan. “It’s so sweet,” she said last week as she helped her grandmother, Deborah Lewis, clean and package vegetables. Zora has been accompanying Lewis to the farm all summer. She has the routine down: “After we pull the plants out of the dirt, we wash them and put them in the bags. Then we wash our hands.” Zora and her mother live in the same

A growing percentage of Americans have no emergency savings whatsoever Continued from page 15. savings for at least six months. That’s the lowest percentage of people with an adequate savings cushion in nine years of conducting Bankrate’s poll. Multiple factors have made it difficult to save for emergencies. “Household expenses have gone up and in many cases incomes haven’t kept pace,” says Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrate’s chief financial analyst. “So if you haven’t been adding to that savings, that and the regularity of unplanned expenses can easily chip away at what once was an adequate savings cushion.” Research, including a recent Bankrate study, also suggests that a growing number of workers have one or multiple side hustles. Achieving financial stability can be difficult when the need for your services as a consultant or freelance photographer can change from week to week. “If the demands aren’t really there, that really shifts a bunch of risk to the employee,” says John Thompson, chief program officer at the Financial Health Network, formerly known as the Center for Financial Services Innovation. “Do I know when I’m working? Do I know how many hours I’m going to get, and then in turn what my income is going to be for this week or next week, or the week after? The employee is generally powerless against that kind of intelligence.”

Shopping in stores Continued from page 13. important when deciding to make a purchase. That% is even higher for Gen Z women. Half said these reviews are “very important,” the report states. Few Gen Z adults use credit cards to pay for groceries or gas, compared to about a quarter of all other adults. Almost half, 47 percent, of this younger generation opts to use a debit card as their primary payment method and 30% use cash. ©2019 The Philadelphia Inquirer Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

But Thompson notes that there is an income instability and predictability issue that’s present among different kinds of households and workers, not just tech workers in the gig economy. How much we should save for emergencies Though few respondents in the survey have six months’ worth of emergency savings, more than half (52 percent) say they need that much money readily available to feel comfortable about their financial situation. One in five say they would be comfortable with just three to five months’ worth of savings for a rainy day. How much you should save in order to be prepared for the unexpected varies depending on your personal circumstances and the kind of job you have. “There are instances where even a six month cushion is probably not enough, particularly those that are sole breadwinners or in business for themselves and those that have variable or unpredictable income,” McBride says. Noting the kinds of emergency expenses families might have to pay for, Bill Van Sant, senior vice president and managing director at Girard, a wealth advisory firm, recommends having enough cash to cover expenses for as many as 12 months. Rating the economy Compared to their poorer counterparts, wealthy Americans are more likely to have a sizable amount of emergency savings. Similarly, how the survey respondents feel about the economy depends in part on their own financial status. Nearly 6 in 10 adults believe the current economy is good (47 percent) or excellent (12 percent). That’s true for most (68 percent) of the highest earners. But among the poorest households, half describe the conditions as “not so good” or “poor.” “Lower-income Americans and less-educated workers were really the final beneficiaries of the economic recovery,” McBride says. “It’s really only in the past two, three years that their situation has started to improve. But unfortunately, they’re also

going to be the hardest hit and the first to be hit whenever the economy does take a downturn.” Perspectives vary widely based on political views, too. Republicans are significantly more likely to say that the economy is in good shape (77% say it’s “excellent” or “good”). Meanwhile, nearly half of Democrats (49 percent) describe the economy as “not so good” or “poor.” Predicting and preparing for the next recession Americans also disagree on how soon we’ll see the next recession. One in four (26 percent) believe it’ll be at least two years before the economy takes a turn for the worse. Younger millennials (29 percent) and Gen Xers (24 percent) are more likely to believe a recession has already begun. Baby boomers (34 percent) — particularly the older members of the generation — are more likely to believe the next recession is at least two years away. “Statistics have shown over time that those that start their careers during or shortly after a recession have a permanent hit to their earning capacity that stays with them for decades,” McBride says. Experts say we shouldn’t worry. McBride believes we’re more than 12 months away from another recession. In the meantime, he recommends paying down and consolidating debt, and locking in fixed rates. Build up your emergency fund and move cash into a high-yield CD or savings account. Protect your earning power as well, he says, by getting the latest professional certifications and ensuring you have the technological skills needed to remain competitive. If you’re preparing to head into retirement and concerned about signs of a future recession, reduce your equity exposure, says Van Sant from Girard. Estimate what your budget will be like once you leave the workforce and try to live off that now. ©2019 Bankrate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

North County apartment complex as Lewis, and the three generations share a food box. As a regular volunteer, Lewis receives hers for free. “We juice now,” said Lewis. “Arugula, grapes, Fuji apples. It makes me feel so good.” She has always included fruits and vegetables in her diet, but the convenience of Seeds of Hope makes it easier to try new things. The farm also tries to respond to what clients want. This year, that means growing green tomatoes through a special project funded by a $25,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The money allowed Loui to join Tempel and Smith on staff. Neighbors had been requesting the unripened nightshade, said Smith, who has managed Seeds of Hope for three years. “We’re always trying to grow things that people around here want. We’re always evolving.” Dedicating space to the green tomatoes has limited the number of weekly shares to 30, down from about three dozen. But it was a tradeoff the farm was willing to make. “There is a growing awareness that good food should be available to everybody,” Loui said. “We need to start addressing the issue by putting green spaces in our communities, making small farms part of the community.” The grants for specialty crops — which include most fruits and vegetables, except corn and soybeans — were awarded to 11 organizations across the state this year. “We were really intrigued with what (Seeds of Hope) wanted to do,” said Roberts, who recently toured the farm. “Part of our initiative is to get more agricultural products into the hands of more people.” The green tomatoes will be included in the food shares and sold at markets such as Local Harvest and the Ferguson Farmers Market. They aren’t quite ready yet, but that’s not likely to be noticed with last week’s bounty, which weighed in at about 13 pounds a share. After the boxes were packed, Tempel slid a flyer under each lid, explaining what was inside and how it could be used. Six-year-old Zora doesn’t need the suggestions. She already knows what to do. “I like to blend stuff, like salads,” she said. “I like to eat different foods.” ©2019 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

OBJ Pages •

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

Owner Leigh Neary … Integrating organic, synthetic chemical-free and zero waste down to every fiber of the Dundee store.

Exist Green brings zero waste market and boutique to Omaha by Becky McCarville

a work in progress as she awaits a custom glass sign for the front of the building and a waxed canvas sun shade. “I’ve had existgreen.com, the domain name, since I was 20,” she said. “I always knew I wanted to have some sort of store.” Following a move back to Omaha in 2015 after working in California for the Air Force, Chevron, and then ARCADIS, a consultancy firm for sustainable engineering and design. Neary wanted to redefine her life by living a zero waste, vegan lifestyle. “I was totally zero waste for six months where I tracked everything in a mason jar,” she said. “I’ve been composting since I moved back — I actually offer free compost drop-off for anybody and it goes to Hillside Solutions.” Neary said going zero waste and vegan can be challenging because there aren’t as many grab-and-go options in Omaha, and more time and thought goes into preparing meals. “A lot of it was a gradual thing for me trying to go zero waste myself,” she said. “You have to realize that you have to stop buying something, so how do you replace it?” Informally divided into a market on one side with items available in bulk — organic polenta, popcorn, loose-leaf teas, spices, olive oil, vinegar, raw nuts and seeds, seasonal vegetables, dried beans and some seasonal prepared foods like nettle pesto and hummus — customers can purchase pre-sanitized reusable glass Weck jars or bring in their own jars to be sanitized and filled. Neary uses Weck jars Organic olive oil from California is poured into a because the seal is made of natusanitized jar that is priced by its tare weight. ral rubber, which is compostable In what was once a laundromat and then a jeans shop on Underwood Avenue in the heart of Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood, Leigh Neary has opened Exist Green, a zero-waste market and eco-boutique where people can stock up on organic, synthetic chemical-free products in bulk as well as seasonal organic fruits and vegetables from local producers. A civil/environmental engineer with an undergraduate degree from Colorado State and a master’s degree from University of California, Berkeley, Neary bought the building in 2017, which had been in her family since 2008/2009, and spent two years researching and sourcing products for the store as well as designing the space. The store opened in May 2019 and is still

Employee Emily Anderson fills a reusable glass Weck jar with local organic polenta. when it has reached the end of its lifecycle. cardboard boxes, both of which are recyThe other side of the 1,700-square-foot clable. space is an eco-boutique with ingredients for “For instance, two of the farms that zero waste laundry, stainless-steel straws, delivered [products] today, I gave them our menstrual cups, safety razors, essential cotton bags a few weeks ago and now they’re oils, hair care and beauty products, candles, starting to use them,” she said, noting that 100% hemp shower curtains and eventually the reusable cotton bags are professionalplant-based T-shirts ly laundered. “We’re made out of hemp Exist Green constantly trying to Phone: 402-502-0880 and cotton. reduce any plastic that If customers bring Address: 4914 Underwood Ave. Suite A, we do encounter.” in their own jars to be Omaha 68132 Generating a buzz filled or exchanged, Opened: May 2019 via Instagram and they receive a 5% Goals: Increase Instagram following to social media using discount and the jars expand customer base. professional photoare sanitized on the Industry trends: People want to know graphs, posts and respot in the store’s where their food and products come from posts have drawn in h i g h t e m p e r a t u r e and seek to support local businesses. customers, and sales dishwasher — it’s a Website: existgreen.com have increased every minute-and-a-half cyweekend. cle plus two minutes to airdry. “I haven’t had anyone come in and say, “I believe I’m the only zero waste store ‘oh, this isn’t for me,’” she said. “Everyone in the country that is actually following the can find something here that works for them.” food code [by sanitizing] when people bring Neary plans to host workshops in the in their jars — that’s my claim to fame,” she store featuring topics like composting and said. “If people don’t want to wait for that zero waste laundry. A product called soap process, we have a number of containers — nuts — a natural berry that grows in the HiWeck jars, magnetic spice jars, cotton bags malayas, India and Africa — produce suds — a milkman-type model.” similar to synthetic detergents. Neary works with suppliers to reduce The building is powered by solar panshipping waste. Much of the waste she deals els. Above the store is a zero waste Airbnb with in shipping are No. 4 plastic bags and apartment.

Urban Living - Page 28

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JULY 12, 2019 • Midlands Business Journal

• OBJ Pages

Urban Living

Omaha Business Journal Pages

A section prepared by the staff of the Midlands Business Jour nal

July 12, 2019

Entertainment, housing opportunities spring up beyond the usual suspect by Michelle Leach

Downtown investment definitely isn’t new; however, there are more opportunities to live and play in addition to work in the urban core than there have been in the previous five years, let alone in the past couple of decades. After a “short lull,” Shamrock Development Principal Mike Moylan described downtown as “surging” — in response to demand for development and the recognition that a strong core is a pillar of a viable community. “[It’s] a strong boost in the last year, Moylan but a significant boost from five years ago,” he said. “The civic leaders as well as private development have provided a great landscape to encourage development.” The Capitol District Executive Director Sarah McMahon noted her team has been busy with “final building,” as well as continued operations and programming. “In addition, [we’re] working on new events and programming to build awareness and draw people to visit The Capitol District,” she said. As it relates to build-out, McMahon referenced the 1100 Capitol Building — reportedly, a three-story office building slated for completion by mid-2020. She said an “Omaha” sign was installed that is reported to be the size of two elephants lined up, and that can be lit with different colors to celebrate various events (red for Husker games, blue for Creighton). The lights can be coordinated with other rooftop lighting in the district. “We also have a movie series throughout the month of July along with other events,” McMahon said; for instance, at the time of this writing, events ranged from live music to pole vaulting and a hoops contest. “Capitalizing on the successes of the Capitol District and refining it to be established as Omaha’s modern town square,” were described as priorities, while McMahon emphasized a city’s urban development as a “journey, and not a destination.” “The investment and schedule of this project would be considered monumental in any major city in the country,” she said.

Sarah McMahon, executive director of The Capitol District. MCL Construction’s Director of Busi- downtown — be it new construction or ness Development and Marketing Travis complex renovations of historical buildJustice emphasized the variety of projects ings.

“Historically, we have always been busy in downtown working in the corporate office environment with our regular clients,” he said. “Additionally, we have been part of the multi-family housing boom that is taking place, constructing the 1501 Jackson Apartments and the Capitol District Apartments — that’s the biggest change. People only wanted to live in the Old Market; now there are several ‘pocket’ neighborhoods like Little Italy, Little Bohemia and NODO that developers are revitalizing.” Because many older buildings are being renovated, Justice Justice said, owners and architects are finding real value in 3D high definition scanning, which he said allows for a single space (or an entire building) to be digitally scanned in a much shorter timeframe, and to create an “asbuilt drawing,” with the data accurately converted into a REVIT file for modeling purposes. “Our service accelerates the design Continued on page 30.

Local companies work to sustain urban life by Gabby Christensen

Supporting urban living is a high priority for various local businesses. Arun Agarwal, CEO at White Lotus Group, said the company strives to support urban living through creating spaces where diverse people with all different types of character and tastes feel welcome. “From a building design perspective, we think of multi-functional apartments and/or condos with lots of natural light, floor plans that optimize space and we know how important it is to have walkable amenities nearby,” Agarwal said. “Many urban living developments include the revitalization of a historic building, and this is true with many of our projects as well. We love being able to offer residents unique design features that play off of the historic nature of the space, while also adding in new amenities such as a fitness center, game room or outdoor lounge area.” Agarwal said urban redevelopment and diversity in Omaha will not only become

more and more apparent when it comes to how and where people are living, but it will also trickle into the office environments as well, continuing to create creative pockets

Agarwal O’Brien of redevelopment. “By supporting urban living, we can all help to attract and retain talent while creating a place where we all want to live, work and play,” he said. Brian Anderson, senior vice president of commercial real estate at American

National Bank, said the bank works with developers in the midtown and downtown area to provide construction financing. “We are currently working with Bluestone Development on the Bos Apartments project,” he said. “This apartment complex on Saddle Creek will continue the development of the urban core, which adds to the overall density and vibrancy of the older neighborhoods.” According to Anderson, the goal is to bring new customers and new families into the heart of the city, energizing and sustaining the vitality of the urban community. “This branch, and investment in the Saddle Creek neighborhood, reinforces our commitment to, and celebration of, our community roots and our long time desire to serve banking and professional needs on Saddle Creek,” Anderson said. Anderson said urban centers deserve banking support. “In addition to our service to busiContinued on page 30.

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Entertainment, housing opportunities spring up beyond the usual suspect part of planning for First National Bank’s Continued from page 28. process, makes preconstruction and es- expansion, and it was also involved with timating more efficient, and provides an Gallup when the city passed the bond issue owner valuable information when we close to build the new convention arena. out a project so they can operate their fa“It was an easy decision to see the cility more efficiently,” he said. changes that were coming, and we wanted Justice noted MCL Construction is to be a part of being downtown,” he said. finishing the transformation of a “historWhen RDG designed its new space, ical gem” into an office space for Kirsch Sova noted they dedicated a quarter of its Transportation, at the former site of Alvine block to open space — for activities and Engineering. events that bring people together. When He described the space as asked about other organizations respecting the history of the committing to the downtown building, while providing the core, he referred to the likes amenities that today’s workforce of Toast, the Greater Omaha expects. Chamber, Kiewit, Mutual of “Also, we are building out Omaha Bank and the up and the new office space for RDG coming Millwork Commons/ Planning and Design,” Justice Makerhood development in said. “This is located in the fornorth Downtown. mer Greater Omaha Chamber of RDG is also involved with Commerce location. We have housing studies; for instance, completely gutted the inside the Park Avenue and historic Sova from what it used to be. This is 10th Street areas, which are a project we can’t wait to show off when building on investments to create urban it’s complete.” neighborhoods connected to downtown. As the city undertakes a $290 million “Cities throughout the Midwest and project to renovate Gene Leahy Mall, RDG across the nation are seeing an influx of Planning and Design President and Archi- people who want to live downtown and tect John Sova said the team is proud to be within a walkable/bikeable distance to continue to call downtown “home.” all the necessary amenities,” Sova said, “Our 54-year-old company has lived noting interest transcends millennials — in a historic downtown building for 20 boomers and everyone in-between. “Our years,” he said. “Our move will keep us in work in urban planning is focused on downtown for at least the next 15 years.” healthy downtowns and intercity neighIn the late 1990s, Sova said RDG was borhoods …”

Local companies work to sustain urban life Continued from page 28. nesses, not-for-profits, health care and education partners, professionals, and real estate developers, we work closely with clients such as Holy Name Housing Corporation to finance affordable urban housing,” Anderson said. Recently, he said the bank worked with Heartland Family Services to help finance renovation, which includes a residential housing and treatment program that provides long-term substance abuse and mental health assistance for women with children. “Through these partnerships, we are supporting their efforts so these e s s e n t i a l s o c i a l s e r v i c e o rg a n i z a tions can deliver much needed programming services for public housing residents in support of urban living,” Anderson said. Tim O’Brien, director of economic development and external relations at OPPD, said urban living is a big part of bringing people, especially young workers, to the area. “We are constantly working to maintain reliable electric service to power those things,” O’Brien said. “Take downtown Omaha, a mix of residential living, restaurants, shops, nightlife and history. We’ve got more than 200 underground vaults serving 1,900 customers in that area. It’s a multi-layered system, requiring continual inspections and maintenance to keep power flowing.” As much as OPPD has invested in the infrastructure, he said the organization has

also invested in the workforce needed to sustain urban business growth. “A large number of our employees volunteer in various organizations and on boards devoted to community betterment,” O’Brien said. He said OPPD also partners with local nonprofits and is committed to the Legacy program, offering internships and jobs to young people from diverse and challenged backgrounds. Additionally, he said OPPD supports urban living by offering products and services for people for urbanites, such as the Community Solar program, which allows environmentally-conscious customers who cannot attach solar panels or who cannot afford to attach panels, another way to obtain solar energy. “By supporting urban life, we are supporting the entire state,” O’Brien said. “The economic benefits trickle down, contributing to keeping taxes and utility costs low.”

Midlands Business Journal • JULY 12, 2019 •

The Alzheimer’s Association names Murphy to directorship

Donovan

Fernau

Hofeldt

Kampfe

Lutz elevates Donovan, Fernau, Hofeldt, Kampfe and McGregor Lutz has promoted five to director roles in the Omaha office. Joe Donovan, CPA, has been promoted to tax director and has over six years of experience in taxation. Donovan is responsible for providing tax compliance, research, and consulting services to privately held companies in a variety of industries including real estate and construction. Sharissa Fernau, McGregor CPA, has been promoted to operations director of accounting. Fernau has over seven years of experience in taxation, and four years of experience leading Lutz’s tax department’s operations team. Her primary responsibilities include the implementation of new processes and procedures within the accounting division, managing the workflow schedule for accounting staff and upper-level management, and coordinating accounting training for interns. Kyle Hofeldt, CPA, has been promoted to audit director and has over eight years of assurance and consulting experience. He is responsible for providing accounting, auditing and consulting services to privately held companies in a variety of industries including agriculture, service, manufacturing, construction, technology, and transportation.

Metonic Real Estate Solutions selects Silligman for accounting manager role

Metonic Real Estate Solutions has added Keith Silligman as the company’s accounting manager. Silligman will provide oversight of the company’s financial records and reporting, as well as support the company’s banking, audit, tax and insurance functions. Prior to joining Metonic, Silligman worked for Silligman Seldin Company — a Metonic affiliate — in an accounting leadership position for five years with a focus on process improvement, financial reporting, and team management. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Bellevue University in 2014, following a career in the health care industry.

John Kampfe, CPA, has been promoted to tax director and has over six years of experience in taxation. He is responsible for providing tax planning, research, and consulting services to individuals, as well as privately held businesses in the construction and real estate industries. Ryan McGregor, CM&AA, CVA, has been promoted to consulting director in the Lutz M&A division. He has a combined 14 years of related experience. He specializes in business consulting, valuation, and sellside advisory services.

Creighton University names FitzGerald department chair

Creighton University selected The Rev. Kevin T. FitzGerald, SJ, Ph.D., as the inaugural chair of the newly formed Department of Medical Humanities in the School of Medicine. FitzGerald is the John A. Creighton University Professor, and an associate professor in the School of Medicine, Department of MedFitzGerald ical Education, at Creighton. He received a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and a Ph.D. in bioethics from Georgetown University. His research efforts focus on the utilization of reflection in medical education, the investigation of abnormal gene expression in cancer, and on ethical issues in biomedical research and medical genomics.

HGM Associates adds Mueller

HGM Associates Inc. has hired Kenneth Mueller, PE to the team. Mueller received his bachelors’ degree in civil engineering from North Dakota State University. He has over six years of experience in the transportation sector with a special focus on highway design and construction inspection in the upper Midwest. His experience has Mueller included multiple large scale ($100+ million) traffic critical project consisting of roadway design and maintenance of traffic along with complete redesign of state and county highways and intersections.

Renner

Hankins

DJ’s Dugout names Renner, Hankins to officer positions

DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar has appointed two new officer positions. Sunni Renner has been named CEO and will be responsible for overseeing overall day to day store operations to support the growth of all DJ’s Dugout locations. Renner is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and has served as a manager at DJ’s Dugout for over 26 years. Through the years with DJ’s Dugout, she has managed and launched numerous DJ’s Dugout locations. She serves on the Bellevue Community Foundation Board of Directors, along with being involved with other numerous community organizations and events. Natalie Hankins has been named company CFO and director of HR and benefits, overseeing financial operations, human resources, and benefits for DJ’s Dugout. Hankins is a graduate of The Art Institute of Charlotte, North Carolina and

The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter has named Shawn Murphy as director of development and corporate partnerships. While her primary office will be in Omaha, she will work with partners across the state of Nebraska. Most recently, she was vice president of fundraising and commuMurphy nity development for the AIM Institute. Prior to her role at the AIM she worked in client services for MedSynergies where she developed strong relationships with physician practices and medical groups to improve operational and financial performance. She worked with 32 physician clinics in Lincoln, Crete and Nebraska City. has been with DJ’s Dugout for about 10 years. She has worked at multiple levels for DJ’s Dugout, starting as a part-time server/bartender, then led as a full-time assistant manager at the DJ’s Bellevue location before joining the corporate office as executive assistant in 2013. Over the last four years she has managed all aspects of DJ’s Dugout’s finances, benefits and human resources.

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